Ochre Red

A mineral earth color, reddish-brown, simple and warm

HEX#A0522D

RGBrgb(160, 82, 45)

HSLhsl(19, 56%, 40%)

HSVhsv(19, 72%, 63%)

CMYKcmyk(0%, 49%, 72%, 37%)

HEXA#A0522DFF

RGBArgba(160, 82, 45, 1)

HSLAhsla(19, 56%, 40%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(72.8%, 0.082, 56)

LCHlch(67.7%, 25.7, 69)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFFFFFRatio 5.6:1AA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#EEE6C3Ratio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#A2CB48Ratio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#31AF59Ratio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

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Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, stepwise lightness adjustment ±30%

#28140B

#502916

#773D22

#9F512D

#C76538

#D28460

#DDA388

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, stepwise saturation adjustment ±30%

#815C4B

#8B5941

#955537

#9F512D

#A94D23

#B44A18

#BE460E

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#342118

#533222

#754129

#99502E

#C05D30

#D87041

#E5885D

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#9F342D

#9F3E2D

#9F482D

#9F512D

#9F5B2D

#9F642D

#9F6E2D

💡 Use Cases

🏺

Pottery Artifacts

The ochre-red fire marks on wood-fired pottery are unique to every piece. Holding a rough clay cup for tea, one feels the breath of the earth.

🏠

Pastoral Architecture

The ochre-red walls of Provence in southern France and Tuscany in Italy are classics of pastoral architecture, warm and picturesque under sunlight.

🎨

Watercolor Pigment

Ochre red is a foundational color in watercolor painting, essential for warming up palettes or lowering saturation—a must-have for plein air landscape sketching.

🧶

Bohemian Weaving

Ochre-red tapestries and wool weaves, paired with tassels and geometric patterns, create the free-spirited soul of Bohemian style.

📜 Origin & History

Ochre is one of the earliest pigments used by prehistoric humans. Upper Cave Man at Zhoukoudian scattered red ochre powder around the dead, believing the red ochre possessed a mysterious power of resurrection. In primitive cave paintings worldwide, ochre red is the oldest color.

In ancient China, ochre was called 'Dai Zhe', produced in Dai County, Shanxi. During the Han Dynasty, ochre was the color of prisoners' clothes; 'ochre clothes' symbolized criminals, as reflected in Sima Qian's 'Letter to Ren An' expressing his indignity.

But ochre was not solely associated with low status. Tang Dynasty landscape painting used ochre as a base color; the 'hemp-fiber texture stroke' paired with ochre for light coloring, initiating the 'shallow ochre' tradition of Chinese landscape painting. Ochre found new life in literati painting.

In the Japanese tea ceremony, ochre is called 'Taisha' or 'Tobi-iro', a representative color of wabi-sabi aesthetics. Sen no Rikyu's tea room extensively used ochre earthen walls, creating a realm of simple, natural beauty.

Modern ochre red is revived in Bohemian style and earthy color aesthetics, serving as a chromatic banner for returning to nature and the spirit of craftsmanship.

🧠 Color Psychology

Earthy SimplicityOchre red is the color of soil and rock, carrying the temperature and thickness of Mother Earth, providing a dependable sense of belonging.

Primitive WildnessThe ochre red of ancient cave paintings evokes humanity's earliest creativity, an innate gene for wild aesthetic appreciation.

Wabi-Sabi BeautyThe simplicity and imperfection of ochre red align with the philosophy of wabi-sabi, seeing Zen in roughness and richness in plainness.

Nostalgic WarmthLike the red clay walls of one's hometown, ochre red carries warm memories of childhood and an indelible nostalgia for native soil.

Quiet MaturityStripped of all flashiness, ochre red is a color understood only after middle age, calmly facing the essence of life.

Artisan's DevotionFrom pottery to textile dyeing, ochre red is the most common color in handcrafts, carrying the warmth of the artisan and the accumulation of time.

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