In the pot, Flat Aluminium reads as a neutral metallic silver, mid-tone and muted. This is a common color; 4 other brands cover it, the nearest being Vallejo Silver at 93 percent. For modelling, drop to Metallic Grey in the recesses and step up to Flat Aluminum 2 on the edges, both Tamiya paints. Bottom line: run out mid-project and another brand will get you within a shade.
Flat Aluminium equivalents, brand by brand
1 of the 11 brands with a mapped match get genuinely close to Tamiya Flat Aluminium, though none is a clone. Brand by brand, the nearest colors are:
- Closest Vallejo equivalent: Vallejo Silver, a swap nobody spots at arm's length (delta E 1.4).
- The Two Thin Coats pick: Two Thin Coats Dwarven Iron, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.5).
- Nearest in the The Army Painter catalog: The Army Painter Plate Mail Metal, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.6).
- Best Revell option: Revell Steel/Eisen, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.7).
- From AK Interactive: AK Interactive Natural Steel, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 6.0).
- Citadel's closest color: Citadel Stormhost Silver, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 6.6).
We checked the Lab numbers for a hidden catch and there is none: lightness and temperature both line up, so this swap is as safe as they come.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Vallejo
Two Thin Coats
The Army Painter
Revell
AK Interactive
Citadel
P3 Paints
Humbrol
Green Stuff World
Monument Pro Acryl
Scale75
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Tamiya Flat Aluminium?
The closest same-finish match is Vallejo Silver at 93% color similarity.
What finish is Flat Aluminium?
Flat Aluminium is a metallic paint with a silver tone and a reflective finish. Because the shine comes from metal flake, a flat paint can match the color and still be wrong for the job, which is why cross-finish matches here are references rather than swaps.
What do I highlight and shade Flat Aluminium with?
Highlight Flat Aluminium toward Flat Aluminum 2 and shade it down into Metallic Grey, both Tamiya paints in the same finish family.