Peter's painting progress

01 November 2018

When Peter started painting Custer’s ad hoc Battalion of the 7th Cavalry, he thought it would be interesting to record progress at the end of each painting session.

So here is the picture showing the result of the first session.

Trousers, Hats and Rolled Overcoats are block painted in very roughly. At this stage, Peter paid scant attention to details and painted with very little care in order to power through each base.

The details for the figures can come later, when he plans to tidy up the figures as he progresses through each session towards the final finished product. 

The Second Session - 1hr 30

A slightly longer session doing the saddle blankets, jackets and coats and a bit of a tidy up from the first session.

The saddle blankets are the same blue as the blouses and jackets. Some of the hats needed a touch up or a change of colour. Check out Custer’s hat that was yellow, and is now a whiter colour to match his trousers.

The Third Session - 1hr 30

Some of the figures will have Grey, Black or Buckskin coats so a little variation was included in the process.

The session started with a little tidying up of the basic and repair mistakes and over painting of various bits on the figure. Then it was time for the basic browns, such as the flagpoles, rifle holsters and pistol holsters etc.

Then Peter carried on and did the flesh tones, mainly the hands, faces and bodies. When this was done and the figures had dried, he applied the Windsor and Newton, Nut Brown Ink. This was suggested by Per from his Roll-a-One Tweet.

With this process completed and while the ink was drying, it was time out to cut out the flags and guidons for the various companies and command bases.
With the flags and guidons applied to the figures it was time for a progress photo. 

The Fourth Session - 45 Minutes

This session was formed into two parts with the sand being put on the base and then being painted with the base wash. Once that was done, the grass was applied. 

Here is a view with the sand applied to the base.

Reformed and finished

Here is how the finished product looks with the base carefully selected and the grass applied to the base.

Front

Back 

At the start of the process 

And this is what they looked like before painting.  It's been a big transformation.