What is a controlled way to mute an overly vivid orange in acrylic?

Correct answer: Add a tiny amount of blue

Blue is the complementary colour of orange on the colour wheel. Adding only a tiny amount gradually lowers orange’s intensity or saturation and produces a more muted, neutral mixture. The quantity must be controlled because too much blue can make the mixture muddy or shift it toward brown. More yellow or red usually makes the orange warmer, while water mainly thins acrylic and increases transparency rather than neutralising its colour.