Russian Blue Base is a very dark moderate black with a neutral cast. It builds a smooth gradient with Black Purple underneath and Nato Black on the highlights, all in the AK Interactive line. Substitutes are thinner on the ground; Revell Anthracite/Anthrazit (RAL 7021) is the nearest same-finish option at 92 percent, with 2 brands in strong-match range. A cross-brand swap will get you most of the way, but eyeball it against the original first.
Russian Blue Base equivalents in other ranges
Several ranges orbit this color without landing on it. Here is the closest each brand manages, nearest first:
- Closest Revell equivalent: Revell Anthracite/Anthrazit (RAL 7021), close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.5).
- Best Monument Pro Acryl option: Monument Pro Acryl Blue Black, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.1).
- From Vallejo: Vallejo Abyssal Turquoise, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 4.1).
- Scale75's closest color: Scale75 Siesta Blue, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 5.6).
- Nearest in the Green Stuff World catalog: Green Stuff World Steel Grey, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 5.7).
- Best Tamiya option: Tamiya Semi Gloss Black, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 6.7).
Side by side the two agree in lightness and temperature; at delta E 1.5 the gap is smaller than the variation between two pots of the same paint.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Revell
Monument Pro Acryl
Vallejo
Scale75
Green Stuff World
Tamiya
Humbrol
The Army Painter
Citadel
P3 Paints
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Found in 2 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to AK Interactive Russian Blue Base?
The closest same-finish match is Revell Anthracite/Anthrazit (RAL 7021) at 92% color similarity.
Is there a Vallejo equivalent of Russian Blue Base?
Yes. The closest Vallejo option is Abyssal Turquoise at 79%, a same-finish match.
What color is Russian Blue Base?
Russian Blue Base is a very dark moderate black with a neutral cast (hex #181F29).
What do I highlight and shade Russian Blue Base with?
Highlight Russian Blue Base toward Nato Black and shade it down into Black Purple, both AK Interactive paints in the same finish family.