Paints › Army Painter › Barren Yellow › vs Desert BrownBarren Yellow vs Desert Brown
Brand Army Painter Range Warpaints Air Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #a86a20 (estimate)
Brand Nocturna Models Range N-Paint Basic Code NA46 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #d09544 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 16.3, loose: different enough that you should pick on purpose. Desert Brown is noticeably lighter than Barren Yellow.
Can I use Desert Brown instead of Barren Yellow? Not as a straight swap; see the closer alternatives below. Loose match (ΔE 16). Desert Brown is noticeably lighter than Barren Yellow.
Can I use Barren Yellow instead of Desert Brown? The same difference applies the other way round: Barren Yellow is noticeably darker.
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 Barren Yellow on the colour wheel See Desert Brown on the colour wheel
Other Nocturna Models paints close to Barren Yellow Other Army Painter paints close to Desert Brown All matches: Barren Yellow equivalents · Desert Brown 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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