How to Mix Indian Red in Watercolor

A dense, opaque cool earth red. Iron-oxide backbone of muted portraits. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #8C3A34 in watercolor, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.

Target

Indian Red

#8C3A34

Mixed result

100% match

From these pigments

#8C3A34

Pigment recipe

Checked August 2026

Ratios calibrated for watercolor. Start with the dominant pigment, add the modifiers in the order below, and adjust in 5% steps to your target swatch.

1. Alizarin Crimson
PR83
49%
2. Titanium White
PW6
28%
3. Burnt Umber
PBr7
23%

What colors make Indian Red?

Alizarin Crimson, Titanium White, and Burnt Umber, in roughly a 49:28:23 ratio.

How to make Indian Red in watercolor

Start with Alizarin Crimson at about 49% as your watercolor base, then work in Titanium White and Burnt Umber 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

White cools and chalks a mix as you add it, so tint in small steps and stop before it goes pastel.

Get this recipe for your paint brand

Open the live mixer with Indian Red + watercolor pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.

Open in mixer

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.