By Todd Pressley

Introduction

This class covers techniques and tricks to help you get more done, faster. The goal of this class is to create a full 10 mm base within the class time. Discussions will include planning your work, workspace efficiency, creating tools, and painting effectively. The student will receive a base of Napoleonic Austrian infantry to take home as a model for continuing in this style of painting. This class is sponsored by The Wargaming Company. Our reference uniform, the 41st Kottulinsky Infantry.

Step By Step

First Step: Bases, Shadow, Faces

  • 9109: Ruddy Leather
  • 9090: Misty Grey
  • 9047: Fair Skin
I like to paint the bases with a neutral color, I used Ruddy Leather. Staring with the pants, paint the crotch area with Misty Grey, also get the coat and pants where there are folds. Paint all of the faces with Fair Skin.
You can paint the hands now or later. Painting the hands later is recommended.

Step Two: Block Painting

  • 9089: Cloudy Grey
  • 9009: Lemon Yellow
Paint the areas around the cross straps with Cloudy Grey.
Paint the turnbacks, cuffs, and collars with Lemon Yellow.

Step Three: Light Details

  • 9061: Linen White
  • 9039: Pure White
Paint the jacket and pants with Linen White. Leave the darker color in the shadow areas. Use Pure White for the cross straps. Leave the darker color to outline the straps.

Step Four: Pack and Greatcoat

  • 9029: Earth Brown
  • 9089: Cloudy Grey
Paint the pack Earth Brown and greatcoat Cloudy Grey.

Step Five: Muskets

  • 875: Beige Brown
  • 9053: Honed Steel
Paint the musket Beige Brown and the barrel and bayonet Honed Steel.

Step Six: Wash

  • Soft Tone
Wash the dark part of the figures with Army Painter Soft. Don’t get this on the pants or the jacket as it will dull them down.
The Army Painter Soft goes on the face as well.

Step Seven: Dark Details

  • 9037: Black
  • 995: German Grey
  • 9051: New Gold
Paint the shakos, boots and gaiters, and scabbard with black. Paint the ammo pouch black. (This may be hard to locate initially; it is under the right arm on all of the figures with a musket. I missed all of them on the pictures above!, ed.)
Use the German Grey to highlight the black features. Paint the back edge of the shako, edge of the scabbard, and top of the shoe.
Paint the finial on the staff and any sword hilts with the New Gold. The officer’s shako should be edged in gold and the front of the shakos have a badge for the national pompon. (I noticed I forgot the top of the officer’s shako and badges in the picture, it’s corrected in the following photographs, ed.)

Step Eight: Details

  • 9014: Grass Green
  • 9008: Sun Yellow
  • 9059: Aged Bone
  • 9039: Pure White
  • 0947: Fair Skin
  • 9037: Black
  • Army Painter Soft Tone
Using Fair Skin, paint the hands on all of the figures. The faces can be touched up now, if required. Once all of the hands are painted and dry, paint Army Painter Soft over all of the hands.
Using Black, paint the chin strap and put a dot on every pompon. The drumsticks should be black.
Paint the drum cords Pure White and the ties on the greatcoat rolls on the top of the pack. Paint the drum skin using Aged Bone. Paint the sprig on the top of the shako in Grass Green.
Use Sun Yellow on the officer’s sash and on the sword knots. Also paint the pompon yellow and the edge of the drum should be yellow. The staff is painted yellow as well.

Step Nine: Banner

Rough cut out the banner. Fold it at the staff line, then cut it squarely. Use white glue to moisten the flag and then put it on the staff. Crumble and work the flag so that it does not hang squarely form the staff. Add some folds and let it dry.