Ochre #CC7722

Ochre is one of the oldest colors people have used. Iron-rich earth pigments appear in prehistoric cave art in Europe, Africa, and Australia, so the color has a deep link to early art and to the land itself. Yellow ochre and red ochre are still standard artists' paints today.

In Aboriginal Australian art, red, yellow, and white ochres remain important and are often tied to Country and ceremony. Those meanings belong to specific communities, so treat them with care in commercial work.

In everyday design, ochre reads as natural and warm. It has a rustic, sun-dried quality that suits desert landscapes, pottery, and handmade goods, and it feels older and more serious than bright orange or yellow. Many traditional buildings in southern France and Italy are washed in ochre plaster.

Ochre works for brands built on craft, nature, and travel: ceramics, coffee, outdoor clothing, and wine regions. On the web, use it for accents, section backgrounds, or illustration. Dark text reads better on it than white, so choose charcoal, deep brown, or black for anything small. It looks especially good next to deep blues and teals, which balance its warmth, and with off-white or cream for an airy feel. In interiors, ochre cushions, rugs, and plaster finishes suit Mediterranean and desert-inspired rooms.