Saturday 16 April 2011

Seven Years War galore pt. 1

So much I'll have to spread it out a bit!

Managed to finish of the Dixon Grenadier after giving him a bit of thought, mainly regarding the metallics.  I have avoided the usual near gold look to the mitre cap, instead going back to an older brass look and I'm feeling OK with it, I'll probably highlight the mitre with some glints of shiny gold or silver.



The blue worked quite well as did the red thanks to rediscovering my old humbrol acrylics! I was searching for some of the old enamels which always looked quite good on 'orses and found the acrylics also. Most of them were able to be revived after only 10 years in the garage. Humbrol red is great, GW must have about 5 different reds and none of them are as bright and brilliant fire engine red as this old beauty. Unfortunately the Prussian blue was no good but the middle blue and a deep brilliant blue revived, just. Once again mainstays of my old kit and went straight back into service.



While I was contemplating my navel and brass mitre caps I decided to repaint some Front Rank Prussian fusiliers, usually I strip old figures but to be honest I couldn't be arsed this time. These are from the time I decided to give the old military three step a go instead of my dry brushing,  I was full time painting 15mm not, what seemed to me at the time, bloody giants.


Side be side, I'm not a great one for putting my old stuff on but hey what the. Don't know what I was thinking re the trousers on the old paint job this is the only figure with the red wash, perhaps I was having a brilliant idea and forgot how it ended, that still happens today!



The old paint at top shows the old humbrol deep brilliant blue, dry brushed on of course, you can lead a paint pig to the foundry three step but he will still try and dry brush everything. The repaint at bottom uses the same, newly found pot of the humbrol blue as was used all those years ago. I always painted with a black undercoat but I couldn't paint around the black leaving the outline, I much preferred to go through a series of damp and dry brushings to leave shade and provide highlights, and a bit of wash at the end..... maybe.


Nowadays I layer, shade and blend the thinned out paint or alternatively paint with washes and glazes over white undercoat, the grenadier up top of the post has a lot of that action happening.

I must find out the name of that blue......

regards
Dave

3 comments:

  1. They look great in my opinion.

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  2. Wow!
    The facial expressions came out well.

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  3. thanks biff

    thanks mal, the fusilier was painted way back when I was in Adelaide as a try out with 28mm years ago. I dont normally paint eyes as you see with the grenadier. the fusilier has already got them so they stay, the flesh colours are working now too.

    PP

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