"My (extensive) German color guide" Topic

Someone asked for it, so here it is, all colors Vallejo.

German Army WWII

Tanks

Russia 40-e42 V862
1942+ V914 Green Ochre
Camo V890 Reflective Green
V872 Chocolate Brown
Three Color V981 Orange Brown
V950 Black
Desert V912 Tan Yellow

Basic

Uniforms V 830 German Field Gray
Collar V970 Deep Green
Jack boots Black
Low boots V822 German Brown Black
Waders V830 Field Gray
Webbing Black
Or V822 German Brown Black
Ammo pouches Black
Or V822 German Brown Black
Or V986 Deck Tan
Haversack V986 Deck Tan
Canteen V822 German Black Brown
Or V846 Mahogany Brown
Mess Tin V967 Olive Green
Gasmask Can V922 Neutral Gray
Helmet V995 German Grey
Reed Green Uniform V920 German Uniform

Basic Uniform 1939+

Item Colour Code
Tunic German uniform 920
Trousers Neutral grey 992
Webbing Black 950
Ordinance Green Yellow Olive 892
Field cap German fieldgrey WWII 830
Helmet Olive Green 967
Tunic Collar Black green 980

Basic Uniform 1941+
Item Colour Code
Tunic German fieldgrey WWII 830
Trousers German fieldgrey WWII 830
Webbing Black 950
Ordinance Green Yellow Olive 892
Field cap German fieldgrey WWII 830
Helmet Olive Green 967
German Grey 995*
Tunic Collar German fieldgrey WWII 830

Basic Uniform 1944+
Item Colour Code
Tunic Russian Uniform 924
Trousers Russian Uniform 924
Webbing Black 950
Ordinance Green Yellow Olive 892
Field cap German fieldgrey WWII 830
Helmet Olive Green 967
German Grey 995*
Tunic Collar Russian Uniform 924
Ammo Pouches HL Grey 994

Uniform Variations 1944+
Item Colour Code
Tunic English uniform 921
Trousers English uniform 921
Webbing Yellow ochre 913
HL Grey 994
Ordinance Green Yellow ochre 913
Field cap Russian Uniform 924
Helmet Yellow ochre 913
Anklets Green 975

Tropical Uniform/Desert
Item Colour Code
Uniform Yellow ochre 913
Khaki 988
Desert Yellow 977
Webbing Mahogany brown 846
Sand Yellow 916
Ordinance Yellow Dark sand 847
Field cap Yellow ochre 913
Helmet Tan Yellow 912
Boots Red Leather 818

Luftwaffe Field Division, 42+
Steel Helmet German Grey 995
Luftwaffe Blue 816
Smock Camo Green 823
Splinter Brown 846
Green 885
Webbing/Boots Grey 994
Black
Bayonet Frog Grey 994
Field Flask Black Brown 822
M38 Gas Mask Case German Grey 995
Luftwaffe Blue 816
Gas Sheet Case Luftwaffe Blue 816
Collar patches Flat Green 968

Panzer Crew 1939-1945
Field Cap Neutral Grey 992
Beret Black
Officer Cap German Uniform 920
Cap/Tunic/Trousers Black
Grey 994
Waffenfarbe Sunset Red 802
Belt/Boots Black
Grey 994
Shirt/Gloves Neutral Grey 992

Splinter Camo
Item Colour Code
Base Colour (pale) Pastel Green 885
Base Colour (dark) Russian Uniform 924
Base Colour (marsh) Buff 976
Brown Colour Beige Brown 875
Green Clour Luftwaffe Cam Green 823
Raindrop colour Black Green 980

Fallshrimjager

Bread Bag German Grey 995
Webbing/Pouches Chocolate Brown 872
Water Bottles " "
Holsters " "

1939-1940 Airforce Blue
Helmet Luftwaffe Uniform 816
Smock Sky Grey 989
Pants/Pouches 964

1939-1940 Plain Green
Helmet German Grey 995
Smock/Helmet Cover Green Grey 886
Trousers/Pouches Field Grey 830

Crete-1945 Splinter
Smock/Cover German Camo Beige- base 821
Luftwaffe Camo Green-camo 823
Flat Brown-camo 984
Trousers/Pouches Fieldgrey 830

N. Africa and Italy Camo
Smock/cover German Camo Beige-base 821
Luftwaffe Camo Green-camo 823
Flat Brown-camo 984
Trousers/Pouches Desert Yellow 977

Italian Camo Pattern Olive Grey-base 888
Germ Camo Med Brown-camo 826
Sand Yellow-camo 916

Zeitbahn base V 821, geometric pattern V826, V 890
SS Collars Black/ V 896 Extra Dark Green
Haversack V886 Green Grey
V986 Deck Tan
V819 Iraqi Sand
V977 Desert Yellow
Mess Tin/ Gasmask V 995 German Grey
Helmet V 995 German Grey
Ammo Cans PS Panzer Dark Yellow
SMG Ammo Pouches V 914 Green Ochre
Map Cases " "
Map/Binoc Cases GW Dark Flesh
Geibersjager Anorak 66% V887 Brown Violet, 33% V992 Neutral Grey
M39 Grenade V975 Green
Field Flask V875 Beige Brown
V822 Brown
Cookpot V790 Silver
M38 Gasmask case V896 Dark Green
Gas Cape V975 Green
V886 Green Grey
Spade Holder V994 Grey
Black
Scabbard Black

Camo Patterns
Splinter Base V 821 Germ Camo Beige, geometric splotch V 826 Germ Camo Med Brown, V 823; rain dashes V896
Or:
Base Color with V885 Pastel Green for lighter camo, V924 for darker camo, or V976 Buff for marsh pattern. Then add the following in the classic splinter pattern V875 Beige Brown and V823 Luft Camo Green; rain dashes V896.

Oak Leaf Base V 825 , splotch & dots V 977, add V 833 inside splotches and dots.

Base V825 German Camo Pale Brown, splotch and dot V862 Black Grey, add V850 Medium Olive inside splotches and dots.

Plane Tree Base V 833, add splotches V 826, add V 896 on top with holes and dots.

BaseV825 German Camo Pale Brown, dark spots V822 German Camo Black Brown, light spots V857 Golden Olive, dark green fields V833 Germ Camo Bright Green.

Pea Dot Base V835 Salmon Rose; V988 Khaki, V825 Germ Camo Pale Brown, V822 German Camo Black Brown, V833 German Camo Bright Green.

Base V912 Tan Yellow, then add patches of V825 German Pale Camo Brown and V835 Salmon Rose, then over that add dots of V822 German Camo Black Brown, V833 German Camo Bright Green and V 835 Salmon Rose.

Palm Base V929 Light Brown + V805 German Orange; V822 German Black Brown, V833 German Bright Green.

Sorry about the format being confusing, my copy and paste method did not do the proper spacing to make this legible. But y'all are smart folks, and will figure it out. Especially the parts I am dead wrong about.

This is great but it would be even more useful if you had some photos that demonstrated the results.

AX

Thank you! I am just now starting a 1939 German combat group and you have saved me hours and hours of research. Very, very much appreciated! Now, because we are never satisfied, does anyone have a list of Vallejo colors for 1939 Polish forces?

Very incomplete list here:

WWII Polish Color Guide

Uniforms V880 Khaki Grey
Tan Earth
V921 British Uniform
Webbing V988 Khaki
Haversack V988 Khaki
Helmet Olive Grey
Belt Flat Brown
Cavalry Belt V818 Red Leather
Overcoats V921 English Uniform
Mechanized Overcoats Black, HL Grey

Great stuff. How about US colors?

Wow, how incredibily generous of you. I agree with Ooh Rah, what a huge time saver. I for one, would love to anything else you've got in your painting guides (US, UK, USSR). I'd love to see some pics as well as axabrax said. But either way, great thanks for your hard work. Wow!

Thanks again so much. Not only have you made me happy, but somewhere there is a Vallejo vendor about to be even happier. Now, where is my credit card?

This is awesome! Thanks

No pix, no camera, and computer illiteracy. Will post the rest.

Nice one. i spent ages trying to find that info.
The U.S. would be cool as already mentioned.
Cheers again.

I posted it under the GI 44-45 thread a little down the page.

Just raising this one from the grave.

Probert, where the paint description and number clash, is either fine, or is the number more likely to be accurate?

EG: Cap/Tunic/Trousers Black Grey 994
Black Grey is 862 while 994 is Dark Grey.

Probert… This guide to german uniform painting is nonsense, using such a wide range of vallejo colours is foolish, amateurish & a waste of money, The first basics for a model painter, is to know how to mix & blend the right colours to the required effect.

Somebody missed their nap.

I did not mean to sound irritated over the list, im just making a point. It is waste of money & imagination, to have to buy seperate vallejo paints, for every single detail on a model figure. You can easily do perfect details, to the paintwork using 1/5 of the paints mentioned, by mixing & blending.

The commercialised theme of this thread can be summerised with this post: 'Thanks again so much. Not only have you made me happy, but somewhere there is a Vallejo vendor about to be even happier. Now, where is my credit card?'

Toysoldierglory – you are of course entitled to your opinion though I feel using terms such as nonsense, foolish and amateurish to be a tad rude and ott. I for one found Probert's info extremely helpful and have referred to it many times. That may make me foolish and amateurish – if so, so be it. We can't all aspire to your greatness.

Toysoldier … you must certainly be a highly skilled painter. That isn't sarcasm either, I mean it.

I am comfortable with a brish, and totally devoid of any color-mixing skills. Any. I couldn't make grey if you gave me black and white paint pots. Seriously. And I over-worry about being able to replicate the exact same shade again. Mixing is not something I can do.

I will use a color, straight from the pot, that is CLOSE, before I would ever, EVER attempt to mix something up to get the perfect shade.

So, while you may find the list above:
-nonsense,
-foolish,
-amateurish, and
-a waste of money

They are EXACTLY what I like to find. Does that mean I will actually BUY every single shade as described? Perhaps not. Perhaps Chocolate Brown, Mahogany Brown, and Black Brown will all become Medium Brown because I'm cheap or cant' really tell the difference between the three shades at arm's length.

But it's nice to have specific colors to shoot for.

I don't understand why you felt compelled to criticize Probert for supplying detailed info. I don't think it's nonsense or foolish to want to paint accurate colors without mixing.

And amateurish? Well, I guess if "professionals" always mix their colors, then yes, I guess you are right on a technicality. But I find that anything that allows me to spend less time doing hobby stuff, gives me more output for my limited hobby time. So "shortcuts" like using standard paints are actually BETTER than foolishly wasting time and expending effort to mix up a custom color and get the formula just right.

It's a trade-off between money and time. This hobby is ALWAYS about that very same trade-off. Build your own terrain or buy? Pre-paints or paint them yourself. Or perhaps even hire it done?

I really don't see why you attacked Probert the way you did. And I should clarify, you didn't attack him personally, you attacked his approach. Harshly.

Now, if you really think he is totally a loon to suggest getting 11 colors to paint a basic uniform, then why not sit down and write up exactly how many drops of each basic color we need to place into a pot and stir so we can achieve that same effect? I wonder how many colors we will need, and how much experimentation it will take to equal those same colors?

I don't have the time to figure it out. Perhaps you do.

Steve

need pictures off a tiger 1 mid production cheers guys tank crew 1944 ukraine

Gee, Toysoldierglory!

Thanks for making sure that people feel afraid to post their generous contributions for the rest of us.

I'm sorry if you're having a bad life, or if you hate the fact that not everyone is a Professional Painter, but did you really need to fire off such harsh and unfriendly criticism at someone who just wanted to share?

Honestly, if the idea of people buying many different paints aggravates you that much, you might ask yourself some hard questions about what's really upsetting you, and I say that seriously and with sincere concern for your well-being. It's not like Probert was attacking people who mix their own colors…

I am a competent color mixer, and I do quite a bit of it, but I can see why someone pressed for time but not for cash, or someone who just doesn't have that mixing knowledge or skill would just buy a ton of paints. Attacking Probert for sharing his list is just plain against the spirit of this site.

Probert: Thanks for sharing! Please don't let people who angry about Something Else stop you from sharing. 99.99% of us applaud your efforts!

Tom

Probert I am doing to Dragon figures Tiger Aces (Normandy 1944) 6028 do you know what Vallejo colors would be good for these figures there is the camo one and the D figure but on the D fig it looks like the Luftwaffe color for the pants but this can not be right ?

Guys, Many, Many thanks for some truly outstanding information.

Good guide – only just found it – typical!

I'm still trying to find all my old lists, glad they're still here.

Thanks for bumping this, a useful resource that I missed first time around

Still Good for Use

Nice one, saw this for the first time today and saved for reference

Great guide, very helpful-even if I have never used a Vallejo color in my life!

Probert… This guide to german uniform painting is nonsense, using such a wide range of vallejo colours is foolish, amateurish & a waste of money, The first basics for a model painter, is to know how to mix & blend the right colours to the required effect.

Anyone who uses anything other than blue, yellow, red, white, and black is DOING IT WRONG.

ScottS-
Agreed.
My Armored Vehicles are blue.
My Softskins are yellow.
My Aircraft are red.
My Troops are white.
My other accessories are black.

I was thinking in terms of mixing those paints, but I'm happyy to see alternatives.

LoL

I am trying to paint some 20mm 1940 Battle of France Germans, I am probably overthinking, but I find myself paralysed, unable to make a decision.

There are two issues, I'll deal with the easiest one first.

Helmet Colour – Seen references to Dark Green and Dark Grey. I believe that they started off as a satin green and this was used in Poland. But the sheen was found to create reflections which gave position away so it was changed to non-reflected dark grey. So I assume that dark grey is the way to go.

Uniform – this is the one that is puzzling me and the extensive list at the front of this thread adds more confusion. The alternatives seem to be (1) field grey, tunic and trousers (2) uniform green for tunic and field grey for trousers (3) uniform green for tunic and some other grey for the trousers.

I appreciate variations resulting from different manufacturers and fading but I definitely see references to where the tunic is green and the trousers are grey.

I quite like the idea of the uniform green and grey as it would make the figures look more interesting but would that be appropriate for France 1940.?
And if so, what grey should the trousers be?

Cheers,

Nigel

As far as I understand, helmets were made in both Dark Green and Dark Grey throughout the war.

Early War Army had Field Grey jackets and Stone Grey trousers. I am using Vallejo Model Colour London Grey 70.836 for the trousers. In the list above Probert recommends Vallejo Model Colour Neutral grey 70.992

Early War SS had Field Grey jackets and trousers.

Thanks Mick,

So when I see tunics that look green against the trousers, the tunic is actually Field Grey – it is the trousers that are different.

But what confuses me still looking at the list in the OP is that there are two colours suggested for the tunic in the two sections

Basic: V830 (Field Grey)
Basic 1939+: V920 (German Uniform)

So if I go with V992 (or V836) for the trousers, should I use V830 or V920 for the tunic?

Cheers,

Nigel

Dear nheather

I would use VMC 830 Field Grey for standard uniforms in woolen cloth. This is most of the jackets in 1940 France, Belgium and Holland and also 1941 Russia.

There is a HBT version of the uniform which was used in Yugoslavia and Greece etc. HBT is herringbone twill, which is a cotton fabric similar to denim. This was Reed Green. I use VMC 920 for Reed Green items.

Here are some painting guides that I wrote several years ago.
TMP link

Regards

Mick

Many thanks Mick,

I had seen the info in that link before, and now that I look at it again I am a little more confused.

This would suggest that the trousers are Field Grey (no mention of Neutral or London Grey) and that the tunic is Reed Green.

Cheers,

Nigel

Dear Nigel,
I wrote those guides ten years ago and I am currently working on updating them.
Regards
Mick

Many shades were within the range of colours called Field Grey. There are some garments which are
German Dark Green 70.979
German Field Grey WW2 70.831
US Dark Green 70.893
Russian Uniform 70.924
German Uniform 70.920

ahuuugh here is why painting Germans is easy or hard. It is a point of view thing.

link

Green to mouse grey by wars end, but if you look at real color pictures it was a green most of the time.

and the German army painted everything green, helmets, MG ammo boxes, Mortar tubes, kit

I haven't been posting regularly for a long time, can't believe some of my lists are still around. The computer they were saved on died long ago, so it is great that I can get them back.

Hi Probert
So I have a chance to say thank you