Best Vallejo colours for RCW Russian uniforms?

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

I appreciate there would be an awful lot of variance in colours due to age/wear and different manufacturers, but would welcome some tips on what others have found to be the best choices from the Vallejo range please for painting Reds and Whites.

Specifically, is English Uniform (921) a good general colour to use as standard (i.e. to lighten or darken for variation) or should I be looking at starting with something lighter in the tan or khaki shades?

[carlos marighela]

The aptly named Russian Uniform is a good start. For tunics anything from Stone Grey (actually a warmish light colour) via buff, khaki, German Beige, Iraqi Sand, through to Green Brown, which is a lighter khaki than English uniform. No reason not to use a bit of EU here and there.

[sepoy1857]

Take a look at the Panzer aces range. There are a lot of the "highlight" colours that are great for lightening darker shades. French tanker and French tank crew highlight; US Tank crew and US tank crew highlight are very good. Japanese highlight is good as well.

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

The aptly named Russian Uniform is a good start. For tunics anything from Stone Grey (actually a warmish light colour) via buff, khaki, German Beige, Iraqi Sand, through to Green Brown, which is a lighter khaki than English uniform.

Aha!  I assumed Russian Uniform was for the Second World War 

The colours you suggest are all quite a bit lighter than English Uniform, so it sounds as though I was some way off the mark. Thanks for putting me right.   

Take a look at the Panzer aces range. There are a lot of the "highlight" colours that are great for lightening darker shades. French tanker and French tank crew highlight; US Tank crew and US tank crew highlight are very good. Japanese highlight is good as well.

I have a few of those already; thanks for the tip.

[Truscott Trotter]

Nah VJ Khaki - Grey is for WW2 
Russian Uniform is for British webbing 

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

Mr TT - I prefer Russian Uniform for British tanks and use Iraqi Sand for British webbing!  I am still hoping someone will tell me English Uniform is good for RCW era Red and White uniforms but so far no one has 

[Mark Plant]

Mr TT - I prefer Russian Uniform for British tanks and use Iraqi Sand for British webbing!  I am still hoping someone will tell me English Uniform is good for RCW era Red and White uniforms but so far no one has 

It's excellent. Particularly since I have reasonably large numbers of my men in English uniforms.

I also mixed it with a bit of a beige colour for Russians. (I basically never use colours straight out of the pot anyway.)

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

It's excellent. Particularly since I have reasonably large numbers of my men in English uniforms.

 Thanks Mark

[sepoy1857]

Mr TT - I prefer Russian Uniform for British tanks and use Iraqi Sand for British webbing!  I am still hoping someone will tell me English Uniform is good for RCW era Red and White uniforms but so far no one has 

It is if you use it as a base and lighten it with Scale75 Iroko (a nice tan shade).

[Truscott Trotter]

Mr TT - I prefer Russian Uniform for British tanks and use Iraqi Sand for British webbing!  I am still hoping someone will tell me English Uniform is good for RCW era Red and White uniforms but so far no one has 

Sir Rodders I agree except I like VJ Grey Green highlighted for my Brit Paras webbing as I thought the Iraqi Sand did not contrast enough with my Densions pattern 1 which is the more yellow look.
Am about to paint so Commandos so English uniform to the fore and maybe Iraqi sand webbing or a bit of both even?
As for RCW I reckon any shade of murky green/brown will do for most Russian units

[Orctrader]

I actually use VMC Flat Earth as a base then mix in various other shades for lots of variety.  Or, just use Tan Earth and VGC Khaki as the mid tone and highlight for a very serviceable khaki / Russian uniform.

[sepoy1857]

Found this on Facebook (?) I believe.

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

Thanks to all for some really great tips.  And as for the graphic sepoy1857 posted, what can I say?  It looks like the entire Vallejo colour range apart from the reds, blues and yellows, and I am sure I spotted an English Uniform equivalent in there too 

And there I was worrying about how to tell Reds and Whites apart if they are all wearing uniforms with only relatively minor variations of the same basic shades.