Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Dave C on 12 August 2012, 08:55:40 PM
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Dear All
Would any of you be able assist me with selecting which Vallejo paints are the best shades and colours for painting French Napoleonic troops in 28mm - particularly infantry. May be there is a pdf guide you know about or perhaps you'd be able to share your experiences of using vallejo.
Thank you.
Dave C
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I would start with Dark Prussian Blue as a base and then either mix in little bits of off-white(Buff maybe?) or a lighter blue. I am not near my paints so I am trying to go by memory for the names. If you use the Vallejo versions of the GW paints I would start with their equivalent of Midnight Blue and then lighten with their version of Enchanted Blue(again, going by memory on the names).
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I also generally use Vallejo paint, for the price, but also because i can find them more easily nearby. Foundry paint is very good with there 3 color method (use them one for the bavarian brigade), but i found them expensive (shipping costs).
For my Iste & 2nd Fre brigade (light and line) i used the vallejo 70962 Flat blue. My inf guard are receiving Citadel foundry Mordian blue (simply because i have 3 pots and they must be used so the Fr Guard are getting they). At the beginning i didn't use the 3 color methode, but it seams i am using 2 tones now (Austrian Line).
If you find extra info vallejo napoleonic versus russians, please post the info. Don't know what vallejo colors i need using on the rus infantry.
Greatings
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I also like to start with dark prussian blue. I go to straight Prussian blue for the mid tone and mix a bit of medium or flat blur into that for the highlights.
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I've been using Oxford Blue, highlighted by adding white to it. I think it comes across as a nicely faded blue-violet -- the sort of colour one would get from dip-dying cloth with woad or indigo dyes and then wearing the stuff for a month. It's nicely set off by good clear touches of reds and buffs/whites and looks unambiguously French and no chance of being a bit Prussian.
(I also use the same colour for ACW Union jackets and medieval blue livery)
This --
http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54ef2be2d8833015390a98b2b970b-pi -- is a photograph of woad dyed cloth drying. Apparently it's from a course you can go on to learn how to make the dyes recorded as being used in the early 1800s in France.
Oxford Blue looks a little deeper than that, but passable; within the range of dyeing variations.
Don't make it too dark; French uniforms were coloured using a dipping process and in that form indigo and woad will not form the very dark blues of "pencil" indigo (for which Prussian Blue was a replacement).
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Thanks for your help and advice with this, it has been really useful. I get the impression there is more to French uniforms than meets the eye!
Would anyone be able to recommend other vallejo paints for other parts of French uniforms; head plumes, epaulettes etc?
Dave C
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I'm with Katie
Oxford blue over black undercoat, add progressive amounts of dark blue to 2nd and then add flat blue to this mix for
3rd coat to highlight with a GW ashurman blue wash in between 2nd and 3rd coat
For trousers one of the light or medium or dark greys, adding white to highlight
I also prefer a campaign mix with some troursers in browns
Anything black with VJ black but highlightwith black grey
Voltigeurs yellow bits - desert yellow and flat yellow mix
grenadirs, rojo (red) with tiny amount of black grey and then neat and lastly with bermellion or scarlet added