End of the Line

PARADE GROUND 20MM

Just a note to say that this blog has merged with the main blog. I am not able to post enough content to have the 2 blogs so for ease merged them so that the "workshop" posts provide a bit more content on the main one. I'll probably leave this for now to redirect so all posts will appear at:

PARADE GROUND 20MM

Hand Painting Shield Designs

This post is a companion to this main post on Antiochus IV's Romanised infantry which was inspired by Angus McBride's plate in Monvet's Seleucid Army book which was also faithfully reproduced by Angel García Pinto for Ancient Warfare magazine. The distinctive shield device was the main feature I wanted to replicate and this post is to expand on how I did this.  

The process to achieve the design was quite experimental not having much experience with free hand designs. Starting with the red basecoat (step 1) was the diamond shape (step 2) after haphazardly painting wobbly diamonds I broke the process down to slightly more consistent manner;

A) Along both sides of the the spine of the shield paint the height of the shape.

B) From the centre of the shield boss paint a line for the width of the shape.

C) Connect the top and bottom of the shape to the width lines.

D) Fill in the centre.  

The "diamond" shape break down

Quite hard to see the detail on the picture:

Step 1) Red basecoat.

Step 2) Turquoise diamond background.

Step 3) Edges and spine painted in bronze and also within the diamond rough wing shapes.

Step 4) The centre of the boss in dark grey for the face.
Step 5) In the dark grey area a rough face shape; a line in the middle for the nose, dots either side of that cheeks, horizontal lines below for the mouth and most of the area above the nose for the forehead. 

Step 6) Highlight step 5 with white   

Step 7) Highlight around the face and the wings with old gold (spine optional).

Step 8) Highlight the diamond with blue green to give wreath\leafy effect.

Step by step

Finished examples with the red highlighted

Newline Comparison

As I chip away at two units of Newline Designs 20mm Imitation Legionaries I had some Hat Hannibal's Veterans and a Zvezda figure from the Macedonian pike set in 1/72.

Waiting for some bits to dry I set up an impromptu comparison picture which might be helpful to some.

Persian Slingers Comparison

Just a few comparison pics of Hat's 1/72 Persian slingers and Newline Designs 20mm Persian Slingers. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

Painting Thureophoroi

I had fell out of the habit of writing down my method of painting but as it will become clear below its useful having a recipe book. Mainly in my case I got mixed up with the order of steps so when I paint more in the future I can finally learn from my mistakes. If it is helpful to anyone else out there then that's even better.

My basic goal is to paint units, lots of figures at once, so I aim for a balance between quantity and quality. With that in mind I essentially use an 'Army Painter' method of basecoat wash and little bit of highlighting if neccessary. 

I undercoated these with artists acrylic guesso procured from the Works, if I was starting a whole unit I might have used a Army Painter Barbarian Flesh. The guesso however provides a great key for paint to be applied.

I usually try to start with the deepest parts of the miniature. I Started with their cloaks because from the front the cloak is in the nooks and crannies using Games Workshop Citadel (GW) foundation Tausept Ochre.

GW Tallarn Flesh for the skin including the face and helmet. I have found that this paint provides a nice base to paint Vallejo (VJ) Metallic brass. Once done I went over the boots with GW Graveyard Earth. Newer sculpts of this code have facial hair which were painted GW Scorched Brown.

Then the tunics, however in retrospect, I would do this step BEFORE painting the flesh. I think this is how I originally painted them years ago. It would have made the process easier.

One unit was based with GW Shadow Grey and the other with GW Scorched Brown then a stripe was painted down the front using GW Deneb Stone. 

I left the straps, the shield will cover them up and the Scorched Brown base is a suitable colour for the rest. I used the brown to also paint the beards which the newer of the sculpts appear to sport.

The helmet was painted next with Vallejo Brass, the plume black and spear GW Vomit Brown. The spear is washed with GW Ogryn Flesh wash. A final inspection and cleanup of any mistakes.

GW Delvan mud wash was then applied shading the figures in a quick and easy manner. It also helps I find to hide slight mistakes and wobbly painting between different coloured areas such as the cloak and tunic.

Following the wash highlighting begins. Starting with the nose, cheeks and chin with GW Elf flesh. Beards were highlighted with a lighter Brown. Then the helmet is highlighted with Vj Old Gold.

Tunics highlighting is next. The brown tunics were first highlighted with GW Beastial Brown and further highlight with GW Vermin Brown. The stripe painted GW Deneb Stone followed by VJ Off White.

The grey blue tunics were given GW Shadow Grey and a further highlight of the same colour lightened with a touch of VJ Off White.

Both then had their cloaks highlighted in the original colour, GW Tausept Ochre. Spear tips were painted in GW Chainmail and the butts VJ Brass. The main body if the figures were finished off with the base painted with some OOP (like most of my paints) wilkos tester pot coffee paint.

Next up is their shields. The backs if them were undercoated with gesso followed by a GW Deneb Stone base coat.

The shields were then glued to the figures and the same process are applied to the fronts. The shield fronts is then dry brushed VJ Off White. The boss is painted VJ Bronze with a VJ Brass highlight. After that they are ready for the basing room!

As a final note I again was happy with the guesso undercoat. It made the basecoating process quite easy. I had to water down the paint a bit, aided by my new wet palette, as the guesso appears to absorb the paint nicely. So unless there is a major benefit to spray under/base coat I will stick with the guesso. The crisp detail of the Newline Design figures work very well with a basecoat, wash & highlight Army painter inspired method.

Painting Triarii

I started this guide some time ago and its long over due. I have realised that I have a few part done painting guides on the blogs drafts list! I am not sure if it is complete but I think its about there.

Army Painter Black spray undercoat
Dry brush Chainmail GW Chainmail
Paint legs, arms and head GW Tallarn Flesh
Paint sandles and greave straps GW Calthan Brown
Paint Greaves, helmet VJ Brass
Basecoat Tunics GW Terracotta, Shadow Grey, Fortress Grey
Paint Belts, scabbards Dark Brown
Paint edging of chainmail and highlight belts GW Vermin Brown
Dry brush Scabbards GW Snakebite Leather
Paint Spearshafts GW Vomit Brown
Paint hair
Paint plumes Black

GW Flesh wash on Spearshafts
GW Mud Wash avoiding chainmail areas

Highlight faces in GW Elf flesh
Highlight Bronze armour in VJ Old Gold
Highlight Tunics Red, Space wolves Grey, white

Paint shield backs base colour glue on to figure.
Paint shield front base colour.
Wash or Dry brush
Paint top and bottom edge brass, highlight old gold.
Paint shield boss gun metal highlight with chainmail.

The To-do List.

Welcome to the workshop. Just a side blog to keep my main blog 'tidy' with WIP info, painting guides and unpainted miniatures reviews and comparisons.

I have chopped and changed my plans more than I can remember. Whether it has been because of basing or ruleset preferences or just an expansion of how many figures I want in the units, I am forever dredging through my boxes of figures trying to remember why I bought this set or that set. I am planning on using this workshop blog to plan my future projects and have to-do lists to help me remember and keep me on track of what's going on.

Currently the focus is on Lost Battles and To The Strongest!

After a slump with painting and general unsatifaction in my original format I decided rebase my ancients armies. I also invested in a gaming cloth and there is a secondary goal of matching the colours of that.

Units will be based on an 80mm frontage. 12 heavy foot 2 ranks of 6, 6 for lights. For horse 4 riders per base and 2 for lights. Still deciding in vehicles and elephants but the current 40mm frontage of my elephants might be fine depending on what is needed for scenarios.

The list below is what is left to do for the battles and will be deleted when completed and hopefully photographed and posted on the main blog. For reasons mentioned above some units will end up being proxied and not neccesarily the 'nationality' mentioned in brackets.

Key:

Planned

In progress

MAGNESIA, 190 BC 

Romans:

2 AHI
- 1 Pergamene and Achaean,*
- 1 Macedonian and Thracian,*
Could use finished Thureophoroi or paint some new units.

AL + VHC (Eumenes’ Pergamenes)
- using Maccabean Cavalry.

Seleucids:

2 LHI
-1 Cappadocian and Mercenary*
-1 Galatian and Asiatic, using Armoured Thracians

1 LCA (Settler),
Using Seleucid Companions for these


* Could easily use finished Thureophoroi units!

Updated 10/9/20