When blue and purple light are mixed together, the resulting color is called violet. This can be easily demonstrated using RGB values on a computer screen or in design software. Blue has RGB values of 0, 0, 255 while purple is 255, 0, 255. When you average these RGB values, you get 127, 0, 255 which is a deep violet color. In print design and paint mixing, you can also combine blue and purple pigments to create a violet hue.
Defining Blue and Purple
First, let’s define what we mean by blue and purple colors. There are various shades within each color family. For blue, some common shades include:
- Navy – A very dark blue color like the deep sea
- Royal Blue – A rich, medium-dark blue
- Sky Blue – A light, bright blue like a sunny sky
- Aqua – A light greenish-blue tone
Some common shades of purple include:
- Eggplant – A very deep, dark purple
- Lilac – A soft, light purple reminiscent of the lilac flower
- Lavender – A light, delicate purple tinted with a bit of pink
- Violet – A purple color with blue undertones
When we talk about combining blue and purple, usually a rich royal blue and lavender purple will create a nice contrast and vivid violet when mixed. But any shades of blue and purple can be combined to form different violet hues.
The Color Wheel
Looking at a color wheel helps explain how blue and purple mix to create violet. The three primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The three secondary colors are created by mixing adjacent primary colors – green from yellow and blue, orange from red and yellow, and violet from blue and red. On the color wheel, purple sits between red and blue. So when blue shifts toward red, it becomes violet.
| Primary Colors | Red | Yellow | Blue |
| Secondary Colors | Orange | Green | Violet |
The color violet combines the calm stability of blue with the mystical energy of purple. Violet light has shorter wavelengths than other colors, bending more as it travels. This may contribute to violet’s spiritual reputation.
Mixing Paint and Light
When working with paints and inks, you can blend blue and purple pigments to make violet. In techniques like watercolor or acrylic painting, more blue is usually added to purple to darken it towards violet. With print design and digital arts, overlapping layers of blue and purple create a violet color.
With light it’s the opposite – blue light mixed with red light makes violet. Red, green, and blue light combine in different ratios to create all the colors we see on a screen display. Televisions, phones, and computers project colorful light to the eye using RGB values.
| Color | RGB Values |
|---|---|
| Blue | 0, 0, 255 |
| Purple | 255, 0, 255 |
| Violet | 127, 0, 255 |
The violet RGB values are halfway between blue and purple values. When these light beams blend, violet is perceived by the eye.
Mixing Paint Pigments
With traditional paint mixing, finding the right combination of blue and purple takes some experimentation. Here is a simple recipe to try:
- Squeeze some purple acrylic or tempera paint into a palette.
- Add a small amount of blue paint.
- Mix the paints completely using a paintbrush.
- Add more blue for a deeper violet.
- Add a touch of white paint to lighten the violet if desired.
Use a ratio of approximately 2 parts purple paint to 1 part blue as a starting point. Adjust the amounts until you achieve the exact violet shade wanted.
Watercolor paints blend beautifully to create violet since they stay translucent. Start with a rich purple like quinacridone violet. Add a small touch of ultramarine or cerulean blue. Remist wet brushes in the mixed colors to harmonize the tones.
Computer Color Mixing
Graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop provide digital tools similar to a painter’s palette for mixing colors. You can quickly sample blues and purples to see what violet color results.
Using the Color Picker, input RGB or HSB values manually or use the slider bars. For example, combining:
- Blue = RGB: 0, 102, 204
- Purple = RGB: 153, 0, 153
Results in a vibrant violet = RGB: 102, 51, 178
Experiment with moving the RGB sliders for blue and purple up and down. Notice how the violet color changes in shade and intensity.
Uses of Violet
Once mixed, violet finds many artistic uses. Its regal richness has long been associated with luxury, royalty, and ambition. Violet also represents spirituality and imagination. Here are some common ways violet is utilized:
- Clothing – Deep violet or lavender clothing adds flair and elegance.
- Interior Design – Add violet accents to balance a room with tranquility.
- Logos and Branding – Violet commands attention and conveys visionary companies.
- Weddings – Violet flowers and details provide a magical touch.
- Art Media – Painters mix violet to convey mood and contrast.
- Photography – Violet lighting creates evocative images.
Violet is an eye-catching color that adds rich visual interest. Combining blue calm with purple creativity, violet has a timeless, imaginative allure.
Conclusion
Blue and purple blend together to create the harmonious hue known as violet. On the color wheel, violet sits between blue and red, taking aspects of each. Mixing blue’s tranquil stability with purple’s mystical energy produces vivid violets full of depth and visual interest.
In lighting, blue and purple combine to form violet. Overlapping blue and purple pigments also produces violet tones. Painting, digital design, and other mediums use blue + purple to achieve regal, spiritual violets that attract attention and set a mood. Violet is a versatile secondary color with a history of nobility and imagination.
So next time you admire the cool blue tones of a peacock’s feather dissolving into shimmering purples, think of how blue and purple blend seamlessly into the rich iridescent violet colors. Their harmonious combination inspires beauty and creativity.
