Yellow Iron Oxide vs Yellow Ochre

How close are they?

ΔE 5.2, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. Yellow Ochre is a little lighter than Yellow Iron Oxide. They are different kinds of paint: Pro Acryl Yellow Iron Oxide is a technical paint or medium and Vallejo Yellow Ochre is an opaque base/layer paint, so they won’t behave the same on the model even where the colour is close.

Can I use Yellow Ochre instead of Yellow Iron Oxide?

Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 5). Yellow Ochre is a little lighter than Yellow Iron Oxide. They are different kinds of paint.

Can I use Yellow Iron Oxide instead of Yellow Ochre?

The same difference applies the other way round: Yellow Iron Oxide is a little darker.

ΔE is the colour difference between our two swatch estimates: under 2 is a perfect match (you’d struggle to tell them apart), under 6 very close, under 10 close, under 15 fair, under 20 loose, under 30 very loose, and 30 or more a poor match. Real paints also differ in finish, coverage and how they thin, so test before you commit.