Transcript Quick Guide to Painting 28mm British Napoleonics.

Quick Guide to Painting
28mm British Command
Napoleonics Part 2
Using Perry Plastics.
By R. McNeil
Online Guides by Ross
Getting started
Perry plastics give you several options in multi poses.
It is taken that you have already viewed the Part 1 and this
section only looks at the Command figures themselves.
The separate Command sprue, gives you an officer, two
standard bearers, a drummer, a sergeant and an extra
infantry man (for those making 6 figures per base).
The End Result
Here is the 81st foot Command stands. The flags were
obtained free from the net or by scanning and altering the
flags provided in the box set.
Preparation – base coats
Here is another step by step guide to painting the 28mm
plastics quickly in as few steps as possible. Typically the
British Command infantry figures took a little longer. I
found they were painted from undercoat to final colour on
average in around 45 minutes per figure. Usually I had the
5 Command figures to paint at same time.
Suggestions for paint and brush sizes are given as before.
Depending on your skill/experience, should you find you are
making too many mistakes - and its not because the tip of the
brush you are using no longer comes to a point - drop to a
smaller brush size, ie go from the suggested size 1 to a 0.
The basecoat processes are the same as before.
Here they are again …
Preparation – base coats
#1 : Undercoat Grey
primer – Spray paint
(Halfords)
#1
Figures attached to a piece of wood (with Blu-Tack) and
sprayed in a well ventilated area – as described before.
Leave for several hours to completely dry.
Preparation – base coats
#2
#2 : Brown wash (either
Burnt Umber – Inscribe diluted to wash so the paint
has a milk consistency,
or GW Flesh Wash – comes
ready to use).
Brush size 2
Jacket, arms, head, hands and gun initially covered.
Try to avoid trousers on the figure.
Illustration shown using Flesh Wash.
Preparation – base coats
#3
#3 : Black block in
(Licorice from
Plaid paint). Brush
size 1
Hat, shoes, backpack, bayonet sheath.
Using the shade Licorice gives a dark grey effect on the
grey undercoat.
Found once covered does not need any more work when
painting over the Grey undercoat – no need for dry
brushing & washes. Especially if not painted on too thickly.
Preparation – base coats
#4
#4 : Black Wash
(Licorice from
Plaid paint). Brush
size 1.
Satchel under water bottle, over straps, face (to better define eyes
nose and mouth), gun & hands, and shoulder pads.
If the brown you are using is darker than the wash in the pictures you
will be able to miss this step out and do these areas in step #2.
Make sure these areas are thoroughly dry before next process.
Painting – Wet brush
#5
#5
#5 : Artic Grey Wet brush over straps, trousers, shoulder
pads, top of stovepipe (for centre line), and satchel bag
under waterbottle. Brush size 1.
This step done first saves loads of time painting the straps in as a
detail later on. Notice the grey undercoat still seen on folds in
trousers. The officer straps can be more or less painted on.
The “Wet brush” is like a dry brush technique with slightly more
paint in the brush head. But like Dry brushing you are dragging the
brush head across the top of the areas you want to paint.
Still leaving the edges and creases as the basecoat colour.
Painting – Wet brush
#5 : Artic Grey – more
information on painting
the trousers
The choice of paint will make a huge difference here. You
want light grey or white paint that is of high pigment and
therefore very opaque. It should be a consistency of cream
to ensure an easy transfer of paint to figure.
The brush should still have a good tip definition. Found it
was easier to paint the trousers in around the top to edge
of jacket, bayonet scabbard and around the bottom of
trousers. Then finish the rest of the trousers still leaving
the creases showing through with the grey undercoat.
Painting – Wet brush
#6
#6 : Red (Scab Red GW). Mainly Wet brush. Brush size 0.
Bottom of Stovepipe for centre of Line, waist band,
standard pole, rim of drum, collar & cuffs for drummer.
Here the choice of red is yours. The darker red here
worked for me as a better contrast. But even if the paint is
rather less pigment the brown undercoat helps give it the
shading and worn look in one layer.
#6
Information – Regimental Drummer
Another key point is that most Regimental drummers
reverse their colours. As in the last picture the Regimental
Facings on the Battalion are red jackets with yellow cuffs
and collar. The drummer has a yellow Jacket and red cuffs
and collar.
The exceptions to these rules are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
whose drummers keep the same red jackets and dark blue
cuffs and collars as the rest of the infantry battalion.
More information can be gained from the back of the Perry
plastic box, the internet and reference books. Suggest you
decide on your Battalions then start researching. Some
starting websites are listed in the NAWGC Links page.
Painting – Detail
#7
#7
#7 : Red (Blood Red GW). Mainly Wet brush. Brush size 0.
For the jackets of the officers. A brighter more scarlet
red is required.
Here the choice of red is yours. The paint may have rather
less pigment the dark brown undercoat helps give it the
shading and worn look in one layer. An additional touch up
on the top surfaces may be required to make it brighter.
Give the original lighter red a few minutes to dry first
before applying next layer.
Painting – Detail
#8
#8
#8 : Flesh (Tallarn Flesh GW). Brush size 0.
Face, ears, hands and fingers.
Use the wet brush technique for the fingers. Pick up the
top of the fingers leaving the shade between. Take care
with face try a T shape above eyes and nose – leaving the
eyes. Then block in the rest of the face and try and leave
the mouth as shown.
Painting – Detail
#9
#9
#9 : Overcoat (Storm Blue Light - Foundry). Brush size 0.
Rolled up and sits on top of backpack.
Use the wet brush technique for the end of the overcoat.
Try and leave the straps black, and any creases try and
leave the black to bleed through.
Notice the Drummer and Sergeant have different
backpacks to the rest of the Battalion.
Painting – Detail
#10
#10
#10 : Collar, cuffs and lapels – choose Regiment Facing colour
(Illustrated here is Bad Moon Yellow GW). Brush size 0.
Notice on the cuff - block in most of the area. Then just
the section around the top of the cuff. Leaving the section
for the white trim untouched.
Painting – Detail
#11
#11 : Water bottle (Tomb Blue Shade - Foundry). Brush size 0.
If you treat as a wet brush and flick across the top edges
of the water bottle leaves the grooves of the wood effect.
Painting – Detail
#12
#12 : Wood (Scorched Brown – GW, Light Drab Foundry). Brush size 0.
The Sergeant spear, drummers drum sticks.
Painting – Detail
#13
#13 : Hair (Any shade of brown, or tan - your
choice, or even just a brown wash to darken it
again). Brush size 0.
If you have brown undercoat and black wash. You might want
to leave this step out as the hair already looks dark brown.
If you have caught the hair in another step now is the
chance to fix it.
Painting – Detail
#14
#14
#14 : White detail (Artic Grey Foundry). Brush size 0.
This the most time consuming part of painting the 28mm Napoleonic
figure. Any bits of the straps requiring fixed do at this stage.
Take care catching the straps on the back pack, overcoat. Pick up
the white trim on the cuffs, and along the edge of the collar (only
try this if you are sure to have a steady hand). Remember to get
the drum straps, ties on the Officers Bicorn hats & neckerchief
and the turn up on the bottom edge of the jacket.
Painting – Detail
#15
#15
#15 : Black detail. Brush size 0.
For the water bottle strap on drummer. Goes behind
backpack and seen on the front.
Also fix any bits on back pack, hat, shoes, sword scabbard,
ammunition pouch, eyes on face or edges of straps / fingers
to recapture any lost definition.
Painting – Detail
#16
#16
#16 : Silver Metal detail (Boltgun metal GW).
Brush size 0.
For the tip of spear, tip of standard pole, end of scabbard,
sword, circular rim of water bottle, top of straps on
overcoat. Depending on figure pose.
Painting – Detail
#17
#17
#17 : Gold Metal detail (Metallic Gold Humbrol).
Brush size 0.
For the hat badge detail, sword hilt, Officers hat along the
top edge, rope strands at top of standard pole, and the clasp
on chest straps.
Painting – Detail
#18
#18 : Black or Dark Brown wash. Brush size 0.
For the lower half of the water bottle, overcoat on edge
nearest the back pack.
Or any metal sections you may wish to dull down a bit. If you
prefer you can replace this step with the Army Builder
varnish that also shades.
For Plastic figures with acrylic
paints I would not varnish them. At
this point the figures are finished.
Attaching the Flag should be done
before basing. I prefer printing the
flags onto A4 labels so they come
with self adhesive. All of the flags I
used we downloaded free from
various websites. Or scanned and
printed from the Perry box set
sheet. These will be provided on a
separate PowerPoint “Flags and Back
Pack Badges”. Some editing was
required to change the Regimental
number for specific flags I wanted.
You can do the same. They were
scaled to size to fit the 28mm – but
check your printer settings.
The Flag below for the 44th Foot has
been enlarged – not to scale suitable for
the actual Standard bearer figure. To
used here illustrate how to attach.
The flag needs to be cut accurately as above. Aim to get the centre of
the flag on the standard. You will need to get one half under the gold
rope at the top as well.
With the self adhesive label this can be tricky as it adheres quickly. But
the more you do the easier it gets. Applying a small amount of PVA glue
to one half will allow more manipulation and trial and error. Get the outer
corners of the flag matched up as the adhesive contacts move towards
the pole itself. With no PVA used the flag can be immediately folded and
crushed to desired affect. With PVA leave until completely dry.
The End
I would remind
you again to
paint the
circular bases,
around the
shoes, a mid
green before
mounting them
on a base.
Basing
techniques are
as described in
tutorial 1.
Next I plan to show a step by step process on painting the
the Rifles, and Victrix Highlanders.