Showa era
Light Brown Drab & Carmine Red
Plate 35 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Carmine Red.
#b59392
red · 10 palettes
Light Brown Drab
About Light Brown Drab
Light Brown Drab is a mid-tone, near-neutral red tone. Its hex value is #b59392 — that is
RGB 181, 147, 146, or HSL 2°, 19%, 64%.
It holds 7.6:1 contrast against dark, so Light Brown Drab works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.8:1; on black 7.6:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Light Brown Drab appears in 10 combinations — most often paired with Turquoise Green, Deep Slate Olive and Carmine Red.
Colours that go with Light Brown Drab
From a standard colour wheel, Light Brown Drab anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#b59392 #92B4B5
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#b59392 #B592A3 #B5A592
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#b59392 #92B593 #9392B5
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#b59392 #92B5A4 #92A3B5
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Light Brown Drab
Light Brown Drab is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 2°, 19%, 64%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (7.6:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#92B4B5) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#B592A3 and #B5A592) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Light Brown Drab
Light Brown Drab appears in 10 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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