“Primary” colors exist naturally and cannot be created by combining other colors. Red, yellow, and blue are the three primary colors, but you’ll only need red and yellow to create orange. “Secondary” colors are made by combining two primary colors. Since you need to combine red and yellow to make orange, orange is considered a secondary color. The other two secondary colors are violet and green.
Yellow-orange and red-orange are the two simplest variations. These colors are also known as “tertiary” colors. Tertiary colors fall evenly between secondary and primary colors on the color wheel. Yellow-orange consists of two parts yellow and one part red, or one part orange and one part yellow. Red-orange consists of two parts red and one part yellow, or one part orange and one part red.
The amount of white or black you add will determine how much lighter or darker the orange hue becomes. Note that lighter values are typically referred to as “tints,” while darker values are commonly referred to as “shades. "
Try to include both one warm red clay (with a hint of orange) and one cool red clay (with a hint of violet). Likewise, grab one warm yellow clay (with a hint of orange) and one cool yellow clay (with a hint of green). Note that you can use more than two hues each of red and yellow, if desired, but using at least two should still allow you to observe the principle and understand how it works.
When finished, you should see a solid orange color without streaks. This combination of red and yellow should produce a fairly vibrant orange since both starting clays leaned toward the orange portion of the color wheel.
Warm red and cool yellow should create a medium-tone apricot color. Cool red and warm yellow should create a medium-tone melon color. Cool red and cool yellow should create a dull orange with hints of brown in it.
Add a small pinch of white clay to one orange sample, blending until no streaks remain. The color should have a lighter tint while also looking less bright. Add a small pinch of translucent clay to the other orange sample, blending until no streaks remain. The color should look less bright but should not change value or tint. Note that adding too much translucent clay will create a semi-transparent wash instead of an opaque orange.
The resulting orange will have the same hue, but the black should give it a darker shade. As a result, the orange may look slightly brown. Black clay can have a dramatic effect on other clay colors, including orange, so you should work in very small amounts to avoid darkening the shade too much.
There are multiple ways to create orange frosting, but each one requires a base of white frosting. You’ll need at least four samples of white frosting, but setting up six to twelve will allow you to experiment with more options. You should obtain at least four different food dyes: one orange, one red, one yellow, and one black. Consider getting additional hues of red and yellow for additional experiments. Ideally, you should use paste, powder, or gel food dyes that are designed for use with frosting. Avoid liquid food dyes since these tend to have a negative effect on frosting consistency. [4] X Research source
Since you’re mixing the food coloring with white icing, the final result won’t be as dark as the hue of the dye. You’ll always end up with a lighter shade, regardless of how much orange dye you use. Note, however, that adding very small amounts will create a very light orange while adding greater amounts will produce a stronger, brighter value.
The combination should result in an orange frosting. This second sample may not look exactly the same as your first, of course, since the red and yellow you use may result in a slightly different hue.
The black should darken the shade of the orange without changing the hue. Only use small amounts of black food coloring at a time, though, since even small amounts can have a dramatic impact on the color of the frosting.
Most food coloring manufacturers have recommendations for you to follow, but you can easily experiment on your own. Several ideas include: Combine nine parts red with ten parts yellow to create a rosy peach color. [5] X Research source Mix two parts orange with one part golden yellow to make an apricot color. [6] X Research source Create a rusty orange by mixing eight parts orange, two parts red, and one part brown. [7] X Research source
