Paints › AK Interactive › RLM 81 Version 3 › vs BS Dark EarthRLM 81 Version 3 vs BS Dark Earth
Brand AK Interactive Range 3rd Gen Air Series Code AK11837 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #5a5245 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Air Code 71.323 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #5f513d (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 5.3, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. BS Dark Earth is more saturated than RLM 81 Version 3.
Can I use BS Dark Earth instead of RLM 81 Version 3? Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 5). BS Dark Earth is more saturated than RLM 81 Version 3.
Can I use RLM 81 Version 3 instead of BS Dark Earth? The same difference applies the other way round: RLM 81 Version 3 is more muted.
ΔE is the colour difference between our two swatch estimates: under about 6 is close, over about 15 is loose. Real paints also differ in finish, coverage and how they thin, so test before you commit.
See RLM 81 Version 3 on the colour wheel See BS Dark Earth on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to RLM 81 Version 3 Other AK Interactive paints close to BS Dark Earth All matches: RLM 81 Version 3 equivalents · BS Dark Earth equivalents
© 2026 AK Tabletop Studio. Swatch colours are estimates and will differ from the real paints; cross-brand matches are close, never exact.
Chart-listed matches come from the Two Thin Coats Paint Comparison Chart 2024, the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic conversion chart, the AK 3rd Generation Acrylics equivalence table (2021) and the Herrick Games hobby paint comparison chart; the rest are a nearest-colour calculation.
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