Horse Colours advice

[Aughrim1691]

I have recently been painting some of the lovely figures from the League of Augsburg range; so far only infantry and artillery. However now I want to start on the cavalry. I have painted horses before in larger scales using mainly the coat d'arms horse tone colours but these seem a little dark on 10 mm figures.
Can anybody recommend any appropriate colours from the vallejo ranges for the various horse tones. I don't do anything fancy with regard to highlighting etc. simply block paint and then shade with the light tone army painter and matt varnish.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

[Leman]

Just painted some SYW hussars using exactly that system. I did greys using Vallejo light grey, wash of black magic wash, highlight of Vallejo grey sky. Dun using Vallejo beige for the coat and German yellow for manes and tails. Chestnut horses I actually use Miniature Paints chestnut. Darker horses I use Vallejo flat brown which shades well with a wash. Occasionally I use Vallejo black grey for black horses. I also use this for hooves.

[Aughrim1691]

Thank you very much for the quick and helpful advice, getting horses to look right is always difficult. I now have the colours that you suggested and will try them out. Jacobite and Williamite cavalry prepped and ready for painting.

[jimduncanuk]

Horses are easy, first one is brown, second one is a different brown, third one is another brown, keep on going. When you get bored do a black one then a grey one and go back to the browns. Won't take long, honest.

[steve_holmes_11]

I use the Coat D'Arms range, but lighten them up a bit for the smaller scales.
As you get smaller, individual detail becomes less important, and the power of mass effect takes over.
(I have made the gross assumption that you'll be fielding your horses in decent numbers).

Part of getting the mass effect right lies in getting a decent blend of colours.
Some breeds of horse and sore regiments prefer specific colours, or make an effort to assign specific colours to different squadrons (squadra?).
Unless this is the case I find the following ratios (based on a thingy I read about horse coat genetics) look fairly good.

Divide your horses into pools of 17 - 20.

16 of these will be "brown"
The remainder can be exotic colours of your choice, white, grey, dun, etc etc.
I tend to mount my officers on the exotic colours (Eneny sharpshooters love this).

Returning to the 16 "Browns" these break into 3 classes.

75% (12) carry the dominant gene that produces black hair.
Of these, 75% (9)  carry the dominant gene that restricts black to extremities - these are the classic bay horses. Brown body, black mane, tail and sometimes ankles.
The other 25% (3) can have black hairs all over - true black paint is far too dark (Only priest's socks are truly black) , so I add a bit of black to darken "Horse tone Brown".

The remainder (4) who don't have the black hair gene are chestnuts - similar body colours to bays, without the black points.

So I sort the 16 "browns" into piles of 13 (bays and chestnuts) and 3 (blacks).

The 3 black horses get the black colour splashed all over (Thanks 'Enry), and that's them done.

The pile of 13 are treated with 4 different tones of brown, each created by adding a blend of lighter browns and orange to "Horse tone brown".
Once the 13 are dry, 9 of them have dark points applied, while the remaining 4 stay brown as the chestnuts.

I know of no genetic reason, but common belief states that the chestnuts should be drawn form the lighter shades of brown.
I therefore tend to take 2 from the lightest set, and one each form the next two tones.

A final pass adds in details like white on ankles and face.
This is really worth doing, so your fine array of cavalry doesn't look like a featureless mass of brown.

[paulr]

My painting notes for horses

3x Bay      70984 Flat Brown / 70983 Flat Earth - Mane & Tail - 70862 Black Grey
4x Chestnut   70875 Beige Brown / 929 Light Brown - Mane & Tail - 70983 Flat Earth
2x Brown           872 Chocolate Brown / 875 Beige Brown - Mane & Tail - 70862 Black Grey
2x Black           70862 Black Grey / 70869 Basalt Gray - Mane & Tail - 995 German Grey
1x Dun      875 Beige Brown / 874 USA Tan Earth - Mane & Tail - 819 Iraqi Sand

Greys      70987 Medium Grey / 70989 Sky Grey / 918 Ivory - Mane & Tail – 70905 Blue Grey Pale

Base coat first colour then medium dry brush the second colour

Recent results here http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,17480.msg278543.html#msg278543

[Glorfindel]

One quick point that certainly speeds up my 'oss painting.   I paint over
a black undercoat and just block in the flesh, leaving the bridle / reins
as black.   This looks fine and reduces the pain considerably.



Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Coat d'arms horse tone pack is my go to