← Colour Lab
Raw Umber
#826644 · click to copy
Earth
HEX
#826644
RGB
130, 102, 68
CMYK
0%, 22%, 48%, 49%
Pigment
PBr7
Lightfastness
Excellent (I)
Moods & Keywords
brown
earth
dark
warm
ancient
natural
foundation
iron oxide
drying
dark
cool
earth
iron oxide
drying
dark
cool
earth
Pigment & Material
PBr7
Natural
Iron and manganese oxides with clay. Found naturally in earth deposits. Used since prehistoric cave paintings.
Origin & History
Raw umber has been used since prehistoric times — it is one of the ochre family of iron-earth pigments used in the earliest cave paintings. Its specific geographic association is with Cyprus and Umbria, Italy. Rembrandt used raw umber thinned with turpentine as his standard imprimatura (ground layer) — the warm brown ground visible in his unfinished works.
Also Known As
Umber
Terra d'Ombra
Terre d'Ombre
Shadow Earth
Psychology
Warm, shadowy, and grounding. Raw umber is the colour of shadow in natural light — it is what brown looks like when the light retreats. Associated with autumn forests, old wood, and the comfortable darkness of interiors. It is the colour that makes other colours look warmer by contrast — one of the great neutralising pigments.
In Culture
Raw umber is the foundational earth colour of Western painting — more paintings begin with a raw umber wash or ground than any other single colour. Rembrandt's characteristic warm, glowing paintings owe much to his systematic use of umber grounds. In conservation, the presence of raw umber in an underdrawing is often used to date and authenticate Old Master paintings.
Natural Sources
Iron oxide and manganese dioxide-rich earth — found primarily in Cyprus (the word "umber" may derive from "Umbria" in Italy, or from the Latin "umbra" — shadow). The manganese content distinguishes umber from simple ochre, giving it a cooler, greener-brown quality. Raw umber is the unheated mineral; heating produces burnt umber.
Making It Yourself
Collect dark brown earth from iron and manganese-rich soil:
1. Dry thoroughly
2. Grind to fine powder
3. Wash (floating method) to remove grit
4. Mix with linseed oil or gum arabic
Test the colour: raw umber should be a cool, slightly greenish-brown when wet.
For burnt umber: heat the raw umber in a metal pan until it shifts to a warmer, redder brown.
1. Dry thoroughly
2. Grind to fine powder
3. Wash (floating method) to remove grit
4. Mix with linseed oil or gum arabic
Test the colour: raw umber should be a cool, slightly greenish-brown when wet.
For burnt umber: heat the raw umber in a metal pan until it shifts to a warmer, redder brown.
Art Movements
Renaissance
Baroque
Dutch Golden Age
Impressionism
Famous Works
Rembrandt
used raw umber extensively for underpainting (imprimatura)
Caravaggio
shadow passages
Vermeer
background tones
Available As
Winsor & Newton — Raw Umber (PBr7)
Daniel Smith — Raw Umber (PBr7)
Golden — Raw Umber (PBr7)
Natural Earth Pigments — Cyprus Raw Umber (genuine mineral)
✦
Colour data compiled with AI. Spot an error or have more to add? Leave a Note — ekphra reviews and updates.
HEX copied!