"Russian Dragoons green" Topic

I have read somewhere (don't ask me where, I've read so much I forgot where) that the French Dragoon green was actually the same as the Russian and that the Russians used it first, and the French coppied it. I've got to paint some Russian Perry dragoons and was wondering if I would use the Foundry triad for French Dragoons ? What do you think ?

It's my impression that Russian green was a darker shade than that of the French. Some accounts of Russian uniforms in the Napoleonic era refer to the green as being almost black. Obviously the colours you use on models is also going to depend on the scale of figures-6mm figures need a lighter shade than 54mm; I take it from your reference to the Foundry triad that you are looking to paint 28mm figures.
I have painted hundreds of Russian figures. Every batch I paint is slightly different to the last, even within batches there is variation defending on how well I have judged the amount of paint mixture to prepare. I think this probably reflects the reality of uniform variation at this time; dye batch, wear and tear etc would all affect the colour. I do tend to make officers' uniforms a little brighter on the basis that they would have more expensive cloth, which would probably be dyed better and be less likely to lose its greenish hue.
At the end of the day, they are your figures and if they look right to you nobody is really in a position to say "That's not the exact colour green for Russian Dragoon coats". You simply need to ask "Were you at Borodino/Smolensk/The Berezina or any other action that Russian troops were involved in during the Napoleonic era? If not, you have no real idea as to the uniforms, so thanks for your opinion, but keep it to yourself." But then I am a grumpy old b****** at the best of times!

It can be a matter of taste. I use Dark Forrest Green, but I have no critics to please but me.

Well, the French Dragoons went green in 1759-60, so I doubt they were copying the Russians. And as steamingdave47 points out, Russian green was darker and duller.

Apperently at the time green was a poor dye colour that faded quickly and that's why the Russians (and later British riflemen who's uniform by the 1870's was pretty much black) kept adding black to their green dye.

I chose the Foundry Russian Green triad for my Russian Dragoons, and it looks as follows: