Just What Shade of Red were Those New Model Coats??

[Blathergut]

Can anyone point me to examples of the shade of red? An internet search brings up as many different shades as sites!

I gather they weren't too dark. Same shade as now or a bit lighter/warmer?

I've seen the Osprey Infantry of the ECW. Can I assume them accurate? The red seems kinda light.

[nikgaukroger]

Can anyone point me to examples of the shade of red? An internet search brings up as many different shades as sites!

I gather they weren't too dark. Same shade as now or a bit lighter/warmer?

I've seen the Osprey Infantry of the ECW. Can I assume them accurate? The red seems kinda light.

One order for cloth during the Commonwealth referred to "Venice Red" - what ever that actually means.

However, I understand that in this period what we might call "quality control" over things such as colour, at least for those who were not the elite, was pretty ropey and different batched would be different shades. In fact, IIRC, even within a batch colour would change with early dyeings being a deep shade as there was more colour in the dye - it got used up as more cloth was dyed.

[Blathergut]

Okay..thanks. I painted up a couple with Liquitex Red Oxide, but they don't quite look right. Will keep at it.

[Sarmaticus]

One order for cloth during the Commonwealth referred to "Venice Red" - what ever that actually means.

There is an artists pigment called Venetian Red.

[vsolfronk]

As stated above, there was a huge array of shades. Since no one factory (actually more workshops for this period) could supply everything, the range of hues would probably be amazing, and then add the wear and tear of being on campaign. Quality would be a problem as well.

When I painted my New Model Army years ago, I found a nice color called barn red. Sadly I sold most of my army and will have to recreate it again!

[Blathergut]

Thanks for the help. I'm going with the red oxide with a bit of burgundy mixed in to take the edge off the 'orangy' tinge to the oxide. Still has that hint of it though, which is kinda nice.

[timmy1]

Regarding the colour, I can't remember the written source but at one of the Partizan Press Conferences in the 1980s, Dave Ryan said that there is an entry in the record that the exact shade of initially ordered was not that supplied. It went something like this

'
Quartermaster for the NMA was sent to an Essex Cloth Merchant and asked for enough Red cloth of a particular shade to equip the whole NMA (say 10,000 yards) and we would like it next Tuesday. As much of the cloth was imported from Flemish or Dutch weavers ready dyed this was not possible in the time. However the merchant did have said quantity in Scarlett. This is how the army came to use that shade.
'

As I say I don't have a source reference but it seemed to go unquestioned at the time.

[Blathergut]

I'm sure were we to actually be able to pop back and seen them then we'd be surprised at just how un-uniformed they probably looked!

[vsolfronk]

On a side note, I was reading a post on another site talking about the huge variety of uniforms, styles and colors in the present Russian army.

[Skullzgrinda]

One order for cloth during the Commonwealth referred to "Venice Red" - what ever that actually means.

There is an artists pigment called Venetian Red.

Which is pretty much a light brick color. Yes, the tubes of pigment vary as well, but they are what one would think of as mid to light red brick color.

[Skullzgrinda]

Thanks for the help. I'm going with the red oxide with a bit of burgundy mixed in to take the edge off the 'orangy' tinge to the oxide. Still has that hint of it though, which is kinda nice.

Never underestimate art history books and sites as well.

[rjb]

Having been an ECW reenactor for many years, I have seen coats that were from the same batch and identical colour fade differently as well as different batches varying from one another so vary your shades and you could also add patches from different cloth as well if you feel the need!

[Spartacus]

Well 30 years ago I spray primed a 25mm NMA army with car spray red oxide primer and decided to leave the jackets as they were. Looked good lasted for ages. But then again what do I know I am colour blind.

As an addendum I actually melted those figures last month and they will become walls and hedges

[Blathergut]

I know they should look ragged, faded, multi-shaded, but it's so much easier painting them up the same!