Get inspired with ochre design templates.
The color ochre is vital and warm, providing a touch of natural brown with the energy of yellow and red.
Inspiration in the color ochre.
Learn the history and meaning of the color ochre, a dark brown-red with ancient ties to life and eternity.
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How to use the color ochre.
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Natural ochre versus burnt ochre color.
Ochre color takes its yellow-red from the hydrated iron oxide naturally in the clay-sand mix. The hydrated iron oxide dissolves during processing and the color of the pigment changes. Ochre turns redder and redder. A deeper red-brown version of ochre naturally occurs in volcanic areas for this reason.
Inspiration in ochre color interiors.
The color ochre has enjoyed a boost in popularity in interior design due to the biophilic movement and “bringing the outdoors in.” Ochre color is a subdued earth tone, making it appealing for environments in both offices and homes. Painting the kitchen walls ochre color can usher in a Tuscan look. Throwing ochre color sheets over the bed can send an au naturel vibe. Or, the feel of a velvety ochre color seat in an office reception area can evoke a sense of ease.
Tap into the psychology of the color ochre.
The color ochre inspires a feeling of connection to the earth. Ochre color is grounded and provides a sense of peace. The color ochre is dependable, yet ochre’s light heat and ruddy tone evoke an equally powerful sense of vitality. Historically, ochre color has been a symbol of life and eternity and bears ritualistic significance.
Combine ochre with other colors.
The color ochre is a relatively rich hue, meaning it can be softened with pale neutrals like off-white, gray, and cream. These combinations also give ochre color a contemporary look. Next to shades of purple or a deep red like burgundy, the color ochre takes on a more intense look. For an edgy contrast, pair ochre color with teal, aqua, or royal blue.
Information about ochre color.
The ochre HEX code picker is #CC7722. This is the classic medium brown-based earthy hue.
The color ochre can be achieved in a RGB space with 204 red, 119 green, and 34 blue. Ochre color can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 0% cyan, 42% magenta, 83% yellow, and 20% black.
What is the meaning of the color ochre?
Ochre color is one of several earthy hues balancing brown and red. The color ochre is on the lighter end of these famed colors and favors hints of golden yellow. Ochre color paints and dyes are among the oldest of human history, and the color ochre has traveled the timeline while acquiring multiple meanings along the way.
Ochre color historically represented vitality, eternity, and fertility. Cultures around the world have used the color ochre to represent blood and therefore life.
The history of ochre color.
Ochre color was one of the first pigments used by humankind.
The color ochre has been discovered in cave drawings around the world dating back between 25,000 and 75,000 years. Ochre color is one of a family of earthy hues that all come from a mixture of clay and sand. In the same family of colors, sienna and umber are found. Ochre color pigment was first used to paint on cave walls, human skin, and objects.
Ochre color in Ancient Egypt and Rome.
In Ancient Egypt, the color ochre was considered a symbol of life and eternity. Ochre color dye and paint were used in cosmetics and paintings in tombs. In Ancient Rome, ochre color inspired a similar meaning. The color ochre was considered a portrayal of gold and was painted on skin or as a background for wall paintings. Pompeii’s murals contained enormous amounts of the color ochre.
Scientific advancement in processing ochre color.
The leading source of ochre during the Classical Era was around the Mediterranean, especially Turkey and Italy. The material became more expensive as the resource was depleted, and the best-quality pigments were reserved for artists during the Renaissance. By the late 1800s, a French scientist named Jean-Étienne Astier invented a process to make ochre color pigment on a large scale using a lower percentage of ochre.
The color ochre across different cultures.
Body painting in the color ochre.
Ochre color has been used in body paints around the world for thousands of years. Women of the Himba ethnic group in Namibia use an ochre color paint for body decoration, as do the Maasi people in Kenya and Tanzania. In the past, the Ancient Picts of Great Britain painted themselves red with the color ochre, spawning references in Irish lore to the fer dearg, or “red men.”
Ochre color in Renaissance art.
The color ochre was used frequently during the Renaissance in drawings, frescos, and paintings. Ochre color blended easily with other popular pigments of the time, many of them earth tones. Rembrandt famously used the color ochre in paintings like his 1659 Self Portrait. Vermeer often used ochre color as a background, such as in The Little Street (1658). Even the plaster walls of homes throughout Tuscany boasted shades of ochre during this time, a palette that remains in place today.
Ochre color as an institutional symbol.
The color ochre has appeared over many generations of South African heraldry, including the national coat of arms adopted in 2000. Ochre color is also found in the coat of arms of the University of Transkei. Then, half a world away, the color ochre is a symbol used by Indigenous Australians, appearing on the flag of the Northern Territory and those of the Taungurung and Anangu people.