The basics of color combination
To obtain a secondary color, whatever it is, the process consists in mixing different colors, in precise proportions to obtain a certain shade. However, the primary colors, as for them, cannot be obtained by associations of colors, on the other hand, they make it possible to obtain other colors. If we mix the 3 primary colors, that is to say red, yellow and blue, in equal proportions, we obtain black. To obtain a secondary color, it is therefore necessary to mix 2 primary colors.
Thus, by mixing red and blue we obtain purple.
Get a beautiful purple
As we mentioned, the resulting purple may not look good. It may have a “dirty” appearance or tinge towards a brownish purple or an opaque gray. We therefore invite you to discover how to obtain a perfect purple.
- First, check your primary colors. Make sure, by reading the label on the can or tube of paint, that the color does not contain any yellow or green pigment. Indeed, if the red or the blue were to contain yellow, it would be as if you mixed the 3 primary colors and you will rather obtain a brown.
- Another solution to ensure the purity of your colors is to mix each of them with white. Indeed when we put white in a pure red, the result obtained is pink, on the other hand, if you obtain a peach color, it means that yellow is present in your red. Likewise, when we add white to blue, if the blue is pure, we obtain a sky blue without touches of green.
- As long as you are sure that your red and blue are perfectly pure, you can mix them equally. It is then very easy to obtain a beautiful perfect purple.
Get different shades of purple
To obtain different shades of purple, several solutions are available to you. But always make sure to add the paint little by little to avoid putting too much of it, which will be unrecoverable.
- If you want a warmer purple, add pops of red.
- For a softer purple, you can add a hint of white.
- Conversely, for a darker purple, you can add blue. Your purple will then be more intense.
- It is also possible to add black to darken your mixture. Be careful not to use too much, however, because the color could be distorted without you being able to correct it.
- To obtain a dark purple with a note of gray, it is possible to use a cerulean blue mixed with pure red.
If you have a ready-made store bought purple, you can lighten it up using white. It is possible to experiment with shades by adding red or blue to it, but under no circumstances yellow which would turn your purple to brown.