Pastel lilac is a beautiful soft shade that can add a lovely pop of color to any space. Mixing the perfect pastel lilac can seem tricky, but with the right supplies and techniques, anyone can achieve this gorgeous hue. In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to mix up the perfect pastel lilac, from choosing the right base colors and paint mediums to techniques for achieving an even, consistent color. Read on for pro tips to help you create beautiful, on-trend pastel purple paints and more.
Choosing Paint Mediums for Pastel Lilac
The first step in mixing up a custom pastel lilac is choosing the right paint mediums. Here are some of the most common options:
| Medium | Properties |
| Acrylic paint | Dries quickly, versatile, easy clean up with water |
| Oil paint | Long dry time, blendable, rich pigments |
| Gouache | Matte opaque finish, water soluble |
| Watercolor | Translucent, flows and bleeds, needs absorbent surface |
Acrylic paint is a great choice for mixing custom pastel purple hues. It dries fast, so you can build up layers of color quickly. The finished look is also appropriately matte and muted for pastel shades. Oil paint is another classic option, as you can slowly tweak the colors until you achieve your perfect lilac. Just keep in mind oil paints take a long time to dry. Gouache and watercolor can both yield pretty pastel results, but the colors may end up more transparent than you desire for a true pastel effect.
Choosing a White Base
When mixing up a pastel lilac, you’ll want to choose a white or light base as your foundation. Here are some options:
| Base Color | Benefits |
| Titanium white | Opaque, bright white |
| Zinc white | Translucent, mixes well |
| Gesso | Toothier texture, good for canvas |
Titanium white is the brightest, most opaque white out there. It makes a fantastic base for pastels, allowing the colors layered on top to really pop. Zinc white is more translucent, which can be nice for a softer pastel effect. Gesso is great for prepping canvas surfaces and provides a nice, subtly absorbent base layer for building up the pastel shades.
Picking Purple and Pink Tones
When it comes to choosing the purple and pink tones to add to your white base, there are a few key pigments to look for:
| Color | Shade |
| Quinacridone magenta | Vibrant purple-pink |
| Ultramarine violet | Blue-leaning purple |
| Dioxazine purple | Vivid reddish purple |
| Perylene maroon | Deep reddish purple |
A balanced mix of quinacridone magenta and ultramarine violet offers a nice pastel lilac hue. Adding just a touch of dioxazine purple can boost the color saturation. Perylene maroon will deepen the tone for a more exotic violet shade. Don’t be afraid to experiment with combining different pigments to find your perfect pastel lilac!
Mixing Techniques for Pastel Lilac
Once you’ve gathered your base white and purple/pink pigments, it’s time to start mixing. Here are some key techniques for achieving smooth, even pastel lilacs:
– Mix a larger batch of color than you need – this helps ensure color uniformity across your whole project as you can continually dip back into the excess mixed paint.
– Add very small amounts of concentrated color into the white base, gradually increasing the ratio of color to white until you achieve the pastel tone desired. Remember, less is more with pastels!
– Thoroughly incorporate each addition of color pigment to achieve an even, streak-free pastel paint consistency before adding more color.
– Tint a small amount of white with one dominant pigment, then tint the rest of your white base with the opposite dominant tone. Combine the two mixtures for a nuanced pastel.
– Work quickly and blend thoroughly before acrylic mixtures start drying. For oils, take your time slowly fine-tuning the colors.
Don’t rush the mixing process – take your time gradually layering and incorporating pigments for the most even, consistent pastel purple every time!
Achieving Different Pastel Lilac Tones
There are endless variations of pastel lilac you can mix up. Here are some tips for achieving specific hues:
Muted Lilac: Increase ratio of white, use a touch of phthalo blue to dull the purple
Bright Lilac: Use heavy body acrylics, saturate with quinacridone magenta
Warm Lilac: Add a little yellow ochre, boost red-violet tones
Cool Lilac: Add a hint of phthalo blue, emphasize blue-leaning purples
Pale Lilac: Use zinc white base, add pigments sparingly
Bold Lilac: Use fluid acrylics, increase saturation of dioxazine purple
The possibilities are endless! Have fun exploring different pigment combinations and ratios to create an entire spectrum of pastel lilacs.
Using Pastel Lilac Paint
Once you’ve mixed up the perfect custom pastel lilac, it’s time to start painting! Here are some great ways to use your new color:
– Focal wall in a bedroom, living room, or other living space
– Accent wall in a home office or creative space
– Flecks layered into an abstract painting
– Ombre painting effect, transitioning from deep to light
– Watercolor washes blending from lilac to white
– Details on furniture pieces like dressers, tables, or bookshelves
– Part of a color scheme along with other pastel shades
– Kid’s room murals, accents, or faces of dress-up closets
– Flower crowns, acrylic paint pouring, and more DIY crafts
The possibilities are endless when working with a custom color like pastel lilac. Let your imagination run wild and don’t be afraid to get creative with how you incorporate this soft, versatile hue!
Achieving Different Textures with Pastel Lilac
Beyond the color itself, you can also experiment with different textures when painting with pastel lilac:
– Add gel medium to acrylics for thicker, impasto texture
– Mix with heavy body acrylics for bold brushstrokes
– Water down with acrylic glazing liquid for thin, transparent layers
– Leave oil paints thick for texture or thin with oil for smoothness
– Use a dry brush technique for light, broken-color texture
– Toothier texture on canvas by building up gesso base layer
– Smooth, even coverage on non-absorbent surfaces like wood or metal
– Add modeling paste to acrylics, then tint, for subtly bumpy texture
– Use a painting knife instead of brush for thick, visible strokes
Playing with different textures, from smooth to rough, adds even more depth and interest when working with your custom pastel lilac paint. Get creative exploring all the possibilities!
Sealing and Protecting Pastel Lilac Paintings
Pastel purples, especially in glossier paint mediums like acrylic, can be prone to attracting dirt and fingerprints. Here are some tips for sealing and protecting your lilac color creations:
– Allow paint to fully cure before sealing – up to 1 month for oils, 1-2 weeks for acrylics.
– Apply an isolation coat of clear acrylic gloss medium/varnish before your final protective sealant. This evens porosity.
– For acrylic paintings, use an acrylic polymer varnish like gloss or satin polycrylic sealer. Avoid wax-based sealants.
– For oil paintings, coat with an oil-based varnish like dammar or Galkyd. Multiple thin layers are better than one thick coat.
– Avoid varnishing gouache or watercolor pieces and instead frame them behind glass.
– Let each sealing layer dry fully before adding more coats.
– Display pastel paintings out of direct sunlight to help prevent fading.
Properly sealing and displaying your pastel lilac art will keep it looking vibrant for years to come! Follow these tips for protective care.
Conclusion
Mixing a custom pastel lilac color may seem daunting, but with the right supplies and techniques, you can easily achieve beautiful, smooth pastel purples in your preferred medium. Pay attention to your paint ratios, work in small additions of color pigments, and take your time tweaking the tones. Experiment with different pigment combinations to find your perfect pastel lilac hue. Once you’ve got your color, get creative painting striking focal walls, abstract designs, DIY projects, and more. Just don’t forget to seal your finished pieces! With some practice and patience, you’ll be a pro at mixing and painting with on-trend pastel lilac in no time.
