SCC 15

[nheather]

Firstly, let me apologise. I know from my lengthy Google sessions that the subject has been tackled time and time again.

I've read all the posts, articles (well most of them) and I have countless recipies for different paint manufacturers, I have also read (and understood) the arguments that once faded, covered in dust\grime\dirt the colour takes on different appearances.

I have tried WEM, but they are indefinitely out of stock, and besides many articles I have read say that isn't right either.

I'm not great modeller, in the past my models have always resembled examples displayed in the seller's showrooms.

And to be honest, I'm not that OCD that I'm after the exact colour - as long as it is in the ball park (preferably with as little mixing as possible) that is good enough for me.

So what's my problem? Well I've tried a few mixes and have ended up with quite different results. For example .....

Humbrol 150, 159, 33 (5:2:2)

Humbrol 159,33 (8:1)

These come out very similar to each other, with my eye pretty much identical. They are a dark green that looks quite like this

Tamiya 61:62:3 (5:2:2)

This comes out very differnt to the Humbrol mixes, even to my eye. It is much lighter and more yellow and looks quite like this

I should add, that these aren't my models - if only, I can only dream of this sort of skill at the moment.

So two quite different colours that are both meant to be SCC 15.

Can anyone explain the difference and which one is most correct.

Many thanks and sorry again for dragging this subject up again.

Cheers,

Nigel

ps. I have a Churchill, Cromwell, Universal Carrier and 6 Pdr on the starting blocks.

pps. I should also add that I have visited Bovington Tank Museum recently in the hope of seeing both SCC15 and SCC2 in the flesh. One of the historians based there was kind to spend some time with me but he concluded that I shouldn't rely on the colours of tanks in museums or on display. In many cases, restoration was done on a shoestring and painting done by cadets using whatever paint they had available. He said that attitudes are better these days, but paint schemes done in the 70s and 80s were particularly prone to this practice.

But I did take a ton of photographs so if any of the exhibits is accurate that is another way I could confirm the colour.

Edited April 20, 2011 by nheather

[Test Graham]

You don't state which sources you've used, but your two Humbrol mixes come from Mike Starmer's colour work for the MAFVA.

http://www.mafva.net/other%20pages/Starmer%20camo.htm

He describes the second as "a reasonable match" so it's no surprise they come out similar.

Unless you've found good reason to doubt his research, I'd suggest going with his work. Particularly as you've said that you aren't that bothered about precision.

[nheather]

The Tamiya mix is also described as coming from Mike Starmer (his book I believe) but I didn't see that first hand, it was reported second hand in one of the multitude of threads seeking an SCC15 mix using Tamiya.

Had I stuck to humbrol I would have been happy in my knowledge but I made the mistake of seeking an acrylic option (Tamiya as I have a load of these) and found this widely reported mix that purports to come from Mike Starmer but produces quite a different colour to the humbrol mixes.

Cheers,

Nigel

ps - yes I got the humbrol mixes from MAFVA.

Edited April 20, 2011 by nheather

[PDH]

To add to your confusion a Vallejo mix has been published for SCC 15 -

**Vallejo mix: SCC15 British Olive WWII** (by Alan Brown)

Mix equal parts of 70888 Olive Grey [092] + 70924 Russian Uniform WWII [094]

And Mike Starmer has a revised Tamiya mix and I quote from his post on Missing-Lynx

Tamiya SCC.15 again, new mix

Prompted by the recent enquiry about using Tamiya XF-81 as the British Olive Drab I procured a bottle a short while back and after some extensive trials came up with a more accurate rendition of the much loved (or loathed ) colour. I am pleased to tell that this is easier to make that the previous mix. 5 prts XF81 +1 prt XF58 + 1 prt 71. Thisis a fraction lighter than the standard which makes life a little easier for many no doubt.

In my view they are all probably correct (or close enough). Paint was applied in the field on many occassions, it weathered etc so two tanks were probably exactly the same colour.

I'm going with the Vallejo mix, a lot easier to put together for me!

[nheather]

Out of interest does the vallejo mix best resemble picture 1 or picture 2?

I need to settle on something soon because it is costing me a fortune buying paints I don't need (like Tamiya yellow XF-3).

I've never tried Vallejo but heard very good reports - I like the idea of the built in dropper. Problem is I don't know of any local shop that stocks them so I would have to buy online.

Cheers,

Nigel

[PDH]

Out of interest does the vallejo mix best resemble picture 1 or picture 2?

I need to settle on something soon because it is costing me a fortune buying paints I don't need (like Tamiya yellow XF-3).

I've never tried Vallejo but heard very good reports - I like the idea of the built in dropper. Problem is I don't know of any local shop that stocks them so I would have to buy online.

Cheers,

Nigel

I haven't actually mixed the paints yet Nigel, they only arrived the other day and I'm not ready to paint yet. Looking at the bottles I'd say they are closer to Picture 1, the two colours are green based, not much hint of brown at all.

Looking at the revised Tamiya mix constituents (again I haven't mixed or used yet) this is a very much green based mix so I'd say Picture 1 is closer to the currently accepted mixes anyway.

Good luck, a bit of a minefield this one........

Edited April 20, 2011 by PDH

[Paul-H]

Hi

I suspect SS15 is best treated the same as US Olive Drab & German Dunkelgelb.

There is no reliable examples avaiable to do an accurat colour match to, even original paint that has been hidden from view behind a stowage box or armour plate will still have faded from the day it was first painted.

I find its best just to find something close and accept that, especially if you are going to weather it in any way

That way for simple close colour matching you dont need too many pots of paint and can use for exable Tamiya Olive Drab for both late US & UK Olive Drab (SS15) with maybe a touch of brown added for early US Olive Drab and use Tamiya Dark Yellow for dunkelgelb with Tamiya Dark Green being used for anything painted in Deep Bronze Green. Once you add an oil filter and some weathering no one will realy be able to say its wrong.

Dont get too bogged down with these things that no one can answer and just enjoy your modelling is what I say.

Paul

Edited April 20, 2011 by Paul-H

[nheather]

Thanks for the advice.

As I said before I'm not that bothered about exact shades, I was just perplexed that the two example I gave are such different colours and was asking which one is most likely to be correct.

It sounds like the first one.

Cheers,

Nigel