"Painting 28-mm Zulus" Topic

Hi there,

My unit of 20 Redoubt Zulus is painting up faster than I expected. Am I better off spraying the figures a dark brown or priming them black?

These figures I got were partially painted. I used a burnt umber for the skin and whites, tans, grays, and tans for everything else. I don't expect to get more than 60 figures done a month (though I could get more done, I don't want to spend entire weekends doing block painting of 50 Zulus each). I've also got Mick Farnworth guide to the shield colors for each Zulu regiment.

The problem is I have more married than unmarried regiments. I guess I could do the Ulundi corps or just chose shield colors I like. I was thinking of all red (amaPhela brigade), all white (uThulwana), all black (umCijo), white & black spots (umKhulutshane), red & white (inDlondlo), and a mixture of shield colors for one of the unmarried regiments (InGobamakhosi).

Those are just some ideas. I'll get a better idea as I get more involved in this project. Those as an aside, it's been much easier to paint 28-30mm figures than 15-mm's!

Though I might want to do 15-mm early WWI for a divisional level game later on. I just don't have the stomach for doing any more 15-mm scale figure right now…

I haven't painted Zulus in years (though I just picked up some of the Wargames Factory Zulus today). If I recall correctly, I used to spray black primer, than put a little dark blue in with a Coat D'Arms colored entitled "Negro" and than wash with black ink. I hit on the "dark blue" idea from either a book or messing around which seems to give that right extra dark skinned look you see with those tones.

I can't remember much about the shields though. Sorry couldn't be more help.

Erik

Burnt Umber is the closest I can get to a Nubian flesh tone. I don't know if a black ink would make it too dark or not. But the burnt umber worked out fine on the figures.

Dear Blake,
I am currently building a 160 figure impi. I am working out fast ways to paint Zulus. I painted the first 50 Zulus in a weekend using sprays, block painting and army painter.

Here is my method.-
1. Do some of the shield fronts in GW white and mask them.
2. Spray GW black – mask the shields that wil be mostly black
3. Overspray brown – I am using a Tamiya spray
4. Paint the bum flap and shield back leather.
5. Paint the monkey tail skirt and shield top bit light grey.
6. Paint in the remaining details.
7. Touch up the flesh and highlight with GW bestial brown or GW dark flesh (or others for variety)
8. Paint in the shield pattern.
9. Army painter strong tone painted on with a big brush.
10. Mat varnish
11. Base with sand and tufts of grass.
Pictures
link
To get a big view – click on the picture and then on all sizes in the next window.
Like this
link
Regards
Mick (Farnworth)