blazt* Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) So I sat down yesterday with a pic (attached) of a baby bluegill, and I'm thinking "I'll hit this in about 4 minutes". But I had some trouble with it. I was using Ctex airbrush pearls over Auto Air aluminum base to get the silvery effect. It looked fine over this base as far as effect, just the color was off. After about 2 hours of mixing, spraying over different bases, and tossing out paint, I finally gave up on the assumption that either I don't have the right paint or what I'm trying to match is more about layering affect ( which I don't have much experience with) and not so much about mixing up a shade. Here is what I'm trying to match; just in case the pic doesn't stick where I want it to stick it's the green one: All the hues I came up with were a little off, being either too gold or too olive or too minty. I know I'm missing something here. The colors I'm working with: Pearl Pineapple (yellow. A little off primary yellow. This might be part of the problem.) Pearl Blue Pearl White Pearl Satin Gold (this seemed to push it in the right direction) In the meantime I'm going to try to do something like this: Edited May 31, 2011 by blazt* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Can't really help you with the color match, but one thing to remember is that lures don't have to match the baitfish your trying to represent exactly to catch fish. Especially when the water your fishing has some color to it. Now if your fishing in gin clear water you might need to match the paint jobs more closely. I mean after all, how many bubblegum colored worms have you ever dug up or how many solid red baitfish have you seen swimming around? Edited May 31, 2011 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 I would start with a pearl white base, not aluminum. I've used Auto Air aluminum, and it's a darker silver. Then I'd play around with one of the transparent Createx greens to get the color I want. Finally, I'd fog the back and shoulders with the green, a mist coat to give the entire bait a greenish hue, and then use a stencil to add the same green in darker lines down the sides. I do that color scheme for my black crappie pattern, using Brite Green, and then mist Folk Art Metalic Gold over the sides and back to warm up the green a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazt* Posted June 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 Can't really help you with the color match, but one thing to remember is that lures don't have to match the baitfish your trying to represent exactly to catch fish. Especially when the water your fishing has some color to it. Now if your fishing in gin clear water you might need to match the paint jobs more closely. I mean after all, how many bubblegum colored worms have you ever dug up or how many solid red baitfish have you seen swimming around? Yup. These cranks will be for ultraclear water- 8 to 12 ft visibility most of the time. Not quite gin but I want em to be 90 percent right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishsticks Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 Not sure if some people would consider it cheating but if I try to paint something from a photo I always pull that photo up on photoshop. Then I use the teardrop tool and click all over the photo. Every click shows you that color enlarged. Then I print them out and mark the different colors on my photo for reference. Sometimes my eyes play tricks on me and I will think a certain color is darker or lighter then what it really was on the photo, especially if I'm mixing on a white background. After I get the prints I use a color chart the best I can to mix my colors right. It always takes me a while to get them right, but I think you get faster the more you mix and play with the paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 You really need some transparent colors to get the layering I think you want. I have heard that other companies have good green's to work with but I have only tried createx. The Transparent Createx I like is Leaf Green but I add black to darken it to the shade olive I like. I buy extra 2oz bottles and mix my colors in there so for the ratios below is about 1/4 of a 2 oz bottle for a drop of the added color If I painted that bait I would go in this order; 1. Createx Pearl white base 2. Createx Pearl White mixed with a drop or 2 of yellow for a very slight bone hue applied to mid and top of the bait 3. Dust some AA Hi Lite Gold Pearl all over 4. Dust some AA Gem Sapphire to the mid/upper part of the bait for the blue shimmer in certain light 5. I havent mixed this color green so it would take some trial and error but this is where I would start... Transparent Leaf green dulled with a drop transparent white for the shoulders and part of the sides fading as i go down towards the mid section 6. Transparent Leaf Green mixed with touch of black for olive side bars and I like a darker top so I would hit the top too but this wouldnt be in your pic Just remember that every bluegil is different. I can go catch 20 off my dock right now and they will all vary in color. As long as you are in the ballpark you will be fine even in clear water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Great paint scheme, Matt. You're right about every bluegill being different. I had a bass spit up a 2" bluegill last year that was beige! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazt* Posted June 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 You really need some transparent colors to get the layering I think you want.... That's what I've been afraid of. It'll be a while before I order more paint, but I wouldn't mind having a bunch of auto air. Besides my compressor just died today, so nevermind everybody for now. Maybe I'll refer back to your suggestions later - thanks for posting all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazt* Posted June 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Great paint scheme, Matt. You're right about every bluegill being different. I had a bass spit up a 2" bluegill last year that was beige! Sounds like it took a bath in some stomach acid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Great paint scheme, Matt. You're right about every bluegill being different. I had a bass spit up a 2" bluegill last year that was beige! lol new gil pattern....Khaki Cracker!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I thought that, too, just like all crawdads turn red in a bass' stomach. Then I found a bass with live bluegill wedged in it's throat, struggling at the surface. I netted them, and pulled the bluegill out. The bass dove down out of sight, bam!, but the bluegill struggled on it's side, obviously damaged and in shock. That bluegill was also kind of a light brown, so maybe it has something to do with fright, and trying to disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
