Sunset Red is a mid-tone vivid red with a warm undertone. Within the Vallejo range it ladders cleanly, Dark Vermilion for the shadows and Scarlet for the highlights. Substitutes are thinner on the ground; AK Interactive Ruby is the nearest same-finish option at 88 percent, with 1 brand in strong-match range. A cross-brand swap will get you most of the way, but eyeball it against the original first.
Sunset Red equivalents in other ranges
1 of the 7 brands with a mapped match get genuinely close to Vallejo Sunset Red, though none is a clone. Brand by brand, the nearest colors are:
- Closest AK Interactive equivalent: AK Interactive Ruby, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.3).
- Nearest in the Scale75 catalog: Scale75 Fuchsia, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.6).
- Best Monument Pro Acryl option: Monument Pro Acryl Fluorescent Pink, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 4.8).
- From Two Thin Coats: Two Thin Coats Emperor Red, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 6.3).
- Humbrol's closest color: Humbrol Matt Scarlet, only a loose relative (delta E 8.8).
- Nearest in the Citadel catalog: Citadel Berserker Bloodshade, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.0), but it is an ink / wash / contrast so treat it as a color reference, not a swap.
Check it on a spare model first, because AK Interactive Ruby sits slightly cooler than the original and the difference grows over large flat panels.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
AK Interactive
Scale75
Monument Pro Acryl
Two Thin Coats
Humbrol
Citadel
The Army Painter
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Pairs well with
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Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to Vallejo Sunset Red?
The closest same-finish match is AK Interactive Ruby at 88% color similarity.
What color is Sunset Red?
Sunset Red is a mid-tone vivid red with a warm undertone (hex #C02B49).
What do I highlight and shade Sunset Red with?
Highlight Sunset Red toward Scarlet and shade it down into Dark Vermilion, both Vallejo paints in the same finish family.