Getting the color right is a bit of a pain sometimes. I have to go for a greyish version of what I really want in order for it to really work. I try to get pictures of the real item and color sample from there. A lot of trial and error.

I am not quite sure what that is on top of the boxes but it looked to be the same material as his uniform so I went with the standard Union blue. For all I know it could be a loaf of bread.

The biggest pain of the whole project was un-colorizing the letters on the box he is sitting on so it would retail the right stenciled look.

Keep up the practice. You will only get better. I am new to all of this as well.

Yours looks really good, I probably did go too bright with my blues, and I cant believe I missed the shoulder bars. Nice job. And no problem doubling up on it, it's great to have different interpretations of subject matter.

It looks like you put color into the spare hat lying on the boxes`as well, I forgot that also.

These old Civil War photos are so striking and powerful. Truly a different age, yet through these early photos we can try to relate, somehow. When you add color it just brings him that much closer to a real human being.