It’s back! Credit for this renovation goes to eagle-eyed site reader S.C., whose critique (back in October 2020 when I first unveiled this project!) that my droid arm looked more bone white than the onscreen droids was absolutely valid! Since the onscreen droids appeared different colors in various scenes, and I was using as my primary reference a physical prop (apparently) from the film, I chalked the discrepancy up to onscreen lighting. However, looking at the auctioned arm and making-of photos, it’s clear that the physical droids created for Episode I were an entirely different color from the CGI droids in the final product – presumably, they were meant as lighting references for the CG artists:
Regardless, a big factor that kept this project from better screen fidelity in the first place is the color inconsistency between the various B1s in Episode I – or at least (as usual), the color grading differences between various editions of the film playing havoc with our perceptions!
Just compare these two shots of the same scene, and the effect that the slightly cooler lighting of the first has on the droids’ color:
Living History in the Star Wars Galaxy 