Details mostly done: still needs cleaning up.
Prime white to start. Block paint the major stuff. Paint light blue (territorial) and brighter red (regular) highlights on attillas and pelisses. Light gray trousers painted over with white drybrush. Underpainted strapping, strap buckles, scabbards, and saddle holsters/pouches in black, then overpaint light gray (rifle straps) or white (other belts); metallics as appropriate. Paint white the details on the blue jackets/attillas of territorial cav, then overpainted in red. Black washes (then highlights) on sword blades, flesh, scabbards, rifles, and mess tins. Sword knots underpainted black and then done in white. Dark gray saddle blankets drybrushed and highlighted in mid gray. Fodder rolls done in pale yellow, washed, and then highlighted in bright yellow--fodder straps underpainted black with leather overpaint. Dark gray highlights on black headgear and horse furniture. Underpaint plumes black, then brush with light gray and then white (for regular cav), and with insignia red and then brighter red (for territorials and regular trumpeter)...sheesh there are alot of steps!
The level and configuration of detail on the sculpts, including much "nested" equipment--one thing on top of another--makes for a high percentage of what I would call "high control" brushwork in this project, which is slow going. That plus my non-style of painting, using an idiosyncratic combination of washes, highlights, drybrushing, black lining, and underpainting is not particularly efficient. Of course, there are also lots of hungarian knots to be done, too (see comment in an earlier post regarding exploding head and Hungarian Knots).
Them...and the horses they rode in on!
Excelsior!
Very colorful hussars, Ed! Before I read your description, I wondered if these were custom made 1877 Austrian hussars and if 1866 hussars would suffice.
ReplyDeleteYou've a good eye, Jonathan!
Delete"idiosyncratic combination of washes, highlights, drybrushing, black lining, and underpainting" hey! Idiosyncratic!?, I resemble that remark (as they say). In fact it sounds very similar to my approach to tiny little 25mm troops!
ReplyDeleteAt any rate the subjects of your labour are looking very attractive.
Egads, you mean we might be "normal"?
DeleteAre those custom made paint stands for cavalry models??! What a great idea! 😀
ReplyDeleteHi Stew, Yes, they are custom stands for painting cavalry models. I can't take credit. I got them from my friend AJ, of AJ’s Wargaming Blog He has a laser and he came up with them and graciously shared some with me. He glues the figures on them. I used a glob of putty and sit them on top.
DeleteLooking good Ed...
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I find Hussars a real pain to paint...l am always very impressed by people who paint up units that are 24 or bigger... 6 is painful enough.
All the best. Aly
I agree entirely. I am always astounded (and impressed) when I see the "Old School" types cranking out 24 figure hussar units. My production is more like a small craft brewery: hand crafted and done in small batches :)
DeleteLovely work Ed. Romanians are one of my favourite armies in any period. Thanks for sharing your wips.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
GH
Thanks, GH. One thing you can say about them, they dress their cavalry smartly! Down the road, I'll round out the Romanians with infantry and artillery.
DeleteHussars are always a lot of work. Don't beat yourself up on these - they look GREAT to me. Being so colorful they'll really stand out on the tabletop. Glad the painting sabots are working out for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, AJ: the painting sabots are working out great! I've done some other hussars, so was anticipating the challenges that these bring, but these particular hussar figures added another level of "hussar-ness" to the painting experience.
DeleteGreat looking hussars, your a better man than I am, mine have been primed for two years, looking at me...!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Hello, Iain. Well, if the measure of a man is the amount of untended-to lead in the pile (primed or otherwise), I doubt that I would come out much better than anyone else :)
Delete