Color: German Five-Color Top Lozenge Camouflage

[ReducedAirFact]

There were a lot of different variants of German Lozenge camouflage. Four that are frequently described in Windsock Datafiles for German daytime aircraft are four- and five-color lozenge with top and bottom color schemes. This thread covers the five-color top camouflage colors. Usually these are applied to models using preprinted decals, but some people may paint by hand. This reference also allows you to compare a decal's colors to those from the Datafiles.

The companion to this article, covering German five-color bottom lozenge camouflage, is at this link.



The usual caveats: As always, there was frequently variation in paint color, weathering, varnishing, etc., so this is just a general guide. Unless you've got a high-end, wide-gamut monitor in perfect calibration (and who does?), do not trust the colors you see on your monitor! Instead, visit your local paint store and see if you can find paint samples like the ones listed below and then match your hobby paints or mixes against those. The goal is just to "get close". See 'Color: why we'll never get it exactly right'.

Entries with an asterisk (*) are excellent matches; entries with question marks (?) have not been formally measured with a color meter and are therefore unconfirmed; hobby paints with tildes (~) are just very rough matches...the best we can do without a custom color mix.

[ReducedAirFact]

Deep Grey-Violet	German Five-Color Lozenge
Methuen/CIElab/Source	House Paints and Standards	Hobby Paints
48.86,15.63,-11.1	** Australian Std. Cyclamen P22 ** ~ Beauti-Tone/Cloverdale Felicia A47-2-1200-4 ~ * Behr Purple Potion S100-5 * * Benjamin Moore Purple Passion OR-463 * Dulux/Glidden Grape Sunrise 50RB 20/199 FS595c 27144 PPG Crowning Glory 17-07 * RAL Design 320 50 20 * * RAL Classic Rotlila Red Lilac 4001 * * Sherwin-Williams Wood Violet 6557 * ~ Valspar Evening Lilac 1002-5B ~	? Reaper MSP Dark Elf Highlight 9165 ?
43.5,18.43,-14.1	~ Beauti-Tone Orchid Orchestra A46-2-1207-3 ~ Behr Notorious M570-6 * DIN6164 TSD 12-2-4 * Dulux Bejewelled 50RB 14/232 ** Dulux Trade Pamplona Purple 2 70RB 13/236 ** Glidden Amethyst Jewel 50RB 14/232 * Pantone 7663 U * PPG Grape Jelly 1177-6 * RAL Effect 540-3 * Sherwin-Williams Plummy 6558 Valspar Dusky Purple 1003-5A	? Vallejo Model COlor Purple 70.959 ? ? Reaper MSP Witchcraft Purple 29841 ?

Color matching with 1989 Methuen Handbook of Color and Nix Color sensor

[ReducedAirFact]

Honey Yellow / Khaki	German Five-Color Lozenge
Methuen/CIElab/Source	House Paints and Standards	Hobby Paints
63.87,-1.73,48.3	Beauti-Tone Rain Boots B8-1-0802-3 Behr Tangy Green M320-6 Benjamin Moore Lichen Green 2150-20 Cloverdale Hair Ribbon 0809 * Dulux/Glidden Golden Garland 40YY 34/446 * * Pantone 613U * Pantone 618C PPG Woolen Mittens 1109-6 ~ Sherwin-Williams Escapade Gold 6403 ~ ~ Valspar Bamboo Leaves 3009-4 ~	? Reaper MSP Palomino Gold 9074 ?
63.17,7.63,40.4	* Beauti-Tone/Cloverdale Bugle Boy B2-2-0899-3 * * Behr Radiance MQ4-7 * Benjamin Moore Aztec Yellow 2152-20 Dulux/Glidden Monarch Gold 20YY 36/370 NCS1950 S 3040-Y10R * PPG Amaretto Sours 1106-6 * RAL Design 080 60 40 * RAL Classic Ochre Yellow 1024 * * Sherwin-Williams Bosc Pear 6390 * * Valspar Camel Ride 3005-7A *	? Vallejo Model Color Desert Yellow 70.977 ? ? Reaper MSP Desert Tan 29826 ?

Color matching with 1989 Methuen Handbook of Color and Nix Color sensor

[ReducedAirFact]

Deep Greyish-Green	German Five-Color Lozenge
Methuen/CIElab/Source	House Paints and Standards	Hobby Paints
65.28,-13.54,20.72	Beauti-Tone Salt Spring Island CC061-4 Cloverdale Cactus Valley 0752 Glidden Blade 30GY 34/249 * PPG Guacamole 1121-5 * Valspar Jungle Chameleon 5008-4A	TBD
63.64,-16.44,24.75	Beauti-Tone/Cloverdale Perennial Garden C31-2-0759-4 * Behr Alamosa Green PPU11-4 * ~ Benjamin Moore Pistachio Nut OR-329 ~ Dulux/Glidden Blade 30GY 34/249 * NCS1950 S 3030-G40Y * * PPG Lucious Lime 1120-6 * ~ Sherwin-Williams Leapfrog 6431 ~ Valspar Emerald Isle 6004-6B	TBD

Color matching with 1989 Methuen Handbook of Color and Nix Color sensor

[ReducedAirFact]

Deep Greyish Turquoise	German Five-Color Lozenge
Methuen/CIElab/Source	House Paints and Standards	Hobby Paints
44.78,-27.61,-9.17	**Australian Std. Diamantina T12 ** ~ Behr Bubble Turquoise M450-6 ~ Benjamin Moore Tropical Turquoise 2052-30 ~ Dulux Billow 70GG 16/390 ~ * Glidden Seawall 70GG 17/269 * NCS1950 S 4040-B50G * PPG Jade Jewel 1147-6 * RAL Classic Wasserblau Water Blue 5021 ~ Valspar Elegant Silk 5010-7 ~	~ Reaper MSP Marine Teal 9077 ~
40.42,-23.92,-8.04 a blend of 24E6 and 24F6	Beauti-Tone Tropical Tale C36-2-1569-3 Behr Beta Fish M450-7 DIN6164 TSD 19-4-4 Glidden True Teal 90GG 12/206 **NCS1950 S 5030-B50G ** PPG Caribbean Holiday 13-28 ** RAL Design 200 40 25 ** Sherwin-Williams Green Bay 6481 * Valspar Artisan Green 5009-7 *	? Reaper MSP Winter Blue 29817 ?
36.07,-19.54,-6.67	Australian Std Malachite T14 Beauti-Tone Emerald Lake C36-1-1568-3 Behr Verdant Forest MQ6-5 Benjamin Moore Pine Gren 2051-20 * BS5252 Green 16 C 39 * * BS4800 Dark Jade/Scarab 16 D 45 * ~ Cloverdale Blue Period 0690 ~ * DIN6164 TSD 19-4-6 * Dulux True Teal 90GG 12/206 * Glidden Nassau Night 90GG 12/168 * PPG Emerald Pool 1146-7 ~ Sherwin-Williams Cape Verde 6482 ~ ~ Valspar Pine Forest 5007-8C ~	? Vallejo Model Color German Uniform 70.920 ? ? Vallejo Model Color Prussian Blue 70.965 ? ? Reaper MSP Military Blue 9269 ?

Color matching with 1989 Methuen Handbook of Color and Nix Color sensor

[ReducedAirFact]

Dullish Deep Blue	German Five-Color Lozenge
Methuen/CIElab/Source	House Paints and Standards	Hobby Paints
43.99,-7.54,-20.6	~ Beauti-Tone/Cloverdale Honky Tonk Blue C21-2-0619-3 ~ Behr Cayman Bay PPU14-3 ~ Benjamin Moor Winter's Eve CC-844 ~ Dulux/Glidden Blue Blazes 70BG 16/209 * Pantone 2163 U * Pantone 2167 C PPG Cosmic Dust 1157-6 RAL Classic Brilliant Blue 5007 *Sherwin-Williams Downpur 6516 * Valspar Photogenic 5010-10	? Vallejo Model Color Grey Blue 70.943 ? ? Reaper MSP Military Grey 29836 ?
40.32,-7.73,-26	** Behr Living Steam M490-6 ** Benjamin Moore Burmuda Blue 2061-30 Dulux Jet Age 70BG 13/300 * FS595c OSHA Safety Blue/ANA501/Dark Blue 15102 * * FS595c Light Blue 25102 * * FS595c Dot Highway Blue 15065 * Glidden Soldier's Pride 70BG 14/243 Pantone 2160 C * PPG Blue Oasis 1158-6 * * RAL Design 250 40 25 * * RAL Effect 620-1 * * RAL Classic Capriblau Capri 5019 * * Sherwin-Williams Georgian Bay 6509 * Valspar Photogenic 5010-10	? Vallejo Model Color Flat Blue 70.962 ? ? Reaper MSP Winter Blue 29817 ?

Color matching with 1989 Methuen Handbook of Color and Nix Color sensor

[matt56]

Here are the Vallejo colors I've used for my counters boxes to replicate the top colors for 5-color lozenge fabric. I took Zoe's original posting of the pattern along with me to the hobby shop and tried to match as closely as possible to existing Vallejo colors, to try and save mixing nightmares...



From left to right they are:

Dark Sea Blue 70.898/048
Oxford Blue 70.807/049
Light Brown 929/129
Intermediate Green 70.891/074
Medium Blue 70.963/057

You can see that I have labeled the bottles "1U" to "5U" to correspond to the numbering of the lozenge pattern.

I find that I tend to mix a drop or two of medium grey into the colors when I put them on my palette to 'grey' them out a bit - this would be keeping in line with the tones above...

I like this mix of colors, and with the grey added I think it looks rather nice on the counters boxes - I'm not sure I would try to paint an entire pattern on a 1/144 scale plane, though... Any touch-up to existing lozenge decals would have to be a 'match on sight' sort of plan, given all the different variations in color that appear on the decals of Ares planes.

All the best,
Matt

[ReducedAirFact]

Matt, nice work. Those look like they'd make a decent match with a little adjustment (drops of grey). (But I'll follow my own caution that it's hard to tell from a picture on a computer!) Some day I'll build up my Vallejo collection enough to do similar mixing.

Back in the days when home decal printing was difficult, I did hand-paint lozenge-like camo on some 1:285-1:300 planes. I don't think I think I'd try that again, though. :-)

[matt56]

Here is the box I did for Tim (Flying Helmut) - to the right are the top colors used to paint the 5-color pattern.



I must say I'm pretty pleased at the final effect - I just love lozenge pattern!

All the best,
Matt

[OldGuy59]

I'm adding on to this excellent article, because I do camouflage for card images.

How?

I started with a template:


Then, I use Adobe Illustrator to match the shapes and colors to the pattern. I make up a representative piece, and then copy/paste them together into a strip.


A piece would look like this:

AEG G.IV Night Camo

Put together in a strip:


Once I have a strip, I can import it into Adobe Photoshop, and mask it into the drawing of the plane I'm doing. The mask ensures the pattern only appears where I want it, usually the top wing. I can make the mask match the wing outline, and move the strip around to fit and size as needed.

Once the template is done, I only need to color fill the shapes to match the individual plane model to customize the colors to that specific plane. And no, the colors won't be perfect for all the reasons Daryl states above. My monitor, my RGB matches, someone else's printer and ink all shift and skew the colors. But, it should be a decent representation, in the end.

Plane with separately masked top and bottom wings (allowing me to resize the pattern for a forced perspective):


And the final card:

[matt56]

Great stuff here, Mike! I never cease to be amazed at your lovely card work

All the best,
Matt

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Impressive Mike.
I can see that I'm going to need a teach in from you at some time in the future.
Rob.

[mikeemagnus]

Wow. That is awesome Mike - I wish i could even begin to understand the process! Guess I'll have to try at some stage though!

Mike there is an "Attachment 257800" notification showing. Is this one that is missing, or the title of the image above it? It appears just after the image following this line :

Then, I use Adobe Illustrator to match the shapes and colors to the pattern. I make up a representative piece, and then copy/paste them together into a strip.

[OldGuy59]

Wow. That is awesome Mike - I wish i could even begin to understand the process! Guess I'll have to try at some stage though!

Mike there is an "Attachment 257800" notification showing. Is this one that is missing, or the title of the image above it? It appears just after the image following this line :

Attachment 257800 was deleted, after I realized it was a big white sheet with the camo strip on it. I replaced it with the above cropped image.

[ReducedAirFact]

That's a great illustration, Mike. The forced perspective trick is really clever -- I would not have thought of it, but it brings the 2D illustration to life, along with the highlighting. (Some day you'll have to do another article on that.)

[OldGuy59]

I learned from the best.

Alan [Max Headroom] provided some inspiration and files to start. He gave tips on doing the masking and highlighting. I only do a slap-dash job compared to his files:
How to Edit a Plane Image
How to Create a WWII Image for Custom Cards - Advanced Tutorial (This assumes you know and use Photoshop, from the wording Alan uses.)

Steve [Guntruck] provided some excellent How-Tos:
How to make custom cards in Photoshop: Part Une - the plane (Images are missing? Pre-Hacking 2012)

Man! I am going to have to go back and read these. The images (if any) may not have survived the Great Hacking in 2012, so some of the instructions may not be intelligible. I may have to redo these with some new images (At least Alan's, as his profile says he hasn't postd to the Forum since 2013. His profile says he was on in September of this year, though.).