Dioxazine Purple
26 Dioxazine Purple paints from 8 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Dioxazine Purple isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Dioxazine Purple, and no two are quite the same. They pick different pigments, grind them differently and mix them to their own recipe — so two tubes with the same word on the label can look noticeably different once they are on the paper.
We measured all 26 of them from 8 brands and compared them the way a lab would, using a number called Delta E. It is just a measure of how far apart two colours look to the human eye. Under 2 and almost nobody can tell them apart; over 10 and most people would call them different colours.
Useful when your usual Dioxazine Purple is out of stock and you need the closest substitute, when you are deciding which brand to buy, or when a mix you got right last time will not come out the same again.
How far is each brand from the average?
Every brand's version measured against the average of all 26 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.77 | Near-identical |
| Matisse | Delta E 1.88 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.97 | Near-identical |
| Liquitex | Delta E 2.20 | Very close |
| Gamblin | Delta E 2.43 | Very close |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 5.33 | Noticeably different |
| Atelier | Delta E 5.97 | Noticeably different |
| Golden | Delta E 11.22 | Clearly different |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 28 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- MatissevsSennelierDelta E 0.33Near-identical
- M. GrahamvsSennelierDelta E 0.55Near-identical
- GamblinvsMatisseDelta E 0.80Near-identical
- M. GrahamvsMatisseDelta E 0.84Near-identical
- GamblinvsLiquitexDelta E 1.03Near-identical
- GamblinvsSennelierDelta E 1.12Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- GoldenvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 15.90Clearly different
- AteliervsGoldenDelta E 15.23Clearly different
- GamblinvsGoldenDelta E 13.11Clearly different
- GoldenvsM. GrahamDelta E 13.02Clearly different
- GoldenvsMatisseDelta E 12.86Clearly different
- GoldenvsSennelierDelta E 12.82Clearly different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Gamblin, Golden, Liquitex, M. Graham, Matisse, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Atelier
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Gamblin, Golden, Liquitex, M. Graham, Matisse, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Atelier, Golden
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Sennelier
Matisse
Golden, Liquitex
Atelier, Gamblin, Golden, Liquitex, M. Graham, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Dioxazine Purple. Each links to that brand's full range.
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Dioxazine Purple we have measured
All 26 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atelier | A2 Lightfast | acrylic | #472e74 | 25.4, 28.3, -36.4 | PV23RS | Transparent | II | |
| Atelier | Free Flow | acrylic | #71428b | 36.5, 34.0, -32.8 | PV23RS | Transparent | II | |
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #623888 | 32.3, 34.9, -37.8 | PV23RS | Transparent | II | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #4e2567 | 23.4, 31.9, -31.2 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Fluid | acrylic | #3e3939 | 24.6, 2.3, 0.7 | PV23 | Transparent | II | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #4e2567 | 23.4, 31.9, -31.2 | PV23 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #413b3a | 25.4, 2.4, 1.6 | PV23 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #403a39 | 25.0, 2.6, 1.3 | PV23 | Transparent | II | |
| Golden | OPEN | acrylic | #413b3a | 25.4, 2.8, 1.4 | PV23 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #5a2864 | 25.6, 33.0, -25.6 | PV23 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Basics | acrylic | #41235f | 20.6, 27.5, -30.5 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Professional Heavy Body | acrylic | #4e2866 | 24.0, 30.0, -29.6 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Soft Body | acrylic | #502869 | 24.5, 31.3, -30.8 | PV23 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #502869 | 24.5, 31.3, -30.8 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #552d70 | 26.7, 31.6, -31.7 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Matisse | Flow Formula | acrylic | #502869 | 24.5, 31.3, -30.8 | PV23 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Fluid | acrylic | #502869 | 24.5, 31.3, -30.8 | PV23 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Structure Formula | acrylic | #502869 | 24.5, 31.3, -30.8 | PV23 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Abstract Acrylic | acrylic | #50236e | 23.8, 35.3, -35.1 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #4b2864 | 23.4, 28.6, -29.2 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #552d78 | 27.2, 33.6, -36.0 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Rive Gauche | oil | #4b2864 | 23.4, 28.6, -29.2 | PV23 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #5a2d64 | 26.6, 30.2, -24.0 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #551e73 | 24.0, 40.2, -37.9 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #551e73 | 24.0, 40.2, -37.9 | PV23 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Winton Oil Colour | oil | #551e73 | 24.0, 40.2, -37.9 | PV23 | Transparent | I |
