Matching Colors

Question

How do I match the exact color of something?

Answer 1

You can match the exact color of something by asking yourself these three questions:

1.What is the Value? Say you are making a blue. does the blue you're making need to get darker or lighter?

2.What is the hue? what color is it? Say you have that same blue.

Is the blue closer to a green blue or closer to a red blue? Or right in the middle?

3.What is the Chroma (brightness/dullness) Is the blue you have high chroma(very bright) or dull?

Does the blue you are making need to get brighter or grayer?

If you follow these questions you should arrive at the perfect color that you are trying to recreate.

Answer 2

Hi!

Your question is interesting, and one that artist asked themselves forever, one can say that the whole impressionist movement was an answer to your question.

The trick is to know what we mean by “the exact color of something”

The impressionist answered it in the following way: The important color is not the color as we know it to be (AKA local color), but the color as we see it. Next time you are painting something with a white wall in it try to notice this: you know the exact color of the wall is white, but is it white that you see?    

Answer 3

Another trick to help you match colors, depending on observation is making a spot screen. A spot screen is something easy you can make, cut a piece of gray cardboard down to roughly 2" x 4" (50 x 100 mm). turning the card vertically, measure about 1"(25 mm) down from the top and make a clean , round hole in the card, roughly about 1/4" (6mm) in diameter with a hole punch. When you start painting, you must look through the hole in the spot screen to isolate the color in your field of observation. To have a much precise color make you sure you hold the card from arms length still looking through the hole. Once you identify said color you begin mixing colors on a pallet with a pallet knife. Ask yourself which tube of paint on the palette is the color closet in hue and luminosity to the color you've seen and named. Use a straight blade palette knife and work the color back and forth a bit on the palette. Cover about half the blade with paint, keeping it as flat and smooth you can. The smoother it is, theres less glare, the less glare it gives off , the more easily you can see the color. hold the paint-covered blade in-front of the hole with out actually touching the card. Make sure you hold the knife closer to you then the spot screen. The knife should get some light outside off the direct light, the spot screen should be out the direct light all together.