"10mm painting and detailing quandary" Topic

I have a couple of 10mm ACW armies to which I'm about to add the final detailing.

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These were based before painting. I wouldn't do that again but that's another story.

The issue I have is that having blocked in the jackets and trousers while leaving the dark brown showing in the shadows and for the accoutrements (straps and bags), my Union troops have ended up with brown accoutrements rather than black ones.

Now I'm not a fan of super-detailing small scale figures and I certainly don't intend to paint in black straps now. However, I did have a certain feeling of unease so I thought it was time for a reality check…

Viewed at arms' length in average indoor light (about 24"), the dark brown is virtually black and the only additional detail that is actually going to show against it is flesh (hands and faces) and the bayonets (when I paint them).

Perhaps someone can tell me I'm wrong, but I'm strongly beginning to feel that apart from the bayonets and the odd canvas bag, these figures are actually finished.

In my opinion, your figures are finished. I always go for arms length anyways. My plugged nickel…

You are not wrong. They are finished as you say.

Agreed. It can be difficult to know when to stop when painting small scale figures.

I now only plain 10mm – I'd say their done.

Try some black wash?
otherwise, I too would stop there (as I did attempting such with 6mm Naps one time).

MG

Don't lose any more sleep over it – they look great.

Thanks to everyone for your responses – really appreciated.

So far they are unanimous in favour of hitting the stop button. That is a huge relief as I had got really bogged down in and by this project. The end is now much closer and I'm also encouraged to finish/start other projects where my perception of required detail had become self-intimidating.

For my next trick I'm wondering how far this minimalist approach might be applied to 10mm 18thC figures, e.g. Seven Years War or American Revolution? My impression is that with 10mm figures, cuffs, facings and even hands more-or-less disappear at playing distance. Crossbelts add a degree of lightness but are not distinct.

That would leave to paint: hat, face, jacket, upper legs, lower legs. I'm assuming the figures would be brown undercoated with that colour sufficing for muskets, flag poles and 'shadow' areas. The waistcoat area could be painted if it is the same colour as the upper legs and is not obscured. Cartridge boxes and scabbards might be worth painting on light-coloured figures (e.g. French and Austrians) but probably not on bluecoats (Prussians, Continentals).

I would balance the lack of detail by adding nice flags and well-textured bases, i.e. the things that are the most prominent and have the largest surface area.

I haven't actually painted any figures according to this minimalist approach but I have copied colour plates from uniform books, reduced them to 10mm and printed them out. The results appear to substantiate these judgements.

Apologies to anyone reading these 18thC speculations on an ACW board.

i've been doing some 10mm Pendraken ACW recently for Longstreet and i went a couple of steps farther.
i did a dark wash and then a very light drybrush of light grey to highlight . and i do mean a very light drybrush , from a foot away it simply lightens the color slightly .

however , SYW is an entirely different subject . cuffs , collars and crossbelts MUST be painted , they're what make that period so fascinating !

For my next trick I'm wondering how far this minimalist approach might be applied to 10mm 18thC figures, e.g. Seven Years War or American Revolution? My impression is that with 10mm figures, cuffs, facings and even hands more-or-less disappear at playing distance. Crossbelts add a degree of lightness but are not distinct.

I do mostly Napoleonics at present. I would suggest that cuffs and turnbacks are fine and help you determine units. Crossbelts were largely white during the AWI and are one detail I would not leave out because they are so prominent a feature against a read or blue uniform.

Check out these for inspiration from some of the War Artisan games:

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Definitely want to wash those faces IMO. They may not even need highlighting.

While the figures are small, you have to look at what features draw you to the figure. It is an old trick that you pay attention to these features that stand out and not as much to everything else. IMO, the face is always important.

I do intend to finish with an overall stain but I definitely don't want to make the figures much darker. My Confederates are OK but I should have chosen a lighter blue for the Union coats.

In 10mm good enough is good enough! You want the look of massed troops. The details aren't as important.

Tell yourself that the men haven't had time to blacken their belts lately and the polish is wearing off.

Just add what matters. I usually only slap 2 layers of paint on 10mm. No wash. I need them bright at this scale.

Well I have been doing 10mm ACW Confederates and I use a simple approach.

Spray uniform grey
Dry brush a light grey
Block in detail, ie different colour trouser, jackets and hats
Webbing and weapons
Hands and faces

Then once dry a brushed on coat of Army Painter Dark Tone…..all done!

Check out my blog

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Ahhhh Bunjen, you have been hacked or something!!

Nicely detailed. I suggest a light wash of Vallejo Smoke or some similar brown wash. Don't overdo it. Just enough to create a little shadow in the folds and face features.

This isn't the best photograph of Bard's men from GW's BoFA, but I think you can see how a light brown/black wash can mute the colors a little and enhance the detail.

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Bunjen, that is the strangest wargames blog I've ever seen. I think your site has been hijacked old boy.

After a very thin black wash I will also be doing a feartherlight dry brush of Bleached Bone over everything.

This whole methodology is down to Nik Harwood link who obtains excellent results on 10mm figures in my opinion. To follow his revolutionary method has nevertheless required an act of faith!

MWright,

Cheers

The link is

warrenswargamerantings.co.uk

Try that one as it works ok for me not sure where the other one came from?

I think this is the correct link

link

Found the exact post: link

and

Looks pretty good!

I tend to do the black belts even on Union although they can't be seen in 10mm against dark blue, because I would just know.