I have a question. Painting a figure Imperial Gendarme Elite at the moment and it's painted into the Rousselot book as follow.

Rousselot describe the yellow as Chamoise and painted yellow. Into his collor excamples it looks more yellow ochre. Translating Chamoise is light yellow. Alot of confusion. Can somebody help me in the right direction.

Marc

I'll have to check Marc, but doesn't the Rousselot book have some colour swatches/patches printed near the back which might help?
Cheers
Paul

Yes, and that brings me to this question. Plates give's yellow. Colour patches give's a more yellow ochre for the Chamois colour.

Marc

Britches (or Breeches...whatever)) were made from doeskin - that's to say the treated soft skin of a female deer. The French
nomenclature was chamoisie - an arty-farty description perhaps, but it actually helps us. Although some of the skins were
bleached to lighten them, the Gendarmes D'Elite wore more natural versions. Have a look at a 'shammy' leather to give you
an idea of the colour. Of course what with weathering, wear and tear, and what have you, a reasonable range of light ochre
colours become possible.

Hope this helps a bit

Mike

Thanks Mike.
This helps alot/

Marc

Was it doeskin, or was it exactly what the French "chamois" means-the small Alpine goat? A Gams, as the Germans call it. Their hides are used to make clothing, too, just as are deer hides, cow hides, goat hides, etc.

Prost!
Brad

I suppose, Brad, it was a question of rank and money. I'm sure you're right that chamois was used by some It's
also been said that buckskin was an alternative. Doeskin was officially the choice of the age. Anyway, the stuff
was unpopular in the French army - being apparently difficult to clean and seriously uncomfortable especially
when wet - so it was reserved for ceremonial use with cloth alternatives for general wear. It was a question here
of colour really - a 'shammy' leather of the kind we all use in the car or somewhere, is a fairly accurate example.

Mike

Colour : peau de chamois ( shammy )
Many variation , see by yourself
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1...hUKEwja-YWC4I7mAhVMJhoKHZcFBjgQ4dUDCAc&uact=5

Thanks.
I mixed yellow ochre with napels yellow and it is so close.

Marc

Hi Marc, don’t know if this will help but it’s a picture of a colour swatch for chamois from the book Napoleons Waterloo Army by Paul Dawson. I think the swatches used in the book and his others on the Imperial Guard are from the 1820’s but relevant to the Napoleonic armies. I used yellow ochre with a bit of burnt Umber and white for my base for this colour.

Looks good, but for my references it's to much to the red.
I mixed Yellow ochre and Naples Yellow,....that is very close.

marc

the color is more ocre... more mars yellow .. isn't a classic yellow is more in the earth colors range

Thanks Ivo.
Marc

Maybe some insight can be found in a previous thread " Why I don't paint historical miniatures"....Sorry..that's all I got...

I have a pair of Chino's called "Tobacco" colour, and, there're very close to the colour I've seen painted on loads of other figs/ Ray

Marc just go with a standard chamois car one .
Try Gold ochre add a little white and if feeling brave some Naples Yellow and white for top highlight .

One of those colours that benefits of not adding a shade , let the highlights do the work