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54mm Grenadier

Discussion in 'vBench (Works in Progress)' started by DaddyO, Nov 3, 2019.

  1. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Afternoon all.
    I'm having a bit of a Napoleonic 'thing' at the moment so whilst my Carabinier was drying I picked up another figure which I'd started a year or so ago and finished off the modifications I was thinking of. The figure is one of the well known Metal Modelles figures and it's a cracker of a uniform although the pose was a bit static so I chopped off the head and replaced it with one of the nice new ones from Figurinitaly ones. New hair was added with Duro and the original busby modified to fit with a bit of work done on texture (so no work in progress pics):(
    Anyway once everything was done satisfactorily it was on to the painting bit . . .

    I know it's usual to start with the face, but I usually begin with the largest area and then work down from there saving the face till last (Main reason for this was when I was starting out I figured I'd invested so much time in the figure I wasn't going to put it aside if the face wasn't going well)

    Primed in Citadel black spraycan which I've used for the last few rather than white or grey. The white was mixed from Vallejo 'Off white' and 'Basalt grey' and gradually built up from the shadows in thin layers. (I've found that mixing a grey from black and white is difficult to get right and looks dull and lifeless so I'll often mix black from dark blue and dark brown to give a bit of life)
    Anyway the dark blue cat was blocked in using a couple of blues from the Andrea blue paint set and off white again. The Andrea paints dry very matt which is a finish I don't like so I'll usually add a thin wash of a known 'shiny' finish blue once the figure nears completion (such as Prussian blue)

    Since I'm working on a few figures at once progress might be a bit slow, but I'll add pictures as we go along.
    Cheers
    Paul
    Grenadier whites.jpg grenadier white 2.jpg Grenadier blue.jpg
  2. Viking Bob PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    A nice start Paul, following with interest.
    Hammond_Lord, Nap and DaddyO like this.
  3. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England
    Hi Paul

    Legs ..legs ...legs ........great figure mate , love the way the whites are looking and the coat colour as well

    There's some nice additions ...sure you do something to everyone ...LOL

    You say this is one of several ????....spill the beans

    Why not enter into November's FOTM as well .....and vote as well for October's entry's

    Thanks for sharing

    Happy benchtime

    Nap
    Hammond_Lord and DaddyO like this.
  4. Chris Oldfield A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    The white areas & shading are excellent Paul, very subtle & realistic texture.
    DaddyO likes this.
  5. Warren SMITH A Fixture

    Country:
    Australia
    looking forward to your progress.. very suttle o the highlighting of the jacket..(y)
    DaddyO likes this.
  6. Lasalle A Fixture

    Country:
    Italy
    Good start (y)
    DaddyO likes this.
  7. Gary_81 Active Member

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I really like how you have tackled the whites on this piece, very subtle with the shading adding some nice depth.

    Gary
    DaddyO likes this.
  8. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thank you all :)

    Since I wasn't able to go bouldering yesterday (hurt my wrist) I was able to press on and get some more done on this chap. First up were his boots since they are adjacent to the white trousers I could sort out the deep shadows at the join line at the same time. Not sure how well it shows, but I tried a sort sort leather texture for the tops to contrast with the boot black (On a recent figure in 'parade' dress I used a bit of black shoe polish applied with a cotton bud on the boot to give a nice polished look - worked quite well, but better suited to something larger than 54 mm) :confused:

    Then I tackled the collars, turn-backs and cuffs. For some inexplicable reason I painted the turn-backs red rather than white (Thinking of the Imperial guard uniform rather than line infantry is my excuse?) Anyway I spotted the gaff early enough to correct it - got to love acrylics when you do something like that :D so the colours will be correct in the next set of pictures

    Buttons and gorget were done with TMM using dark brown/black and Darkstar brass acrylic as a base and gradually added more brass to the lighter areas.
    Cheers for now
    Paul

    ps - just noticed that I've chipped off some of the back of the boot paint. . . . .ah well another bit of touching up needed
    Paul Grenadier boots.jpg Grenadier 3.jpg Grenadier 4.jpg
  9. Viking Bob PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I have just done the same today, red turnbacks instead of white.
    What do you use for white?
    I had not thought of boot polish for the boots.
    This is coming together very well now, hope to see this at BC.
    DaddyO likes this.
  10. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom

    :D So glad I'm not the only one Bob.

    I use Vallejo Off white (I don't have any 'pure' white)
    The thing I've noticed with whites especially is that when applied in thin coats it looks like you've only just wet the surface because the colour appears transparent until dry. The temptation is to apply a thicker coat to cover, but if you hold the area under a desk lamp (or just wait a moment) the colour will magically appear :cool: To cover the red took 3 or 4 coats.

    Incidentally the dreaded 'pink' that you sometimes get when putting white over red can be easily dealt with by referring to your colour wheel - Opposite of red on the colour wheel is green so adding a tiny bit to your white neutralises the pink and makes it disappear.

    Cheers
    Paul
  11. Viking Bob PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom



    Paul
    Colour wheel yes but prefer wagon wheels but they have got smaller.

    I have to say I use Deck tan as a base coat, then Ivory for highlights and maybe pure white for the extreme highlights. I will have to download another colour wheel.
    Cheers
    DaddyO likes this.
  12. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Oh yes indeed they are smaller now, but I can buy more wagon wheels nowadays rather than ask mum for one which makes up for it :ROFLMAO:
    Viking Bob likes this.
  13. Viking Bob PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom



    :happy::ROFLMAO:
  14. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Eeeeek:eek:

    Just cleaned up the sword and scabbard and took them outside for a quick spray of primer and the scabbard flew off into the wet grass :cry: A search with torches didn't turn it up so now I'm waiting till daylight (when hopefully the grass will have dried) to see if it can be found . . . . .
    Failing this I'm on the hunt for a replacement (Nothing suitable in my grey army and the Historex spare looks too small on this figure)
  15. Viking Bob PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Oh s***, been there, mine is the carpet monster. Hope you find it.
    DaddyO likes this.
  16. Andrew Belsey A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    You could try vacuuming over the area with a stocking over the nozzle?
    Hope you find it.
    Andy
    DaddyO likes this.
  17. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Thanks Andy
    Funnily enough when my wife came home that is exactly what she suggested too - great idea which I'll try this morning :D
    Cheers
    Paul
  18. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    :cry:
    Sadly no luck with finding the sword (Still think it was an excellent suggestion Andy - the grass is just too long). Ah well it amused the neighbours who had no idea I was so house proud :ROFLMAO: (In fact when I explained what I was doing I'm not sure they thought I was any saner)

    Despite the small hiccup I've been correcting the turnbacks and adding some piping to the figure. The gold lace was done using a base of dark brown mixed with English uniform, then adding japanese uniform and gradually lightening with pale sand. A coat of satin varnish was finally added to lift it slightly
    Next up will be the face and sort out some scenery for the base
    Cheers
    Paul
    Grenadier 6.jpg Grenadier 7.jpg
  19. Viking Bob PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Looking good Paul, Metal models do have swords in accessories but you know that.
    Very good painting.
    DaddyO likes this.
  20. DaddyO A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Cheers Bob (Yes I did know about the spares thank you) :)

    Started work on the face which I'd already given a coat of thin off white to make it easier to cover. The main tones used were burnt red, black red, sunny skin tone and light skin tone. I block in a mid tone and then add darker shadows under the cheek
    bones, chin sides of the nose and ears. A couple of lighter shades where you would expect and then I add the darkest shadows in corner of the eye sockets and where the 'laughter lines' join the nose and inside the centre of the ears. I go back and forth like this until I was happy with the contrast. I'll leave it like this overnight to dry off and it also gives me a chance to re-assess it after a break
    Toodleip
    Paul
    Grenadier face.jpg
    Hammond_Lord, Nap, KenBoyle and 3 others like this.

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