Mixing colors can result in a variety of new shades and hues. When red, purple and pink are combined together, the resulting color depends on the specific shades used and the proportions they are mixed in. While mixing paint colors is more straightforward, predicting a mixed color for light or digital colors can be more complex. Let’s explore what happens when red, purple and pink are blended together.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to what red, purple and pink make when mixed together:
- Red and purple make a red-violet shade.
- Red and pink make a warm, deep pink shade.
- Purple and pink make a light purple or lavender color.
- Red, purple and pink blended evenly make a light reddish-purple.
The specific resulting color depends on the exact shades and ratios used. Darker/brighter shades mixed together will also affect the end color. But in general, combining red, purple and pink results in a soft, reddish or purple tone.
Mixing Paint Colors
When mixing red, purple and pink paint colors, the color theory is straightforward. Paint mixing involves blending pigments together, so the resulting color is a true blend of the components. Here’s what happens:
- Red and purple paint mix to make a red-violet shade.
- Red and pink paint make a warmer, deeper pink.
- Purple and pink paint create a light purple or lavender.
- Mixing equal parts red, purple and pink paint results in a light reddish-violet color.
The specific tone depends on how much of each color is used. Mixing a larger amount of red with smaller amounts of purple and pink will result in a dominant reddish color. A higher ratio of purple to the other two will give more of a purple hue. But in general, combined paint colors blend together to make a new color encompassing components of each.
Paint Mixing Examples
Here are some examples of mixing different shades of red, purple and pink paint and the resulting color:
| Colors Mixed | Resulting Color |
| Deep red + vivid purple | Deep red-violet |
| Hot pink + orchid purple | Light purple |
| Scarlet red + baby pink | Dark pink |
| Crimson red + lavender + blush pink (equal parts) | Muted reddish-purple |
As you can see, the tone shifts from the individual colors based on the mixing ratios. Lighter pinks and purples tend to mute darker reds, while darker shades usually overcome lighter ones. So the amounts of each as well as the starting shades affect the final result.
Mixing Light Colors
Mixing colors of light, like on a computer or phone screen, follows slightly different rules than paint. Light colors combine based on the primary RGB (red, green, blue) components. When blending light colors, the wavelengths combine to create an additive mix. Here is what happens when red, purple and pink light mix:
- Red and purple make a vivid magenta.
- Red and pink create a bright, light red.
- Purple and pink make a soft lilac tone.
- Together, red, purple and pink make a light purple-red.
The mixing principles are similar to paint, but the tones tend to be brighter since they involve light wavelengths blending. A higher proportion of one color than the others will skew the mix toward that dominant shade. Equal parts red, purple and pink generally make a brighter, lighter purple with red undertones when working with light.
Light Color Mixing Examples
Here are some examples of combining red, purple and pink light colors:
| Colors Mixed | Resulting Color |
| Bright red + medium purple | Magenta |
| Deep pink + light purple | Lilac |
| Hot pink + vivid red | Bright pink |
| Crimson + orchid + baby pink (equal) | Bright reddish-purple |
The brightness of the individual colors affects the end result, with lighter shades mixing to make even lighter tones. A good rule of thumb is the more dominant a color in the mix, the more the blend will be tinted in that direction.
Mixing Pigmented Colors
Pigmented colors like inks and dyes mix in a similar way to paints. Since pigments function by absorbing certain light wavelengths, combining them subtractively mixes the components to create a blended color. Here is what happens when red, purple and pink pigments are mixed:
- Red and purple make a deep red-violet.
- Red and pink make a slightly muted pink.
- Purple and pink create a soft lilac.
- Red, purple and pink mix to a muted purple-red.
As with paints, the resulting tone will be affected by the dominance of any one pigment over the others. More red will shift it to a redder tone, more purple makes it purpler, and so on. But the pigments generally mix together to make a rich, blended secondary color encompassing aspects of each.
Pigment Mixing Examples
Here are some examples of mixing red, purple and pink pigmented colors:
| Colors Mixed | Resulting Color |
| Scarlet + violet | Red-violet |
| Fuchsia + lilac | Lavender |
| Crimson + baby pink | Deep pink |
| Burgundy + orchid + blush (equal) | Muted reddish-purple |
The brightness and darkness of the starting colors affect the end result. Darker pigments tend to dominate, muting lighter ones. So a heavily red- or purple-based mix will give a richer, deeper blended tone.
Proportions and Shades Matter
As seen in the above examples, the exact resulting color when you mix red, purple and pink depends heavily on:
- The proportions of each color used.
- How light/dark or bright/muted the starting shades are.
Blending a greater amount of one color compared to the others will shift the mix toward that dominant tone. And lighter, brighter shades tend to get overwhelmed by darker, more muted colors when blending. So consider these factors when experimenting with mixing different reds, purples and pinks together.
Some quick tips:
- Use more red in the mix for a redder end color.
- Increase purple proportions for more purple tones.
- Add a greater amount of pink for pinker shades.
- Mix dark shades for deeper, richer tones.
- Blend light shades for softer, lighter hues.
- Start with equal amounts for an even blend.
With some trial and error, you can learn to predictably mix custom red-purple-pink colors.
Digital Color Mixing
When working digitally, you can easily mix custom colors by blending RGB values. Digital programs like Photoshop allow you to input specific amounts of red, green and blue to dial in the exact shade you want.
Some quick RGB combinations for mixing red, purple and pink:
- Deep pink: R=255 G=20 B=147
- Vivid purple: R=148 G=0 B=211
- Bright red: R=255 G=0 B=0
- Reddish-purple: R=180 G=60 B=140
You can play with the RGB values to control the proportions. More red is higher R, more purple is higher B, and pink is a mix of high R and B.
This level of control makes digital color mixing very flexible and precise. You can punch in any RGB values to invent new red-purple-pink shades.
Conclusions
Mixing the colors red, purple and pink results in a range of new shades depending on the exact starting colors and ratios used. Some key takeaways:
- Red and purple make red-violet tones.
- Red and pink create deeper pinks.
- Purple and pink mix to form lavenders.
- Together they generally make soft reddish-purples.
- Darker shades overwhelm lighter shades.
- Digital RGB mixing allows precision control.
With some experimentation, you can learn to intentionally mix the perfect custom red-purple-pink color. Analyze the starting shades and proportions to predict the blended results.
