Winsor & Newton Quinacridone Violet Review: Is It Worth Buying?
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Winsor & Newton Quinacridone Violet (PV55) is a transparent, moderately staining watercolor pigment known for smooth washes, dramatic blossoming effects, and luminous violet color. It excels in skies, florals, atmospheric passages, and artists who enjoy expressive watercolor textures.
Winsor & Newton Quinacridone Violet was a pleasant surprise.
I bought this tube years ago when I was first learning to paint, along with approximately 47 other colors I was absolutely convinced I would use constantly.
I did not.
Like many artists, I occasionally sit down in the studio, stare at neglected tubes of paint, and wonder why I own all of them. Then I start testing colors again, partly out of curiosity and partly because I get bored using the same familiar Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna combinations when teaching.
Sometimes those forgotten tubes deserve to stay forgotten.
Sometimes you discover a hidden gem.
Quinacridone Violet turned out to be the second category.
Made from a single pigment (PV55), Quinacridone Violet is a transparent, moderately staining violet with a rich, slightly warm purple character. One thing I appreciate immediately about this paint: it behaves nicely.
It emulsifies easily, spreads smoothly, and does not fight you while trying to create washes — something I appreciate because some paints seem to have a personal grudge against smooth watercolor transitions.
Tilt the paper slightly and let our old friend gravity do most of the work, and this color creates beautiful graduated washes with very little streaking. If you enjoy smooth atmospheric skies, floral passages, dramatic shadows, or subtle transitions in landscapes, this color starts becoming surprisingly useful.
Another thing I like: this is a true single-pigment paint.
Winsor & Newton Quinacridone Violet uses PV55. That means if you want this exact color, you really do need the tube. Yes, you can mix purples from reds and blues. Yes, you can get “close enough.” But getting the same transparent glow, handling characteristics, and soft violet personality of a single quinacridone pigment is difficult to fake convincingly.
Historically, quinacridone pigments were a big deal because artists finally gained access to highly transparent, intensely colored, extremely lightfast modern pigments that did not fade or become muddy over time. Unlike some historical violets and reds that had the long-term life expectancy of a bad relationship, quinacridones tend to stay vibrant for decades.
Now for my favorite part.
Blossoming abilities?
Wow.
Seriously.
Lay your paper flat, drop a little clean water into an already wet area of Quinacridone Violet, and just watch the pigment move. Give it a few minutes and the effect becomes even more dramatic. If you enjoy watercolor blooms, backruns, soft atmospheric textures, or organic-looking abstract passages, this paint is ridiculously fun to experiment with.
This may not become an everyday mixing color for me, but for dramatic blossoms, dreamy skies, florals, weird experimental passages, or abstract backgrounds?
Yeah… this one earned a permanent place on the palette.
Stay tuned. I have a feeling this paint and I are about to make some strange decisions together.
Who Should Buy Quinacridone Violet?
You should probably consider Quinacridone Violet if:
- You love watercolor blossoms, blooms, and backruns
- You paint skies, florals, sunsets, atmospheric passages, or abstract textures
- You enjoy transparent colors that create clean graduated washes
- You like unusual pigments that behave differently than standard palette staples
- You want a violet that feels luminous rather than muddy
You may want to skip it if:
- You prefer highly granulating mineral textures (look at Cobalt Violet or Rose of Ultramarine instead)
- You dislike pink-leaning violets
- You want a strong mixing purple and already have several violet options
- You hate experimental paint behavior or “happy accidents” (in which case watercolor may be a strange life choice to begin with)
How Does Quinacridone Violet Compare to Other Watercolors?
Curious how Winsor & Newton Quinacridone Violet stacks up against other colors? I have reviewed several paints with similar blossoming, granulating, atmospheric, or violet characteristics.
Compare Quinacridone Violet to:
- Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet (PV14) – softer, more mineral-like, heavily granulating violet with subtle atmospheric texture
- Holbein Bright Violet – dramatic blossoming color with brighter, more intense violet effects
- Daniel Smith Rose of Ultramarine – moody violet with beautiful granulation and color separation for stormy skies and expressive passages
- Daniel Smith Moonglow – granulating shadow color with complex separation and atmospheric effects
- Daniel Smith Quinacridone Coral – transparent quinacridone pigment with glowing color and beautiful blending behavior
- Holbein Opera / Opera Rose – bright transparent floral pink-violet for expressive washes and vibrant passages
- Winsor & Newton Alizarin Crimson – deeper, moodier red-violet option useful for shadows, florals, and mixing
- Holbein Vermillion – stronger warm red option for mixing vibrant oranges and dramatic color contrasts
- Daniel Smith Sodalite Genuine – heavily granulating mineral pigment for textured passages and dramatic skies
- Schmincke Tundra Violet – super-granulating violet with textured mineral effects
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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345