Blush pink to deep redRose petals from the lit edge to the heart, or hair dyed pale at the tips.
Pale apricot to dark amberHoney in a jar lit from behind, or the grain of polished wood.
Pale aqua to deep tealSea water from the shallows out to the far side of a reef.
Pale blue to navyA cloudless sky, palest low down, or a pair of faded jeans.
Pale coral to brick redA clay pot from its sunlit rim down into shadow.
Pale green to deep greenA leaf from its lit edge to the fold, or hills going back in layers.
Pale lavender to deep indigoThe sky after sunset, or the folds of a wizard's robe.
Pale lilac to deep violetHair dyed lilac at the tips and violet at the roots, or a crocus petal.
Pale lime to dark oliveGrass from the sunlit tips down to the roots, or the skin of a pear.
Pale orchid to deep plumA plum's skin, an orchid petal, or velvet curtains in stage light.
Pale peach to burnt orangeAutumn leaves, a fox's coat, or a pumpkin turning away from the light.
Pale yellow to deep goldA brass bell, a sunflower petal, or block letters with a gold shadow.
Show all 60 palettes (48 more)
Two colors blended 12
Bright yellow to leaf greenA lemon still green at one end, a spring leaf, or a tennis ball in shadow.
Coral to goldA peach, the back of a koi, or the last light on a wall.
Crimson to purpleA slice of beet, a berry stain, or a velvet cape.
Hot pink to orangeA sunset banner, a slice of grapefruit, or bubble letters.
Lilac to sky blueA hydrangea head, a unicorn's mane, or a soft bedroom wall.
Magenta to indigoNeon signs at night, a nebula, or the lettering on a concert poster.
Mint to teal blueSea glass, the edge of a glacier, or an iced cake in tiers.
Peach to roseCheeks and lips on a portrait, a tulip, or a cloud at first light.
Royal blue to violetA night sky poster, a butterfly wing, or a galaxy background.
Tangerine to lemon yellowA flame from its base to its tip, or citrus slices on a plate.
Teal to lime greenA parrot's wing, a tropical leaf, or the scales of a snake.
Turquoise to cobaltA swimming pool from the steps to the deep end, or a peacock's neck.
Sunset, through three colors 12
Amber through red-orange to dark plumA desert mesa at dusk, or the inside of a lit lantern.
Apricot through hot pink to deep violetA tropical sunset behind the silhouettes of palms.
Bright yellow through orange to crimsonThe sun going down behind a black skyline, or a bonfire.
Butter yellow through rose to dusk blueA winter sunset over snow, or a watercolor wash in three passes.
Cream through tangerine to burgundyClouds lit from below, from the bright edge to the heavy underside.
Gold through coral to violetA sunset sky read upward from the horizon: gold low, violet at the top.
Orange through magenta to midnight blueA striped poster sun sinking into a dark sea.
Pale peach through coral to dusty violetEvening clouds over hills, with the violet for the far ridge.
Pale yellow through salmon to plumA soft evening over water, with the palest step at the horizon.
Peach through rose to indigoThe sky once the sun has gone, with the first star in the indigo.
Pink through lilac to navyA city skyline at dusk, with the navy for the buildings.
Wheat through terracotta to dark brownCanyon walls at sunset, or a row of clay roofs.
Pale ombres 12
Baby blue to lavenderHydrangea petals, a nursery wall, or a quiet evening sky.
Blush to creamA wall behind a bed, a baby blanket, or the inside of a shell.
Butter yellow to peachA ripe apricot, morning light on a wall, or a chick's down.
Ice blue to pale tealFrosted glass, the inside of an iceberg, or shadows on snow.
Lilac to pale pinkA ballet skirt, a sweet pea flower, or soft lettering.
Mint to pale sky blueA spring sky, a scoop of sherbet, or icing on a cupcake.
Pale aqua to pale lilacA soap bubble, a mermaid's fin, or a pastel planner page.
Pale coral to pale goldSand at sunset, a peach-colored rose, or a sunlit curtain.
Pale lime to seafoamNew leaves, a slice of melon, or the light under a tree.
Pale rose to powder blueCotton candy, a pastel sunrise, or a watercolor wash.
Pale yellow to pale greenA pear, a daffodil's trumpet from rim to stem, or spring grass in sun.
Silver gray to rose pinkA dove's breast, a pearl, or a foggy morning turning pink.
Down to black 12
Crimson to blackA rose in deep shadow, a theater curtain, or spooky lettering.
Emerald to blackPine woods at night, a beetle's shell, or the scales of a dragon.
Gold to blackThe glow of a candle fading into a dark room, or an old picture frame.
Hot pink to blackNeon lettering on a dark wall, or hair that is black at the roots and pink at the tips.
Magenta to blackA stage light in fog, the edge of a nebula, or an orchid in shadow.
Orange to blackEmbers in a dying fire, or the glow around a pumpkin lantern.
Red to blackA cherry, a shiny red car in a dark garage, or a volcano's glow.
Royal blue to blackThe sea going down to the deep, or the night sky above the glow of a town.
Silver to blackChrome, a pencil shading scale, or a road by moonlight.
Sky blue to blackA night sky with a pale band left at the horizon, or deep water under ice.
Teal to blackDeep water in a cave, or a raven's feather where it catches the light.
Violet to blackSpace behind a planet, a witch's cloak, or a heavy storm cloud.
How this list was compiled: Own work, written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-01: ramps of five or six steps between colors named and chosen for this list. Only the ends (and, in the sunset group, the middle color) were chosen. Every step between them is worked out as an even step: a straight blend of the red, green and blue values of the two codes as they are stored (gamma-encoded sRGB), which is how a gradient between two codes is drawn on a web page. A sunset run is two such blends end to end, so its first, third and fifth steps are the three named colors. What the words mean was checked on 2026-10-01 against Wikipedia. Ombré (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ombr%C3%A9): ombré (French for shaded) blends one hue into another, usually with tints and shades going from light to dark, and is used for hair, nails, baking, home decorating and graphic design. Color gradient (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_gradient): a color gradient, also called a color ramp, specifies a range of position-dependent colors; a linear gradient is given by a color at each of two points with the colors between them found by linear interpolation, in digital imaging typically in an RGB color space and often on gamma-compressed values; the same article says a blend looks different when it is worked out in another color space. What a ramp suits is our suggestion. Color names are plain English words, and one name may stand for a slightly different code on another blend. Checked on 2026-10-01: every code is #RRGGBB, no ramp and no name repeats, each named end fits the hue and lightness of its code, neighboring steps are 5 or more apart in CIE Lab, and no ramp is on another palette list of this site or of its sister sites. The hex codes are for a screen; with paint, pencils or dye, take the nearest color. Licence: own work
How it works
An ombre color palette is a blend from one color to another, cut into steps. Each one here runs between named colors in five or six even steps, and every step has its hex code.
Read the full guide
Choose the kind of blend
A menu under the button keeps to one group: one color from light to dark, two colors blended, sunsets that run through three colors, pale ombres, and colors that go down to black. The name gives the ends; the line under it says what the blend suits.
Use the steps
The strip reads from the top, from the first named color to the last. Paint or shade one band for each step and soften the joins, or type the named colors' codes into a gradient tool for a smooth gradient palette.
Questions and answers
What does ombre mean?
Ombré is French for shaded. It is the blending of one color into another, usually moving from light to dark, and is used for hair, nails, baking, home decorating and graphic design.
What is the difference between an ombre and a gradient?
They are close. A color gradient is a range of colors set by position, such as a blend between two points. An ombre is that kind of blend as hair, fabric, a wall or a drawing shows it.
How are the steps worked out?
Only the named colors were chosen. Each step between them is an even blend of the red, green and blue values of the two codes, which is how a gradient between two codes is drawn on a web page.
How many colors are in an ombre?
As many steps as you like: a smooth blend passes through every color between its ends. The blends here are cut into five or six steps, and six is the most the swatch strip on this page shows.