The start of a 10mm ACW project?

[Theo]

Hiya lads,
I have been considering embarking on a 10mm ACW project for a while now and to that end I asked Leon to include a few samples of the Pendraken ACW range with my last order. Leon was kind enough to oblige (he also sent a bunch of the new Carthaginians!) and my first impressions i.e. looking at the figures in bare metal form were positive. Of course the real test comes when painting them so I thought that before I dive into such a project I should attempt to paint one of the figures as a test, to see if I enjoy painting them so to speak.
I have never painted ACW in any scale so I don't have my usual paint "recipes". The fact that I will be painting Union and will have to play with shades of blue added to the fact that the equipment is black and thus not prone to showing up well in 10mm are all things that concern me.
Still the proof is in the pudding so here goes; a record of my attempt to paint my first ACW figure ever. It may well turn out crap so be gentle! lol It's from the RM8 pack of the Pendraken ACW range.

Figure in its unpainted glory (ignore the 28mm in the background; I am really into Darkest Africa as well and painting a Naval contingent for that).

[Techno]

Looking forward to seeing this Theo !
Cheers - Phil.

[goat major]

Acw project ? You kept that one quiet !

I think you are right about the blue - I think the trick with 10mm is to be bold with the highlights otherwise as you say the detail may get lost. The sort of blue highlights you've used on your sailor boys might well work nicely.

[Hertsblue]

I'd hesitate to give advice to a class-winner in the painting competition, but it looks like you're going to have to drink a lot more Coke! 

[goat major]

I'd hesitate to give advice to a class-winner in the painting competition

blimey you're right !

Theo - please can you advise on how to paint blue ?

[Theo]

First step is always (well for me) prime the figure black. I use a spray but I go over the figure afterwards with a brush on primer to cover any bits I missed. Just got home so I will now do the flesh and post soon (unless I drift off to sleep! lol).

I'd hesitate to give advice to a class-winner in the painting competition, but it looks like you're going to have to drink a lot more Coke!  

Good one mate!

For anyone reading this needless to say do NOT paint your 10mm based singly on bottle caps as it takes for ever. Like most of you I paint mine on wooden sticks used for small ice creams (they fit about 7-8 infantry and 3-4 cavalry). I just used the bottle cap in this case because this is a test figure and thus a single. I do love the bottle caps for my 28s though which I paint in batches of 12 or so.

p.s. and I DO drink lots of Coke and need to cut down  

Acw project ? You kept that one quiet !

I think you are right about the blue - I think the trick with 10mm is to be bold with the highlights otherwise as you say the detail may get lost. The sort of blue highlights you've used on your sailor boys might well work nicely.

yep   we be sneaky that way! lol

I am afraid those sailors don't have any highlights on them yet! ROFL It's just the first coat of blue I applied!   That still has two highlights to be finished.
Mate you have seen my Darkest Africa Askari on WD3;

that is the sort of blue I will do on the sailors as well. All my variations of blue start with dark prussian blue and i then mix that either with flat flesh or stonegrey for variations in the shade.
And don't ya go on about needing my advice ya git!   I have seen your 10mm League of Augsburg figures and they look like 28s! Had you entered them into the competition they would have swept all competition!

[goat major]

Like most of you I paint mine on wooden sticks used for small ice creams

some of us steal those small sticks en masse from Costa and Starbucks despite the disapproving looks from our wives....

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Not to mention the staff at the coffee houses in question...

And I don't even drink tea or coffee! 

[Theo]

Darn! Starbucks! and I was running out of my wee sticks and wondering where I could get more! You lads are geniuses you are!  

Ok first bits done.

Applied a base of brown for the flesh bits gave it a couple of highlights and it's done. I prefer to do the flesh first in any scale/mini as I find it sort of brings the figure to life and encourages me to finish it faster.

I also applied a basecoat of dark blue for the jacket and a pastel blue for the trousers.
This is the easy bit so far; I reckon the success of the experiment so to speak will be judged by the highlights to these blues.

I also find myself looking at all sorts of online resources about ACW uniforms as well as the Blandford book which I have and getting confused. There is so much variation between uniforms of Union units from different States etc. a trim of lace here or there or dark blue trousers as opposed to the classic image of pale blue or even grey trousers. It makes me feel that painting generic units is sort of a sacrilege. Anyways that was just a personal reflection.

If anyone is knowledgeable about the period do please chime in with ideas on what regiment to portray this lad as coming from and any particular idiosyncrasies their uniform had.

[Theo]

Next step.

I thought the trousers' basecoat was too light so I repainted them a darker pale blue by mixing my original shade with black. This produced a greyish blue which works for a shadow. I think that by mixing for the trousers I might portray the variety of colours they wore. Anyways I highlighted with a straight from the pot coat of the pale blue (pastel blue by vallejo).

I also highlighted the jacket mixing my original blue with a bluegrey. Two highlights the second including a tiny bit more bluegrey to make it lighter.

Finally I did the musket. Again basecoat and two highlights except for the metal parts which is a coat of oily steel washed with well diluted brown ink.

I realize my highlights may not be stark enough for 10mm but over time i have come to dislike overly stark highlights or what an old friend called the kabuki style of painting. I am not always successful in this but I do endeavour to make the transitions subtle. Even in 10mm. I do agree that for 10mm this is lost on the tabletop (I also accept that starker highlighting might actually make them look better on the tabletop) but I know it's there! ROFL

Now all that is left is the backpack/straps and various equipment he carries. The figure is dead easy and pleasant to paint so far so that requirement is filled. I am definitely getting more of these beauties.

[Jagger]

There are a lot of good threads on The Miniatures Page about Union blue.  

Historically, the sky blue of the pants is created from the same dye used to create the dark blue of the coat.  IIRC, they simply added a lighter shade of blue to the dark blue.  Which is what I did to create my sky blue for the pants.  The blue is similiar to the fuller blue parts of the sky.  It is almost a medium blue rather than a light blue.   And if you mix a light blue with your dark blue, you will see what I mean.

I have a book which has period studio photos of the Union uniform.  The colors showed up very well.  The dark blue of the coats in those photos was clearly a dark blue with the blue much stronger than the black.   But then I have also seen real life uniforms with the color more black than blue.  I personally prefer the brighter dark blue.

Often the blue uniforms faded quickly in the sun and rain.  The colors changed rapidly with age which means units in the field would have all sorts of shades of blue.  Apparently the blue often deteriorated towards a green blue.  With the variation, just about any sort of dark blue would probably work.

I really like the Pendraken ACW range.  The models have multiple poses which really produce dynamic units.  I especially like painting the rebels because they were definitely a rag tag band.  You can use all sorts of different non-regulation colors for the blanket rolls, pants, etc to produce that rag tag look.  If I wanted a rag tag regiment, I would usually keep the coat in grey or brown to produce some uniformity to the unit while everything else can vary. 

[Jagger]

PS: I don't remember exactly what they used to finish the Union black leather ammo pouches/equipment/straps but the end result was a gloss black for straps, ammo pouches, etc.  Apparently it had a strong odor as well but no need to worry about that...   

[Hertsblue]

some of us steal those small sticks en masse from Costa and Starbucks despite the disapproving looks from our wives....

It's usually my wife who's doing the stealing. And airline cutlery, and napkins from pretty well every restaurant we've eaten in... 

[Theo]

Many thanks for kindly providing me with this info Jagger. I think I may need to bite the bullet and get the Troiani book.

[goat major]

this is a great source for Troiani artwork

http://www.historicalimagebank.com/gallery/main.php/v/album01/