What colour should I paint?

[MNDec]

I've got a studio booked in a couple weeks time and a gymnast. I've had a couple of MDF boxes made to use as props, one is 800mm cube other is 400mm cube. They will mostly be used on a white infinity cove.

Should I paint the boxes white or a very light grey? I can't decide whether to lose them a bit in the cove by painting them white or make a bit of a feature of them. Anyone got any experience of this kind of thing?

One thing that did shock me when I picked them up from the joiners shop is 800mm cubed is huge and damn heavy, I think 600mm would have been better!

 

[WelshNoob]

No experience of them buy do you have to paint them? You can get adhesive vinyl in any colour that you wanted.

 

[MNDec]

I suppose because I'm a painter by trade. Comes hard not to. Would also worry about vinyl being slippy.

 

[sk66]

I would probably go with white for a gymnast. You could do one each...

 

[Garry Edwards]

Well, if they're cubes then presumably they will be angled to the camera - which means that 2 elevations can be white and the two out of sight ones can be black, and you can reverse them.

In my experience, it pays to have options because nothing ever goes to a rigid plan.

 

[MNDec]

You know Gary I never even thought of doing that. If you did paint them two colours like that, what colour would you paint the top?

 

[Steve T]

If there will be movement, something like toweling that will hold powder may be an option for the top, if sprinkled/filled with talc or something. Could look great if you can capture puffs of smokelike effect from hand movements etc..
Just a thought.

Steve.

 

[Steve Smith]

what colour would you paint the top?

Top - white, bottome - grey.


Steve.

 

[MNDec]

Ah if only. There is no bottom, it is open underneath. Needs to be or you could never carry it and its so I can store one in another

 

[Hodders]

Paint three sides grey, 3 sides white. That way you can have a all white or all grey box depending on which way you angle them. A camera can never see more than three sides of a cube (unless there are mirrors/reflections).

 

[MNDec]

It only has 5 sides, bottom is open. You would never be able to carry it if it was a cube, it is bloomin heavy and awkward. Also it is so I can stire the 400mm box inside the bigger one and other props.

 

[SpikeB]

Whatever colour you choose If they were mine I'd use mat emulsion then if they get dirty, quick & easy to repaint plus easy to change the colour of for another shoot - the same technique is oftn used for coves.

BTW if I was going to make a feature of them I'd make them a strong shade/colour it looks deliberate, possibly to contrast whatever the gymnast is wearing.