Can anybody help me with guidelines for painting camouflage uniforms.
I assume the following sequence:
1-primer
2-all flesh part
3-base color uniform
4-highlight uniform
5-camo pattern
6-shading
7-highlight + little extra white

Can anybody confirm this.
Thanks for all the adivice.

I do the entire uniform camo pattern before any shading and highlighting. I suppose in a large scale figure, you could shade and highlight each color individualy.

when you do camo, do it even over the straps and belts. that way it looks continuous and not blotchy. that is what i do. of course, i use Vallejo acrylics on my figures uniforms and then use Modelmaster ll black on the figures belt. this is basically what i do on German figures. also, when i do shading, i avoid black and use different thicknesses of Modelmaster ll enamel Engine Grey because it looks more realistic in shadowy areas. in my opinion, it scales out better. and when i highlight, i use basically two colors, Modelmaster ll enamel Light Grey and Light Flesh Hightlight, because they look to me better than yellow or white. this i drybrush gently on.

Chris The Grand Swine

Along those same lines, remember, a camo uniform is not a Brooks Brothers suit. The pattern on patch ppockets rarely matches up with the surrounding fabric. In smaller scales, this is not that obvious, but in 120mm, you'd want to paint each separate piece of material as such, including along major seams, like mid back, inseam, outer seam in the legs, etc.

Amen to that Brother!

Chris #:-)Silliest of Swine

I tried shading colors of the camo pattern individually. It is tedious job, but the results are great.. Of course, it was on 120mm figure.

Mario M.

Hi

On 1/35 scale figures I shade and highlight very little on camo uniforms. For example, on German WW2 SS camo I've found the blotches of dark color, and dots of light and dark color act as a decent highlight/shading on their own. I also use pastel chalks on the uniforms to dust them up a bit, which helps with the overall look.

I've found highlights and shading are much more important on areas of uniform that are one color.

Cheers
Andy

Just a word of advice.. Try to blend the pattern so the individual colors don't stick out and the uniform gets a faded look. Perhaps using filters or as Andy suggested pastels could do the trick.

One other thing on drybrushing the camo pattern. It should be done very lightly (if at all).. I've seen number of figures with great painted patterns that were heavy drybrushed and hence lost the pattern under the drybrushed layer. Be carefull..

Mario M.

Suggestions for shading colors are Sepia or VanDyke Brown and Raw Sienna or Naples Yellow for hilights. These oil colors are transparent or less opaque than others. But the advantage with oils is that they can be brushed so thin that they are transparent. I still say that washes and drybrushing with enamels, etc, are too opaque and counter-productive as Mario pointed out.

PH

Sorry but I totally disagree. Uniform camouflage should be INTERUPPTED by straps, & belt's ..... starting on one side and continuing on the other. Let me just say that as a diorama judge, I know this would have ramifications in a judge awarding the modeler fewer point's. Even "all the more" if you were to place the figure in the solitary FIGURES CATEGORY .

I also disagree with not using enamels for drybrushing or washes because of being opaque
I use enamels & oil's for both. I have great results with enamels as with oil's. I usually shade & drybrush my uniform base color with enamels ( humbrol ) BEFORE applying my camouflage. And I then go back and do some light touch-up, drybrushing the hi-lite's after the camo is applied & dried ( if neccessary ). ....... The trick with applying an enamel shade like an transparent oil shade - is to add the enamel into all the fold's and crevices as a thinned "pin wash." After this has dried for about 15mins - use a red-sable brush MOISTENED ( NOT soak & wet ) with Humbrol thinner or cheap Mineral Spirits and blend.

I'M VERY DISAGREEABLE TODAY ( lol )


- ralph

I think he was saying the same as you. He seemed to suggest carryiong the pattern over the straps so there would be continuity of the pattern, THEN painting the webgear. I think if you reread the post, you'll agree. I was a bit confused at first, too. :-)