• Burnt Umber pigment, a rich, warm brown with excellent opacity and lightfastness. Produced by heating raw umber, it deepens in color while maintaining smooth blending and fast drying properties. Ideal for oil, watercolor, and acrylic painting, it is perfect for underpainting, shadows, and natural earth tones. Historically favored by artists for its versatility and depth. Available in various sizes.
  • a 1642 painting by Rembrandt van Rijn. It is in the collection of the Amsterdam Museum but is prominently displayed in the Rijksmuseum as the best-known painting in its collection. The Night Watch is one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings. Rembrandt's large painting (363 by 437 centimetres (12 by 14+1‚ÅÑ2 feet)) is famed for transforming a group portrait of a civic guard company into a compelling drama energized by light and shadow (tenebrism).
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Burnt Umber Pigment

Burnt Umber Pigment

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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.


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, Encaustic, Cold Wax, Casein, Milk, Swedish Flour, Lime / Fresco

Lightfastness: Best

Opacity: Semi-opaque

Other Names: Burnt Earth, Umbra Calcinata, Burnt Umber, Brown Ochre

Color Index Code: PBr7

Image: 'The Night Watch' (Dutch: De Nachtwacht) by Rembrandt van Rijn from the Rijksmuseum