Author Topic: paint color question for German figure  (Read 147 times)

Offline Big Sky Modeler

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paint color question for German figure
« on: April 22, 2025, 10:13:39 AM »
What paint color should be used for a German officer tunic and trousers?  Any suggestions?

Offline NigelR

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Re: paint color question for German figure
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2025, 06:49:48 PM »
Simple answer - field grey unless it is a Jager officer, in which case grey-green . Your choice of which field grey you prefer because the colour would vary a lot. Early in the war officer uniforms were private purchase so there would be even greater variation.

AK Interactive do a WWI German uniform paint set, I tend to mix my field grey from some of the colours in that set. ICM have also produced a WWI German paint set which has had some good reviews. I have it but haven't used it yet.   

Offline Big Sky Modeler

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Re: paint color question for German figure
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2025, 09:57:42 AM »
Thanks for the info.  Just to clarify, I'm looking for colors for pilot uniforms like the photo of MVR in his uniform.  Seems like I've seen light grey to a light green-gray.

Offline NigelR

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Re: paint color question for German figure
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2025, 06:32:02 PM »
Your question is answered in some detail in this thread: https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=14598.msg268782#msg268782 There are some links to original uniforms.

The short answer remains "field grey"..... ;)

Offline Big Sky Modeler

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Re: paint color question for German figure
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2025, 11:05:41 PM »
Thanks again!  Those sites provide some nice photos to go from.

Offline Borsos

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Re: paint color question for German figure
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2025, 04:25:01 AM »
It is sadly not so easy. An officer?s tunic should be feldgrau (Field Grey) of course, but his trousers should be steingrau (stone grey) for most of the time of ww1. That?s one of the main problems with many modern recreations.
The reason was, the field grey uniform, introduced in 1907, faded differently, the tunics faded more quickly than the trousers. Yes, before 1914 German military officials had the time to address to such crucial issues! So the steingraue trousers were introduced in August 1914 and kept until the war?s end. Only when steingrau material was in short supply, they switched to Feldgrau again.
German officers could wear field grey trousers in WWI, if they were privately tailored. But stone grey was the regulation, not field grey.

This is not an officer. But you can clearly see the difference between a field grey tunic  (mod. 1907 with musician?s Schwalbennester (swallow?s nests) and stone grey trousers.
"Deux armées aux prises, c'est une grande armée qui se suicide."
Barbusse.
"Ein Berg in Deutschland kann doch einen Berg in Frankreich nicht beleidigen. Oder ein Fluß oder ein Wald oder ein Weizenfeld."
Remarque.