On very odd colours and their names...

[IanH]

Not surprising really.  I had a friend many moons ago who used to work in the Colour Department of a very large paint suppliers.  He often spoke of the local Workshops unit coming in to purchase relatively small quantities of paint for crash repairs.   He had a list of how to mix all the ADF colours.   He was also a modeller and wargamer and guess where he sourced all his paints from? 

On a similar note, I used to work with painted sheet metal - "Colourbond" we call it here and the names for some of the colours were equally ridiculous, more like the 'female' side of the chart Hobbes put up.  There were at least two, if not three shades of black within the range but each had a different name and each looked 'black' unless you were really looking.  Many of the colours could be easily mistaken for a similar colour unless you actually put that colour against it and then the difference was surprisingly apparent.

Regards,

Mav

Put Chaos Black, Nato Black & Coal Black together!

[IanH]

I'm currently rushing to finish a group build entry, and it involves RAF Light Slate Grey. Upon applying the paint to the model, I have quickly discovered that it isn't in fact grey at all, but in fact a fairly dark green. The profiles I'm working from show it as a light grey with a slight green tint.

Question the First: Is this correct? Is Light Slate Grey in fact green? Or have Xtracrylix got it completely wrong? Did it vary widely (or at all) from batch to batch or weather horribly quickly to an actual grey colour?

Question the Second: If it is indeed the right colour, then why in blue blazes is it called "Light Slate Grey" and not something more appropriate?

When I did my Spitfire floatplane I gave it the Slate Grey/ XDSG camo which at the beginning was in a flat/matt tone , and the slate grey sort of looked grey with a tinge of green.  That was until I gave the paint a coat of clear gloss before the decals went on, then it turned to this colour.



The problem though is afterwards, a coat of clear flat/matt didn't turn it back to it's original hue

What brand paint do you use KN?

[pyro-manic]

Thanks for all your thoughts, chaps. I will be hitting this model very hard with the weathering hammer to get it looking more like the profiles I've been working from. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any colour photos of the original subject, so I can't get an "accurate" ( ) idea of the colour. Still, I think in future I will just choose a paint that looks right rather than the "accurate" colour.

[Taiidantomcat]

I think in future I will just choose a paint that looks right rather than the "accurate" colour.

Can't go wrong that way! Awesome paint on that model too  It looks great whether by accident or design those are some wonderful colors

[PR19_Kit]

You may not believe the explanation, but here it is:
When the RAF were casting around for their new Camouflage colours, they actually referred to a decorators handbook in existence at that time - Sky, Duck Egg Blue and o de Nil were Georgian House Colours, likewise Slate Grey - BS381c actually pulled them all together and standardised the mixes.
On a side note, Hemp originally came from the Dulux Catalogue!

Don't even ask where 'Barley Grey' comes from. It's got nothing to do with the colour of barley...........

[pyro-manic]

It is at least grey though...

[Radish]

"Barley Grey" is named after the chap who invented the colour/shade.

[JayBee]

Indeed yes, but it is no longer called that as British (English?) policy is that anything a civil servant does should not be named for them!

[IanH]

Thanks for all your thoughts, chaps. I will be hitting this model very hard with the weathering hammer to get it looking more like the profiles I've been working from. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any colour photos of the original subject, so I can't get an "accurate" ( ) idea of the colour. Still, I think in future I will just choose a paint that looks right rather than the "accurate" colour.

Mix a bit of Sky into the SG...

[jcf]

I wouldn't worry about too much about matching profiles, as they are by their nature an artist's impression.

[pyro-manic]

Naturally. But when using a profile for inspiration, it would be nice if the colours named were somewhere close-ish to what the profile looks like. Rather than entirely different, ie GREEN instead of grey.

[jcf]

Naturally. But when using a profile for inspiration, it would be nice if the colours named were somewhere close-ish to what the profile looks like. Rather than entirely different, ie GREEN instead of grey.

... which means that the profile artist got it wrong, not the paint standards.

[kitnut617]

What brand paint do you use KN?

Humbrol enamels, thinking back I seem to remember that the XDSG was a satin hue, but the slate grey was definitely a matt/flat hue.

[kitnut617]

Awesome paint on that model too  It looks great whether by accident or design those are some wonderful colors

Thanks tdt

[IanH]

What brand paint do you use KN?

Humbrol enamels, thinking back I seem to remember that the XDSG was a satin hue, but the slate grey was definitely a matt/flat hue.

I reckon you got a duff batch - after Humbrol changed their formula to cater more for Airbrushing, they caused more problems than enough...
I use Xtracrylix from Hannants - being Gloss, they don't need any prep for decalling.