Jump to content

Color: Science, Research, Systems, and Standards


George

Recommended Posts

One aspect of scale modelling that has helped me with selecting the "right" colors is understanding color through science, research, systems, and standards.  This doesn't mean formal academic training at a college and university but learning what influences our perception of color such as light under different conditions.  Generally speaking, color science, i.e. the knowledge of the physiological and physical conditions of color vision and color generation, is not very important for the artists.  As modelers (as opposed to assemblers), understanding color through knowledge and research helps us build a better model.  We can make informed choices about the color of hobby paint we want to use for our subject.  To this extent, it would not be accurate to make a subjective evaluation of color based on a color photograph because we don't know the lighting conditions, the age of subject, or the environmental conditions the subject was exposed to such as sunlight, salt water, etc.  It is more helpful to conduct research about the various interior and exterior colors associated with the subject because there is a plethora of books available commercially today which was not offered 20-30 years ago.  We also have the internet and experts we can communicate with in real time.  Essentially, we have more resources today than before.

 

Additionally, it is helpful to have a basic knowledge about the color systems/models (Munsell/RGB/Hexidecimal) and color standards (RAL, RLM, British, Federal (U.S.).  For modelers, this enhances not only our knowledge about color but helps us to cross reference colors among various systems and standards.  We can make informed decisions about the hobby paints we choose for our subject because we can map colors to a particular hobby paint line.  In this respect, we have more choices today because there are more hobby paint manufacturers in existence offering more colors by type (acrylic, lacquer, and enamel) and time period.  In fact, we can purchase detailed paint sets. 

 

Also, what follows naturally to having more hobby paints to choose from, is having more models to chose from in various scales by various manufacturers as opposed to 30 to 40 years ago.  Many models today are either retooled or new tooled offering greater detail but can be expensive.  If we choose, we can enhance our model through aftermarket parts to include, but not limited to photo-etched instrument panels, decals, and other accessories.  The sky is the limit.

 

To summarize, understanding color helps us to make informed decisions about our hobby and ultimately may produce a better model.  We should take advantage of the information and resources available.  Not only can we educate ourselves but modelers of the next generation to keep the hobby alive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I disagree - I find all this stuff a bit depressing, and for me this quest for supreme accuracy in paint colours definitely kills some of the fun from the hobby. At some point it becomes something of an academic exercise in accuracy, rather than an enjoyable and relaxing hobby. Probably why I always migrated to WWI modelling, where black & white photography and a lack of written records gives people latitude to use greeny-brown, browny-green or anything in between when painting their Brit warplane PC 10 or PC12. As for German planes, slap on whatever you think looks best!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, DeanKB said:

I disagree - I find all this stuff a bit depressing, and for me this quest for supreme accuracy in paint colours definitely kills some of the fun from the hobby. At some point it becomes something of an academic exercise in accuracy, rather than an enjoyable and relaxing hobby. Probably why I always migrated to WWI modelling, where black & white photography and a lack of written records gives people latitude to use greeny-brown, browny-green or anything in between when painting their Brit warplane PC 10 or PC12. As for German planes, slap on whatever you think looks best!

 

I tend to agree; obsessing over specifics like paint particulars, can be a real joy killer, for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dean:  It isn't a quest for supreme accuracy in paint colors. This is unrealistic even for actual aircraft that were restored and repainted. It is about making informed decisions and knowing what is available to us in the digital age.  Our models are representations of the real thing but not necessarily accurate ones.  When you have tools to could possibly save us time and money why not utilize them.  As far as WW1 aircraft goes, there are some hobby paint manufacturers that have actually developed paint lines for German and Expeditionary aircraft like AK Interactive.  Using a Hobby Color Converter downloadable to your IP or Android, you can cross reference your paints.  Knowledge is power.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a hobby. 

If you want to use all your knowledge of color science you're taking your hobby to an art.

But if you want to build an accurate model but not concerned about color science you're probably more of an historian.

If you're building and painting with no real concern for accuracy you're probably not that obsessed and that's fine too.

It's a hobby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a hobby and depending on the extent you want to go with it is a personal choice.  We have tools and resources that were not previously available 30 to 40 years ago.   Also, the discussion goes far beyond color research (camouflage and interior paint colors) such as making informed decisions about the types of kits we can buy and how detailed they can be especially since scale modeling can be expensive. 

 

I am not sure if scale modeling will be an art form because it regulated to being a toy (see Amazon under "Toys and Games") which I find insulting.  Those who are not familiar with scale modeling may think our hobby is for children, which we know it isn't.   Regardless, we have internet resources (hyperscale, large scale, cybermodeler and www.scalemates.com) that can help us with our hobby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, George said:

Dean:  It isn't a quest for supreme accuracy in paint colors. This is unrealistic even for actual aircraft that were restored and repainted. It is about making informed decisions and knowing what is available to us in the digital age.  Our models are representations of the real thing but not necessarily accurate ones.  When you have tools to could possibly save us time and money why not utilize them.  As far as WW1 aircraft goes, there are some hobby paint manufacturers that have actually developed paint lines for German and Expeditionary aircraft like AK Interactive.  Using a Hobby Color Converter downloadable to your IP or Android, you can cross reference your paints.  Knowledge is power.  

All true, but I think it's important - in the interests of balance - to highlight that many modellers find the "our paints are derived from real WWI paint chips, using laser scanning microscopes, quantum mechanical models, weather records, the mating rituals of the badgers used to make the RFC paint brush bristles & the affect of sunspot intensity upon the speed & depth of paint finishes" approach as much fun as trying to catch your freshly bladed hobby knife with your crotch as it rolls off your workbench, immediately regretting doing so as the blade disappears in a part of your anatomy that has resulted in an instant circumcision & a sudden aversion to pork scratchings & bacon, and a desire for a turkey sandwich, whilst working out how to tell the wife that bandaging your todger is a medical necessity, and not a desperate attempt at inflation, whilst you attempt to clean the copious amounts of blood out of your studiously researched decal sheet with a tiny paper towel, before deciding that a very bright red paint job will look just fine on your £500, 600 hours and counting, WNW Gotha G.IV after all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As others have pointed out, it is a hobby and each modeler determines "what right looks like" for themselves; and as long as their decisions give them joy in the hobby it is a win, IMHO at least.  While I enjoy researching colors and color tones, and have some books dedicated to the topic, I am much less concerned with getting a color exactly accurate - whatever that means - in my builds.  As the original poster pointed out, there are many variables when it comes to interpreting color accuracy, with lighting conditions and amount of wear probably having the biggest influence.  That provides a fairly large amount of latitude for us as builders when laying in colors on our kits.  So I don't get wrapped up in obsessing which which model paint producer has the most accurate representation of say RLM 02; if it looks like the RLM 02 color chip in one of the books I own that have them, that is good enough for me.  I am going to alter the tone when I apply the paint depending on what color the primer coat is - or if there is no primer coat for that matter.  And I'll alter the tone some more when adding highlights, fading, etc., the final tone being different from what is in the bottle; and also a bit different from other builds that have RLM 02 in their scheme.    In the end, if the modeler is satisfied that is all that really matters, and as has been pointed out, modelling should be about enjoyment - though listening to some of the words I use when working on a particularly fiddly construction one could be forgiven if they thought I was torturing myself!  :D

 

Ernest   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, George said:

As far as WW1 aircraft goes, there are some hobby paint manufacturers that have actually developed paint lines for German and Expeditionary aircraft like AK Interactive.

And exactly zero of those paints could be called accurate by your definition. There simply isn't enough data to claim that any model paint manufacturer has an accurate representation of, for example, PC10. There was never an official specified formula for PC10, and individual manufacturers mixed their own in small batches (which means that a Sopwith Camel completed on a Friday might have a slightly different shade of PC10 to an indentical Sopwith Camel built by the same manufacturer on the following Friday).

 

I've had several paints claiming to represent PC10 by a wide variety of paint manufacturers over the years, and none of them match, so which one is correct? None of them - but also all of them. Even when you study the few surviving WWI aircraft in museums you have to take into account 100 years worth of aging varnish, so anyone claiming they can create a 100% accurate model paint colour for WWI aircraft is fooling themselves. Even the masters of the art of interpreting WWI colours - such as Ray Rimmel - have always stated that their conclusions are interpretations only and should not be considered 100% accurate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, thierry laurent said:

I have dozens of books about plane colors as I love the topic but, in practice, when it comes to models, I firmly rely on the TLAR philosophy for most of the paint choices.

And most people gazing upon your finished model - knowing full well that the Spitfire jet won WWII well before the Americans nuclear bombed Berlin - wouldn't be able to spot if the wings were on the right way, let alone the shade of green you've adopted being potentially 0.00001% too dark.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't obsess over colour.  I appreciate others enjoy both the research and historical pursuit and naturally, would want to discuss them. Bearing in mind we're often researching and discussing painted objects that dynamically weathered over time in harsh environments.

 

For me its not ever worth trying to be definitive about things without a calibrated spectrophotometer.

But even then, the data that the spectrophotometer outputs is only of scientific value.  The influence of individual gender/genetics, age, health, how perception works (linguistic relativity) or even understanding how the rods/cones work in the retina in different ambient light conditions makes it all too complicated.

If there are an abundance of variables at the emitter end and another abundance at the receiver end, then ...well there are just too many variables to match reliable perception with an academic scientific result.

 

Matty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...