"AB Miniatures - Poniatowski & ADC" Topic

Hello all,

I recently acquired several AB French generals and ADCs, amongst which were these two:

They are just two of the eleven command figures I'm currently working on. And, boy oh boy oh boy, am I making slow progress!

I've tried using Antony Barton's own painting methods, to some degree, as outlined here:

link

…or you can get there – I hope (some of these links weren't working for me today, although they usually do) – via here:

TMP link

The essential difference with AB's method is that you start with a white base coat. In his painting tutorial he's very critical of the black base coat approach, and drybrushing (calling the latter an 'abomination'!).

My first post on my blog on this topic is here:

link

I have to say that whilst undoubtedly colours come out much brighter on a white ground, there are issues with this approach, or at least there are for me. One of these issues is that I'm a pretty slow painter normally, but this approach seemed to end up taking me twice as long as usual.

When one sees the excellent standards of Tony himself, who both sculpts and paints to a dizzying level of gorgeousness, and many others (some of whose work I found here on TMP, naturally), it's both inspiring and rather daunting.

But I'd like to know what you guys make of my first efforts with the fabulous AB range.

Cheers, Seb

Your figures look marvelous!

I only wish I could get my 25mm Napoleonics to look that good.

We can't all be master painters. While some of our fellow enthusiasts are able to achieve "museum quality" results, seemingly with remarkable rapidity, we mustn't let that deter us from our own efforts.

I'd wager that at your first game, your friends will swoon with delight over your painted General Poniatowski and ADC.

Those are awesome. A job very well done.

You did a really good job on these figures. I don't use Tony's method either. I prime the figures black and then dry brush with white. This provides the base for using very watered down acrylic paint in layers. The raised areas stay lighter and the recessed areas will be darker as the paint pools and dries. I generally undercoat most of the areas that will be red with white so the red will pop. This works for me on 15mm and 28mm. I primarily paint AB figures.

Lovely figures Sebastian,
yeah I feel the same about a white base coat (or a grey). I'm afraid I'm a heretic, black undercoat dude!

Hi

Command figures will always take quite some time because (almost) every model is different both in uniform, pose and sculpt.

I try to paint perhaps 6 command figures at a time because you generally find that a particular colour will be used on most of those figures and it means that (at least) your not moving from one colour to the next so fast (along with the cleaning of the brush, picking out the next colour and so forth).

I normally prime black, but if I went with the white I would probably 'seal' the figure with 'future/varnish' and then apply a thin black wash over the firure to get into the crevices – this might make things a little easier.

Your figures/painting looks fine – although I prefer a matt varnish – yours look quite 'glossy'.

@ Flipper – Thanks for the feedback. Re the glossy bits: that's just where I've put a bit of Army Painter Quickshade on. Not something Barton does, so I'm diverging from his method there! I probably will do a matt varnish before I base the figures (I usually do).

Very good looking group. I also paint AB's with flat black primer (like Paulalba and many others) and never have had issues with getting colors to pop. It's probably the style and techniques I use. If you want a red to pop add a little yellow to it and highlight the red with it. If painting a Crimson red the technique is a little different. Here's a link to an example of what I mean (excuse me as not meant to steal your thunder, but to only show you an example).

TMP link

@ VonBlucher: very nice Lefebvre-Desnoettes. I've just finished reading the memoirs of Charles Parquin, in which he's mentioned several times, so it's nice to see him in mini form. Is that an AB fig as well?

Very nice work there Seb. I think if you try the white undercoat with a brown wash, you get the best of both worlds – a brighter base from which to work from, but still some shadow to avoid those annoying little bits of white peeking through just when you thinks its all finished. I am following this style for cmd figures, but still undercoat black for units where it helps with straps and gear.
John

Sebastian: While I have been painting 15 mm figures for about thirty years I have never been able to come up with anything looking near that. I just started using black undercoat and am not used to it yet so I will have to wait and see if it gets any easier. You speak of being slow, I am slow but they don't come out looking anything like that. I have come to believe that talent plays an important role in this. You either got it or you aint! I think you got it! Thanks, John Miller

I use white, black "dirties" the colours too much. I concur with Antony Barton. Interesting remark though about using enamel white being better than acrylic white. I use Vallejo white primer for airbrush and paint it on with a brush (no dilution needed) and find it works perfectly.

Sebastian,
That is an AB figure of Lefebvre-Desnoettes and an excellent figure to paint.

I've never found that black dirties the color with the way I paint, and I also use a Humbrol Enamel Flat Black for going on over 35 years now.

John

I use a white primer but then apply a "medium" wash of artist Paynesgrey acrylic colour which provides a very good shade and emphazises the details.

Always white primer myself, never understood the black primer method. Block in the colours and let washes do the shading saves a lot of time and hassle.
L

@Sebastian: Very nice!!!

I used to prime black, and in fact have a pile of AB Rifles primed black that I haven't worked on in years. Need to dig them back out and see if I can figure out which green to use.

These days I prime white with gesso mixed 1:1 with matte medium or bone/khaki spray and wash with black (GW Badab Black or Army Painter Strong Tone in the dropper bottle). Helps prevent the "white spot in the shadows" issue, but still keeps my highlight spots bright.

I should order a few more officers and ADCs, just for painting. I'm planning on 3mm minis for massed battles, ABs or compatible for skirmishing.

Thanks for all the feedback. The complimentary stuff is a real – and much needed – shot in the arm, so to speak. So thanks especially to dBerczerk and John Miller for those particularly nice and gratifying remarks (blushes).

I think, in terms of techniques for painting, I'll be a magpie, and simply take what I like and what works for me from others, and gradually evolve my own style.

When I was doing this as a kid, the last and best unit I ever painted, before I ultimately sold off all my stuff (how I wish I hadn't!) was a troop of 15mm Eclaireurs, which is quite interesting to me now, given the threads on TMP about that unit. I think mine were Minifigs, but it's so long ago I can't be sure. I painted those using artists oil paints! I'd love to be able to see them now, and see if I've improved on my technique of that period!

Lovely work!

Progress is horribly, painfully slow (just can't find time!), but here's how Roustam is looking:

As I mention in the post on my blog about the latest work in progress:

link

… Roustam's a character for who costume options are, I feel, open to a wide range of interpretation. Roustam himself is pretty much done, but his blanket roll and horse are only blocked in at present.

I've seen some very impressive versions here on TMP, and elsewhere. I've a favoured a hybrid look, with relatively simple white sleeves, and a weskit modelled on an image from one of the wikipedia pages where there's a portrait of him by Paillot de Montalbert.

Looking good Seb, giving me some inspiration to get the brushes out.