Paints › Army Painter › Grimdark Shadow › vs Black WashGrimdark Shadow vs Black Wash
Brand Army Painter Range John Blanche Vol. 1-4 Code Vol. 1 Wash Type a wash/shade Swatch #3c3c34 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Game Color Wash Code 73.201 Type a wash/shade Swatch #646367 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 18.7, loose: different enough that you should pick on purpose. Black Wash is noticeably lighter than Grimdark Shadow.
Can I use Black Wash instead of Grimdark Shadow? Not as a straight swap; see the closer alternatives below. Loose match (ΔE 19). Black Wash is noticeably lighter than Grimdark Shadow.
Can I use Grimdark Shadow instead of Black Wash? The same difference applies the other way round: Grimdark Shadow 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 Grimdark Shadow on the colour wheel See Black Wash on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Grimdark Shadow Other Army Painter paints close to Black Wash All matches: Grimdark Shadow equivalents · Black Wash 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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