"Légion Germanique Infanterie 1793 Sho Boki 18 mm" Topic

Miniatures are from Sho Boki – 18 mm, they make possible to paint such a rather esoteric unit as Légion Germanique, here infantry, it consisted of 1 battalion arquebusiers and two battalions of Chasseurs, each 4 companies strong. They were fighting in the Vendée and had a rather mixed fighting record, but such celebrities as Marceau and Augereau served in this outfit.
Otherwise the Légion Germanique were not only recruited from Germans in the broadest sense, amonst else former Suisse Guards of 10th of August 1792 fame, but also Dutch, Polish, and even Italians.
Supposedly quite a lot deserted in the Vendée and formed a crack outfit in the Grande Armée Catholique et Royale.
The references about uniforms give a good lee way for variation, the arquebusiers are wearing a bottle green tunic and trousers, while those of the Chasseurs – according to Chuquet were dragoon green.

There I paint usually 18 to 20 miniatures, I also painted half of the Chasseurs – who had a different uniform, as back ground served the excellent book of Rob Harper – Fighting the French Revolution – The Great Vendée Rising of 1793 – where you can read about the Légion Germanique as well.

‌

‌

‌

‌

‌

Whenever we coukd get proper Vendéens in 18mm…

Nice bright vibrant colours!

May I ask your painting techniques?

It is a underpainting in lighter colours then over it – artist water colours with acrylic flow improver, at the moment I use
Vallejo Airbrush Flow improver, sort of glaze, in case where you like to see more light use a damp brush and take of some paint. Works well for the exception of white.
Sort of improved contrast paints ;-).

Yes, it does sound similar, in a backwards way (you take paint off to make the highlights as opposed to just letting gravity do the work), to contrast method.

Perhaps you should/could do some type of tutorial on here so we can learn the technique better?

You use a white primer, obviously (you can see white on the bases). For whites, do you just leave them primed and then some type of light grey wash, or?

It is not just a backwards way, when I put the layer of water colours plus flow improver on it is already sort of self shading (gravity), – in case I like more light, then I put additionally some paint off, in case for a dark blue coat colour I use a light blue sub coat colour.

For priming I used a white mat rattle can spray – usually GW – because I get it easily and made good experience, then on top of that I apply a heavy wash or either natural umber artist acrylic paint (for white coats) – or a deep violet (mix of crimson and prussian blue artist acrylic paints) – this gives me already the shades and good definition.

Then I paint on the base coat but leave out the deep shadows.

On top of that then the darker glaze – wash of artist water colour and flow improver, so the dark left out shadows work already as well.

For white – undercoating see above – then leave out the shades created by the heavy wash and paint a darker colour like for example Scale colour 75 mojave white, then for highlighting – ivory. (this is for a warm white as on uniform coats)

Wow! Very vibrant colours!
Especially I like these..

Very nice painting and good looking figures.
For some more information (although in French) :
link

von W's style is so distinctive as his work.

I often said it was as though he was using watercolours.

Now I learn he was all along.

I have still got saved copies of his early cuirassiers from years back. A masterclass in painting techniques, with a difference

Very nice!

well those water colours are sort of self shading, with a bit of help.

Great brush work.

Excellent work!!