Violet shades
Violets are often found in landscapes in the form of flowers and other plants, but when you look at impressionists’ works, you can find hints of violet hidden in snow, for example. Van Gogh loved using violets in skies and even faces.
Aside from being a useful colour for various artworks, violet is also a colour with deep meaning. It is the colour that represents the pope, wealth and spirituality, though it can also be the colour of mourning and loss. Violet may seem like a simple colour, but nothing could be further from the truth.
In the video below, we show you a selection of our beautiful violet shades. Since the actual colours can be difficult to judge straight from the tube, each shade is mixed with white to showcase its unique properties and undertones. This might help you select the right colours for your next artwork.
Undertones
Violets come in many shades and offer various properties. They can have red or blue undertones and are often mono pigmented. Most violets are transparent or semi-transparent. Mixed with white, they transform into the most delicate rosy and lilac shades. Try mixing them with yellow as well for some surprising hues.
Examples
Cobalt Violet (539), for instance, is a special pigment. It is extremely pricey and has a unique, interesting tone in its pure form. When mixed, this shade is easily overpowered, but it truly shines when used on its own.
Ultramarine Violet (507) is a variation on the well-known Ultramarine (504). This deep violet shade leans more towards the red side of the spectrum. Just like the original Ultramarine, Ultramarine Violet is beautifully transparent, which makes it perfect for mixing and layering.
Assortment
The Rembrandt oil paint collection features various intense violet shades, made with exceptional pigments that are nearly impossible to recreate by mixing. These colours are great for adding depth to shadows, for instance, and can have blue or red undertones. To highlight these undertones, all shades were mixed with 104 Zinc White.
The following shades of violet were used in this video:
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