Lavender is a light purple shade that is often described as a soft, calming, and elegant color. It gets its name from the flower of the same name, which has light purple petals. Lavender is quite popular in home decor, fashion, and graphic design. But if you want to use lavender in a painting, mixed media art, or other project, you’ll need to know what colors to mix together to create that perfect light purple hue.
Mixing colors to achieve a desired shade can seem complicated if you don’t have experience with color theory. But have no fear – mixing the color lavender is actually quite simple if you know what primary colors to use. With just a basic understanding of the color wheel and how to blend the right pigments, you’ll be creating beautiful lavender paints and dyes in no time.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know to easily mix up the ideal lavender color. We’ll go over the basics of color theory, look at recommended paint and dye options, provide mixing recipes for different mediums, and give you tips for tweaking your lavender to get the exact tone you want. We’ll also look at common mistakes to avoid and show some examples of shades of lavender you can make.
So read on to become a lavender mixing master!
The Basics of Mixing Colors
Before we dive into mixing recipes, let’s do a quick overview of some color theory basics that are useful to understand when blending colors.
The primary colors are red, blue and yellow. By mixing together the primary colors, you can create all the other colors of the rainbow. Lavender contains both blue and red pigment.
The secondary colors are green, purple, and orange. They are created by mixing two primaries:
– Red + Blue = Purple
– Red + Yellow = Orange
– Blue + Yellow = Green
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it on the color wheel. For example:
– Red + Purple = Red-Purple
– Blue + Green = Blue-Green
– Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green
So lavender is a tertiary color made by mixing red and blue with a bit more blue than red to give it the light purple tone.
Understanding these color relationships helps when mixing paints and dyes to achieve the lavender color you want.
Recommended Paints and Dyes
When mixing lavender, you’ll want to use paints, inks, and dyes with a cool, slightly bluish undertone. Here are some good options:
Paint:
– Acrylic paint – Phthalo blue, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson
– Oil paint – Cobalt blue, French ultramarine, alizarin crimson
– Watercolor – French ultramarine, quinacridone magenta
Dye:
– Liquid fabric dye – Violet blue and magenta
– Food coloring – Blue and red gel colors
– Bath bomb dye – Purple and blue liquid dyes
Avoid paints and dyes with warm, orangey undertones as they will make the lavender too brown. Stick with cool-toned reds and blues.
Mixing Recipes
Here are some recommended mixing ratios to create different shades of lavender across various mediums:
Lavender acrylic paint:
– 4 parts phthalo blue
– 1 part alizarin crimson
Add more blue for a lighter lavender or more crimson for deeper purple.
Lavender oil paint:
– 3 parts French ultramarine
– 1 part alizarin crimson
Again, adjust ratios to lighten or darken.
Lavender watercolor:
– 3 parts French ultramarine
– 1 part quinacridone magenta
Lighten with more water or deepen with more pigment.
Lavender liquid fabric dye:
– 3 parts violet blue
– 1 part magenta
Lavender bath bomb dye:
– 3 drops purple liquid dye
– 1 drop blue liquid dye
Lavender food coloring:
– 4 drops blue gel color
– 1 drop red gel color
These recipes can be mixed together first and then added to your desired medium. Or you can add the colors directly – just maintain the same ratio.
Tweaking Your Lavender Tone
Once you’ve created your initial lavender color, there are a few tricks you can use to tweak the tone:
– Add a small amount of white paint/dye to lighten to a softer lavender.
– Add a tiny bit of yellow to dull the tone and make it less vivid.
– Add a drop of black paint/dye to create a more dusky, muted lavender.
– Use less blue and more red/pink to make a warmer, bolder lavender.
– Use more blue and less red for a cooler, pale lavender.
– Add a hint of green to create a unique green-gray lavender.
Don’t be afraid to experiment – lavender lends itself well to color variations!
Common Mistakes
When learning to mix lavender, there are a few mistakes that can alter the tone:
– Using the wrong blue or red pigments – stick to cool-toned options. Warm oranges and reds will make brown lavender.
– Not adding enough blue – lavender needs more blue than red, so don’t skimp on the blue pigment.
– Adding black to darken – black will make lavender murky. Just use more pure pigment to deepen.
– Adding white to lighten too much – avoid over-diluting the lavender, which washes out the tone.
With practice, you’ll learn how to adjust the color balance to create your perfect custom lavender!
Shades of Lavender
Here are some examples of the many gorgeous shades of lavender you can mix:
– Pale lavender – almost a lilac, more white added
– Periwinkle – very light, soft lavender with a slightly cooler blue tone
– Lavender blush – light pinkish lavender, more red/pink used
– French lavender – mid-tone, vibrant lavender
– Royal lavender – deeper, jewel-toned lavender
– Dusky lavender – muted and grayish lavender, with black added
– Pastel lavender – desaturated, chalky lavender, from extra white
Refer to the color swatches below to see some of these beautiful lavender shades:
| Pale Lavender | Periwinkle | Lavender Blush |
| French Lavender | Royal Lavender | Dusky Lavender |
| Pastel Lavender |
As you can see, lavender is extremely versatile – from bold jewel tones to soft, faded pastels, you can mix up the exact hue your project requires.
Conclusion
Creating the perfect lavender color is easy when you understand basic color mixing techniques. By blending the right combinations of cool-toned blues and reds, you can achieve any lavender shade imaginable.
Remember to use more blue than red, stick to recommended paints and dyes, follow the mixing recipes, and tweak as needed. Avoid common mistakes like adding black and be willing to experiment.
With a little practice, you’ll be a pro at mixing up custom lavenders for any artistic need. So grab your favorite blues and reds and get blending! Bring the beauty of this light purple hue into your designs.
