Showa era
Burnt Sienna & Apricot Yellow +1
Plate 198 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Burnt Sienna, Apricot Yellow, Green.
#ae5224
orange · 9 palettes
Burnt Sienna
About Burnt Sienna
Burnt Sienna is a mid-tone, vivid orange tone. Its hex value is #ae5224 — that is
RGB 174, 82, 36, or HSL 20°, 66%, 41%.
It holds 5.2:1 contrast against white, so Burnt Sienna works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 5.2:1; on black 4.0:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Burnt Sienna appears in 9 combinations — most often paired with Turquoise Green, Violet Blue and Yellow Orange.
Colours that go with Burnt Sienna
From a standard colour wheel, Burnt Sienna anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#ae5224 #2480AE
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#ae5224 #AE243B #AE9724
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#ae5224 #24AE52 #5224AE
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#ae5224 #24AE97 #243BAE
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Burnt Sienna
Burnt Sienna is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 20°, 66%, 41%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (5.2:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#2480AE) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#AE243B and #AE9724) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Burnt Sienna
Burnt Sienna appears in 9 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
From the archive
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