Buzz
Many people believe mixing purple is simply about combining red and blue. However, if you've ever tried it, you know the outcome isn’t always as expected. To achieve the perfect purple—a bright, pure color free from other hues—you need to choose red and blue that don’t contain yellow or green undertones. These tones can turn what should be a vibrant purple into a dull brown or gray. Once you know how to mix the right purple, you can adjust its shades by adding more red, blue, white, or even black to the mix.
Steps
Perfect Purple Mix
Check the labels of paint tubes to find colors with minimal undertones. When mixing purple, yellow and green undertones can be disastrous. For instance, if a red contains yellow undertones, it will lean toward yellow, meaning the yellow will affect any mix involving that red.
- Think of it this way: yellow mixed with purple results in brown or gray. If yellow is present in the red or blue you’re using to mix purple, the result will likely be the same.
Test the red and blue colors to find their color tendencies when mixed with white. When pure red (without yellow pigments) is mixed with white, it turns into pink (instead of peach pink). Pure blue (without green pigments) mixed with white turns into light blue.
- You don't need a large amount of paint for testing. Just a little bit of each color is enough to mix them and see the result.
Tip: Use a tissue to clean the mixing knife after each color mix to prevent mixing blue with red or vice versa.
Choose colors that don't contain yellow or green pigments. Red containing blue pigment or blue with red pigment works fine for mixing purple. On the other hand, whenever yellow appears in either blue or red, the result will be a purple with a brownish hue. Similarly, any greenish undertones will give your purple a grayish tint. Check labels and test mixing colors with white to ensure you're choosing the right ones.
- If you use blue with greenish undertones to mix with pure red, you will get a darker purple closer to gray than true purple.
Use permanent rose pink and ultramarine blue to get a true purple color. Mix these two colors in equal proportions. These two colors, when mixed, create the hue that art experts call "true purple." It will resemble the ready-made purple in the tube you buy from stores. Permanent rose pink doesn't contain yellow pigments, and ultramarine blue has no greenish undertones.
- Quinacridone magenta and primary magenta pink are also effective substitutes for permanent rose pink.
Mixing different shades of purple
Mix the desired shade gradually by adding small amounts of color. The general rule is to add small portions of the alternative hues into the purple when trying to create a new shade. You can easily add more color, but once too much is added, it's almost impossible to return to the original shade.
- For example, if you want to lighten your purple shade by adding white, don't add an equal amount of white to purple. Start with a small amount, just enough to cover the tip of your mixing knife, and add more if needed.
Add more blue than red to create a darker purple. If your goal is to create a deeper, richer, and more subdued purple, simply use more ultramarine blue than permanent rose pink. Add the blue little by little – it’s easy to add, but once mixed, it’s hard to remove.
- You can also add a small amount of black to the mixture to darken the color even further. But be cautious – too much black can overpower the purple.
Create a warmer purple shade by adding red to the mixture. After achieving a basic purple mix, you can slowly add red to create a warmer and lighter purple. Mix carefully to ensure the colors blend completely, leaving no patches of red or blue.
- If you want a gentler purple, try adding a tiny amount of white to the mixture.
Mix permanent rose pink and cerulean blue for a dark purple shade. You need pure red without yellow pigments. Cerulean blue has a hint of green, but when mixed with permanent rose pink, it creates a dark purple with a subtle grayish tone.
- The more cerulean blue you add, the darker the purple will become.
Combine cyan blue and magenta to create electric purple. For a vibrant and explosive purple, use cyan blue, which has a slight greenish tint, and magenta, which has a reddish purple tone.
- The more magenta you add, the more pinkish your purple will be.
Add white to purple to create a lighter purple shade. This is a simple way to achieve a gentle, sweet purple like amethyst, lavender, or light violet. Just take a small amount of white on the tip of your brush or mixing knife and mix it well with the purple.
- If you have multiple shades of purple, it might be fun to see how each purple changes when you add white to the mix and what new shades you can create.
Gradually add black to create darker shades of purple. You can create colors like Spanish purple, Tyrian purple, old heliotrope, and other darker purples by adding a very small amount of black to different purple tones. Black can quickly overpower other colors, so it’s best to add it little by little, continuing until you reach the desired shade.
Try this method: Create a gradient strip showing the different shades you get when mixing colors – you can use this color palette whenever you need to mix a particular tone.
Adjust premixed purple with white to create different purple shades. If you don’t have pure blue and pure red to mix a basic purple, you can use premixed purple and white to create a range of purple tones. Take some purple on your palette and slowly add small amounts of white to lighten it.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with other colors too! While yellow may turn purple brownish, you can try mixing in other colors. There's no harm in trying, and you might learn something new.
Tip
- Prepare enough paint for your artwork. It's incredibly difficult to make two perfectly identical batches, so it's best to mix more than you think you'll need rather than risk running out.
- Learn how to mix other colors to create a wide range of shades and tones for your project.
The materials you'll need
How to mix the perfect purple
- Paintbrush
- Paint mixing palette
- Water cup or jar
- Paper towels
- Paint colors
Creating different shades of purple
- Paintbrush
- Paint mixing palette
- Water cup or jar
- Paper towels
- Paint colors
