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Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Charlie_ on June 12, 2018, 04:46:55 PM

Title: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Charlie_ on June 12, 2018, 04:46:55 PM
Well this is annoying.

For all my terrain boards and bases, I have used the same texturing and painting technique.
1 - Apply filler, stipple it for texture.
2 - Base coat [Wilko 'nutmeg spice']
3 - Drybrush layers [several other lighter colours from Wilko]
4 - Wash [Wilko 'java bean']
5 - Flock

I use basic emulsion paints form Wilko (a store in the UK), which you can get in little £1 tester pots if you don't need much. A while back I found that one of the colours I used as a drybrush layer (it was called 'coffee') was discontinued... Annoying, but I realised it wasn't really needed as I was doing two more lighter drybrush layers on top, followed by a dark wash.

But now they seem to have gone and discontinued the 'java bean' one I used for the dark wash!!!  >:( >:( >:(

This is very annoying for me. I've tried getting a similar colour from other brands, but you know what it's like... You find one that looks about right in the shop, take it home, open and find that it's NOTHING like the original, nowhere close. Ordering a similar colour online is only going to cause more frustration and disappointment.

I've tried mixing a similar colour, but can't get it.

The thing is, most of the terrain boards are covered in flock, so it doesn't really matter if the brown earth underneath is slightly different. But it's the roads and pathways which I need to try and match perfectly!

Just venting a bit of frustration here. Damn you Wilko!
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Eric the Shed on June 12, 2018, 05:56:07 PM
Can I suggest that you paint some of your tester pot onto a white sheet of paper

Take said sheet into B&Q and get them to make you a big 5litre pot matched up to your colour - their paint matching service is excellent
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: has.been on June 12, 2018, 06:59:25 PM
I too have been hit by the withdrawal of 'Java Bean' Last year I finally standardised my basing style.
coat with 'Java bean', then dry brush first 'Nutmeg Spice' followed by 'Chocolate Dream'.
Now Wilco have foiled me, drat them!
I do have some in reserve, so no immediate panic. Good idea Eric, I will bear it in mind.

By the way I had only just gotten over the removal of Sandex's textured 'Bitter Chocolate'
(tester size) masonry paint.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: jeffreythancock on June 12, 2018, 11:12:37 PM
At 1:1 scale, soil color does vary!  :o
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Brandlin on July 30, 2018, 12:02:53 PM
Can I suggest that you paint some of your tester pot onto a white sheet of paper

Take said sheet into B&Q and get them to make you a big 5litre pot matched up to your colour - their paint matching service is excellent

I cannot disagree more!   >:(

The B&Q service only matches your paint sample to the closest recipe they have for their existing paint range. This range is displayed on the hundreds of printed colour swatches they have the display. They cannot mix a recipe especially for your colour.

So you can do the same matching yourself by taking a sample in and comparing it to the printed cards. Only you can't because the printing of those cards all carry the usual disclaimer "printing processes vary and the colour on this card may differ from the colour of the paint".

In some instances this does not matter and close is OK.  But when you are matching an existing item that will be seen in close proximity even a subtle shift in shade will be jarring to the human eye which is very good at distinguishing tonal differences.

I understand there are real and complex difficulties in colour matching and the science is actually quite interesting. But paint companies go to enormous lengths to develop, and protect their recipes for paint and spend a fortune ensuring that every batch that comes from their highly-controlled specially-built billion dollar factory environment is consistent in application and colour. To expect a £10,000 machine operated by B&Q staff to do likewise in the middle of a warehouse store is frankly ludicrous.

B&Q even advise people when they go in NOT to buy two smaller cans of paint to do one room if you can buy one large can because the recipe they mix in can 1 can be noticeably different to the resulting mix in can 2!!

Their advertising that they will match ANY colour is simply a lie.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: blacksoilbill on July 30, 2018, 12:15:08 PM
The B&Q service only matches your paint sample to the closest recipe they have for their existing paint range. This range is displayed on the hundreds of printed colour swatches they have the display. They cannot mix a recipe especially for your colour.

It must vary among different chains. At Bunnings (Australia), I take in colour samples of Vallejo paints and they mix me up a lovely little sampler pot! In some cases, it's not a perfect match, but it's near enough. It's certainly ideal for matching big terrain to little bases or details.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Eric the Shed on July 30, 2018, 12:18:53 PM
I cannot disagree more!   >:(

The B&Q service only matches your paint sample to the closest recipe they have for their existing paint range. This range is displayed on the hundreds of printed colour swatches they have the display. They cannot mix a recipe especially for your colour.

So you can do the same matching yourself by taking a sample in and comparing it to the printed cards. Only you can't because the printing of those cards all carry the usual disclaimer "printing processes vary and the colour on this card may differ from the colour of the paint".

In some instances this does not matter and close is OK.  But when you are matching an existing item that will be seen in close proximity even a subtle shift in shade will be jarring to the human eye which is very good at distinguishing tonal differences.

I understand there are real and complex difficulties in colour matching and the science is actually quite interesting. But paint companies go to enormous lengths to develop, and protect their recipes for paint and spend a fortune ensuring that every batch that comes from their highly-controlled specially-built billion dollar factory environment is consistent in application and colour. To expect a £10,000 machine operated by B&Q staff to do likewise in the middle of a warehouse store is frankly ludicrous.

B&Q even advise people when they go in NOT to buy two smaller cans of paint to do one room if you can buy one large can because the recipe they mix in can 1 can be noticeably different to the resulting mix in can 2!!

Their advertising that they will match ANY colour is simply a lie.


I am sorry if my post angered you ...I was merely offering a potential solution...

I used the b&q service and got a very satisfactory match to the brown I am using on my desert boards...and of course the advantage is that I have a great deal of paint now so the match pots are no longer necessary. It was cheaper in the long run
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Daeothar on July 30, 2018, 12:35:03 PM
I have some very good experince with a paint mixing service myself actually.

When I needed a large volume of paint for a terrain project, I wanted it to match the colour I used on my bases at the time (and still do btw); the old Citadel Graveyard Earth.

So, as already suggested, I painted a sample square of Graveyard Earth onto a piece of card and took that to Gamma (local buiding supplies chain), which has a paint mixing service. They do a colourmatching thing, and they are NOT restricted to the colours in the wall of samples they have standing there.

They mixed up a pot of the cheapest type of water based indoor wall paint (my own choice). It was a liter, and set me back about €8,- if I recall correctly. that was back in 2011, and I'm still using that same pot!

And when it's finally empty (I suspect sometime around 2050 or so lol ), I can use the code on top of the lid to have them mix up another pot with exactly the same colour...
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: OSHIROmodels on July 30, 2018, 01:23:16 PM
I’ve had colour matched paints from B&Q no problem. Taken my sample in (usually Foundry paints on white card) and what I received in return was spot on.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Silent Invader on July 30, 2018, 01:23:43 PM

I am sorry if my post angered you ...I was merely offering a potential solution...

I used the b&q service and got a very satisfactory match to the brown I am using on my desert boards...and of course the advantage is that I have a great deal of paint now so the match pots are no longer necessary. It was cheaper in the long run

For wargaming purposes I’d say that the B&Q colour matching service and pricing are great.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Malamute on July 30, 2018, 01:52:04 PM
For wargaming purposes I’d say that the B&Q colour matching service and pricing are great.

Couldn't agree with you more. :)
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Captain Blood on July 30, 2018, 02:21:54 PM
I've not used the B&Q service recently, but echo Eric the Shed's approach. Even my local builders' merchants has a Dulux colour mixing machine that can chromatically 'read' any sample and produce a pretty near exact colour match. Specialist decorators' merchants like Brewers in the UK definitely have this facility and it's extremely accurate. I've had a number of pots of terrain paint (brown earth colour, red earth, and pale desert) matched to Vallejo swatches in this way, and while I'm not sure I'd 100% trust the exact match if I was going to repaint one half of my living room, it's plenty accurate enough for terrain modelling.

The other thing to remember is that paint on the wall fades and discolours over time, however colourfast it's supposed to be. So it's almost impossible to ever get a perfect match.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: TWD on July 30, 2018, 02:23:45 PM
They've discontinued Java Bean?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Dr DeAth on July 30, 2018, 02:49:04 PM
I’ve had colour matched paints from B&Q no problem. Taken my sample in (usually Foundry paints on white card) and what I received in return was spot on.

I've matched a couple of the foundry triads that way too - works a treat. I even painted the B&Q colour on the card next to the foundry paint and couldn't tell the difference from a couple of feet away. 

I was told by the sales person to record the numbers on the labels if I wanted to be able to match it in the future, because even if they discontinue the paint they can input the mix directly.  So I now keep photos of the paint labels just in case.

Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Elk101 on July 30, 2018, 04:06:27 PM
Yeah, I've used a local builders merchant to match paint for me without issue, it's a good suggestion. Of course I then moved and left it all in the garage by mistake.
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: Brandlin on July 30, 2018, 07:34:05 PM

I am sorry if my post angered you ...I was merely offering a potential solution...

no no no... not angered at all.

We have different views of B&Q is all. persoanlly i have had that many problems with them on numerous building projects that i deliberately boycott them. My experiences with their paint mixing service are pretty dire.

If it works for you thats fine...  :-)
Title: Re: Favourite brown terrain paint discontinued : ( [Wilko tester pot]
Post by: SteveBurt on August 01, 2018, 09:55:31 AM
I've had mixed results with colour matching services from DIY places. I've used B&Q, Homebase and Dulux.
Sometimes the match is very good. Sometimes it is way, way off.
Had very poor results with pale colours in particular (off white, different greys), and yellows too; browns are usually OK.
So probably not a problem for wargaming use  :)