Burnt Umber

Description

Burnt Umber is a natural, handmade single earth pigment, created through the process of heating raw umber to intensify its warm, deep brown hue. Burnt Umber is known for its rich, warm brown tones, enhanced by its slightly reddish undertone due to the heating process. It has excellent covering power, outstanding lightfastness, and quick drying properties, making it an essential pigment for oil painters, watercolorists, and fresco artists.

Compared to synthetic browns, Burnt Umber offers a more natural and organic color depth, making it ideal for underpainting, glazing, shading, and neutralizing other colors. It has been a staple in artist palettes for centuries, valued for its versatility, historical authenticity, and ability to create rich tonal variations.

History

The use of umber pigments dates back thousands of years, with prehistoric cave paintings showing evidence of earth-based pigments such as siennas and umbers. The term "umber" comes from terra d’ombra (earth of Umbria), referring to the Italian region historically known for its high-quality earth pigments.

During the Renaissance, Burnt Umber became a widely used pigment in painting and drawing. Masters such as Rembrandt, Titian, and Caravaggio used it extensively in their underpainting techniques, taking advantage of its fast drying time and ability to create warm shadows.In the pictured artwork 'The Night Watch' (Dutch: De Nachtwacht) by Rembrandt van Rijn, Burnt Umber is used throughout to create the rich brown tones in both the background and foreground. 

By the 18th and 19th centuries, Burnt Umber became a crucial color in landscape painting, as it provided natural, earthy tones ideal for tree bark, soil, and shadows. Today, Burnt Umber remains an indispensable pigment in both classical and contemporary art, conservation, and natural paint formulations.

Health and Safety

Precautions:
Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Do not consume.
Not for cosmetic or food usage.
Do not spray apply. 
For further health information contact a poison control center.
Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.
Use particular caution with fibrous, fine, or toxic pigments. 
Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments. Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for dry pigment. 
Wash hands immediately after use or handling. 
If dust is likely, always wear protective clothing to keep out of eyes, lungs, off skin, and out of any contact as well as keep area ventilated.
This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.
Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural (Iron and Manganese Oxide) from minerals (Goethite and Manganite, heat-treated)  
Country of Origin: France  
Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic  
Lightfastness: Best  
Opacity: Semi-opaque  
Other Names: Burnt Earth, Terre Brûlée, Umbra Calcinata, Burnt Umber, Brown Ochre 
Color Index Code: PBr7
Image: 'The Night Watch' (Dutch: De Nachtwacht) by Rembrandt van Rijn from the Rijksmuseum