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Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:01 pm
by FreddBloggs
They are khaki base with green and brown camo, but the brown is shown from almost brick red all through to a mid brown. Any ideas on best looking shade?

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:20 pm
by Norman D. Landings
I thought it was two shades of brown on the camo?

I use a comparatively bright orange-brown, dark chocolate brown, and a grass green, just to get the visual contrast.

(Edited to add: over a light khaki base)

IRL they quickly faded to a very indistinct pattern.

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:25 pm
by FreddBloggs
Now you see why I am asking!(

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:38 pm
by Jeremy
I prefer a brick red and a darker green over a mid brown base

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 9:43 pm
by Tim Hall
Under wartime manufacturing conditions I should imagine there were a lot of variations in colour tones at the various factories that produced them. So any of the above could be equally correct.

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 12:36 am
by tim.w
Red Devils are in my painting que.

I've seen some painters give the base colour a greeny khaki, I normally go very light Iraqui Sand/buff colour base.

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:18 am
by RMD
As with combat clothing right up until the more standardised Soldier 95 Pattern, the camo colours could frequently vary, depending on the quality of cloth, dye or manufacture. Even in the 90s I had four pairs of DPM trousers and two jackets - none of which matched each other.

Dennisons had a single shade of brick-red and olive green on a khaki-tan base. The camo was originally just splatted onto the jacket with a 6-inch brush, so 'swooshes' with a crap brush work really well. I tend to use thinned paint and then a final, very, very light dry-brush of the base khaki to mute it all down.

For colours I use Humbrol 83 Ochre as the base (same shade as German Dark Yellow), with 60 Brick Red and 80 Grass Green as the camo colours.

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:32 am
by BaronVonWreckedoften
RMD wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:18 am Even in the 90s I had four pairs of DPM trousers and two jackets - none of which matched each other.
And this, gentlemen, is why our women insist on buying our clothes for us.

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 8:23 am
by Buff Orpington
4 sets of DPM! Us poor techies only got one set.

Re: Denison smocks, painting them.

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:35 am
by Etranger
RMD wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 1:18 am ...
For colours I use Humbrol 83 Ochre as the base (same shade as German Dark Yellow), with 60 Brick Red and 80 Grass Green as the camo colours.
Much the same with me, although I use a red brown (eg 100 red brown, 160 German camouflage red brown )rather than 6o (which is a bit dark for most brick IMHO, although spot on for Belgian brick...)