Historical Colours - What colour should I paint those clothes what might they have been?

Whilst in fantasy I don't care what colour I use I do like to be more accurate in the historical setting, I like to think I'm painting a plausibly accurate colour.

I suspect a lot of the Wargaming source material is opinion, sometimes very objective, but we don't really know what colours the Cretan archers wore but here are some interesting links. 

From the historic perspective, indicating the availability of colours.
I was surprised at the range of colours and their shades and then how colours or their shades were restricted to certain classes of people,

Medieval Woman - Dyes

From which this excerpt comes

Notes about colours
It must be noted that just because it was possible for a colour to be dyed, it did not mean that it was instantly adopted by all walks of life. Many colours were deemed unsuitable for the peasant class. Bright colours, it was thought, were not humble and engendered a feeling of pride which was a mortal sin. Peasants should remember where it was that God had seen fit to place them, and they should not desire anything other than God's will.

Clothing in greys, browns and muted blues were thought most suitable for the lower class. This did not mean that peasants were dowdy. Greys and browns were available in a number of shades and clever colour coordination of hoods and tunics could still make for an attractive ensemble. Blue was a colour which was available to most classes, both cheaply and expensively, in all shades ranging from muted, sombre blues to brilliant jewel blues of the upper classes.

Medieval fabrics and its uses
More about the fabrics available

Medieval fabrics and the use of colour 
This is a good read with a number of colour pictures of the dyed wool. from which this picture comes

Weld yellow to woad blue to produce greens

Plant coloured wool

Walnut Hull dyed yarn, naturally dyed

Natural dyes Wikipedia link

Painting to a high standard or I wargame; therefore, I have to paint.

Sorry come again..
Whose standard?
What's the objective?

Yes I admire masterful work, but I can't and don't aspire, however I like ro think I am always improving. I can list my other delusions later.

I recall when my son found my old 25 mm D&D models, that I'd purchased and used back in 1980. It began his interest in wargaming and renewed mine circa 1999.
Armed with my first attempts in acrylics, I took my Brettonian Knight into the local store to show it off and the store manager though it was quite a good effort for my 9 year old son. No I didn't correct him rather I slunk out of the store tail between my legs.

And yeah that coloured my opinion. Did I want to spend hours painting to Golden Daemon standards or did I want to roll dice and crush my enemies?

In effect what is the hobby to you, why are you painting up models?
What drew you into the hobby and what is still driving you today?

I Wargame; therefore I paint!, but also:

- I also make and paint scenery, because what I envisage isn't there. In addition initially I couldn't afford to buy the models and the scenery when I started out.
- I research, boy do I research, my wife often says you're not painting you're on the PC.
Well I need to know the right colour for the regiment as determined by historical record or SciFi fluff. What colours would the houses, trees, fields be etc etc.
- I research the order of battle.
- I also write rules and scenarios.

There is so much more to the hobby than painting a figure in fact it is probably of minor importance but it has come to dominate. You don't need an exquisitely painted model to play a Wargame a block of wood will do the same function, indeed a friend of mine had a very capable Warmaster Wood Elves army I often fought against that was just the bases with typed script on them, it beat my adequately painted army often. In fact because creating a new unit was so simple he could revise his army quickly and at minimal cost.

For me the joy of the hobby is a damn good game and as such I can make do with no scenery and incorrect models.

Escape the dice, concept board 2008, went to shows as
Achtung Dice! a participation game 2009

For example here is an image of a game I played with my son back in 2009, literally using anything to hand 28mm 40K models to represent the 20 mm WW2 POW camp game we envisaged and designed.

The point is there was no real scenery, all models and scenery were proxy, rules were scribbled down and changed as the game played out.

We actually had a blast and the game went on to win awards at shows.

However it makes the point.

2009 board design try out for Hands Up!
a 2010 demo Rapid Fire game.

2010

Here's another  play test layout again with club members again great fun.
Models to hand and printed out map (stylised) of the area we were to build, with what models we  had available to play.

But to get back on track, I paint my models and scenery because I want to own it, feel it's mine. Even when I buy pre-loved models I'll touch up and re-base to make them my toys.
No they won't win awards but they are my 'preciouses'!

So how do I paint? Well enough, some people will comment on how well, maybe those people are very polite, but if I'm happy then who cares. I'd rather play than paint, but even I will spend ages on a model because I feel it deserves it and more importantly I want to.

What I paint on a model depends on scale and I've certainly learnt through painting 6 and 10 mm models that highlighting certain details, popping if you will is key to getting a good looking unit or model on the table and it differs for each model, unit or scale.
Oh and believe me a quality wash also hides a lot of errors and sins. So wash and go back to touch up a few lost colours to bring the 'pop' back and away you go.

Currently I'll undercoat mostly black or a dark brown (Horses) and on occasion the finished product might determine the undercoat. Bone=skeleton, Goblin(ish) green = Orcs and goblins and in all instance a dark wash gives you the black line detail and sometimes I will dry brush or blob touch up to pop .

After undercoating I'll then dry brush with a key colour or just a light grey. this allows me to see the model's detail, then I paint. For example if there is a lot of chain or plate mail I'll do that first over the whole model using Boltgun for 28mm and Mithril silver for smaller scales as smaller scales need brighter colours.

Baccus Early Imperial Romans, black undercoat, Boltgun dry brush (I subsequently used Mithril).
I do flesh first as I always overlap at 6 mm.

How you start, the order you go in depends on the model and to a degree your ability. I always end up touching up over-painted areas and the next time I'm painting that model or uniform I'll approach from the learned direction. In my opinion there is no right or wrong way, just 'your' way, the point is that your models are on table 'painted' sooner rather than later, you're having fun gaming and feel encouraged to get the next lot painted ready to play.

Table top quality Early Imperial Romans - Baccus

I'll say this; if you are being put off painting because it's not good enough then lower the standards you are aspiring too. They probably aren't your standards but the view of that part of the hobby hat thinks painting is the thing rather than the game.

For the moment stop listening to the nay-sayers around you. Instead ask yourself; am I happy to play with this on the table, remember when it is three feet away from you, you won't see the scabbard, never mind the dry brushed and inked jewels on the scabbard.
As you grow with painting confidence of course you self critique and ask others how they achieve their results, listen closely to painters that are better than you but not necessarily the best painter in the club, only those who like you are still working towards perfection.
Learn to paint and improve your skills incrementally, the same way that you will eventually layer your paints.

Northstar archer centre flanked by GW Brettonians for Frostgrave

And you know what, if you stop trying to be perfect you'll enjoy the process more, play more games and even improve your painting.
Painters block is the fear of doing it wrong and I get it every time I start a new army or era.
Again some of the painters I admire will do anything except start a new army. They will touch up this, finish off that, doing anything to avoid starting that new army.

Bad Squido games, GW and Reaper models
for Frostgrave

Some times less is more the central mage has very little work done on it, a cream dress and thin inked.

I also find my painters block kicks in when I'm not enjoying the process, when I'm struggling often in my case this is when I need new glasses, if I'm really off painting I get an eye test.

Which brings me to magnifying glasses should you use them or not?
I used to think so, then realised if I can't see that detail without serious magnification, why am I even painting it? Yes I will use them to ensure the brush goes where I want it, but I've found a good quality 'BRIGHT' light is better, a day light bulb even more so. I get my best painting done in my conservatory in the afternoon when the sun is shining in.

Also check to see if you need glasses, seriously. Back in 2002 I realised I couldn't read the green print on the black background in my gaming magazine a stupid colour combo to be honest, but I got my eyes checked out and understood why my painting was off.
I use varifocals which do weird stuff when you are painting models as you have to look through the bottom of them (try looking along your nose to paint), in addition the focus is for reading distance. So and I recommend this more than a magnifier get a pair of painting glasses, tell the optician what you want them for show him your painting position, I pretend I'm painting a model, he can then build a lens that focuses where you paint. This is then normal 20:20 vision as designed by nature for your eyes, do use a magnifier for fine details if you feel you have to in order to place the brush, but as stated a bright light and good vision is all you need.

To summarise I like to play on a well planned table with gorgeous scenery that make you think tactically, with table top quality models, but am equally happy with a sketched out map and counters.

As I said I Wargame; therefore I paint, but it is at times an evil necessity.

Talking tables let's go back to that 2010 game as a finished project. Hands Up!
To blow my own trumpet I made the board using Chris Hall's design from the earlier picture

MadGamers at Bovington Show 2010, Chris Hall, Russ Sandy, Mark Foulds and Trev Crook,
Rapid Fire Rules.

And the 2009 game Achtung Dice!, (the provisional name was Escape the Dice.)
Rules Mark and Tim Foulds, Tony Baker, Russ Sandy, Trev Crook, Denis Jackman and others too many to mention helped play test and do all the scenery and model paining.

Achtung Dice! a POW escape game Mark and Tim Foulds, Russ Sandy, Tony Baker and Denis Jackman.
Rules devised by Mark Foulds

FWC Marine Corp aka Epic Space Marines

Missed the Epic boat years ago and have been slowly accumulating some models.

I play FWC and don't play Epic so I've based some models on the FWC bases I use  and painted up some Iron Warriors and World Eaters as you will see they are 30K colour schemes.

Iron Warriors painted and based

World Eaters

Bases flocked and ready to fight for the Emporer

Mechanoids

Some of you may be old enough (like me) to remember these from their first airing on Dr Who a reminder of the Mechanoids  and a clip from The Chase.

I've been playing Future War Commander and as my teleporting Terminators were winning every battle for me, my opponent was not  impressed. I play a Marine Corp army, essential 'Epic Space Marines' whilst I believe he plays an [FWC] Cybernetic Species X31 Army, using Dalek models.
He feels the Terminators with their teleport ability are under rated, a game changer and winner and he's probably right so I was considering another army

My wife is a quilter, this hobby takes up as much time and maybe more cash than wargaming, her stash may be larger than mine and I've lost a number of really useful boxes over the year but there are benefits there is rarely criticism of spending.

This year I was in Hobbycraft, whilst my wife was looking at buying a Sizzix machine, there was nothing currently that I wanted there for me but the Sizzix demo was still ongoing.

Mind empty waiting for release I waited for the pitch to end as I walked through the store then I passed by the bead counter, loose beads all sizes and types. Enter Wargaming Mode, the hexagon beads looked just like Mechanoids.

The Pitch over my wife didn't actually buy the Sizzix at that time but found me poring over and selecting beads. £7 ish for a large pot of mixed beads which she kindly offerred to buy for me as I'd waited so patiently.

We went back the following week when she bought it and I got in some more beads.

Once home I threaded them on to wire then sprayed them black.

Then I lined them up to see what I had whilst consulting FWC for the right army list, I decided it had to be Droids.

The Mechanoids of yore had a small black disc sticking out from the top, I figured a panel pin would do that trick

I decided the largest bead would be Battle Robots and also field as Psycoborgs be the Tanks/guns. You will note I attached small canons to them ssing the gold beads above.

The medium sized ones could be the polymorph assault droids.

The the smaller size would be the standard Mechanoid being both Cyborgs and Korbach, the difference in the two was the range so I painted the pins in the Korbach red and also the guns for the Pyscoborg (Mark 1) as they both had 60 CM range, would make it easier on the battle field.

I'd given the Psycoborg (Mark 2) a Cryonic device, and whilst that was only effective at 60 cm I painted the guns ice blue. Tru they also have a primary weapon with a 80 cm range, but it made the unit stand out.

So painted up, unusually I based them before painting, figured it would be easier.



I'd been painting the bases a Burnt Umber (see below left) but it was way too dark, so I added white to get a milk to dark chocolate colour as opposed to the very Dark chocolate/black colour it had been.

Added more white and dry brushed added even more white and dry brushed a second time.

Then flocked using a bright flock rather than my usual scorched grass

I did this as I had discovered my standard 28 mm basing was making my 6 mm models too dark they became just board pieces.

I think the lighter colour work and bring out the best.

No idea what the command pole/trees are meant to represent, I just like the beads, sad ...

Hope you like it. 

Army list at the bottom.

Early Imperial Romans part 2

My First Hail Caesar! Army

It was bought in April 2011, the same year as HC came out.

You can now buy army packs specifically for Hail Caesar!
The units have been selected by Mr Priestley for Baccus and IMO are roughly about 500 points.









6 units of Legionaries (AIR1)
4 units of MI Auxiliary Infantry (AIR2)
2 units of LI Auxiliary Infantry (AIR2)
2 units of MC Auxiliary cavalry (AIR3)
2 units of MI Auxiliary Archers (AIR4)
2 small units of Sk Javelins (ACE3)
1 small unit of Sk Slings (ACE4)
1 small unit of LC Bows (APA1)
1 unit of Bolt Throwers (AIR5)
3 Commanders (AIR6)


Of course you will want to add to the army, probably add more of the same and other different units to reflect the way you play.
How you base, how many men per base all depends on the look you want .
Initially I was basing up for Warhammer Ancients.

A quick view of the Legion, unpacked and glued to a lollipop stick.

We all paint differently, but I try to use a small palette per army so all the units look like a cohesive whole. I also try to identify an element that makes the unit stand out, Cloak, Kontos or in this case shield.

A quick undercoat of black, remember to keep it thin, detail can get easily swamped with any undercoating, especially at this scale.

The Romans were easy for a lazy me.

Drybrush Boltgun, highlight with Mithril Silver, faces hands and calf flesh, hint don't try to apply paint to hands or face they way you might on a 28 mm model, just dab it on. paint skirts and shields red with brass boss, spears brown with metal tips

The centurion, Signifer, Cornicen and one legionnaire are a one four man strip which I positioned to the centre of the front rank. With white to the crest and brass/gold to the horn and signum.

The same pallet was used on all units and commands. Initially I mounted the Legionnaire two deep the same as the Auxila, but decided they needed to look heavier and went for three deep so had to recruit more from Mr Berry.

A Legion and a command base.

Four  Auxila below

             

Two bases of 9 medium CavalryAuxila

4 Bolt thrower bases

Psiloi / Skirmishers

Archers

The Army.

We played some games and then butterfly like moved to other eras and games.

I knew I would come back, I'd already purchased a Dacian Army to fight the Romans I didn't realise how long it would be.

Chaos Warbands 2003

It's a funny old world, having found the previous article I then found the models.

Photo time!

Tim's Head Hunters, the three missing hounds are probably with the wolf riders in the WHFB Orc and Goblin storage box.

My Black Pudding Boys

Why are mine painted and Tim's not? It's 2003 Tim's 13 and I'm trying to encourage him to paint his own, which he is doing, homework, Takewando, scouting and other interests permitting.
I'm a little older after all duties are done, this is my relaxation.

Desert town

This month I went to the Joy of Six  a small show, which may be appropriate as it is all 6 mm figures/scenery, but all the human participants were 1:1.

I purchased some Desert Domes from Brigade Models for my games of Future War Commander.

Made from resin they are solid and attractive and I thought to paint them up for jungle terrain as Alien Domes.

Funny how your brush and paints take over. I tried a few colour schemes and ended up with desert terrain, ah well, will now need to purchase more 6 mm Desert stuff.  - Once again a project escalates, at least this time it is out of the packet, assembled mounted and painted before the next purchase rather than just adding to the resin/metal/plastic mountains.

They were very well cast, odd small holes that were ignorable, as they added character if you could spot them and a couple of small flecks that needed fettling, nothing serious and unusually for me I washed them before using.

I had to now choose between creating a dynamic scene or individually mount them. It's always a problem, you want the models to look good on the table, but you want to move the troops through the built up area the building are supposed to represent. I decided to go down the route I use for trees; felt cloth represents the woods' boundaries and trees scattered on the cloth make the point.

For game simplicity my towns have straight edges, none of this medieval mishmash of town planning, no a fresh planet with organised town planning from the beginning! I will place the terrain piece on the table, replacing them with grey felt if troops move in to that area.

Designing the layout

I originally thought to mount them on 2-3 mm MDF board that I'd cut into 100 mm (4") squares, they looked wrong and casting about for inspiration I saw the 6 mm  La Haye Saint model based 100 mm x 125 mm (4" x 6" almost), the rectangle looked better and when I realised I got four out of the strip instead of 4 + wastage I was sold.


The cleaned models were first assembled on to the 'cut' bases. This allowed me to think about setup. As usual I had no plan and was allowing the pieces etc to make the decisions for me.

Mixing the basing materials

Copydex and PVA backup

In the past I used to glue the models to the base with PVA and then spread around it a mix of paint, sand and glue, this was time consuming and messy. However I was recently shown another system used by a fellow gamer Chris McGill.

He uses a proprietary wood filler from Wilko, in this instance I used a brown one, you can get white. You can add colour to the filler I have a tube of Burnt Umber acrylic paint I use, although I soon saw the 'out of the tub' colour was what I was after anyway.

The paint or in my case a little water softens the mix up so you can spread it on with a knife, running a wet finger over the top will give you a smooth 'paved stone' finish you can draw lines in, in this case a dry finger roughened it up a bit as I wanted natural terrain, soil with all its lumps and bumps.


Once you have sculpted the surface you then attach the models with Copydex, ( I know weird), this then takes the best part of 12 - 24 hours to set.

Based and drying out/setting

The fact is that a later application of water to the terrain 'melts' the adhesive and the models can be removed and washed clean and reused elsewhere. In the case of 6 mm men no damage is done to a single model.

In my opinion this far outweighs any perceived disadvantage of waiting for it to set. However the odd piece will take longer to dry or be too heavy, then I use PVA glue, if the building breaks away from it's base, an application of flock hides the repair.

Once assembled I used a coffee stirrer to make paths from building to building, all leading to a central point I planned to put a 35 mm base there, a teleport/landing pad, we'll see.

I added some white some chips I'd rescued from a path some time ago.

Painted and the different densities of Ink show up nicely

The following day I started painting one base and after trial and error came up with the 'concept' I liked and finished it all off.

The buildings were first undercoated with and then painted in 'Sand' then I picked out the windows in blue (Caledor Sky), recessed lines in Golden Yellow and some patches of Jade Green, over painting the reds I'd started with, as always the scenery tells you what colour it wants to be Doors and window frames were painted with Mithril Silver.

I then washed it all over with Peat Brown, applying it straight on and watering it down in place so I got variety.

When dry I put more wash on the window's slats and doors to bring out the detail. You can't do this at the same time as the ink spreads out to other wet areas.

I dry brushed the ground with the same cheap acrylic, sand colour and was then was going to apply sand in patches but it looked wrong so I flocked over it and added flock elsewhere. Using a brown dessert grasses flock I bought years ago; GW I think.

Finished All pictures here

I had intended to ink the stone in interesting Alien colours, tried it out on a test stone, nope, so they stay as nature intended.

I like to think of the stone circles as part of the mechanics of the teleportation device/receiver, maybe on Earth that's what all the stone circles are copies off, mimicking the 'Sky Gods' bases.

Warmachine

Khador Faction

Back in 2011 I was introduced to this game and I must say I enjoyed it and it's very different mechanics. It makes you think outside of the traditional move, shoot, combat gaming box.
You activate a model/unit and carry out all three actions in any order before moving on to the next.

For instance you have a model engaged in a melee that you can't fire through, activate that model finish combat. Now activate your sharpshooter and take out the model that had hid behind the combat.

Why don't I play the game anymore? It's not played at my club or by my peers.

I had great fun painting the models, cheated by using a red undercoat and played around with snowy bases.
Used an Army Builder red spray to prime the models and after doing all the detail used a red ink to blend the [GW] Blood red touchups

Did buy quite a lot of models but got ruthless and sold most of them, don't play don't need.
Not my normal squirrel like behavior, of burying them somewhere in the house/attic and getting them out to dust before reboxing.

Other images here My Google Warmachine Album

Who am I?

I've been a game player all my life, but not always been able to indulge the interest and only with the growing interest of my 6 year old was I able to rekindle the embers and now my wargaming interests have covered many rules and scales as well as SciFi, Fantasy and historical gaming as well as RPG. I also play online, though I wonder at the time 'wasted' 4 hours of intense activity leave you with nothing, yes you've had fun, but....  On the other hand 4 hours of serious painting, modelling leave you with items that will give you pleasure for years to come. I wont pretend that you have anything of value, but it is good to look at hold and show off, not so easy with the on-line or PC game.

So  briefly
1960s 20 mm Airfix WW2
Late 1970s early 1980s D&D and discover a small shop in Shepherds Bush (now GW) but all my models and books could be bought from many toy shops, my main supplier was in Harrow.
1990s my sons growing interest in games using my old RPG models, Bionicles and Might Max stuff to create games had me creating rules sets. A chance bin bag of someone's unwanted Wargaming stuff and we move quickly into 40K, WHFB.
2000s I'm running a club called MadGamers, we go to shows run participation games (MADgames) and I discover  other periods, models and Rules sets including DBA  (15 mm) and  Rapid Fire (20 mm).
2010 and I'm playing Age of Eagles a Napoleonic game and painting 15 mm and 20 mm and 6 mm. Playing SAGA, Lion Rampant, Frostgrave, BKC2, Black Powder, Hail Caesar!, Future War Commander, Warmaster, Battlegroup games and Bolt Action, but of 40K and WHFB, never a game, too expensive and while fun not what I want in a game.

I say too expensive, don't get me wrong they are lovely models, but I can buy equally good models in 28 mm and other scales for much less. My 6 mm Roman army cost me £60-100 plus rules books £40. My Dacian army cost me £60 and by buying other units, I have enabled it to be played as other armies, many for the price of two.

As to what I like in a game, that has changed over the years but now it tends to be historical, the broad sweep of battalion sized units moving and combining with others to take control of the map and act upon smaller units of the enemy, combining the action of artillery, air, foot and cavalry/tanks, with as much FOG of war as possible to render me speechless as nothing works. Playing against not just the opponent but the vagaries of the dice.
Yes I do like small 10-30 model skirmish games, but as a second choice or 'For a change'.

So there you have it my opinion two types of game Divisional armies with 100's of troops sweeping across the battlefield (6 mm & 10 mm) and skirmish games 28 mm a few models fighting it out.
Games Workshop's 40K and WHFB try to do the sweeping battles in 28 mm.
That surely was what EPIC and Warmaster were for, but maybe not so much of a cash cow. I can buy one 48 man unit of out of production Warmaster models for £14-£20 (£80 if I'm daft), or I can buy a cheaper alternate in the same scale that will make do for about £10, or a modern Age Of Sigmar 10 models for £37.50, come again?

Why do I blog?