How to mix

How to mix Crimson paint

Real pigment ratios for crimson (#DC143C) in acrylic, oil and watercolour. The recipes below come straight from Chromilla’s mixer, calibrated to real manufacturer paint data.

Target colour

Crimson

#DC143C

Live mixer

Open this colour in the mixer

The Chromilla mixer is pre-loaded with #DC143C. Change your brand, medium or palette and the recipe updates instantly.

Open in mixer

Recipes by medium

Checked August 2026

Generic pigment ratios, the same ones the Chromilla mixer solves for. Open the mixer to swap in your own brand and tubes.

acrylic

Pigment recipe

90% match

Mixed result

#C83A42

ΔE 3.9

1. Alizarin Crimson (PR83)59%
2. Titanium White (PW6)35%
3. Cadmium Red (PR108)6%

Dry-down

Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.

oil

Pigment recipe

90% match

Mixed result

#C83A42

ΔE 3.9

1. Alizarin Crimson (PR83)59%
2. Titanium White (PW6)35%
3. Cadmium Red (PR108)6%

Dry-down

Dries true to colour.

watercolour

Pigment recipe

90% match

Mixed result

#C83A42

ΔE 3.9

1. Alizarin Crimson (PR83)59%
2. Titanium White (PW6)35%
3. Cadmium Red (PR108)6%

Dry-down

Dries slightly darker and a touch cooler.

Common mistakes when mixing crimson

Crimson is a cool, slightly blue-leaning red, and the mistake is starting from a warm red (a cadmium, say) and trying to cool it down, which usually just dulls it. Starting from a naturally cool red pigment (an alizarin or quinacridone crimson) gets there directly, since you're not fighting the pigment's own undertone. Warm reds and cool reds behave differently enough in a mix that swapping the base pigment solves more problems than adjusting ratios does.

Related colours

More colours to try once you have crimson sorted.