No shortage of substitutes here, Vambrace Brown from Two Thin Coats matches at 88 percent and 3 brands carry a strong same-finish near-match. Tan Earth is a mid-tone moderate brown with a warm undertone. Within the Vallejo range it ladders cleanly, Orange Brown for the shadows and Middle Stone for the highlights. Bottom line: run out mid-project and another brand will get you within a shade.
Tan Earth equivalents in other ranges
No brand clones Tan Earth outright, but 1 range comes close enough to swap. The best candidate from each catalog:
- Closest Two Thin Coats equivalent: Two Thin Coats Vambrace Brown, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.4).
- AK Interactive's closest color: AK Interactive Rlm 79 (1942), close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.6).
- Nearest in the Tamiya catalog: Tamiya Dark Tan, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 3.2).
- Best Humbrol option: Humbrol Tan, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 5.7).
- From The Army Painter: The Army Painter Ruddy Umber, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 5.7).
- Scale75's closest color: Scale75 Sandalwood, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 6.1).
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 2.4 rather than an obvious shift.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Two Thin Coats
AK Interactive
Tamiya
Humbrol
The Army Painter
Scale75
Citadel
P3 Paints
Monument Pro Acryl
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 Tan Earth?
The closest same-finish match is Two Thin Coats Vambrace Brown at 88% color similarity.
What color is Tan Earth?
Tan Earth is a mid-tone moderate brown with a warm undertone (hex #997457).
What do I highlight and shade Tan Earth with?
Highlight Tan Earth toward Middle Stone and shade it down into Orange Brown, both Vallejo paints in the same finish family.