In the pot, Star Blue reads as a cool blue, dark and vivid. For modelling, drop to Archaic Turquoise in the recesses and step up to Rlm 66 (1938) on the edges, both AK Interactive paints. Substitutes are thinner on the ground; Vallejo Turquoise is the nearest same-finish option at 83 percent, with 1 brand in strong-match range. Any substitute is a mixing base rather than a drop-in, so tune it on the model.
Star Blue equivalents and near misses
Fair warning: nothing matches AK Interactive Star Blue cleanly. The options below are the least bad, and every one of them drifts.
Closest Vallejo equivalent: Vallejo Turquoise, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.4).
Nearest in the Citadel catalog: Citadel Stegadon Scale Green, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 4.6).
Best The Army Painter option: The Army Painter Deep Ocean Blue, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 5.0).
From Scale75: Scale75 Cantabric Blue, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 5.9).
Worth knowing before you swap: Vallejo Turquoise runs slightly lighter, which shows most where the paint thins over raised detail.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Vallejo
Citadel
The Army Painter
Scale75
Humbrol
Green Stuff World
Revell
Tamiya
P3 Paints
Monument Pro Acryl
Two Thin Coats
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
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Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to AK Interactive Star Blue?
The closest same-finish match is Vallejo Turquoise at 83% color similarity.
What color is Star Blue?
Star Blue is a dark vivid blue with a cool undertone (hex #003954).
What do I highlight and shade Star Blue with?
Highlight Star Blue toward Rlm 66 (1938) and shade it down into Archaic Turquoise, both AK Interactive paints in the same finish family.