Lighter Raw Umber
#73603F
11 parts Yellow Ochre, 8 parts Viridian Green and 1 part Alizarin Crimson. 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 Raw Umber in Watercolor
Quick answer
To mix raw umber (#5C4A29) in watercolor, use 5 parts Viridian Green, 1 part Cadmium Red and 1 part Raw Umber. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% 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
Raw Umber
#5C4A29
Predicted dry result
92% match when dryMix to #594827 while wet. It dries to about #514226.
| Paint | Pigment | Parts | Share | 100 ml batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viridian Green | PG18 | 5 | 70% | 70 ml |
| Cadmium Red | PR108 | 1 | 15% | 15 ml |
| Raw Umber | PBr7 | 1 | 15% | 15 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 greenish earth brown. The best neutralizer for over-bright mixes. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #5C4A29 in watercolor, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.
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. Viridian Green
PG18
70%2. Cadmium Red
PR108
15%3. Raw Umber
PBr7
15%
What colors make Raw Umber?
Viridian Green, Cadmium Red, and Raw Umber, in roughly a 70:15:15 ratio.
How to make Raw Umber in watercolor
Start with Viridian Green at about 70% as your watercolor base, then work in Cadmium Red and Raw Umber in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #5C4A29.
Why mix Raw Umber instead of buying it
Mixing Raw Umber yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Raw 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 Viridian Green is the usual failure, add it in 5% steps and compare against the target between each pass.
Variations on Raw 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 Raw Umber
#463513
76% Burnt Sienna, 15% Cadmium Yellow and 9% Ivory Black. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Warmer Raw Umber
#60482B
5 parts Yellow Ochre, 4 parts Burnt Umber and 1 part Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Cooler Raw Umber
#60482B
5 parts Yellow Ochre, 4 parts Burnt Umber and 1 part Ultramarine Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Raw Umber questions
- What two colors make raw umber?
- Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 5 parts Viridian Green, 1 part Cadmium Red and 1 part Raw Umber. Viridian Green leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- How do you make raw umber paint lighter without losing the hue?
- Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter raw umber (#73603F) in watercolor, Chromilla mixes 11 parts Yellow Ochre, 8 parts Viridian Green and 1 part Alizarin Crimson. Chromilla's model predicts a 90% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- What is the hex code for raw umber?
- Chromilla uses #5C4A29 as the target for raw umber. The watercolor recipe is predicted to dry to about #514226.
- Can I mix raw umber without black?
- Yes. Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses no black: 5 parts Viridian Green, 1 part Cadmium Red and 1 part Raw Umber.
Raw Umber in other mediums
- Raw Umber in Acrylic: 5 parts Viridian Green, 1 part Cadmium Red and 1 part Raw Umber, predicted 92% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
- Raw Umber in Oil: 5 parts Viridian Green, 1 part Cadmium Red and 1 part Raw Umber, predicted 98% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Get this recipe for your paint brand
Open the live mixer with Raw Umber + watercolor 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.