I've been off the air for a while now after another bout of winter malady, with the added bonus of a stomach upset. I'm now on three week's leave (unrelated to the illness!), so I'm making up for lost time on the painting front. Unfortunately, our home PC has bung USB ports , so I can't add any pictures at the moment. If I get around to it I'll go down to the library to upload some pictures during my leave. For the moment, though, I'm restricted to text only.
I've finished my 5/60th riflemen and have started on my cavalry. I am painting up Italeri's British Light Dragoons, which, unfortunately, are of the post-1812 uniform. I've converted 2 figures by adding Tarleton-wearing heads, to make a unit that is in the cross-over period between the two types of uniforms. As my British force is based on a brigade that participated in the detatched force under Sir Roland Hill, I decided to make this Light Dragoon unit one of the regiments that accompanied this force. The 13th LD are the most obvious and famous unit, so I decided to paint up one of the lesser known units, namely the 9th LD. They had crimson facings and have come up a treat, although what I initially took to be crimson has come out more as a maroon. I'm not fussy enought to start all over again, though. And, Rafa, I've even attempted to give the horses a docked tail 'look'!
I've had a problem lately with the undercoating of my figures, using a painted on flat base, which for some reason didn't hold some of the paints I've been using, especially the Citadel paints. It would just flake off in big chunks. I also found that it would obscure finer detail. After coating the first horse and rider I couldn't see much of the detail at all. I decided to try a spray-on black base and it's come up trumps; it's really made a great difference and I doubt I'll go back now.
I've been reading about British cavalry and their poor reputation in a book that sets out to disprove the accepted view. It's fascinating reading. Again, like Salamanca, the author's argument is that historians cherry pick their sources, then these views become accepted without vigourous scrutiny by later generations of historians who quote the older ones. I'll review it at a later date
Hmmm... never been convinced by the black base thing, especially with acrylic paints which are often not terribly opaque. Do you have to use lighter shades of colour to end up at the shade you actually want? What happens when you dip them in army painter?
ReplyDeleteI really like the effect left when painting white horses. It leaves it a streaky grey. I take your point on majority light colouring ie. if I was to paiint Italian infantry, I would try a lighter base coat.
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