So I was surfing the web and stumbled upon this website and thought it would be wise to share. Since the demise of Polly Scale, we have talked off and on about what paint matches actually match the PS paints. Or what paint matches the prototype.
This is where this website is really cool. You can search paint brands by color, and even use a photo hosted online or upload to give suggestions. I’ve got this bookmarked for my next painting project!
OK now once in awhile a truly powerful tool is given to the modeler and this is one of them. I messed around with it for the St Maries river Railroad color scheme and it was just amazing. It shows the close matches from various different companies next you your search color for comparison. You scroll down the list for the closest matches. All you do is upload a picture and click anywhere on the picture and it will match that color. I moved around the picture to several places to account for variances in light and weathering to come up withe an average recording the closest colors each time until one stood out above the rest as a constant match.
Wow that is impressive, should be very useful, thanks!
Jerry
This is great, thanks for the find.
I just wonder, with the variables in photography, data compression and other factors, will the match really be close to what you want?
I have a project in mind (yes, another one) and I need to match the paint (or really closely approximate it), for this project.
Edit, I tried that site, and the dark, chocolate type brown on my subject, came back as smoke gray. The reddish orange had way to many “hits” for me to believe they all would match. But, it does give me a starting point. I also have the paint card sample for the Model master series of paints, so between that site and the paint cards I have, I just might be able to match the dark brown, the technicolor puke reddish orange and the non-descript buff/tan of my chosen subject.
David,
It’s got an interesting comparison tool that you can use when you adjust the paint color up or down. Also, I changed the setting of number of boxes (default is 5x5?) to a higher number gets a more interesting picture of what your trying to match.
It’s just another tool that I found quite interesting, but haven’t actually used it on a project.
Yeah David I had to use several photos to get a somewhat consistent standard. It wont be perfect but it does help. I don’t know if you noticed but it shows your picked color next to the suggested color and it ranges. So I have a good idea of what the real prototype looks like. so I could look at the varying options and determine which was the closest.
As an advice when comparing photos look for a section of paint that is bathed in bright indirect light. a dark day will foul it as will bright sun shinning on it.
Devon, I know, and I tried to get a good, even picture to work from. The issue is, the pictures I have found are scanned photographs from 30+ years ago. And the original photographs apparently weren’t all that great. I have some Polaroids I took of the subject in question, and my pictures, and memory, show that the colours were a bit more subdued. In the end, I am going to go with what I like, and some persnickety so n so that doesn’t like it can just go away. My model, my rules. But that site will be helpful as a starting point on choosing the colours to use.
I ended up choosing colors I “knew” were right. I mean after all I am always right(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Dang! All this time I’ve been using the rattle can isles at Home Depot, Ace or Lowes to match my colors. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
After looking at the brands of paint and wondering where they might be found … I didn’t bother bookmarking. I played with it and never found a match for any of the shades I picked…
Might be handy for you civilized folks but this desert rat is willing to settle for a rattle
can.
John
Civilized? Me? The guy who used to drive tucks barefoot. The guy who eats with his hand. The guy, who doesn’t use napkins, I use my sleeves. I think you have a wrong number there John.
Gee Whilikers! David, sounds like the Rooster talking for you there… If you don’t identify, then it wasn’t fer you, eh?
Drag yer knuckles all ya like, it’s fine with me. I still like you. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
John
I found every listed brand I looked for on Ebay. Just FYI if you see Federal Standard that isn’t a brand it is the US government’s color. But I did find many of the matches or close matches were a company called Vallejo which is from Spain I believe but they have some wonderful colors and can be found on Ebay. Also of use is it shows you the red blue green hue saturation and value. So you can create a paint chip to have it matched. Back in my model car days I was able to get a quart of auto paint mixed from chip but it wasn’t cheap. I am thinking though Lowes or ??? could do it in an enamel maybe?
Anyway it isn’t perfect and yeah if rattle cans work for you then by all means. I certainly am using far more rattle can paint now that I am in Large scale and am not looking to match exacting colors. But if you are looking to match a specific this is a great tool and like all tools they have their uses.
OK to take this one step further here is a website that will take the color values and the Hex (HTML) code of the color produced int he other site and match it to paint color wheels of different brands of paint. You type in the codes and they will spit out the four closest matches.
http://www.easyrgb.com/index.php?X=SEEK#Result
it gives you their formulas so they can mix it for you.
So for example I am maching this loco
I clicked on a section of the red I liked and in Craig’s program it have me a hex value of CC5642 or R 204 G86 B66. I then took that to the above program and typed in where it said HTML color the CC5642 and selected Sherman Williams Color (new) and hit start it gave me four of the closest matches of their paint with its name and code so I can go to Sherman Williams and have the spit it out for me. So used together I think a person can get very close provided one can find a suitable brand that can be mixed. That I would have to check on.
Another option in this is for creating decals and what not. It gives you the HEX code so it can be used in various drawing programs and decals cold be printed in the right colors.
The possibilities of this really are endless.
The crux of this is finding the right paint that the store can mix for you. I would think if you can get an enamel mixed to whatever color oyu want then your in bussiness.
Most big box stores and name brand paint stores offer custom paint mixes. Folks have reported taking their engine or car and having paint mixed to match. The tricky/lucky part is the sample pint can be all you need.
My fussy days were in On3, now close enough is good enough… Ah the freedom of freelancing.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I’m glad it’s helped you.
Devon, that ‘red’ looks more like mineral brown light.
John the happy Luddite.
For me I will be using it for custom colors for my roster as well as paint color for a 1:32 jeep that I had obtained from US Army CID at Long Binh Vietnam; put an engine and tranny in it and painted at our EOD building Bien Hoa air base; for a twin of the one we had. Our olive drab was more brownish than green and the charts have helped in paint selection.
I will also use in custom color choice in the PAZ logo for roster repaints.
John Caughey said:
Gee Whilikers! David, sounds like the Rooster talking for you there… If you don’t identify, then it wasn’t fer you, eh?
Drag yer knuckles all ya like, it’s fine with me. I still like you. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
John
I don’t drag my knuckles, but at the end of a long day I do walk kind of hunched over.
Guys, I can see where thees tools could be of great help. Years ago I was looking for just such a program. But, as has been discussed on other threads, the prototype colours varied somewhat, or a lot, depending on how many shops they had, and how many batches of paint they bought. So close enough is close enough for me, especially with a little weathering to help soften the colours a bit.
Don’t trust those stores that custom mix paint for you. I just painted my house in semi-gloss and they custom mixed 3 five gallon cans of paint as we went along. Every one used the same mix and every one was slightly different! Close but no cigar?
