Step 6.3 White and Dark Gray Highlights. . .

 

The cavalry in question.  Coming together rather nicely now I think. 

 

Scrambling now, trying to paint some everyday, usually two or three sessions time permitting, since the end of summer is looming ever closer along the self-imposed deadline to get these blasted online courses ready to go for the September 2nd start of the semester.  Whew!  Just some short Prezi introductory videos to make now and then embed into the course pages.

Things are starting to come together with the figure painting very quickly now though, and much visible progress has been made in just the last few days.  Mostly white highlights to the shoulder belts and some tiny straps on the right sides of most dragoons to which their muskets and picket pole are attached.  Still must highlight the valise straps, but the basic light gray is done.  Like the scarlet highlights, white and sparing dark gray highlights are also steps that seem to bring the figures to life.  I sound like Dr. Frankenstein!

The really time consuming step has been adding a dark gray highlight to the edges of numerous black items as well as the toes and some heels of riding boots.  Look very closely at the figures and you'll see it.  Let's call it the Doug Mason Wannabe Syndrome.

I've even managed to stumble across some Napoleonic-era guidons online for the Batthyanyi Dragoons, which, when reduced, should do just fine.  To give my dragoons something pretty and large enough to flap in the breeze, I've made sure to keep 'em a bit oversized though.  When the time comes, I'll take another page from Der Alte Fritz's book and paint appropriate colors, central devices, and gold trim carefully over the computer printer ink -- almost paint-by-numbers really -- before attaching everything carefully to the poles.  

I like to sandwich some slightly smaller pieces of aluminum foil between the two paper halves of my standards and guidons to help maintain any furling that I add.  Some subtle scarlet and mid-blue highlights will be applied once everything has dried.  But this is getting a bit ahead of myself at this point.  Still much to take care of on the dragoons themselves before I can present them with their guidons!

Next up, a bit more white highlighting and then medium brown to the musket stocks and picket stakes.  Following that, it should be time to begin contemplating the addition of silver and gold metallics.  Quite a few tiny buttons besides more obvious parts like stirrups, swords, and so forth.  Oh!  Mustn't forget the aiguillettes on the right shoulders of the figures either.  Whoever said dragoons were easier and less complex to paint than hussars?  Surely, it wasn't me.

-- Stokes