You can't go back.....and why maybe you shouldn't try!

A cautionary tale....

I embarked on the painting of the two battalions of Regiment du Berry on the expectation it would be a quick job. After all the bulk of the figures had already been blocked in so would just need touching up and a few figures added to fill the gaps....

Well it turns out it wasn't that simple. First I had to add around 8 figures to the same style as the previous painter. OK done. It was then that I examined my existing figures. The new figures were way too dark. Far darker than even my darkest figure's "Gris-blanc" coat, the particular French grey-white shade.

So I tried to remember how I'd painted back then. It was just before switching to black undercoat and layers. It must have been washes and drybrushing (as per Peter Gilder's guide from Military Modelling). So I tried a drybrush of lighter grey. No still too dark.

Part of the problem is my old figures are varnished and the varnish has discoloured giving an antique yellow hue. I cannot see how they were painted.

So, a thin light grey- white wash was applied over the dark drybrushed colour. Red was applied to one battalion. At this stage I began to realise that I would have been better to simply strip the figures and start again.........

Maybe, I'd have been better to not try matching, but just paint in my current style or using Contrast Paint? What was I thinking?

While intellectually I realise you cannot go back in time and be the person you were 20 years ago, I'd assumed you could replicate your painting style? 

It turns out trying to paint the way you did 30 to 40 years ago is harder than it seems....

Even realising how long ago it was gives pause for thought......

Anyway, this is where I've got to. I need to finish off a few more colours to see how they look.

Les Francais...

After completing 2 units of infantry for Banst (previous post) I decided the motivation wasn't there and rather than it become a chore, I put them away and did something else.

As my reading (and brain) is stuck in a French & Indian War theme, it seemed sensible to work on that.....

After sorting out the marching figures and strengthening weak bayonets, followed by some sorting of units, both RSM and Rafm, I put to one side some French bought part painted. This was interrupted by a parcel which needed collecting from the post office. This turned out to be Rafm Flint & Feather range packs from Australia, mostly canoes, something I had not bought originally (but always coveted).

The figures were part of the lots which had lead rot. These however, had been part painted. The bases had something on the underside, which didn't look like the lead carbonate bloom on the others, more like undercoat or results of glue.

I debated stripping the figures, but in the end decided not to. If they had been primed, then it should have prevented the lead rot developing. As a precaution I removed the residue (which didn't produce the same black on the gloves) and brushed them with the gum turpentine and mineral oil solution.

My idea was that the pre-painting should save some time. It did mean trying to match someone else's painting style and somehow blending them with my existing figures. My French had all been painted just prior to switching to a black undercoat, so are simple block washes, without shading.

The figures appeared to have been painted black in most areas, followed by a drybrush of grey. After repairing areas in black where the paint had rubbed off, I coated some extra figures to make up the numbers for two battalions for Regiment Berry. Touching up the white meant I had a grey to use to blend in the new figures. After a couple of hours, I had this:

More work is needed to match my original units. In the background, is the command stand of Bearn - their flag has suffered the most from varnish discolouration and fading and I may attempt to freshen it up with paint. They are also there to provide a reminder of ancient painting style. 

The units were originally done for WRG's 1685 - 1845 rules at a 1:50 scale working on French units of 14 figures to include a separate grenadier and LI piquet figures. I'm not convinced the piquet skirmishers were around for the SYW, although in Europe, the French deployed entire regiments as skirmishers (from memory). I should re-read Lee Kennett. Anyway, for consistency, I have kept with 14 figure units even though Chartrand estimates the standard battalion of being 550 (11 figures), with Berry having 960 in its two battalions (480 or 9 -10 figures). The game works on 600 or 12 figure battalions. Real life unit strength varied due to captures at sea, reinforcements, desertion, death and disease and towards the end, the regulars were made up to strength with Canadian militia.

The extra figures will allow for the formation of ad-hoc grenadier battalions (as at Ticonderoga) or for variable scale games; for smaller battles, a higher figure ratio is probably needed, such as Lake George where the 200 men of La Reine represented by 14 figures = 1:15. Of course this does mean more figures for militia, native Americans etc.

The first of Banst

First unit finished for the Electorate of Banst.

Technically one of the Electoral states of the Empire, character generation through up an Elector with a scandalous past who, while militarily talented, has an antipathy for almost every other state and is disliked in return by many!

I have pictured him as possibly something of a cad; a slightly Frederickan character who has little tolerance for others coupled with an inventive military outlook. His army is essentially a mercenary one, for hire and inspired by the ideas of the Marshall de Saxe.

There are two "Legions" each with three "Cohorts" of infantry, a unit of "Velites" (LI skirmishers) and "Horse" (Dragoons, Hussars and Lancers). Each has some light "Flying artillery" ( horse artillery) and an amussette musket. All but the hussars wear a "neo-classical" helmet and the colour scheme is green faced red with buff.

The army's genesis was born out of a desire / need to use up surplus figures; initially , I only had enough AWI Spencer Smith for the main armies, but had left over Napoleonic lancers and cavalry as well as some later additions in a slightly smaller size, including AWI light infantry. Judicious purchases allowed modifications; the infantry and dragoons had head swaps using the AWI head on AWI grenadiers or French Napoleonics or Bavarian / Wurtembourg Napoleonic heads on AWI cavalry. The artillery ended up with heavily modified ACW kepis. The tricorne surplus heads were used on Napoleonic or ACW bodies to produce civilian militia / rebels.

Just for Jonathan, the inspiration and painting guide sketches (already I have deviated from some colour choices).

Britcon and lead rot

Popped into Britcon today. Second time it's been held in Nottingham.

Predominantly a competition convention, it has some traders, a bring & buy and limited games other than the competition ones (I noted two....). Some traders present last year were missing, but there were new replacements. Last year had three booksellers, this year only one....

There were none of the 3D printing traders which seemed to dominate last year, however some of the usual resellers and familiar faces were back, but many of Nottingham's lead belt were absent again. A couple of the new traders were resin scenery makers.

Bring & buy was........underwhelming. Mediocre painted armies at inflated prices, perhaps aimed at the competition gamers?

I ended up picking up a Margeret of Anjou and Henry VI figure sets from a new manufacturer (Athena Miniatures) for WotR. Other than that it was terrain; some nice little Italian / Spanish houses and various self-adhesive flags from the Square, some ready done desert hill / ridge pieces (set of 5) and impulse purchase and biggest spend......F&I war stockade and fort pieces from Ironclad Miniatures - various separate resin pieces so various permutations of simple forts can be created. Reasonable price with deals for complete forts:

https://www.ironcladminiatures.co.uk/ourshop/cat_870020-French-and-Indian-Wars-28mm.html

With the F&I war being a focus at present, couldn't resist.....

Returning home, I carried on with the lead rot treatment. The cavalry and artillery had been brushed with brass brush and dipped in the turpentine / mineral oil on Friday. Today they were washed in detergent and rinsed. The last remaining figures were brushed and dipped this afternoon.

Now just to clean them all up, prime and paint them!

Tackling the lead rot.....

Finished work so thought I'd have a go at tackling the miniatures showing signs of potential lead rot.....

I'd ordered some brushes used to clean spark plugs and similar. There are a nylon, brass and steel brushes in the set. I thought the brass would be the most suitable.

I'd also ordered some gum turpentine and mineral oil; sceptical at first, I'd discovered that gum turpentine is used as a solvent including being used to remove varnish and old paint, including notorious white lead paint.....

So, I set too brushing the figures to remove the grey dusting which I suspect is lead oxide (or carbonate). The paper didn't show much in the way of removed material and then I noticed the figures of the gloves I was wearing.......

For the record, in addition to the household gloves, I was wearing a half face mask, such as used for spray paint. Now the gloves had some black paint on them but most of this is from brushing with the brass brush.....

After cleaning (the figures are shiny and there appeared to be no loss of detail) they were dunked in the magic mixture of 50:50 gum turpentine and mineral oil. I'm not entirely sure what the oil is for, whether to dilute the turpentine or as a protective coating to keep out moisture, but it certainly changes the appearance of the miniatures.....

The only downsides are figures being a bit oily and the smell of the turpentine! It's certainly a distinctive odour!