According to interviews with Richard Petty, the creation of Petty Enterprise's trademark Petty Blue paint was actually a fluke. Short on money and paint, they mixed a little dark blue paint with the white paint they normally used on the cars, and painted their two cars with it.
Petty Enterprises now holds a trademark on the color, and it cannot be purchased without a licensing agreement with the organization. You can, however, mix Petty Blue paint at home in the same manner that Richard Petty mixed the first batch of Petty Blue in 1959.
Things You'll Need:
- Scraps For Testing
- White Paint
- Mixing Bucket, Tray Or Palette
- Paint Stirring Stick
- Dark Blue Paint
Pour dark blue paint into white paint, beginning with a ratio of 1:5. It is important to add only a small amount of blue at a time to get the right Petty Blue paint color. This process works with any type of paint, including acrylic, latex and oil enamels.
Combine well using a paint stirring stick or palette knife. It may take up to five minutes to fully mix a large amount of paint.
Apply a thin coat of paint to scrap wood, metal or cardboard. Allow to dry to the touch. Compare the color to a swatch or photograph of Petty Blue.
Add more dark blue paint if the color isn't dark enough to be Petty Blue. Be careful not to add too much. Paint another sample, allow it to dry, and compare to the Petty Blue swatch.
Continue pouring in a small amount of dark blue at a time until the dried mixed paint sample matches the Petty Blue sample.
References
Writer Bio
Leah Newman has been a professional writer since 1999, writing about fine arts both in print and online. She specializes in how-to articles covering DIY projects. Newman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Georgia and a Graduate Certificate in Children's Literature from Pennsylvania State University.
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