I think this is the forum I want to place this request for advice. Does anybody know a source for paint suitable for a plastic model that will match GM Astro Blue Poly? I have been using Tamiya acrylics for the most part, along with the very occasional Testor’s enamel, but I really don’t do cars that often. I do have airbrush capability, although I’m not really good at it yet, but still learning. Thinking of building another car from my High School days.
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Well, I doubt there are pre-mixed modeller’s paints that will be an exact match, so a mix is likely in your future. It’s really going to be up to you to determine if a color mix matches, but some quick research on my part:
- There is apparently both a Chevy and a GM “Astro Blue” that are not identical.
- The GM Astro Blue I found referenced by a paint manufacturer here
- Using a color picker, I determined that the HTML code for that manufacturer’s approximation is #6C95AA, although that code is for the “clicked on the swatch” version, the “unclicked” version appears to be #6B94A9, which…yeah, is still pretty similar.
You can try searching manufacturers to see if you can make a blend to match, but I don’t know of many sites that will focus on modeller’s paints. This site looks at house paints, so maybe you could go get a swatch or a sample and try tweaking it, but I have no idea where to start using house paints for models. Plus, you’re missing the metallic element with this. Approaches to get that metallic element:
- You could start with a good base coat of a metallic silver, then spray very light - translucent - layers of other colors or blends to try to get that metallic aspect.
- You could try starting with decanted Tamiya TS-19 metallic blue and adding other colors to adjust.
It pains me to say this, but I’ve also heard that some AIs can provide mixing blends, so perhaps try that route. I have pretty close to zero interest in using AI for something like this, as I’ve done a bunch of (attempted) color matching and somewhat understand the science behind it, and I find it hard to believe that AI could really come close, in large part because I suspect AI will use “light” color mixing versus “pigment” color mixing, but who knows…maybe it could work?
Best of luck, let us know how you approach this. Could be super useful for others, and definitely could trigger a fun discussion here!
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When I do my car builds, I use this site then have NAPA do antest bottle of the said paint.
Just put in the said make, model and year and it’ll give you the exact code.
Happy Modeling,
Mike
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I like that idea, Mike. I don’t do car builds, so I never thought of that option. I imagine that a touch-up “brush bottle” would have more than enough paint, it would just require a good clear coat to get the shine.
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You can get it in whatever size bottle or spray you want.
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I think you are right about a touch up bottle having enough paint.
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If you have any interest it experimenting….. this is what AI says
- To match GM Astro Blue Poly using Tamiya acrylic paints, there isn’t an exact out-of-the-bottle match, but you can get very close with a mix.
Close Tamiya Acrylic Mix
Start with:
- Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue – 60%
- Tamiya X-4 Blue – 25%
- Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver – 10%
- Tamiya X-1 Black – ~5% (tiny amount to darken)
Why this works
Astro Blue Poly is:
- medium metallic blue
- slightly cool/darker tone
- noticeable fine metallic flake
The Chrome Silver adds the metallic flake, while the Sky Blue + Blue gives the base color. A touch of Black shifts it toward the slightly deeper GM shade.
Tips for a better match
- Spray over black primer to deepen the metallic look.
- If it looks too light, add a little more X-4 Blue.
- If it looks too dark, add more X-14 Sky Blue.
- Clear coat with Tamiya X-22 Clear or Tamiya TS-13 Clear for the automotive gloss.
Alternative (often easier):
Use Tamiya X-13 Metallic Blue as the base and slightly lighten it with X-14 Sky Blue. That gets surprisingly close with less mixing.
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Depending on what you have available in local stores, there may be other options you could consider. If you have a sample, you could try to colour match in person.
Micheal’s or other craft stores have multiple brands of craft paint and the colour palette is huge, you might find a match there. Another option is the gaming miniature paints from any of those manufacturers, very vibrant colours. Both of these options are mostly water based as well.
Automotive paint stores are getting harder to find these days. But if you can find one, get them to mix up a pint or quart of single-stage enamel using the factory color code you’re after. That’s the best way I know of to get a perfect match. As others have said, the touch-up paint bottles can be used. But you might need several to have enough. And in my experience, they contain more volatile solvents designed to evaporate more quickly, which might make airbrushing tricky.
Splash paints does custom colors and I have had great luck with them