Watercolor painting is a popular hobby for many people, and it’s easy to see why! The art form provides infinite possibilities and can be done on almost any surface imaginable.
Painting with Purple Watercolor is an especially interesting way to get started because the pigment has such a unique effect on the finished product. In this article, we’ll discuss how to mix Purple watercolor and use it in your paintings, as well as share some of our favorite tips for using the color effectively.
A brief history of purple color
The history of purple is very interesting and has been deeply influential in many cultures throughout time. The color itself derives from the Greek word “porphyria which,” means, “purple.” Ancient civilizations used dyeing techniques to create their own versions of purple in order to mimic the effect they saw in nature. This was seen as a luxury item because it required so much effort and care to produce this type of pigment; only wealthy people could afford such luxuries at that time (and even today!).
In Roman mythology, there are several stories featuring Purple Watercolor’s namesake – Queen Amalthea (‘Amal-thée’-ah). In one story, she fed her son Zeus milk from an enchanted cow when he would not eat, and the infant god then transformed Amalthea into a constellation in the sky. It is from this myth that we get our word “Amethyst,” which references her love for purple stones. In another story involving Zeus’ birth, he was hidden away by his mother Rhea when she feared being overthrown by one of his many siblings (Zeus later returned to defeat them all). While hiding him away from Cronus, the old king of the Titans, she wrapped baby Zeus tightly in swaddling clothes and gave them to some young male goats who were tending their flocks on Mount Ida (“Ida”). The goat kids took care of baby Zeus until they found out what had happened; at point, it became very important for Zeus to be cleaned up, and that’s when they discovered the purple dye in his clothes – Zeus was thus named “Porphyry” (meaning ‘purple’), which is where we get our word for this color today.
Purple and the color wheel
The color wheel is a helpful tool to use when you’re painting with Purple Watercolor. The primary colors – red, yellow, and blue – are the three colors that cannot be made by mixing any other hues together; they can only be created in their purest form or as mixtures of two primaries (ex: orange = red + yellow). From those three main colors on the wheel come secondary colors such as green, orange, and purple which result from mixing equal parts of two neighboring primary colors. Tertiary Colors include shades like browns and grays, so named because they were mixed from both a primary color and its adjacent secondary color (for example: if we mix blue + yellow we get “green” but if we mix blue + green we get “blue-green”).
Complementary colors are direct across from each other on the color wheel, and their relationship is one of contrast. These pairings include purple/yellow, red/green, orange/blue, etc., which means that they have very high-contrasting hues but also tend to “pop” next to each other because of this!
The secondary color purple
Today, the color purple is considered a secondary color because it’s made up of two primary colors. It is created by mixing equal parts blue and red (and sometimes white), which results in what we know as “purple” today!
Purple was originally derived from Magenta dye that comes from crushed insects called Kermes or Lichen Murex. The pigment has been traced back to around 5000 B.C., but some historians believe its origins could be even further back than 6000 B.C.; either way, this makes Purple Watercolor one of the oldest known pigments used for painting! Since then, scientists have discovered many ways to create synthetic versions of all different kinds of hues; nowadays there are over 200 unique variations.
As you can see, Purple Watercolor has a rich and interesting history in art. Whether it’s because of an ancient legend or the complex chemistry behind its creation, there is much to be learned about this wonderful color!
Ancient civilizations used dyeing techniques to create their own versions of purple in order to mimic the effect they saw in nature. This was seen as a luxury item because it required so much effort and care to produce this type of pigment; only wealthy people could afford such luxuries at times (and even today!).
Violets and Purples — are they the same?
There is often confusion surrounding the terms “purple” and “violet.” Violet, as we know it today, derives its name from a flower: specifically, the Viola which was closely related to pansies. The word comes from Latin meaning ‘to dye,’ so named for this flower’s roots in purple dyes (which came primarily from lichen).
The color violet has existed as long as human history itself; however, it wasn’t until 1856 that English scientist Sir William Henry Perkin invented an affordable way to create synthetic versions of colors like Blue Violets and Purple Watercolors! This made them accessible to everyone and forever changed how artists could paint with these hues.
Today you can find plenty of different Purple Watercolors available to the modern artist, and there are a lot of variations you can make when mixing your own paint. One way to achieve different shades is by adding white or black pigments; this will result in lighter tones like lavender or dark tones like eggplant purple! You can also add blue pigment if you’re looking for more red-based purples (and vice versa).
Different artists mix their Purple Watercolor paints together differently depending on what they want from their final product. The most important thing about any painting medium is that it’s fun and easy to work with while helping you create vivid, beautiful art!
Purple direct from the tube
There is a lot of purple paint available on the market today that you can buy in tubes and containers. Many artists like to use these premixed pigments because they’re convenient and easy; however, it does tend to be more expensive than mixing your own Purple Watercolor from scratch! If you know how to mix them yourself, then we recommend going this route for most projects as it gives you more control over what goes into each tube. You’ll want to start with Black + White if you don’t have any other colors mixed yet (these two will produce gray), but after those are made up there is an endless number of color combinations waiting for you! This includes lighter shades like lavender or darker tones such as eggplant purples.
- Imperial Purple
- Princely Pigment
A few recommended purple paints
Since Purple Watercolor is such a popular color, there are plenty of manufacturers producing their own versions! This means you’ll want to do some product research when shopping around for your next tube; here are just a few suggestions that we recommend checking out.
Winsor & Newton Artists’ Gouache
Offers strong pigmentation and has very little transparency; this works well if you’re looking for rich colors with solid coverage. It’s also good at helping prevent paint from drying too quickly which can be helpful in certain projects where timing is important (for example, calligraphy).
Mijello Mission Gold Series Artist Colors
Off bright hues with excellent lightfastness; this is a good choice if you’re looking for an affordable option that can do justice to your artwork.
Benjamine Bismuth Van Dyke Series
Offers rich and bright colors with the added benefit of being non-toxic while still maintaining excellent lightfastness! This type of paint works great in calligraphy or watercolor projects where safety matters.
Each brand offers its own pros/cons so it’s important to do research before making any purchases. However, we hope that at least one of these options will be helpful on your next project!
How to make purple watercolor
What two colors make purple? Here is a list of color pigments that you can mix together to make your own Purple Watercolor paints:
– Ultramarine Blue + Quinacridone Magenta = A strong violet tone with little transparency. If it’s too dark add more white until you get the desired shade! This type of mixed pigment is very opaque and requires little water for application.
– Phthalo Green + Cobalt Violet Pale = A bright purple that’s slightly lighter than the previous option; this type of color tends to be more transparent and looks great when applied with a light hand! It can also be diluted easily if you’re looking for something pastel in tone.
– Cerulean Blue + Winsor Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Medium) = This combination will produce an extremely vibrant “sunset” shade that has excellent coverage while still having some transparency/vividness to it. Mixing these colors together should give you your desired perfect purples without much difficulty!
Each tube comes with different qualities so be sure to do some research before picking out the right one! You might need to try mixing them together on a separate canvas or paper until you find the perfect shade.
How to mix purple watercolor
It’s possible to mix your own Purple Watercolor paints from scratch, but this is often more complicated than simply buying a tube of paint! If you need something specific in terms of color then it might be easier for you to go with one of the products mentioned above. However, if you’re looking for an option that will save time and effort while still providing excellent results we recommend using complementary colors (for example Ultramarine Blue + Orange). When these two pigments are mixed together they produce a nice purplish-gray tone which can easily be adjusted by adding more or less white pigment until you get exactly what you want. This method offers great coverage and opacity so there should be no problem getting the exact shade/tone that you need for your project!
If you want to make purple watercolor, it’s important that the two colors are complementary. For example, mixing blue and yellow will create a greenish-yellow color when mixed together in equal parts. Mixing red and violet creates magenta or pink, but if you add more of one pigment than the other then you’ll get different shades. The best way to mix your own unique shade is by adding a few drops of each color until they’re blended evenly enough for what you need!
