Step by Step - 28mm - Painting the Brits

Well I thought I would try a new feature on the blog. Step by Step. Its a step by step photolog of the stages I go through on painting a unit or building a terrain piece.

Since I'm starting on the Nappies again, I'll start there.

28mm British Napoleonics

I base all my figs on paint stirring sticks from Home Depot and Walmart. Free and plentiful. I run a bead of Tacky Glue down the middle and glue them on. Blue tac never really holds enough for me. I spray paint them flat black with cheap 99 cent paint from Dollar General and Walmart. Covers great, rarley clouds or gets grainy. Dries quick.

 First step is to paint the flesh. I paint all flesh first. I paint in the english 2 or 3 color layer system, and I paint the the items deepest on the fig first then work up. so details end up being last. I use almost exclusively Vallejo paints, and GW, Vallejo and P3 washes. I paint the flesh a base medium tone. I then wash liberally with Vallejo Flesh Wash (used to be GW flesh but its discontinued).

I then paint the initial layer over the flesh of the same base color as an initial highlight. It evens the wash and I can quit here if I want to on large arnies. I then base paint the pants. 2 layers. Medium and light grey. Leave the black as the third shadow color. Finish pants, base -paint the red jackets with deep red - Vallejo Hull Red. Best red I have found for a base color.

 Blow up. - No eyes painted yet, no highlights on flesh. Pants done, base color for coats.

 Now the Jackets are higlihgted.

 Close Up. As I have painted a bunch of Red Coats, its always striking how little red actually get painted. With the proliferation of belts and straps and packs and lace, theres's really only the shoulders and the sleeves.

 Close up of the command group. that's all for this unit so far. More as I progress. (Hopefully tonight)

Here's a closeup of a painted unit. (Not the one above.)

Final details include the addition of a flag, plus painting and flocking the base.

I usually paint about 6 units at a time when painting like this. Its easy to get into a groove and before you know it, you've got 6 units done. I'm currently doing 2 units. Then I will finish the other 4 I started then the Hussar unit. More pics as I progress.