Kekso wrote:I'm all but perfect painter
I think in a technical way you are a very good painter. Artistically I have some suggestions but historically your use of color is very doubtful for some of the units.
I try to be historically accurate as possible
Since this is your goal, it makes sense to critisese your work.
The colors you use for coats and trousers are MUCH TOO BRIGHT AND LIGHT for several units. This makes your figures look like toys. It is joyful, colorful and beautiful to see these colors. But not very realistic.
I am happy to see so many people like your work, enjoy it and encourage you to go on. But since Benno's forum is for HISTORIC FIGURES in the first place, I actually do not understand why nobody is criticizing your colors. The only critics concern your photographing, which in fact is not the worst at all and has improved a lot recently.
Of course there was and is not just one correct color. Every uniform can have been produced in subtile variations during production. Wheathering, sweating, sunlight and washing bleached the colors during use. That means a very light coat is never unrealistic as long as it is a very pale, or grayish-brownish color. Very bright colors were expensive and impractical. Very dark colors were practical. That is why French and Prussian blue and Russian green was usually very dark.
Lets go to your first unit: The French 'Cheveaux Leger' Lancers. There uniform was dark green, both for coat and trousers. You chose a color that I would call apple or grass green. The historical color should be somewhere between middle green and black or every pale shade looking like olive green because of intensive wearing. It is very easy to find other figures or pictures on the internet showing lancers as bright as these. But remember those are interpretations too. And also these are images of images representing someone's impression of reality. So there can be a lot of deviation from the original.
Some thing to say about the bases: a base should NEVER be more colorful and bright than the figure, since you want your audience to look at the figures, not its base that should not be there at all in the first place but we can't let it stand up without it. This bright light green is terrible. Even fresh young grass is not as bright as this. And which soldier had the privilege to ride or charge on bright green grass? Think about olive green or brownish. Everything like grey or brown will be better than this color. Or decorate your bases with stuff but thats a matter of style and personal taste.
Prussian Uhlans: Prussia used both very dark blue and middle blue for their cavalry units. Looking at some old pictures it may look pretty light blue. But your blue is just too much. This is almost skye blue while it should be middle blue.
Russian Cuirassiers: Very well painted, I have no comment except for the terrible green bases. Close your eyes for a moment to slit-eyes. What do you see: four bright green bases and some grey-white-brown shapes on top of that. But this is mainly a matter of artistic or esthetic color balance.
French Lancers: Again much too bright apple green uniforms. You darkened the bases a bit but it is still much to bright and strong color. What you use is chemical green, it has very little association with natural colors.
Brititsh Heavy Dragoons: Wow, a big, big difference with everything before! This is very good in all perspectives. The choice of red coats, especially the dark shady red tones, and all other colors is good as far as I can judge. But also your painting style is different here: there is more black lining (good!) and more extreme effect of shading and highlighting. This does not make your dragoons as smooth looking as the Russian dragoons. But it does make them look lively and realistic. Again this is an artistic choice which we have to leave up to you.
Also the color of the base is the best you used: olive green or something similar. Remember the color of a base is always a combination of sand, grass, plants, turf and twigs, all put together in just one color: which can be between green and brown indeed.
But also the pictures are very good now. The white background reflects the light also to the back and sides of your figures. That is why I do not prefer a black background when using only one light source.
Russian dragoons: You improved your painting style. It becomes very subtile and precise now. Though it is less lively than the British dragoons.
Just like with the French lancers the green of both coats and saddlecloth is too bright and light, though I see this is not the apple green you used for the French. Russian green may not have been the same as French cavalry green, but it was definitely darker than this bright color.
The black background is a little setback compared to the white: it makes it more difficult for the spectator to see the all over shape of the model, especially where the figure itself is black, unless you use one or two backlights creating rim light. I recommend you to use a middle tone color for the background like grey, brown, greyblue or desert yellow. Also the color of the base is a setback compared to your British dragoons. This is too strong, deep green again. Stay to the olive green.
I hope my load of words helps you in some way or another but I would be happy to read any comments rejecting my vision to this choice of colors.
Let the new Nappies come to the forum!
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I do have some critical comments too, especially concerning your choice of coat color of several uniforms you show in this thread. Buth euh.... 
do you want to hear this or do you prefer to collect compliments only?
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... And yes it is too bright. I use wash that is somewhat darker so that green becomes darker too. Maybe it is still too bright under bright light when I take photos... or maybe they are still to bright... I don't know. But I know that Russian green was much darker than I made it. Let's call it again my laziness 
