One of the most difficult techniques for the wargamer to master is the one used in creating
realistic looking wood and metal in a wargaming army. If you enjoy gaming in either the ancient or medieval periods these techniques are especially critical to improving the visual quality of your troops.
I remember too well the first unit of Romans that I painted. When I finished their armor and lined them up for inspection they looked like so many chrome plated bumpers waiting for their assignment in Detroit. Their war machines amounted to cleverly disguised playground equipment caked in mud.
Fortunately, those mistakes do not have to be repeated if a few simple rules are followed. The purpose of this article is to explore the techniques used in painting wood and metal so that you achieve a realistic looking product with a minimum of effort.
Two Rules
First, two rules to follow. Remember that armor or wood on a small scale figure should have a considerable amount of shading and highlighting to have the proper effect on the table top. Also, after a few months of campaigning even the newest armor will tend to lose its shine so darker tones will give you the best effect. These rules also apply to wooden objects. Overshading is the key. Most of the machines and fortifications used throughout history were built on the spot, and therefore were quite rough and unfinished.
There were three major types of armor used in warfare from the Egyptians to WWI. These included plate, mail and scale. Each has its own unique challenges for the painter. The two techniques that I use to get the desired effect are dry brushing and washes.
Plate armor is probably the easiest to paint because of its relatively flat surface. First paint the base coat and let it dry. Then make a wash of your shading color, black for silver, steel and iron, or dark brown for gold, bronze or brass. A wash is made by taking your paint and mixing it with the medium used as a thinner, either water or turpentine.
When the mixture approaches the transparent stage dab it onto the armor area of the figure. The wash will build up on the contours of the figure and darken the areas that would naturally be shaded in real life.
Chainmail
Chainmail was very popular throughout the middle ages and during the days of the Roman Republic. Making it look realistic is a two step process. First paint all of the mail black and permit it to dry. Next mix silver with black (75% to 25%) and dry brush it over the parts of the chainmail that would naturally be lighter because of sun light hitting the metal.
Dry brushing is a technique that utilizes very little thinner mixed with the paint. The paint is dipped into paint then wiped lightly with a cloth. Run the brush over the chainmail -- you will find that there was some pigment left on the brush which will appear on the figure.
Scale armor is probably the most difficult type of prosection to paint. The first step is to use the same colors that are used for the wash but this time as a base coat; either black for your steel group, or dark brown for the gold group. Make sure that the paint covers the areas between the individual scales. After the base coat dries, the lighter color (either silver or gold) should be dry brushed onto the scales. It is important not to let the lighter colors get into the cracks between the scales.
When the lighter color is applied a downward stroke of the brush will prevent it from forming in areas that should be darker. This is especially effective for the areas under each scale.
Traditionally scale armor was made similar to shingling on roof tops. Each row of scales overlapped the next. Considering the angle of the sun the under side of each scale will appear darker and become brighter further down each scale. The downward stroke gives the painter the control needed to lighten only the lower ends of each scale.
Silver and Gold
Now that the technique has been described, what colors should be used? There were two groups of materials that were popular in the manufacturing of armor. One is the gold group which included gold, brass, and bronze. The other was the silver group consisting of silver, iron, and steel. I use the terms silver and gold to describe the groups as they can be used as base colors in your painting. When shading the gold group always use a dark brown.
Avoid the more earthy browns since they will give the armor a muddy look. The silver group should always be shaded with black. Another good idea when painting with the silver group is not to use silver uncut on the figure because your result will be far too bright. I usually mix the silver I use with at least 25% black. Some of my friends use a bit of blue as well to give it a tempered look.
PAINTING WOOD
Painting wood presents another battery of unique complications. Unlike armor which tended to darken over a period of time. Most of the wooden objects on a gaming table are assumed to be recently built. A piece of wood will darken rapidly with use, but a new piece will be very light.
The technique for painting wooden war machines or fortifications for gaming will vary depending on the quality of the casting that you buy, or if its is built by you, how much detail you are willing to put into it. If the piece to be painted has a great deal of detail including grain lines, then use a light base coat such as a buff and after it has dried use a wash of dark brown.
A well detailed piece will give the grain effect as the wash is built up in the grooves of the wood. If the piece is not well detailed then paint on your light base coat and add in the grain effect with a normal coat of dark brown. The second procedure is definately more time consuming, but the effects are very good.
If the wood being represented would have been used over a period of time then start with a medium or dark brown and make your washes one step darker. All metal parts of wooden pieces should definiately have a darker, used appearance.
The final consideration when painting wood is how to achieve realistic bark. This applies most often to fortifications, but also would be somewhat common in quickly built siege towers and war machines. Again the key to realism on the table top is over statement. For lighter bark trees use a medium grey with a dark grey wash. For oak use a medium brown with a dark brown wash. For trees with dark brown bark a black wash is the key.
Some green can be added in certain situations if the desired effect is to show moss or other types of green growth. Usually the green should be dark and applied using the dry brush method.
Painting Series
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