Red Ochre Paint

[starlight]

Hello,

 

I am looking for recommendations for a single product (i.e. no mixing) red ochre paint suitable for wood bulwarks and deck fittings.

 

I understand that there isn't one "true" historical colour, so I am just interested in something shelf-stable that can be brush painted. I wasn't able to find anything suitable from Tamiya or Vallejo, and my local hobby stores don't carry much else. Would artists acrylic paints work?

 

Thanks in advance,

-starlight

[mtaylor]

Have a look at Vallejo Red (Rojo 70.926) as a starting point.  Since main paint was power form with the liquid added time if use (linseed oil it seems) they were usually mixed using local materials.  So there's a wide variation in the reds and no one can really tell you it's the wrong shade.

[druxey]

'Out of the tube' artists' acrylic or oil colors are generally too intense for a model without some modification. Paints specifically for models might be a better choice.

[Jaager]

ANCRE provided a sheet with color chips for paints from before synthetic pigments were created by the German chemical industry.

 

The paint product that I found that matches is:

Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint, 37-ml Tube, Vermilion Hue

Every artist's oil company probably has Vermilion.

A 37 ml tube should last a very long time.

This is a more sophisticated way to apply color.  It is organic solvent based.  Bob Cleek  @Bob Cleek has written at least one sufficiently detailed description of how to use this system of pigments.   From what I have read, the particle size is fine enough to be easily adapted for use in an airbrush as well as brushing. 

It is a time proven system.  If that is a factor with you.  The water based acrylic plastic matrix is an on going experiment as far as how it fares over time.

[Dave_E]

Caldercraft makes a red ochre, Valejo paints, Billings paints.

[starlight]

Thanks everyone for your recommendations and advice,

 

I'd like to stick with acrylic paints for reasons of safety and simplicity. I purchased some today and tested them on various substrates.  Some comments below in case another novice like myself ever reads this:

• Tamiya - Flat Red (XF-7)
  • Too bright of a red in my opinion.
  • Quite thin and required multiple coats. Even so, there is colour variation depending on the material being painted.
• Vallejo - Cavalry Brown (70.982)
  • I found it to be much more brown than it looks in the photo (and on colour swatches online), at least on my monitor.
• Vallejo - Red (70.926)
  • Probably the closest to what I was looking for. Thank you, @mtaylor!
  • Might be a little bit too intense in colour, but it dried a lot darker than I was expecting and was consistent across different woods.
• Liquitex - Red Oxide (PR101)
  • A soft body artists' acrylic that I thought might work.
  • However, it also came out much more brown than expected.

In the end I think I will go with the Vallejo Red.

 

[clarkt]

You might like the acrylic Americana Decor Chalky Finish , color: "Rouge."   It is very flat, mixes easily with water (or "wet water") and is quite durable.  The color is not as bright as some of the others. 

[sticker]

Hi starlight   you might like to try Admiralty paints from cornwall model boats  (no affiliatian)   they seem to do the trick      cheers     sticker

[Roger Pellett]

Volume II of NRG’s Shop Notes, available from their online store, includes an excellent article complete with extensive color chips about old time paint colors. It was written by Eric Ronnberg a careful researcher. Although focused on the Nineteenth Century, the color chips include a number of preindustrial colors such as Red Lead, Red Oxide, Yellow Ochre.  This is one case where it’s better to have a hard copy as you are not looking at colors through a computer monitor.

 

In my opinion, this one article is worth the prices of the book.

 

Roger

[KirbysLunchBox]

I had so much trouble with this myself. I ended up mixing my own after a few failed attempts.  Red is such a difficult color to paint with as well. I will for sure use a primer base on my ext build. 

[glbarlow]

Admiralty Paints Red Ochre is the best there is. Get it from Cornwall boats, excellent service whatever country your in. 

Edited February 11, 2022 by glbarlow

[Kevin]

Admiralty Paints is very good, if in the UK the Halfords rattle can red primer is very similar in colour

Caldercraft Admiralty Waterbased Paints from Cornwall Model Boats

 

[Peter6172]

Yes, there are a few paint colours that definitely require a colour primer.  any Red or Yellow requires a tinted primer.  There are some model paint manufacturers who do provide these for the modeller.  If painting wood, you must use a primer anyway else your paint be absorbed into the timber (regardless of the number of coats you might put on.

[KirbysLunchBox]

19 hours ago, glbarlow said:

Admiralty Paints Red Ochre is the beset there is. Get it from Cornwall boats, excellent service whatever country your in. 

I will give it a try! Thank you!

[KirbysLunchBox]

I don’t think I had been to their website before. Lots of fun things to spend money on!