How to Make Sepia
Dark, warm brown - the colour of vintage photographs, iron-gall ink, and antique parchment.
Recipe: Burnt Sienna + Black (3:1)
The cleanest sepia recipe uses burnt sienna at 75% plus ivory black at 25%. The black darkens the burnt sienna without destroying its warmth. From primaries, mix red + yellow + blue at 3:2:2 (more blue than chestnut) and add black at 10-15%. For warmer photographic sepia, increase the burnt sienna proportion; for cooler iron-gall-ink sepia, substitute Payne's grey for ivory black and add a touch more blue. The classic Victorian sepia for photo toning is warmer than the iron-gall sepia used for early modern ink writing.
What Is Sepia?
Sepia takes its name from the Latin name for cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), whose ink sac produces a dark brown pigment used historically for ink and watercolour wash. In Victorian and Edwardian photography, sepia toning replaced silver in the print emulsion with silver sulphide, producing the warm-brown image associated with antique photographs and family albums. Today sepia survives as a digital filter and as a paint colour that sits between burnt umber and dark brown - darker than chestnut, warmer than black coffee, with a slight orange undertone that distinguishes it from the cooler raw umber. CSS lists no named sepia; Wikipedia gives #704214 as the canonical web sepia, which is the value the site uses. In ink wash and calligraphy, sepia is one of the three classic dark colours alongside Indian red and bistre. The most authentic single-tube sepia in modern watercolour is Daniel Smith Sepia, a blend of iron-oxide brown (PBr7) and ivory black (PBk9) rather than cuttlefish ink.
Variations of Sepia
Photographic Sepia
#7B5436
Burnt Sienna + Yellow Ochre + Black (3:1:0.5)
Iron-Gall Sepia
#5C3617
Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine + Black (2:1:1)
Light Sepia
#A07050
Burnt Sienna + Yellow Ochre + White (3:1:1)
Making Sepia in Different Media
Acrylic Paint
Full guide →Burnt sienna plus ivory black at 3:1 is the simplest acrylic recipe. For longer-lasting sepia, replace ivory black with Payne's grey or a small amount of burnt umber - both preserve warmth better than pure black. Liquitex Sepia Ink (sold separately) is the cleanest single-jar option for ink-wash effects.
Oil Paint
Full guide →Old Holland Sepia or Michael Harding Vandyke Brown are pre-mixed oil sepias that avoid the dulling effect of black. Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton both offer sepia in oil paint as well as watercolour. Glaze over a yellow ochre underpainting for Victorian-photograph sepia depth.
Watercolour
Full guide →Daniel Smith Sepia (PBr7 iron oxide plus PBk9 ivory black) is the canonical watercolour sepia and the closest match to traditional cuttlefish ink. Winsor & Newton Sepia is a slightly cooler synthetic iron-oxide blend. For ink-wash sepia, dilute heavily on hot-press paper for the smooth Victorian-letter appearance.
Food Colouring
Full guide →Sepia is not a common food-colouring target, but for antique-looking wedding cake fondant: 4 drops red + 2 drops yellow + 2 drops blue + half a teaspoon of Dutch-process cocoa. Sepia frosting reads slightly muddy on a bright cake; better suited to antique-themed sugar work than primary buttercream.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 1Using too much black - sepia is a warm brown, not a brown-black. Black above 25% of the mix kills the warmth.
- 2Substituting raw umber for burnt sienna - raw umber is cool and slightly green; sepia must be warm. Use burnt sienna or burnt umber.
- 3Treating sepia like a single shade - photographic sepia (warm) and iron-gall sepia (cool) are visibly different. Decide which you are targeting before mixing.
- 4Mixing sepia with Payne's grey at full strength - shifts toward blue-grey-brown rather than warm sepia. Limit Payne's grey to 15% of the mix.
Sepia Mixing FAQ
How do you mix sepia color?
Mix burnt sienna and black at 3:1 - burnt sienna at about 75 percent, ivory black at 25 percent. The black darkens the burnt sienna without killing its warmth. From primaries, mix red, yellow and blue at 3:2:2, then add black at 10 to 15 percent of the total. Keep the black under a quarter of the mix or the warm brown turns to brown-black.
What two colors make sepia?
Burnt sienna and black. Burnt sienna supplies the warm iron-oxide brown and a small amount of ivory black deepens it to the dark, warm sepia of vintage photographs. From the three primaries it takes red, yellow and blue at 3:2:2 with a touch of black, but the two-tube burnt sienna and black route is cleaner and easier to control.
What is the hex code for sepia?
#704214, which is red 112, green 66, blue 20. Sepia is not a CSS colour keyword, so there is no single authoritative value; #704214 is the Wikipedia reference and the value this site uses throughout. Reviewed 8 September 2026.
What is the difference between sepia and burnt umber?
Sepia is darker and more neutral; burnt umber (#8A3324) is lighter and redder. Sepia sits between burnt umber and dark brown on the warm-brown axis - deeper than chestnut, warmer than black coffee, with only a slight orange undertone. Sepia is usually a mixed or blended colour (burnt sienna plus black), while burnt umber is a single natural pigment.
What colors make sepia food coloring?
For antique-looking fondant or frosting, use 4 drops red, 2 drops yellow and 2 drops blue plus half a teaspoon of Dutch-process cocoa. Sepia reads slightly muddy against a bright cake, so it suits antique-themed sugar work rather than primary buttercream.
Try It in the Mixer
Tan
RGB(195, 129, 132)
Paint mode uses an approximate RYB subtractive model. Results are a close approximation - actual pigment mixing varies by brand and opacity.
Pre-loaded with the Sepia recipe. Adjust the sliders to fine-tune.
Related Shades
Colour recipes are approximations. Real pigment mixing varies by brand, opacity, and surface. Always test on a sample first.