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MRP paints and scale effect


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Shoot me! Never in my modelling life had I heard about "scale effect", but then again, I'm a complete noob.

I've recently switched to MRP paints, so it'd be quite interesting to learn something about this technique.

What's the proportion? What specific colours should be used? Could a filter be employed instead?

I'm about to shoot some EDSG on the Kinetic 1/48 SHar kit.

Thanks in advance, and excuse the noobness in me.

Cheers,

 

Gwen

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Hi,

 

As I understand it, it's about perceived distance. If your model is scale 1/48th, the colours would need to be toned down to appear as they would 48 times away in real life.

 

This is due, once again as I understand it, to moisture, dirt, what have you, in the atmosphere over that distance.

 

Net effect is that generally lighter colours are added to compensate - I am on thin ice here - add white to red and you get pink, but add a little white to SEA colours and you will get a much more convincing effect.

 

To me the darker the colours the more you need to compensate. I generally add around 50% white to 48th scale models.

 

For EDSG I would personally add loads of white - as often do what looks right to you.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Marc.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/26/2021 at 11:08 PM, serendip said:

Does anyone know if MRP paints are already compensated for scale effect?

 

MRP would not want to compensate their paints for scale effect because:

  1. People will complain that the colors coming straight out of the bottles don't match actual colors
  2. What scale should they compensate for? 1/16, 1/32, 1/35, 1/48, 1/72, 144?  If the paints are lightened for 1/144 scale, then the people who build 1/32 scale will need to darken the colors appropriately, which can be a real pain.

Basic rule of thumb:

  • 1/32 - add 7% white
  • 1/48 - add 10% white
  • 1/72 - add 15% white
  • 1/144 - add 23% white

 

Edited by RichardL
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3 hours ago, boom175 said:

If you look at "Some" of MRP's paint labels it will give the color then have (FADED) in parenthesis next to it. i.e. MiG-29 Grey-Green (FADED) ya got to look at each color description.

 

That's quite interesting, Craig! 

As I don't even imagine how on Earth I will ever manage to calculate that 10% needed to lighten paint in 1/48.

Will go check out the whole range of MRP paints online to see if I spot some of the paints which faded show in the label. Any reference number you can think of off the top of your head?

Thank you.

Cheers,

 

Gwen

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4 hours ago, boom175 said:

If you look at "Some" of MRP's paint labels it will give the color then have (FADED) in parenthesis next to it. i.e. MiG-29 Grey-Green (FADED) 

 

Based on my own personal experience, faded paints are actually "darker" than regular paints.

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The color coming straight out of the bottle is not as light/bright as its non-faded counterpart, at least from what I've seen from my AKAN acrylics.  In real life, green and gray tend to fade to slightly darker shades.

 

To lighten a color by 10%, you would add one part white or beige to 10 parts color.  For example, add 1 drop white to 10 drops dark gray.  It doesn't have to be drops of paint.  It can be milliliters, liters, fluid ounces, gallons, cups, or what have you.

 

1/10 = 0.1 x 100 = 10%.

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16 hours ago, Gwen Phoenix said:

As I don't even imagine how on Earth I will ever manage to calculate that 10% needed to lighten paint in 1/48.

 

Chances are you know how to calculate a 10% tip when you go to a restaurant.  If you order a $10 lunch, how much would the tip amount be if you plan to tip the waiter/waitress 10%?  It's the same math.

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On 12/21/2021 at 5:45 PM, RichardL said:

 

Based on my own personal experience, faded paints are actually "darker" than regular paints.

 

Faded paint (due to weathering, UV light, etc) and Scale Effect (due to scaled distance to subject) are two completely different things.

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7 hours ago, habu2 said:

Faded paint (due to weathering, UV light, etc) and Scale Effect (due to scaled distance to subject) are two completely different things.

 

This! Which is the origin of my puzzlement above. The faded greens I've spotted on the Argie Mirages (SEA camo), have all faded to lighter hues of them.

 

On 12/22/2021 at 1:09 PM, RichardL said:

Chances are you know how to calculate a 10% tip when you go to a restaurant.  

  

I'm afraid local waiters/waitresses won't serve your meals to you anymore if you tip them by the 10% figure next time you're spotted entering the restaurant. 

But how do you calculate the 10% of three drops of Olive Drab, approx?

Cheers,

 

Gwen

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