Brown is a dark moderate brown with a warm undertone. This is a common color; 5 other brands cover it, the nearest being The Army Painter Obsidian Skin at 91 percent. Within the Humbrol range it ladders cleanly, Brown Bess for the shadows and Dark Grey for the highlights. In practice you can substitute across brands here without anyone noticing at arm's length.
Brown equivalents in other ranges
No brand clones Brown outright, but 1 range comes close enough to swap. The best candidate from each catalog:
- Closest The Army Painter equivalent: The Army Painter Obsidian Skin, close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.8).
- Best AK Interactive option: AK Interactive Mud Brown, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.0).
- From Vallejo: Vallejo Earth, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.0).
- Tamiya's closest color: Tamiya Linoleum Deck Brown, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.0).
- Nearest in the Two Thin Coats catalog: Two Thin Coats Druid Flesh, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.7).
- Best Monument Pro Acryl option: Monument Pro Acryl Green Brown, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.1).
Side by side the two agree in lightness and temperature; at delta E 1.8 the gap is smaller than the variation between two pots of the same paint.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
The Army Painter
AK Interactive
Vallejo
Earth
Beasty Brown
Flat Earth
Leather Brown
Camouflage Middle Brown
Grunge Brown
Parasite Brown
Old Gold
Brass
Bronze
Tamiya
Two Thin Coats
Monument Pro Acryl
Revell
P3 Paints
Citadel
Scale75
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
Try any paint in the scheme toolMatch difficulty
Found in 5 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Humbrol Brown?
The closest same-finish match is The Army Painter Obsidian Skin at 91% color similarity.
What color is Brown?
Brown is a dark moderate brown with a warm undertone (hex #593E2B).
What do I highlight and shade Brown with?
Highlight Brown toward Dark Grey and shade it down into Brown Bess, both Humbrol paints in the same finish family.