NATO Black is a very dark muted grey with a neutral cast. This is a common color; 7 other brands cover it, the nearest being Vallejo German Grey at 92 percent. Within the Tamiya range it ladders cleanly, Rubber Black for the shadows and German Grey for the highlights. Bottom line: run out mid-project and another brand will get you within a shade.
NATO Black equivalents in other ranges
No brand clones NATO Black outright, but 2 ranges come close enough to swap. The best candidate from each catalog:
- Closest Vallejo equivalent: Vallejo German Grey, close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.6).
- Nearest in the Green Stuff World catalog: Green Stuff World Blackroot Grey, a swap nobody spots at arm's length (delta E 1.9).
- Best AK Interactive option: AK Interactive German Grey, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.9).
- From Scale75: Scale75 Abyssal Blue, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.1).
- Monument Pro Acryl's closest color: Monument Pro Acryl Carbon Black, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.5).
- Nearest in the Humbrol catalog: Humbrol Black Grey, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 3.9).
Side by side the two agree in lightness and temperature; at delta E 1.6 the gap is smaller than the variation between two pots of the same paint.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Vallejo
Green Stuff World
AK Interactive
Scale75
Monument Pro Acryl
Humbrol
Two Thin Coats
Citadel
The Army Painter
Revell
P3 Paints
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Found in 7 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Tamiya NATO Black?
The closest same-finish match is Vallejo German Grey at 92% color similarity.
What color is NATO Black?
NATO Black is a very dark muted grey with a neutral cast (hex #303030).
What do I highlight and shade NATO Black with?
Highlight NATO Black toward German Grey and shade it down into Rubber Black, both Tamiya paints in the same finish family.