Well that was a busy few days, rebased 9 units of 24 figures, 4 units of 12 figure, 2 units of 6 cavalry and 10 artillery. Repainted 144 tunics and prepred the last 12 Cavalry, 144 infantry and 6 bases of Command figures, mounted and foot, to be painted up over the next 2 months to fill out the ranks and reduce the lead mountain, before the new recruits arrive.
These are racks i use as a production line for my painting schedule.
On the left are a Bunnygirl American football team and a unit of GW Imperial Guard 'falshirmjager' troops.
The top box, based and not undercoated are 4 units of Old Glory French to be painted as Danish troops and 2 units of Chassuers a Cheval, 96 Infantry and 24 Cavalry.
The bottom box has 2 units of Cuirrasiers, 2 units of Austrian Lancers and a units of hussar, black undercoated and a Battery of French 12 pounders.
The books are my Blandfords, but i also have a lot of Ospreys and many others, altho none of them seem to have the pictures i need of the troops i am given to paint.
The process i use for painting is pretty much what i have learnt over the past 20 odd years, 12 years ago I was painting badly, dry brushing everything, using any old paint and the brushes i hate to think. So i slowed down, and painted the best i figure i could, it took over an hour and had highlights, eyes and all the correct colours, with buttons and everything a French voltiguer, i sat back and couldnt see the eyes or the third highlight. So i revised it a little and started working on my speed...
The figures are based onto card, usually 3 figures in a single rank and the base is then covered in a sand mix, then left to set. I usually base up 4 to 6 units at a time and then paint then in pairs or three's of the same colour, usually 48 to 72 figures in a batch (cavalry count as 2), becuase this is the most if can fit into the figure space on my paint tray!! but also i can usually get a colour done across those figure at a sitting.
Once dry i spray undercoat in Black, usually on a stick or board, ensuring the undersides of the figures are properly coated, as well as the sand base.
These are then left to dry before the base colours are added to the clothing, darker then needed to provide a shade between the black and the final highlight. Bestial brown is then painted over all exposed flesh areas and hair, picking up any woodwork at the same time. scorched Earth is painted over the base surface.
Next come any metalics, then the highlight on the flesh, and a Graveyard earth drybrush over the base, covering the edges. The final stage is the flesh, which is Dwarf Flesh, then Elf flesh highlights, followed by touch ups and quality control.
Once all 6 units in the batch are completed then i flock the bases and add a flag (www.warflag.com) to finish the unit, then a spray of GW Purity seal.
Recently i have taken on paint only orders and started to paint for sale units on the Bring n Buy at various shows, this has further reduced the Lead mountain.
Then its back to the start and base up more units...... the never ending cycle of painting.
At which point i am off to paint the flesh on 145-184 (ACW 28mm figures for Zac)
Cheers Shaun
3 comments:
You're fond of the Blanford uniform books I see. :)
Wow, a veritable rainbow of armies. :-) You've been busy!
Nice use of the dvd rack.
I love the drying rack, I need something like that for my forces. Clever idea.
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