ACW Unionist

[Dismembered]

So I've finally decided to paint up my ACW Union figures that I got from the Perry's a over the last 2 years or so. I've got plenty of time over the next 4 months to do them.

I've pretty much worked out what colours to use but I'm still a bit stumped on the best dark blue to use for the coats. At the moment I've decided Vallejo Dark Sea Blue is the one. Anyone out there disagree and recommend a better blue? I'm using a black undercoat if that assists in anyones decision.

Here's some I painted up a few months ago:
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h3...bozo/001-1.jpg
I painted the coat Vallejo Prussian Blue with a Dark prussian Blue shade (which goes a bit purple over a black undercoat) and the pants Vallejo Pale Blue with Pastel Blue as the shade. I've since decided that Pastel Blue is a better colour for the pants.

Thoughts? Critiques?

Cheers

Stu

[bigshep]

Looking at the figures you have painted (very nicely by the way), I would say that the jacket is too light, and so are the trousers. Having a look around at reenactor kit as well as some of the osprey books, the jackets are almost black with a blue highlight. Looking at the vallejo range I would say model colour blue is quite a good match for the jacket, and game colour electric blue for the trousers. Maybe use the colours you have and give them a black wash to darken them up a bit?

[Dismembered]

Yeah once I'd done them I went back and looked at reenactor photos and came to the conclusion that the colours I'd used were too light and was actually planning on putting a wash over them.

[emperorpenguin]

Every re-enactor I've seen has said that the colours vary due to quality of dyes and environmental wear and tear. So don't worry too much. The guys in brighter shades can be the raw recruits with freh uniforms. The veterans will be in faded colours.

[bigshep]

However the colours would lighten over time in the sun with bleaching, rather than darken, so these guys would be vets Colours would vary, sometimes within a single garment as it was dependent upon batch, source and who sewed it. Southern uniforms would be less uniform in colour based upon the diverse ranges of dyes they had access to based upon the non industrialised base they had, and the North a bit more uniformity as they had a better industrialised base to fall back on. Also within Northern regiments they tended to stay together till disbanded as being under strength, rather than the South amalgamating regiments as the war went on. So basically Northern regiments, big and new uniforms = green, small and faded = vets.

[emperorpenguin]

I recall reading that some blue uniforms would fade to purple or even brown with time, so it's not a simple uv lightening in all cases.

[bigshep]

Again depends upon what type of dye they are using, but not something I have looked into too deeply, however I am sure a google fu search would turn up a plethora of items within a moment.

[Dismembered]

Thanks for the feedback fellas, I appreciate it. Aside from throwing a black wash over those figures I've already done my other option was as has been mentioned just use them as vets. See how I go with some more when I start painting them.

[emperorpenguin]

By the way, my Union troops are painted using Army painter blue spray for rank and file, dipped in strong tone.
Mordian blue is my main colour for painting union blue, while my Zouaves and cavalry are asurmen blue wash over black-washed white.

[bigshep]

I used Coat de arms Royal blue for jackets and bavarian blue for trousers followed by a black wash. Worked nicely on the 15mm I painted years ago.