"What is it" Topic

…about painting Horses that so many seem to dislike?

I actually really enjoy painting them. Is it the Horses themselves or just mounted Troops in general?

I hear people complain about this too, or offer speedy ways to 'knock out' horses. I really like painting them, but then I own a few real ones, so I am partial

Personally it is the horses themselves. The mounted troopers themselves are just like infantry (without bases), so I don't mind them. I guess it is the large areas of the same color and I can't ever seem to get the shading looking good no matter what I try.

For me, its all the tack. Its a small percentage of the whole piece but takes me as long to paint as the horse itself. If I was just painting the horse, I wouldn't mind it at all, probably would enjoy it.

Tack and saddles.

The tack.

Bright base colour, white and black socks etc, grey tack, strong tone dip, base and repeat.

I lurve painting horses

I like painting horses. In 15mm, I admit, the tack is a pain, so I cheat as best I can. 28mm I don't find it difficult at all.

However, I love going through a unit of cavalry, painting the horses… then…. sad pause when I have to start the riders in earnest :)

Chalfant

I made horses easy, base color, then wash of copper or bronze, on shoulders and haunches, then a wash of walnut brown. They look like a horse in the sun.
White or black socks, then tack.

Its the tack, saddle etc that takes me forever, I just find it tedious. The Horses themselves aren't really too bad….

I used to despair with the tack, but find that a dark grey, then the dip, gives me lovely highlighted/delineated straps. Saddles – ok, you've got me there Luckily, I do mostly Naps or Imagi-Nations, so the saddlecloths are often quite simple designs.