I thought i had read somewhere that the Lizard pattern camo was similar to the colors found on the Denison smock that British para’s wore in WWII. I want to paint some IDF paras in the lizard pattern and just want to make sure i get the right paint set. I was looking at the British WW2 paint set from ak interactive, would these colors work or is there a better set I can use?
Camouflage reference from Osprey’s book - “Israeli Elite Units since 1948” by Samuel Katz and illustrated by Ron Volstad.
Frnech Lizard Camouflage from the 1950s
@SableLiger thank you for the pictures and reference, would the Denison smock colors match the lizard camo in your opinion, i feel like it does but maybe it’ll be a shade off?
British 1st Pattern Denison Smock - WW2.
I think colors would be different and the camo pattern is definitely more yellowish.
@SableLiger yes you’re right, the lizard camo looks more drab and dark green with a brown.
As for reference. here’s a colorized version of the famous 1967 picture of three IDF paratroopers at the Kotel.
@SableLiger oh wow I’ve never seen this colorized.
@SableLiger i wonder if this paint set would be better?
they make an IDF specific color set, but it’s mostly for standard Infantry/Armor units from 1973 to the present day:
You could use color elements from the WW2 French set as well…
But I think the Vietnam set can work.
@SableLiger i think that idf set is more for the Yom Kippur war to present. I didn’t think of using the French set, maybe use it as a base color then using the Vietnam colors to finish up ?
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That always work. 
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I’ve painted Lizard camo on a French Legionnaire para. The colours are nothing like Denison colours…the base colour having more of an apple green colour.
I’ll have a look later at at the mixes I used.
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This is a great article I have showing the variations in colours of the Lizard pattern in French service. There is variation in all aspects of it. So you have some leeway.
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My notes are pretty rubbish I have to admit, but the great Calvin Tan has painted an IDF para from 1967 and even listed the AK paints he used!
This is you lucky day!!
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Incredible stuff from Calvin Tan as usual. I was gonna say the green and brown colors you can play with as there are so many shades but the apple green background color is more distinctive. I have a French Foreign Legion in Indo China bust from AC models that I’m gonna do and this helps a lot . Thanks !
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Beautiful job on that fig by the way Rob. Is that the old Chota Sahib figure ? Classic
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Cheers. It is, yes. I bought it when it came out, as a 15 year old, in 1983! Painted last year….
Stands up well to some offerings today…
I hear ya! I still have stuff I bought back then sitting in my stash patiently waiting to be built and painted.
@robh thank you for that picture from Calvin tan, i was looking for that and couldn’t find it. You did an awesome job on your figure and i was looking at it yesterday when i asked this question.
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