Color-wise this is a moderate, light yellow leaning warm. No shortage of substitutes here, Barren Dune from The Army Painter matches at 88 percent and 8 brands carry a strong same-finish near-match. For modelling, drop to New Iraqi Army Sand in the recesses and step up to Sand Yellow on the edges, both AK Interactive paints. Treat it as an easy swap, just confirm the finish type matches before you commit.
Dark Sand equivalents, brand by brand
No brand clones Dark Sand outright, but 3 ranges come close enough to swap. The best candidate from each catalog:
- Closest The Army Painter equivalent: The Army Painter Barren Dune, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.4).
- Tamiya's closest color: Tamiya Sand, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.4).
- Nearest in the Citadel catalog: Citadel Morghast Bone, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.4).
- Best Green Stuff World option: Green Stuff World Zombie Flesh, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.9).
- From Monument Pro Acryl: Monument Pro Acryl Heavy Warm White, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.2).
- The Two Thin Coats pick: Two Thin Coats Pale Skin, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.4).
Check it on a spare model first, because The Army Painter Barren Dune sits slightly warmer and more saturated than the original and the difference grows over large flat panels.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
The Army Painter
Tamiya
Citadel
Green Stuff World
Monument Pro Acryl
Two Thin Coats
Vallejo
Revell
Humbrol
P3 Paints
Scale75
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
Try any paint in the scheme toolMatch difficulty
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to AK Interactive Dark Sand?
The closest same-finish match is The Army Painter Barren Dune at 88% color similarity.
What color is Dark Sand?
Dark Sand is a light moderate yellow with a warm undertone (hex #CAB17B).
What do I highlight and shade Dark Sand with?
Highlight Dark Sand toward Sand Yellow and shade it down into New Iraqi Army Sand, both AK Interactive paints in the same finish family.