There aren’t a huge number of single pigment violet paints. Most violets are mixed from magentas and blues. This list is arranged roughly from most pinkish to most blue.
Color List
Single Pigment
Manganese Violet (PV16)
Dioxazine/Carbazole Violet (PV23) – very staining and intense
Multiple Pigment
Cobalt Blue Violet (PB28, PV19)
My thoughts
Necessary slot? I don’t think so, as you can probably guess from the fact that I lumped all the violets together, instead of separating them out into ‘Violet’ and ‘Purple’ or any other subdivision. Violets are easily mixed and I don’t find the mixes from single-pigment violets to be particularly different or more convenient compared to those that can be made from magentas. That said, if violet is your favorite color, you have plenty of pretty colors to choose from. And many of these colors can be used in place of magenta in a limited palette if you don’t mind your colors leaning cool and/or moody.
Favorite: Lavender has its uses as a pastel blue sky mixer with cyan. Other than that edge case, I tend to prefer the more pinkish ones, even though there is some arguable overlap with magenta; Quin Violet (PV19) really doesn’t function like a magenta but gives every mix a sort of deep, moody, mystical quality. Another option I like that should arguably go here is Perylene Violet (PV29), which I put under Maroon.
Mix your own: Magenta, Pink, or Rose + any blue.
See Also
- Gotta pick a purple or two
- A Plethora of Purples
- Mixing Mauve for Watercolor Clouds
- Color Comparison: Quin Fuchsia (PR202) vs Quin Violet (PV19)
- Finding a Dark Magenta: Comparing Quin Fuchsia, Quin Violet, and Bordeaux
- Dark Magenta Part II: Carbazole Violet, Perylene Violet, and Bordeaux
Similar Slots
- Magenta, Pink, or Rose
- Violet Blue
- Maroon [includes Perylene Violet]
- Earth Red [includes Violet Iron Oxide/Caput Mortuum]
- Back to all Color Slots