Margaret Weitekamp, Malcolm Collum, and David Wilson
The Museum mixed the base color (hull gray-green) and painted the model before advisors Bill George and John Goodson of Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), as well as Kim Smith of Pulse Evolution, arrived on site. The detail paint colors used on the model were custom blended by Kim Smith. The final composition of those colors were adjusted slightly in intensity and hue to match historic images of the model.
We’ve provided the closest possible commercial matches to the actual colors identified on the model itself. Modelers will understand, though, that the appearance of any color will vary based on how it is applied (paintbrush, airbrush, etc.), how many coats are applied, level of gloss, how colors are juxtaposed, and under what lighting the final piece appears. And because colors need to scale with changes in size (smaller pieces need to be lighter than larger ones to achieve the same final look), the final choices for any application on a model will also depend on that model’s size. But this should be enough to get you started.
1) Production Hull Gray-Green; LAB: L 64.45 A -3.53 B 2.40, Approximate match: Benjamin Moore “Heather Gray” # 2139-40, Note: Actual match is less green and less yellow (chip currently available from Benjamin Moore).
2) Pilot Hull Blue-Gray; LAB: L 62.96 A -1.97 B -4.20, Approximate match: Sherwin Williams “Babbling Brooke” # HGSW 3364, Note: Actual match is slightly darker, and slightly less red.
3) Light Gray accent color; LAB: L 81.37 A -2.23 B -0.37, Approximate match: Pratt and Lambert “Nickel” #2232, Note: No adjustments needed (“Calibrated Colors IV” color deck).
4) Medium Gray accent color; LAB: L 66.89 A -0.55 B 3.99, Approximate match: Pratt and Lambert “ Half-tone” #2298, Note: No adjustments needed (“Calibrated Colors IV” color deck).
5) Dark Gray accent color; LAB: L 49.13 A -0.52 B 1.20, Approximate match: Pratt and Lambert
“Gettysburg” #2242, Note: No adjustments needed (“Calibrated Colors IV” color deck).
6) Yellow markings; LAB: L 79.72 A -10.24 B 56.78, Approximate match: FS 595B # 23785, Note: Actual match is slightly darker, slightly greener, and slightly less yellow.
7) Red markings; LAB: L 37.26 A 40.76 B 16.79, Approximate match: Valspar “Cut-ruby” #1009-4, Note: Actual match slightly less red and slightly less yellow.
8) Turbo Lift Green; LAB: L 46.63 A -5.39 B 5.09, Approximate match: FS 595B #34159, Note: Actual match slightly lighter, slightly less green and slightly more yellow.
9) Dorsal Aqua accent color; LAB: L 56.60 A -21.72 B -17.72, Approximate match: FS 595B #35275. Note: Requires thinning to a very transparent wash.
