Let's Paint Everything Black!

This is just my opinion. The best definition that I ever heard, of the word, “opinion” is. Something that cannot be scientifically proven. Colors are a personal choice and thank God we have lots to choose from.

Look at my picture above. What do you see? Did you see the mountain’s reflection in the lake on that sunny day? No, you didn’t. Because everything was painted one color, the sky, mountain, lake, sun; everything!

What if we used Black chalk on a Blackboard? Or a White marker on a Whiteboard? How effective would that be?

How many artists, regarded by their peers as one of the greatest, have ever painted a portrait in one single color?

It seems to be “thought of” as cool these days, and it’s been a while now, to have your vehicles painted all Black. Even the turn signals and headlights are tinted dark, if they’re dumb enough.

Black on Black vehicles just make me shake my head. It doesn’t make sense. You are not Batman. And you are not invisible, especially in the day time; where you stick out like a sore thumb. For whatever stealthy-ness you think you achieve at night, you lose twice as much in the daytime when you are out buying diapers. And what are you going to do at night, turn off your lights so you can’t be seen. Then you won’t be able to see anything either. Crash!

I was at Porsche of Bellevue to pick up a part for a customer. Lee, one of the service writers, had a customer’s White Porsche GT3 Touring parked outside his corner office. I mentioned that I really like the Touring edition, he agreed. So, I asked him what color would you pick, if you could have one? Lee said, ”Dark Metallic Green. There is one in the showroom.” Feeling a little uneasy at a place where I could only afford a Porsche branded shirt or hat. I felt like I had permission, and a task, to walk into the showroom and look at this beautiful Dark Metallic Green car. Once I passed the rear of the car to see the side view, my excitement quickly dropped. I could hear the Tuba play successive lower notes, wont-wont-woogh. Debbie Downer strikes again! Black on Black wheels. If I had enough money to purchase this car, the wheels would have to be changed before it left the showroom.

I’m sure that a designer at Porsche with any type of color theory or any artistic knowledge was shaking their head at this color combination option. The tires are already Black, so let’s use another color. Preferably a metallic color.

After parking my truck next to Lee’s office to pick up the large part. I told Lee, I didn’t like the Black on Black wheels. He agreed and said, “Gold would look good.” Lee gets it! With the Dark Metallic Green body color and Gold wheels, it would almost have a John Deer-esque look. I agree with Lee, it would be a classy touch. He mentioned he was a Subaru STI fan as a kid. Ah-ha. That’s where the Gold comes from. Remember that Blue STI with the gold wheels? Who didn’t want one?

Motorcycle manufactures like to paint the frames Black on sportbikes. Sure it looks good, until it gets a scratch from the zipper on your jacket or rubbing off the paint with your boot or pant leg. It’s a high wear item, riders are gripping the frame with their legs and feet. Sure it looks good, when it’s brand new, but motorcycles were meant to be ridden. Not to sit in a museum. So, why not paint the frames silver? Or let it be raw, unpainted, like a dirt bike?! Got minor scratches on your dirt bike frame? No problem, just take a red scotch-brite pad and buff it out. If you absolutely must paint a high wear item, at least paint it to a similar color as the raw material.

The only almost-all-Black bike that I like, or car for that matter; is the last years of Honda’s RC51.

The ghosted Honda wings and rear number plate with the Red lettered accents make this bike beautiful. The frame and body color is Black and so are the wheels. However, the Black wheels have the contrasting look of raw metallic brake rotors front and rear, with Gold carriers on the fronts rotors. And Gold calipers, front and rear. These metallic colors pop out at you, contrasting all the Black. These contrasting colors are on the outside of the wheels, not hidden, like a car.