What two colors make viridian?

Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna. Phthalo Blue leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

What is the hex code for viridian?

Chromilla uses #256C5A as the target for viridian. The watercolor recipe is predicted to dry to about #276355.

Can I mix viridian without black?

Yes. Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses no black: 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna.

How to Mix Viridian in Watercolor

Quick answer

To mix viridian (#256C5A) in watercolor, use 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out. Chromilla is a web-based paint color mixer that turns any color, from a photo, the camera or a hex code, into exact paint-tube ratios for acrylic, oil and watercolor, using Kubelka-Munk pigment mixing and aiming at the color after it dries.

Adjust for my paints

Target

Viridian

#256C5A

Predicted dry result

92% match when dry

Mix to #2C6C5A while wet. It dries to about #276355.

Viridian in watercolor: tube ratios, and ml for a 100 ml batch
Paint	Pigment	Parts	Share	100 ml batch
Phthalo Blue	PB15	5	40%	40 ml
Titanium White	PW6	5	37%	37 ml
Burnt Sienna	PBr7	3	23%	23 ml

How we calculated this: Kubelka-Munk pigment mixing, then a per-medium dry shift, scored with CIEDE2000. Method and accuracy benchmark. Last checked August 2026.

Terms used here: Tinting strength, Dry shift, Kubelka-Munk, Delta E (dE2000), Pigment code, Gamut.

A cool, transparent blue-green. The classic mixer for grays and shadows. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #256C5A in watercolor, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.

Pigment recipe

Checked August 2026

Ratios calibrated for watercolor. Start with the dominant pigment, add the modifiers in the order below, and adjust in 5% steps to your target swatch.

1. Phthalo Blue
PB15
40%
2. Titanium White
PW6
37%
3. Burnt Sienna
PBr7
23%

What colors make Viridian?

Phthalo Blue, Titanium White, and Burnt Sienna, in roughly a 40:37:23 ratio.

How to make Viridian in watercolor

Start with Phthalo Blue at about 40% as your watercolor base, then work in Titanium White and Burnt Sienna in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #256C5A.

Why mix Viridian instead of buying it

Mixing Viridian yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Viridian across paint brands whose factory tubes differ, and rebuild the exact color when you run out mid painting. The recipe above is the working starting point.

Common mistakes

That pigment is a very strong tinter, add it a touch at a time or it will swallow the mix. White cools and chalks a mix as you add it, so tint in small steps and stop before it goes pastel.

Variations on Viridian

Each variation is its own target (lighter and darker move OKLCH lightness by 0.08; warmer and cooler turn the hue 12 degrees toward red or blue), solved fresh.

Lighter Viridian

#3F8471

7 parts Yellow Ochre, 4 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Darker Viridian

#025544

5 parts Yellow Ochre to 2 parts Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Warmer Viridian

#316B50

35% Phthalo Blue, 34% Titanium White and 31% Burnt Sienna. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Cooler Viridian

#1A6C64

5 parts Yellow Ochre, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White. Chromilla's model predicts a 90% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Viridian questions

What two colors make viridian?: Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna. Phthalo Blue leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How do you make viridian paint lighter without losing the hue?: Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter viridian (#3F8471) in watercolor, Chromilla mixes 7 parts Yellow Ochre, 4 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
What is the hex code for viridian?: Chromilla uses #256C5A as the target for viridian. The watercolor recipe is predicted to dry to about #276355.
Can I mix viridian without black?: Yes. Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses no black: 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna.

Viridian in other mediums

Viridian in Acrylic: 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna, predicted 90% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Viridian in Oil: 5 parts Phthalo Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 3 parts Burnt Sienna, predicted 98% dry match by Chromilla's color model.

Get this recipe for your paint brand

Open the live mixer with Viridian + watercolor pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.

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Technique guides for this color

Related mixing guides

Pigment mixing is subtractive, so small ratio changes matter. The mixer refines this recipe to your brand and updates on the fly.