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violet
Key to the Paint Ratings
PIGMENT PIGMENT PAINT
MANUFACTURER CODE Tr St VR Gr Bl Df HA HS Lf
C.I. NAME CHEMICAL NAME MARKETING NAME
anthraquinone violet +
PV7+PV15 bright violet Holbein 375 3 2 63 1 3 0 329 -3 2,3
ultramarine violet
A recent paint from Holbein, combining lightfast ultramarine violet (PV15)
with fugitive PV7. The CIECAM J,a,b values for bright violet (PV7+PV15) are:
27, 65, -32, with chroma of 73 (estimated hue purity of 68) and a hue angle
of 334.
AVOID. A very intense, dark valued reddish violet, wonderful for decorative
work or paintings that are explicitly intended to be photographically reproduced
but not preserved for more than a few months. Substitutions. The most
saturated and lightfast blue violets are obtained with a mixture of ultramarine
blue (PB29) and quinacridone magenta (PR122).
PV14 cobalt phosphate (1859) cobalt violet Winsor & Newton 192 2 0 40 4 2 2 328 -19 8,8
PV14 cobalt magenta Rowney Artists 417 2 0 44 3 3 1 332 +12 8,8
PV14 cobalt violet Blockx 331 2 0 39 4 0 0 333 +10 8,8
PV14 cobalt violet Rembrandt 539 4 0 48 3 2 1 318 +8 8,8
PV14 cobalt violet deep Daniel Smith 030 4 0 53 3 3 2 318 -6 8,8
PV14 cobalt violet deep Utrecht 176 4 0 40 3 2 1 319 +4 8,8
PV14 cobalt violet light Holbein 110 2 0 42 3 3 1 313 +10 8,8
PV14 cobalt violet DaVinci 236 1 0 35 4 1 0 329 +7 8,8
PV14+PB28 cobalt violet deep DaVinci 237 1 0 34 3 1 1 321 +4 8,8
paint introduced after my last pigment
PV14 cobalt violet M. Graham 099
tests
cobalt phosphate + cobalt violet
PV14+PB28 Winsor & Newton 088 3 0 30 1 1 1 327 +2 7,8
cobalt aluminium oxide [discontinued in 2005]
TOP 40 PIGMENT Cobalt violet PV14 (often labeled "cobalt violet deep") is
a very lightfast, semitransparent, nonstaining, moderately dark valued,
moderately dull violet to red violet pigment, available from 4 registered
pigment manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM (1999) rates its lightfastness in
watercolors as "excellent" (I) and my own tests consistently concur. PV14
undergoes a moderate drying shift, lightening by about 17%; the hue
typically shifts toward red in tints. The average CIECAM J,a,b values for cobalt
violet deep (PV14) are: 46, 33, -32, with chroma of 47 (estimated hue purity
of 47) and a hue angle of 316.
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PV14 is one of the most expensive pigments used in artist grade watercolors,
and is frequently mimicked with less expensive pigments, especially in student
grade paints. The Maimeri cobalt violet and Daniel Smith cobalt blue violet
(listed below) are less lightfast mixtures of cobalt blue (PB28) and
quinacridone rose. Many art supply manufacturers do not offer PV14 at all,
suggesting it is unpopular in the retail market or not profitable to sell. Among
artists listed in the section on palette paintings, only Charles LeClair
recommends it.
Although some artists disparage this pigment (Michael Wilcox calls it "gummy
and weak"), genuine, high quality cobalt violet is a spectacular paint in broad
wash applications morning skies and magnified florals and evocative in
flesh tone shadows. The "red" shades offered by Rowney, Blockx and Winsor &
Newton are effective as the pink component in caucasian flesh tones. Like
other granulating pigments (such as viridian), the typical pigment contains a
very broad range of particle sizes; heavier wash applications may show a
whitish overcoat, especially in paper depressions, produced because the
smaller (less saturated) pigment particles are the last to sink out of solution.
The hue is readily mixed from ultramarine blue (PB29) and quinacridone rose
(PV19), but the poetic granular quality and crystalline color permanence are
unique and well worth exploring. See also the section on cobalt pigments.
sodium aluminium
PV15 sulfosilicate [blue violet ultramarine violet Winsor & Newton 221 4 2 56 2 2 1 303 +2 8,7
shade] (1878)
PV15 ultramarine violet Daniel Smith 057 2 1 55 2 3 2 304 +4 8,7
PV15 ultramarine violet Rembrandt 507 4 1 54 2 3 2 306 +3 8,6
PV15 ultramarine violet MaimeriBlu 440 2 2 54 1 3 2 307 +11 8,6
PV15 ultramarine violet Old Holland 199 4 1 48 2 3 2 304 +6 8,6
PV15 ultramarine violet Rowney Artists 419 4 1 60 1 3 1 306 +3 8,6
paint introduced after my last pigment
PV15 ultramarine violet DaVinci 285
tests
PV15 ultramarine violet [BS] M. Graham 193 1 3 70 2 3 2 296 -9 8,7
paint introduced after my last pigment
PV15 ultramarine violet deep M. Graham 194
tests
[PV15] cobalt violet Lukas 1127 2 2 35 4 1 0 305 +7 6,6
PV15+PB29 ultramarine violet [BS] Blockx 234 4 1 64 1 3 1 293 -11 8,8
sodium aluminium sulfur
PV15 silicate [red violet shade] ultramarine red Daniel Smith 052 3 1 47 1 3 2 330 -10 8,7
(1878)
TOP 40 PIGMENT Ultramarine violet PV15 is a very lightfast,
semitransparent, moderately staining, dark valued, moderately dull violet to
very dark valued, moderately intense blue violet pigment, available from 6
registered pigment manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM (1999) rates its
lightfastness in watercolors as "excellent" (I), but I found some brands began
to opacify and whiten slightly, with a very small resulting color change, after a
month of full sun exposure. In watercolors PV15 presents a very small
drying shift, holding its value and losing only 10% saturation. The average
CIECAM J,a,b values for ultramarine violet [red shade] (PV15) are: 36, 21,
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-37, with chroma of 42 (estimated hue purity of 45) and a hue angle of 299;
for ultramarine violet [blue shade] (PV15) they are: 22, -4, -57, chroma 57
(estimated hue purity 61) and hue angle 266.
There are significant color differences across various brands of this paint. A red
violet version is available under the same color index name and chemical
description; most manufacturers only provide the blue hue. (Hilary Page's
quirk of adding "R" or "B" to the color index name has no sanction from either
the SDC or the manufacturers.) Both the red violet and blue violet hues are
manufactured as a chemical modification of ordinary ultramarine blue, which is
mixed with sal ammoniac (for the blue hue) or dry hydrochloric acid (for the
red) and heated to 150 C for several hours. Although technically PV15 is any
ultramarine that has been chemically treated as described, all ultramarine
violets contain significant amounts of unaltered ultramarine blue (PB29).
Winsor & Newton ultramarine violet is the lightest valued, most intense
and most characteristic "blue" violet of the brands tested here; it is less active
than other brands in wet applications. The Daniel Smith and Rembrandt
ultramarine violets are similar in value range and chroma; the MaimeriBlu is
the reddest of the violet shades with good saturation. The Rowney Artists and
Old Holland were the least saturated brands tested here. In my paint tests, I
discovered Lukas cobalt violet was actually an ultramarine violet that whitened
under sunlight exposure; Lukas replied to me that they use genuine cobalt
violet only in their dry pan formulation (!). The M. Graham ultramarine
violet and Blockx ultramarine violet contain substantially more unadulterated
ultramarine, producing a color that appears significantly bluer, darker and
more saturated: in tints these paints shift toward red to nearly match the
traditional violet color. (Actually, the hue angles of all the ultramarine violet
paints are very similar; the "bluer" shade arises in part because the color is
both darker and more saturated.)
Daniel Smith ultramarine red is the only commercial source I know of for
the PV15 red shade, a granular and soft pinkish violet, close in hue to a
diluted, dull manganese violet.
Ultramarine violet does not mix well with yellows, producing to my eye a
lifeless gray. (Stephen Quiller recommends it as the mixing complement to
cadmium lemon, but see the chart at mixing complementary colors.) The
color can be easily reproduced by other mixtures ultramarine blue with a
touch of quinacridone rose, for example. Good as a blue violet for a muted
palette, and sometimes useful for subtle gray violet shading in portrait work or
to capture the colors and textures of twilight skies. See also the section on
sulfur pigments.
manganese ammonium
PV16 manganese violet Daniel Smith 038 3 2 62 2 3 2 327 +1 8,8
pyrophosphate (1868)
PV16 permanent mauve Winsor & Newton 491 2 1 68 4 1 2 332 +3 8,8
PV16 mineral violet MaimeriBlu 460 0 3 64 1 3 1 329 +2 8,8
PV16 manganese violet DaVinci 254 2 1 60 2 1 1 332 +7 8,8
paint introduced after my last pigment
PV16 mineral violet M. Graham 116
tests
PV16 manganese violet - blue Old Holland 196 3 0 48 3 3 0 334 +4 8,5
TOP 40 PIGMENT Manganese violet PV16 is a very lightfast,
semitransparent, lightly staining, dark valued, moderately dull red violet
pigment, available from 4 pigment manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM
(1999) rates its lightfastness in watercolors as "excellent" (I) and my 2004
tests agree. In watercolors PV16 undergoes a moderate drying shift,
lightening and losing saturation. The average CIECAM J,a,b values for
manganese violet (PV16) are: 31, 39, -21, with chroma of 44 (estimated hue
purity of 40) and a hue angle of 331.
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completely to produce cutouts or sculptured edge effects. The MaimeriBlu
mineral violet is more staining and very opaque. Hilary Page noted
discoloration in her sample of Old Holland, which may not have been a single
pigment paint; my swatch began life as a dull, scabby purple, not at all
pleasant to look at, and the vehicle (or pigment?) discolored to a browish cast
after about a month of sunlight exposure. Two thumbs down!
PV23 dioxazine violet (1952) carbazole violet Daniel Smith 035 2 4 69 0 3 1 308 -2 7,7
PV23 winsor violet (dioxazine) Winsor & Newton 213 3 3 71 0 2 2 306 -1 7,7
dioxazine purple
PV23 M. Graham 100 2 4 66 0 2 3 312 +2 6,7
[discontinued in 2000]
PV23 dioxazine purple Utrecht 008 4 2 67 0 3 1 310 +7 6,6
PV23 permanent violet bluish MaimeriBlu 463 2 4 71 0 2 4 306 +2 5,6
PV23 permanent mauve Rowney Artists 413 4 2 72 0 3 1 304 +4 5,6
PV23 mauve Schmincke 476 3 3 70 0 3 1 306 0 3,6
dioxazine violet +
PV23+PR122 permanent violet reddish MaimeriBlu 465 2 2 64 0 3 4 339 -1 5,6
quinacridone magenta
TOP 40 PIGMENT Dioxazine violet PV23 (and its sister form, PV37) is a
lightfast to impermanent, semitransparent, heavily staining, very dark valued,
dull violet pigment, available from about 30 pigment manufacturers
worldwide for use in plastics, inks, paints and foods. The hue is similar to (but
much darker than) ultramarine violet or cobalt violet deep. Its tinting strength
is very high, on a par with phthalo green (PG7) and phthalo blue (PB15). In
watercolors PV23 and PV37 show a very large drying shift, lightening by
38% and losing more than 20% saturation. The average CIECAM J,a,b values
for dioxazine purple (PV23) are: 20, 15, -27, with chroma of 31 (estimated
hue purity of 34) and a hue angle of 299.
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lightfastness ratings for a "red shade" ("fair" [III]) and a "blue shade" ("poor"
[IV]) of dioxazine violet. Michael Wilcox's paint guide merely repeats these
ratings without doing any lightfastness tests of his own. However, Hilary
Page's paint guide, which is based on actual lightfastness tests, is incorrect to
say that "the blue shade does not seem to exist". In fact, a range of color
variations are produced from different crystal forms of the pigment and from
different manufacturing methods to refine and grind it. The problem is that
pigment manufacturers seem to assign hue designations at their whim:
among the SDC Colour Index pigment descriptions supplied by the pigment
manufacturers, one finds the designations "bluest shade," "blue shade,"
"reddish shade," "red shade" and even "yellowish shade" (!). So without
knowing which pigment manufacturer made the pigments that were tested by
the ASTM, and on what grounds that manufacturer described the pigment
color (colorimetric values? manufacturing methods?), the ASTM lightfastness
ratings are uninterpretable.
PV23 is a good choice for color point 6 on the color wheel, is useful for
reducing the saturation of paints on both the warm and cool sides of the color
wheel, and produces potent dark shades when mixed with the likes of phthalo
green (PG7) or quinacridone violet (PV19). It is probably too strident or
strongly tinting to make an effective shadow color, and I feel it is
untrustworthy in tints.
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similar lightness and saturation can be mixed from ultramarine blue (PB29)
with quinacridone violet (PV19), which I recommend you use if you are
concerned about PV23's lightfastness or find its aggressive staining hard to
work with. The many purple convenience mixtures made with ultramarine
blue and quinacridone rose seem in my tests to have about the same
lightfastness as dioxazine violet, and therefore are not really practical
substitutions. See also the section on dioxazine pigments.
PV37 dioxazine violet (1952) dioxazine purple M. Graham 100 2 4 66 0 2 3 312 +2 6,7
Dioxazine violet PV37 is a lightfast, semitransparent, heavily staining, very
dark valued, dull violet pigment. In 2000, M. Graham switched from PV23
to to the chemically more complex but reportedly more lightfast form of
dioxazine, PV37, in its formulation of dioxazine purple. However I didn't find a
significant difference in the lightfastness of the newer pigment in comparison
to PV23: both began to fade in tints at about 550 hours of sunlight exposure
(BWS high 6), and remained solid in masstone well into BWS 7. The paint is
dark and concentrated with very good tinting strength, producing a slightly
grayer violet in tints. Many artists recommend dioxazine violet as a foundation
shadow color, glazing over the purple with paints that describe the surface
colors of objects; I suggest you try indanthrone blue (PB60) for that purpose.
For more information on dioxazine pigments, see under PV23.
Crystal violet PV39 sounds like a drug, and it is. An intoxicating blue violet
color, it loses most of its brilliance within a few weeks of daily sunlight
exposure. The average CIECAM J,a,b values for crystal violet (PV39) are: 20,
8, -49, with chroma of 49 (estimated hue purity of 54) and a hue angle of
279.
lightfastness test sample
AVOID. The most saturated and lightfast blue violets are obtained with a
mixture of ultramarine blue (PB29) and quinacridone magenta (PR122). unexposed (top); exposed 800+ hours
(bottom)
cobalt ammonium
PV49 cobalt violet Daniel Smith 088 4 0 39 2 3 1 329 +7 8,8
phosphate (1859)
PV49 cobalt violet light Utrecht 177 3 0 37 4 1 0 329 +9 8,8
Cobalt violet PV49 is a very lightfast, semitransparent, nonstaining,
granulating, moderately dark valued, moderately intense red violet pigment,
available from just 2 pigment manufacturers worldwide. The color is a dull
shade of the optimal "red" subtractive primary; the handling characteristics
are indistinguishable from its sibling, PV14). The average CIECAM J,a,b values
for cobalt violet light (PV49) are: 50, 52, -26, with chroma of 58 (estimated
hue purity of 50) and a hue angle of 334.
Daniel Smith cobalt violet is a lovely granular pigment, a pinkish violet with
darker violet accents; it blossoms when rewetted, and lifts completely. The
Utrecht paint granulates equally well, but with a slightly lighter and more
homogenous value and a slightly redder hue; it also seems somewhat more
concentrated but is slightly less saturated. PV49 has poor tinting strength
but an attractive, unique hue and granulation. I find it works best when used
for skies or sandy, earthy landscapes; it can be used either in its natural hue
or mixed with near transparent pigments such as the iron oxides,
quinacridones or phthalocyanines to give a different background tint. See also
the section on cobalt pigments.
This is a fairly consistent pigment across manufacturers. The Winsor & Newton
paint has been discontinued and the Grumbacher line has lapsed. Of the two
remaining brands, the Maimeri paint is more transparent and is much more
active wet in wet. The Daniel Smith permanent violet is darker valued at
full strength and is so unsaturated it appears maroon, but it dilutes out to a
pleasing hue and microscopic pigment texture and is somewhat more lightfast.
PR88 mixes to some very attractive dusky violets with ultramarine, cobalt or
prussian blue, as well as lovely browns with orange and yellow paints. All
brands backrun readily.
sodium polysulfide
PB29+PV19 aluminosilicate + rose of ultramarine Daniel Smith 017 2 3 67 0 3 1 333 +1 6,7
quinacridone rose
sodium polysulfide
PB29+PV19 aluminosilicate + permanent violet red DaVinci 172 4 2 66 0 3 2 307 +5 6,7
quinacridone rose
cobalt blue +
PB28+PV19 cobalt blue violet Daniel Smith 017 2 3 67 0 3 1 333 +1 6,7
quinacridone rose
cobalt blue +
PB28+PV19 cobalt violet MaimeriBlu 449 2 2 65 1 2 3 308 -2 6,7
quinacridone rose
sodium polysulfide
PV15+PV23 aluminosilicate + permanent violet Utrecht 172 4 2 66 0 3 2 307 +5 6,6
dioxazine violet
sodium polysulfide
PB29+PV19 aluminosilicate + permanent violet blue DaVinci 172 4 2 66 0 3 2 307 +5 6,6
quinacridone rose
Many artists mix their violets from ultramarine blue (PB29), cobalt blue
(PB28) or ultramarine violet (PV15) and a rose or violet quinacridone
(PV19). Well, here are the same purples, premixed for you as convenience
paints you can use straight out of the tube. The problem with these
convenience mixtures is that they appear in some cases to be less lightfast
than the dioxazine violet they are designed to replace!
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AVOID. As shown above, I found across several brands that these premixed
purples are not as transparent or lightfast as dioxazine violet (PV23) or
ultramarine violet (PV15). If you require a basic purple paint or purple
mixture, then you will do much better to use manganese violet (PV16) as the
basic pigment. If you mix purple colors yourself, for example with ultramarine
blue (PB29) or indanthrone blue (PB60) and quinacridone violet (PV19), I'd
suggest you can expect no better lightfastness than the commercial paints
provide.
KEY TO THE PAINT RATINGS. Summarized as numbers: Tr = Transparency: 0 (very opaque) to 4 (transparent) - St = Staining: 0
(nonstaining) to 4 (heavily staining) - VR = Value Range: the value of the masstone color subtracted from the value of white paper, in
steps of a 100 step value scale - Gr = Granulation: 0 (liquid texture) to 4 (granular) - Bl = Blossom: 0 (no blossom) to 4 (strong
blossom) - Df = Diffusion: 0 (inert) to 4 (very active diffusion) - HA = Hue Angle in degrees of the CIELAB a*b* plane - HS = Hue
Shift as the undertone hue angle minus the masstone hue angle, in degrees of the CIELAB a*b* plane - Lf = Lightfastness: 1 (very
fugitive) to 8 (very lightfast) for paint in tint,full strength - Mentioned in pigment notes: Chroma: For the masstone paint on white
watercolor paper. - Drying Shift: Change in masstone color appearance from a glistening wet to completely dry paint swatch, in units of
lightness, chroma and hue angle in CIELAB. For more information see What the Ratings Mean.
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