Pages

Monday, March 5, 2012

Experiments in Uniformology, Brown and Yellow

Two more uniform experiments, whipped up on a break. The first is the yellow uniform suggested by Ross and Abdul.


I like this very much. It's colorful, unusual, and will make the entire Baden-Hundsheim army quite vibrant, alongside the red and blue "Turks" and the purple Ducal Guards. I decided to color the small clothes and the banner in the facing color, along the lines of the Hanoverian practice. And because I didn't want to rework the script on the flag, which would have faded away into a yellow banner.

Here's the BIG downside, however: I find yellow a monstrous pain to paint. And there would be a lot of yellow in an army painted this way.

Next, brown uniforms similar to the ones I prototyped originally. These, too, are very smart. I intentionally used a very dark shade of brown, to lend a more "intentional" feel, as opposed to uniforms that appeared to be made of whatever common cloth was at hand. I'm not thrilled with an army full of brown standards, however. I'd choose something else if I went with this uniform color.


I have some thinking to do. I think I'll just let these designs marinate in my noggin for a while, and see what I think after that.

10 comments:

  1. It occurs to me, after looking at the black experiment, that I should paint the drums of yellow battalions in facing colors too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like the yellow uniforms . . . and as for standards, they could be the facing color.


    -- Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Jeff. As of right now, I'm liking them too. If only I could figure out how to paint yellow with less frustration. The life of a painter is hard since they outlawed lead in our pigments. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. A darker shade oy yellow or yellow ochre might be easier than a canary yellow. Definitely calls for white undercoat.

    Mind you despite the American connection, I've always liked brown as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Ross. I need to write a post about painting techniques, and this project. My normal 15mm approach is stain painting over a white undercoat. But, this is intentionally a toy soldier project, and the black-lined look is very attractive in this case. So...either a black undercoat with strong paint over the top, or a white undercoat and endless fidgeting with painting tiny black lines. Another conundrum!

    And I do like the brown. Especially the darker shade. But some reason when I look at them tonight I see chocolate. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Probably because you are letting them put too much milk and sugar in your chocolate. Try a nice dark Walnut or Burnt Umber for a different look again.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Then, do you really have to choose? In French infantry, 'French' units were in off-grey, but 'foreign' ones were in blue or red -or brown for the Italians- while additional colors were used for 'foreign' light troops ('ventre de biche' for the Legion de Conde) or by Napoleonic times (light blue, green, even yellow).
    In Baden-Hundsheim such regiments in 'off regulation' uniforms, rather than 'foreign', could have 'provincial' roots ('professionalized' militia units?)...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just finding your blog. I too have a single regiment in brown with red facings. The regiment St. Germain. You can certainly develop a common uniform color (isn't that what "uniform" means?) but given the diminutive size and scope of most of our imagi-nations, and of course the rigorous enforcement of the regulations, variations in color create a whole back story on some of your units (raised by a wealthy lord, or merchantile conglomerate, or like Cardinal Richelieu of an earlier age a high-born man of the cloth in a powerful position). Have fun, but I like your plans so far. Mike (Kingdom of ST. Maurice)

    ReplyDelete
  9. A late in the day comment but. ...........
    Main uniform colours appear to be:- Red. Blue. Lt. Blue. Dark Green. White.
    I don't know Norway.Sweden. Italian states unless you try the Funken Books
    The Palatinate seems green or blue.
    You could try great northern war, WSS, 9Years war.
    The Neopolitan army brown, pastel green & pink. Or perhaps that was the ice cream.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rajasthan Board 12th Model Paper 2021 has announced Government Board of School Education, RBSE Students who are going to sit in Public Examination 2021 are allowed to Ajmer Board 12th Model Paper 2021 Download Rajasthan Board 12th Sample Paper 2021 Download our web Portal, Participate in Plus One & Plus Two Examination every year more than laks of students.

    ReplyDelete