French Napoleonic & Vallejo Paints

[Dave C]

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

[eptingmike]

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).

[Slekke]

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

[Aaron]

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.

[katie]

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).

[Dave C]

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

[valleyboy]

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