What colors are in the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette?

Brown & Vandyke Brown contains 2 colors: Brown (#7c4226), Vandyke Brown (#4b3317). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette belong to?

Brown & Vandyke Brown is associated with the showa era and emphasizes orange tones. Plate 110 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Brown, Vandyke Brown.

Can I use the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Brown & Vandyke Brown — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 110 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A two-colour pairing of Brown, Vandyke Brown, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 110 of Wada's 348 anchors Brown and Vandyke Brown in the orange family — a 2-colour grouping with a solemn, warm, austere character, recorded in Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations (six volumes; Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint), and in the public domain by age. Its strongest pairing — Brown on Vandyke Brown — reaches a contrast ratio of 1.49:1, below the WCAG text-contrast floor, so it reads best in decorative blocks rather than text pairings.

Studio

Taking Brown & Vandyke Brown off the screen

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...onto paper

Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.

Pantone

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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...onto a screen you can trust

Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.

Calibrite

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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...by hand

Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.

Kuretake

Gansai Tambi 36

Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: orange
Moods: solemn, warm, austere
Colors: 2

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Brown on Vandyke Brown — 1.49:1 (Fail)

Brown·Vandyke Brown1.49:1Fail

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

Library

Go deeper on colour

The books behind a palette like Brown & Vandyke Brown — colour theory, history and reference designers keep close.

Sanzo Wada

A Dictionary of Color Combinations Vol. 2

Seigensha, 2020. Japanese import.

Wada's 1935–1938 follow-ups: 72 plates on the Japanese seasons and 165 drawn from early-century fashion, interior, and graphic design. Not in Vol. 1. Not in this archive. The book itself is a design object — Japanese binding, matte pages, zero captions.

See price on Amazon More about this book

Torn between the two Wada dictionaries? Vol 1 vs Vol 2, compared plate by plate →

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Preview

From the editorial · Long read

Heian Court Color Theory: Kasane, Kinjiki, and the Seasonal Palette

How the Heian imperial court systematised colour into layered-robe combinations (kasane no irome), forbidden pigments (kinjiki), and a 12-month seasonal calendar.

Read the article →

Colors that go with these shades

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Branding.

Heian era

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Deep safflower crimson against navy — the courtly contrast of Heian-era robes and formal Edo textiles.

Muromachi era

Scorched Brown & Unbleached— 焦茶と生成

The dark brown of scorched wood against unbleached hemp — quiet materials.

Edo era

Madder Red & Evergreen— 茜と常磐

The rooted red of madder-dyed cotton set against enduring pine green.

Edo era

Persimmon & Burnt Brown— 柿と焦茶

Autumn persimmon against scorched cedar — harvest colors from the countryside.

Edo era

Crimson Lake & Pine— 臙脂と松葉

The deep lake crimson of cochineal against pine needle green — winter evergreen.

Kamakura era

Vermillion, Black, Gold— 朱・黒・金

The ceremonial triad of temple lacquerware — vermillion, lacquer black, gold leaf.

See the full color palettes for branding collection →

Questions about Brown & Vandyke Brown

What colors are in the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette?: Brown & Vandyke Brown contains 2 colors: Brown (#7c4226), Vandyke Brown (#4b3317). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).
When was the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette created?: This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.
What style or era does the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette belong to?: Brown & Vandyke Brown is associated with the showa era and emphasizes orange tones. Plate 110 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Brown, Vandyke Brown.
Can I use the "Brown & Vandyke Brown" palette in my own design?: Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.

Showa era

Raw Sienna & Slate Color

Plate 33 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Raw Sienna, Slate Color.

Showa era

Orange & Black

Plate 46 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Orange, Black.

Showa era

English Red & Cerulian Blue

Plate 1 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — English Red, Cerulian Blue.

Brown & Vandyke Brown

About this combination

Historical context

Taking Brown & Vandyke Brown off the screen

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Gansai Tambi 36

Embed this palette

Take this palette into Figma, Adobe or Procreate

Heian Court Color Theory: Kasane, Kinjiki, and the Seasonal Palette

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Branding.

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Scorched Brown & Unbleached— 焦茶と生成

Madder Red & Evergreen— 茜と常磐

Persimmon & Burnt Brown— 柿と焦茶

Crimson Lake & Pine— 臙脂と松葉

Vermillion, Black, Gold— 朱・黒・金

Questions about Brown & Vandyke Brown

Raw Sienna & Slate Color

Orange & Black

English Red & Cerulian Blue

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