Paint Color Cross Reference

[Bob in MO]

Hi, Newbie here.

 

I'm just starting on my first model, the MS 18th Century Long Boat 1:24.

I did not purchase the paint set that goes with this model.

But I do have a Hobby Lobby that is near by that carries Testors paints.

Does anyone know if there is a way to cross reference the MS paint colors to Testors'?

 

Thanks

[Bob Cleek]

I doubt anybody has taken the time (and expense) of producing a "translation" spread-sheet for these two brands. The last one I saw was for Floquil and another popular brand, which became available when Floquil (great stuff) went out of production. That one was obviously produced because the remaining brand wanted folks who couldn't get Floquil anymore to buy their product as an equivalent replacement. I doubt that has occurred with Model Shipways paints which aren't exactly everybody's favorite brand. 

 

It's often difficult to get exact paint matches. Different brands are rarely exactly alike, save for pure white and black. I'm not aware if "chip sheets" are available for model paints. (A "chip" is a piece of cardstock with the actual paint applied to it. These are commonly available in paint stores.) Most model paint companies only provide printed color cards. These are not entirely accurate, given  that the colors are produced by printer's inks, rather than the actual paint itself, as with "chips." Even worse, colors on a computer screen are almost never accurate when compared with the original color.

 

There's no guarantee that a "kit set" of colors is at all accurate. They only insure that your model will be the same color as everybody else's model whose paint came from the same batch, which may not be the same as the prototype's color, if that is even truly known. The best one can do is experiment and judge by eye. Even then, one person's ability to judge color will differ from another's depending upon their own physiology. (Many people are "color blind" to one degree or another.) Keeping in mind that most all paints will appear darker after drying, the best one can do is to get as close to where you want to get and live with that. "If it looks right, it is right."  Volumes have been written on "what looks right," and I'd recommend reading the fine article in the NRG's Shopnotes Volume II on selecting paint colors for ship models. That's the most scientific treatment of the subject of ship modeling colors I've ever seen.

[kurtvd19]

Bob is correct about the article in Shop Notes 2.

 

It was very costly to print this with accurate color chips and the original author of the article, Eric A. R. Ronnberg, Jr., was consulted and gave final approval of the reprint. 

 

In Shop Notes 2 it is 4 pages of text, 5 pages of color chips and two large photographs of models by Mr. Ronnberg with one model having three additional color chips specific to that model.  The text in SN2 has been shortened from the 7 pages in the original article.  

 

The original article in it's entirety is available on our CD set - The First 40 Years from the NRG store.  NRG members get 20% off the $74.95 price of the two disc set.

 

The article in PDF format can also be obtained by contacting the office - it is not available direct from the store at this time but if you tell Mary you want the article by Ronnberg on colors she will ask you to pay $2.50 and we can email you a PDF copy.  Be advised that your computer screen may not show the colors matching the printed colors in SN2.  So unfortunately if you want the full text you will need the PDF article from the Office and a copy of Shop Notes 2 for the actual color plates - also from the office or store.  The price of Shop Notes 2 is $35 - NRG members get a 20% discount saving $7.

 

If one is interested in the research and text the PDF copy might be all you need.  One quote from the article is "The specific colors must be treated as approximations -- randomly-chosen points, each within a range of shades to which a specific name was given"  so while the PDF colors might not match the color chips in Shop Notes 2 exactly, even they are approximations.  But if you are at all familiar with Mr. Ronnberg's work you know that his "approximation" is pretty darn close to right on.  It's a matter of how accurate you think your screen reproduces colors.

 

Kurt

 

 

 

[kurtvd19]

On 6/12/2019 at 8:51 AM, Bob in MO said:

Does anyone know if there is a way to cross reference the MS paint colors to Testors'?

I have seen a couple of paint charts comparing the various brands of paints to one another.  None of them cover all the model paints available and none of them cover the MS paints.  I am unable to find the copies I have of these charts - and I might have deleted them as they were essentially useless. 

Check out Chuck Passaro's build log of the original MS longboat kit to see the colors Chuck used.  He designed the original smaller scale MS longboat kit.  Best source you will find for the longboat.

Kurt

 

[Richmond]

You could purchase I Model Kit.