Burnt Sienna Color – How to Make Burnt Sienna Colors Pop

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If you are lucky enough to be changing the interior of a room, you may want the look to be different from anyone else, then considering using burnt sienna may be the best choice by far. Now the obvious question is what color is sienna? That’s easy to answer. Sienna or raw sienna is a yellowish-brown color and after a heating process, it turns into a beautiful deep hue of brown-reed.  It is a rich glorious warm color that complements neutral tones very well. Perhaps you want to learn how to make burnt sienna? Using burnt sienna color as your main color in a room will add warmth as well as elegance.

What Color Is Burnt Sienna?

This question does come up often and the simple explanation is quite surprising. Burnt sienna is a rich deep red-brown color that can be likened to earthy colors. When mixing raw sienna with heat, iron oxide, and manganese mineral the hue of the raw sienna changes in tone and becomes much darker which is likened to almost a burnt look.  So, what color is sienna? Burnt sienna is considered to be a warm color and it gets its name from the Italian phrase Terra di Siena or in English, it is “Earth of Sienna“. The rich almost red tones of burnt sienna remind us of the planet and the natural colors of the countryside.

Burnt sienna is also known as red ochre or red earth and also Terra Rossa.

How to Make the Burnt Sienna Color

Learning how to make the burnt sienna color is quite effortless in that you will use different shades of orange mixed together with purple which will give you the burnt sienna color. The primary colors red, green, and blue are mixed in different ratios which will also give you burnt sienna paint color.

Burnt Sienna: A Brief History

Burnt sienna is loved by artists throughout the world from the Renaissance times through to today and many artists used this color to create their masterpieces. The color can be seen in both oil paintings and watercolors of the great masters, but it is not just artists who love this color, interior designers use this color often because of its warm earthy tones.  The yellow-brown color that is seen in raw sienna forms part of a group that is known as earth colors. 

Different shades of sienna have different hues and therefore they will also carry different names.  

Burnt Sienna in Famous Paintings

Burnt sienna in the paint world is regarded as a historical color but any crayon or paint box will still carry this color and it remains a very popular color amongst thousands of artists. It is believed that the sienna color was used by the cavemen to depict their hunting success on cave walls.

Self Portrait With Two Circles (1669) by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn; Rembrandt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Self Portrait With Two Circles (1669) by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn completed a Self Portrait With Two Circles in 1669. This particular portrait, which is one of the forty Rembrandt completed, shows him standing holding his brushes and his painting palette. The pigment used in this painting was the original pigment used in the Renaissance period.

Burnt sienna was known as Di Siena and Terra Gialla.  

Madonna of the Rosary (1607) by Caravaggio

The Italian-born Baroque painter Caravaggio often used earthy-tones resembling burnt sienna or variations of the sienna shade in his artworks. Madonna of the Rosary was completed just two years before the artist died and shows what appears to be burnt sienna in the drapes which hang above and behind the Madonna.

Madonna of the Rosary (1607) by Caravaggio; Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Various Shades of Burnt Sienna Color

Burnt sienna comes in a variety of different shades and because it is such a popular color for both interior and exterior, paint shops readily offer this color to the general public if you do not want to learn how to make burnt sienna yourself.

When buying burnt sienna paint, the name might not necessarily spell out how rich and earthy the tones are, so to help you with your shopping experience, we have outlined the different tones.

Dark Sienna Color

Dark sienna is a much darker color than burnt sienna and has extremely dark shades of red. In America in particular, this is a very popular color used in roof paints. The color is timeless and because it blends in so well with nature, it will look new for years to come. 

Classic Burnt Sienna Color 

Burnt sienna is a rich dark earthy pigment that is almost a dark red-brown color. This dark color is often used for the exterior of homes where you don’t want to detract from the colors of nature. The colors blend well into nature and are also very pleasing and comforting to the eye. It is directly associated with the color of the earth and all things natural.

Raw Sienna Color

The pigment in raw sienna is what you will see before it goes through any kind of heating process. Raw sienna is a dark yellowish-brown and is seen to be almost transparent or can even resemble yellow-ochre. Once the raw sienna has been processed through heat, it takes on a much darker hue.

All sienna colors, whether raw or burnt, will still fall under the same sienna family of colors.

What Colors Go With Burnt Sienna?

Burnt Sienna is a warm color and pairs up well with other warm colors such as pale-yellowish orange and yellow-ochre. Because burnt sienna is such a versatile color it can also pair up nicely with other shades such as mint green and deep blue which will give it a natural aesthetic. If you pair it up with a lighter color such as Coral, the finish will look elegant and delicate.

Using Burnt Sienna in Fashion

Burnt sienna color in fashion design is not often seen and even though it is regarded as a warm color, you would expect to see more of it in the streets during winter months, but it is in very small demand. It is, however, a very popular color for weddings, where brides will often choose burnt sienna as a color for their bridesmaids, especially if it’s a country wedding.

Burnt sienna is not a color that is worn right throughout the year but will be a firm favorite for the colder months. The color is widely used in jersey garments so you will notice a lot of burnt sienna jerseys or shawls in the winter months.

Because burnt sienna is a warm color, it denotes feelings of warmth and coziness when worn as part of an outfit combined with charcoal gray, bottle green, or glaucous, and you may just find yourself receiving a lot of hugs when wearing this color.

Decorating Using the Burnt Sienna Colors

Because burnt sienna is associated with a rustic look, it automatically provides an earthy tone to walls and when matching the color up with natural elements such as exposed brick walls or leather, the atmosphere created will be warm and elegant. Burnt sienna is a warm color and will work well with other warm colors such as yellow-orange. So, if you pair up burnt sienna with beige, it will stand out as an accent piece and if matched with dark silver gray or midnight blue, it will create a little drama in the room because it will be the first color that the eye catches.

If you are thinking about painting out an entire room with this color, you may find that the room feels closed in and much darker than what you anticipated. You might even get away with painting two walls, however, the other walls should then be neutral colors such as peach or beige. Burnt sienna scatter cushions, woven baskets, or art pieces will act as your accent points in the room.

Abstract art and Landscape art will hang beautifully against a wall painted in burnt sienna. The curtains ideally should be in a neutral color so that it appears as if the light is coming into the room. Hanging burnt sienna curtains in a room where two walls have been painted in the same color will make the entire room appear heavy and bulky. Burnt sienna can be incorporated into almost any room in a house as it will create a welcoming atmosphere.

The beautiful rich red tones of burnt sienna are so exciting, especially when considering painting the exterior of your house. It is a color that is almost timeless in its execution and will enhance your home with its elegant hue. The color blends well with natural surroundings so it becomes a no-brainer to choose this glorious color for the home. We hope that after reading this article you are more excited to start redecorating!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Is Burnt Sienna?

Burnt sienna is a rich red-brown color and it resembles the red sand that you will see when hiking through the forests or up mountains. Raw sienna is heated to make burnt sienna and by adding iron oxide and manganese minerals the hue of raw sienna then changes to a deep dark reddish-brown color which is what we call the burnt hue in the sienna color.

What Colors Go With the Burnt Sienna Color?

The color is seen to be very warm and will pair up beautifully with grays and blacks. However, if you pair it up with colors such as saffron orange or butter yellow, they work exceptionally well together. Neutral colors will compliment burnt sienna and will allow the color to pop if placed against a neutral background.

What Is the Difference Between Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber?

Raw umber is considered to be a cool color and burnt umber is warm. Raw sienna color is cool but when the pigment is heated it becomes a rich dark red color that does not carry green undertones as the raw umber would carry. Burnt umber is a rich dark brown whereas burnt sienna is more of a rich red-brown.

Is There a Difference Between Dark Sienna and Burnt Sienna?

Dark sienna is an earthy pigment and in its natural state before heating, will be a yellow-brown and this is referred to as raw sienna. Once raw sienna is heated, it becomes much darker which is almost red-brown. If you think terra-cotta, you will not be far off when imagining the burnt sienna color.

Larissa Meyer( Art Addict, Illustrator and Graphic Designer )

Larissa Meyer is a 32-year-old mother from Michigan and creative spirit since childhood. Her passion for painting and drawing has led her to an education as an illustrator and a career as a freelance graphic designer. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration and a degree in Graphic Design. Larissa is a talented artist who is able to master a wide range of styles and techniques to bring her artistic vision to life. Her greatest passion is currently fluid painting and epoxy resin art. Larissa’s love for art and her knowledge and experience in illustration make her the perfect Creative Director for our fluid-painting.com team. She is the creative head of our team and shares her passion and knowledge with our community through articles and tutorials.

As a mother of a 2-year-old daughter, Larissa also understands the importance of fostering creativity in early childhood. She uses her experience and knowledge to help other parents inspire their children and develop their artistic skills as well.

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