Something I've been meaning to do for some time is the outline of the colours used for painting my 6mm Napoleonic figures. I've split this post into two sections, the first - guiding principles and second the basic colours used.
General Principles.
As always I start with a matt black undercoat of Revell Aqua colour 36/08 applied with a brush. This paint dries dull and still leaves the detail visible on the figure.
Most of the time I apply a base coat of a darker colour than needed and then add an amount of white to this colour until satisfied. There is no hard and fast rule I apply since;
a) the colour of uniforms varied over time,
b) the colours used at this scale need to stand out since the figures are so small,
c) if the actual colour of the uniform was replicated, the result would be pretty drab and little difference would be noticed between similar tones, (try it, look at a real life person at a distance to give the same size as a 6mm figure).
Oftentimes white does not work especially with red, some greens and most certainly browns. So in this case, (and I can be lazy), I hunt out lighter colours or ones which give a good contrast to the darker colour. Yes, this does mean you have to purchase a lot more paint, but it pays dividends in the long run.
Colours Used.
The choice of colour may depend on what uniform you are painting, for example, British uniforms may be Dark Red and Flat Red for officers but Scarlet Red and Clear Orange for enlisted. I shall arrange the colours into; Base colour - Highlight - 2nd Highlight. All colours are Vallejo description and number
Blues
Dark Prussian Blue, 899 - Prussian Blue - 965
Ancrea Blue, 841 - Deep Sky Blue, 844
Dark Prussian Blue, 899 - Dark Blue, 930
Reds
Dark Red, 946 - Scarlet, 817
Dark Red, 946 - Flat Red, 957
Flat Red, 957 - Scarlet, 817
Dark Red, 946 - Scarlet, 817 - Clear Orange, 956
Beige Red, 804
Whites
Light Grey, 990 - Off White, 820
Silver Grey, 883 - Off White, 820
Silver Grey, 883 - Off White, 820 - Cold White, 919
Silver Grey, 883 - Cold White, 919
Greens
Flat Green, 968 - German Camo Bright Green, (unsure of the name, label worn, (now updated)), 833
Medium Olive, 850 - German Camo Green, 833
Light Green, 942
Green Sky, 974
Yellows
Mostly add white to these colours
Sand Yellow, 916
Flat Yellow, 953
Deep Yellow, 915
Golden Yellow, 948
Beige, 917
Browns
Primarily used for horses, for which there are too many combinations to list in this basic guide, and quite often i just add white to the base colour. But a few that I have used are;
Flat Brown, 984 - Beige Brown, 875
Flat Brown, 984 - Red Leather, 818
Flat Earth, 983
US Field Drab, 873
Saddle Brown, 940
English Uniform, 921
Leather Brown, 871
Mahogany, 846
Greys
Basalt Grey, 869 - Neutral Grey, 992
Neutral Grey, 992 - Light Grey, 990
Flesh
Flat Flesh, 955
Others
Natural Steel, 864
Gold, 996
Brass, 801
Violet, 960 - Blue Violet 811
Game Colour, Silver 052, used to highlight sabres after varnishing to give a clear and polished look.
Game Colour, Polished Gold, 055, again used for helmets after varnishing to give a clear and polished look.
There are many other colours in my palette, but are too many to list here, they can be used occasionally if no other colour seems suitable.
Maybe eventually I shall post specific colours used for each nationality or unit.
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