Lighter Indian Red
#A6514A
7 parts Burnt Umber, 6 parts Titanium White and 4 parts Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts a 91% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How to Mix Indian Red in Acrylic
Quick answer
To mix indian red (#8C3A34) in acrylic, use 65% Yellow Ochre, 19% Alizarin Crimson and 16% Viridian Green. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% 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
Indian Red
#8C3A34
Predicted dry result
94% match when dryMix to #8D3A35 while wet. It dries to about #82342E.
| Paint | Pigment | Share | 100 ml batch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Ochre | PY43 | 65% | 65 ml |
| Alizarin Crimson | PR83 | 19% | 19 ml |
| Viridian Green | PG18 | 16% | 16 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 dense, opaque cool earth red. Iron-oxide backbone of muted portraits. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #8C3A34 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. Yellow Ochre
PY43
65%2. Alizarin Crimson
PR83
19%3. Viridian Green
PG18
16%
What colors make Indian Red?
Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, and Viridian Green, in roughly a 65:19:16 ratio.
How to make Indian Red in acrylic
Start with Yellow Ochre at about 65% as your acrylic base, then work in Alizarin Crimson and Viridian Green in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #8C3A34.
Why mix Indian Red instead of buying it
Mixing Indian Red yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Indian Red 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 Yellow Ochre is the usual failure, add it in 5% steps and compare against the target between each pass.
Variations on Indian Red
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 Indian Red
#72231F
6 parts Cadmium Red, 3 parts Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 95% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Warmer Indian Red
#8C3A31
7 parts Burnt Umber, 3 parts Alizarin Crimson and 2 parts Titanium White. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Cooler Indian Red
#8B3843
6 parts Viridian Green, 5 parts Alizarin Crimson, 2 parts Titanium White and 2 parts Cadmium Red. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Indian Red questions
- What two colors make indian red?
- Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 65% Yellow Ochre, 19% Alizarin Crimson and 16% Viridian Green. Yellow Ochre leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- How do you make indian red paint lighter without losing the hue?
- Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter indian red (#A6514A) in acrylic, Chromilla mixes 7 parts Burnt Umber, 6 parts Titanium White and 4 parts Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts a 91% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- Why does indian red 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 #8D3A35 is predicted to dry to about #82342E. Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.
- What is the hex code for indian red?
- Chromilla uses #8C3A34 as the target for indian red. The acrylic recipe is predicted to dry to about #82342E.
- Can I mix indian red without black?
- Yes. Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses no black: 65% Yellow Ochre, 19% Alizarin Crimson and 16% Viridian Green.
Indian Red in other mediums
- Indian Red in Oil: 65% Yellow Ochre, 19% Alizarin Crimson and 16% Viridian Green, predicted 99% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
- Indian Red in Watercolor: 65% Yellow Ochre, 19% Alizarin Crimson and 16% Viridian Green, predicted 93% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Get this recipe for your paint brand
Open the live mixer with Indian Red + acrylic pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.
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.