WWII US PILOT UNIFORM COLORS

An American pilot's uniform in three tones

The flying suit of an American pilot was never a uniform flat area. The olive fabric faded in the sun and the salt on the raised parts, while in the deep folds it stayed dark, almost green-black. This set is built on exactly that principle: three shades form a value scale from shadow through base to highlight, and a fourth bottle adds the straps and belts, which were of a different material and had a different sheen from the garment itself.

Specifically these are US Pilot Uniform Shadows in the Extra Dark Green tone, US Pilot Uniform Base matching Dark Olive Drab, US Pilot Uniform Highlights in Brownish Green and a separate shade for the harness and the uniform belts. The volume of each container is 17 ml, which at the size of the figures beside a cockpit is enough for dozens of them. Splitting it into three values saves you mixing your own blends, which are hard to hit the same way a second time anyway.

From shadow to highlight

The proven order starts with the base over the whole area, goes on with a thin run of the shadow into the grooves and ends with the lighter tone on the edges of the folds. The transitions can be softened with a damp brush before the paint sets. The straps are worth leaving until the very end: a clearly separated band across the chest gives the figure a depth that the olive alone never will.

The set is also useful where the figure is not the main subject of the build and only serves as a sense of scale beside an aircraft. Even such a figure must not be flat, otherwise it draws attention in exactly the opposite way from what the modeler intended. Three values sort that out in no time.