Afrika Korps Colours

[armchairgeneral]

From the painting guides I have found so far, I am finding the colours for Afrika Korps it a bit bewildering. I generally paint to wargames standard so I am not keen on various mixes of available colours especially with the highlight that needs to be further added. So I am after suggestions for something usable straight out of the pot. I generally use Wargames Foundry triads and GW Paints

I appreciate the colours varied considerably and got very bleached by the sun as time went on. I am aiming at the later Afrika Korps so around Tunisia and troops of the early Italian campaign.

The Osprey books I have would suggest the GW colour Tallarn Sand for the jackets and trousers and possibly the straps as well for this period?

[Volleyfire!]

I've found the AK Interactive paints range very good for DAK. Their Russian uniform works really well for the green tones and their Desert Uniform for the more bleached out look.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

This is the quick and simple paint scheme I used:

Undercoat is Citadel Chaos Black followed by Humbrol Desert Tan.
The faded nature of the uniforms means that they have a rather rag tag look. A lot of them have just been shaded with Citadel Agrax Earthshade. Some jackets and trousers have been painted with Citadel Karak Stone and Castlllan Green. The boots are Steel Legion Drab

Though it does not say it, I suspect I dry brushed with Citadel Terminatus Stone.

It is quick, even for me.
Others at http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.com/2016/06/afrika-korp-part-one.html
I took the colour cues from the Osprey Warrior book on the DAK.

[MartinR]

To keep it simple I just do mine in a mixture of green and sand.  Faded green (like Russian uniform mentioned above) for the issue tropical uniforms, and any old sand for faded uniforms, borrowed Italian uniforms or captured British clothes.

The cloth webbing was a mid tan colour. The tropical uniforms were a pretty dark green when first issued but the colour fastness of green cotton is often dreadful. Photos show a real mish- mash of tones ranging from dark green to light sand and almost white for those sneakily bleached caps.

I hung my repro DAK jacket out in the rain and sun for six weeks and it faded to a very pleasing pale green. One of my pals has managed to fade his to sand, albeit with green bits still under the webbing straps.

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks all for the comments so far.

[RichBliss]

Given the lack of washing, extreme sun, radically oscillating temperatures, and the aforementioned deliberate bleaching, you could use a wide variety of different shades and colors.  Add in captured and appropriated articles of clothing and the possibilities are almost endless.

[Captain Blood]

I use VMC Russian Uniform and Desert Yellow as the basis of all mine, with some bits and pieces in VMC Iraqi Sand, Khaki and Medium Grey. This limited palette, applied in a fairly random fashion across all elements of uniform, webbing and kit, provides a suitably battleworn and not-too-uniform appearance...
You can vary it a bit more by making blends of these colours - adding a dash of sand into the Russian Uniform green and so on...

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Very nice.
I will borrow that for my next lot.

[Belisarius]

Very interesting thread, I too have struggled with the DAK colours.

[armchairgeneral]

Thanks Captain Blood. Superb paint jobs!

[Redmist1122]

Okay, another outstanding paint clinic here for colors on uniforms.  The colors blend well.  Once I get my Perry Desert Rat box done, looks like a DAK box will be in order.

Thanks for posting!

[armchairgeneral]

As a different tack, I like the Crusader Miniatures WW2 Germans in greatcoats so wondered about just painting them in tropical greatcoats and desert colours.

[ork56]

Look at the Artizan website

[Death]

I use VMC Russian Uniform and Desert Yellow as the basis of all mine, with some bits and pieces in VMC Iraqi Sand, Khaki and Medium Grey. This limited palette, applied in a fairly random fashion across all elements of uniform, webbing and kit, provides a suitably battleworn and not-too-uniform appearance...
You can vary it a bit more by making blends of these colours - adding a dash of sand into the Russian Uniform green and so on...

Great work. I cant seem to get the helmet colour right. Which colors did you use? Any tips would help greatly! Thank you