Purple sits in the pink family: dark in tone, moderate in saturation, cool in cast. For modelling, drop to Camouflage Black Brown in the recesses and step up to Prussian Blue on the edges, both Vallejo paints. Substitutes are thinner on the ground; The Army Painter Diabolic Plum is the nearest same-finish option at 83 percent, with 1 brand in strong-match range. Cross-brand swaps are adjust-on-model territory here, useful as a starting point rather than an exact replacement.
Purple equivalents in other ranges
Purple is awkward to replace. Treat the matches below as starting points for a mix rather than straight swaps.
Closest The Army Painter equivalent: The Army Painter Diabolic Plum, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.3).
Best P3 Paints option: P3 Paints Royal Violet, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.2).
From Two Thin Coats: Two Thin Coats Enchantress Purple, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 4.4).
Monument Pro Acryl's closest color: Monument Pro Acryl Purple, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.5).
Check it on a spare model first, because The Army Painter Diabolic Plum sits slightly more saturated and cooler than the original and the difference grows over large flat panels.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
The Army Painter
P3 Paints
Two Thin Coats
Monument Pro Acryl
AK Interactive
Humbrol
Revell
Citadel
Scale75
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 1 other brand with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Vallejo Purple?
The closest same-finish match is The Army Painter Diabolic Plum at 83% color similarity.
What color is Purple?
Purple is a dark moderate pink with a cool undertone (hex #533152).
What do I highlight and shade Purple with?
Highlight Purple toward Prussian Blue and shade it down into Camouflage Black Brown, both Vallejo paints in the same finish family.