So...what's the correct blue for a Tardis?

[Gunbird]

I've got a Polic Box Tardis to paint up in 20mm, and was wondering what the correct kind of blue is. And no, I'm not joking.

[Westfalia Chris]

Personally, I'd go for a nice deep ultramarine, like RAL5002. Alternatively, base-coat it an even royal blue and add a pin wash of a dark Prussian Blue, like Vallejo's (I really, really like their Dark Prussian Blue, my favourite dark, flat blue ever and great for non-shiny washes on various lighter tones).

[Connectamabob]

There were a bunch of different TARDISs built/used over the decades of the show, with a number of different blue shades, so I don't think there is a "correct" TARDIS blue. It's just a matter of eyeball approximating whichever Doctors TARDIS feels most "right" to you.

[Brandlin]

Scarlet red. Like the Glaswegian ones.

The tardis hasn't been a consistent colour, nor were the boxes themselves a consistent design or colour over the years.

http://www.policeboxes.com/pboxhist.htm

I suggest you pick a dark blue you like and argue like fuck it's original and everyone else is wrong.

[No Such Agency]

I suggest you pick a dark blue you like and argue like fuck it's original and everyone else is wrong and how terrible Moffatt is and how Clara sucks and the show sucks

That seems to be the way to watch the show lately... even I do it

Just use whatever blue you have a full bottle of.  Not too dark, unless you want to spend ages bringing the highlights up (my personal experience).

[FramFramson]

I believe the correct answer is "Tardis Blue".

[YPU]

This is surprisingly civil, I was expecting people to start shouting their preferred "correct" TARDIS blue. The doctor who fandom sometimes runs thick on this forum. Not that I completely free of it.

[Gunbird]

Well, I was curious if there was a fixed blue colour, I wasn't aware there were different variations of it. And to be honest, until I saw a episode last year or so, I had not seen it since I picked up a Blacktree Dalek in 91-ish and watched a rerun on the BBC I think. I'm not a fan but the blue box is so instantly recognizable 

[Tactalvanic]

The best thing you can do, is to go with the original Doctor.

Paint it in gray scales, to represent black & white TV, original series recordings.

Avoids the blue shade problem entirely.

[zenbadger]

IIRC colour depended on the force to whom the box belonged but they would be painted the same colour within a particular police force. Added to that is the problem that given the same base colour, some would be painted in a high gloss and some in a more satin finish, weathering would also fade some to a paler or greyer shade and they would stay that colour until a Royal visit or some other civic occasion. The BBC Tardis seems to have been a satin-finished dark royal blue which would not be unusual for the Metropolitan Police.

I finished mine in Val 72143 Heavy Bluegrey washed with 72018 Stormy Blue and it looked OK to me. I wish I had photographed it before giving it away.

[fairoaks024]

If you use foundry paints, their deep blue looks spot on to me,

But as others have said, it really varied over the years and in real life from box to box.

Many years ago my father ( who was a copper in the 60s-70s in the met) knew a guy who's job was painting police boxes. He said it was supposed to be 'Oxford blue' but he would
Mix any dark blue and black together if he was running  low on the 'official' colour.

Hope that puts your mind at ease

Regards

Jim

[S44lade]

The BBC approved Tardis blue is actually Pantone 2955C. (Cyan 100, Magenta60, Yellow 0, Black 52)
but the link here will probably help you out as it shows them over the years

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=3860.0

As retrieved by one of my cybermites

[psyberwyche]

Example of the different ones here:

[psyberwyche]

A more graphic representation here:

[Gunbird]

Very helpful guys, thank you very much!