Our Italian figures are in two basic uniforms: a khaki uniform worn in Ethiopia, East Africa and North Africa and a gray-green (grigio verde) uniform worn in Continental Europe. Sometimes, the gray-green was seen in whole or in part in North Africa.
There are many references available to show you that your Ethiopian or North African campaign figures look like–but which commercial paint colors match the colors you want? Here are some good ideas.
The khaki scheme
Base Uniform Colors
- Iraqi Sand (Vallejo 70.819) – Standard Italian desert uniform shade, slightly faded.
- Dark Sand (Vallejo 70.847) – A lighter, sun-worn alternative.
- Khaki (Vallejo 70.988) – Useful for captured British uniforms repurposed by Italian troops.
- Green Ochre (Vallejo 70.914) – A warm, faded variation for lighter khaki shades.
Helmet & Gear Colors
- Desert Yellow (Vallejo 70.977) – Standard helmet tone.
- Bronze Green (Vallejo 70.897) – A darker alternative for steel helmets.
- Russian Uniform WWII (Vallejo 70.924) – Slightly greenish tone for weathered helmets.
Speed & Contrast Paints for Faster Applications
- Agaros Dunes (Citadel Contrast) – Sandy, warm base for desert fabric.
- Pallid Bone (Army Painter Speedpaint) – Good for lighter, sun-bleached uniforms.
- Skeleton Horde (Citadel Contrast) – Sepia-toned shading and fading.
- Snakebite Leather (Citadel Contrast) – Good for straps and sun-darkened edges.
Fading & Weathering Techniques
- Sepia Wash – Your preferred method for achieving uniform fading.
- Buff (Vallejo 70.976) – Dry brushing effect for sun-bleached fabric.
- Thinned Skeleton Horde (Contrast) – Adds dust effects on lower trouser legs.
- Pale Sand (Vallejo 70.837) – Light dry brush layer for extreme sun exposure.
Grigio verde
Uniform Colors (Grigio-Verde)
- Howard Hues 1715 Italian Gray Green – One of the best matches for grigio-verde, balanced olive-gray.
- Custom Mix – Payne’s Gray + Olive Green (a solid alternative for fine-tuning).
- Vallejo Russian Uniform WWII 70.924 – Slightly earthy olive-gray, close to grigio-verde but may need adjustment.
- Vallejo Military Green 70.975 – Darker shade, could be lightened with Green Grey 70.886.
- AK Interactive Grey Green AK11016 – Muted olive-gray, suitable for grigio-verde uniforms but may lean cooler; could be warmed up with Olive Drab Light or Green Grey.
- AK Interactive Olive Drab Light AK11151 – Lighter than standard grigio-verde but might work for highlights or faded effects.
Helmet Colors
- Vallejo Russian Uniform WWII 70.924 – Muted olive-gray, good for standard factory helmets.
- Vallejo Bronze Green 70.897 – Darker green, suitable for late-war repaints or elite units.
- Citadel Castellan Green – Deep military green, slightly more saturated, could be weathered for realism.
- AK Interactive Grey Green AK11016 – Might work for helmets if you want a cooler olive tone, though it may need warming up for standard field use.
- AK Interactive Olive Drab Light AK11151 – Could be suitable for highlights or worn/faded helmets.
For weathering, layering techniques like Buff 70.976 for dusting and German Camo Black Brown 70.822 for chipping will enhance realism.
Ammo boxes and other equipment can be grigio verde or Vallejo 70.894 Camo Olive Green.
Shoes, boots, and leather belts are red-brown. I use Citadel Snakebite Leather, or else Burnt Sienna with an Agrax Earthshade wash.
Method
I’ve known about “gang painting” for some time but never tried it. It works well on these guys. (see photo above) They have minimal equipment so they go fast.
I do a kind of “slap-chop” method of priming. Overall black, then zenithal with light gray. You can go the third stage of dry brushing white, but for these guys I didn’t because I gave them an overall spray next.
For the figures in gray-green—you can see a few left rear in the photo—I used this process:
- Once based and primed, I airbrushed them with gray-green.
- Overall wash with Nuln Oil. That really brings out the belts, pockets and puttees. At that point, you’re half done.
- Very light gray to undercoat the flesh, then Citadel Gulliman Flesh, although any other speed/contrast flesh would work, too.
- The canteen belt is red-brown (burnt sienna).
- The waist belt is the same material as the jacket. It, the canteen and ammo pouches are all gray-green, so that the previous step with Nuln Oil is all that’s needed for them.
- Hit the boots, weapons and bayonet and Bob’s your uncle.
For figures in khaki, I sprayed them overall with Vallejo Iraqi Sand 70.819. The wash in this case is Citadel Seraphim Sepia. The yellow being light, I didn’t undercoat the flesh. Otherwise, same as the gray green.
And that’s it! You can build up an Italian force pretty quickly and it will look very good!