Brown is often the product of mixing many different pigments together. It covers a wide distribution of colors that can loosely be called shades of "brown," including burnt sienna, tan, yellow ochre, maroon, and olive green. Most middle to dark colors or desaturated colors (other than shades in the blue region) can sometimes be refered to as brown, however "true" brown is closer to a dark orange.

Several shades of brown.

Brown is an earthy color (the color of soil, wood, and leather) signifying reliability, sturdiness, comfort, openness, and credbility. It is an appetite stimulant, being the color of cooked meat, roots, nuts, and seeds. Brown is a masculine color, and many men claim it as their favorite color.