PrimaTone Burnt Umber – Oil-Alkyd Paint with Genuine (PBr7) Earth Pigment

PrimaTone Burnt Umber

Fast-Drying Oil-Alkyd Paint for Professional Results

PrimaTone Burnt Umber is a deep, warm brown earth color made with natural iron oxide (PBr7), derived from high-quality deposits in the United States. This rich, reddish-brown pigment is semi-transparent and offers excellent tinting strength, making it a foundational color for artists working in tonal painting, classical underpainting, and expressive modern techniques.

Finely ground in a durable oil-modified alkyd binder, Burnt Umber dries evenly to a matte or semi-gloss finish within 18 to 24 hours—ideal for efficient layering and quick turnaround times without sacrificing color strength, permanence, or brush handling.

PrimaTone—Fast-Drying Oil-Alkyd Paints

PrimaTone paints offer the enduring qualities of traditional oils with the convenience of modern performance. Formulated with oil-modified alkyd resin, all PrimaTone colors are touch-dry within 18–24 hours and ready for varnishing in approximately 30 days. With a working time of 4 to 8 hours, artists have ample time to blend, refine, and manipulate the paint before it sets.

Colors dry to a consistent matte to semi-gloss surface across the range, making them ideal for underpainting, glazing, and impasto techniques. Lightfast, permanent pigments, paired with a resilient, fast-drying binder, ensure long-lasting paint films that are compatible with all traditional oil mediums and can be easily cleaned with mineral spirits.

Key Features

• Pigment: Burnt Umber (PBr7)

• Chemical Composition: Natural iron oxide (Fe₂O₃·MnO₂·H₂O)

• Color Index Name: Pigment Brown 7 (77491)

• Opacity: Semi-transparent to semi-opaque

• Tinting Strength: Moderate

• Drying Time: Touch-dry to hard-dry within 24 hours (ASTM D5895 Stage III)

• Working Time: Approximately 8 hours

• Finish: Matte to semi-gloss

• Lightfastness: ASTM I (Excellent)

• Binder: Oil-modified alkyd

• Compatibility: Traditional oil paints, mediums, and solvents

Handling & Applications

PrimaTone Burnt Umber is formulated for maximum pigment dispersion and smooth, flowing application. It excels in both thin glazes and thicker impasto passages, offering responsive control, whether used with a brush or knife. Its semi-transparency makes it a top choice for:

• Tonal underpainting and value studies

• Classical grisaille and imprimatura techniques

• Warm shadow tones and landscape passages

• Mixing warm neutrals and naturalistic skin tones

• Alla prima and plein air compositions

The warm, reddish undertone complements earth colors, blues, and whites, while its rapid drying supports efficient, multi-layered painting workflows.

Ingredient Transparency

As with all PrimaTone colors, Burnt Umber contains:

• Natural Burnt Umber (PBr7)

• Oil-modified alkyd binder

• High-flash hydrotreated petroleum distillate

• Dispersing agent

No hidden fillers, extenders, or undisclosed additives are included. Full formulation details are listed on the product label and website in accordance with Natural Pigments’ ingredient transparency commitment.

Safety and Toxicology

PrimaTone Burnt Umber contains Pigment Brown 7, a natural iron oxide recognized for its stability, inert nature, and excellent safety record. It presents no known health risks under standard studio conditions and requires no special hazard labeling under ASTM D4236.

The alkyd binder includes a small amount of hydrotreated petroleum distillate—a high-flashpoint, low-odor aliphatic hydrocarbon used to optimize consistency and application. At the levels used in PrimaTone paints, this ingredient does not require chronic hazard labeling for adult art materials under U.S. labeling laws. Nonetheless, good studio practices should always be followed:

• Avoid ingestion

• Do not sand dry paint films

• Ensure adequate ventilation

• Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin

Store in a cool, dry place and keep out of the reach of children.

Composition and Permanence

For a detailed explanation of the terms in the table above, please visit the Composition and Permanence page.

Notes

All color swatches on this website are approximations of the actual color of the oil paint. We have taken every care to match the color in these pictures on calibrated color monitors to the actual color. However, due to the wide variance in color monitors, your results may vary.

Drawdown Note: The image of the “drawdown” shows a premixed paint film 6 mils (0.006 inches) thick applied to a standard test card to examine color consistency, opacity, and other qualities. The drawdowns show the color at full strength (mass tone) on the left and mixed with titanium white at a 1:2 ratio on the right.