RCW - Bolcheviks (1918 - 1920)

[pigsticker]

Anatoli, very nice painting on your figures and attractive scenery. I particularly like the effect of the light edging on the hem of the jackets & overcoats.

[pigsticker]

Lovely painting technique that really brings out the quality of Martin's superb sculpts. Inspiring!

[Anatoli]

Thank you very much for your comments... 

I just forgot to mention that all houses and scenery elements have been painted by Pierre.

@ Pigsticker : I discovered this technic of the light edging by watching a tuto on Youtube... I use it a lot now, particularly on 15 mm figs  !! 

[pigsticker]

Thanks. Do you still have the link to that?

Very attractive terrain there Pierre.

Ray

[Anatoli]

I still have the link...

I am afraid you could be disappointed as it lasts... 20 seconds !

The guy paints a space marine and shows different painting technics ... But when I saw it a few years ago, it gave me the idea to try it on 15mm figs. And I think it works...

Watch from 6'20 to 6'40... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOw-5GhoQe0

You should easily find better tutos about this technic, but this is the idea...

[Anatoli]

Hi... 

Back with the artillery (4 guns) for my bolchevik army... I think my whole army will be ready by the end of february : Pierre (Camulogène) and I will start the RCW campaign (The MILL n°4 - page 38).
































Xavier 

[Leslie BT]

These are looking excellent.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Very, very, nice, Xavier!

I look forward to seeing the whole army!

Simon

[Leman (Andy)]

Terrific looking game and figures.

[Sean Clark]

Lovely. I do hope you report back on the campaign which I thought was a very interesting piece in the Mill.

[Radar]

Those are really nice, particularly like the naval crew

[Anatoli]

Hi...

As asked by Simon weeks ago, here are some few pics and explanations about my way of painting Peter Pig 15 mm figures.

I grabbed some ideas and technics from many tutorials I found on the web. I mainly use PA / Vallejo products for painting, and sometimes a few Citadel ones too.

So let's start with :

- a regiment of Bolsheviks sailors from Kronstadt;
- another regiment of Trotsky's Armoured Train Crew.



Step 01 – Primer & bases


First, I use an old toothbrush to wash every figures with soap and water.

As they will be used for the Square Bashing rules system, figures are based 3 by 3. I use Prince August « FX » products (sand, FX009) to prepare every base. It gives a lovely ground effect on bases. Once dry, I use an Army Painter primer spray (brown) as shown on the following picture.

Then, I glue some little rocks (coming straight away from my garden...) on bases. 







I then use a Citadel « Steel Drab Legion » colour to paint the bases and a light grey colour for the rocks (see next picture).







I then drybrush bases and rocks with a creamy white colour as shown on the following picture.







Figures are now ready for painting!



Step 02 – Painting the figures


The purpose is basically to cover the whole figure with the main colours (faces, hairs, hands, uniforms, boots, rifles, etc.).

No need to care about shadows, lights... It will be done later, in step 04.

I always start with faces and hands. No need to be accurate, here...

Then, I paint hairs. This time, I try to be as accurate as possible... 

I go on with uniforms, all leather stuffs, and weapons. From there, I systematically add a bit of black paint to every colour I use. It will be useful in order to create a strong contrast when reaching step 04 later on...







As an example, all white trousers are first painted in light grey... I will use diluted white paint to lighten them later on in step 04.



Step 03 – Use of shades


Once main colours are set, I use some Citadel Shades.

- Faces, hands: Reikland fleshshade.
- Leather stuffs: Seraphim Sepia.
- Everything else: Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade.







Step 04 – Layers / Lighting


Now, this is time to lighten the figures. This will be done in two steps with:

- the use of the previous colours, but without black added;
- the use of thin lines to highlight the edges of every figures (hats, caps, high parts of boots, bottom and top of vests, trousers, sleeves of jackets...). The result might be weird from a close watching, but cool at a distance viewing...

As an example, for the sailors, I previously used a combination of dark blue + black (as explained in step 02).

Now, I will only use the dark blue colour alone, lightly diluted, to cover 80% of the uniform.

Important: here, try to avoid applying the lighter colours in the recesses.

From now, contrast will emerge from your figures... 

Once done, I use the same dark blue added to white colour (it will result in a very light blue) in order to draw thin lines as explained at the beginning of step 04. Please note I do not dilute the paints for this lining process.

The following picture shows figures without (1) and with (2) these thin highlights on their red uniforms.







Repeat this procedure for leather stuffs, weapons, etc. until the whole figures are completed.

The next picture shows figures ready, before varnish application...







Step 05 – Varnishes / Filling the bases


I personally use 2 different varnishes.

- First, I apply a Prince August (or Vallejo) gloss varnish with a paintbrush, taking care to remove the excess varnish;
- After 24 hours of drying, I use a matt spray varnish (Testors Dullcote matt varnish) to remove the gloss effect. I think it works well...

Once dry, I add grass, flocks and paint the edges of the bases with a "Steel Drab Legion" colour.


Pictures with grass on bases will come within a few days, when I finish the whole painting... 

[Colonel Kilgore]

Anatoli,

Many thanks for taking the time to pull this together, and for sharing your trade secrets. Very impressive results!

Simon

[martin goddard]

That is most helpful. Thank you.

[Anatoli]

Thank you for your comments... 

These are the last regiments of my army... Ready to start the RCW Square Bashing campaign, now !! 


1 - One regiment of sailors (Kronstadt) ;
2 - One regiment of Trotsky Red Sotnia ;
3 - Four machine guns ;
4 - Two Putilov ;
5 - Four billboards to use when capturing an objective...