Followers

Friday 23 March 2012

The Normans are coming along

Now that my recent foreign travels are out of the way I can pick up where I left the Normans.


The last time you saw the Normans they looked like this.


And then this.

I used Bestial Brown to undercoat everything except the horse and base.


Two units of knights and all the command figures followed on.


A few coats of paint and a coat of gloss varnish transforms into this.


The painting style is largely in the 'block style' with a little bit of dry brushing on the shields and pennants. Shading is done with a coat of Gryphon Sepia and everything is finished off with a coat of gloss polyurethane varnish.


Some shields were given a typical Norman cross motif and some were plain or with a dotted pattern ala the Bayeux Tapestry. I used a bit of artistic licence for the pennants.


While the varnish was drying I made some bases using 2mm plastic sheet and stuck them to magnetic tape.


Here are the two units of knights along with the command figures. I have made an obvious army command stand, some divisional commanders and a couple of heroes on their own as one of my rulesets allows for an individual hero to join a unit.


Four bases of four figures make a unit for Hordes and Heroes. Each base is 40mm by 20mm and therefore is compatible with Warmaster Ancients although their units need only three bases.


The commander on his stand. I don't think he is the 'bastard' himself as my commanders are above that level of criticism (honest).


Now all the bases need is a bit of polyfilla or tetrion, a coat of paint and some static grass.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! You've certainly turned those out pretty quick.

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  2. Hi Kingsley

    The apparant speed is due to a number of factors:

    The figures themselves are not overly detailed although a better painter than I am could pick out a lot more.

    Painting in batches minimises the amount of time you spend opening a tin of paint, mixing the paint and cleaning the brush afterwards.

    Having a safe haven for incomplete work is a boon. I started these figures before I went to Rome, left them in my hut and finished them off on my return. No female (or cat) interventions in my absence.

    Scheduling the drying times for ink washes and varnish coats while you are sleeping helps a lot.

    Paint only what you can see from 3 feet away.

    I might do a time and motion study on the next batch!

    Jim

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