SYW Austrians & Prussians

[Inkerman]

Hi Nik,

OK.  So you really can reach in and get at all sides, even when the figures are mounted on their bases.  I will try it your way.  Thanks for the extra pictures.

I have one other question for now.  Back on page 1 of this painting diary string, you mentioned that the Austrians got an overbrushing gray while the Prussians were left with the bestial brown overbrushing.  What's going on there, with the color choice?  Is it that the overbrushing color should be somehow moving towards the color of the uniform that the figures will finally get?  If so, why not just overbrush with that final color of the uniform?  Or is there something else involved here?

Thanks,
David 

[nikharwood]

To be honest I normally always overbrush brown - what it does is raise the detail from the black undercoat & let me see what's what so much more clearly; it also allows for a greater shade 'depth' when painting - rather than colours competing against the black undercoat (as I will tend to paint with quite thin paint - at least when I'm not speed-painting!); it also, of course, can save a load of time when horses / muskets etc are involved as it'll give you your base colour to highlight onto.

I decided to try the grey overbrush as an experiment with the Austrian infantry purely because of their white uniform & the decision I'd made to fast-paint these: I wanted to see if this would save me a stage [which it did] by not painting grey onto a brown overbrush before going to white...it worked fine, but there's not quite the depth there that you'd get if you overbrushed brown first & built up from there.

Hope that helps - if you like I can take some close-up 'underneath' shots of some Austrian infantry- let me know 

[FierceKitty]

Missed this one earlier...have you tried 'edging'? Rather than try to paint the lace on with the tip of the brush, use the side of the brush, at an angle to the hat brim & run it along...much better control - and way easier! 

Thank you, Harwood. I'll be trying that one.

[FierceKitty]

Mmmm, it works. Obliged to you for the tip. Except that now I have to do the piping on close to 500 hats!

[nikharwood]

Thank you, Harwood. I'll be trying that one.

You are most welcome, Kitty.

Mmmm, it works. Obliged to you for the tip. Except that now I have to do the piping on close to 500 hats!

Ah, every silver lining and all that...