New Foundry paints: Nap artillery colours

New Foundry paints: Nap artillery colours
http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/paint/napoleonicset2.asp As on the link. Some palettes look remarkably similar to existing ones (e.g. Austrian Ochre looks rather like Raw Linen), but could be useful.

Look better (and, as you say, more useful) than the uniforms paint set.

The thought I had when I saw these was oh well no use for me but if they end up helping newbies to the period or people who were thinking of entering the period but were intimidated by all the colour Napoleonics are so famous for, then it can only be a good thing.

Actually it would be work perfectly well for AWI as well as Napoleonics - British/British, Prussian/Hessian, red oxide/Continental, red oxide/Valliere French, and olive green/Gribeauval French. Only the Austrian and Russian palettes would be redundant in terms of artillery, but I'm sure that they would be useful for uniforms.

ah yes! good point Ronan. Probably work for that new period that pervert Giles is starting as well! lol

Actually it would be work perfectly well for AWI as well as Napoleonics - British/British, Prussian/Hessian, red oxide/Continental, red oxide/Valliere French, and olive green/Gribeauval French. I believe the French Gribeauval gear was in British style grey during the AWI - green didn't come in until after the Revolution IIRC.

:doh: Yes, you're quite right - well, part right; the Gribeauval guns were actually painted royal blue and the proponents of the opposing systems were called "les bleus" (Gribeauval) and "les rouges" (Vallieres).

:doh: Yes, you're quite right - well, part right; the Gribeauval guns were actually painted royal blue and the proponents of the opposing systems were called "les bleus" (Gribeauval) and "les rouges" (Vallieres). Partly right Ronan - a light bluish grey was introduced at the end of the SYW and remained the official colour until the introduction of the olive green in the republican era. I have seen one contemporary illustration of a carriage painted blue with gold fleur de lis but the current consensus seems to be that that was not in widespread use. Given the in-fighting and traditional adhoc nature of the French artillery arm all three colour schemes could well have been in use at ay one time (e.g. it seems umlikely that pieces in remote colonial garrisons would have been repainted). That said, it appears to be accepted that the French in America had Gribeauval equipment painted grey. IIRC the blues and reds alludes to the favoured uniforms (specifically breeches) rather than carriage colours.

That's interesting - especially the uniforms thing (I was told it referred to the woodwork, but if you've seen stuff in person then fair enough). Steven Summerfield, who wrote the big book on Napoleonic Artillery with the two Dawsons, is currently working on a history of the French artillery from the late 1600s into the mid-19th Century. He has seen primary documents that lead him to believe the guns that went to America with Rochambeau were Vallieres and not Gribeauval (anything brought up from the Caribbean would almost certainly have been Vallieres). I've suggested to him that perhaps this was a reference to the battalion guns and the kit issued to Lauzun and he's going to look into it.

Even if you don't buy, or intend to buy, the Foundry paint sets, the colour charts are still really useful as guidelines. Personally, I'd take a good look, then fish the nearest equivalent out of my Big Box of Paints.

Steven Summerfield, who wrote the big book on Napoleonic Artillery with the two Dawsons, is currently working on a history of the French artillery from the late 1600s into the mid-19th Century. He has seen primary documents that lead him to believe the guns that went to America with Rochambeau were Vallieres and not Gribeauval (anything brought up from the Caribbean would almost certainly have been Vallieres). I've suggested to him that perhaps this was a reference to the battalion guns and the kit issued to Lauzun and he's going to look into it. Interesting - that contradicts everything i've read on the subject (which admittedly isn't a huge amount...it's not the most popular topic..) going back 25+ years. There is/was a paper online somewhere that summed up the evidence for Gribeauval equipment and seemed fairly convincing....must try to find it again. Dragging Vallieres round America would seem like madness but anything is possible with those crazy frogs...

Same here until that conversation with SS. I think that in the past everyone has assumed that the corps sent to America got the pick of kit, but in fact they didn't. Lauzun had to leave all his horses behind and the infantry were told they could only take 1,000 all ranks per regiment.

Useful for those who like to buy triads. Be interested to see what the colours were actually like. I've made up the French gun green based on the original recipe (but with pigment not linseed oil and charcoal etc!) and I think it was much more kahki than these colours suggest.

Timmo - I completely agree with your analysis of the French colour. It just doesn't look right. Then again, I've found that the Foundry website is not good when it comes to reproducing the paint colours. I'm visiting Caliver on Thursday and if they have some of these new paints I'll have a looksie. It did occur to me that these paints could be useful for ECW.

Giles Yup I guess usual thing with on screen colour v's real pigment. As your going to Caliver could I suggest a few ECW titles, if you don't have them already, that will help with painting? ECW Flags, Peachy & Prince, pub Caliver – this single volume will help bucket loads Old Robins Foot, Peachy (whilst dealing with Essex's foot is so useful for uniform info I regard it as an ECW must have), pub Caliver For God and the North, Lawson, pub Caliver. Should be great but its certainly not essential as most info available elsewhere If you can find and afford a copy Peter Youngs Marston Moor is still a strong text. Any of the Osprey ECW titles are worth having EXCEPT the Men-at-arms which is rubbish IMHO. The Haythornthwaite ECW – loads of lovely but inaccurate colour plates, use with caution. Also refer to notes at the end of Forlorn Hope rule book. I think Brassy do a uniform guide (if its the book I'm thinking of its good and represents current research). If in doubt with any ECW painting I reckon to be safe you could paint pretty much anything brown and be safe! Grey was also far more common as a clothing colour than I think the uniform plates suggest may have been the case. Re paints: Yup these may be useful for all sorts beyond the intended era. I just 'mix-it-all-myself-from-scratch' these days as I find its the easiest and cheapest way to get what I want colour wise. If your in Nottingham is it work or are you visiting Perry Towers?

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