In the pot, Seraphim Sepia reads as a warm brown, very dark and vivid. It builds a smooth gradient with Athonian Camoshade underneath and Biel-Tan Green on the highlights, all in the Citadel line. This color is somewhat distinctive: 1 brand offers a strong same-finish match, The Army Painter Dark Tone closest at 82 percent. Any substitute is a mixing base rather than a drop-in, so tune it on the model.
Seraphim Sepia equivalents and near misses
Fair warning: nothing matches Citadel Seraphim Sepia cleanly. The options below are the least bad, and every one of them drifts.
Closest The Army Painter equivalent: The Army Painter Dark Tone, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.7).
Nearest in the Green Stuff World catalog: Green Stuff World Bestial Brown, close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.4), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
Best Vallejo option: Vallejo Sepia, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.3), but it is an opaque acrylic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
From P3 Paints: P3 Paints Orgoth Bronze, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 4.0), but it is a metallic so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
Worth knowing before you swap: The Army Painter Dark Tone runs slightly lighter, which shows most where the paint thins over raised detail.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
The Army Painter
Green Stuff World
Vallejo
P3 Paints
AK Interactive
Humbrol
Monument Pro Acryl
Revell
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 Citadel Seraphim Sepia?
The closest same-finish match is The Army Painter Dark Tone at 82% color similarity.
What is Seraphim Sepia used for?
Seraphim Sepia is a wash that flows into recesses and pools in shadow. Common uses: leather and wood shading; deepen recesses and panel lines.
What do I highlight and shade Seraphim Sepia with?
Highlight Seraphim Sepia toward Biel-Tan Green and shade it down into Athonian Camoshade, both Citadel paints in the same finish family.