Matching it is straightforward: The Army Painter Matt Black lands at 100 percent in the same finish, and 9 brands in all carry a close same-finish swap. Black is a very dark muted black with a neutral cast. Highlight it toward Night Blue, the nearest lighter paint in the Vallejo lane. In practice you can substitute across brands here without anyone noticing at arm's length.
Black equivalents in other ranges
This is one of the easy ones. A same finish twin exists, and 9 brands in the catalog land close enough to consider.
Closest The Army Painter equivalent: The Army Painter Matt Black, the same color for practical purposes (delta E 0.0).
- Nearest in the Citadel catalog: Citadel Abaddon Black, indistinguishable once dry (delta E 0.0).
- Best Green Stuff World option: Green Stuff World Black Stallion, the same color for practical purposes (delta E 0.0).
- From Revell: Revell Black/Schwarz (RAL 9005), indistinguishable once dry (delta E 0.0).
- Tamiya's closest color: Tamiya Black, the same color for practical purposes (delta E 0.0).
- Nearest in the Humbrol catalog: Humbrol Gloss Black, close enough that batch variation matters more (delta E 1.6).
Side by side the two agree in lightness and temperature; at delta E 0.0 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
Citadel
Green Stuff World
Revell
Tamiya
Humbrol
Monument Pro Acryl
Satin Black
Coal Black
Dark Burgundy
Dark Green Brown
Dark Navy Blue
Dark Sea Ben
Black Green
Dark Neutral Grey
Black Wash
Matte Black Primer
Transparent Black
Brush-On Black
Brown Wash
Payne's Grey Wash
Petroleum Brown Wash
Brown Grey Wash
Transparent Brown
Scale75
AK Interactive
P3 Paints
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Vallejo Black?
The closest same-finish match is The Army Painter Matt Black at 100% color similarity.
What color is Black?
Black is a very dark muted black with a neutral cast (hex #000000).
What do I highlight and shade Black with?
The next step up for highlighting Black is Night Blue in the Vallejo range. Nothing sits directly below it in the same lane, so reach for a wash to shade.