Painting ideas for germanic warriors at the fall of the west

[Longstrider]

Hi all.

Finally landed on doing a Limes campaign from Saga: Age of Invasions, and wondering if there are good sources on how to paint the "barbarians" - my friend is doing the late Romans. We haven't even decided whether we're going to imagine we're in Britain or France or Italy, so I've got that whole thing to navigate too. So a bit of a broad question atm, but curious to see what others have done.

Thanks!

EDIT: likely going to use the Wargames Atlantic Goth warriors and late Romans in chain sprues to make the infantry, and haven't decided on cavalry yet.

[Triarius]

I don't think you can go wrong painting them in you basic colors, reds, blues, greens, yellows, and lots of browns and whites. I like painting higher status warriors in more blues and reds, Lower status more browns, khakis, off whites, yellows, and greens.

Stripey shirts always look good also!

[trev]

This is quite a good basic guide pic from the old WAB Late Rome book.  A Perry illustration I think.  The Goths have the bands around the tunic edging and the trousers base.  That's quite distinctive.



Any natural dyes colours are probably fine but purple would be expensive. 



http://cobbledtogetherbybrenna.blogspot.com/2011/05/dyes-from-plants.html?m=1

Take at look at some of the painted miniatures here too.  There are some nice examples to copy.  Here's a couple of recent examples that spring to mind.





http://justaddwater-bedford.blogspot.com/search/label/Goths
https://theleadpile.blogspot.com/2021/09/goths.html

The box art or miniature companies are another good source.



https://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=115&cat=280&sub=294&page=1
https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/goths-germanic
https://wargamesatlantic.com/collections/decline-and-fall/products/goth-warriors

[Longstrider]

Thanks to both of you! The dyes image in particular is helpful I think, for at least thinking about a colour palette and remembering how widely varied clothing can look.

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Remember too, lots of variation in overall colour of a piece of cloth is possible by weaving with threads of different colors in close proximity.  even if there is an expensive purple dye, woven cloth of inexpensive red and blues might look a uniform purple at spear distance!

[bluewillow]

For my Franks I paint edging on cuffs, neckline and base, and some with banded arms (alamani). Lots of natural dye colours, greens and brown and creams for the levy, the noble cavalry in brighter colours including reds and blues.

The shields I use qautered colours, dark age transfers mostly and the odd roman unit one.

Look forward to your progress, careful it is very addictive!

Cheers
Matt