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Author Topic: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?  (Read 2045 times)

Offline RC_Robert

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 93
What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« on: May 26, 2014, 07:22:18 PM »
Looking for some advise on what vallejo paints I should get for painting a box of Victrix French Infantry 1807-1812 plastics.   I just started painting some Brits so I have a good mix of reds, whites, browns, and greys.   I only have a couple of blues from the vallejo Napoleonic set (70841/Andrea Blue and 70899/Dark Prussia Blue).  Any suggestions on additional blues for french uniforms would be great. 


Offline Melnibonean

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2067
  • Boiled Beans
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2014, 10:48:13 PM »
All you really need is a good dark blue (really dark!).
Depending on the time period French will determine if you need other shades of blue. Up to 1809 some regiments will have light blue facings on their drummers coat. 1812 and after this was changed with all drummers wearing the imperial livery which means that you'll need a strong middle green colour and a warm yellow for them.

Cavalry are a different matter with each regiment retaining their facing colours throughout the wars although some regiments did change their colour. You'll need to do some research for this.
Below is a link to my blog. It's the place where I write uninteresting things about little toy soldiers. I do this because I refuse to grow up and behave like an adult.

http://this28mmlife.blogspot.com.au/

Offline RC_Robert

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 93
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2014, 12:23:02 AM »
I don't have a plan for a specific French unit.  Just kind of generic French line that I could use in a various Peninsular war skirmish games.   I guess I need a better reference book.   I have Haythornthwaite's Uniforms of the Peninsular Wars.  Maybe I need to find something more specific.

Offline Conquistador

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4375
  • There are hostile eye watching us from the arroyos
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2014, 10:53:37 AM »
I don't have a plan for a specific French unit.  Just kind of generic French line that I could use in a various Peninsular war skirmish games.  <snip>

Somewhere a Napoleonic Grognard is having chest pain trying to reconcile this statement with the detail ("Trivia with Tradition") oriented nature of said grognard.

I guess find what units where there and pick the details (depending on size of figures, 54 mm, 40 mm, 30 mm, etc.) that seem most common and paint the figures to reflect that.

Not my era for decades so beyond Blue and White I can't really help you with a generic color set.

Gracias,

Glenn

Intrigued by the idea
Viva Alta California!  Las guerras de España,  Las guerras de las Américas,  Las guerras para la Libertad!

Offline Aaron

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2350
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2014, 11:39:09 AM »
Dark Prussian Blue and Andrea Blue are a good start. If you want the very dark coat that most purists agree was the norm then you might want to start with the dark Prussian with a touch of black for a basecoat, then straight Dark Prussian Blue, then mix in a bit of Andrea Blue for highlights. Personally, I just start with Dark Prussian as a base, go to straight Prussian Blue for a mid-tone and mix a bit of Andrea in with it for highlights.

Offline RC_Robert

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 93
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2014, 10:50:41 PM »
Thanks for the advice Aaron.  I'll try that to start with.

Offline RC_Robert

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 93
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2014, 11:06:42 PM »
I don't have a plan for a specific French unit.  Just kind of generic French line that I could use in a various Peninsular war skirmish games.   <snip>

Somewhere a Napoleonic Grognard is having chest pain trying to reconcile this statement with the detail ("Trivia with Tradition") oriented nature of said grognard. [...]

When I was a much younger and started playing miniature games (WH40k RT&2nd ed. era) my friends and I would laugh at the historical gamers arguing about hats and color of lace.  20 years later I am starting to get it.   However besides my Haythornthwaite book most of my historical research is re-watching Sharpe movies. 

Offline Conquistador

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4375
  • There are hostile eye watching us from the arroyos
Re: What colors for French Peninsular Infantry?
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2014, 01:04:12 PM »
When I was a much younger and started playing miniature games (WH40k RT&2nd ed. era) my friends and I would laugh at the historical gamers arguing about hats and color of lace.  20 years later I am starting to get it.   <snip>


Those are not incompatible, you know...  ;)

Gracias,

Glenn

war gamer since the 1950s; Grognard since the 1970s;  recovering S&T addict since the 1980s

 

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