What is the difference between Naples Yellow and Plague Brown?

ΔE 11 (fair). Plague Brown is a little darker, more muted, cooler. Swatch colours are estimates.

Naples Yellow vs Plague Brown

Naples Yellow

Brand: Scale75
Range: Scalecolor Artist
Code: Artist
Type: an opaque base/layer paint
Swatch: #fbae25 (estimate)

Plague Brown

Brand: Vallejo
Range: Game Color
Code: 72.039
Type: an opaque base/layer paint
Swatch: #e0ab24 (estimate)

How close are they?

ΔE 11.4, fair: the same colour family, but not a straight swap. Plague Brown is a little darker, more muted, cooler than Naples Yellow.

Can I use Plague Brown instead of Naples Yellow?

Only where an exact match doesn’t matter, such as a new unit or a highlight. Fair match (ΔE 11). Plague Brown is a little darker, more muted, cooler than Naples Yellow.

Can I use Naples Yellow instead of Plague Brown?

The same difference applies the other way round: Naples Yellow is a little lighter, more saturated, warmer.

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 Naples Yellow on the colour wheel See Plague Brown on the colour wheel

Other Vallejo paints close to Naples Yellow

Naples Yellow vs Medium Yellow (71.002)Model Air · ΔE 5, very close · closer than Plague Brown
Naples Yellow vs Flat Yellow (70.953)Model Color · ΔE 5, very close · closer than Plague Brown
Naples Yellow vs IJA Chrome Yellow (71.135)Model Air · ΔE 7, close · closer than Plague Brown

Other Scale75 paints close to Plague Brown

Plague Brown vs Intense Yellow (Artist)Scalecolor Artist · ΔE 16, loose
Plague Brown vs Vanilla Yellow (Artist)Scalecolor Artist · ΔE 17, loose
Plague Brown vs Sahara Yellow (SC11)Scalecolor · ΔE 19, loose

All matches: Naples Yellow equivalents · Plague Brown equivalents