And blue + yellow = green. So cyan = blue + blue + yellow?

err4nt · on July 20, 2015

If (cyan + magenta) + yellow = green, how would (cyan + magenta) + (cyan + magenta) + yellow = just cyan?

To get cyan you simply remove the magenta from blue!

pluma · on July 20, 2015

But there isn't a word for cyan and magenta, hence the need to define cyan in terms of RYB.

cyan = blue + green

green = blue + yellow

cyan = blue + (blue + yellow)

Well, technically:

2 parts cyan = 1 part blue + 1 part green

2 parts green = 1 part blue + 1 part yellow

2 parts cyan = 1 part blue + 1 part (1 part blue + 1 part yellow)

i.e.

2 parts cyan = 1 part blue + 1/2 part blue + 1/2 part yellow

i.e.

4 parts cyan = 3 parts blue + 1 part yellow

But I think the real lesson here is that colour names based on additive colour mixing are silly.