Blue-violet is a rich, deep color that can add vibrancy and depth to any painting. As an artist, learning how to mix the perfect blue-violet can open up new creative possibilities. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know to make your own custom blue-violet paint.
Understanding the Color Wheel
First, it helps to understand a bit about color theory. The color wheel arranges colors into a circle to show how they relate to each other. Blue and red are primary colors located opposite each other on the wheel. When mixed together, they make violet. To make blue-violet specifically, you need to mix a stronger dose of blue with just a touch of red.
On the color wheel, blue-violet sits between the primary colors blue and violet. It is considered a tertiary color, meaning it is made by combining a primary and secondary color. Tertiary colors tend to be rich, complex hues.
| Color | Type |
|---|---|
| Blue | Primary |
| Violet | Secondary |
| Blue-violet | Tertiary |
This table summarizes the color types:
Choosing Your Blue Pigment
Now that you understand blue-violet’s relationship to other colors, it’s time to gather paints. You’ll need to start with a strong blue base. There are a few different blue pigments to choose from:
- Ultramarine blue – A warm, vivid blue made from the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. It has a slightly purple undertone.
- Phthalo blue – A synthetic blue with a bold, intense hue.
- Prussian blue – A dark inky blue with a greenish tint.
Ultramarine or phthalo blue will give you the brightest result. Prussian blue is too dark for mixing a vivid blue-violet. Select whichever pigment you have on hand.
Adding Your Red Pigment
Now add a small amount of red to your base blue to shift it towards violet. You’ll want a deep red hue like:
- Alizarin crimson
- Quinacridone magenta
- Cadmium red deep
Avoid bright reds like cadmium red light or vermillion, as these will make purple instead of blue-violet. Alizarin crimson is a great choice for mixing rich purples.
Mixing Your Custom Blue-Violet
When you’re ready to mix, squeeze out about a pea-sized amount of your blue pigment onto your palette. Then add a small dab of your red pigment – no more than quarter of the amount of blue. Use a palette knife to thoroughly blend the paints together.
The more red you add, the more violet the color will become. Add just a touch at a time until you achieve your desired hue. Test your mixed color on a spare canvas or piece of paper first.
Here’s a quick table summarizing the recommended paint ratios:
| Blue pigment | Red pigment |
|---|---|
| 1 part | 1/4 part or less |
This basic formula should produce a beautiful, vibrant blue-violet for any painting project. Adjust the ratio to suit your own color preferences.
Achieving Different Tones of Blue-Violet
The blue-violet you mixed will be a saturated, mid-tone hue. You can lighten or darken it to achieve different shades.
To make a lighter blue-violet, add a small amount of white paint to your mixed color. Titanium white works best. Add white slowly until you get your desired lightness.
For a deeper, richer blue-violet, mix in a small amount of black paint or dark blue. Use ivory or mars black for the best results. Pay attention so you don’t take the color too far towards black.
You can also desaturate the intensity of your blue-violet by mixing in complementary yellow tones. Lemon yellow works well to greytone the color without dulling it completely.
Trying Other Mixing Techniques
In addition to mixing colors directly on your palette, you can also use other techniques:
- Layering – Paint a base layer of blue first, let it dry, then glaze transparent red paint over top.
- Wet-on-wet blending – Paint wet blue paint first, then blur wet red paint into it before either dries.
- Dry brushing – Use a dry brush to lightly sweep red paint over dried blue paint.
These methods allow you to gradually build up the right color balance. Layering creates subtle blending effects. Test out different techniques to find your favorite way to mix.
Using Other Color Mediums
While we’ve focused on mixing paint, you can also create blue-violet tones using other color mediums:
- Colored pencils – Layer blue and red pencils in different pressures.
- Markers – Use a purple marker over a blue marker.
- Pastels – Lightly blend dry pastels on textured paper.
- Watercolor – Wet blue paint first, then drop red paint inward.
The same color theory applies. Mix mostly blue with a little red. Experiment with the medium you love to work with.
Matching Colors in Different Lighting
One complexity of mixing colors is that they can look different under different lighting conditions. A blue-violet mixed indoors might not match its appearance outdoors.
To test your mixed color, view your painted sample in both natural daylight and artificial indoor light. You may need to adjust the ratio to get the right look you want in the intended setting.
You can also purchase a lighting view box to analyze your color mixing under accurate, full spectrum light. This helps remove lighting as a variable.
Understanding Undertones
The precise undertone of your blue-violet can vary based on the natural biases in the pigments you choose. Some tips:
- Ultramarine blue has a slightly purple bias, yielding a warmer result.
- Phthalo blue skews greenish, creating a cooler undertone.
- Alizarin crimson provides a blue-leaning undertone.
- Quinacridone magenta has greater warmth and intensity.
View your mixed color in different lights to detect subtle undertones. you may prefer one over the other. Let the undertones guide your pigment selection.
Achieving Consistent Color
When mixing custom colors, it can be tricky achieving consistent results each time. Here are some tips:
- Measure out precise ratios by weight instead of eyeballing amounts.
- Mix enough to complete your entire painting to avoid variances in batches.
- Save leftover paint samples on index cards labeled with the ratio.
- Take notes on successful mixes to replicate.
- Use quality paints from the same brand and lines.
With practice, your mixing skills will improve. Taking detailed notes helps remove the guesswork when trying to recreate a color.
Cleaning Your Palette and Brushes
Here is the best way to clean your tools after mixing:
- Scrape off excess paint with a palette knife.
- Spray palette with water or brush cleaner.
- Use a paper towel to wipe off paint.
- Rinse brushes with water until run clear.
- Gently massage brush bristles while cleaning to remove paint.
- Lay flat or hang to dry.
Proper brush care will keep bristles supple and prevent leftover paint mixing into new colors. Always thoroughly clean tools when moving between color mixes.
Troubleshooting Muddy or Dull Colors
If your blue-violet mix comes out muddy or dull, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Too much red pigment – recalibrate to smaller ratio of red.
- Using hues too distant on color wheel – stick closer to blue/violet range.
- Too much white, grey, or black mixed in – add more saturated color.
- Letting layers of wet paint mix too much.
- Using low quality student grade paints.
Analyze the pigments and ratios to pinpoint what needs adjusting. Often small tweaks to the mix makes a big difference.
Conclusion
Mixing a beautiful custom blue-violet may take some practice, but understanding basic color theory helps enormously. With the right blue and red pigments, the correct ratio, and controlled blending techniques, you can achieve that perfect vivid blue-violet for your next project.
Take notes, adjust as needed, and have fun experimenting. Mastering color mixing unlocks new artistic possibilities and control over your work.
