How to Make Purple Paint

Mixing purple paint can seem virtually impossible. We were all taught that purple = red + blue, but mixing paints can often result in a disappointing purple-gray or dark maroon hue instead. Read on to learn the trick to mixing perfect purples and violets.

Method 1 of 3: Make Purple Paint with Magenta and Blue or Cyan

spaceplay / pause
escstop
ffullscreen
shift + ←→slower / faster (latest Chrome and Safari)

↑↓volume
mmute

←→seek
 . seek to previous
12…6 seek to 10%, 20%, …60%

1

Obtain magenta paint. The reason mixing red and blue paint doesn't give you the bright purple you would like is that red paint absorbs both green and blue light. Since blue paint absorbs both red and green light, and your eye only senses color in terms of red, green, and blue (the reason we have three primary colors in the first place), that leaves very little red or blue light for your eye to sense, and your brain, which interprets the combinations of colors your eye senses, sees a so-called-purple that is almost black. Magenta paint on the other hand, since it only absorbs green light, allows plenty of both blue and red light to reach your eye. Combine it with a small amount of blue paint (absorbs both green and red light), or cyan paint (absorbs only red light), and your brain will receive a strong signal from the blue-sensing nerves, a weaker signal from the red-sensing nerves, and will see . . . bright purple!

• Magenta is one of the "subtractive" primary colors used by graphic designers and printers; the others are yellow and cyan. Look for paint that has the pigment PR122 or PV19 in it, but no PB (blue) or PW (white).
• If you're buying craft or poster paint, you can compare the color to the magenta in your computer's printer ink. Just print a sample to take shopping with you.
• Because magenta is a primary color, it cannot be made by mixing other colors. Mixing magenta and yellow in various proportions makes a whole range of reds and oranges. Mixing magenta and cyan in different proportions makes a whole range of blues and purples.