I’ve been watercolor painting for about one and a half years now, and for most of that time, I haven’t kept any earth colors on my palette. That’s not because I don’t like them – I find them to be very beautiful. But, I love color mixing, and I know that if I have a few well-chose high-chroma pigments, I can mix almost any ochre, sienna, or umber that I need. These mixes can sometimes be quite separating and granulating, and sometimes can be quite desaturated and “muddy”. However, because I primarily paint landscapes, I don’t mind this and in fact quite like the slight muddiness this approach results in.

But then, I started painting a lot more portraits. Portrait painting has completely changed the way I think about earth colors, and these are the transparent earth tones that finally earned a place on my palette.

The reason why the granulation, separation, and “muddiness” that I enjoy so much in landscapes doesn’t work as well in portraits is because my preferred portrait process depends on gradually building the face through transparent layers. I often begin with a cool underpainting, then add warm glazes and deepen shadow shapes. My goal is to always let the light of the first wash remain visible. When I had to mix several high-chroma colors to create a particular skin tone, I found that the constant adjustment and remixing was very time-consuming. I also found that creating luminous glowing dark-valued hues with complements and near-complements is very tricky, and it’s so easy to overdo Ultramarine Blue or Phthalo Blue and end up with a grayish mix. Transparent earth paints have simplified this process for me. I can pick up a transparent, already-muted-yet-still-glowing paint and put down a wash that is luminous and ready for the next layer. This is not only easier, but a lot more enjoyable for me. 

Today, I’m organizing my favorites into yellow, orange, red, brown, and green (yes, green!) earth tones. These are not all earth pigments – in fact, two of them are multi-pigment convenience mixes! What connects them is their earthiness and versatility in portrait palettes.

Yellows

Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide PY42

M. Graham’s version is my favorite, but I dearly love Daniel Smith’s version as well.

This paint has a deep, earthy masstone and a golden tint. It has gentle granulation that does not interfering in its layering or mixing, and it excels at producing olive and yellow-orange skin tones.

Quinacridone Deep Gold PO48/PY150

This convenience mix by Daniel Smith is made from two earthy paints. It’s included on my lsit because it occupies such a useful place on a portrait palette. It’s a transparent, muted, earthy yellow-orange that glows in tints.

I find it useful as a golden base wash, mixed with Perylene Violet PV29 for dark-valued cool browns, and mixed with a luminous cool red like Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone PV19 or Quinacridone Red PV19.

Oranges

Quinacridone Burnt Orange PO48

Different brands give this pigment different names. My favorite version is Quinacridone Rust by M. Graham: it’s incredibly pigmented and rich, is earthy yet vibrant, and mixes well with yellows and violets for rich dark-valued skin tones.

It glazes well without losing luminosity, which is what I look for in a portrait earth tone.

Burnt Sienna Deep PR101

I chose Da Vinci’s version of this paint because I find other PR101 Burnt Sienna’s to be too orange, and I find PBr7 Burnt Sienna’s beautiful but muddy in portraits. Da Vinci’s version is my Goldilocks Burnt Sienna – vibrant, transparent, but has a little body and texture to make interesting mixes. 

I love mixing this paint with luminous cool red like Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone PV19 or Quinacridone Red PV19. It also mixes well with Hansa Yellow Deep PY65.

Quinacridone Sienna PO48/PY150/PR209

This is a convenience mix by Daniel Smith. It has three pigments, but all three are transparent and have similar characteristics, and this paint glazes really well.

I’ve already gushed about this paint in my “Palette Picks: Daniel Smith” video, but I have to say it again: this paint is a true workhorse. It is glowing in tints, but glazes well on yellow-orange base washes, and mixes well with Perylene Violet and Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone to make cool skin tones.

Reds

Transparent Red Oxide PR101

I have tried versions by M. Graham, Paul Rubens, and Rembrandt. I like them all, but Daniel Smith’s is my favorite. It stays on the redder side of brown, and glows even in masstone.

I often using it for warming shadows in the ear, in tints for lovely base washes.

Benzimidazolone Brown PBr25

I consider this pigment to be practically perfect! It’s a modern organic pigment that is lightfast, high-tinting, with an excellent range in value and hue from masstone to tints. My favorite version is by Shinhan PWC.

I adore it when mixed with Hansa Yellow Deep PY65, Transparent Yellow Oxide PY42, and with Benzimidazolone Orange Deep PO36.

Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet PR206

This paint occupies a similar function as PBr25, but it’s more light-valued and not quite as high-tinting, and so it’s less versatile in my opinion. However, its hue is exceptional: a deep maroon-red-brown that is hard to replicate with other paints.

I mostly only use it in tints without very much mixing. Because of this, I don’t reach for it as much as the other pigments on this list. Still, it’s very beautiful and worth checking out!

Deep Scarlet PR175

My final red is an honorary earth color to me! It’s muted, earthy, and has slight granulation. It has this very special chestnut-red hue in tints that I find very beautiful in portraits.

I like it for dark chromatic values in the neck and ear. It also lends a little blush to cheeks without the unnatural bright redness of Pyrrol Red.

Browns

Transparent Brown Oxide PR101

Many brands carry this paint, but Daniel Smith’s is my favorite. This is technically a red iron oxide pigment, but this functions more like a transparent Burnt Umber or Sepia.

It is a rich chocolatey brown without the opacity of Burnt Umber, with gentle granulation that doesn’t interfere in glazing or mixing.

Greens

Green Earth PG23

This is a genuinely traditional earth pigment that was common on palettes a few centuries ago, but has been supplanted by Viridian, Cobalt Green, and Phthalo Green. It is quite low tinting and often very light-valued, although Daniel Smith’s Rare Green Earth is much darker-valued.

My favorite version is my Roman Szmal. I included it because I recommend it as an underpainting in portraits – it is not overpowering under glowing cool and warm skin tones, but still creates subtle neutrals through optical mixing.

Conclusion

My favorite earth tones for portraits include traditional earth pigments, modern synthetic organic pigments, and even multi-pigment mixes! I love them because they let me work more efficiently and enjoyably.

Stay curious, and happy painting!