Old school here, would prefer to work with what I know well. Realizing the MM Dunkelgelbs are a tad green, is there a suggested mix using MM to get closer to the proper shade? (whatever that might be).

I believe, MM Afrika Braun '41 #2099 enamel may be what you are looking for. MM Dunklegelb acrylic is very yellow. If you have the ability to use Tamiya acryls, you will want to use Dark Yellow #XF-60. I can't help you on a custom mix, without knowing which color you are speaking of and what you are trying to represent. Have you taken into consideration that the weathering will change the color of the paint?

I was referring to the MM enamel, Dunkelgelb 43. It is very green to my eye. Not even close to XF-60. I'm after the base yellow for German armor. I have access to Tamiya, but I like to work in a more familiar medium.

Hope this helps. It is an actual paint chip.



You can see that it is rather green.

It is indeed! Thanks Matt!

I might shift the color a little though...maybe add Interior Buff or Afrika Braun to the DG...

Yep. You have to remember, the color will look slightly different in 1:35.

For whatever little it may be worth:

"Real" examples of 65+ year-old dunkelgelb "chips" are still fairly numerous - relics, such as Matt has imaged, include old vehicles, jerrycans, tools, towed guns, and various parts. The primary observation I may offer concerning these is that there seem to be many shades and nuances to this color, and even though it is/was a RAL standard color with some set formularies, there seems to have been some considerable variation among manufacturers, dates, lots and batches. And the stuff does not all age the same, and relics have "enjoyed" many different experiences over the years. And of course cameras, film, digital memories all include and involve the habits and foibles of the photographers and the circumstances of the image. Let's keep in mind that big lie about how "the camera/photgraph never lies"!

Suffice to say, I think that you can be pretty safe with tinkering with the colors a little until you are pleased... as you note, different current model-paint makers have different interpretations of that color. And I would not take up much cudgel for any specific brand or lot as being "the RIGHT color". And as Matt mentioned, scale may influence perceptions, and how you weather it will matter, too.

Last: I like the ModelMaster enamel version, but mix it with some light tan color or even white to lighten it some (as I'll darken it up some with weathering and stains, and I typically apply it over a black or dark-brown "primer" / pre-shade coat). Generally, I would "go" with the slightly greenish MM version as a straight dunkelgelb vehicle - when doing camo over it, I like to lighten and brown it a little - trial and mostly minor error method of mixing with a test spray on my stand...

Cheers!

Bob

I find it easier to just go by the photos. If you have a paint that is similar use it. Don't beat yourself up over whether it is too light or too dark. That's for rivet counters.

Thanks for the advice. I am very familiar with scale effect...I built 43rd cars for collectors for many years and had numerous discussions with clients that I couldnt use the paint they had used on their actual cars. I eventually just accepted the paint, then used my own scale-adjusted colors.

And I'm no stranger to color interpretation discussions...try talking about Ferrari red sometime...

But then again...

Ignore the red ring... that was for another thread about primer. I totally agree by the way about there being no right or wrong in your paint mixing. In simple terms if something is too green I suppose it means you add pale yellow / brown.

It's shocking to realize just how utterly inconsiderate it is of people not to publish Munsell color data for every paint color that was used, in all of its variations of use, isn't it? Some people have no sense of their responsibility to future modelers.