What colour for my Ruritanian Riflemen?

[Trooper]

Its tough coming up with something original, as most military uniforms are similar, has to do with cheapness of materials-dyes etc, and also fashion. The cost of dyes is one of the reasons that Reds, blues and white even, were so popular. On the subject of fashions for example, the American predeliction for French style uniforms during the ACW, and the influence of Prussian uniforms, after they become a successful military power. Spiky helmet rules ok!

I am not convinced the mustardy-yellow is Ruritanian enough. Seeing as it is a Germanic (sort of) state, they would surely be influenced by the big neighbour to some extent, (yes I know its fictitious). Greens are out, because of the Russian look, and Prussian jaegers.

This is intriguing, might have to hit the books, and look for some good combos.

[argsilverson]

Sorry, I had to intervene:

as most military uniforms are similar, has to do with cheapness of materials-dyes etc, and also fashion. The cost of dyes is one of the reasons that Reds, blues and white even, were so popular. 

Not anymore! During the Victorian era the industrial production of synthetic dyes provides lots of quantities, quality, resistance to wear and fading and they are very cheap! The production of competitive red dyes by the french made Napoleon III to order red pants for his army. This had nothing to do with popularity of the red as a colour, but was a political move to support the french production of the red dye!
Till that date french army also had grey pants.

Indeed it is difficult to find any original colour combination.
If you see the Italian uniforms of the era, you will find lots of interesting combinations -green with purple or sky blue with green and so on.
A good inspiration is also the bavarian uniforms of the time and rauppenhelm is also a good substitute for the pickelhaube.

[argsilverson]

Sorry, I made a mistake:
King's half brother Michael, was titled as "Duke of Streslau" and his personal "country house" was the castle of Zenda.
Sorry again!

[Red Orc]

No worries! Thanks for the information, as I say it's many years since I read it. I've been looking for a second-hand copy these last few days but I'll probably get it off Amazon. Maybe the movie too.

I've been thinking about a flag for Ruritania too, if I knew what colour that was it might help. I've been thinking black, white and gold; the 'gold' could then become mustard-yellow on the jackets, perhaps. But it's only an idea at the moment, I see I'm not going to have decided this weekend, maybe I'll try to paint something else while I ponder.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Thunderchicken
I only see that colour briefly on Sunday morning talking to God on the Big White Telephone. I am therefore not a fan.

Been a long time since I had that sort of conversation. Probably around the same time I used to deliver pavement pizzas 

[Calimero]

What about a color close to Confederate Butternut with black facing? BTW, I think there’s a lot of inspiration to get from US/CS militia units just prior to the Civil War.

[Ruarigh]

I hope I am not too late to the party but I think that lavender tunics with pale green facings would look rather nice on the chaps. You could complement the tunic with a nice pair of lemon yellow trousers, again with a pale green stripe. It would look very fetching and the madchens would be swooning left and right at the sight of these soldier boys.

[Captain Blood]

I've been thinking about a flag for Ruritania too, if I knew what colour that was it might help.

If you can't find the inspiration you need in Anthony Hope's original Zenda novels, you should have a read of 'Royal Flash' - bet you'll get some hints from George MacDonald Fraser... 

[Red Orc]

I'm trying to track down a copy of 'Prisoner of Zenda' at the moment - I've now reserved a copy through the library, it should turn up in a few days.

Not sure lavender and green would exactly work, but hey ho, thanks anyway!

Been working on a few options, I'll post my possible Ruritanean flag sketches if I can get my image software to not-crash for long enough. They prove little other than that I can't draw eagles, even heraldic ones, however... but they might spark ideas.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm219/redorc01/Ruritanianbanner1.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm219/redorc01/Ruritanianbanner2.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm219/redorc01/Ruritanianbanner3.jpg

These are my three initial banner designs - hope it works...

[argsilverson]

The text doesnot give any description of the flag of Ruritania, but there is some clue.
Remember that the state emblem of Ruritania is rose, which is also portrayed on their highest decoration.
At the beginning of the "prisoner of Zenda", there is some ball after coronation when Rudolf Rassendyl playing the King meets for first time Princess Flavia. In this paragraph it is said that Flavia carries the decoration as the king himself of the rose with a red ribbon.

Choosing the colours is a matter of personnal taste , but I suggest see the actual pre-1918 german states flags they are colourful and ideal for inspiration.
By a chance there is also one with a stylisized rose on it that is of the state of Lippe. See it here:
http://www.worldstatesmen.org/German_States2.html
(somewhere in the middle of the page)
I also suggest to check the whole site, when you have the time. It has lots of actual flags, very inspirational!!!!
home page here:
http://www.worldstatesmen.org/

Another site, that you can seek inspiration is the warflag site, here:
http://www.warflag.com/flags/select.shtml

[Red Orc]

Thanks for that information and the links - you're right, there's a lot there to inspire me.

The reason I'm going for an Eagle is that the troopers already have an eagle on their pickelhauber. But I will be definitely incorporating the Rose design too. Maybe quartering the flag would be the way to go. Or perhaps the Eagle might represent a particular Duchy rather than the whole of Ruritania. Maybe it's an Eagle of Zenda for instance. Plenty to think about, and I'm not going to start painting till next weekend at the earliest - more research is in order I think!

[Spong]

Rough photoshop mockup of what you had in mind:



Hope it helps, takes no time at all so if you want to see any other colour combinations let me know.

[argsilverson]

Or perhaps the Eagle might represent a particular Duchy rather than the whole of Ruritania. Maybe it's an Eagle of Zenda for instance. Plenty to think about, and I'm not going to start painting till next weekend at the earliest - more research is in order I think!

Your welcome!

I think that this is the way to do it. Have some duchies and you have plenty of different flags and army colour schemes to choose.  I think that the best is to have the rose design for princess Flavia's personnal flag. And maybe use the red/yellow colour scheme for her bodyguard!
The lady that should be queen needs to have at least a small bodyguard!

[ushistoryprof]

I'm trying to track down a copy of 'Prisoner of Zenda' at the moment - I've now reserved a copy through the library, it should turn up in a few days.

Not sure lavender and green would exactly work, but hey ho, thanks anyway!

Been working on a few options, I'll post my possible Ruritanean flag sketches if I can get my image software to not-crash for long enough. They prove little other than that I can't draw eagles, even heraldic ones, however... but they might spark ideas.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm219/redorc01/Ruritanianbanner1.jpg
I like number 3 the best.  If you want to use the rose as well, what about putting a red rose in a shield design on the chest of the eagle.  The American eagle has a  similar shield design using stars and stripes on its chest.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm219/redorc01/Ruritanianbanner2.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm219/redorc01/Ruritanianbanner3.jpg

These are my three initial banner designs - hope it works...

[Red Orc]

@ UShistoryprof; thanks for the reply; the biggest problem I have with the 'Black Eagle' is that my idea was to paint the eagle on the helmet the same colour as the eagle on the flag. If I paint the eagle black, I'm left with painting the helmet white or yellow, which I'm not sure would work. Thanks for the suggestion about the shield with the rose, that's a great idea, better than the eagle grasping it in its talons which is what I was thinking about.

@Argsilverson; yes indeed, my plan was to include several very colourful units over time into this force, and Princess Flavia's guard will definitely be among them. Possibly not the first guys I paint up, but a definite in the future.

@Spong; that's great, the chap on the left rather resembles my guys in pickelhauber and boots. I think that the yellow jacket works quite well; that looks like the front runner at the moment. Thanks for giving us some visuals! I was thinking yesterday that what we need on LAF (especially for VSF) is a virtual 'paint your soldier' application like the ones that used to be on the GW sites and have appeared at Bolter and Chainsword and places like that. You're a trooper, anyway, for providoing the images, cheers.