PAINT CONFESSIONAL

[Dr. Cranky]

I'm tired of looking at all my paints only to realize I am already bored with the color selection. Sometimes I mix my own colors, but where do you go for color (paint) inspiration?

Are there particular paints that call out to you, colors?

How do you keep from getting drab in your paint and color selections?

[Junkman]

I have an extensive collection of colour charts and sales brochures. I try to make my models 'typical' for their era and use old postcards or movie stills from www.imcdb.org for inspiration. Most of my models are modelled after some movie car, not necessarily the main protagonist's, but some background car I noticed and that grew on me.

Sometimes I buy sales brochures or old postcards just for a specific project and sell them on when I'm done.

I have a knack for turquoises and aquas and teals, so if a car was available in that sort of colour, I usually use it on my models. I also like greens and have a 76 Caprice in lime green metallic in the works.

Something like this:

Edited October 27, 2011 by Junkman

[MachinistMark]

my uncle is owner/operator of a body shop.

I get free run of any leftover paint he has.

[Dr. Cranky]

Lucky, you Mark.

And, Christian, I like the idea!

[MachinistMark]

yeah, i will admit its a pretty sweet deal. Since modern pearls and metallics ARE NOT cheap! the blue i put on my 48 ford came from his stockpile

[Dr. Cranky]

I have a friend in the industry but I hate to keep bugging him for new colors, etc . . .

[Jantrix]

Honestly, the color of any model isn't a huge issue to me. I generally have an idea of what color I want but close enough is fine. Granted I haven't moved up to airbrushing yet and with no decent place to paint, have been working with mostly flats anyway. So as I improve, this may change.

[LoneWolf15]

I'm tired of looking at all my paints only to realize I am already bored with the color selection. Sometimes I mix my own colors, but where do you go for color (paint) inspiration?

Are there particular paints that call out to you, colors?

How do you keep from getting drab in your paint and color selections?

[Dr. Cranky]

Donn, you quoted me but did not answer any of the questions. Did you mean not to? I would really love to hear your take on paint and colors.

[LoneWolf15]

Virgil ,

Maybe it's time to take a step back and think old school , enamels ! Testors has a well rounded spectrum of colors available , plus are easily mixed together to produce an even larger array .

Word has it that there is a new color line on the way for the enamel line . Using these colors for base coats , with an overlay of Jaquards pearls , might be just what you are looking for !

[The Creative Explorer]

I go with ideas per project, I keep imagining colors on the car till I find a combination that suits the project. In a rare occaission, especially when I go with a radical paint-scheme, I use photoshop. But mostly in my head.

This is also how my nick got born, since I tend to find new ways and try not to follow existing style's.

When I have the colors in my head, I order them, choose them from stock or mix them. Depends on the situation and what kind of paint I want to use.

[MikeMc]

I go the old fashioned way....Magazine....OK not just any rag, but I get the "Good Guys" gazette....They shoot all the good shows, runs, events, and contests. The size of the mag is HUGE....and loaded with all the colors and styles that you can think of.

http://www.good-guys.com/members/join.aspx

For $35.00 a year its a steal!!

[LoneWolf15]

Thanks to Mike Mc , the Pearl X powders were brought to my attention . A local art supply carried the entire set and I couldn't resist the temptation !

What intrigues me about them the most is that there are more than a few corresponding colors that can be blended together . When applied in misted coats between straight clear coats , they form a waiting array of color . The slightest movement of the eye or light causes the color to change and blend into another .

I always found the Chrome illusion paints of the '90's to be offensive to the eye . Brown to blue to green to purple just makes no sense to me at all .

These pearl additives are a whole diffrent story ! Violet to purple to blue , one example , is much more appealing to the eye for my sense of color rather than the aforementioned sequence . There are many more combinations that can be brought out in just this one set !

The micron size is perfect for 1/25th scale modeling , drawback being , it is very difficult to capture the full effect of the pearls spectrum with the camera .

[aarondupont]

Hey "Cranky One": I do primarily drag race cars. Nostalgia cars are my favorite, gassers, rails, SS etc. I subscribe to Hot Rod Deluxe, Car Kulture Deluxe, Old School Rodz, and a few others. These give me inspiration. I also have a large library of automotive books. And of course car shows and nostalgia drag races also inspire me. Sometimes I'll start a project and let the build dictate the color/colors. I try not to wear out a color. Although a certain silver metallic color kept me busy for awhile. I've had to hide the color from myself. Today I spent 30 minutes at Hobby Lobby looking at (and buying some) Wicked colors and the Creative brand. They have super nice pearls, transparents and such. Last night I started a 51 Willys gasser project. Somehow I pictured it as orange. This morning I was watching "My Ride Rules" on Speed. A fellow had a tangerine orange pearl impala. That's the color I bought today for the Willys. Hoped that helped! Aaron Dupont

[58 Impala]

I just happened to go to a local beauty supply store with my wife, they had these large racks of nail polishes. The large variety of colors and pearls was very inspirational. The bottles were larger than what you'd see in a box store, so one or two bottles would go a long way. I'm thinking about buying a couple of colors to try. I'll have tell you I got some funny looks from some of the clerks and customers in the store, until my wife and I explained my interest in nail polish.

Edited October 27, 2011 by 58 Impala

[Dr. Cranky]

Donn, thanks for the tip, and I think I will start trying some of this stuff out. I've never been a big fan of enamels, but maybe I can get better at them. Break out the dehydrator!

[MachinistMark]

yeah, ive always HATED enamels, i used lacquers for ages, but now that i have an air brush and a compressor, ive been using Dupont chromabase base clear paints, that stuff literally dries in about 10 minutes

[brett]

Nine times out of ten, the color is picked as well as the way the cars is going to be built before I get the kit . Only a small percentage of my stash, maybe 10 out of the 270 odd hasn't been decided on (usually picked up cause it was a good buy read cheap). As for the color selection, its amazing how much a couple coats of similar (or radically different) nail polish can do to the same basecoat color. The key is experimentation (of which, you are the master Virgil) , a pack of a hundred plastic spoons is cheap, doesn't use much paint to cover, I'll try and take a pic of mine this afternoon.

[LoneWolf15]

Virgil,

Cut it with cheap laquer thinner I use a 2 to1 , paint to thinner ratio . It flashes out pretty quick and tight . I know you're in Florida , but from what I've see in the photos of your shop , it appears that you're painting in a temperature controlled environment . If so , humidity won't be a factor .

Seems that is always the biggest gripe / myth. , enamels never dry ! Use the cheap laquer thinner and they will , real quick !

Maybe working on the shiny side of the fence for awhile might open up the horizons even more so with the enamels !

[Dr. Cranky]

It never occurred to me to do it this way, wow, another great moment here. Thanks, Donn.

Oh, what clear can I use over the lacquer/enamel base coat?

[Psychographic]

As for idea's, you can't beat mother nature for color combo's. Try looking at some salt water fish, the ones that live on reefs, Do a search for Regal Angel, Flame Angel, Clown Triggerfish, Flasher and Fairey Wrasses, you'll get the idea. Corals are another good source, butterflies, tropical birds. etc.

As for drying times with enamels, have you thought of adding a hardener? Tractor supply sells a 1/2 pint of Valspar hardener for about 16 bucks. I use this with my lettering enamels and it dries in a fraction of the time compared to not using it. I'm guessing most model enamels are very similar to my lettering enamels.

As mentioned before laquer thinner will also speed up the drying time. If you don't like the LT idea, Dupont 3812S is the fastest reducer I've found for enamel that will still produce a gloss finish. Acrylic enamel reducers dry faster but it will dry satin most of the time.

I think the biggest problem with enamel is not the dry time, but the cure time.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Psychographic

[MikeMc]

It never occurred to me to do it this way, wow, another great moment here. Thanks, Donn.

Oh, what clear can I use over the lacquer/enamel base coat?

Donn told me....enamel..thinned the same...My clear enamel looks yellow, but I'm never doing white...so it won't show

[Dave Ambrose]

I'm probably an oddity, but I use mostly Model Master enamels. They work well for me. I have a "bake box" to speed drying. When I airbrush them, I thin them 1:1 with Testors airbrush thinner. The paint goes down thin and dries glossy. I've been using a Boyd colors lately, and liking them a lot. You can coat them with Wet Look Clear.

I'll have to try thinning it with lacquer thinner.That sounds like a good idea.

I do not like the enamel clear though. It really yellows the paint, and it gets worse with age. Testors sells their clear lacquer in a bottle and that seems to work well.

[59 Impala]

I use Testors enamels in the little jars and also the Pearl X powders mixed in clear or Future to paint. I agree with Donn Yost, but I use real car enamel reducer to thin my paints. They dry pretty quickly this way also. I just haven't gotten the nerve to try thinning with lacquer thinner yet. I also know a lot of others who thin enamels with lacquer thinner, I just haven't tried it yet. I will one of these days. Virgil, I use Future for my clear coat all the time and I haven't had any problems. Dan

[Dr. Cranky]

Excellent information, everyone. Now if I can only get some of these projects painted. We've been having some very weird weather, rainy and overcast, etc . . .