Turning pink into purple may seem like a magical process, but it’s actually based in color theory and science. The main way to turn a pink object or substance purple is to add blue to it. This shifts the color towards the purple end of the color spectrum. There are a few different techniques you can use to add blue, depending on what type of pink material you’re working with.
Understanding Color Theory
To understand how to turn pink into purple, it helps to have a basic grasp of color theory. The color wheel is a useful tool for visualizing how colors relate to each other. Pink and purple sit next to each other on the color wheel, with red and blue on either side.
Red, blue, and purple are the three primary colors. Secondary colors like pink are made by combining primary colors. Pink contains red and white. To turn pink into purple, you need to add some blue. The more blue you add, the closer you shift the color towards purple.
This same principle applies whether you’re mixing paint colors, dyeing fabric, or adjusting colors digitally. The key is adding blue pigment, dye, or light to the original pink hue.
Mixing Paint
One of the most common ways to turn a pink paint into a purple is by mixing in blue paint. Here are some tips:
– Start with a pink paint as your base. This can be any shade of pink, from a light blush pink to a vivid fuchsia.
– Choose a blue paint that coordinates well with the pink. Cooler blues like phthalo or ultramarine work best to create purples.
– Add very small amounts of blue paint at a time, no more than a few drops. Stir thoroughly.
– Keep adding drops of blue and mixing until you achieve your desired purple shade.
– Add white paint to lighten the purple or black paint to darken it.
– Go slowly, adding too much blue can quickly turn the paint from purple to blue.
Paint Mixing Ratios
As a general guideline, start with a paint mixing ratio of about 4 parts pink paint to 1 part blue paint. Adjust the ratios from there:
– Increase the amount of blue for a deeper, richer purple
– Add more pink paint for a lighter lavender purple
– Add white paint to lighten the purple without affecting the hue
Test your mixed purples on a sheet of paper before applying to your main project. This allows you to tweak the color until you’re happy.
Dyeing Fabric
For turning a pink fabric purple, fiber reactive dyes offer the most vivid, colorfast results. Here is the process:
– Start with a pink fabric like cotton, silk, or nylon. The original color can range from light peach to fuchsia.
– Choose a Navy Blue, Ultramarine or Violet Blue dye. These cool blues combine best with pink.
– Mix the dye with very hot water following package directions. Use a ratio of approximately 4 parts pink dye to 1 part blue.
– Add the wet fabric to the mixed dye bath. Agitate frequently for even coverage.
– Check the fabric color after 5 minutes. Leave in longer for a deeper shade.
– Rinse thoroughly in cool water and wash with synthrapol to remove excess dye.
– The fabric will now appear purple once dried. The original pink still shows through for a vibrant purple tone.
Dyeing Tips
– Start with very hot 180°F water for mixing the dyes. This helps the dye properly bond with the fabric.
– Wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area when dyeing.
– Use stainless steel or enamel pots and utensils when dyeing, not aluminum.
– For lighter purple shades, reduce the amount of blue dye by half.
– To darken the purple, add up to 1 teaspoon of black dye to the bath.
– Store any leftover mixed dye in an airtight container for future projects.
Digital Color Adjustment
Graphics programs like Photoshop provide ways to adjust colors digitally. You can shift a pink image into purple tones using the following steps:
– Open the image containing pink colors in your editing software.
– Go to the Color Balance or Hue/Saturation menu to adjust colors.
– Drag the color sliders to remove magenta and add more blue. This shifts hues towards purple.
– Try different slider combinations to achieve a vibrant purple tone.
– Adjust the Luminosity to make the purple lighter or darker. Higher luminosity lightens.
– Use Color Blend modes to overlay blue and blend with the pink colors.
– Save adjustments and export the newly purple image.
Using Food Dyes
Purple food coloring offers an easy way to turn pink icings, candy, cake batter and more into pretty purple shades.
– Start with a food that has a pink or reddish tint. Pink coconut flakes or strawberry cake mix works well.
– Add a few drops of violet or blue food dye. Stir thoroughly to distribute the color evenly.
– Keep adding dye one drop at a time until the desired purple shade develops.
– For a lighter lavender color, mix the dye into a tablespoon of water first before adding to the food.
– Test on a small portion before dyeing a whole batch. Too much dye can over-color the food.
– Combine pink and blue gel dyes for lasting purple colors without diluting flavors.
Using Flowers
Certain purple flowers can be used to naturally dye pink fabrics, Easter eggs, and craft materials. Here are some options:
– Red cabbage boiled into a dye bath infuses a pinkish purple hue. Shred a whole cabbage and simmer for 30 minutes to extract the dye.
– Blue or purple grape juice produces soft lavender and violet shades when mixed with pink items. Soak for 30-60 minutes.
– Violet flowers like hydrangeas, pansies, and irises create light pastel purples. Place flowers in boiling water to extract the color.
– For darker shades, try cranberries, cherries, blackberries, or plums. Simmer fruit in water, then strain before adding pink items to dye bath.
– Combine blue and pink natural dyes together in one bath. For example, red onion skins and blueberries.
Mixing Makeup and Cosmetics
For makeup applications like blush, eye shadow, and lip colors, mix complementary pink and blue shades to create custom purple tones.
– Choose a pink blush, eyeshadow, or lipstick that matches your skin tone as a base color.
– Dab a small amount of cool-toned blue makeup on top. Try blue mascara, eyeliner, or lip gloss.
– Use a clean finger or cotton swab to gently blend together the pink and blue.
– Apply blended purple makeup to cheeks, lips or lids. Keep blending until you achieve the perfect purple pastel for you.
– Use white highlighter or foundation to soften and lighten the purple tone as desired.
– For deeper purple shades, blend with grape, berry or plum-colored cosmetics.
Mixing Food Colors
Purple food coloring offers an easy way to turn pink icings, candy, cake batter and more into pretty purple shades.
– Start with a food that has a pink or reddish tint. Pink coconut flakes or strawberry cake mix works well.
– Add a few drops of violet or blue food dye. Stir thoroughly to distribute the color evenly.
– Keep adding dye one drop at a time until the desired purple shade develops.
– For a lighter lavender color, mix the dye into a tablespoon of water first before adding to the food.
– Test on a small portion before dyeing a whole batch. Too much dye can over-color the food.
– Combine pink and blue gel dyes for lasting purple colors without diluting flavors.
Adjusting RGB values
When working with digital design, web sites, or computer graphics, you can turn pink colors into purple by adjusting the RGB (red, green, blue) values.
– Find the RGB code for your starting pink color. Online resources can help lookup RGB values.
– To make it more purple, reduce the amount of red in the code and add more blue.
– For example, RGB code for hot pink is 255, 105, 180. To make it purple, adjust to 160, 85, 225.
– Test different RGB values by creating color swatches in your graphics program.
– Increase blue and decrease red until you achieve the exact purple tone desired.
– Avoid adding too much blue, or the color can end up too blue. Add just enough to shift into purple tones.
– Lighten purple by increasing green and blue values. Darken by reducing all values.
| Original Pink Color | New Purple Color |
|---|---|
| RGB(255, 105, 180) | RGB(160, 85, 225) |
| RGB(255, 192, 203) | RGB(182, 128, 225) |
| RGB(255, 182, 193) | RGB(182, 132, 225) |
Using Food Colorants
Commercial food colorants offer an easy shortcut for dyeing pink foods and beverages purple.
– Choose a pink food or drink as your starting point. Pink lemonade, strawberry milkshake, or raspberry yogurt work well.
– Add a few drops of violet or blue food colorant, starting with just 1-2 drops per cup of food.
– Stir thoroughly and check the color. Keep adding drops until you achieve the desired purple shade.
– For lighter purple tones, dilute the colorant in a teaspoon of water first.
– Limit colorant to the smallest amount needed. Too much can cause an artificial taste.
– Combine blue and pink gel colorants for maximum coloring with less liquid. The gel won’t dilute the food as much.
– Test a small amount before coloring a whole batch. It’s easier to add more color than to undo it.
Trying Natural Options
Certain purple foods and flowers can be used to naturally transform pink foods and liquids into shades of purple.
– Soak pink coconut flakes, marshmallows, or white chocolate in blueberry or grape juice to tint them purple.
– Infuse milk or cream with blueberries, purple carrots, or ube powder to create a natural purple base. Use for smoothies, ice cream, etc.
– Blend anthocyanin-rich purple sweet potatoes into pink smoothies or batters to create purple shades without dye.
– Crush purple cabbage leaves or purple basil into water to extract a purple coloring for drinks, frostings, jellies.
– Steep blue pea flower tea in pink lemonade or milk to develop a natural lavender tone.
– Mix a few drops of blackberry, concord grape, or elderberry juice into pink sauces and vinaigrettes.
Using Lighting and Photography
Photography and stage lighting offers ways to make pink objects appear more purple by adjusting ambient lighting. Here are some tips:
– Use a blue filter on the camera lens or lighting fixtures to cast a blue tone over a pink subject.
– Style a pink dress or flowers under blue mood lighting to pick up purple tones in photos.
– In post production, digitally add a blue photo filter to pink images to enhance purple qualities.
– When photographing pink flowers, choose cool morning or evening light for a more blue cast versus warm daylight.
– On camera flashes can also be fitted with a purple or blue colored gel to transform pink tones.
– For film and cinema, use a blue color key to saturate the background behind pink subjects making them appear more purple.
– Keep pink makeup and costumes under blue lighting for live performances. This helps them project as purple on stage.
Mixing Household Ingredients
Many common household ingredients can be mixed to create purple dyes for turning pink substances purple. Here are some options:
– Berry-colored drinks like grape juice, fruit punch, or cranberry blends can add enough blue/red pigment to shift pinks purple.
– Make purple food dye from blueberries mashed with a bit of vinegar. Strain out solids.
– Mix a few drops of blue liquid detergent into pink icing or cake batter to tint it light purple.
– Steep purple cabbage leaves in boiling water to extract a natural purple dye for fabrics and Easter eggs.
– Crush blue mussel shells in vinegar for several days to extract a purple solution for dyeing projects.
– A mix of blue drink mix powder plus pink lemonade or milk transforms the hue towards purple.
– The juices from canned beets, cherries, blackberries, and plums can blend with pinks to create versatile purple shades.
Using Acid to Adjust pH
One scientific approach to shifting pink into purple is by modifying the pH level. Many pink plant pigments (anthocyanins) naturally change color based on acidity levels. Here’s how:
– Start with a highly acidic pink plant juice like cranberry, red cabbage, or hibiscus.
– Check the pH. The lower the number, the more acidic and pink the juice will be.
– Slowly add an alkaline substance like baking soda or egg white to raise the pH towards neutral.
– Test pH periodically as you add alkali. The higher the pH rises, the more purple the juice will become.
– Target a pH around 6.5-7 for vivid purples. Higher pH will eventually turn blue.
– Use the color-changing juice in recipes like desserts, smoothies, and natural dyes.
– For more intense color, concentrate the juice before modifying pH levels.
Conclusion
Transforming pretty in pink to fabulous purple hues is possible through a variety of techniques. Whether you’re mixing paint, dyeing fabric, adjusting digital filters or modifying food coloring, adding blue is the key. Combining science and artistry allows you to create the perfect purple tone. With a basic knowledge of color theory and a little experimentation, you can easily turn pink into purple for any project or medium.
