Here's where things stand as of the morning of July 11th. Still a way to go, but things are coming together.
Not quite as frenzied a flurry of painting yesterday, but still managed two, or perhaps three (But who's counting?) sessions in the chair blocking in the turnbacks and lapels on all of the coats except for the drummer in yellow, darn it, which I'll address later this morning following breakfast with The Young Master.
I mentioned the white shoulder belts yesterday, but once I thought through the step, it made more sense to paint the lapels before the shoulder belts rather than try to wiggle a tiny brush into that space between the musket and left arm after the fact, to put color onto the sliver of lapel visible there. As always, I adjust and modify the painting process based on, not only the particular figures in question, but also previous experiences with the brush. Painting lots of figures in one go is always an education of sorts as you learn what works best.
During the evening, I returned to add highlights on the dark red and yellow turnbacks respectively before calling it a day, turning out the lights, and heading upstairs for some TV before bed. The Grand Duchess and I stream just about everything now (usually on a laptop with a fairly large screen), so it sounds funny calling the activity TV. I suppose we're the last generation to use the term. In any case, doing so certainly enables one to skip all of the garbage that is actually on network and cable television now and zero in on the well-written, genuinely entertaining, insightful, and/or informative programing.
Returning to the composite battalion of grenadiers, I think what I'll do next is make sure each of the 33 figures is caught up to the same point. So, for example, I'll add the dark blue lapels and turnbacks to the yellow drummer as mentioned already plus black undercoats to officers' swords, the leather aprons on two of the remaining figures who sport them, etc. It might also be an opportune point to add the oil wash over the tan undercoat of the mounted officer's horse, mentioned several sessions ago, before moving on. It's probably also a good idea to add sparing highlights to the main areas I've blocked in during the last several days.
Now, we start getting into the multitudinous small details, so it's time to make up a 'To Do' list again, on which I can gradually check off items as they are completed ahead of final touch-ups, glossing, and transferal to the Litko three-ply wooden bases that I prefer.
As a reminder, the bases I use are 3mm thick, which looks just right for 25-30mm figures. They are sized according to the dimensions laid out by the late Peter Gilder in his In The Grand Manner rules, which, to me, provide just the right sort of 'look' for tabletop formations of between approximately 30-60 figures.
-- Stokes
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