What is the difference between Ruddy Umber and Red Brown?

ΔE 14 (fair). Red Brown is more muted, warmer. Swatch colours are estimates.

Ruddy Umber vs Red Brown

Ruddy Umber

Brand: Army Painter
Range: Warpaints Fanatic
Type: an opaque base/layer paint
Swatch: #9b5b4d (estimate)

Red Brown

Brand: Tamiya
Range: TS Spray
Code: TS-1
Type: an opaque base/layer paint
Swatch: #83604d (estimate)

How close are they?

ΔE 13.6, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Red Brown is more muted, warmer than Ruddy Umber.

Can I use Red Brown instead of Ruddy Umber?

Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 14). Red Brown is more muted, warmer than Ruddy Umber.

Can I use Ruddy Umber instead of Red Brown?

The same difference applies the other way round: Ruddy Umber is more saturated, cooler.

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 Ruddy Umber on the colour wheel See Red Brown on the colour wheel

Other Tamiya paints close to Ruddy Umber

Ruddy Umber vs Flat Earth (XF-52)XF Flat Acrylic · ΔE 9, close · closer than Red Brown
Ruddy Umber vs Dull Red (TS-33)TS Spray · ΔE 10, fair · closer than Red Brown
Ruddy Umber vs Brown (X-9)X Gloss Acrylic · ΔE 13, fair · closer than Red Brown

Other Army Painter paints close to Red Brown

Red Brown vs Mocca SkinWarpaints Fanatic · ΔE 5, very close · closer than Ruddy Umber
Red Brown vs Cypress BrownWarpaints Air · ΔE 9, close · closer than Ruddy Umber
Red Brown vs Onyx SkinWarpaints Fanatic · ΔE 11, fair · closer than Ruddy Umber

All matches: Ruddy Umber equivalents · Red Brown equivalents