Ultramarine Violet
37 Ultramarine Violet paints from 19 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Ultramarine Violet isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Ultramarine Violet, 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 37 of them from 19 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 Ultramarine Violet 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 37 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 0.26 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 0.58 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 1.07 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 1.08 | Near-identical |
| Old Holland | Delta E 1.08 | Near-identical |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 1.08 | Near-identical |
| Vallejo | Delta E 1.25 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.45 | Near-identical |
| Gamblin | Delta E 1.52 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 1.56 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 1.99 | Near-identical |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 2.05 | Very close |
| Liquitex | Delta E 2.05 | Very close |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 2.07 | Very close |
| Schmincke | Delta E 2.64 | Very close |
| Maimeri | Delta E 2.77 | Very close |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 3.65 | Very close |
| Golden | Delta E 4.27 | Very close |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 4.65 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 171 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- AmsterdamvsLiquitexDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsOld HollandDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Old HollandvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsM. GrahamDelta E 0.33Near-identical
- Royal TalensvsSennelierDelta E 0.52Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- GoldenvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 8.14Noticeably different
- Daler-RowneyvsGoldenDelta E 7.22Noticeably different
- LiquitexvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 6.69Noticeably different
- AmsterdamvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 6.69Noticeably different
- Michael HardingvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 6.37Noticeably different
- GoldenvsSchminckeDelta E 6.06Noticeably different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Amsterdam
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Nevskaya Palitra
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Holbein, Winsor & Newton
Amsterdam, Maimeri
Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Golden, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Ultramarine Violet. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 1 paint
- Daler-Rowney · 3 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 5 paints
- Holbein · 4 paints
- Liquitex · 1 paint
- Lukas · 1 paint
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Maimeri · 1 paint
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 1 paint
- Old Holland · 1 paint
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Schmincke · 1 paint
- Sennelier · 3 paints
- Vallejo · 2 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 5 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Ultramarine Violet we have measured
All 37 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Standard Series | acrylic | #553773 | 29.2, 26.3, -29.7 | PV15,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #5f3778 | 30.7, 30.6, -30.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #5f3c7d | 32.1, 28.9, -31.2 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Cryla Artists' Acrylic | acrylic | #685ea9 | 44.0, 22.5, -39.0 | PV15 | Transparent | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #5c3e7a | 32.1, 25.9, -29.4 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #583973 | 30.0, 26.0, -28.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Fluid | acrylic | #3c3760 | 25.4, 13.2, -23.8 | PV15 | Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #583973 | 30.0, 26.0, -28.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #3a3853 | 24.7, 8.2, -16.0 | PV15 | Transparent | I | |
| Golden | OPEN | acrylic | #3f376d | 26.5, 18.0, -30.4 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #643c82 | 33.0, 31.6, -32.8 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #664884 | 36.2, 25.4, -29.0 | PV15 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #5a3c78 | 31.3, 26.1, -29.5 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #5f417d | 33.3, 25.8, -29.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #5f3773 | 30.4, 29.4, -27.6 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Soft Body | acrylic | #553773 | 29.2, 26.3, -29.7 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #583a76 | 30.4, 26.2, -29.6 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #583a76 | 30.4, 26.2, -29.6 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #624480 | 34.6, 25.6, -29.1 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #5f4173 | 32.8, 23.3, -23.8 | PV15 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #5a3773 | 29.8, 27.8, -28.7 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #694b87 | 37.5, 25.3, -28.9 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Old Holland | Classic Oil Colors | oil | #583a76 | 30.4, 26.2, -29.6 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #583a76 | 30.4, 26.2, -29.6 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #5f3778 | 30.7, 30.6, -30.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #5f377d | 31.0, 31.8, -33.0 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #553773 | 29.2, 26.3, -29.7 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #5a3c7d | 31.6, 27.4, -32.1 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #5f3778 | 30.7, 30.6, -30.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Vallejo | Acrylic Artist Color | acrylic | #5f417d | 33.3, 25.8, -29.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Vallejo | Fluid Acrylic | acrylic | #5f417d | 33.3, 25.8, -29.3 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #583a76 | 30.4, 26.2, -29.6 | PV15 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #5a3c78 | 31.3, 26.1, -29.5 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #70528e | 40.3, 25.0, -28.6 | PV15 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Galeria | acrylic | #5a3c73 | 31.0, 24.8, -26.8 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #5f3c82 | 32.4, 30.1, -33.8 | PV15 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #664884 | 36.2, 25.4, -29.0 | PV15 | Semi-Transparent | I |
