When mixing colors, the resulting shade can sometimes be surprising. Pink and purple are two colors that go well together aesthetically, but what happens when you physically mix together pink and purple paint? Let’s take a deeper look at color theory and mixing to find out.
Understanding the Color Wheel
To know what color mixing pink and purple will make, it’s helpful to understand some color theory. The color wheel is a useful tool for visualizing how colors are related. The color wheel contains primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These are colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors. When you mix two primary colors together, you get a secondary color. For example, mixing red and blue makes purple.
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it on the wheel. For example, red and purple make red-purple, a tertiary color.
Pink and purple are located close together on the color wheel. Pink is a light tint of red, while purple is a secondary color made from mixing red and blue. This means pink and purple have some shades of red in common.
Predicting the Mixed Color
So what new color can we expect to get when pink and purple are blended? Looking at the color wheel, we can make an educated guess. Since pink and purple are both shades of red, mixing them will likely mute the colors towards a red-purple tertiary shade.
The resulting color will depend on how light or dark, dull or bright each shade of pink and purple are. But in general, mixing any tones of pink and purple will produce a new subtle, muted purple with hints of red and blue.
Let’s test this prediction by actually mixing different pink and purple paint colors.
Mixing Pink and Purple Paint
To see the colors created by blending pink and purple, test paints were gathered in various shades.
The pink shades included:
– Hot pink
– Baby pink
– Light pink
– Dusty pink
The purple shades included:
– Lavender
– Lilac
– Violet
– Plum
| Pink Color | Purple Color | Mixed Color Result |
|---|---|---|
| Hot pink | Lavender | Light magenta purple |
| Baby pink | Lilac | Soft lavender pink |
| Light pink | Violet | Pale purple |
| Dusty pink | Plum | Muted purple |
Each pink was mixed with each purple on a palette and the resulting color noted. The mixed colors all turned out to be various shades of purple, from very pale to deeper muted hues. The pink muted the vibrancy of the purple, bringing it closer to a red-purple tertiary color, as predicted.
While the specific shades varied, the overall pattern held true. Mixing pink and purple paint results in a soft, delicate purple tone, removing the vivid brightness of the original colors.
Mixing Pink and Purple Colored Objects
Paint is one medium where mixing colors is easy. But what about mixing objects that are already colored pink and purple?
For example, what if you wanted to mix pink and purple skittles, frosting, fabric, or plastic? When working with solid pre-colored materials, the colors don’t blend as smoothly. However, a similar muted purple can be created by combining the objects.
Here are some examples of mixing brightly colored pink and purple items:
| Pink Item | Purple Item | Mixed Appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Pink candies | Purple candies | Candies appear light reddish purple when mixed together in one container |
| Pink frosting | Purple frosting | Swirled cupcake frosting looks pale lavender from a distance |
| Pink fabric | Purple fabric | Mixed fabric on a dress appears muted purple gray |
| Pink plastic toys | Purple plastic toys | Toys in a bin appear medium reddish purple |
When visually blended together, the pre-colored pink and purple items combine to create a subtle, less saturated purple shade, even though the two colors aren’t mixing directly.
Mixing Pink and Purple Light
Pink and purple can also be mixed by blending light waves of the two colors. This can be done using gels on stage lighting.
On a computer, it can be simulated in design software. The principles of light blending are similar to mixing paint.
Let’s look at mixing different hues of pink and purple light:
| Pink Light | Purple Light | Mixed Light Color |
|---|---|---|
| Hot pink light | Orchid purple light | Light reddish purple |
| Baby pink light | Lavender light | Soft pinkish mauve |
| Salmon pink light | Violet light | Subtle purplish tan |
| Rose pink light | Royal purple light | Pale purple with a hint of pink |
The resulting light colors are muted compared to the original pink and purple hues, trending towards light or reddish purples. This confirms that the same color theory applies when mixing colored light waves.
Why Pink and Purple Mix to a Red-Purple
Now that we’ve confirmed pink and purple combine to make various hues of purple, why does this color mixing occur? Recalling the subtractive color wheel sheds some light.
Pink contains high amounts of red. Purple is a mix of red and blue. When you blend pink and purple, the blue gets muted by the dominant red wavelength present in both original colors.
Red remains constant while blue gets subtracted from the purple. This leaves you with a red-leaning purple created by mixing overlapping wavelengths of red in both pink and purple.
Practical Uses of Mixed Pink and Purple
Blending pink and purple may sound purely experimental. But there are many practical uses for pink-purple colors in art, graphic design, photography, fashion, and decorating.
Here are some ways the pink-purple mix can be elegantly and intentionally used:
| Context | Use of Blended Color |
|---|---|
| Interior design | Paint walls a soft pinkish mauve |
| Weddings | Use pale purple and pink roses in bouquets |
| Photography | Enhance sunset photos with a pink-lavender gradient filter |
| Fashion | Design a dress using ombré pink to purple dyed fabric |
| Baking | Frost cake with swirled pink and purple icing |
| Graphic design | Create logos using a muted pink-purple palette |
The blended pink-purple color works well when a softer, more sophisticated look is desired. The color mix provides a subtle unity to designs, photographs, events, and spaces.
Conclusion
When pink and purple are physically mixed together, whether in paint, colored objects, or light, the resulting color is always a more subtle, desaturated purple leaning towards red-purple tertiary tones.
This blended color arises because pink and purple share common wavelengths of red. Mixing them together mutes the vivid primary colors.
The natural color created by combining pink and purple can be elegantly used in designs and photography when a softer, more muted color palette is desired. Keep these color mixing principles in mind the next time you work with pinks and purples!
