The Charles I aproach to ECW figures

[Leman (Andy)]

I mentioned a few days ago that I found 6 Naismith musketeers in Monteros in my lead pile. Along with an Essex sergeant, bought in the Albert Dock about 30 years ago, I thought these would make a nice front rank for some Spanish musketeers I was doing for a Spanish TYW tercio. However, the muskets are quite short and without rests, but my research showed that up into the 1630s arquebusiers were still included with musketeers in a tercio. Furthermore, all the figures were wearing monteros and I wanted a bit more variation, so I took the Charles I approach and beheaded three of the figures, replacing their heads with three Peter Pig ECW heads with hats. As these were not Peter Pig figures the heads did not twist off and so were cut off with a Stanley knife. Owing to long hair and big beards I could not get a nice snooth cut across the shoulders, but what was left became somewhat ruffed collars, worn longer into the C17th by the Spanish than most other European countries. Red ribbons round the hats plus some red and yellow clothing marked these out as Spanish. I decided to photograph just these three as they are going to be joining a lage group of figures that are not Peter Pig.

[Colonel Kilgore]

They look great, and that's a spiffing paint job, Andy!

Simon

[Leman (Andy)]

Recently I have taken to using a lot of Contrat paints on my 15s. It gives a great result without needing to spend time on multiole shading and highlighting. I particularly like the Wolf Grey, seen on the jacket of the centre figure, which I will be using for some of my Confederates in the future, and possibly on early WWI Germans, where only the jacket was field grey, the trousers being a much bluer grey.

[Panzer21]

They look very nice (especially for someone who thought they wouldn't get on with Contrast paints).

I'm sure I've read somewhere you use a black wash ala "Fat Wally" on top.
So is the technique Contrast on the main areas, normal acrylic for detail work followed by overall black wash?

How much touching up or highlights do you do afterwards?

I found a video of an Italian who used Contrast over a figure primed black with grey and white zenithal highlights. He followed it with an oil wash (dark brown) wiped off high parts with cotton buds and finished with highlighting on highest points. 28mm and fantasy, but the effects were spectacular.

I see someone has released metallic speed paints but a review in WI wasn't complimentary.

Neil

[Leman (Andy)]

I find with the zenithal dry brush approach (black, heavy drybrush grey, lighter drybrush white) I find I don't need the final black wash. I was highlighting flesh, but have now find if I use Contrast Nazdrag Yellow over the zenithal it gives a very good effect on its own. For some things, like red, white and dark blue, I often do a highlight using normal acrylic, but for much of the figure the Contrast/Express does the trick, especially for a wargame army rather than a display model. One thing I have found though is that metal is best done with acylics, as are finer details such as belts and ribbons. To improve flow for this work I use Citadel Technical Lamian Medium, which although expensive does go a very long way. Very occasionally I may go over a straight acrylic with a light touch of Army Painter ink or one of the GW washes. However, when it comes to British, German and Russian WWI I go back to my trusty acrylics with black wash and highlight. I spent a long time working out which paints and mixes gave the effect I was looking for, and apart from German trousers there don't seem to be any Contrast paints to replace those. Nowadays I complete a figure with Green Stuff matt varnish (absolutely flat as a pancake) and use Vallejo gloss varnish on armour and any other shiney bits.

A photo showing the use of Nazdrag Yellow as a single application flesh paint. Notice how it delineates the fingers and also collects in the mouth area to give reddish lips. No highlighting required.

[Panzer21]

Very interesting Andy.
I only ask as my own experience has been limited, but I want to try experimenting.
So far, I have only used them on 20mm - Arab / Israeli and some experiments on WW2 Germans.

The AI were straight contrast on white undercoat. The Egyptians worked better than the Israelis. I missed the delineation you get with a black undercoat. I went back over the IDF and by the time I'd finished wondered if I'd actually gained any time.
The Egyptians are OK but I'm resisting the temptation to touch up here and there.

The WW2 Germans were black undercoated; as an experiment I drybrushed with white and applied Contrast.
Wasn't very enamoured with the result - perhaps my drybrush technique needs more work.

Interestingly I mixed the field grey using a grey with green and blue.

The one thing that works quite well are the flesh contrast colours.

Neil

[Colonel Kilgore]

They seem to be working very well for you Andy - nice work!

Simon

[Leman (Andy)]

The lower legs of the above figures are as yet unpainted. The grey brush over the black is Vallejo Light Grey Primer. The white dry brush is just a straight matt white. As you can see much of the black disappears and this has to happen for Contrast paints to work at his scale, as they are essentially glazes. It is true to say that little time is gained if too much retouching and highlighting is done. The idea is to produce a reasonable looking army as quickly as possible. It's one of the reasons i don't go in for painting competitions any more. Too much valuable time spent on painting too little.

[Leman (Andy)]

Re. our midwinter friend, here is a little more monochromatic historical wargaming. A Thirty Years War Dutch command group featuring one of the two Peter Pig cuirassier standard bearers and a home made flag in the TYW Dutch colours of orange, white and blue (the orange was changed to red later in the C17th as orange dye at the time was very prone to fading once exposed to the weather).

[Colonel Kilgore]

That's a nice diorama, Andy.

And you painted the edges of the flag 

Simon

[Leman (Andy)]

Yes, I always paint the edges. Even Army of Northern Virginia battle flags benefit from a light grey touch around the very edge. One thing I very rarely do is age flags because I find they are a real eye-catcher in a game and can often be used to identify units rather than having to write information on the back of a base, although games like Altar of Freedom benefit from the provided command labels.

[Leslie BT]

They look very nicely painted for a command group, interesting about the colours for the flag.