I use the black undercoat painting method and so do War Modelling (Spain). I noticed their style was a little different to mine – they use a highlight colour on all the big areas. Given I wasn’t too familiar with the Vallejo Model Color range I asked Luis Santigosa from War Modelling (Spain) for some advice. He offered some colour combinations to use for shading – those used by their painting service. I’ve extended this list further as I’ve experimented and overtime it has morphed into my default painting scheme. Unless noted this is proper painting rather than dry brushing, and Vallejo paints.
Colour | Base Colour | Highlight Colour |
---|---|---|
White (including white horses) |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Black |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Grey |
![]() |
![]() |
Sky Blue |
![]() |
![]() |
Blue 4 |
![]() |
![]() |
Red |
![]() |
![]() |
Yellow5 |
![]() |
![]() |
Light Green |
![]() |
![]() |
Dark Green |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Brown |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Beige |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Buff7 |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Horse tones (dark) |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Horse tones (pale) |
![]() |
![]() |
European Skin Tone |
![]() |
– |
Negro Skin Tones |
![]() |
– |
Wood e.g. carts or buildings |
![]() |
![]() Light Dry brush 50:50 mix Vallejo (113) 70.880 Khaki Grey [Cote D’arms 524 Tan Earth] and Vallejo (001) 70.951 White |
Thatch10 | Heavy Dry brush Cote D’arms 502 Field Drab |
Light Dry brush Cote D’arms 221 Horse Tone Dun – particularly around edges, gives a hint of Brown/Gold Light Dry brush Cote D’arms 231 Mid Grey Light Dry brush Cote D’arms 233 Linen |
Straw Hat9 |
![]() |
![]() |
Notes:
(1) I always use Sky Grey as the base for white.
(2) The Vallejo white is very thick which is why I’m increasingly opting for Ivory instead
(3) Although you’d think that Sky Blue paint would be a good choice for Sky Blue I found Luis’s suggestion of Andrea Blue very successful.
(4) Luis recommended this for all “blue” uniforms whether Spanish (Turqui) or French (midnight blue). In the field they all kind of blended together.
(5) This is my suggestion. Luis suggest something else. I didn’t find his combination too successful
Yellow – Luis’s suggestion |
![]() |
![]() |
(6) I used (143) 70.983 Flat earth for the top coat on my Napoleonic Spanish.
(7) Buff is the colour I used for the trousers of the heavy cavalry of my Napoleonic Spanish.
(8) Paint the facial features (forehead, nose, checks, chin, ears) and other flesh (hands, arms, legs) leaving black undercoat as shadow.
(9) Straw hats are useful for troops from Venezuela.
(10) For Celtic, Russian or Burmese houses. The paint suggestions are, as you’ll notice, not Vallejo, but Coat D’Arms.
I used these suggestions for my Napoleonic Spanish and Royalists in the Chilean Campaign of 1817-18.

Chiloe Battalion

Spanish Militia