Here is an article I have written following your instructions:
Mixing colors can produce interesting and sometimes unexpected results. In this article, we will explore what happens when you mix the colors purple and orange. Specifically, we will look at the color theory behind mixing these colors and predict what resultant color you can expect to get.
The Basics of Color Mixing
Before looking at purple and orange specifically, let’s review some color theory basics about mixing colors:
– When you mix two colors, you are combining their pigments together. This produces a new color that is generally a blend or intermediate between the two original colors.
– When mixing paints or dyes, the resulting color is determined by the process of subtractive color mixing. This means that some wavelengths of light are absorbed or subtracted out by the pigments, leaving only the unabsorbed wavelengths to be reflected back to our eyes.
– The more pigment there is, the more saturated or intense the color will be. Adding white to a color makes it lighter and less saturated, while adding black makes it darker and deeper.
– Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel tend to mix to create intermediate hues. Colors that are opposite on the color wheel are called complementary colors and tend to neutralize each other when mixed.
About the Colors Purple and Orange
To predict what color we might get from mixing purple and orange, let’s take a quick look at each one:
Purple
– On the color wheel, purple falls between red and blue. It is made by combining the primary colors red and blue.
– Purple has a hue angle of about 280 degrees on the color wheel.
– It can range from reddish purples to bluish purples. Some common shades include violet, lilac, mauve, and lavender.
Orange
– Orange is a secondary color located between red and yellow on the color wheel, made by mixing those two primary colors.
– It has a hue angle of around 30 degrees.
– Variations include brighter oranges like amber and darker oranges closer to reddish-browns.
Mixing Purple and Orange Paints/Dyes
When physically mixing purple and orange paints, dyes, or inks, the pigments blend together to produce a new intermediate color.
Specifically, purple pigment absorbs green and yellow-green light while reflecting red and blue. Orange pigment absorbs blue and violet light while reflecting red, orange, and yellow.
When combined, the purple cuts down on the reflected yellow-orange light from the orange colorant, while the orange reduces the amount of blue light being reflected from the purple. What remains are dominantly reds and some blues and yellow-oranges.
This mixing process results in a color close to red-purple or red-violet. It is a warmer, browned tone of purple that leans closer toward red due to the presence of the orange pigment. The result is a rich, earthy tone.
Mixing Purple and Orange Colored Lights
When it comes to mixing colored lights – such as stage lighting – the color addition principles of the additive color system come into play.
In additive mixing, combining different colored lights results in a cumulative effect, with all the different wavelengths of visible light added together. This is different than the subtractive mixing of paints and dyes.
By adding light wavelengths together, mixing purple and orange colored lights would result in a lighter, paler pastel peach or apricot tone. This is the cumulative effect of blending the longer red-blue wavelengths of purple light with the shorter yellow-orange wavelengths of orange light.
Predicting the Result of Mixing Purple and Orange
Based on color theory principles and the known properties of purple and orange pigments, we can predict that mixing these two colors will result in:
A red-violet/red-purple color when mixing paints or dyes
This blended hue results from the orange pigment subtracting out most of the blue from the purple, leaving dominantly red and some yellow-orange wavelengths.
| Purple | Reflects red and blue light |
| Orange | Reflects red, orange, and yellow light |
| Mixed result (red-purple) | Reflects mostly red, some orange and blue |
A light peach/apricot color when mixing projected colored lights
Additively blending the light waves results in a paler tone, from combining the red-blue purple with yellow-orange orange lights.
Trying the Mix
The best way to observe the results of mixing purple and orange is to try it yourself. Grab some paints, dyes, or gels and experiment by blending purple and orange together.
Make sure to explore mixing different purple and orange shades, in different proportions. A reddish purple will mix a bit differently than a bluish purple with the same orange hue. The more of one color you add, the more it will dominate the mixture.
You can also explore additive mixing of purple and orange by overlapping transparent acrylic or cellophane sheets of those colors. Observe how the areas of overlap take on a new blended tone.
Conclusion
Based on color theory principles, we can predict that mixing purple and orange will result in a new intermediate reddish-purple hue when the pigments are blended subtractively. This is due to the orange pigment absorbing some of the blue out of the purple. When mixing colored lights additively, a lighter peachy tone results instead.
To truly observe the results, you need to experiment by mixing purple and orange paints, dyes, gels or lights firsthand and seeing the new colors created. Feel free to get creative in mixing different purple and orange shades and ratios. Understanding color mixing leads to all sorts of possibilities for creating new color combinations in art, design, photography and more.