Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet Review: Is It Worth Buying?
Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet is a beautiful semi-transparent granulating purple that excels in mountain shadows, flowers, atmospheric landscapes, and subtle color mixtures. This review includes swatches, granulation, staining, lifting, blossom tests, mixing demonstrations, and real watercolor paintings..
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Is Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet worth buying? I tested this heavily granulating PV14 watercolor pigment to see how it handles granulation, blossoms, staining, texture, and watercolor skies.
Who Should Buy Cobalt Violet?
Good for:
- atmospheric skies
- granulating textures
- moody landscapes
- mineral-looking color passages
- artists who enjoy subtle violets
Not ideal for:
- strong mixes
- high tinting strength
- dramatic blossoms
Winsor & Newton’s Cobalt Violet is one of those colors I bought when I first started painting.
And then proceeded to almost never use.
I have a mild aversion to pinks. Technically, this is a violet, but let’s be honest here — it leans pretty hard toward the pink side of the family. If your dream palette includes delicate floral washes and romantic sunsets, this may already be speaking to you. Me? I tend to gravitate toward moody storm clouds, dramatic skies, and colors that look vaguely concerned about humanity.
Still, I have developed a habit in the studio over the years. Whenever I start getting bored — or feel trapped by my usual teaching palette of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna — I pull out a paint I rarely use and force myself to experiment.
Sometimes I rediscover a hidden gem.
Sometimes I remember exactly why the paint sat untouched for three years.
That brings us to Cobalt Violet.
First impressions?
Granulation. Lots of it.
This color granulates like crazy. Not just a little texture. I am talking serious reticulated patterns and beautiful mineral-looking separation on paper. If you enjoy textured skies, atmospheric passages, stone surfaces, or watercolor effects that feel slightly unpredictable (in a good way), this color becomes far more interesting.
Historically, cobalt violets have been prized by artists for their permanence and unusual color. Genuine Cobalt Violet (PV14) is made from cobalt phosphate and was introduced during the late 19th century when artists were searching for more stable and lightfast violet pigments. Unlike many historical violets and fugitive reds that faded into sadness over time, Cobalt Violet has excellent permanence and durability. Translation: your weird artistic choices should still look weird decades from now.
Blossoming abilities?
Not so much.
I tried. Repeatedly.
This paint seems to soak into paper fairly quickly, which makes it harder to encourage dramatic blooms or backruns compared to some of my favorite troublemaking pigments. If you are hoping for explosive cauliflower textures, you may be disappointed. According to Blick, the paint has excellent lightfastness and is considered semi-opaque, which also explains some of its softer, chalkier handling characteristics.
One thing I appreciate: this is a true single-pigment color.
Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet uses PV14 — not PV17 as I accidentally wrote on my test sheet. Apparently coffee levels in the studio were either critically low or catastrophically high that morning.
And unlike many colors that can be reasonably mixed from paints already sitting on your palette, Cobalt Violet is one of those pigments that is difficult to convincingly fake. You can mix purples. You can mix pink-violets. But this specific soft, dusty, granulating mineral quality? Not really. If you want this exact look, you pretty much have to buy the tube.
How does Cobalt Violet compare to:
Good for:
- granulation lovers
- textured skies
- mineral effects
- atmospheric landscapes
Not ideal for:
- explosive blossoms
- bold saturation
- high tinting strength
So, will this become one of my everyday colors?
Probably not.
Will I absolutely use it to paint strange Venusian sunset skies, surreal cloud formations, or some oddly dramatic experimental landscape?
Absolutely.
Stay tuned.
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How Does Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet Compare?
How Does Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet Compare?
- Best for Granulation: Holbein Mineral Violet – Stronger granulation and beautiful color separation thanks to its blend of Ultramarine Blue, Quinacridone Magenta, and Benzimidazolone Brown. If you enjoy dramatic textures, this is the better choice.
- Best for Atmospheric Skies: Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue – While Manganese Blue Hue excels at painting skies, clouds, and water, Cobalt Violet produces soft, colorful shadows and distant mountains. Together they make an excellent landscape pairing.
- Best for Dramatic Texture: Daniel Smith Imperial Purple – A darker, heavily granulating purple that creates bold blossoms and expressive textures. Cobalt Violet is softer, lighter, and easier to control.
- Best Complementary Color: Winsor & Newton Transparent Orange – These complementary colors mix into beautiful neutral grays and colorful shadows without becoming muddy. One of my favorite combinations for landscapes and sunsets.
- Best Earth-Tone Companion: Quinacridone Burnt Orange – This pairing creates rich neutral browns and atmospheric shadows while maintaining watercolor transparency. Perfect for cityscapes, architecture, and colorful landscapes.
My Recommendation
If you’re looking for a soft, semi-opaque violet that creates beautiful atmospheric washes, distant mountains, and colorful shadows, Winsor & Newton Cobalt Violet is an excellent choice. If your goal is color separation, consider Holbein Mineral Violet or Daniel Smith Imperial Purple instead.
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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
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