Purple is a beautiful color that has long been associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, and ambition. While there are a few ways to make the color purple, one of the most common is by mixing the primary colors red and blue. Specifically, mixing the colors red and blue makes the secondary color violet, which is a shade of purple. So how exactly do you mix these colors to create that regal violet purple shade? Let’s take a closer look.
Understanding Primary and Secondary Colors
To understand how to make violet purple, it helps to first understand primary and secondary colors. The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These are called primary colors because they cannot be created by mixing other colors – they are the basis for all other colors.
Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors. For example:
| Red + Blue = Violet |
| Red + Yellow = Orange |
| Blue + Yellow = Green |
So when it comes to making violet, you need to start with the primary colors red and blue. Mixing these two primary colors produces the secondary color violet.
Mixing Red and Blue
To make violet, you will need red and blue paint, dye, ink, or another coloring medium. The specific shades of red and blue you use will impact the end result, so you can experiment with different shades. Generally speaking though:
– Red with a bluish tint will mix best with blue to make violet. A true red with no tint will skew the color toward magenta.
– Blue with a purplish tint will mix best with red to make violet. An ultramarine blue will skew the color toward indigo.
Once you have your red and blue shades, mix equal parts together thoroughly until you achieve your desired violet purple. Mixing equal ratios keeps the color balanced between the red and blue rather than skewing it too far one way or the other.
However, you can play with the ratios to create different violet purple shades:
– More red skews violet toward magenta purple.
– More blue skews violet toward indigo purple.
– Adding a touch of white will lighten the violet to a pale lavender purple.
– Adding a touch of black will deepen and darken the violet shade.
So feel free to experiment with the red and blue ratios along with adding touches of white or black to find your perfect regal violet purple!
Other Options for Mixing Violet
While mixing red and blue is the classic way to make violet purple, there are a couple other options as well:
Mixing Primary and Tertiary Colors
Along with primary and secondary colors, there are also tertiary colors made by mixing a primary and secondary color. For example:
– Red + Violet = Red-Violet
– Blue + Violet = Blue-Violet
So theoretically you could mix a primary color with an existing violet to deepen the violet and skew it slightly toward red or blue. However, this takes more precision and it’s just as easy to mix red and blue directly.
Using Computer Color Mixing
You can also mix colors digitally on a computer. Color pickers and design programs like Photoshop allow you to select exact RGB or CMYK values and see the mixed colors live. This gives you more precision and control over the mixing ratios and resulting color. However, you still need to start with red and blue to mix violet.
Using Violet Paint and Dye
Once you’ve mixed violet paint or dye, you can use it just like any other coloring material for your projects:
– Painting: Use a paintbrush to apply violet paint to canvas, paper, wood, or other surfaces. Workable watercolors or acrylics work best.
– Dyeing Fabric: Add violet dye to water in a pot. Submerge fabric in the dye bath for 30-60 minutes until saturated with color. Rinse and let dry.
– Coloring Other Materials: Add a few drops of liquid violet dye to moisten other materials like concrete, icing, bath bombs, etc. Mix until the color is uniform.
Be sure to protect your work surface and wear gloves when working with paints and dyes, as they can stain skin and clothing. Rinse any tools and surfaces promptly after using violet coloring.
Achieving Different Violet Shades
As mentioned earlier, you can achieve different violet shades by adjusting the red-blue ratio and adding white or black:
| More Blue | Deep Violet |
| Equal Parts | Rich Violet |
| More Red | Pale Violet |
| Add White | Lavender |
| Add Black | Dark Violet |
Here are some specific shades and how to achieve them:
– Regal Violet: Slightly more blue for a rich, deep violet.
– Plum Violet: Slightly more red for a red-tinted violet.
– Lilac: 1 part violet, 1 part white for a soft, pale purple.
– Eggplant: 2 parts violet, 1 part black for an extremely deep purple.
– Wisteria: 1 part violet, 1 part white, 1 part black for a medium-dark greyish purple.
Mix up a few small test batches to dial in the exact ratio for your desired violet shade. Keep notes on the recipes so you can reproduce it reliably.
Using Natural Dyes for Violet
In addition to mixing red and blue pigments, you can also create violet dyes using natural materials like fruits, vegetables, and flowers:
Red Cabbage: Boil shredded red cabbage to extract a blue-purple dye liquid. Strain and use as is or mix with a touch of lemon juice or vinegar to redden the color.
Blueberries: Simmer blueberries in water for 15-20 minutes until the liquid turns deep violet. Strain out the solids before using.
Hibiscus Flowers: Boil dried hibiscus flowers or tea bags to release a magenta dye. Mix with a touch of blue food coloring for a violet hue.
Purple Sweet Potatoes: Boil purple sweet potato skins in water to extract a lovely lavender dye. Strain before using.
As you can see, nature provides some beautiful options for achieving natural violet dyes! They are great for Easter egg dyeing, fabric projects, food coloring, and more.
Conclusion
Mixing the primary colors red and blue makes violet, a regal shade of purple. Use paint, dye, or other coloring mediums in equal ratios and then tweak the balance to achieve different hues. Adding white makes lavender purple while black deepens to an eggplant shade. With some practice mixing and experimenting, you can master mixing up the perfect violet purple for any project needs. So grab some red and blue and let your creativity run violet!