Thank you Ian for your query, I will try and explain something, that to be honest I'm really not quite sure how I do in the first place..!
The main problems are twofold:
Firstly (The bit I do know something about): Nothing in this world is quite what it seems, and oddly, we get so used to identifying everything around us in a particular way, that we fail to notice - or even deliberately ignore things that might challenge that understanding.
What I mean, is that colour doesn't exist - at all, or indeed anywhere else in the entire universe - except inside our own brains. It is merely our individual response to varying wavelengths of radiation - the visible (spectrum) bit we refer to as "light".
The most troublesome part is the fact that every "colour" that we see changes, sometimes radically depending on, amongst other factors, our particular viewpoint - or location in that universe.
A prime example is grass. We all "know" what it looks like, and most of us have a pretty good idea in our minds, and could easily recognise what colour it is. So what is it then?
Each blade is not opaque, but translucent. Some "light" shines right through it, some is disturbed during it's journey and refracted by it's cellular and chemical structure, and some is so disrupted that we regard it as "absorbed", but then, because the stuff has a fairly smooth outer surface, light is also reflected - bouncing unobserved off into the ether - unless of course that is, you or I just happen to get in the way. Another significant point is that natural light is by no means pure, and also includes a myriad of wavelengths similarly refracting and reflecting off everything else in the vicinity!!
It should follow, that if you stand in the middle of a lawn, and on any type of day, rotate yourself from north through to south, the colour will inevitably change.
It does.
The problem is that our brains refuse to accept, and seem to automatically compensate for that variation on the basis of a "lifetimes worth of accumulated knowledge". That is quite understandable, bearing in mind the simple fact that none of us can occupy two places at the same time, and will therefore never have the opportunity to challenge such an alterative notion of reality. We just willingly or perhaps even wilfully accept that "things are the way they are".
Grass is what grass does, but paint will never, and cannot ever be anything other than paint. For sure, it certainly wont be anything like real grass!
If any "experts" ever claim to have mixed a paint, ink or a dye shade, and have the temerity to call it "Grass Green", they must be regarded as (at worst, if they are charging money) conmen and charlatans, and at best; either just fooling themselves, or be one of many artists and modelmakers that have learned how to fool everyone else !!
The above statement referring to that specific green equally applies to all other materials on this planet - and in part includes railway paint liveries, but predicting an inevitable avalanche of brickbats heading in my direction anyway, I'll not visit that subject, this time.
Here is, (at last?) the second part of the problem:
How do we fool the eye into believing that silver paint might actually be genuine steel. Simple answer: We can't !!
Steel, cooked and slightly tarnished, lightly rusted and, or smothered with an oily film is the only possible option - and even then it involves a high degree of subterfuge.
Trial and error (an awful lot of) has led me to this formula, but I stress that it only applies to the Humbrol enamel range currently available. I cannot say whether similar pigments in any alternative products will provide anything like the same effect.
View attachment 142414
The colours on the palette, and the prime ingredients are: Matt 33; "Black", Matt 98; "Chocolate Brown" and Gloss 191; "Chrome Silver". Metallic 11; "Silver" is used later for highlighting.
Referring back to earlier posts; the aim is to blend the chrome silver, brown and a tiniest amount of black for the overall effect, using only a bit of additional black in the mix for nooks and crannies - or areas where dirty oil and grime might tend to accumulate.
View attachment 142415
If possible, finding a genuine sample of the material to work from is preferable, but
please beware!
Do remember my point that any colours will change according to the viewing angle, so even this can be highly misleading. You must therefore choose one facet, and rigorously stick with it!
View attachment 142416
I have indicated some areas on my palette where I was reasonably happy with a match.
The most important (clincher in fact) is a final dry brushing of the outer edges with the number 11 Silver. It provides a perfect "twinkle" on what is otherwise a generally muddy background, and as you can see, is just what happens on most metal objects - including my sample in the above image. I suppose that as it is only a very thin line, there is not enough of the highlighter to betray the fact that it is only paint, rather than real metal?
The next part is also critical:
The overall mix, despite the metallic content, might be a good match for colour, but does lack "Lustre"!
Beware, beware! any temptation to use a spirit based varnish! I have found to my utter despair, that such stuff has an occasional tendency to soften and lift some of the tiny reflective particles in the silver paint and distribute an unwanted "glitter" all over a carefully blended piece of work!
I always wait for a few days for the enamel to harden off, then apply a safe, water based,
Satin varnish to finish.
View attachment 142427
View attachment 142426
Ronseal; "Antique Pine" applied in at least one coat (or more until the preferred effect is reached) that is to my eye a pretty good representation of a yellowish, brown mineral oil for items that would normally be expected to be smothered with.
The ordinary "Clear Satin" variety still works well for a surface that we might imagine had been recently cleaned.
Although "other brands are available", I feel compelled to repeat that the recommended ingredients are the only ones that I have had any experience with.
I do hope this post might prove to be useful?
Pete.
