I somewhat disagree with the notion that the original color does not matter because weathering techniques change it. The whole point of weathering techniques is to greatly increase the number of colors on the model to make the project more interesting to the viewer. However, weathering methodologies vary widely. If a modeler goes full Goblin Mode (Spanish School, which it actually is not) on a project then the base colors are almost irrelevant because the final project looks like a work of fantasy. In this case I agree that the base color does not matter. However, if using a methodology intended to produce a realistic looking vehicle, starting with the wrong base color will very probably result in something that looks very obviously wrong.
Please note, I am not saying that one way or the other is right. I am saying that if you are going for certain results, the base color matters.
And here I thought that the point of weathering was to replicate what happens to the subject in real life. Not adding more color or making it more interesting, but capturing that moment of time and place in miniature. At least thatâs my own two cents approach nowadays.
And yes, the base color matters, but add in that layer of dust and it gives some leeway.
In my opinion, a lot of weathering algorithms are more about artistry than accuracy, both in the mind of the modeler and the actual result.
I am not arguing that only one color will work for an accurate representation. Variations in hue and saturation alone allow for extensive variation. I am suggesting that many base colors stray so far from reality that individuals with knowledge of the subject will perceive that color as an error. This presumes the model is not covered in so much dust and mud that the base color becomes irrelevant.
In my opinion, anything does not go. There are limits.
In my own case, I continue to stray far from reality, as I perceive it, in pursuit of artistry. It is a conscious decision.
I get it. I will say from real life experience around in service and stored military hardware there can be lots of variety to the same color or color scheme, depending upon the length of service time for the item. Iâve seen so many varieties of Forest Green/Dark Green FS 34079 or CARC Sand FS 33446, that I donât mind the differences in them that inevitably occur between hobby paint companies. They kind of spice things up just a bit even before any weathering is added. And yes there certainly are limits to what works, what is close enough, and what is way out of bounds.
And unless youâre building strictly for contests or somebodyâs commission specifications, the only person who has to be happy with the colors used is yourself.
Everything you write is true. Trying to find an exact match for any paint is really tough. I regularly read disagreements between amateur historians, some of whom put in a lot of effort to track down manufacturing specifications and original color chips. I would love to interview the people at various companies responsible for paint formulations to gain an understanding of exactly why they did what they did when it comes to a specific paint colors like Olive Drab and Panzer Gray.
It seems like matching paint colors for modern vehicles is even more difficult because they often serve for two to five decades.
Your last sentence is where all discussions of correct paint colors always end. Each modeler must do what he of she feels is most appropriate.
If I had any wisdom, I would have steered clear of this discussion entirely.
âFeldgrau and Dunkelbraunâ ?
Is there any evidence of Feldgrau being used for camouflage - apart from some colour photos that look greenish?
The official orders mandated Dunkelgrau and I donât see why anybody would deviate from that, especially to use a paint that was normally applied to small items of equipment rather than vehicles.
(And letâs not say âPanzergrauâ. There was no paint with that name.)
When you buy a kit, donât you want it to be accurate? Donât you want it to have the right number of wheels and the correct proportions? When a kit comes out, why is everyone scrambling for reviews, anxious to hear of a kitâs shortcomings and excited about forthcoming correction sets?
Because we want our model to be as highly accurate as possible.
No one sits down to build a bad model.
Shouldnât color be held to as high a standard of accuracy as detail?
If you are throwing dust or mud on a model, shouldnât it appear dusty or muddy perfect Dunkelgrau?
In every other aspect of model building we constantly strive to reach every category of perfection.
Color should be no less considered.
You can buy a half-dozen different manufacturers of âDunklegrauâ, all will claim something like âofficialâ, or âauthenticâ, color, and all will be different! So much for âa high standard of accuracyâ when it comes to color!
And what makes any one person (or manufacturer) an âauthorityâ, or âexpertenâ on a color? Itâs all a matter of opinion; and anyoneâs opinion is as good as anyoneâs elseâs.
(Within reasonable parameters)
I would think the best guess would be grey and brown, since that is what the Armyâs documentation instructs units to do. Since colors cannot be derived from black and white photos, itâs mostly all we have to go on, other than a very small number of original color photos.
Real paints have variations in manufacture but these are within relatively narrow limits. The variations from application differences, fading, environmental exposure, weathering, and so on can vary widely in their effect but the result will be something like a bell-shaped curve around a determinable starting point. It is not the free-for-all that âOnce you start weathering, fading, and dirtying your vehicles, the discussion of âperfect colorsâ goes right out the window!â implies (or more commonly, attempts to excuse).
While it may not be possible, necessary, or healthy (!) to try and establish a perfect color, a good starting point can be found. It is wrong from the viewpoint of trying to make a realistic replica to adopt a line of thinking that could easily be used to justify applying battleship gray as a starting point for painting a Panzer I model.
If you donât care that much about it and just want to use the labeled color from your favorite line of paint, go ahead, itâs your model. But please, Please, donât try to rationalize your decision by dredging up a bunch of gobbledgook attempting to prove that doing nothing is right and working to do better is wrong. Just say nothing or âI did it this way because it was simplerâ and move on.
Research, presentation of the research with proper citations, and verification of the research by third parties. Historical research works exactly like any other form of scientific inquiry.
For example, let us say there are two people talking about Panzer Gray (Dunkelgrau) as used in World War II. The first person claims to have looked at over 100 color period photographs and concludes that Dunkelgrau varied greatlyâalmost any gray will do. The second person searched German military document archives and found specific orders for the adoption and use of Dunkelgrau. He then went to the paint manufacturers of that color and found documents specifying how it was to be manufactured. He also found period paint chips. This person then went to a number of tank museums where he worked with museum personal restoring real German tanks from the period. They sanded away old paint to find the original Dunklegrau and took samples. These samples were subjected to spectrograpic analysis and RGB values obtained. The second person can cite specific documents, paint samples, and expert witnesses. A number of third party researchers have independently confirmed all the sources, samples, and witness testimony of the second person.
Between those hypothetical two people, the second has a far greater claim to authority on the subject of Dunkelgrau.
Historic research requires uncovering and assembling many small bits of data to establish a probable reality. That probable reality is then subject to revision as more data becomes available. Right now, there is a lot of good data to suggest that Dunkelgrau and Dunkelbraun are very specific things applied in specific ways for a specific period of time to very specific vehicles.
Model paint manufacturers base their colors onâŚsomething. For modern colors, they can obtain paint chips of Federal Standard colors and try to match those. The RGB values of all Federal Standard colors are easy to obtain. For World War II and other period paint colors, with exact characteristics subject to historical research, things become more murky and so we see more variation. Paint manufacturers obviously make a best guess at these things. In some cases, research provides updated information showing certain colors to be wrong but paint manufacturers do not update their colors accordingly.
Model builders are often stuck in a sort of limbo, unsure what color to use because paint research is ongoing and experts contradict one another. Many throw up their hands and declare, âWhatever! I just want to paint my model!â That frustration is understandable. Iâve certainly done it.
In the case of Dunkelgrau and Dunkelbraun, enough research has been done to have fairly high confidence in what those colors were and how they were used. Unfortunately, not all paint manufacturers have used that latest research to update paint formulations. I doubt the matter will be settled in my lifetime.
I often enjoy the work of individuals pursuing an artistic goal over a historic goal. When such a person claims his tank, which looks like it just rolled out of a Thomas Kinkade painting, is historically accurate, I will disagree, which is pretty much how I became involved in this discussion. At least I will spell dunkel correctly for a whileâŚ
I never claimed ANY gray color would do; and I did use the term âwithin reasonable parametersâ, and that includes from charcoal gray (maybe a little dark - but some will claim Dunklegrau was very dark) to dark gray, but then there are variations on both that result in several brands of âauthenticâ colors.
If I were a paint manufacturer I would never, ever, under any circumstances label my products with âUnauthenticâ or âTotally Bogus made up by our colour blind employeeâ.
