July Painting Challenge: Day #8. . .

Here is where we are with the painting project challenge to myself for July. Neckstocks have been trimmed in -- much easier now than trying to add later -- as have the basic colors for the breeches, which will get highlights later. I did the same for the waistcoats and went ahead and applied the highlight in most instances as well as one of the leather aprons for one of the two drummers. So far, so good, but no rest for the wicked.

Lots of time in the painting chair the last few days, 30 minutes here, 90 minutes there, and so forth. Just about halfway done blocking in all of the main colors. You can see that I have already begun adding the highlights on the waistcoats of a few figures. FYI, the old GW Vomit Brown makes a great yellowish-brown base for the later Citadel Golden Yellow highlight on top.

Amazingly, that little bottle of GW paint -- Vomit Brown -- has lasted since since the fall of 2006. One of the very few left from that time, so I'd better hurry up with the facings and turnbacks for the Hessenstein half of the battalion. I added several drops of Liquitex FLow Aid yesterday before closing the bottle again just to be sure it remains solvent long enough to finish the yellows, a color about as difficult to highlight convincingly as white.

In the meantime, basic dark green and yellow facings, dark brown musket stocks/drums, and blue coats are next. The dark blue will nicely cover and coloring outside the lines with the previously mentioned colors and also help neaten up everything. At some point in all of this, I'll address the mounted offer's saddlecloth and oil-based horse coat before moving onto smaller details for the entire battalion.

Highlights for everything after that, and then I'll wrap up with tiny things like mustaches, hair and queues, belt buckles and the dreaded metal buttons. The inevitable touch-ups will come last of all before glossing and attaching the figures to their permanent Litko bases. So, no time to sit back and put up my feet. A lot remains to accomplish during the remaining 23 days of July!

No doubt about it though. Steady and visible painting progress like the kind already apparent is definitely a mental shot in the arm for the ol' painting mojo when it comes to getting 'em done. I wish it were more possible to to sustain this kind of pace during the academic year though, say between September, a month or so into the autumn semester, and May. A lot more would get painted and faster too. Heck, there might even be time for a few more games than is usually available.

-- Stokes

A Little More Brushwork. . .

A little more brushwork on the first batch of (my version of) the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment yesterday (Saturday). Taking a different tack this time and addressing many of the details first before the white coats and other larger areas of uniform. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that I've painted the (dark) red stocks of the enlisted men. Always a difficult and frustrating item to paint, it made sense to paint from the inside out as it were and get that particular detail out of the way first rather than try to paint it in later after much other painting has been accomplished. Trying to reduce the need for later retouching of other items on the figures you understand. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to these later today after a second trip back to the Apple Store for help with a couple of new iPad issues and, following the return home, some revision of Google Slides for tomorrow's meetings with my students. -- Stokes P.S. And according t...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

It's Early Days Yet. . .

M aking some early progress with Batch A of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment over the last several days/evenings. Nothing terribly exciting just yet, but the basic black, brown, and flesh areas are done as are the green bases, and gray undercoat. The latter two areas needed some careful retouching early in the week. Next up, the neck stocks. I might just do these in red for the enlisted men although some of my source material suggest they were black, but I always look for an excuse to shake things up a bit. Any errant splotches of red (or black) can be covered with another application of light gray before I move onto the next step. "Giddy up!" as one Cosmo Kramer might have said. -- Stokes

Martin said…

Hi Stokes,

Looking good, Stokes! (As usual!) Keep chipping away at 'em when time, chance, and circumstance allow. Your slow but steady progress is very encouraging to others, like me, that need to break out the ol' brushes and start in as well. Keep up the good work, and thanks for posing it! Perhaps a review and parade of your collection could be arranged before year's end? Can a (GASP!) game be far behind?!

All The Best,

Martin

11:32 AM

Independentwargamesgroup said…

Stokes,
Ive been experimenting with the new GW contrasts paints/inks. I think you might find them very handy.Especially one called 'skeleton horde' which is used to wash over cream or white. It gives a good finish for white uniforms.I have also been using a burnt umber one for horses using a deep yellow base coat. Again very effective.

11:58 AM

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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