Raw Umber Paint Colour - 67 Paints, 21 Brands

Why Raw Umber isn't one colour

Every brand makes its own Raw Umber, and no two are quite the same. They pick different pigments, grind them differently and mix them to their own recipe — so two tubes with the same word on the label can look noticeably different once they are on the paper.

We measured all 67 of them from 21 brands and compared them the way a lab would, using a number called Delta E. It is just a measure of how far apart two colours look to the human eye. Under 2 and almost nobody can tell them apart; over 10 and most people would call them different colours.

Useful when your usual Raw Umber is out of stock and you need the closest substitute, when you are deciding which brand to buy, or when a mix you got right last time will not come out the same again.

How far is each brand from the average?

Every brand's version measured against the average of all 67 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.

Brand	Distance from the average	In practice
Royal Talens	Delta E 1.26	Near-identical
Daler-Rowney	Delta E 1.39	Near-identical
Holbein	Delta E 2.00	Very close
Lukas	Delta E 2.22	Very close
Matisse	Delta E 2.25	Very close
Michael Harding	Delta E 2.25	Very close
Gamblin	Delta E 2.26	Very close
M. Graham	Delta E 2.32	Very close
Old Holland	Delta E 2.39	Very close
Williamsburg	Delta E 2.39	Very close
Sennelier	Delta E 2.73	Very close
Liquitex	Delta E 2.89	Very close
Daniel Smith	Delta E 2.99	Very close
Schmincke	Delta E 3.08	Very close
Maimeri	Delta E 3.36	Very close
Nevskaya Palitra	Delta E 3.36	Very close
Vallejo	Delta E 4.28	Very close
Winsor & Newton	Delta E 4.97	Very close
Amsterdam	Delta E 5.45	Noticeably different
Atelier	Delta E 8.30	Noticeably different
Golden	Delta E 9.12	Noticeably different

Which brands are interchangeable?

The closest pairs among 210 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.

MaimerivsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 0.00Near-identical
MatissevsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
Old HollandvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
SchminckevsSennelierDelta E 0.45Near-identical
GamblinvsLukasDelta E 0.62Near-identical
HolbeinvsM. GrahamDelta E 0.84Near-identical

Which brands are clearly different?

The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.

AteliervsGoldenDelta E 17.03Clearly different
AmsterdamvsGoldenDelta E 14.33Clearly different
GoldenvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 13.36Clearly different
GoldenvsSchminckeDelta E 12.06Clearly different
GoldenvsSennelierDelta E 11.69Clearly different
AteliervsVallejoDelta E 11.59Clearly different

Pigments used

Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.

PBk11, PR101, PY42

Sennelier

PBk11, PY42, PR101, PY74

Sennelier

PBr7

Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton

PBr7,PW6

Daler-Rowney

PG17, PBr7

Maimeri

PR101

Lukas

PY42,PBk11

Amsterdam

Lightfastness

How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.

I

Amsterdam, Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton

Opacity

How much the paint covers what is underneath.

Opaque

Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Golden, Holbein, Sennelier, Vallejo, Winsor & Newton

Semi-Opaque

Golden, Maimeri, Schmincke, Williamsburg

Semi-Transparent

Amsterdam, Atelier, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Nevskaya Palitra, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton

Transparent

Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Matisse, Michael Harding, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton

Brands that make it

Every brand in the database with a Raw Umber. Each links to that brand's full range.

Available in

The kinds of paint this colour is made as.

Closest other colours

If you cannot get this one, these sit nearest to it across the same brands.

Every Raw Umber we have measured

All 67 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.

Brand	Line	Medium	Hex	Lab*	Pigment	Opacity	Lightfastness
Amsterdam	Expert Series	acrylic	`#6e5a37`	39.4, 3.1, 23.2	PY42,PBk11	Semi-Transparent	I
Amsterdam	Standard Series	acrylic	`#7d6437`	43.9, 4.1, 29.1	PY42,PBk11	Semi-Transparent	I
Atelier	A2 Lightfast	acrylic	`#77613d`	42.5, 3.7, 23.8	PBr7	Opaque	I
Atelier	Free Flow	acrylic	`#8a6843`	46.6, 8.8, 26.0	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Atelier	Interactive	acrylic	`#8e6d46`	48.4, 8.0, 26.7	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Daler-Rowney	Aquafine	watercolor	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Daler-Rowney	Aquafine Gouache	gouache	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7,PW6	Opaque	I
Daler-Rowney	Artists' Watercolour	watercolor	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Daler-Rowney	Cryla Artists' Acrylic	acrylic	`#54402a`	28.7, 5.4, 16.8	PBr7	Transparent	I
Daler-Rowney	Georgian Oil Colors	oil	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7	Opaque	I
Daler-Rowney	Georgian Water Mixable Oil	oil	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7	Opaque	I
Daler-Rowney	Graduate	acrylic	`#735a37`	40.0, 5.4, 24.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Daler-Rowney	System3	acrylic	`#785f37`	41.9, 4.8, 26.6	PBr7	Opaque	I
Daniel Smith	Extra Fine Watercolors	watercolor	`#695c44`	39.7, 1.3, 15.8	PBr7	Transparent	I
Gamblin	Artist's Oil Colors	oil	`#62533c`	36.2, 2.5, 15.8	PBr7	Transparent	I
Golden	Fluid	acrylic	`#47423d`	28.2, 1.4, 3.3	PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Golden	Heavy Body	acrylic	`#62533c`	36.2, 2.5, 15.8	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Golden	Heavy Body	acrylic	`#46403c`	27.6, 1.8, 3.4	PBr7	Opaque	I
Golden	Heavy Body	acrylic	`#46413d`	27.9, 1.3, 3.2	PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Golden	Heavy Body	acrylic	`#4a433e`	28.9, 1.9, 3.8	PBr7	Opaque	I
Golden	OPEN	acrylic	`#46413d`	28.1, 1.3, 3.2	PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Golden	QoR Modern Watercolors	watercolor	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Golden	SoFlat	acrylic	`#46403c`	27.6, 1.6, 3.5	PBr7	Opaque	I
Holbein	Acryla Gouache	gouache	`#7d705c`	47.9, 1.7, 13.0	PBr7	Opaque	I
Holbein	Artists' Oil Color	oil	`#665841`	38.2, 1.9, 15.5	PBr7	Transparent	I
Holbein	Artists' Watercolor	watercolor	`#6c5f48`	41.0, 1.4, 15.1	PBr7	Transparent	I
Holbein	Heavy Body Acrylic	acrylic	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Holbein	Mat Acrylic	acrylic	`#695037`	36.0, 6.9, 18.7	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Liquitex	Basics	acrylic	`#5f4b37`	33.4, 5.3, 15.1	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Liquitex	Professional Heavy Body	acrylic	`#5f523c`	35.6, 1.7, 14.9	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Liquitex	Soft Body	acrylic	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Lukas	1862 Artists' Oil	oil	`#62523a`	35.9, 2.8, 16.6	PR101	Transparent	I
Lukas	Berlin Water-Mixable Oil	oil	`#62523a`	35.9, 2.8, 16.6	PBr7	Transparent	I
M. Graham	Artists' Oil Colors	oil	`#64553e`	37.0, 2.4, 15.7	PBr7	Transparent	I
M. Graham	Artists' Watercolor	watercolor	`#70624e`	42.4, 2.2, 13.5	PBr7	Transparent	I
Maimeri	Classico	oil	`#5f4e37`	34.3, 3.5, 16.3	PG17, PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Maimeri	Puro	oil	`#5f4e37`	34.3, 3.5, 16.3	PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Matisse	Flow Formula	acrylic	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Matisse	Fluid	acrylic	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Matisse	Structure Formula	acrylic	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Michael Harding	Artists Oil Colours	oil	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Nevskaya Palitra	Sonnet	oil	`#5f4e37`	34.3, 3.5, 16.3	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Old Holland	Classic Oil Colors	oil	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Royal Talens	Rembrandt Oil Colors	oil	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Royal Talens	Van Gogh	watercolor	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Schmincke	AKADEMIE Acrylic	acrylic	`#785f37`	41.9, 4.8, 26.6	PBr7	Transparent	I
Schmincke	Designers' Gouache	gouache	`#735f41`	41.5, 3.6, 20.2	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Schmincke	Horadam Aquarell	watercolor	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Schmincke	Norma Professional	oil	`#695537`	37.4, 3.8, 20.6	PBr7	Transparent	I
Schmincke	PRIMAcryl	acrylic	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Sennelier	Abstract Acrylic	acrylic	`#785f37`	41.9, 4.8, 26.6	PBr7	Transparent	I
Sennelier	Artists' Oil Colors	oil	`#64553c`	37.0, 2.2, 16.9	PBr7	Transparent	I
Sennelier	Extra-Fine Acrylique	acrylic	`#7d643c`	44.0, 4.6, 26.4	PBr7	Transparent	I
Sennelier	Gouache	gouache	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBk11, PR101, PY42	Opaque	I
Sennelier	Rive Gauche	oil	`#645037`	35.5, 4.6, 17.9	PBk11, PY42, PR101, PY74	Opaque	I
Sennelier	l'Aquarelle	watercolor	`#735a3c`	40.0, 6.0, 21.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Vallejo	Acrylic Artist Color	acrylic	`#5f4b32`	33.3, 4.7, 18.1	PBr7	Opaque	I
Vallejo	Fluid Acrylic	acrylic	`#5f4b32`	33.3, 4.7, 18.1	PBr7	Opaque	I
Williamsburg	Handmade Oil Colors	oil	`#66583e`	38.1, 1.5, 17.2	PBr7	Semi-Opaque	I
Winsor & Newton	Artisan Water Mixable Oil	oil	`#82643c`	44.5, 6.9, 27.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Winsor & Newton	Artists' Oil Colour	oil	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Transparent	I
Winsor & Newton	Cotman Watercolour	watercolor	`#766955`	45.1, 1.7, 13.1	PBr7	Transparent	I
Winsor & Newton	Designers Gouache	gouache	`#8a7a66`	52.1, 2.8, 13.2	PBr7	Opaque	I
Winsor & Newton	Galeria	acrylic	`#645541`	37.1, 2.9, 14.0	PBr7	Semi-Transparent	I
Winsor & Newton	Professional Acrylic	acrylic	`#82643c`	44.5, 6.9, 27.2	PBr7	Transparent	I
Winsor & Newton	Professional Watercolour	watercolor	`#766955`	45.1, 1.7, 13.1	PBr7	Transparent	I
Winsor & Newton	Winton Oil Colour	oil	`#82643c`	44.5, 6.9, 27.2	PBr7	Transparent	I

Raw Umber