Purple is a secondary color made by combining red and blue. The particular shades of red and blue used impact the resulting purple shade. When deciding which blues to mix to achieve your desired purple, consider the undertones and properties of different blue pigments. The choice ultimately depends on the specific purple hue you wish to produce.
Primary Blue Pigments
There are three primary blue pigments commonly used in mixing purple:
Ultramarine Blue
Ultramarine blue is a bright, saturated blue with slightly warm undertones. It is made from the semi-precious lapis lazuli stone. Ultramarine produces bright purples and violets when mixed with warm reds. It has excellent tinting strength.
Phthalo Blue
Phthalo blue is a synthetic organic pigment known for its intense color. It has a reddish bias, producing vibrant purples. However, it can easily overpower softer reds. Use phthalo blue sparingly to mix vivid royal purples.
Prussian Blue
Prussian blue is dark and muted. It contains subtle greenish undertones that tone down vivid reds. Mix Prussian blue with crimson reds to achieve deep eggplant or wine purples. Prussian blue has weak tinting strength.
Which Blue for Which Purple
Choosing the right blue to mix your ideal purple depends on the specific purple hue desired.
Vibrant Royal Purples
For bold, rich royal purples, mix a warm red like cadmium red with a strong tinting blue with a reddish undertone. Phthalo or ultramarine blue are ideal choices.
| Blue | Red | Resulting Purple |
|---|---|---|
| Phthalo blue | Cadmium red | Vibrant royal purple |
| Ultramarine blue | Cadmium red | Bright royal purple |
Muted Eggplant or Wine Purples
For deeper, more muted purple tones like eggplant or wine, mix an earthy red like alizarin crimson with a cooler blue. Prussian blue works well here.
| Blue | Red | Resulting Purple |
|---|---|---|
| Prussian blue | Alizarin crimson | Deep eggplant purple |
| Prussian blue | Crimson red | Muted wine purple |
Pastel Lavender Purples
To mix soft pastel lavenders, combine a cool pink like permanent rose with a lighter tinting blue like ultramarine. Using white will also dilute the Chroma for a pale tint.
| Blue | Pink | Resulting Purple |
|---|---|---|
| Ultramarine blue | Permanent rose | Pale lavender purple |
| Ultramarine blue + white | Permanent rose + white | Pastel lavender purple |
Impact of Different Mediums
The medium used to mix colors also impacts the resulting purple.
Painting
In painting, avoid mixing purples by combining complements like phthalo green and cadmium red. This desaturates both pigments. Instead, mix warm and cool primaries. Opaque pigments like cadmiums and ultramarine give the best chroma.
Dyeing
In dyeing, blending complements can produce nice purples without graying. Mix a warm red dye like fuchsia with a cool blue dye like turquoise. Adjust ratios to control vibrancy.
Printing & Digital
In four color process printing, purple is produced by combining percentages of magenta and cyan inks. More magenta yields redder purples while more cyan makes them bluer. Modify ink densities for desired vibrancy.
In digital media, purple RGB values combine different ratios of red and blue. Increase blue for cooler purples or boost red for warmer, more vibrant purples.
Achieving Color Harmony
When mixing purple, it helps to understand color harmony and schemes.
Complementary Colors
Purple’s complementary color is yellow. Small accents of yellow enhances and harmonizes with purple. Too much looks jarring.
Split Complementary
The split complements of purple are yellow-orange and yellow-green. These provide a subtle complementary scheme that isn’t as high contrast.
Analogous Colors
Purple works well with analogous cool colors like blue and blue-violet. This gives a harmonious, monochromatic look.
Triadic Colors
In a triadic scheme, purple is paired with its equidistant colors on the color wheel: red-orange and green. This high contrast combo offers visual interest.
Final Tips for Mixing Purple
Follow these tips when combining blues and reds to create your perfect purple:
– Match a warm, transparent red with a cool, opaque blue for bright purples.
– Combine an earthy red with a muted blue for softer, darker purples.
– Add white to pastelize your mix.
– Adjust ratios to control vibrancy and biases.
– Consider undertones so colors don’t desaturate each other.
– Understand color schemes for overall harmony.
With an awareness of undertones and color theory, you can confidently mix a custom purple hue for any painting, dyeing, or digital project. Experiment and observe how different blues impact your purple. Soon you’ll master mixing the elusive perfect purple.
Conclusion
Purple is created by mixing red and blue, so the particular blue pigment or dye chosen significantly impacts the resulting purple hue. Vibrant royal purples use a strong blue like phthalo or ultramarine. Muted eggplant purples prefer a cooler blue like Prussian. Pastel lavenders work best with a lighter blue like ultramarine. Beyond the specific blues, also consider the red, medium, and color harmonies desired to achieve your ideal purple for any project.
