What Color Does Red and Brown Make When Mixed? (Maroon / Mahogany)

What Color Does Red and Brown Make? Quick answer: Red and brown make maroon, a deep reddish-brown, at around hex #800000. Mixing red into brown deepens and warms it into rich earthy tones like maroon, mahogany, burgundy, and rust. The more red you add, the brighter and redder the result; the more brown, the darker and earthier.

Red and brown is one of the most satisfying mixes on the palette, producing the warm, sophisticated reds that fill autumn wardrobes, wood furniture, and rustic design. Because both colors already contain red, the mix stays clean and rich rather than muddy.

This guide covers why the mix turns maroon, the exact ratios with hex codes, the pigments that give the best mahogany and rust, the full shade range, and how the result behaves in light and print.

Why Do Red and Brown Make Maroon?

Red and brown make maroon because brown already contains red, so adding more red deepens and enriches the brown into a darkened, warm red rather than creating a new hue.

Here is the color math. Red is a primary color. Brown contains all three primaries, red, yellow, and blue, and is essentially a dark, desaturated orange, as explained in how to make brown. So the mix looks like this:

Red + Brown = Red + (Red + Yellow + Blue) = Red + Red + Yellow + Blue

The extra red tips the balance strongly toward red while the brown keeps the mix dark and earthy. The result is a deep, rich red-brown: maroon. Because brown is a form of dark orange, boosting its red content pulls the mix toward the red side of the warm spectrum, landing on the maroon, mahogany, and burgundy family.

This is why red and brown never make a bright, pure red, the brown always keeps it deep and grounded, but it does make some of the richest warm colors available.

Unlike muddy mixes, red and brown stays clean because both colors are warm and share red. There is no complementary clash to gray it out, so the result is a saturated, sophisticated dark red rather than a neutral.

What Colors Do Red and Brown Make? The Full Range

Red and brown produce a family of deep warm reds rather than a single color. The exact shade depends on the ratio and the specific red and brown you use:

Result	Hex code	When you get it
Maroon	Hex #800000	Balanced mix
Mahogany	Hex #C04000	Red-heavy mix, warm
Burgundy	Hex #800020	Red-heavy mix, cool red
Rust	Hex #B7410E	Red plus an orange-brown
Auburn	Hex #A52A2A	Balanced mix, warm
Chestnut	Hex #954535	Brown-heavy mix
Venetian red	Hex #C80815	Red-heavy mix, bright red
Brick red	Hex #CB4154	Red plus a light warm brown
Oxblood	Hex #4A0404	Brown-heavy mix, deep

Red and Brown Mixing Ratios and Hex Codes

The ratio controls how red or how earthy your result is. Here is the working chart with hex targets in plain text:

Ratio (Red : Brown)	Resulting shade	Hex code
3 : 1	Bright brick red	Hex #B22222
2 : 1	Venetian red	Hex #C80815
1 : 1	Maroon	Hex #800000
1 : 2	Deep chestnut brown	Hex #954535
1 : 3	Reddish earth brown	Hex #6B3226
1 : 1 plus white	Dusty rose-brown	Hex #A9736B
1 : 1 plus black	Oxblood	Hex #4A0404
1 : 1 with orange-brown	Rust	Hex #B7410E

Practical notes:

1. Add red to brown gradually. Red is strong and reddens a brown quickly, so build the color slowly to hit the exact shade.
2. Mix thoroughly before judging. A half-mixed blend looks streaky and darker than the finished color.
3. Test on white paper and let it dry. Deep reds are hard to read in a pile, and acrylics dry slightly darker.

Which Red and Brown Pigments Should You Use?

The undertones of your red and brown steer the exact result:

Red used	Brown used	Resulting color
Cadmium red (warm)	Burnt sienna	Bright rust, warm mahogany
Alizarin crimson (cool)	Burnt umber	Deep burgundy, cool maroon
Cadmium red	Raw umber	Rich earthy auburn
Scarlet	Warm brown	Vibrant brick red
Crimson	Dark brown	Deep oxblood

The pattern from painters: a warm red like cadmium with a warm brown gives bright, glowing rust and mahogany, while a cool red like alizarin crimson with a cooler brown gives deep, sophisticated burgundy and maroon. If your brown has warm orange undertones, a cooler red deepens and reddens it without making it too orange. Red is strong, so add it in small amounts, roughly 5 to 15 percent of the brown to start, and build gradually.

Every Rich Red-Brown Shade You Can Make

Between ratio, pigment choice, and additions of white or black, red and brown cover the deep warm red family. The reference table:

Shade	Hex code	How to mix it
Maroon	Hex #800000	Equal parts red and brown
Mahogany	Hex #C04000	Red-heavy warm mix
Burgundy	Hex #800020	Cool red plus brown
Rust	Hex #B7410E	Red plus orange-brown
Auburn	Hex #A52A2A	Balanced warm mix
Chestnut	Hex #954535	Brown-heavy mix
Venetian red	Hex #C80815	Red-heavy mix
Brick red	Hex #CB4154	Red plus light warm brown
Oxblood	Hex #4A0404	Deep mix plus black
Terracotta	Hex #E2725B	Red plus light orange-brown, see terracotta color
Dusty rose-brown	Hex #A9736B	Balanced mix plus white
Redwood	Hex #A45A52	Red-brown plus a little white

How Do You Make Maroon from Red and Brown?

Mix roughly equal parts red and brown for a classic maroon at hex #800000. For a cooler, wine-like burgundy, use a cool red like alizarin crimson.

For a warmer, brighter maroon, use a warm cadmium red. A touch of black deepens it toward oxblood. Maroon is one of the most-searched results of this mix because it is a rich, sophisticated color that reads as luxurious and is easy to blend from these two.

How Do You Make Mahogany or Rust?

Use a warm red with a warm brown, and lean the mix slightly toward red, for the glowing red-browns of mahogany and rust. Rust specifically comes from pairing red with an orange-leaning brown like burnt sienna. These warm red-browns are staples of autumn palettes and connect to the warm browns of orange and purple mixed and red and green mixed.

How Do You Make Burgundy?

Use a cool red like alizarin crimson with a brown, keeping the mix deep and slightly cool. Burgundy sits at around hex #800020 and reads as the wine-dark, elegant end of the family. A touch of purple or blue cools it further, connecting to the wine tones of red and purple mixed.

What Do Red and Brown Make in Light and Print?

In light, there is no brown to mix, because brown light does not exist. Brown only appears as a dark, dull orange seen in context, and light can only add brightness. Screens use the RGB model, so a red-brown is produced by combining a strong red channel with lower green and blue, which reads as maroon or brick red, reached by adjusting channels rather than mixing pigments.

In printing, using the CMYK color model, red and brown behave just like paint, since both are subtractive. Mixing them in ink produces the same maroon and mahogany tones. This is why print, paint, and RYB all agree on this mix, while only light behaves differently.

System	Type	Red + Brown makes	Result
RYB (paint)	Subtractive	Maroon, mahogany	Hex #800000
RGB (light and screens)	Additive	Maroon via strong red channel	Deep red
CMYK (printing)	Subtractive	Maroon, same as paint	Hex #800000

Troubleshooting red and brown mixed

The mix is too dark. Too much brown. Add more red to brighten and redden it toward mahogany or brick red.

The mix is too orange. Your brown leans orange, or your red is warm. Use a cooler red like alizarin crimson to deepen and redden without adding orange.

The mix is muddy. Rare with this warm pair, but it can happen if your brown was already muddy. Start with a clean brown and a clean red.

The red disappeared into the brown. Red is strong but a dark brown can swallow it. Keep adding red gradually until the warmth shows, or start with more red and add brown to it.

It dried darker. Standard acrylic behavior. Mix a step brighter and lighter than your target.

Maroon and Mahogany in Art, Fashion, and Design

The deep red-browns from red and brown are among the richest, most sophisticated colors in any palette, carrying associations with luxury, warmth, and heritage.

In Art

Maroon, mahogany, and rust are essential to painting warm subjects: wood, leather, autumn foliage, brick, and rich fabrics. Because these red-browns are deep yet warm, they add richness and depth to a composition without the coldness of a pure dark. Painters mix them constantly for shadow tones on warm objects and for the glowing darks of interiors and still life.

Venetian red, one of the oldest earth pigments, sits in this family and has been used since antiquity. Mixing your own red-browns rather than relying on a single tube gives precise control over exactly how warm, deep, or bright the color sits.

In Fashion

Maroon, burgundy, and oxblood are among fashion’s most reliable rich colors, reading as elegant, warm, and sophisticated, staples of autumn and winter wardrobes. Burgundy in particular is a perennial favorite that flatters nearly every skin tone and dresses up any outfit.

Rust and mahogany bring a warmer, earthier energy, popular in knitwear and outerwear. These deep red-browns pair beautifully with camel, cream, navy, and forest green.

In Interiors and Branding

Maroon, mahogany, and oxblood bring warmth and richness to interiors, from wood furniture and leather upholstery to deep accent walls that feel cozy and luxurious.

They pair naturally with wood, brass, cream, and deep green. In branding, deep red-browns signal heritage, warmth, quality, and sophistication, appearing across wine, hospitality, and premium identities that want to feel established and rich.

Quick Reference: Red + Brown Cheat Sheet

Question	Answer
Red + brown in paint	Maroon, mahogany (hex #800000)
Red + brown in light	Maroon via strong red channel; no brown light
More red	Mahogany, rust, brick red
More brown	Chestnut, deep earthy brown
Cool red	Burgundy, cool maroon
Warm red	Rust, warm mahogany
Plus white	Dusty rose-brown
Plus black	Oxblood
Best pigments	Cadmium red or alizarin crimson + warm brown
Color type	Deep warm red-brown, a shade of red

FAQs: what color does red and brown make

Red and brown make maroon, mahogany, burgundy, and rust, the deep warm reds at the heart of rich, sophisticated design. Control the warmth with your choice of red, build the color gradually, and the whole luxurious red-brown family is yours.