Serge Grey Sudan Uniforms (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

Mike Snook's (author of Go Strong In The Desert) answer to my question on this topic on the Victorian Wars Forum:

Re: Serge Grey Sudan Uniforms 1884-85
by mike snook » 17 Jul 2010 07:15

Chaps

30,000 sets were commissioned by Wolseley for the 1882 intervention in Egypt but failed to arrive in time for the fighting. They went into store and were issued as field kit to units of Sir Frederick Stephenson's army of occupation when the Sudan businessgot under way (for the British) in early 1884. Units staging through Cairo/Alex from England (e.g. camel corps contingents) also received an issue. Units landing in the Eastern Sudan from India or Aden didn't. There were few sets left by 1885 - most were expended during the two campaigns of 1884 - first Suakin and Nile.

My personal view is that the blue-grey tinge has been overdone and perpetuated by successve artists. We are showing a light grey in the GSITD plates.

Regards

Mike

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Mike Snook's (author of Go Strong In The Desert) answer to my question on this topic on the Victorian Wars Forum:

Re: Serge Grey Sudan Uniforms 1884-85
by mike snook » 17 Jul 2010 07:15

Chaps

30,000 sets were commissioned by Wolseley for the 1882 intervention in Egypt but failed to arrive in time for the fighting. They went into store and were issued as field kit to units of Sir Frederick Stephenson's army of occupation when the Sudan businessgot under way (for the British) in early 1884. Units staging through Cairo/Alex from England (e.g. camel corps contingents) also received an issue. Units landing in the Eastern Sudan from India or Aden didn't. There were few sets left by 1885 - most were expended during the two campaigns of 1884 - first Suakin and Nile.

My personal view is that the blue-grey tinge has been overdone and perpetuated by successve artists. We are showing a light grey in the GSITD plates.

Regards

Mike

To be clear, it sounds like the author feels the grey uniforms being done by Jenkins are more accurate than the blue-grey that are being done by Britains?

Terry

 

[PolarBear]

To be clear, it sounds like the author feels the grey uniforms being done by Jenkins are more accurate than the blue-grey that are being done by Britains?

Terry

The photos of John's figures at the recent London show looked more blue-grey than the advert photos. I am waiting for someone to post their set to see what they look like. My original query on VWF was for photos of actual uniforms or collections that might have them but so far no takers on this. I have heard that there may be none to see and hence the confusion plus the effects of the desert sun. Just think of the wide colors of WWII DAK uniforms.

Mike is expressing his personal opinion in the post.

 

[aujj65]

Randy, these are mine. The colour appears blue-grey with grey shading?

Jeff

 

[Phantom Warrior]

I'd like to see a photo of the Jenkins Highlanders next to the Britains 42nd Black Watch.

Terry

 

[PolarBear]

Randy, these are mine. The colour appears blue-grey with grey shading?

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. As I suspected not as grey as the advert pix,

 

[PolarBear]

Here are 1/6th scale examples from the OneSixth Warrior site. They are in the Light Grey that Mike Snook refer to:

Officer, Grenadier Guards, Camel Corps, 1884-5

 

[PolarBear]

Officer & Pvt., Grenadier Guards, Camel Corps, 1884-5

 

[mikemiller1955]

Randy...if this helps...this is a picture with natural lighting and no flash...I don't know if they match what the book says...or what Wm Brit is doing...but they are beautiful figures...I agree with Jeff...they seem a powder blue with definite detail on grey shading...look at the elbow sleeve of the soldier standing...you can see the grey shading...I would guess...that perhaps after a couple of washings and in the desert sun...they were subject to some fading...

I will throw mine in the washing machine on a gentle cycle and let you know how they come out...hehehe...

 

[PolarBear]

Randy...if this helps...this is a picture with natural lighting and no flash...I don't know if they match what the book says...or what Wm Brit is doing...but they are beautiful figures...I agree with Jeff...they seem a powder blue with definite detail on grey shading...look at the elbow sleeve of the soldier standing...you can see the grey shading...I would guess...that perhaps after a couple of washings and in the desert sun...they were subject to some fading...

I will throw mine in the washing machine on a gentle cycle and let you know how they come out...hehehe...

Thanks Mike

Definitely powder blue and very close to the Britains. Grey advert pix were misleading.

Randy

 

[mikemiller1955]

Randy...this is with a flash...so disregard the colors a bit...but look at the grey shading...you may can see it better here...also look at the detail of the rifles...these are really nice...very crisp...you know he did shorten them quite a bit to fit this scale...

 

[aujj65]

It would seem that the figures are compatible colour wise with the WB range, but I am just too anal regarding mixing different manufacturers and so after an awful lot of pondering I will be sticking with JJD.

Jeff

 

[PolarBear]

Randy...this is with a flash...so disregard the colors a bit...but look at the grey shading...you may can see it better here...also look at the detail of the rifles...these are really nice...very crisp...you know he did shorten them quite a bit to fit this scale...

Thanks again Mike

The grey shading appears to be in odd areas and random.

What are those orange marks on the leg of the figure on the right in the top
photo?

 

[mikemiller1955]

Randy...

I'm sure it's shading...

I think you would be amazed at what you can see...from any manufacturer... when you blow up a 3" figure...in a close-up...on a 19" monitor...

I have a friend that is starting a new line of figures...he just got his "masters" back from China...and was complaining about a few mistakes he saw with his naked eye...stuff like a little overlapping of the paint...etc...I told him to take a picture and blow it up on his monitor...he found so many things he couldn't see with his eye...

he called me back and said it's like looking at it under a microscope...

you won't see a lot of the shading with your naked eye...and it looks good with the naked eye...but blow it up on your monitor...you're gonna see a whole lot of stuff that you didn't know was there...

here's an example...

this is a K&C Indian set..."This Jacket Is Mine"...

it's a beautiful set...

let's take a close-up...

then another close-up...

he appears to have a bikini tan line on his breasts...

it's the shading that makes him look good to the naked eye...

on the last picture...look at the shading on his face...it adds depth to the naked eye and is not noticeable until it's super magnified...

as many pictures as you take...I'm sure you have seen this many times before...

 

[PolarBear]

Randy...

I'm sure it's shading...

I think you would be amazed at what you can see...from any manufacturer... when you blow up a 3" figure...in a close-up...on a 19" monitor...

I have a friend that is starting a new line of figures...he just got his "masters" back from China...and was complaining about a few mistakes he saw with his naked eye...stuff like a little overlapping of the paint...etc...I told him to take a picture and blow it up on his monitor...he found so many things he couldn't see with his eye...

he called me back and said it's like looking at it under a microscope...

you won't see a lot of the shading with your naked eye...and it looks good with the naked eye...but blow it up on your monitor...you're gonna see a whole lot of stuff that you didn't know was there...

here's an example...

this is a K&C Indian set..."This Jacket Is Mine"...

it's a beautiful set...

let's take a close-up...

then another close-up...

he appears to have a bikini tan line on his breasts...

it's the shading that makes him look good to the naked eye...

on the last picture...look at the shading on his face...it adds depth to the naked eye and is not noticeable until it's super magnified...

as many pictures as you take...I'm sure you have seen this many times before...

Mike

That's a great post. I don't think I pan in as closely as you have here. Plus I really need new specs

 

[mikemiller1955]

Randy...I didn't realize it either...

now I don't take anything similar to these extreme close-ups for diorama pictures...in fact if I did...you wouldn't see the diorama behind the figure...

I never noticed this figures "bra lines"...until someone pointed it out to me in a previous post...most of these figures are 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inches tall...

I think the "washes" on them really add depth to the figures...they separate the fingers...add dimension to the clothes and faces...they really add a touch of realism you can't achieve with a single color...

take some extreme close-ups of some of your different manufactures figure's faces and see if they show up to you...

I would guess the more shades used...the better the figure...

 

[PolarBear]

Here are 2 photos of a serge grey British uniform posted on the Victorian Wars Forum. I don't have info on specific date or regiment yet.

 

[Mister Dave]

Randy...

I'm sure it's shading...

I think you would be amazed at what you can see...from any manufacturer... when you blow up a 3" figure...in a close-up...on a 19" monitor...

I have a friend that is starting a new line of figures...he just got his "masters" back from China...and was complaining about a few mistakes he saw with his naked eye...stuff like a little overlapping of the paint...etc...I told him to take a picture and blow it up on his monitor...he found so many things he couldn't see with his eye...

he called me back and said it's like looking at it under a microscope...

you won't see a lot of the shading with your naked eye...and it looks good with the naked eye...but blow it up on your monitor...you're gonna see a whole lot of stuff that you didn't know was there...

here's an example...

this is a K&C Indian set..."This Jacket Is Mine"...

it's a beautiful set...

let's take a close-up...

then another close-up...

he appears to have a bikini tan line on his breasts...

it's the shading that makes him look good to the naked eye...

on the last picture...look at the shading on his face...it adds depth to the naked eye and is not noticeable until it's super magnified...

as many pictures as you take...I'm sure you have seen this many times before...

Not meaning to pull this thread off topic, but am curious to know more about your friend, Mike. Who is he and what is he making for instance? Hope you don't mind my asking.

MD

 

[mikemiller1955]

Not meaning to pull this thread off topic, but am curious to know more about your friend, Mike. Who is he and what is he making for instance? Hope you don't mind my asking.

MD

Dave...he is doing a Civil War series...

I am going to help him "promote" his series on here once he is ready to sell them...

at this point...

he was displeased with his some of "masters" and has sent them back to repaint in China...

He does not want to announce anything right now...

but I think he may be ready to show his stuff in the next couple of months at worst...

 

[PolarBear]

Here are 2 photos of a serge grey British uniform posted on the Victorian Wars Forum. I don't have info on specific date or regiment yet.

The Regiment is the Coldstream Guards