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Subtractive Paint Physics & Swatch Extractor

Paint Color Mixer & Photo Palette Generator

One of the greatest frustrations painters face when planning a palette digitally is that computer screens use additive RGB light mixing. On a monitor, mixing yellow and blue light creates a washed-out light gray, whereas in traditional painting with acrylics, oils, or watercolors, yellow and blue pigment particles absorb red and blue wavelengths, leaving rich, vibrant green (subtractive mixing). Pintado’s Color Mixer solves this problem by simulating physical subtractive pigment physics directly in your browser. Whether you are seeking the exact recipe to tone down a saturated cadmium hue or need to extract a harmonious 6-color palette from a reference photo, this tool provides instant, realistic visual feedback alongside precise HEX, RGB, and HSL values. All image and color processing occurs 100% client-side in your device’s memory, ensuring total privacy.

100% Client-Side: Photos & colors are processed locally in your browser and never uploaded.
Quick Studio Pigments:
50%
50%
RYB Subtractive Result

Olive Sap Green

HEX: #2F6B34
RGB: rgb(47, 107, 52)
HSL: hsl(125°, 39%, 30%)
Why is this realistic?

Computer monitors use additive RGB light (mixing yellow and blue makes light gray). Pintado simulates subtractive pigment physics (RYB), reproducing how acrylics, oils, and watercolors actually interact on paper.

How to Use the Color Mixer & Palette Extractor

1. Choose Pigment Bases in the Subtractive Mixer

Select your starting pigments using the color pickers or click on our curated studio pigment buttons (e.g. Cadmium Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna). Adjust the ratio sliders to simulate adding more or less paint from your palette knife.

2. Read Real Subtractive Mixing Names & Color Codes

Observe the mixed swatch preview. The algorithm identifies the nearest traditional artist pigment name (e.g., Sap Green, Olive Green, Warm Ochre) and computes copyable HEX, RGB, and HSL values for seamless transfer into your digital art software.

3. Switch to Photo Extractor to Pull Reference Swatches

Click the “Photo Palette Extractor” tab and drop your reference image onto the canvas. The in-browser Median-Cut clustering algorithm identifies the six most harmonious dominant colors, which you can copy individually or download as an elegant PNG swatch card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Color Theory & Mixing Guides

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