Paints › Army Painter › Shadow Thorn › vs Steel BlueShadow Thorn vs Steel Blue
Brand Army Painter Range John Blanche Vol. 1-4 Code Vol. 3 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #003f5e (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Air Code 71.087 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #1e394e (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 8.0, close: similar, with a visible difference side by side. Steel Blue is more muted than Shadow Thorn.
Can I use Steel Blue instead of Shadow Thorn? Usually, if you are not matching paint already on the model. Close match (ΔE 8). Steel Blue is more muted than Shadow Thorn.
Can I use Shadow Thorn instead of Steel Blue? The same difference applies the other way round: Shadow Thorn is more saturated.
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 Shadow Thorn on the colour wheel See Steel Blue on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Shadow Thorn Other Army Painter paints close to Steel Blue All matches: Shadow Thorn equivalents · Steel Blue 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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