RAF colours

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

There is no substitute for actual data and your scanned copy of the colour chips have a distinct blue caste on the screen I usually use and see renders of spectrophotometer measured colour coordinates on all the time. There is no need to try to calibrate that screen. The most I will attempt with a screen is to directly compare two sets of rendered CIELAB coordinates.

 

It is futile trying to match physical paint to a VDU and indeed directly measured colour coordinates taken by calibrated spectrophotometer from physical samples and look remarkably different on screen; darker and light shades particularly so with only mid-tones looking vaguely similar in many cases.

 

In addition, Graham is correct. Scale fade, if you subscribe to that, desaturates colour. It doesn't move it around the "colour wheel" or *a *b coordinates in CIELAB colour space. RAF Dark Green is an olive. It does not shift towards blue.

 

On the Hurricane above, the blue caste of the H30 makes the H29 appear rather red in juxtaposition.

[lasermonkey]

58 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

There is no substitute for actual data and your scanned copy of the colour chips have a distinct blue caste on the screen I usually use and see renders of spectrophotometer measured colour coordinates on all the time. There is no need to try to calibrate that screen. The most I will attempt with a screen is to directly compare two sets of rendered CIELAB coordinates.

 

It is futile trying to match physical paint to a VDU and indeed directly measured colour coordinates taken by calibrated spectrophotometer from physical samples and look remarkably different on screen; darker and light shades particularly so with only mid-tones looking vaguely similar in many cases.

 

In addition, Graham is correct. Scale fade, if you subscribe to that, desaturates colour. It doesn't move it around the "colour wheel" or *a *b coordinates in CIELAB colour space. RAF Dark Green is an olive. It does not shift towards blue.

 

On the Hurricane above, the blue caste of the H30 makes the H29 appear rather red in juxtaposition.

Absolutely this!

[NPL]

Maybe I just have a better monitor as I see very little blue if any on my screen. As I indicated 'olive green' is a very imprecise definition, as the colour of olives changes a lot. The later NATO colour was definitely more brownish, and still 'olive green'. I will basically use the colour chip in British Aviation Colours as my reference, and not a scanned version. Have it on my desk just now and seeing how the colour changes all the time according to the angle to the light on the table. 

 

 

[Weatherman]

After a bit of retouch to the green color in Lightroom, I think this one is slightly better:

 

 

Thanks for the advice about Humbrol 163, but I am not really stuck on enamels and for this reason I tried to search out any new additions for the above colours and got the following:

 

By Vallejo Air:

 

And by AK Interactive:

 

 

Anyone who has checked these news show-ups?

[iainpeden]

The 2 Hurricanes in Hanger 4 at Duxford show distinct variation in the Dark Earth and Dark green applied - so it isn't just models but 1:1 scale as well.

[NPL]

12 minutes ago, iainpeden said:

The 2 Hurricanes in Hanger 4 at Duxford show distinct variation in the Dark Earth and Dark green applied - so it isn't just models but 1:1 scale as well.

 

And this really the essence of the matter itself. In a free world we choose for ourselves. Of course, if we agree on this, we have shut down many wonderful discussions. 

 

It is as I said: Olives have many colours!

[Graham Boak]

Which is an excellent reason why modern warbirds are only a limited guide.  These two were not painted on in the same paint shop nor necessarily using the same paint provider.  Fairly clearly so, I'd say.

[phildagreek]

On 12/9/2018 at 8:39 PM, DennisTheBear said:

I pretty much use Humbrol enamals and a hairy stick (with the odd Tamiya rattle can for really big areas), so that looks good to me.

But then I'm a tradionalist and believe no model is finished until there is a gluey fingerprint on the canopy.

 

DennisTheBear

Exactly what he said.

🤦‍♂️

[Tail-Dragon]

I airbrush Tamiya acrylics and have been happy with this mix ...

 

My mix of Tamiya 2:XF-49 Khaki and 1:XF-52 Flat Earth
Tamiya XF-81 RAF Dark Green

 

I think the Dark Earth is close enough for a simple mix (there is a lot of variation in the original batches of WW2 paint), the Tamiya green seems just a touch to dark under future but lightens up after a flat coat.
More importantly, the colors "look" right to the eye, without the jarring red/green contrast of Tamiya's XF-52 alone.

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2019 by Tail-Dragon
add photo

[dogsbody]

4 hours ago, Tail-Dragon said:

I airbrush Tamiya acrylics and have been happy with this mix ...

 

My mix of Tamiya 2:XF-49 Khaki and 1:XF-52 Flat Earth
Tamiya XF-81 RAF Dark Green

 

I think the Dark Earth is close enough for a simple mix (there is a lot of variation in the original batches of WW2 paint), the Tamiya green seems just a touch to dark under future but lightens up after a flat coat.
More importantly, the colors "look" right to the eye, without the jarring red/green contrast of Tamiya's XF-52 alone.

 

 

 

I like that. I shall add that to my list of Tamiya mixes. Soon, I shall dig out my airbrush for some long overdue practice, then attempt to paint my 1/72 Airfix Mk.I Hurricane.

 

 

Chris

[PhantomFreak73]

In the past i've generally used Gunze Mr Hobby and Mr Color RAF colours.  I find them reasonably close to my eye.  Tamiya's limited RAF acrylics are fairly matches too but they don't have a dark earth as yet!

 

Rob

[Chuck1945]

51 minutes ago, PhantomFreak73 said:

In the past i've generally used Gunze Mr Hobby and Mr Color RAF colours.  I find them reasonably close to my eye.  Tamiya's limited RAF acrylics are fairly matches too but they don't have a dark earth as yet!

 

Rob

Perhaps with the new 1/48 Spitfire I, Tamiya will fill that gap...