Chromilla paint mixing tool

How to mix

Ivory paint in acrylic, oil and watercolor, compared

Real pigment ratios for ivory (#F5F0E1) in acrylic, oil and watercolor. The recipes below come straight from Chromilla’s mixer, calibrated to real manufacturer paint data.

Quick answer

To mix ivory (#F5F0E1) in acrylic (oil and watercolor are compared below), use 97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre. Chromilla's model predicts an 86% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out. Chromilla is a web-based paint color mixer that turns any color, from a photo, the camera or a hex code, into exact paint-tube ratios for acrylic, oil and watercolor, using Kubelka-Munk pigment mixing and aiming at the color after it dries.

Ivory in acrylic, oil and watercolor, side by side (dry match by Chromilla's color model, not a measured paint-out)
MediumTubes and partsPredicted dry matchDrying
Acrylic97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre86%Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.
Oil97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre91%Dries true to color.
Watercolor97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre89%Dries slightly darker and a touch cooler.

How we calculated this: Kubelka-Munk pigment mixing, then a per-medium dry shift, scored with CIEDE2000. Method and accuracy benchmark. Last checked August 2026.

Terms used here: Dry shift, Value, Kubelka-Munk, Delta E (dE2000), Transparency, Pigment code, Tint.

Target color

Ivory

#F5F0E1

Live mixer

Open this color in the mixer

The Chromilla mixer is pre-loaded with #F5F0E1. 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

86% when dry

Wet mix

#F8F5DD

  1. 1. Titanium White (PW6)97%
  2. 2. Yellow Ochre (PY43)3%

Dry-down

Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.

oil

Pigment recipe

91% when dry

Wet mix

#F8F5DD

  1. 1. Titanium White (PW6)97%
  2. 2. Yellow Ochre (PY43)3%

Dry-down

Dries true to color.

watercolour

Pigment recipe

89% when dry

Wet mix

#F8F5DD

  1. 1. Titanium White (PW6)97%
  2. 2. Yellow Ochre (PY43)3%

Dry-down

Dries slightly darker and a touch cooler.

Common mistakes when mixing ivory

Ivory is white with the barest hint of warm yellow, cooler and paler than cream, and the two get mixed up constantly. The difference is proportion: ivory wants less yellow than cream, and a titanium white base rather than a zinc white keeps it from turning translucent. If your ivory looks more like cream, you've likely added more yellow than the name calls for.

Exact single-medium recipes

Straight-to-the-ratio versions of ivory in each medium, from the Chromilla mix library.

Why the three mediums differ for ivory

  • acrylic carries a 10% value shift on drying in Chromilla's model (dries slightly darker and a touch warmer), so the acrylic mix is predicted to dry to #E2DDC5.
  • oil dries true to color in Chromilla's model, so the oil mix is predicted to dry to #F8F5DD.
  • watercolor carries a 8% value shift on drying in Chromilla's model (dries slightly darker and a touch cooler), so the watercolor mix is predicted to dry to #E3E1CD.
  • In watercolor the paper is the white, so lighter versions come from adding water rather than white paint.

Acrylic recipe in detail

Ivory in acrylic: tube ratios, and ml for a 100 ml batch
PaintPigmentShare100 ml batch
Titanium WhitePW697%97 ml
Yellow OchrePY433%3 ml

Variations on Ivory (acrylic)

Each variation is its own target (lighter and darker move OKLCH lightness by 0.08; warmer and cooler turn the hue 12 degrees toward red or blue), solved fresh.

Lighter Ivory

#FDF8E9

Not a confident recipe: the closest mix is 97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre, and chromilla's model predicts an 83% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Darker Ivory

#DBD6C7

92% Titanium White, 5% Viridian Green and 3% Burnt Umber. Chromilla's model predicts an 87% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Warmer Ivory

#F8EFE1

Not a confident recipe: the closest mix is 97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre, and chromilla's model predicts an 84% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Cooler Ivory

#F2F1E2

97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre. Chromilla's model predicts an 86% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Ivory questions

What two colors make ivory?
In acrylic, Titanium White and Yellow Ochre: 97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre. Chromilla's model predicts an 86% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How do you make ivory paint lighter without losing the hue?
Lighten in small steps and compare against the target each time. Chromilla's palette struggles with a lighter ivory (#FDF8E9) in acrylic: Chromilla's model predicts an 83% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Why does ivory look different when acrylic dries?
Acrylic binder looks milky while wet and clears as it dries, so the dried film reads darker. Chromilla's model applies a 10% value shift for acrylic, so the wet mix #F8F5DD is predicted to dry to about #E2DDC5. Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.
What is the hex code for ivory?
Chromilla uses #F5F0E1 as the target for ivory. The acrylic recipe is predicted to dry to about #E2DDC5.
Can I mix ivory without black?
Yes. Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses no black: 97% Titanium White and 3% Yellow Ochre.

Related colors

More colours to try once you have ivory sorted.