Xpress Battledress Brown

The Battledress Brown shade

Battledress Brown is a brown tone from the Xpress Color acrylic line by Vallejo. The name refers to a field uniform and the shade matches that: it is a damped brown turned toward khaki, the kind that suits wool cloth, pouches, straps, boots and other items of equipment. On a figure it also finds a use where leather or wood is wanted, only a shade darker than ocher.

How the Xpress Color line works

Once applied, the thin paint does not stay in place but is led into the hollows. In the folds of the cloth, under the buckles and between the pockets more of it stays and the area darkens; on the raised places only a thin film holds and the shade looks lighter. A uniform thus gains depth from a single coat, with no laborious layering. The covering is partial, so the ground has a say in the result too.

Application tips

• It does not have to be thinned and is applied with a brush straight from the container.
• Stir the contents of the container before work, as the pigment settles at the bottom.
• Choose a light ground, as a dark one will pull the brown toward black.
• Lead the brush smoothly and without going back, or the shadow will smear.
• Draw a puddle gathered in a deep fold off with a dry brush while the paint is wet.
• The raised edges can be brought out once dry with a thin coat of a lighter tone.

Terms of supply

A container of paint as described is supplied. A figure, brushes, a ground and thinner are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. For thinning, cleaning the tools and storage, follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging.