Over the last few years several articles have appeared in this periodical extolling the advantages of dry brushing and washing as two effective painting techniques for producing a high quality painted figure.
Washing and dry brushing can produce both dramatic and highly professional results. However, to use these techniques properly requires not only practice and experimentation, but they are also extremely time consuming. A really well done 15mm figure can take between 45 minutes to an hour to paint. It will take the average painter over six years to field two thousand man armies. Longer than most of us care to wait.
The relative success of washing and dry brushing is also dependent on the amount of detail sculpted into a figure. The poorer the detail the harder it is to achieve the desired results.
This article discusses a different approach to painting using the "layer" method. Layer painting if done properly will allow you to assemble a very attractive army while increasing your painting output five or ten fold.
The secret to layer painting is based on your ability to organize rather than any above average artistic talents. The system is designed for speed of painting and good results, but skilled painters can get superb results from using layer painting. This concept should work for everyone.
The first step in layer painting requires an understanding of the color spectrum. Simply stated there are three basic colors - red, blue and yellow, and an endless variety of shades and hues in between. The best way to understand the color spectrum is to buy a color wheel at your local art store or go to your local paint and wallpaper store and ask for color charts for specific colors. These charts usually show the full range of shades available for one color, for example, six, eight or ten different shades of blue.
The next step is to collect a number of different shades of paint for the following colors: brown, blue, green, purple, red, orange, yellow, grey, white, flesh tones and a variety of metallics. Using your color wheel determines the medium shade for the color you desire, for example, let's use basic red. After finding your mid-point red, you will want to fine darker and lighter shades to expand the selection you have available to you.
The challenge of the layer painting method is to have a variety of premixed colors at your finger tips so that you can apply each color starting from the darkest to the lightest in layers. Organization is the key. The bottles of paint should be lined up from dark to light and always replaced in the same spot. If you cannot find a commercially produced color that you need to get your desired spectrum of colors pre-mix an entire bottle of the proper color and label it accordingly.
If you have trouble keeping your colors in order, purchase an item called Bottle Buddy produced by Twinn-K. It holds 81 bottles of paint and can be cut down to a usable size.
Remember that you can mix and match any manufacturer's paints as long as you stay consistent with either water based or oil based paints. The two do not mix.
After cleaning and filing the figures you wish to paint, apply the undercoat or primer. In past articles I have recommended a white undercoat for ease of painting. Currently, I use three different undercoats depending on the figure to be painted. If the principle uniform color is dark -- Prussian, French or Russian Napoleonic line infantry for example, I use a black undercoat. If the principle uniform color is white, I use a medium to dark grey undercoat, and if the principle uniform color is bright - British or Bavarian Napoleonic line infantry, I use white. White is also the color of choice for most ancients. Black is the color of choice for horses.
Most figures get two additional colors of paint on top of the undercoat, lighter colors may get three colors. The idea is to paint from the darkest areas of a painting surface to the lightest. Darker areas would include the folds of clothing, under the arms and legs and near any cross belting.
To clarify the process, let's go step by step and paint an 1809 British line infantryman representing any line unit with yellow facings.
1. Clean and undercoat the figure with white paint.
2. Block out your darkest colors first. Black-shako, gaiters, ammo box, musket, backpack and any metal fittings on the figure. Polly S Damon Deep Red - jacket (do not paint over the cuffs and collar but feel free to paint over all belting on the coat. Polly S Grey 26231 or Ral Partha Grey pants. Polly S. Coati Orange - cuffs, collars and turnbacks. Polly S Brown 8E8 - all flesh areas.
Allow the paint to dry. We are now ready to work on the highlights. The key to the layer painting technique is to apply the next lightest color you wish to use so that the deeper color beneath is to be seen along the edges, near cross belting, and in the conclave folds of the figure. If the figure has a relatively smooth surface, the lighter color is painted onto the logical places on the surface of the figure (forearms, upper arms and the front of the thighs for example).
3. Top of the shako, top of the gaiters (instep and knees) and the upper part of the backpack - Howard Hues Panzer Grey. Jacket- Ral Partha Red (make sure to keep the brighter red away from cross belts) applying it to the arms and chest area leaving some of the deeper red visible. Cuffs, collars and tumbacks - Ral Partha Yellow or Howard Hues Cavalry Yellow. Musket - Creat-a-finish Cocoa leaving enough black showing for outlining effect. Gun metal - Ral Partha Steel. Brass fittings - Testor's Brass.
4. The difference between an average figure and a good figure is in the face. Pairit the forehead, nose, cheek bones and chin with Armory Ruddy Flesh. After this dries, highlight again with either Armory Suntan Flesh or Rai Partha Flesh on the tip of the nose and the highest part of the cheek bones.
5. Paint all cross belts and tape on the cuffs of the figure Rai Partha Grey. When dry apply white leaving the outline of the grey visible. The cross belts may not need the grey coat if you have left a proper dark red outline around the belts.
6. For additional highlighting of the jacket, try mixing some white with the Rai Partha Red. For greater musket highlights try Testor's Steel over the gun metal.
You will quickly find that layer painting is not an exact science and that you may wish to experiment with some other colors to achieve desired results. The options are endless; it's just a matter of taste.
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