What Happens When You Mix Pink and Orange Together?

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Art educator Eric Gibbons explains what shade you get when you combine pink and orange paint

Co-authored by Eric Gibbons and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: August 14, 2026 Fact Checked

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Mixing Pink and Orange Paint

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Creating Different Shades

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Color Theory Explained

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FAQs

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Video

Curious about what happens when you combine pink and orange together? Well, we’ve got the answer! In this article, we partnered with an art educator to teach you which color to expect when mixing pink and orange paint, and how to create different shades based on the specific colors used and their proportions. We’ll also provide a quick overview of color theory to help you understand why you’re seeing a whole new color right in front of your eyes!

What color does pink and orange make?

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An illustration of pink and orange paint mixed together to yield various shades of salmon.

Art educator Eric Gibbons says mixing pink and orange together makes a salmon color. It can appear more peachy or coral, depending on the exact shades and proportions you use. For example, light pink and a warm orange make salmon, while hot pink and true orange make coral. Adding a touch of white yields a true peach.

Section 1 of 4:

What color do you get when mixing pink and orange paint?

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Mixing pink and orange paint creates a salmon color. According to Gibbons, pink and orange make a salmon shade.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Eric Gibbons
Art Educator

Expert Interview} However, the exact shade can vary, depending on the specific shades of pink and orange used and their proportions. Adding more pink, for example, yields salmon, while adding more orange yields a peachy or coral color. You can also add a touch of white to lighten the color and make it more pastel.
- Don’t have pink or orange paint on hand? No problem! Mix a small amount of red with white to make pink, and a small amount of red with yellow to make orange. Slowly add more red to the white and yellow until you reach your desired shades.
- What’s the difference between salmon and peach? Salmon is an orangey-pink that’s closer to red, while peach is a pinkish-orange that’s closer to yellow. To make a true peach color, you simply combine orange and white, not pink.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Eric Gibbons is an art educator based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with over 35 years of teaching experience. He’s also the creator of ArtEdGuru™, an international platform providing lessons, publications, and classroom resources.

Section 2 of 4:

Creating Different Shades of Salmon

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Use different proportions of pink and orange to get various shades. In general, adding more pink than orange produces a darker salmon shade with strong pinkish-red undertones, like coral and deep flamingo. Adding more orange than pink produces a lighter peach shade with yellowish-orange undertones, like cantaloupe or apricot. Here are a few examples of different shades based on the ratio of pink and orange used:^{[2]
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- 90% orange + 10% pink = pastel orange
- 70% orange + 30% pink = atomic tangerine
- 50% orange + 50% pink = coral pink
- 30% orange + 70% pink = Geraldine
- 10% orange + 90% pink = deep blush
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Create various shades by mixing different shades of pink and orange. The resulting color depends heavily on the specific shades used. For instance, mixing deep pink with an orange-red yields a bright coral that leans warm. If you mix cotton candy pink with dark orange, you get a light, sunset-orange. Here’s how to mix pink and orange paint to create different shades of salmon, coral, and other pinkish-orange shades, along with the resulting color code:^{[3]
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- Light pink + warm orange = salmon (#fa8072)
- True pink + orange red = light coral (#ff8265)
- Hot pink + true orange = coral orange (#ff875a)
- Hot pink + coral orange = brink pink (#ff7482)
- Neon pink + coral orange = light coral red (#ff4971)
- Pale violet red + orange red = bittersweet coral (#ed5a49)

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Understanding Color Theory

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Combining different hues or shades creates new colors. In color theory, mixing primary, secondary, and tertiary colors can produce new shades and hues. Blue, red, and yellow are considered primary colors, meaning they cannot be produced by mixing other colors. Secondary colors are made by mixing 2 primaries, and tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary with an adjacent secondary color (i.e., red-orange, yellow-green).^{[4]
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- Mixing pink and orange together, therefore, creates a salmon, coral, or peachy shade because pink is basically a lightened version of red. Blending it with orange is like mixing red, yellow, and white, resulting in a rich yet gentle pastel or midtone shade.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What does the color salmon symbolize? Usually associated with the fish, salmon symbolizes compassion, expression, fellowship, and individuality. It’s also tied to determination and the cycles of life, since salmon are famous for swimming upstream against strong currents.^{[5]
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Research source} As a warm, inviting color, it looks great in home design, whether in a painting, an accent pillow, or other decor.
- Need decor inspiration? Check out our guide on Colors That Go with Pink in Fashion & Interior Design.
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What does the color peach symbolize? Soft and charming, peach symbolizes warmth, gentleness, positivity, spring, renewal, growth, and new life. In certain cultures and religious art, it also represents peace, longevity, divinity, spirituality, and innocence.^{[6]
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Research source} People often use the shade in home design to add softness and comfort to a room, through peach pillows, throw blankets, curtains, and more.