Painting question - color
Jason K. Burnett
What color yellow (please be specific as to brand and color name) should
the rank chevrons and epaulet piping on Zulu War British be? I've
searched my local shops and only found either bright yellows or metallic
golds, and I don't want to start ordering colors sight unseen until I
have some recommendations. Thanks.
--
Jason K. Burnett
jkbu...@earthlink.net
Sue/Anthony Holton
Hi Jason,
For military uniform lace I've always used Ral Partha's Dun. Its a
muted yellow that looks very accurate on the figure, is bright enough to
be seen, but is not so bright as to be neon in its effect. It also
tends to cover better than conventional yellow. If you should use it in
drybrushing or staining, it goes well with a medium brown. What are you
using for red?
Tony Holton
Joanne Peterson
Ray Rangel wrote:
> Jason K. Burnett wrote in message
> <1dbpl01.1sv...@1cust196.tnt9.hou3.da.uu.net>...
> >What color yellow (please be specific as to brand and color name)
> should
> >the rank chevrons and epaulet piping on Zulu War British be? I've
>
> Unless you are painting a 90mm figure (and even then, probably) I
> wouldn't
> worry too much about it. Use any yellow that isn't Day-Glo. One of the
>
> things that you should consider when painting miniatures is that the
> army
> you are painting is in South Africa. They are in field and dirty. They
> are
> under the sun and faded. The uniforms are often boiled when washed. A
> friendly word of advice from someone who's been there; agonizing over
> these
> trivial details will drive you crazy and will not get you any closer
> to
> "historically accurate" nor will it get your army painted..
You might also keep in mind that uniform colors even when provided by
a kindly government could vary. My favorite story concerns a US post
right after the uniform regulations changed from blue to khaki. To
prepare for an inspection, since the supply system had the new, proper
uniforms backordered, the entire post's inventory of white fatigue
uniforms were dyed using coffee grounds to get some form of khaki. One
poor soul's uniform came out looking particularly awful and very
noticeable. Quikly realizing the inspector would home in on the
exception like any hungry predator seeing helpless prey, the post
commander quikly had everybody else's uniforms dyed the same color and
so the post passed their inspection.
MORALE You can get away with quite a lot in uniforn colors.
happy painting
Jim McDaniel
Ray Rangel
John M. Atkinson
> You might also keep in mind that uniform colors even when provided by
>a kindly government could vary. My favorite story concerns a US post
>MORAL: You can get away with quite a lot in uniforn colors.
Remember also that occasionally the loyal government contractor would
kinda sorta skimp on dyes, providing splendid-looking uniforms that
kinda sorta faded after the first hard rain. The US Army had much
difficulty with this during our Civil War. Another issue is that
frequently stocks of older uniforms would continue to be used until
they were gone, and just because the uniforms were authorized to
change did NOT mean that all the troops rushed out and were outfited
with the new stuff. Heavens no--this would be expensive. As the old
stuff wore out, it would be replaced.
John M. Atkinson
Four things greater than all things are,--
Women and Horses and Power and War.
--Rudyard Kipling
News Datacom
I was wondering if someone would know what color scheme could go between
two different types of vehicles, let's say a panther and a PzIV or a tiger
and an opel truck within the same unit.
As I understand, for vehicles of the same type, in the same unit, the
Germans would use the same camouflage pattern (more or less). But what if
the vehicles are of different type?
thanks if someone knows,
Gil.
Jim P.
From my understanding and research for my previous 1/35 scale armor
modelling endeavors, there are several possibilities here with a few things
to keep in mind:
1.) Most German vehicles in the post Panzer Grey days were oversprayed with
the dark yellow/yellow-ochre color after the application of zimmerit (if
this was done) at the factory, then the vehicle was shipped to its new unit
or replacement pool.
2.) At either the replacement pool or the new unit, Dunkel Grun (dark
green) and/or Rot Braun (red brown) paint was either sprayed, brushed, or
sponged onto the yellow finish to form the pattern. These paints were often
mixed in the field and varied in exact shade and darkness, so here is the
first possible variation within the same unit, even on the same types of
vehicles.
3.) The paint was applied with what was available at the time, and if a new
platoon of panthers was aprayed at once, it would be likely that the
patterns would be similar. But say, for instance, that half the platoon was
knocked out by a Jabo attack, then two replacements arrive. At this point
they may have different batches of paint, little or no time to paint, and
they may or may not have the sprayer at this time so they might now use the
sponge. Now you've got three or four vehicles within the same platoon that
do not have the same exact camoflauge pattern.
Some of this could be debated at different points, but these are things
that I have read, and hope you find useful. As a whole, I would say
vehicles at least from the same platoon would often look similar, but this
doesn't necessarily have to be.
geeze I rambled on,
I hope I answered your question somewhere there...sorta lost sight of the
goal... ;)
Jim P...sitting down and shutting up :)
THE Bodycount
>
>> I was wondering if someone would know what color scheme could go between
>> two different types of vehicles, let's say a panther and a PzIV or a
>tiger
>> and an opel truck within the same unit.
>> As I understand, for vehicles of the same type, in the same unit, the
>> Germans would use the same camouflage pattern (more or less). But what if
>> the vehicles are of different type?
>> thanks if someone knows,
>> Gil.
>>
>2.) At either the replacement pool or the new unit, Dunkel Grun (dark
>green) and/or Rot Braun (red brown) paint was either sprayed, brushed, or
>sponged onto the yellow finish to form the pattern. These paints were often
>mixed in the field and varied in exact shade and darkness, so here is the
>first possible variation within the same unit, even on the same types of
>vehicles.
This was especially true on the Eastern Front, where the occasional
whitewash would be applied as winter set in. Of course, during spring
every vehicle was mud colored.
>Some of this could be debated at different points, but these are things
>that I have read, and hope you find useful. As a whole, I would say
>vehicles at least from the same platoon would often look similar, but this
>doesn't necessarily have to be.
The idea is to have a well-painted group of figures. The real point
is that you are happy with them. If you want them all spray painted
just Panzergelb, that is certainly your choice.
If you are playing a company-level game (not 1-1 scale) then go ahead
and experiment a little between battalions! Germans used some pretty
wild camo schemes on AFVs and there is no reason, therefore, that you
cannot.
THE Bodycount
THE Bodycount
>
>
>I was wondering if someone would know what color scheme could go between
>two different types of vehicles, let's say a panther and a PzIV or a tiger
>and an opel truck within the same unit.
>As I understand, for vehicles of the same type, in the same unit, the
>Germans would use the same camouflage pattern (more or less). But what if
>the vehicles are of different type?
I guess, depending on what scale you are using, you can almost be
'inconsistent' with camo schemes, even in the same unit. At the
fronts the Germans improvised many paint schemes, often using locally
available paint that often was not close to official colours. If the
seasons were turning they sometimes splattered scheme over scheme.
If you are doing 1/285, I recommend keeping the tanks in a battalion
in pretty much the same scheme, perhaps vary the size and number of
pattern areas.
If you are doing 15 or 20mm, though, you have a rare opportunity to
experiment with different schemes. I have (in 15mm) a PzIV in dark
green, another in Eastern Front summer, a SdKfz 251/7 in a variant
Eastern Front, and a SdKfx 232 in an alternate Afrikakorps scheme.
Will I use them on the same table? Hell, yes! I just like painting
miniatures in something other than a giant line-up covered in
Panzergrau or Panzergelb.
Try whatever makes YOU feel good about your figures, and ignore those
gamers that chide you for doing your own thing.
- Larry