User Triads

[Ray Rivers]

In the pursuit of increased productivity, I have been working on my own "triads".

I prefer painting straight out of bottles, as they are far easier to reproduce later on, make fixing errors easy and allow rapid painting.

F = Foundry
GW = Games Workshop
VL = Vallejo
CD = Coat d'arms



* Tan Uniforms

- F. Base Sand (base)
- F. Spearshaft Light (shade)
- F. Base Sand Light (light)



* Khaki Uniforms (soldier's helmets and Officer's jacket and hat)

- Straight up F. Moss Triad (best triad they produce)



* Leather Boots

- F. Spearshaft shade (Base)
- F. Dusky Flesh shade (Shade)
- F. Spearshaft (Light)



* Grey Pants

- F. Slate Grey (Base)
- F. Charcoal Black Light (Shade)
- F. Stone Light (Light)

* Blue Jackets

- F. Deep Blue Triad... with one big change... Added about 20% white to the Deep Blue Light pot and it makes a huge difference.

* Leather boots

- F. Spearshaft shade (Base)
- F. Dusky Flesh shade (Shade)
- F. Spearshaft (Light)

I'll post more when I am satisfied with them. 

Until then, please feel free to add your own.  I'd certainly like to see what other folks use.

[Heldrak]

Very interesting, Ray.

I use the Foundry Dusky Flesh for my boot & belt leathers too (although I go with the straight Dusky Flesh triad, I don't interpolate any other colors). That gives me a nice dusty weathered leather look. The dedicated Foundry leather color is oddly green to my eye and the Tan is too orange.

I used the Foundry Rawhide Triad (one of my personal faves) for the khaki pants on my Explorers in the current LPL round 10, I'll give the Moss a try the next time I have occasion to paint a khaki (I actually used the Rawhide shade and the Rawhide mid-tone with an intermediate color mixed between them). My portly Explorer with the shotgun is actually done in the Foundry Drab triad, just to keep the Explorers from looking too uniform.

I like Foundry Deep Blue, but I find that there's too much of a jump between the shade color and the mid-tone, so I've taken to mixing an intermediate color when I use it. I find I don't generally need a highlight lighter than the standard Deep Blue highlight color.

[Ray Rivers]

Interesting comments, thanks.

I don't like the tan either for the same reason.  Though it does a bang up job painting earthen pots.

For the khaki color, the Moss triad gives a real good greenish color.  Note in the picture of my Brits, that I paint the pants a lighter khaki.  To do that I use the Moss Light as the base, the mid tone Moss as the shade and (though not depicted in that photo), the Sand Base Light for the light.  I have found the Sand Triad to be very useful when working with browns.

For the Deep blue, it's a great color, but yep, the painter needs to correct it to suit his taste.  I think the real problem there is the mid tone. which needs to be a bit darker.

The stone triad is another really nice color.  I used that to paint my reptiles for the Tribal cavalry.  You can see it on the Brit Officer's blanket roll picture I posted here.  But once again, the mid tone appears to be off and should be a bit darker.

Overall, I think most of the triads have at least one pot off... IMHO, so I am doing a bunch of mixing and matching straight out of the pots.  I'm also keeping a diary/log with all the paints I use for each type of troop or animal to keep for future reference.

Having said all that, I think a bit of painting style also comes into play here.  For example, I tend to paint the mid tone first and then add the shade and the light.  I do believe the paints were designed to be painted first with the shade and then the mid and light, which will make a big difference in how it comes out.

So yea, great comments and appreciate you insights.

[Darkoath]

Very nice thread Ray!  I hope you and others continue to post your triad colors.  You listed some other  companies paints then only listed Foundry triads so I am assuming that you have some other tirads to post hopefully.  Again thank you!

Darkoath

[Ray Rivers]

Yep, I'm hoping others post their triads as well.  It really speeds painting along and gives nice results.

Here is another one...



Uniform

- F. Bay Brown Light (base)
- F. Bay Brown Shade (shade)
- F. Spearshaft (light)

Boots, gloves and equipment

- My leather triad mentioned in earlier posts

Armor

- F. Sand Base (Base)
- F. Sand Base Light (Light)
- GW Scorched Brown lining

The picture doesn't do the mini justice as the browns tend to blend in the photo.  But in real life, the dark uniform and lighter equipment stands out nicely.

[Argonor]

What is that trooper, anyway??

[Ray Rivers]

The one with the golden visor?

Hasslefree Miniatures - (Grimm) - HFG029 Karla (B)  Female close combat lieutenant with helmet.

http://www.hasslefreeminiatures.co.uk/pack.php?pack=132

[Argonor]

Ah, I KNEW I had seen that style before 

I did not recognize it because of the colour scheme - always see them for me as dull blue/gray, but of course they could be any colour