Help on color mix

[CL Rods]

OK, I'm as color blind as they come and I am trying to repaint some LuckyCraft baits, specifically some of my favorite color for clear water, Pearl Ayu and Ghost Minnow.

Now I have tried using a number of different mixtures and my wife and son just do this at every attempt. I really just can't seem to find any Createx or AutoAir colors that will get it right. So if someone has come up with a real good mix ratio or out of the bottle version of what my wife calls mossy green for the Pearl Ayu and golden brown for the Ghost Minnow and you are willing to share what you use, I'd be most appreciative.

And I really don't care what brand(s) I'd have to go get.

Edited August 18, 2008 by 76gator

[Vodkaman]

Do you have any photo editing software, like photoshop? They usually have pallete options that you can experiment with. This might give you a clue.

[mark poulson]

Michael's Craft Store sell Apple Barrel paints, and one of their colors is Moss Green. You have to thin it with Windex, but it's a great color.

[Downriver Tackle]

I mixed up some paint for Ghost Minnows before. Can't remember exactly what I used, but if I remeber correctly, it was chartreuse, Lt brown, and a touch of black. Maybe a little white or green to tweak it.

[boomah21]

I agree with the apple barrel mossy green is a great color....I dont have pics in front of me showing me the actual bait colors but if it helps its a great color to use lol

[BobP]

Gold/brown - basecoat with Polytranspar #422 Warm Gold Pearl acrylic and then shoot Createx Transparent Light Brown over it until you get the shade wanted.

I'm not a big fan of trying to exact match factory colors since they are usually lacquers and dyes, not acrylic which is the only paint I'll shoot. I think most of the hues you are looking for are easier to do with transparent and not opaque acrylics. For me, shooting transparent color over an opaque color is easier than trying to mix opaques to get a particular shade, and the layered colors will have more depth and look more "alive". You can also layer transparent colors over one another for different color values and translucency. Createx sells transparents in just about all their standard colors.

Another example is bright metallic gold. Shooting transparent yellow Createx over silver foil yields a bright reflective gold. I like it because I can't apply real gold leaf worth a darn and nothing else I've tried comes close.

[CL Rods]

Yeah the factory colors can be a real pain. I have tried the brown over yellow but didn't think about really thinning some Gold and then shoot the brown over it. I did try to mix them before spraying so I'll give layering a try for the Ghost color and then I'll check out the Apple Barrel for the Mossy green.

Thanks guys

[mark poulson]

I've found that Apple Barrel mossy green is a good starter color for mixing a greenish brown for the backs and shoulders of my trout lures. After I thin it some with Windex, I add enough transparent dark brown to get the color I want. I was going to call it muddy brown, but it isn't that dull. Instead, it's like a crisp darker brown with a hint of green.

I think the opaque mossy green makes a good base for darker green mixes for backs of lures, since I'm not worried about transparency there.

A side note for you.

One of the local anglers who speaks to my bass club, and who fishes the same lakes we do, is Carol Martens, Aaron Marten's mom.

She told us that Aaron is color blind, and he's a pretty successful angler! She said he chooses lure colors by contrast, and by shading. If you look at the Aaron's Magic color of Robo worms, you'll see the contrasting colors in it.

Edited August 19, 2008 by mark poulson

[BobP]

Yeah, but I've yet to catch a fish dropshotting an Aaron's Magic Roboworm! That is the ugliest brown I've ever seen! Must be one of those Left Coast things.

To keep from going insane (or maybe I have and don't know it) and broke, I limit my plastics to 1) watermelon black flake 2) green pumpkin and 3) purple. That keeps my plastic tonnage down to a level where the shelves in my garage just bend and groan loudly instead of actually collapsing onto my wife's car. Also, my Triton boat floats alot higher now!

[CL Rods]

Yeah, but I've yet to catch a fish dropshotting an Aaron's Magic Roboworm! That is the ugliest brown I've ever seen! Must be one of those Left Coast things.

Now don't give up on that color, I took big fish from the last club tournament on Badin (here in NC) drop shoting that color in about 35 feet of water, and have caught a ton of lms and spots on it on Norman.

The problem might be your fishing it out of a Triton versus a Legend.

[BobP]

Hey, my 98 PD-19 may not be beautiful anymore but it will still chine walk with the best of 'em with a Merc EFI on it! BTW, is that an EVINRUDE on the back of Moby Dick? Ha ha ha ha

[Lure--Prof]

Gold/brown - basecoat with Polytranspar #422 Warm Gold Pearl acrylic and then shoot Createx Transparent Light Brown over it until you get the shade wanted.

I'm not a big fan of trying to exact match factory colors since they are usually lacquers and dyes, not acrylic which is the only paint I'll shoot. I think most of the hues you are looking for are easier to do with transparent and not opaque acrylics. For me, shooting transparent color over an opaque color is easier than trying to mix opaques to get a particular shade, and the layered colors will have more depth and look more "alive". You can also layer transparent colors over one another for different color values and translucency. Createx sells transparents in just about all their standard colors.

Another example is bright metallic gold. Shooting transparent yellow Createx over silver foil yields a bright reflective gold. I like it because I can't apply real gold leaf worth a darn and nothing else I've tried comes close.

Great post Bob!

I think you've nailed the essence of the techniques that all of us who shoot acrylics learn to achieve for our best finishes. I've said before that the perceived depth of finish is maybe the best characteristic of acrylic paints, and manipulating the transparents is the key.

Right on about the foil thing also--and there are other transparents when shot over foil that really come to life in an almost shocking manner.

Dean

[MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF]

Casper the BROWN Ghost.. is what I call it!

1. Transparent brown..

2. Gem Jade..

Dont know if Im right Charlie..... Only guessing... But I think the Jade will give you the Green and Gold your looking for with the brown!!! Im really just feeding you a line of crap that I think will work I really havent ever tried it!!! ! Im not 100 percent sure!!! More like 50/50.. but you might come up with a new color you like even better in the long run!!!

AYU

1. Green

2. Gold

3. Brown

Layers! until you get the Greenish gold browish look your lookin for... if that doesnt work.. bring your bait over and we can figure it out together..

The Rookie

Edited August 21, 2008 by The_Rookie

[CL Rods]

I ended up with a bait I am happy with but by no means matches the LC Ghost Minnow color. I haven't found Polytranspar #422 Warm Gold Pearl acrylic that BobP referenced. But I did more layering and less pre mixing and got the bait pretty much how I wanted it.

Not sure if everyone has seen LC Ghost Minnow but one thing I didn't do on my final bait was to use two seperate color versions of the translucent pearlescent clear. When I and my color consultants (kids) look at the original it seems the top part of the baits have a bluish silver quality and below the lateral line they have a purplish color with the small amount of white pearl and flake on the belly.

I used only the purplish version (although I have created both) for the translucent color. Not sure if everyone has tried creating this color or not but I am going to tell you how I do it.

I use Createx Translucent Base and mix in Pearl Ex Pigments, in this case 673 Interference Violet. Now I almost can't believe I am writing this. If you have not tried these products, you need to! You can pearlize ANY COLOR and they have a number of selections from which you can create a myriad of colors.

And if I could see all of their pigment color choices in person I believe I could create the LC color fairly close. They have more than just Pearl Pigments and the company also sells dyes. So... at some point I will get more and play.

Jacquard Products Store Locator

Edited August 21, 2008 by 76gator
added photo link

[CL Rods]

Hey, my 98 PD-19 may not be beautiful anymore but it will still chine walk with the best of 'em with a Merc EFI on it! BTW, is that an EVINRUDE on the back of Moby Dick? Ha ha ha ha

BobP, you know I am just busting your chops! Every boat line has it's good points and weaker points. Legend just has a lot of good points like running down the lake WOT and not having to drive the boat, it will track straight as an arrow! And yes my Moby Dick is powered by a 225 HO ETEC, that I absolutely love!

[borderbasser]

The closest that I have been able to get to any ayu color is spraying either Createx transparent yellow and then a transparent green of your choice. I don't know what it is I have in green...it is one of those "a little of this and little of that" kinda deals. You can even try Createx Pearl Satin Gold instead of the trans yellow. Then, I follow up with a light coat of Createx Transparent Dark Brown over the back to taste. Last, I follow up with a polytranspar irradescent green spray over the back. Looks pretty good. I think that the main thing is to go with a yellow or gold underneath the trans green or brown to get the look you want. The hardest part I had was coming up with a good green. If you have the same problem, mix some bight yellow (non trans) and black for a good olive color. I have found that about 10-12:1 yellow to black is a good place to start. You might want to start with a little less yellow and work your way to the green you want. Here is a pic of one using the scheme I am refering to. I think it was using the mystery green though.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee275/borderbasser/100_7418.jpg

TJ

Edited August 21, 2008 by borderbasser
and pic

[KandyBass]

I have a guy at the local auto paint store match the colors for me. Sometimes I can play around and get it right, but I can carry a lure to him and he matches it perfectly for me. Just an option you may want to consider. Hope this helps.