Purple Watercolors

[Debra “Kate” Powell]

I need purples… I am looking at Da Vinci and am put of by the name Mauve, and wonder if anyone has used that color?  If it is closer to its name (which is a color I am so not fond of) then I need to pass.  I have permanent magenta, and may buy Ultramarine Violet…. but I want a great TRANSPARENT purple.

In Daniel Smith I use Imperial Purple, which has an unusual pinky effect when I use it, which I’ve come to love.  But I figured we needed a thread on PURPLES peeps love.

Below are the purples I have… I have stared a paint note book.

SO GLAD TO BE BACK!

[Sandra Strait]

Well, this must be serendipity because I just got a tube of DV Mauve last week.  I  haven’t had a chance to really use it yet but I like what I see with this swatch.  I don’t think it granulates as much as it does in this photo – it was done on mixed media paper with quite a bit of texture, but I do see hints that you get seperation into both blue violet and red violet.  I’ll let you know what I find out when I really sit down and use it.

[Susan Cuss]

Here are the purples I’m using now:  the colours are a little redder than shown

 

[Debra “Kate” Powell]

That looks amazing and not at all what I think of when I hear the word “mauve”.  I think of that grey-pink-purple of the 80’s.

[Debra “Kate” Powell]

Susan the image disappeared before my eyes!  I’d love to see your purples again!

[Susan Cuss]

Here, Kate:  The colours are a bit redder than they look here.

[Debra “Kate” Powell]

I have a lousy Mineral Violet from somebody… Dioxine Purple is good — is it transparent?

[Linda Young]

American Journey has a dioxine purple they call Amethyst.  It’s a staining purple but is a beautiful rich purple.  Here’s a test sheet I was trying out different textures and put the Amethyst purple on it for you to see.  The lower right hand corner shows how the stain remains after lifting color off.

[Debra “Kate” Powell]

Nice color Linda!  Thank you!

[Fynn M]

My favorite violets (of the brands I’ve tried) are Red Violet by Sennelier, Quinacridone Purple and Imperial Purple by Daniel Smith, and Winsor Violet and Ultramarine Violet by Winsor & Newton. I prefer them for their superior transparency, vibrancy, and lightfastness compared to the same pigments by other manufacturers.

Below are swatches of other violets I’ve tried (the Amethyst is a beautiful muted violet, but it has tiny sparkles, which I’m not a fan of):

[Debra “Kate” Powell]

I love the Windsor Violet — might have to try that one!

[Alejandro Morales]

I keep DS Carbazole Violet, Quin Violet and Shadow Violet on my palette.  I own Moonglow, Cobalt Violet, Amethyst Genuine, and Rose of Ultramarine, but I find them a bit twee for my style (although I will pull them out to play every so often). I just got Lunar Violet and Burnt Hematite Violet but haven’t played with them much. They are crazy granulators.

[Sandra Strait]

Ooh! Burnt Hematite Violet sounds interesting.  I love Hematite Burnt Scarlet, but it’s the only Burnt Hematite I’ve used yet.  I didn’t realize there were others.

[Alejandro Morales]

Sandra,

It is a similar neutralized gray violet like Shadow Violet, but it granulates like Bloodstone or the Lunar colors.