DEEP RED · CURATED PAINT RECIPE

How to mix maroon

A dark, brown-led red for leather, cloth, wood accents, architecture, and warm chromatic shadows.

Mixora IT editorial recipeUpdated September 24, 2026Editorial starting point

Target color#6E2F36

Editorial starting point

Useful first test, with the claim kept honest

This recipe uses pigment behavior and color relationships to define a controlled starting point. It is not yet a named, brand-calibrated studio test. The target is an sRGB reference; your dried paint remains the deciding evidence.

See the evidence method and downloadable record →

STARTING MIX

4 : 2 : 0.5 : 0.2

Use one consistent unit for every part. For the smallest fractions, scale the entire recipe up instead of estimating a partial drop.

Cadmium Red Deepdeep warm-red body

60%

Burnt Umberbrown depth

30%

0.5

Quinacridone Magentapreserves red chroma

0.2

Ultramarine Bluecontrols orange bias

PIGMENT LOGIC

Why this mixture works

Maroon is browner and warmer than burgundy. Deep red and umber establish that base, while magenta preserves the red family and a trace of blue prevents a burnt-orange result.

The displayed #6E2F36 swatch is an sRGB target, not a promise that every brand will dry to the same color. Pigment identity, tint strength, opacity, medium, surface, and lighting remain part of the result.

BASIC-PALETTE ROUTE

Alternative recipe

Mix a warm deep red with brown, then use a small cool red addition to keep the result red rather than rust.

Make the test useful

Apply the mixture on the same ground and at the same thickness planned for the final work. Label the wet ratio, wait for a complete dry-down, and compare in neutral light before adjusting.

CORRECTION MAP

How to adjust the result

Add umber for oxblood brown, magenta for wine red, red for clarity, or blue for a cooler shadow. Test a thin film because many deep reds are transparent.

Correct value first, then hue, then chroma. This order prevents a lightness error from turning into an unnecessarily complicated recipe.

WATCH FOR

Common mistakes

Using black as the primary darkener
Confusing maroon with the cooler violet direction of burgundy
Judging only a thick glossy pile

SCALE THE BATCH

Keep fractional parts measurable

Choose a scale that turns the smallest addition into a unit you can repeat. The proportions stay identical.

Cadmium Red Deep1× batch: 4 parts2× batch: 8 parts5× batch: 20 parts

Burnt Umber1× batch: 2 parts2× batch: 4 parts5× batch: 10 parts

Quinacridone Magenta1× batch: 0.5 parts2× batch: 1 parts5× batch: 2.5 parts

Ultramarine Blue1× batch: 0.2 parts2× batch: 0.4 parts5× batch: 1 parts

MEDIUM CHECKS

Translate the ratio into your material

Acrylic: compare only after full dry-down and keep film thickness consistent.
Oil: inspect both the thick mass tone and a thin application; transparent pigments can shift strongly with thickness.
Watercolor: mix by repeatable brush loads or drops, record dilution, and use the intended paper.
Miniature paint: match the primer, thinning, wash, and final varnish used on the model.

VERIFICATION PROTOCOL

What to record with the swatch

Exact brand, range, color name, and pigment code where available.
One measurement unit and the full ratio before any correction.
Medium, surface, ground or primer, and application thickness.
Wet observation, fully dry observation, light source, and date.
The largest remaining value, hue, or chroma error and one next adjustment.

Print the studio test sheet →

THREE USEFUL VARIATIONS

Extend one successful base

Lighter: split off a sample and raise value gradually; inspect whether white also cools or dulls it.
Darker: use a related chromatic dark before reaching for black, then compare the undertone.
Quieter: reduce chroma with a prepared near-complement in very small steps so the value does not collapse.