Colin,
Gee... for once that I help & participate in a positive manner :lol: ? - of course "my way" is not THE way... Did I sound like that? That was not my intention.

... actually I do have facsimile documentation of about 1823 - a few years later than the Nap. period - which explains how they made "dark blue" with indigo pigment. This seems in many cases to have been a rather good fast dye, although as you say, some fading was inevitable.
Some other colours seem to have been more liable to fading - orange is an example, and it seems dark green - although a form of "quality control" existed - would inevitably finally lose the yellow pigment in it; hence probably the "dark blue" chasseur a cheval coats you can see in the musee de l'armee.


But ok, ok, I'll say no more....

Colin...........I have meet "THE NAPOLEONIC COLOR EXPERT" in the flesh.....in fact several of them ganged up on me back at a MFCA show when it was still at Widner College. Lost out on a gold due to wrong stripe color That was about 20 years ago and I haven't done many figures with uniforms since. When I saw this figure come out years ago I bought a couple and did the Trumpeter and now am doing the Lancer. I have the conversion kit they produced in resin as well which would convert him to the service dress but decided to stay with the full dress. Anyone need the conversion pieces let me know. Has a different head and legs.

Thanks Johan for your info and I have printed your formula out and may use.

guy

Johan:

Please don't be offended - I think we were typing in parallel and posted almost simultaneously. I hadn't read your post when I put mine in. Your formula is spot in IMHO (as I used almost the same mix for Ney - adding sepia to the indigo blue & cold wax for wear and tear).


My "probaby not" comment was responding to Guy's "I would assume the horse blanket would be the same dark blue!" statement, not yours. Shows the potential for miscommunication when wires get crossed. I'm glad you noted it.

Cheers

Colin

Guy, I'm sorry to hear that...that is just bad, people like those "Napoleonic experts" don't belong in this hobby. And I'm sure you're capable enough to paint a Napoleonic figure in a colourful uniform!

... well, I ended up with that "my way" oil mix after I had been painting blue uniforms in Prussian blue for years, and none of the "experts" overhere wanted to help me out ... So I always ended up with rather pathetic results - completely "inky" colour, you know.... So one day I said to myself : what if I make up a dark blue like they did in reality, with Indigo, then add a good dose of Winsor blue (= "phtalo blue") for a "stronger" colour.... and hey, for the first time I had a good dark blue, that dried rather matt and wasn't inky anymore! That's the story of that oil mix of mine.

Of course, Colin has a point - I think the horse furniture (used for campaign) may for example have been made of old stocks of cloth ... nothing wrong with working in a bit more white and earth colour, or cut back on the Winsor ("phtalo") blue for certain items....

I hope this helps,

Johan

Colin,

No offense taken!

And indeed, just had a look at your Bravest of the Brave, and your dark blue is superb! Hey do you also use Indigo in your dark blues??? I couldn't live without it for dark blue, a great colour isn't it?

I also use it in Dark green - equal doses of Winsor and indigo, added gradually to cadmium yellow. Gives a great "my way" Chasseur green! :lol:

Thanks Johan - I've just started using the Indigo based on viewing actual uniform relics and baed on advice received my friend Joe Videki here in Toronto re. painting ACW Union tunics. French blue and green uniforms are often modelled lighter than actual but the scale factor has to be considered too in determining how much to lighten the paint (the smaller the lighter).

My previous French general's coats were far too light being painted with ultramarine, darkened with black or payne's grey - highlighted with white. Doesn't really work.

Your comments re. permanence of the dyes are useful as I was working on general knowledge, assuming that all colours fade.

Guy - as usual, there is no right answer - go with what looks good within the range of reasonable colours.

Cheers

Colin

Guy-

Love the horse. Really motivates me to try a mounted figure.

Excellent responses from Johan, Colin and Anders. I learned alot

Keith

Guy,

Nice work with the horse.

I are only in process of painting this figure. My problem was that I decided to paint a white horse before I knew that color was only for the musicians (then I must to paint the lancer as a trumpeter).

About the colors I recommend to have a look this book : "Napoleon's Red Lancers" (Men-at-arms 389- Osprey).

Rafa

Thanks Rafa for your kind words. It has been slow slow progress lately with so much other stuff going on too but I did manage to get the saddle together and painted. The gloss toward the rear by the eagle is from the lights (no gloss or sheen in reality). I have the blanket roll pegged and primed and will blend and shade the rider next. (gosh.....just realized I haven't done the flesh on him yet)
All comments good, bad or otherwise are always welcome.

Looks GREAT Guy! I like the texture of the sheepwool(?) saddle.

Hey Guy,
As usual,beautiful work.
Keep up the great work.

Roc.

Thanks Roc,
The sheeps skin will get drybrushed with a drop of white added to the engine black to bring out the texture even more. The strap that goes around will get a coat of satin coat by humbrol and the buckel done in brass. I did the trumpeter with the white horse and it took forever to complete. I know this one will take as long.

guy

Great work Guy , keep it coming


Robin

The saddle looks outstanding Guy! Can't wait to see this piece completed - great job!

-jim cox

Thanks guys for the kind words!

guy

Hi Guy..
Great work !!!
The color of the horse is natural truly.


Jung

Hey Guy!

That saddle is looking great! Did you use Lou's technique on the gold lace?

Thanks Jung and Anders.
Anders, it is the same technique that Lou described with the lace.

guy

ANd you've executed it very well. Did you use oils on the lace?

Lou, I used floquil flat enamels which give me about 2 hours drying time so I can move them around and blend and shade. Same principal but different paint.
Final step was a drybrushing of "yellow gold" (more yellow than gold)
guy