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What shade is “TARDIS Blue”?

Started by ThymeLorde, Nov 04, 2018, 06:02 pm

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ThymeLorde

Nov 04, 2018, 06:02 pm Last Edit: Nov 04, 2018, 06:48 pm by ThymeLorde
Hey, everyone. I couldn't find any sort of reference like this on here, so I figured I'd make one and ask. (Scarfwearer, if there already is a topic on this matter, please feel free to either delete this topic or move it to the other one. Thanks)

Do we have any sort of established shades of blue that match up to the various props? I know that sounds like an idiotic question, since there were so many different shades of blue used throughout the show, not to multiple shades on the prop at one time, but I still felt that it was a good question to ask, and could provide good reference for others looking to make their own TARDISes.

I'm looking for a shade that would match the Season 18 variant of the Tom Yardley Jones TARDIS in particular, but if anyone has reference for the other props, please feel free to post it.

Thanks!

8E954BB2-0EF4-4E83-969D-C4B9EF94A04C.jpeg7A1A0EC2-6982-463B-9124-75A26F442355.jpeg
"An apple a day keeps the... no, never mind."

shane spangler

I have no wisdom on this- just had to say, I never realized the Tardis looked so beat up in "State of Decay". But then, Tom and Lalla were fighting a lot during the filming, so perhaps that was taken after one of their arguments.  Hard to believe it was a brand new prop.
Shane Spangler

Scarfwearer

Take a look here: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?board=90.0

I don't think we have anything definitive - it's a surprisingly difficult question to answer.
Are you looking for an RGB value? or a named paint chip from a given manufacturer of paint? Or something else?

ThymeLorde

Quote from: Scarfwearer on Nov 04, 2018, 08:09 pm
Are you looking for an RGB value? or a named paint chip from a given manufacturer of paint? Or something else?


Preferably a paint chip. I'm trying to gather info and reference for a little mod that brenk9carter is doing for me. I'm trying to track down adequate reference for the S18 TARDIS, as he's modding my old CO Hartnell TARDIS for me. I'm also thinking about maybe building my own scale model of the box in the near(ish) future.
"An apple a day keeps the... no, never mind."

Scarfwearer

The difficulty is that every paint manufacturer has their own system, and their own selection of cutely named fashionable colours - none of which will match your desired Tardis colour.

What I did was to get a flat shade from a good photo by blurring it, printed that off, corrected the printed colour until it matched what I started with on screen (because printers and screens rarely match, and my printer printed it way too dark), then I took that to the paint shop on paper and had them do a computer colour match for me. So I ended up with a bucket of custom paint.

ThymeLorde

That sounds great. And expensive.

Why does accuracy always have to cost so damn much?  :'(

But seriously, thanks for the help so far. If you (or anyone else) knows colors similar enough to S18 TYJ Blue, please let me know. I'd be really appreciative.  :)
"An apple a day keeps the... no, never mind."

mverta

Nov 05, 2018, 05:07 am #6 Last Edit: Nov 05, 2018, 07:43 am by mverta
Just remember:





The TYJ was also completely repainted different colors twice during s18 alone. 

Scarfwearer

Nov 05, 2018, 01:33 pm #7 Last Edit: Nov 05, 2018, 01:40 pm by Scarfwearer
Quote from: ThymeLorde on Nov 05, 2018, 01:56 am
That sounds great. And expensive.

Why does accuracy always have to cost so damn much?  :'(

But seriously, thanks for the help so far. If you (or anyone else) knows colors similar enough to S18 TYJ Blue, please let me know. I'd be really appreciative.  :)


I went to an independent local paint shop, and I don't think the custom colour matching added to the cost. Unless you pick a common colour they're going to be mixing it for you anyway from the name on the paint chip.

Which brands of paint do you have available? They're not interchangeable.

For example:
I think I painted my first Tardis in a Behr paint called "Carbon Blue" (if I remember right - it was about 20 years ago). But even if another manufacturer has that paint name, it probably won't be the same colour. There's also no guarantee that today's Behr "Carbon Blue" is the same colour it was then, or that they even still have a paint chip by that name. I wasn't particularly going for a TYJ colour then - just something Tardisy that I liked.

For the early TYJ You probably want an RGB value something like RGB(80,108,160) but if you take that into a paint shop they'll just look at you... Pantone 7683C looks reasonably close to me on my screen. But I don't think most paint shops can do much with a Pantone number either.
The chances are that it will look too light or too dark or fail to match photos of the prop in some other way, as the match is from a scan of a photo of an outdoor lit prop - not from a sample of its actual paint. Mike's video above talks much more about that.

This is especially relevant to me at the moment because I will be painting a TYJ in the reasonably near term future, hopefully... But with British paint.

I think generally we observe that the colour never looks the same from photo to photo or scene to scene even between repaintings of the prop, so we usually just pick something that looks close, and/or that we subjectively like. There doesn't seem to be a clear 'right' answer.

Probably the best we could do is if you tell us what paint manufacturer you're going with we could make some suggestions based on their online colour charts. e.g. Dulux "Lost Lake" or Leyland "Distant Blue". But what looks close on screen may not look so good when painted.
You may have to experiment.

Volpone

lol.  How to get an accurate TYJ TARDIS blue?  Got to paint store.  Buy a sample size of every shade of blue they have and paint it all the colors, one on top of the other. 

I'm joking of course, but only just a little.  One of the nice things about my old paintjob was how I wouldn't get the best coverage or I'd miss a spot and bits of the old blue would poke out from underneath. 
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and a pair of waders, and possibly the most fearsome piece of hand artillery in all England. What could possibly go wrong?"
-The Doctor.

ThymeLorde

Nov 06, 2018, 03:57 am #9 Last Edit: Nov 06, 2018, 04:15 am by ThymeLorde
Quote from: Scarfwearer on Nov 05, 2018, 01:33 pm
Probably the best we could do is if you tell us what paint manufacturer you're going with we could make some suggestions based on their online colour charts. e.g. Dulux "Lost Lake" or Leyland "Distant Blue". But what looks close on screen may not look so good when painted.
You may have to experiment.


Well, for now, I'm only worrying about finding a good paint for the 1:13 CO model. Like I said, I'm working on gathering reference for brenk9carter, and he's said that some of the paints he's looked for are Revell and Humbrol brand. I'm not quite sure what brand of house or craft paint are popular or widely available in England, but once I find out, I'd look through some colors that I could find.

Looking at the Humbrol color chart (the one listed as Enamel Matt Colours) I had my eye on RAF Blue, WWI Blue, and Azure Blue (96, 109, and 157, respectively).

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As for the Revell paints, their RAF Azure Blue (first under the "WWII US/United Kingdom" column) seems a decent match, if a little more grey than I'd like.

14627F01-03E6-4612-94F7-7C7F0AF6F0EA.jpeg

As for over here in the States... I'm not quite sure about brands, since I haven't actually gone and checked. When (if) I get around to building my own, it would probably be 1:6 or 1:4 scale. I'm not sure what paint brands would look the best on something that size, since some paint goes on thicker than others. Although, I suppose Sherwin-Williams, Valspar, Golden, and Behr are probably some good paint brands to pick from over here.

Colour matching is hard. Like you and mverta said, there's so many variables that factor into the color of TARDIS Blue. Bren and I will probably have to do further research and color sampling.

If you could give me a list of a few widely available house or craft paint brands in the UK, I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks!
"An apple a day keeps the... no, never mind."

markofrani

I made this model quite a few years ago now where I used a mix of Humbrol matt 25, 89 and 109.
Can't remember the exact amounts, so it would have to be trial and error I'm afraid...

TYJ.jpg

evil bob

The blue for my TYJ looks different in every shot.
FB_IMG_1534164596510 (1).jpgIMG_20180916_113234305.jpggold.jpg

karsthotep

I am also in agreement with the multiple colors approach. Its not really a single color but washes of different blues and even black, I think I have seen a bit of green in there at times.   I think the multiple colors approach gives a better representation of what the TARDIS looks like rather than a plain single color.  My TARDIS is Cardiff blue, but I'll be giving it washes of blacks and other blues to give it a more authentic hue. 
I want notes, lists and answers by the time I finish this here Juicy-a-Box! WARNING: I am Thirst-ay! And it is Fruit Punch! And it is Delicious!"

fivefingeredstyre

Same box, same colour, different locations...

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IMG_8497_zps0okupjhw.jpg

IMG_8495_zps5fc5hz7n.jpg

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021_zpsxipttadl.jpg

Blue is a real bugger to show off correctly on camera...

From memory I used Vallejo Prussian Blue as a base and then gave it a few subtle coats of Blue Grey on top and dark grey weathering




ThymeLorde

Nov 08, 2018, 10:37 pm #14 Last Edit: Nov 08, 2018, 10:39 pm by ThymeLorde
Thanks, markofrani, evil bob, and fivefingeredstyre for posting those lovely images. They all really highlight the problem I'm trying to solve  :P . And thanks also for the paint color references. markofrani, I really think you had it close with the mix of those three colors. It had that  "washed out blue" look I'm really going for.

And, karsthotep, my question was less about finding the TARDIS Blue, but rather finding what would be the best base coat. I'm aware of how tricky it is to find that "perfect" color. Perhaps I should have worded my original question better. But, with this topic, I was hoping to see if others who had attempted TYJ builds had found "satisfactory" shades of blue, and maybe find out what colors they used. To everyone who posted reference pictures or helpful comments, I thank you.

(Side note - I absolutely love seeing photos of the box, whether in full size or in model form. Amazing craftsmanship on all of them, really. I hope to someday achieve a build that looks half as good as yours. And to karsthotep, even though you didn't post a photo of your box in here, I want to say that your box is lovely too. I love looking at people's builds, no matter what box they're based off of, no matter what size they are, or what material they're made out of. Seeing the familiar blue box always fills me with joy  ;D .)
"An apple a day keeps the... no, never mind."