Periwinkle is a light bluish-purple or lavender color that takes its name from the periwinkle flower. It’s a popular color for painting walls, home decor, fashion, and more. Mixing the right combination of paint colors is essential for achieving the perfect periwinkle hue. There are a few simple techniques you can use to make periwinkle paint at home or in the art studio. Understanding color theory also helps when learning how to mix this delicate shade. With some basic supplies and color knowledge, you’ll be able to create a custom periwinkle paint in no time.
Primary Colors for Mixing Periwinkle
Periwinkle is considered a tertiary color, which means it’s made by combining primary and secondary colors. The main primary hues that make up periwinkle are red and blue. The red provides a hint of warmth, while the blue lends coolness.
You can start mixing periwinkle by combining just red and blue paint. Adjust the ratio to get closer to your desired lavender shade. More blue yields a cooler, purpler result. Adding more red results in a warmer, more pinkish periwinkle.
Another approach is to begin with a base of purple as one of your primary colors when mixing the periwinkle paint. Purple is a secondary color composed of red and blue. Starting with pre-mixed purple allows you to skip directly to fine-tuning the periwinkle color.
Secondary Colors for Mixing Periwinkle
In color theory, secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors. The secondary hues used to make periwinkle paint are purple and pink.
As mentioned above, purple contains both blue and red. You can mix a tertiary periwinkle by adding white paint to lighten the purple. The more white you add, the lighter and more delicate the periwinkle becomes.
Pink is another secondary color that combines red and white. Adding blue paint to pink achieves a soft periwinkle shade. The more blue mixed in, the closer the paint swatch comes to true periwinkle on the color wheel.
Tertiary Color Mixing
Periwinkle is defined as a tertiary color because it’s made by mixing one primary and one secondary hue. Here are some examples of paint mixtures that produce periwinkle tertiary colors:
– Blue + Pink
– Red + Lavender (which contains blue, red, and white already blended)
– Purple + White
– Blue + Mauve (pink and purple)
You can also mix complementary or opposite colors on the color wheel, such as yellow and violet, to create periwinkle as a tertiary color. Within tertiary mixing, there are endless color ratios you can test to reach your perfect periwinkle tone.
Using Color Theory
Several key color theory principles can help guide your periwinkle color mixing. Here are some tips:
– Cooler periwinkle hues contain more blue. Warmer versions lean towards red and pink.
– Adding white paint makes the periwinkle lighter, brighter, and more pastel.
– Including a small amount of complementary yellow can mute the lavender effect.
– Alternate mixing warm and cool versions for visual interest.
– Monochromatic schemes with blue create soothing, peaceful spaces.
Understanding the color wheel relationships lets you intentionally remix the paint ratios as needed to get the exact periwinkle look you want.
Mixing Periwinkle Paint at Home
With basic art supplies, you can easily mix up custom periwinkle paint at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
– Primary paint colors: red, blue, yellow
– Secondary paint colors: purple, pink
– Tubes of white paint
– Paint palette, plate, or mixing surface
– Paint brushes
– Paint mixing cups and stir sticks
Follow these simple steps to mix up a batch of periwinkle paint:
1. Squeeze out desired primary paint colors onto palette.
2. Add a few drops of white to lighten the paint.
3. Mix in secondary colors like pink or lavender.
4. Adjust ratios as needed to reach perfect periwinkle hue.
5. Add white paint to lighten and soften color.
6. Stir thoroughly until uniform.
7. Test swatch on canvas or paper.
8. Remix and retest until desired periwinkle achieved.
Making Periwinkle Paint with Acrylics
Acrylic paint is a top choice for mixing periwinkle color at home. Acrylics provide rich, opaque color that dries quickly. Follow the same general mixing steps using acrylic paint on a plastic palette:
– Start with squeezing out acrylics in red, blue, and purple.
– Mix the paints together thoroughly with a wooden stir stick.
– Add white acrylic paint to lighten as needed.
– Test swatches on canvas, allowing paint to dry between mixing.
– Adjust color by adding more red, blue, or white acrylics.
Thin the acrylic periwinkle paint with a few drops of water to use in washes over painting backgrounds. Mix in acrylic mediums like glazes for transparent tinting effects.
Achieving Periwinkle Watercolor Hues
For more transparent, luminous periwinkle shades, use watercolor mixing techniques:
– Start with separate pools of watercolor in red, blue, and white.
– Use a wet watercolor brush to blend colors on wet paper or palette.
– Alternate brushstrokes of blue and red watercolor.
– Allow the colors to softly bleed together.
– Add white for lightness as needed.
– Deepen with more layers to reach desired periwinkle intensity.
Watercolor readily mixes on wet paper for natural blending. Allow each layer to fully dry before building up the depth of the periwinkle color.
Oil Paint Periwinkle Mixing
Oil paint’s rich pigments let you mix and glaze layers for customized periwinkle shades:
– Begin with thick oil paints squeezed onto a wooden palette.
– Use painting knife to mix pools of red, blue, and white oil paint.
– Blend together with bold knife strokes to fully incorporate the colors.
– Add white oil paint in thin layers to gently lighten the mixture.
– Allow to dry slightly before applying glazes over underlayers.
The longer drying time of oils enables blending color directly on the canvas for seamless transitions of hue. Mix enough periwinkle paint for complete painting sections to maintain color uniformity.
Using Food Coloring
For kids’ crafts or cooking projects, food coloring provides an easy way to mix a periwinkle dye.
Combine a few drops of blue and red food coloring in water, then add white to dilute and lighten the shade. Increase amounts as needed depending on the depth of color desired.
Test strips of white paper or fabric in the periwinkle food coloring mixture to preview the final hue. For more precision, mix the food coloring in small cups to get the ratios perfected before adding to the full project.
Mixing Dyes for Fabric
To tint fabric periwinkle, you can mix custom dyes following similar color guidelines:
– Choose blue and red fabric dye colors.
– Mix into warm water following package directions.
– Mix dyes together until uniform.
– Add white dye or bleach to lighten.
– Test dye bath on fabric swatches before applying to project.
Prewashing fabric in hot water helps it absorb the mixed periwinkle dye evenly. Rinse dyed fabric well and allow to fully dry before using in sewing projects.
Digital Mixing of Periwinkle
For web, graphic design, or digital art projects, periwinkle color can be mixed digitally using RGB and hex color codes:
| Red | Green | Blue |
| 150 | 115 | 175 |
Hex code: #9673AF
Digital artists can quickly sample shades and smoothly adjust the levels of red, green, and blue to create the perfect semi-opaque periwinkle for online display. Compare to printed color swatches to match real-world hues.
Buying Premixed Periwinkle Paint
For convenience, you can purchase premixed periwinkle acrylic or oil paint rather than blending your own. Some options to look for:
– Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic in Periwinkle
– Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic in Deep Periwinkle
– Golden Fluid Acrylics in Quinacridone Violet
– Gamblin 1980 Oil Paint in Violet
– Van Gogh Oil Paint in Lavender
Check labels for the CIELAB color values to locate true periwinkle shades rather than straight purple. Swatch test paints before committing to a full tube to ensure the premixed hue works for your project.
Matching Existing Periwinkle Items
To touch up wall paint, clothing dye, or other periwinkle colored items, bring a sample to the paint store. Staff can scan the color and have the precise formula mixed by machine at any sheen or finish needed. Matching technology makes recreating the perfect custom periwinkle hue easy.
Conclusion
With the right color combinations and mixing techniques, you can easily produce beautiful periwinkle paint for any project need. Follow basic color theory principles to blend red, blue, and white paints. Adjust the ratios to create cool or warm periwinkle shades as desired. Mix up custom tints using acrylics, watercolors, oils, or dyes. For digital design, tap into RGB and hex codes to mix the ideal transparent periwinkle. With practice, you’ll be able to mix a huge range of pretty periwinkle hues for any artistic vision.
