I make a lot of purple. Paint, frosting, fabric, even hair. Friends ask me for “that purple” all the time, and kids at my kitchen table love to watch it happen. So I tested a bunch of stuff, took notes, made a few messes, and found what works great — and what turns into sad brown.
If you want the complete step-by-step chronicle of every experiment, you can skim through this deep-dive purple experiment I logged along the way.
You know what? Purple is simple and also fussy. Both can be true.
The quick answer (but hang with me)
Yes, red plus blue makes purple. But the kind of red and the kind of blue matters a lot. If the red has a little yellow in it, you get mud. If the blue leans green, same story. I learned that the hard way with a sticky brush and a grumpy face.
Let me explain with real tools I used.
Paint: where I got bright, clean purple
I used Liquitex acrylics and Winsor & Newton watercolors. I’ve used both for years.
- Best bright purple (acrylic): Liquitex Quinacridone Magenta + Ultramarine Blue. My sweet spot is 2 parts magenta to 1 part ultramarine. It’s rich and a little cool. Think night sky right before it goes black.
- Softer lavender: same mix, then add Titanium White. Go slow with the white, or it goes chalky.
- Mud alert: Cadmium Red Medium + Phthalo Blue gave me a dull, brownish violet. Why? That cad red has a yellow tone hiding in it.
Watercolor folks, I like Winsor & Newton Permanent Rose + French Ultramarine. Wet brush, mix on the palette, not the paper, or it blooms weird. Add water to lift it to lilac. I use a cheap ceramic plate as my palette. Works fine.
Tiny tip: test on scrap first. Paper changes everything. On student paper my purple sank in and looked gray. On cotton paper it stayed bright.
If you’re curious about the underlying color theory (and want even more paint-mixing recipes), the concise breakdown over at Art School’s guide to mixing purple is a handy read.
Markers and pens: layering matters
With Crayola SuperTips, I get the cleanest purple when I lay down blue first, let it dry 10 seconds, then add red. The other way around sometimes looks streaky. On smooth paper (I use HP Premium laser paper for markers), it blends better and doesn’t bleed. On my cheap notebook it bled like a bruise.
Alcohol markers? My Copic V04 (Lilac) is a lifesaver when I’m in a rush. But if I mix, RV66 (Raspberry) plus B29 (Ultramarine) gives a deep grape. Light touch, two passes. Heavy layers make a dark patch.
Digital purple: the code that never lies
On my iPad in Procreate, I set HSB to these when I want instant purple:
- Classic purple: H 272, S 60, B 70
- Deep violet: H 270, S 85, B 55
- Soft lavender: H 270, S 20, B 90
RGB? Try 128, 0, 128 (#800080) for that old-school purple. For print, I like C 75, M 100, Y 0, K 0. It looks strong on my Canon printer. If your print looks dull, check your paper setting and use heavy matte paper. I learned that after wasting two sheets and a small sigh.
Screen brightness can trick your eyes. I once made a logo that looked perfect at night and way too dark in daylight. Now I check on low and high brightness before I call it done.
You can even drop those hex codes straight into the templates at CoverMaker to see how your purple will look on social-media headers before you commit.
Light and shadow games: yes, you can make purple with light
I played with two Philips Hue bulbs in my living room. One red, one blue, both aimed at a white wall. Where they overlapped, I got a punchy magenta-purple glow. When I nudged the blue a hair toward violet, the overlap went more purple than pink. Lights need a dark room to show the mix well. It’s a fun science night with kids. Also, it makes cool party photos.
Food coloring: frosting that doesn’t go gray
I bake a lot, and frosting loves purple when you do it right. I used McCormick classic drops and Wilton gel colors.
- With McCormick drops: 3 drops blue + 2 drops red per cup of white frosting gave me a happy medium purple. Add 1 more blue drop for a cooler violet.
- With Wilton gels: “Royal Blue” + “Rose.” Start tiny. A toothpick tip of each. Gels are strong. Stir all the way down; streaks hide at the bottom. Ask me how I found that out… I cut into a cake and saw zebra frosting.
Need to whip up your own dye instead of using store-bought bottles? Check out this straightforward eHow tutorial on making purple food coloring with items you probably already have.
Note: Some purples fade in sunlight. I keep decorated cookies out of the window. And purple batter can bake dull. Blueberry pancakes stay purple though — I smash half the berries and fold them in. My nephew calls them “galaxy cakes.” Same pan every Sunday.
If you’re craving another tasty purple treat, check out the time I finally perfected my at-home açaí bowl after a few, well, violet-colored mishaps in the blender.
Fabric dye: what worked on cotton vs. polyester
I dyed a thrifted cotton sheet and a poly scarf. Used Rit Dye in a bucket (hot water, salt for cotton).
- Best cotton purple: 1 cup Rit Fuchsia + 1.5 cups Rit Royal Blue in a 3-gallon bath. Stir every few minutes for 30 minutes. I got a deep plum. Rinse till water runs clear. Wear gloves. My nails were purple for a day. Cute? Maybe. Practical? No.
- Polyester scarf? It barely took. Poly needs Rit DyeMore and near-simmer heat. I did that on the stove. It worked, but the color came out lighter, like orchid.
Blotchy result? Stir more. Fabric scrunches fast. A long wooden spoon is your friend.
Hair color: easy purple that fades nice
I used Arctic Fox Purple Rain on bleached hair. No developer needed. Smelled good, no sting. It went bold grape on day one, then softened to lavender over 3 weeks. On my natural dark brown, it only gave a purple sheen in the sun. If you want bright, you need a light base first. I sleep on a dark pillowcase the first two nights so I don’t stain my linen. Learned that lesson once.
Little mistakes I still make (and fix)
- Warm red + greenish blue = sludge. Reach for magenta and ultramarine when you want clean purple.
- Too much white in paint = chalk. Add in small dabs.
- Cheap paper drinks color. Use smoother or heavier stock when color matters.
- Black can kill it fast. If you need darker, add a touch of the blue instead.
My go-to purple recipes (real mixes I use)
- Acrylic paint poster: 2 parts Liquitex Quinacridone Magenta + 1 part Ultramarine Blue, then a pea of Titanium White for lift.
- Watercolor floral: Winsor & Newton Permanent Rose + French Ultramarine at 1:1, lots of water for petals.
- Procreate icon: H 272, S 60, B 70; outline at H 272, S 75, B 40.
- Frosting for 12 cupcakes: 3 drops McCormick blue + 2 drops red in 2 cups buttercream; micro-adjust with 1 extra blue drop if it leans pink.
- Cotton sheet dye bath: Rit Fuchsia 1 cup + Rit Royal Blue 1.5 cups in hot water with 1 cup salt; 30 minutes, steady stir.
- Hair streaks: Arctic Fox Purple Rain for 45 minutes on level 9 blonde; rinse cool; conditioner after.
A small detour: flowers and ink
I dyed white carnations with food coloring water (heavy purple mix) just for fun. Overnight, the petals took a soft lavender at the edges. Kids loved watching the color climb. Also, in my bullet journal, Pilot G2 pens smear when layered. Zebra Sarasa dries faster, so my red-then-blue trick makes a cleaner purple line.
Why I care about purple (and maybe you do too)
Purple feels like magic — a little royal, a little cozy. In fall, I paint plums and asters. In spring, I chase lilac. For Halloween, I mix a moody violet for our porch sign. It sets the mood without yelling. And yes, it makes me smile. Color does that.
Speaking of sweet smiles, my kitchen smelled like a candy shop when I dove into [my whipped-honey trials](https