Lighter Payne's Gray
#556272
6 parts Ultramarine Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 1 part Ivory Black. Chromilla's model predicts a 90% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How to Mix Payne's Gray in Acrylic
Quick answer
To mix payne's gray (#3F4C5B) in acrylic, use 5 parts Ultramarine Blue, 1 part Titanium White and 1 part Burnt Umber. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% 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
Payne's Grey
#3F4C5B
Predicted dry result
93% match when dryMix to #404D5C while wet. It dries to about #3D4551.
| Paint | Pigment | Parts | Share | 100 ml batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultramarine Blue | PB29 | 5 | 72% | 72 ml |
| Titanium White | PW6 | 1 | 14% | 14 ml |
| Burnt Umber | PBr7 | 1 | 14% | 14 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, atmospheric blue-gray. The go-to non-black shadow. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #3F4C5B 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. Ultramarine Blue
PB29
72%2. Titanium White
PW6
14%3. Burnt Umber
PBr7
14%
What colors make Payne's Gray?
Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and Burnt Umber, in roughly a 72:14:14 ratio.
How to make Payne's Gray in acrylic
Start with Ultramarine Blue at about 72% as your acrylic base, then work in Titanium White and Burnt Umber in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #3F4C5B.
Why mix Payne's Gray instead of buying it
Mixing Payne's Grey yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Payne's Grey 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
White cools and chalks a mix as you add it, so tint in small steps and stop before it goes pastel.
Variations on Payne's Gray
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 Payne's Gray
#2A3745
6 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Viridian Green and 1 part Burnt Umber. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Warmer Payne's Gray
#424B5C
94% Viridian Green and 6% Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Cooler Payne's Gray
#424B5C
94% Viridian Green and 6% Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Payne's Gray questions
- What two colors make payne's gray?
- Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 5 parts Ultramarine Blue, 1 part Titanium White and 1 part Burnt Umber. Ultramarine Blue leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- How do you make payne's gray paint lighter without losing the hue?
- Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter payne's gray (#556272) in acrylic, Chromilla mixes 6 parts Ultramarine Blue, 5 parts Titanium White and 1 part Ivory Black. Chromilla's model predicts a 90% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- Why does payne's gray 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 #404D5C is predicted to dry to about #3D4551. Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.
- What is the hex code for payne's gray?
- Chromilla uses #3F4C5B as the target for payne's gray. The acrylic recipe is predicted to dry to about #3D4551.
- Can I mix payne's gray without black?
- Yes. Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses no black: 5 parts Ultramarine Blue, 1 part Titanium White and 1 part Burnt Umber.
Payne's Gray in other mediums
- Payne's Gray in Oil: 5 parts Ultramarine Blue, 1 part Titanium White and 1 part Burnt Umber, predicted 99% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
- Payne's Gray in Watercolor: 5 parts Ultramarine Blue, 1 part Titanium White and 1 part Burnt Umber, predicted 96% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Get this recipe for your paint brand
Open the live mixer with Payne's Grey + 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.