Colour of boots?

[hammurabi70]

The metal of modern military weapons is quite far from the gunmetal colour that comes out of bottles.  It is less metallic and much darker, though edges will show wear and the natural metal will show.  It 10mm, do you really want to go that far with detailing?  I use 50/50 mix of Vallejo grey-black and gunmetal for small arms.  I was wondering, how do you finish your figures?  Do you give them a dark wash and then dry brush to highlight?

It is flattering to think I might finish my figures!  Painting normally implies skin, weapons & equipment, boots and uniform.  Anything else is a luxury.  As a teenager that meant pink black and national uniform: three colours on a figure.  As a teenager money was always an issue.  Evidently over time that changed ... and so did periods.  As a young man I got interested in Renaissance (nobody [ie Airfix] did the figures) and Ancients so reverting to moderns has brought fresh challenges.

The effects of campaigning is a tough one as we expect barrack-style finish rather than sun-bleached used effects.   I gather that the British Army of the Napoleonic era would have looked a bit of a mess as poor quality dyes would run from the red coats resulting in more of an overall pink-stained hue reduced by sun-bleaching to a crumpled ragged mess of off-white, red and pink.   Never seen anything like that.  Personally, I dislike mixing paints because of the difficulty of ensuring replicable colours.  Charcoal grey-black would be useful for interiors such as driving compartments and aircraft cockpits.  A most useful forum so thanks to everyone.

[Heedless Horseman]

Certainly in 10mm...(and I also think that it probably applies in larger scales, too)... BLACK is TOO BLACK! It stands out too much...unless washed/dirtied up so that it is immaterial, anyway!
I prefered an 'off black'. Revell 'Anthracite' was MY go to, although I think that there is an equivalent Vallejo shade.
Shakos, packs, Berets, boots, C20 weapons...all 'off black' with highlights of whatever!

I have not been in the Forces, however, I rather think that 'cleaning',  (polishing?),  may have been meant to help maintain the leather...and provide a 'normal' activity...even if THAT  was 'grousing about it'!

MY civilian workboots, after one or two cleans/polishes, tended to be so scuffed that  it was not woth the effort...and DEFINITELY NOT BLACK! LOL!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Polishing is to keep the leather water tight, you don't need to shine to do that but it proves the boots have been polished.

[toxicpixie]

The effects of campaigning is a tough one as we expect barrack-style finish rather than sun-bleached used effects.   I gather that the British Army of the Napoleonic era would have looked a bit of a mess as poor quality dyes would run from the red coats resulting in more of an overall pink-stained hue reduced by sun-bleaching to a crumpled ragged mess of off-white, red and pink.   Never seen anything like that.  Personally, I dislike mixing paints because of the difficulty of ensuring replicable colours.  Charcoal grey-black would be useful for interiors such as driving compartments and aircraft cockpits.  A most useful forum so thanks to everyone.

If you mix colours a little up, a little down, you'll soon get that mismatched look and get away from the parade ground

Yes, British officers bought their own uniforms and their boots were brown, similar in pattern to the black ammunition boots of other ranks but lacking hob nails.  I would be unsurprised if on service they wore the same kits as their men though.  Officers still wear brown shoes on formal occasions.  Desert boots were also 'fashionable' in N Africa.

So I have read, the British Army started and ended the war with officers officially in brown boots, OR's in black, but from something like mid '40-early '44 (dates likely wrong, I'd go and check instead of craftily knocking a reply off at work!) they wore black boots - not so much from it being a tactically good idea to sop them standing out (I suspect after five mins in the field everyone's boots are the same shade of mud-dust and even the best eyed sniper probably can't tell the difference!), but rather because it made production and supply a damn sight easier.

Boots, black, thousands of 'em and don't fanny about with special orders means more boots quicker and no time lost for the QM to have to do special orders/cater to peculiar officer requirements That reverted once the situation was more normalised, I have feeling it was '43 not '44 but I could be wrong and it was '45

[Raider4]

So I have read, the British Army started and ended the war with officers officially in brown boots, OR's in black, but from something like mid '40-early '44 (dates likely wrong, I'd go and check instead of craftily knocking a reply off at work!) they wore black boots - not so much from it being a tactically good idea to sop them standing out (I suspect after five mins in the field everyone's boots are the same shade of mud-dust and even the best eyed sniper probably can't tell the difference!), but rather because it made production and supply a damn sight easier.

The Americans wore brown boots.

[toxicpixie]

Just because they're technically and industrially advanced enough to give everyone officers boots doesn't mean we have to be!

[Raider4]

Just because they're technically and industrially advanced enough to give everyone officers boots doesn't mean we have to be!

More socio-political, I think. Not so much of the masters and servants thing going on . . .

[toxicpixie]

I suspect you're very right, with that.