Umber

Umber is a natural earth pigment consisting of iron oxide and manganese oxide; it has a brownish color that can vary among shades of yellow, red, and green.^: 39 Umber is considered one of the oldest pigments known to humans, first seen in Ajanta Caves in 200 BC – 600 AD.^: 378 Umber's advantages are its highly versatile color, warm tone, and quick drying abilities.^: 148–49 While some sources indicate that umber's name comes from its geographic origin in Umbria, other scholars suggest that it derives from the Latin word umbra, which means "shadow".^: 250 The belief that its name derives from the word for shadow is fitting, as the color helps create shadows.^: 250 The color is primarily produced in Cyprus.^: 250 Umber is typically mined from open pits or underground mines and ground into a fine powder that is washed to remove impurities. In the 20th century, the rise of synthetic dyes decreased the demand for natural pigments such as umber.