It is red, which is naturally occurring, plus white. Because the object reflects that exact wavelength, we think it’s red!īut pink is not a naturally occurring wavelength of light. But more importantly, something that we perceive is red has a makeup up that causes it to absorb all wavelengths of light except those that fall around 700 nanometers in length. The distance from crest to crest is just a little thicker than a soap bubble membrane. Red, a primary component of pink, falls at just around 700 nanometers in wavelength, and is one of the longer wavelengths than we can see. The range that humans can see unaided by technology is called the “ visible spectrum.” Some animals, like butterflies and reindeer, can actually see more of the available spectrum. But the possible wavelengths of light extend almost infinitely in either direction outside that tiny range. (We’ll talk about “warm” and “cool” colors later.)īut notice that we can only see a tiny portion of the entire spectrum of light-only those wavelengths between about 400 and 800 nanometers. T he longer the wavelength, the “warmer” the color appears. The wavelength of light is measured in nanometers (nm). The whole range of possible wavelengths is called the “spectrum.” Here’s how the spectrum of light translates into the spectrum of color: Your eyes measure these lengths as they bounce off an object and translate them in your brain to various colors.

Light works very similarly, except the waves are much smaller and closer together. That would give you the wavelength of the water on the beach. If you were to measure the length of those waves, you’d start at the crest (highest point) of one wave and measure to the crest of the next. At other times, the waves come in low and far apart. Sometimes the waves come in high and close together. But usually, an object has some other color like red, blue, or green.which is actually the wavelength of light that’s being reflected by the object!īut what is a wavelength? Think about light as if it were water at the beach. Sometimes none does and it appears black. So sometimes all color bounces off and it appears white. While artists consider black a color, scientists do not because black is the absence of all color.īasically, an object's physical makeup causes light (also known as electromagnetic waves) to bounce off of it in a different way.which creates color! A black crayon or marker cap absorbs all colors equally and reflects none, so it looks black to us. When white light strikes a white crayon or marker barrel, it appears white to us because it absorbs no color and reflects all color equally. The sun’s rays contain all the colors of the rainbow mixed together. Our eyes only see the colors that are bounced off or reflected. When light shines on an object some colors bounce off the object and others are absorbed by it. Here’s how the master of color, Crayola, explains how light creates what we see as color: And that involves understanding a little more about how light works. So to answer the question, “What is pink,” you kind of have to know what color is. Now you know what colors make pink, but what actually is pink? Mixing red and white together to make pink is a quick explanation to what’s actually a pretty complicated process. What Is Pink? The Science Behind the Color But understanding the science behind the color can help simplify the process! You actually need to know more about the science of color in order to understand how to make these pink shades!ĭon’t worry: we’ll give you a quick overview of what you need to know below.įiguring out how to mix the perfect shade of pink-like the ones you'd need to paint a picture of this sunset-can be tough. Getting the exact shade of pink you want-like a deep mauve or a bright fuchsia-is more complicated. So because pink is a mix of red and white, it’s actually a tint! Tints are made when you mix any color with white. That means that pink is actually a tint, not a pure color. So more white will give you a lighter pink, whereas more red will give you a darker pink. The amount of each color you add affects the shade of pink you end up with. What colors make pink? Red and white mixed together make pink. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started! Let’s start with the very basics. Examples of different shades of pink and what color families they belong to.An in-depth explanation of how to make more complex shades of pink.A scientific answer to the question, “What is pink?”.This article will teach you everything you need to know about what colors make pink.and we’ll teach you a little about color theory, too! Here’s what you’ll find below: In order to understand how to make pink, we need to understand a whole lot about both physics and culture. Where would you even begin? What colors make pink? Let’s say you’re working on a painting and need to mix the perfect shade of pink.

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