Looking for uniform & color references...

[engeee]

Hi all,
I'm wondering what the best references are out there for uniforms and gear for an Australian infantryman set in 1943 along the Kokoda Trail. Is there a good book or website out there with decent color examples?
I'd appreciate any help.

Thank you in advance,
Steve

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[Steve]

Osprey Warriors series has a volume on Commonwealth troops in the Far East that addresses that issue.

 

[housecarl]

Osprey Warriors series has a volume on Commonwealth troops in the Far East that addresses that issue.

It's available to download, although I haven't tried it. http://ebook-download-now.com/g/download/1841767905/The-British-Army-in-the-Far-East-1941-45-(Battle-Orders)/
Surprise it doesn't work.
Carl.

 

[Mike S.]

The .RAR file download link works.

 

[housecarl]

All it does for me Mike is give me an ad, if I skip it, then I go back to the beginning.
Carl.

 

[engeee]

Okay gang..all well and good....but the book has no color plates Bummer!

So far the best I've found is "Khaki Drill & Jungle Green - British Tropical Uniforms 1939-45 in Colour Photographs" ..I found it by complete mistake while scouring the web.

Any others?

Steve

 

[engeee]

Oooohhhh...to take this a step further. What I'm seeing is a very faded grey-green colored uniform, very similar to the color of a faded USMC uniform. So that being said... does anyone have any magical formulas for those colors. My mixes seem to error on the side of either too dark or too green.

Thanks!
Steve

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[bwildfong]

Oooohhhh...to take this a step further. What I'm seeing is a very faded grey-green colored uniform, very similar to the color of a faded USMC uniform. So that being said... does anyone have any magical formulas for those colors. My mixes seem to error on the side of either too dark or too green.

Hi Steve,

What if you try mixing an olive shade first (I usually mix Raw Umber and Naples Yellow or Gold Ochre), then gradually add your grey mix (Bl + Wh) to it until you're happy with the result. Adding more of the olive can bring it back to the greener side if it gets too muddy.

Oh Enion... (Mr. Rees is the go to guy for colour theory here on PF!)

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Brian

 

[engeee]

Brian,
Much appreciated!.... my bad however... I didn't bother to state that I'd rather not paint the uniform in oils so anything I can mix from either Humbrol (enamels) or any of the popular acrylic paints would be appreciated.

Again, my fault... I wasn't clear.

Thanks!
Steve

 

[bwildfong]

Hi again Steve,

Even though I am an oils man, you can get similar results with acrylics or Humbrols by mixing their equivalent mid-dark brown (Humbrol Brown Bess perhaps?) or even a straight black (really just a very dark blue) with a goldish yellow to get your olivey tone. I do this with ordinary craft acrylics when I base coat my figures before doing my oil shading & highlighting.

Another colour combo might be to mix a medium grey shade and then gradually add a Kelly Green -type hue to bring it to the grey-green you're looking for. Shade with Base + more Black and highlight with Base + more White.

Apologies if I was vague in my initial message.

Brian

 

[Richie]

Hi all,
I'm wondering what the best references are out there for uniforms and gear for an Australian infantryman set in 1943 along the Kokoda Trail. Is there a good book or website out there with decent color examples?
I'd appreciate any help.

Thank you in advance,
Steve

[email protected]

Hi Steve,
Give Tony Dawe a shout and check out his figures. You won't be dissapointed.
cheers
Richie

 

[Tony Barton]

I think the forces involved in the Kokoda Track operations started wearing Khaki Drill rather than jungle Green.
Aertex shirts and KD shorts, with a mix of helmets and bush hats. I gather that by the end of 1942 they started issuing Jungle Green outfits, with long trousers , which were just KD redyed a grey-green . Like all JG it faded in the terrible conditions, somewhat like being in a washing machine all day.
But you really need to buy the Osprey Elite No.153, " The Australian Army in WW2 ".

Here's my JG Australian..from 1944.

Hope that helps with the colours.

I should start with Vallejo 888 Olive Grey , and work from there.

 

[engeee]

Tony!
Thanks for the GREAT information. Your figure shows exactly what I was trying to explain about the try-green I've been trying to achieve. I'll be looking into your book suggestion as well.

Thank you!
Steve