do I need to mix to make colours?

[jamesc94]

Hi all,
I am about to start my first 1/16 scale figure and I want to paint the splinter pattern, I brought the modelling fallschirmjager figures book from osprey and i'm a tad confused about what colours to use. In the book 2 or 3 colours are used to make one for each colour in the camo but is there an alternative to all this mixing or is it needed to get a life like camo uniform?
many thanks in advance
james

 

[Glen]

The short answer is YES, you will need to mix. No one makes all the colors you need for painting, shading, and highlighting everything on a figure - whether you're using oils or acrylics. Some come close; I think Vallejo makes a variety of base German uniform colors (acrylic), but you'll still need to mix the shades and highlights. Reaper (also acylics) makes their Master Series Paints in triads - a base, a shade, and a highlight. You intermix in between for gradations in color and further darken or lighten for the final shades and highlights. Reaper paints are great, but made for the mini-gaming painters, so you won't find a color like Fallschirmjaeger Green. You'll also have to decide if you're painting cloth fresh from clothing maker or something that has been exposed to the elements and washed a number of times.

If you're not used to mixing, try painting something less complicated than camo uniforms for a few figures. Get the hang of mixing paints and painting basic shading and highlighting on clothing wrinkles first. There's less frustration that way. Baby steps y'know...

Cheers,

Glen

 

[jamesc94]

thanks for the reply, I think I understand what you mean, suppose I better start learning about colour theory, I mainly use vallejo acrylics and they offer a huge range of colours but am I best off learning colour theory and mixing my own colours whilst comparing it to a reference?
also I brought tamiya's German infantryman in the reversible uniform but I don't think it came without camo on one side and I don't really want to try painting a white uniform just yet.
once again many thanks in advance
james

 

[Einion]

In the book 2 or 3 colours are used to make one for each colour in the camo but is there an alternative to all this mixing or is it needed to get a life like camo uniform?

Basically, yes. As an alternative you could get the entire Vallejo Model Colour range and for a subject like this just use whatever they offer that's closest to what you need, but that's pretty limiting. You can certainly do this initially when mixing colours is harder for you, but I'm not really recommending this, case it's not clear; you will need to learn to mix colours to some degree anyway and now is as good a time as any to start!

If it helps, the more you paint the less onerous mixing will seem. Anyone painting in oil paints or other artists' colours will have to mix uniform shades 'from scratch' using bright colours; as hard as this seems it's really not a huge burden once you get used to it.

...suppose I better start learning about colour theory, I mainly use vallejo acrylics and they offer a huge range of colours but am I best off learning colour theory and mixing my own colours whilst comparing it to a reference?

Colour theory unfortunately only takes us so far and a great deal of the useful stuff that a wheel can actually offer us in terms of mixing advice you already know I'm sure (the basics, like blue + yellow = green, yellow + red = orange). The stuff that's more complex than this - like where is buff, or khaki, or brown generally? what do I get when I mix this red with this blue? - colour wheels usually can't help with.

But the good news is you're in the right place since people will have tackled many of the same colours you're looking for and can give you suggestions on what to use.

Other than that I would encourage you to play around on the palette with your paints and see how mixtures of X and Y work, firsthand. Sometimes it's quite surprising the colour you get when paints mix and the best way to learn this is to see the results with your own eyes.

also I brought tamiya's German infantryman in the reversible uniform but I don't think it came without camo on one side and I don't really want to try painting a white uniform just yet.

White is in many ways less challenging than a multi-coloured camo

Einion

 

[housecarl]

James. Vallejo do the individual colours for splinter, in their Panzer aces range.
That would be a good starting point,
Carl.

 

[SRP]

Another simple way I find of color matching is not actually mixing say a green to get a perfect shade of cammo green...but to use the nearest you can find straight from the bottle (acrylic) then subtly changing it to different shades using thin washes..ie..a thin wash of reddish brown will 'warm' the green..a paler green wash will tone it down..black/blue or dark brown will gently darken it..I find it saves time trying to get the perfect match every time. If you paint German field grey and it turns out a bit too green..a couple of washes of a medium grey will solve it...works for me every time...can't actually remember the last time I mixed a color...try it it works..!!
Steve

 

[montythefirst]

here is a really good tool for finding matches

http://colors.silicon-dragons.com/

you can even compare within the same range just use paint search and then select the ranges from the to compare from the same drop down menu

hope this helps


simon

 

[Einion]

here is a really good tool for finding matches

http://colors.silicon-dragons.com/

you can even compare within the same range just use paint search and then select the ranges from the to compare from the same drop down menu

Can't be relied upon unfortunately, see previous thread.

Einion

 

[pmfs]

Here...
Black green 980, is used to paint the rain marks.

 

[gothicgeek]

Keep notes on your mixes is the only additional advice I would offer...

I use either the packaging or dedicate a sheet of A4 paper to each piece, you can shelve a figure for a year and still mix up the right colour ( if you can find the sheet )



Mark

 

[housecarl]

Another thing that may help. Try and keep your mixes simple, three colours at most.
Carl.

 

[Range Rat]

I found some of the Humbrol colours are good.