Thursday 22 July 2010

French SYW: Piemont


I've found that I can get a better view of how the painting is progressing by using the camera and then reviewing on the computer, it has the added advantage of giving the eyes a break. Here a few samples of some of today's efforts. 

Officer from first battalion IR#4 Piemont
The French didn't as a rule powder the hair but my officers have a strict dress code and have to look as smart as when marching to certain ......glory.


Officer coats are as near to white as possible to indicate the better quality cloth with some nice gold edging to the  tricorne and buttons


Just about Finished, the officers still have red waistcoats in my Piemont Regiment. The officers and NCO's had just traded them in for the white/grey by the SYW but I think these fellows can keep theirs.


Nasty flash line down the back and up the leading leg in the first picture. I thought I had got it off on the front of the figure, it followed the hand up to the chin which it looks like I have managed to clean up, flash is one of those things, part of the hobby. The flash or slight misalignment was very minor the major problem you have with this white undercoat and painting with washes lark is it damn well shows up the slightest thing, DC warned us in his painting guide. The line on the back is ok, no one will see it, the men of pig are valiant and don't run away, ....much. Haw haw haw sacred bloo!



Infantry of the line with a well proportioned musket.


Bad luck 'ol boy, no gold hat lace for you, yellow tape will do.


These line chaps aren't going to get fine white cloth for their uniforms.
I'll build up his coat with another one or two washes of very light grey then some ivory, I think, to finish off.

Plenty of trial and error still to go but I think I have just about finished making the "that works" list,  the "oop's, don't do that again" list of course never ends.

6 comments:

  1. Very impressive work

    I like the idea of photo reviews and will give it a try. I tend to paint in batches and towards the end of the session my eyes just don't pick up the mistakes as well as they did at the beginning of the session.

    Miles

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  2. Very nice brushwork there. Aren't the Mindens lovely castings to work with though? I have some Minden Prussian hussars waiting in the queue myself.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes Schwartz

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  3. Im finding it much harder as I close in on 50, a bit like those bar games!
    Even at 1 megpix a "view normal size" on the computer is enormous, just have to be careful you dont go over board about every little thing. I've found it works for me.
    Going to give the eyes a big break this Saturday and scare some fishes, shhh, can you hear that? They're already laughing.

    regards
    dave

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  4. Stokes

    Thanks 'ol boy, yes they are great figures. These French are hard to get to grips with,

    1st I hate painting anything closing in on white
    2nd The sculpt hasn't over characterised folds etc in the clothing like say, front rank or dixon so you have to work for you money, less is more in the end.

    I have some Prussians inf. on the way so that will be a good change of pace, me like bloo.

    Those Hussars look fabulous, you lucky dog.

    regards
    dave

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  5. can I ask what you are using as your washes is it thin paint or bought washes?
    If its thin paint what do you thin with?
    Is white a new thing then, have you tried grey gives a bit more help I find, although I use black for all my gaming figures.

    Peace James

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  6. Hello Cheshire James

    For white I use artist acrylic, link down the bottom (chroma), I prefer the artist paints for washes because I have more control over the colour and depth.
    For the grey washes, citadel (dove grey ?) both the white and grey washes are mixed very thinly for now, Im not sure how much to apply, and lots of coats. Both are mixed with tap water (just as nature intended). ;-)
    Im using grey and white car primer for the undercoat on various test pieces with a light panes grey wash, with the artists paints agin, and yes it is new to me after years of black undercoating.

    Im going to write up how I've gone about all this once I'm sure I actually now myself!

    regards
    dave

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