Canary
Cheer and brightness, like a small bird on a sill.
About canary
Canary tends to suggest cheer and brightness, like a small bird on a sill. It feels pure and sunny.
- What color is canary?
- Canary is a pure, vivid yellow, like the bird. Its hex code is #FFEF00.
- Is canary warm or cool?
- Warm: it sits on the warm side of the color wheel, with the reds, oranges and yellows. It is a very light color, value 9 of 10, and its opposite is mauve. More in warm and cool colors.
- Where the name comes from
- From the canary bird, which is named after the Canary Islands.
- Value and codes
- Value 9 of 10, in the yellow family. RGB 255, 239, 0. OKLCH 93.5% 0.198 104.7.
Where to use canary
In a room
A chair, a lamp or a front door. Use it as a bright note, not a backdrop.
In an outfit
Raincoats, sneakers and summer dresses. Strong with black and white.
In art
A clear yellow for flowers and bright accents.
In design
Too pale for text on white, at 1.2 to 1. Use it as a background instead: dark text on it reads well, at 13.3 to 1.
What canary pairs with
- Navy
Deep blue, a strong classic.
- Gunmetal
A dark gray that sharpens it.
- Ivory
A soft white beside it.
- Cerulean
A clear sky blue for a sunny mix.
The opposite of canary: Mauve #B082CE
Opposite canary on the color wheel sits mauve. Side by side, each makes the other look stronger; mixed, they turn each other gray.
Side by side
Canary around mauve
Mauve around canary
Often confused with canary
How to mix canary in paint
- 6 parts
cadmium yellow light - 1 part
cadmium yellow medium
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. This is a calculated mix and comes very close, so adjust by eye as you go. It uses a paint beyond the basics. Practice in our Paint Mixer game.
Canary tints, tones and shades
Tints
Tones
Shades
Tap a color to copy its code. A tint adds white, a tone adds gray of the same lightness, and a shade adds black. More in tints, tones and shades.
Colors similar to canary
Canary inspiration
Find your own colors
Add the pictures you love to Color Taste to see which colors they share, or make a palette from one photo in Image to Palette.