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A Lengthy Saturday Session. . .

The details are starting to make the composite grenadier battalion come together really nicely.



For good measure, here is another photograph to show how they look from behind.


A rare nine hours of uninterrupted sleep last night resulted in clear eyes, an unusually steady hand, and the patience for a lengthy session in the painting chair this afternoon.  

Some touching up to start, followed by lots of slow, painstaking attention to teasing fine lines of light brown onto canteen straps, white on cartridge pouch straps,  and dabbing bits of more white carefully onto fur-covered haversacks and musket straps.  My supply of hobby acrylic white is running out, so I made do for most of the latter with simple leather brown for the enlisted men.  I also hit the shoulder straps on the left shoulders since I was on a roll and lots of these things came together very quickly.  It is not always so!

Still a few things to do, but we're staring to see some light at the end of the painting tunnel!  Time to stop for the time being before I start to make those annoying blunders that take so much time to retouch later.  It has been an unusually productive day, though, so I am pleased.

-- Stokes

Comments

Der Alte Fritz said…
These are the kind of days that keep us coming back.
Steve J. said…
Those oh so rare days of uninterrupted sleep! Sadly a distant memory:(. Great that you've been able to make the most of it though:).
warpaintjj said…
Good use of time in my book Stokes!
A productive day & a very satisfying I should imagine.
Best wishes,
Jeremy
Seizing the moment is always a good idea. When it comes to painting when on of those days comes along when everything lines up I, I not only enjoy it more but the results tend to be better.

Wish I could still get ceramcoat locally.

How do you find the marmalade mixes with the acrylics :)
My Dear Heinz-Ulrich, Greetings,

A good night's sleep will work wonders for anyone. It permits the body to rest completely and for all the body's major systems to take the time to recover from the stresses and strains of the day.

It is so good to hear that you had a profitable and productive day at the painting table. Each brush stroke brings you nearer to being able to add another completed unit to your armies and to expand the size of your table top battles.

Wishing you continued productivity, I remain,


Gerardus Magnus
Archbishop Emeritus
Lovely execution of the shading for the white, Stokes. White has always been problematical for me so well done.
Matt said…
A major step forward, always good to see.
Thank you for your encouraging comments, everyone! No way around it. The white uniform items were done with a very damp #1 round brush and thinned color, effectively washes I guess. Thin enough to blend, but not enough to run all over the figures. Repeated again and again until things began to look right. It took a few days. The undercoat that provides my shadow is tan, which gives a slightly warmer, 'woolier' look than a gray undercoat, although the effect is much the same. The white shoulder belts and uppermost areas of the uniforms (shoulders, upper backs and chests, front bent knees, rear calves) received dots of pure white pigment straight from the bottle.

Best Regards,

Stokes
marinergrim said…
Excellent work. Have you tried paint pens for the lining and straps? I got a set from my local discount arts store and found they work fine (just have to remember not to use an oil based varnish afterwards).
Norm said…
Using tan is a great idea for a more natual look. I reall struggle with whites.

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