Paint color accuracy

[troopermaster]

The tube stripes have always looked matt to me. #25 for this stunt helmet

And maybe #230 for the hero?

 

It's possible not every helmet had the exact same colours. As long as they used grey and blue that could have been good enough at the time.

[fritzthefox]

I agree, they look matte. It would be very likely, since the colors used were intended for military models. That would certainly give them a tendency to underexpose. If I were the cinematographer, I would certainly prefer matte paints being used, to cut down on reflections.

 

BTW, the camera metadata is still intact for both the above photos. They were taken under different conditions, so I would advise caution in jumping to conclusions about differences in the colors they indicate. The first photo was taken without a flash, the second with one, and both with different brand and models of cameras, under unknown lighting conditions. (Poor ones, to judge from the camera shutter and aperture settings).

 

It might be interesting to comb through the reference pix metadata and see if any patterns emerge AFTER allowing for varied photo conditions.

Edited December 29, 2012 by fritzthefox

[fritzthefox]

Here is sort of an interesting color experiment I performed, to test my previous assertions. I photographed some Testor Model Master paint colors alongside the decals I obtained from Trooperbay and T/MC. The samples were applied to a scrap trimming of my armor and shot in daylight (in the shade). The Pantone swatches are there for reference. Mike from Trooperbay, who thus far is the only person I have been able to contact who has personally color matched an original helmet, advised me that Gentian Blue (Pantone 287) was the best match for the original stripes. (Of course, as mentioned earlier, it was a ROTJ helmet, so it may not apply to an ANH helmet) Note that the Testor's French Blue is pretty much dead on Pantone 287, and not nearly as light as I have seen in online digital samples, so I believe I am eating my words about its being too light. (The paint is still wet in the photo, so it may lighten, but enamels don't color shift much when they dry, so it's probably close) I don't know if the Humbrol paint is lighter or not...I may have to grab some at the hobby shop next time I am up and try them. But overall I would say it is a great match. (The sample digital swatch that is passed around online, however, not so much.)

 

 

Neither decal I have is a perfect match for Pantone 187. The Trooberbay decal is lighter and closer to Pantone 293. The T/MC decal is darker and a little bit more violet.

 

The Blue Angel Blue paint is way off. In fact, I'm not sure it is all that great a match for the actual Blue Angels. Here's a photo of them that I took, too, with minimal color correction. So forget everything I said about Blue Angel Blue. It sucks.

 

Edited December 30, 2012 by fritzthefox

[RampantLion[TK]]

Testors Model Master doesn't appear to have a 1597 Semi Gloss Black available in my local stores or on their website. They do have a 4700 acryl or a 2740 enamel Semi Gloss Black though. I just thought I'd mention it in case others are having a tought time finding that specific Testors paint number.