A method of creating a surface coating composition comprising the steps of: creating a mathematical model of a vision system of an animal, measuring a set of spectral characteristics from a surface of a first object, entering the set of spectral characteristics as an input into the mathematical model, using an output of the mathematical model to iteratively create the surface coating composition, wherein the surface coating composition is a metamer to the animal, wherein the surface coating composition can be applied to a surface of a second object for the purpose of making the second object look like the first object to the vision system of the animal.
