The figures are old "Connoisseur" and are a simple uncomplicated paint job. I was short of standard bearers however so a couple of officers had to have additional work adding belts from green stuff to carry the standard. Flags are from GMB (Fixed using white PVA and then hardened with varnish - about 4 coats altogether applied once each is tacky dry). The flagpole was made from brass wire and the finials were formed by flattening the end with a hammer and then working in into spear point using a carborundum cutting disc on the mini drill, takes no more than 30 seconds per flagstaff and way cheaper then buying them.Horses are both "Elite miniatures" completed in the last batch of horses.
Showing posts with label Infantry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Infantry. Show all posts
Monday, 30 May 2011
Brunswick black.
Black is an interesting challenge to shade and highlight. For the latest commission I used my own mixed dark grey charcoal colour. This was a mix of Humbrol 67 (Tank Grey) and Matt Black. This was used for the main undercoat. I then want to pick out specific areas of deeper black and this was done with the neat black for the shako , belts and packs. Once dry the whole figure was then give a light drybrush of light grey. Additional detail was painted in with thin strokes of grey. Faces as per normal. Facings in 3 shade triad of Vallejo Red and Green for the different units. Muskets and metallics added. Some thinned Vallejo black was painted in on some deeper folds. These were then matt varnished and once varnish had dried overnight I did a little "refresh" of the metallics and a light flick across the "highlight" of the facings to add a bit more brightness.
The figures are old "Connoisseur" and are a simple uncomplicated paint job. I was short of standard bearers however so a couple of officers had to have additional work adding belts from green stuff to carry the standard. Flags are from GMB (Fixed using white PVA and then hardened with varnish - about 4 coats altogether applied once each is tacky dry). The flagpole was made from brass wire and the finials were formed by flattening the end with a hammer and then working in into spear point using a carborundum cutting disc on the mini drill, takes no more than 30 seconds per flagstaff and way cheaper then buying them.Horses are both "Elite miniatures" completed in the last batch of horses.
The figures are old "Connoisseur" and are a simple uncomplicated paint job. I was short of standard bearers however so a couple of officers had to have additional work adding belts from green stuff to carry the standard. Flags are from GMB (Fixed using white PVA and then hardened with varnish - about 4 coats altogether applied once each is tacky dry). The flagpole was made from brass wire and the finials were formed by flattening the end with a hammer and then working in into spear point using a carborundum cutting disc on the mini drill, takes no more than 30 seconds per flagstaff and way cheaper then buying them.Horses are both "Elite miniatures" completed in the last batch of horses.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Guardsman
Last weeks project was a unit of British Guards - 3rd Foot 48 figures in all.. These are "Front Rank" figures apart from the horse which is an "Elite miniatures".Castings are stock poses from the manufacturer apart from the wounded sergeant where I took a soldering iron to his early pattern shako to form hair and a head bandage. I used a variety of castings some with covered shako some without to give extra variation. In addition the sergeants pike staffs were removed from the casting and replaced with higher strength piano wire with head being replaced onto it by drilling and soldering.
I really enjoyed doing these using a full range of techniques using washes and dry brushes etc. The red a Vallejo flat red, which was then washed with a Citadel Devlan Mud and once dried it was highlighted over elbows, muscle top , cloth fold areas again with the flat red or Vallejo Scarlet for the NCO's and Officers.
There are a number of wounded and dead on the stands , each different as the manner of falling can be posed by simple bending . These were then supported by drilling through the plywood base and pinning into the figure prior to basing to give extra strength.
Flags are from GMB and excellent as usual. Glued together using white PVA and shaped before drying.
These were varnished using humbrol Matt from the tin on the heads and elbows , backpack's etc to give a thicker covering, and once dried given a spray matt varnish to tone it all down. At this point bright silvers,shiny brass & rich gold was added as required to brighten things up. I even was able, to use my old metallic "ROSE" paint powders in a Vallejo thinner and it worked fine.
The officers horse was completed as part of the last batch of horses , using oils.
Defending the orchard wall at Hougomont at the WHC photo courtesy of Mark Freeth at the WHC
And seeing off some Frenchie types further along the field
More pictures from Mark Freeth WHC website
I really enjoyed doing these using a full range of techniques using washes and dry brushes etc. The red a Vallejo flat red, which was then washed with a Citadel Devlan Mud and once dried it was highlighted over elbows, muscle top , cloth fold areas again with the flat red or Vallejo Scarlet for the NCO's and Officers.
There are a number of wounded and dead on the stands , each different as the manner of falling can be posed by simple bending . These were then supported by drilling through the plywood base and pinning into the figure prior to basing to give extra strength.
Flags are from GMB and excellent as usual. Glued together using white PVA and shaped before drying.
These were varnished using humbrol Matt from the tin on the heads and elbows , backpack's etc to give a thicker covering, and once dried given a spray matt varnish to tone it all down. At this point bright silvers,shiny brass & rich gold was added as required to brighten things up. I even was able, to use my old metallic "ROSE" paint powders in a Vallejo thinner and it worked fine.
The officers horse was completed as part of the last batch of horses , using oils.
Defending the orchard wall at Hougomont at the WHC photo courtesy of Mark Freeth at the WHC
And seeing off some Frenchie types further along the field
More pictures from Mark Freeth WHC website
Friday, 1 April 2011
The white mob.
I have been working on a contingent of Austrian Grenadiers for a friend and these have been completed apart from a couple of flags that will need adding.
These guys are again "Elite miniatures" and they were all of the German - Austrian variety not Hungarian. I did some basic conversion work with the turning of heads (gently as I find with more modern metals there is less give in it and can be prone to snapping easy fixed if they do with drilling and pinning , but more work) I also repositioned some of the officers arms to give some more variety. I replaced all the officers sabres from the thicker cast versions with curved and flattened pins. I use an ordinary pin for this , not dressmakers as they are too hard and don't bend so easily nor flatten out so well. I use a Vee block when bending & flattening . Feed the pin over edge of the Vee and gently tamp it with a hammer to form the curve of a sabre. It is then flattened out on either side of the curve and cut to size. The figure then has a small hole drilled in the sword handle and the cut down pin can either be superglued or soldered in. If I superglue it in I also try to nip the metal around the end of the pin using a pair of snipe nose pliers.
Once ready for painting , they were given an undercoat of light grey - Humbrol 64. This provides a ready made shade area in the deeper parts of the figure - the belts etc. It means I only have to put the white paint where it is required. I would not want to use a wash over white to achieve this as it would mean re-highlighting the white again.
These figures have really good faces which come up really well. More about face painting in April. The flags are from "GMB", the finials and chords are "Front Rank" the flagstaffs are made from Piano wire.To give some additional variety I have also replaced a couple of the mounted officers with some spare Austrian General type figures in bicornes - again to give a bit of individual flair.
These guys are again "Elite miniatures" and they were all of the German - Austrian variety not Hungarian. I did some basic conversion work with the turning of heads (gently as I find with more modern metals there is less give in it and can be prone to snapping easy fixed if they do with drilling and pinning , but more work) I also repositioned some of the officers arms to give some more variety. I replaced all the officers sabres from the thicker cast versions with curved and flattened pins. I use an ordinary pin for this , not dressmakers as they are too hard and don't bend so easily nor flatten out so well. I use a Vee block when bending & flattening . Feed the pin over edge of the Vee and gently tamp it with a hammer to form the curve of a sabre. It is then flattened out on either side of the curve and cut to size. The figure then has a small hole drilled in the sword handle and the cut down pin can either be superglued or soldered in. If I superglue it in I also try to nip the metal around the end of the pin using a pair of snipe nose pliers.
Once ready for painting , they were given an undercoat of light grey - Humbrol 64. This provides a ready made shade area in the deeper parts of the figure - the belts etc. It means I only have to put the white paint where it is required. I would not want to use a wash over white to achieve this as it would mean re-highlighting the white again.
These figures have really good faces which come up really well. More about face painting in April. The flags are from "GMB", the finials and chords are "Front Rank" the flagstaffs are made from Piano wire.To give some additional variety I have also replaced a couple of the mounted officers with some spare Austrian General type figures in bicornes - again to give a bit of individual flair.
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