This is a common color; 3 other brands cover it, the nearest being AK Interactive Nº6 Earth Yellow (Fs 30257) at 90 percent. Desert Yellow sits in the orange family: mid-tone in tone, moderate in saturation, warm in cast. Within the Vallejo range it ladders cleanly, Orange Ochre for the shadows and Iraqi Sand for the highlights. In practice you can substitute across brands here without anyone noticing at arm's length.
Desert Yellow equivalents in other ranges
Several ranges orbit this color without landing on it. Here is the closest each brand manages, nearest first:
- Closest AK Interactive equivalent: AK Interactive Nº6 Earth Yellow (Fs 30257), a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.1).
- From Monument Pro Acryl: Monument Pro Acryl Dark Warm Flesh, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.7).
- Revell's closest color: Revell Sandy yellow/Sand (RAL 1024), a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.2).
- Nearest in the Two Thin Coats catalog: Two Thin Coats Dark Sun Yellow, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.2).
- Best Scale75 option: Scale75 Iroko, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 5.1).
- From Tamiya: Tamiya Flat Tan, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 5.6).
The drift here is spread thinly across hue, lightness and saturation rather than leaning one way, so the mismatch reads as a general haze at delta E 2.1 rather than an obvious shift.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
AK Interactive
Monument Pro Acryl
Revell
Two Thin Coats
Scale75
Tamiya
Citadel
The Army Painter
P3 Paints
Humbrol
Green Stuff World
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
Try any paint in the scheme toolMatch difficulty
Found in 3 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Vallejo Desert Yellow?
The closest same-finish match is AK Interactive Nº6 Earth Yellow (Fs 30257) at 90% color similarity.
What color is Desert Yellow?
Desert Yellow is a mid-tone moderate orange with a warm undertone (hex #B6854A).
What do I highlight and shade Desert Yellow with?
Highlight Desert Yellow toward Iraqi Sand and shade it down into Orange Ochre, both Vallejo paints in the same finish family.