RAL 490-3 vs Artichoke
RAL 490-3 is a RAL Effect color while Artichoke comes from Sherwin-Williams. RAL 490-3 reads as pink-red, while Artichoke reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 44 vs 21, RAL 490-3 will read as the brighter of the two — a 22-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 38.7, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 490-3 vs Artichoke in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 490-3 and Artichoke in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. RAL 490-3 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that RAL 490-3 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that RAL 490-3 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that RAL 490-3 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Artichoke would.
Color Details
RAL 490-3 vs Artichoke Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 490-3 on one side and Artichoke on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More RAL 490-3 comparisons
See how RAL 490-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 44, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 490-3 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 490-3 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 44, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 27, RAL 490-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 44 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 11-point LRV gap (55 vs 44) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 490-3 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 44, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 44, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 12, RAL 490-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 8, RAL 490-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 44, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 12, RAL 490-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.
RAL 490-3 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
RAL 490-3 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.