What Make Neon colours? A Complete Guide to Creating Vibrant Neon Shades

Neon colours are captivating, vibrant, and eye-catching hues that seem to glow with an electric intensity. They are commonly associated with bright signage, 1980s fashion, modern digital design, and street art. But have you ever wondered: what colours make neon? Or how you can create neon colours using paint, light, or digital tools?

In this detailed guide, we’ll explore everything about neon colours: how they are made, which colour combinations create neon shades, and how to make your own neon colours pop in art, design, and other creative projects.

What Defines a Neon Colour?

A neon colour is characterised by its high luminosity and intensity. They often appear glowing, especially under blacklight or ultraviolet (UV) light. Neon colours are not naturally occurring but are achieved by manipulating colour brightness and saturation to achieve an electric-like effect.

Common neon colours include:

• Neon Green
• Neon Pink
• Neon Orange
• Neon Yellow
• Neon Blue
• Neon Purple

The Science Behind Neon Colours

Before diving into the colour combinations, it’s essential to understand why neon colours appear so bright. The intensity of neon colours is due to their high chroma (colour intensity) and the way they reflect light. In traditional neon signs, electric gas discharge tubes create the glow effect. However, for paint and design, the same visual effect can be achieved through colour theory and high-saturation pigments.

In digital design, neon colours have higher RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values, allowing them to appear more luminous on screens. In traditional paint mixing, adding white or fluorescent pigments helps achieve the same effect.

1. How to Make Neon Green 💚

Primary colours:

• Bright Yellow + Vivid Blue

Steps to Create Neon Green:

1. Start with a bright yellow base: Begin by squeezing a generous amount of bright yellow paint onto your palette. The yellow serves as the base for your neon green.
2. Add vivid blue gradually: Slowly mix in vivid blue paint with the yellow. Add it little by little to avoid overpowering the yellow. Continue mixing until you achieve a radiant green.
3. Enhance the glow with white: For an even more intense and glowing effect, add a small amount of white paint. This step is optional but highly recommended if you want your neon green to look electric and stand out.
4. Adjust the intensity: If the green appears too dark, add more yellow and white. If it appears too light, add a touch of blue. The goal is to achieve a vibrant and fluorescent green colour.

✅ Pro Tip:

• For a highlighter green effect, use more yellow and white.
• If using acrylic paints, opt for high-pigment paints for a more luminous finish.
• This colour is perfect for painting glow-in-the-dark effects, neon artwork, or graffiti art.

If you’re curious about other colour combinations, check out our Yellow colour mixing guide for even more tips and tricks on creating vibrant hues!

2. How to Make Neon Pink 💗

Primary colours:

• Hot Pink + White

Steps to Create Neon Pink:

1. Use a pure hot pink base: Start with a hot pink paint, which already has a bright and vibrant tone. Place a good amount of it on your palette.
2. Add white paint gradually: Begin mixing white paint into the hot pink colour. Start with small increments to avoid dulling the pink. The white helps amplify the brightness of the pink, giving it a neon-like glow.
3. Adjust the brightness: If you desire a lighter and more vibrant neon pink, continue adding white paint. If you want a more saturated, deep neon pink, add less white.
4. Test the brightness: Apply the colour on a test paper to see how it dries. Neon colours may appear slightly different when dry, so adjust accordingly.

✅ Pro Tip:

• If you want a UV-reactive neon pink, use fluorescent acrylic paint as your base.
• This colour is ideal for party decorations, neon posters, graffiti, and even nail art.
• Adding a touch of neon orange can also intensify the pop effect.

3. How to Make Neon Orange 🧡

Primary colours:

• Bright Red + Vibrant Yellow + White (optional)

Steps to Create Neon Orange:

1. Mix equal parts of bright red and vibrant yellow: On your palette, combine equal amounts of bright red paint and vibrant yellow paint. Stir the colours until you achieve a basic orange colour.
2. Increase the yellow: To make the orange brighter and give it a neon glow, slightly increase the yellow paint ratio. This will make the colour more radiant.
3. Add a touch of white: For an ultra-bright neon effect, mix in a small amount of white paint. This step will enhance the luminosity of the colour, making it pop.
4. Adjust as needed: If the colour looks too dark, add more yellow or white. If it looks too light, add a touch of red.

✅ Pro Tip:

• This neon orange is perfect for creating eye-catching murals, Halloween decor, or neon-themed art.
• For a glowing effect under blacklight, consider using fluorescent paint as your base.
• Neon orange also works beautifully in graffiti art or retro-inspired designs.

For more details on colour combinations, click How Red colour is Mixed.

4. How to Make Neon Yellow 💛

Primary colours:

• Bright Yellow + White

Steps to Create Neon Yellow:

1. Use pure bright yellow paint: Begin with a high-pigment bright yellow paint as your base. This colour already has a vibrant tone, making it easier to achieve neon yellow.
2. Add white to intensify the glow: Gradually mix in white paint with your yellow. The white will enhance the brightness and give it a glowing effect.
3. Adjust until you achieve neon brightness: If your colour still looks dull, keep adding small amounts of white until you get a bright, glowing neon yellow.

✅ Pro Tip:

• To achieve true neon yellow, avoid using dull or muted yellow shades. Always use a pure, bright yellow.
• Neon yellow is ideal for high-visibility posters, warning signs, and bold artwork.
• Combine with neon green or pink for amazing neon contrast in your designs.

5. How to Make Neon Blue 💙

Primary colours:

• Bright Blue + Cyan + White (optional)

Steps to Create Neon Blue:

1. Start with bright blue paint: Use a high-pigment bright blue paint as your base. This colour already has a luminous quality.
2. Add cyan paint: Mix a small amount of cyan paint with the bright blue. Cyan has a strong vibrancy that enhances the neon effect.
3. Add white paint if necessary: If you want the blue to appear even brighter, add a small touch of white paint. This will give it a fluorescent effect.
4. Test the colour: Apply it to a canvas or test paper to see how it dries. Adjust the colour if needed.

✅ Pro Tip:

• This neon blue is commonly used for ocean-themed art, glowing night sky paintings, and neon light designs.
• For a UV-reactive effect, use fluorescent blue paint.

6. How to Make Neon Purple 💜

Primary colours:

• Hot Pink + Electric Blue + White (optional)

Steps to Create Neon Purple:

1. Combine hot pink and electric blue: On your palette, mix equal parts of hot pink and electric blue paint. This combination will give you a vibrant purple colour.
2. Enhance the brightness with white: Add a small amount of white paint to increase the brightness and make the colour glow.
3. Adjust the tone: If the purple looks too dark, add more hot pink. If it’s too light, add more electric blue.

✅ Pro Tip:

• Neon purple works great for futuristic artwork, night sky paintings, neon lights, and graphic designs.
• Adding a touch of neon pink can give the purple an even more radiant glow.
• If using spray paint, opt for neon UV-reactive spray paint.

Mixing Neon colours with Paint

When mixing neon colours with traditional paint, there are some tips to ensure maximum brightness:

1. Use Fluorescent Paints: These paints are designed to reflect more light, giving a glowing effect.
2. Mix with White: Adding a small amount of white will make your colours pop more.
3. Avoid Dull colours: Avoid using dark colours in the mix, as they will reduce brightness.

Paint Ratios for Neon colours

Creating Neon colours Digitally

In digital design software like Photoshop, Illustrator, or Procreate, creating neon colours is even simpler:

• Use RGB colour Codes:
  • Neon Green: RGB (57, 255, 20)
  • Neon Pink: RGB (255, 20, 147)
  • Neon Orange: RGB (255, 165, 0)
  • Neon Yellow: RGB (255, 255, 0)
  • Neon Blue: RGB (0, 191, 255)
  • Neon Purple: RGB (153, 50, 204)
• Increase Saturation: Boosting the saturation of any colour instantly makes it more vibrant.
• Add Glow Effect: Use the glow or outer glow feature to make the colour appear like it’s emitting light.

Using Light to Create Neon Effects

If you are working on physical art pieces, incorporating light can enhance your neon effect:

1. Use Blacklight: Under UV or blacklight, fluorescent colours glow intensely.
2. Neon LED Lights: Incorporating neon LED lights in artwork can create a true neon effect.
3. Reflective Surfaces: Using glossy surfaces can make colours appear more luminous.

Enhancing the Glow of Neon colours

To make neon colours even more eye-catching:

• Use Dark Backgrounds: Neon colours pop dramatically against black or dark backgrounds.
• Layer Your colours: In painting, layer your neon colour multiple times to build intensity.
• Highlight with White: Adding white highlights can make neon colours appear more radiant.

Popular Applications of Neon colours in Painting 🎨🖌️

Neon colours have revolutionised the world of painting, transforming ordinary artwork into bold, vibrant, and eye-catching masterpieces. The intense brightness and luminous glow of neon shades have made them a popular choice among artists, muralists, and creative enthusiasts looking to make a statement through their work. From canvas art to street murals and blacklight paintings, neon colours have paved the way for a new dimension of artistic expression.

In this section, we’ll explore the various ways neon colours are being used in the painting world, their impact on different art forms, and how you can incorporate neon shades into your own artwork.

1. Neon colours in Canvas Painting 

Overview:

Canvas painting has long been a popular medium for artists to express their creativity. In recent years, neon colours have taken canvas art to a whole new level, allowing artists to create bold, high-impact artwork that captures the viewer’s attention instantly. Whether used for abstract art, portraits, or landscape paintings, neon colours add an electrifying element to any canvas piece.

Why Artists Use Neon colours on Canvas:

1. Vibrancy: Neon colours have a level of vibrancy that traditional colours lack. This makes the artwork stand out, even in a dimly lit room.
2. Emotional Impact: Bright colours like neon pink, green, and orange evoke strong emotional responses from viewers, making the artwork memorable.
3. Modern Appeal: Neon colours have a modern and trendy aesthetic, making them popular among young audiences and contemporary art collectors.
4. Versatility: Artists can use neon colours to create a variety of effects, from glowing highlights to full-on luminous paintings.

Popular Canvas Art Styles Using Neon colours:

a. Abstract Art with Neon colours

Abstract art is one of the most common styles where neon colours thrive. Artists often use neon pink, green, orange, and electric blue to create energetic and spontaneous designs that spark curiosity and excitement. The clash of bold neon hues in abstract art often creates a powerful visual impact, making the artwork hard to ignore.

👉 Pro Tip: When painting abstract art with neon colours, use white accents or black outlines to make the colours pop even more.

b. Glow-in-the-Dark Paintings (Blacklight Art)

Glow-in-the-dark paintings, also known as blacklight art, rely heavily on neon colours to create a dramatic glowing effect when exposed to UV light. Artists use fluorescent neon paints to craft paintings that look stunning during the day but become mesmerising at night under a blacklight.

Common subjects for glow-in-the-dark paintings include:

• Galaxies and night skies 🌌
• Fantasy creatures (like dragons, aliens, or mythical beings) 🐉👽
• Psychedelic abstract art 🎶🌀
• Street-style graffiti with neon effects 🚀🎨

👉 Pro Tip: For the best results, use fluorescent acrylic paint designed for UV blacklight exposure.

c. Portraits with Neon Accents

Another rising trend in neon canvas painting is incorporating neon accents into traditional portraits. Artists often paint realistic faces or figures using natural tones and then apply neon colours for dramatic highlights or abstract backgrounds. This combination creates a visually stunning contrast between realism and modern neon effects.

Popular neon accent colours include:

• Neon pink or red for lips or eye makeup
• Electric blue or cyan for hair highlights or clothing
• Neon yellow or green for background splashes

👉 Pro Tip: When creating a portrait with neon accents, use a dark background (like black or deep blue) to make the neon colours pop more.

2. Neon colours in Mural and Street Art

Overview:

Murals and street art are perhaps the most impactful platforms for neon colours. Street artists use neon paints to create large-scale, attention-grabbing artwork that transforms plain walls into vibrant visual experiences. These neon murals are especially popular in urban cities, nightlife areas, and creative districts.

Why Neon colours Are Perfect for Murals:

1. High Visibility: Neon colours stand out even from a distance, making the mural impossible to ignore.
2. Dynamic Energy: The bold vibrancy of neon colours injects life and energy into urban landscapes.
3. Nighttime Appeal: Many murals are designed to glow under blacklight or appear hyper-vivid during nighttime, especially in party districts or music festivals.
4. Instagram-Worthy: Neon murals often become popular photo backdrops, attracting visitors and boosting social media engagement.

Popular Mural Themes Using Neon colours:

• Pop Art Murals: Large-scale portraits of pop culture icons using neon accents.
• Psychedelic Street Art: Bright, swirling patterns using neon orange, green, and purple to create a mind-bending effect.
• Message-Based Murals: Graffiti art using neon colours to amplify powerful social messages.

👉 Pro Tip: Artists can use spray paints with neon pigments for faster and brighter results.

3. Neon colours in Pour Painting (Fluid Art) 🌊🎨

Overview:

Pour painting, also known as fluid art, involves pouring acrylic paint onto a canvas to create natural, flowing patterns. When artists incorporate neon colours into their pour painting, the result is often hypnotic and electrifying.

Why Neon colours Enhance Pour Paintings:

1. High Contrast: The intense brightness of neon colours creates high contrast when mixed with darker shades.
2. Marbling Effect: Neon paints can create glowing marble effects when layered and swirled.
3. Unique Results: Every pour painting is one-of-a-kind, and adding neon colours amplifies its uniqueness.

Pro Tip:

• Use a pouring medium to thin out neon acrylic paints for smooth flow.
• Add a few drops of silicone oil to create neon cells and lacing effects.
• Pair neon pink, green, and blue for psychedelic, glowing designs

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