Lighter Burnt Umber
#714835
8 parts Yellow Ochre, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How to Mix Burnt Umber in Acrylic
Quick answer
To mix burnt umber (#5A3320) in acrylic, use 97% Burnt Umber and 3% Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 95% 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.
Target
Burnt Umber
#5A3320
Predicted dry result
95% match when dryMix to #5C341E while wet. It dries to about #562F19.
| Paint | Pigment | Share | 100 ml batch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt Umber | PBr7 | 97% | 97 ml |
| Ultramarine Blue | PB29 | 3% | 3 ml |
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: Tinting strength, Dry shift, Kubelka-Munk, Delta E (dE2000), Pigment code, Gamut.
A deep, cool-warm brown. Fast-drying in oil and endlessly mixable. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #5A3320 in acrylic, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.
Pigment recipe
Checked August 2026
Ratios calibrated for acrylic. Start with the dominant pigment, add the modifiers in the order below, and adjust in 5% steps to your target swatch.
1. Burnt Umber
PBr7
97%2. Ultramarine Blue
PB29
3%
What colors make Burnt Umber?
Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue, in roughly a 97:3 ratio.
How to make Burnt Umber in acrylic
Start with Burnt Umber at about 97% as your acrylic base, then work in Ultramarine Blue in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #5A3320.
Why mix Burnt Umber instead of buying it
Mixing Burnt Umber yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Burnt Umber across paint brands whose factory tubes differ, and rebuild the exact color when you run out mid painting. The recipe above is the working starting point.
Common mistakes
Overshooting on Burnt Umber is the usual failure, add it in 5% steps and compare against the target between each pass.
Variations on Burnt Umber
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.
Darker Burnt Umber
#431E0B
4 parts Alizarin Crimson, 4 parts Cadmium Yellow and 1 part Ivory Black. Chromilla's model predicts a 97% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Warmer Burnt Umber
#5B3127
10 parts Burnt Umber, 9 parts Viridian Green and 3 parts Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Cooler Burnt Umber
#5B3127
10 parts Burnt Umber, 9 parts Viridian Green and 3 parts Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Burnt Umber questions
- What two colors make burnt umber?
- In acrylic, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue: 97% Burnt Umber and 3% Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 95% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- How do you make burnt umber paint lighter without losing the hue?
- Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter burnt umber (#714835) in acrylic, Chromilla mixes 8 parts Yellow Ochre, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- Why does burnt umber 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 #5C341E is predicted to dry to about #562F19. Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.
- What is the hex code for burnt umber?
- Chromilla uses #5A3320 as the target for burnt umber. The acrylic recipe is predicted to dry to about #562F19.
- Can I mix burnt umber without black?
- Yes. Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses no black: 97% Burnt Umber and 3% Ultramarine Blue.
Burnt Umber in other mediums
- Burnt Umber in Oil: 97% Burnt Umber and 3% Ultramarine Blue, predicted 97% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
- Burnt Umber in Watercolor: 97% Burnt Umber and 3% Ultramarine Blue, predicted 96% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Get this recipe for your paint brand
Open the live mixer with Burnt Umber + acrylic pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.
New to browns? See what colors make brown, in plain terms.
Technique guides for this color
Related mixing guides
Pigment mixing is subtractive, so small ratio changes matter. The mixer refines this recipe to your brand and updates on the fly.