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Daniel Smith Perylene Violet is a transparent, single-pigment (PV29) watercolor with excellent glazing ability, smooth washes, medium blossoming, and muted, atmospheric color. It excels in dramatic skies, shadows, and lowering the chroma of brighter colors, although it isn’t intended for vibrant violet mixtures.

When I pulled Daniel Smith Perylene Violet out of my paint drawer recently, I had one thought:

“Why haven’t I been using this more?”

This is one of those colors I purchased years ago, swatched once, then promptly buried under the mountain of watercolor tubes I’ve accumulated over the years. (Apparently owning 200+ watercolor paints wasn’t enough. Shocking, I know.)

After spending some time painting with it again, I remembered exactly why it deserves a place on the palette.

Perylene Violet isn’t flashy. It isn’t going to jump off the page like Quinacridone Rose or scream for attention like Cobalt Violet. Instead, it quietly creates atmosphere, mood, and beautiful deep shadows. Sometimes subtle is exactly what a painting needs.

Pigment Information

Pigment: PV29 (Perylene Violet)

One of the things I appreciate about this paint is its simplicity.

Perylene Violet is a single-pigment watercolor, which means you won’t see dramatic color separation or multiple pigments settling independently on the paper. What you see is exactly what you get—a rich, transparent violet with excellent consistency from wash to wash.

Appearance

I’d describe this color as a grape juice violet.

Not grape soda.

Not neon purple.

More like concentrated grape juice that has been left out just long enough to become wonderfully dark and mysterious.

It leans toward the red side of violet, creating rich wine-colored passages in the darker values while opening into beautiful muted purples as more water is added.

This isn’t a high-chroma color, and that’s one of its greatest strengths. It naturally creates mood without overpowering the rest of the painting.

Granulation

Perylene Violet produces low to moderate granulation.

If you’re looking for the dramatic texture of Blue Apatite Genuine or Forest Gray, you’ll probably be disappointed.

If you’re looking for a smooth, elegant wash that still has just enough character to keep things interesting, you’ll be very happy.

One thing I particularly like is how easily it creates long, smooth graduated washes without developing ugly streaks.

Trust me—that’s much harder to accomplish than it sounds.

Blossoming Performance

I always test every paint the same way.

Lay down a rich wash.

Keep the paper flat.

Drop in clean water.

Wait and see what happens.

Perylene Violet performs surprisingly well. Not exceptional

The blossoms are most noticeable in the mid-value to darker passages, where the pigment has enough strength to move before settling into the paper. They’re soft and attractive rather than explosive.

No, this isn’t Holbein Yellow Grey, Shadow Violet, or Hooker’s Green territory. Those paints practically throw a party the moment water touches them.

Perylene Violet is much more reserved.

Blossoming Rating: 5/10

Enough movement to create interesting texture, but not enough to steal the show.

Mixing

This isn’t a color I’d use as a primary mixing violet.

Its strength lies in neutralizing and deepening other colors rather than making bright mixtures.

Some favorite combinations include:

• French Ultramarine (PB29) – Produces deep blue-violets and dramatic evening skies while keeping the mixture clean.
• Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) (PB15:3) – Creates cool, intense blue-violets that work beautifully in shadowed water and mountain scenes.
• Quinacridone Rose (PV19) – Mixes into beautiful wine reds and muted magentas perfect for florals and sunsets.
• Transparent Pyrrol Orange (PO71) – Produces gorgeous neutral browns and warm shadow colors that are excellent for architecture and weathered stone.
• Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150) – Creates subdued olive greens and earthy neutrals that are ideal for late-summer landscapes.
• Phthalo Green (PG7 or PG36) – Instantly knocks back the intensity of bright greens, producing much more believable evergreen foliage and dark forest shadows.

Need to calm down an overly bright painting?

A light glaze of Perylene Violet can work wonders.

Best Uses

This is a fantastic paint for:

• Dramatic sunsets
• Evening landscapes
• Mountain shadows
• Storm clouds
• Atmospheric perspective
• Overcast skies
• Deep floral shadows
• Dark tree masses
• Night scenes
• Layering over bright passages to reduce chroma

It’s one of those colors that quietly improves paintings without demanding attention.

Compare To

• Daniel Smith Shadow Violet – Shadow Violet granulates more heavily and blossoms much more dramatically. Perylene Violet produces smoother, cleaner washes with richer wine-colored shadows.
• Daniel Smith Moonglow – Moonglow is cooler and separates beautifully into multiple pigments. Perylene Violet is warmer, simpler, and creates more uniform washes.
• Daniel Smith Rose of Ultramarine – Rose of Ultramarine produces beautiful violet granulation and color separation. Perylene Violet is darker, smoother, and better suited for dramatic shadows.
• Daniel Smith Imperial Purple – Imperial Purple is brighter and more colorful. Perylene Violet is considerably moodier and excels in low-key paintings.
• Daniel Smith Mayan Blue Genuine – Mayan Blue creates cool mineral textures. Mixing it with Perylene Violet produces gorgeous muted violet-grays perfect for mountains and storm clouds.
• Daniel Smith Blue Apatite Genuine – Blue Apatite Genuine provides spectacular granulation. Perylene Violet softens those textures into beautiful atmospheric neutrals.
• Daniel Smith Moonglow – If you want maximum pigment separation, choose Moonglow. If you prefer smooth, rich shadow passages, Perylene Violet is the better option.
• Daniel Smith Lunar Red Rock – Lunar Red Rock provides warm earth tones while Perylene Violet creates cool complementary shadows for architecture and rocky landscapes.

Final Thoughts

Perylene Violet isn’t a color that screams, “Buy me!”

It quietly sits in the paint drawer waiting for you to remember it exists.

Which is exactly what happened to me.

After revisiting it, I’m wondering why I ignored it for so long.

It won’t become the centerpiece of every painting, but when you need believable shadows, dramatic atmosphere, or a rich violet that doesn’t overpower everything else, Perylene Violet is an outstanding choice.

Sometimes the paints you use the least end up surprising you the most.

Rating: 8.8/10

Not flashy.

Just dependable, elegant, and far more useful than I originally gave it credit for

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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA

Ryan Fox Painting

www.ryanfoxpainting.com

(919) 645-8345