I am considering having a go a painting British Grenadiers of the 18th century.
My concern is the painting of the crown, scroll and lettering etc on the front of the mitre caps.
Any tips welcome. Do decals exist?
Thanks.
Lightbob.

Morning Lightbob
I don't know of any suitable decals available although it may be possible to print your own like the model aircraft fella's do.

I'd print off something suitable to copy from and then paint it. Like heraldry or any complex design it's a question of breaking it down first into simple shapes and then putting down dots to get the positioning correct and gradually creating the image.

Not sure what paint you are using acrylics you can easily touch up later with the background and with oils you can remove any mistakes before they dry.
I prefer acrylics and normally add a touch of glaze medium which helps the paint flow better from the brush. It's important not assume that you need a small brush - what you are after is a brush with a great point. A small brush won't hold enough paint. I mostly use a size 1 or 2 and paint everything from 54 mm upwards using them. Start off using a watery pale colour till the design is correct and then you can go over with the final colour confident that you've got everything in the right place.

Here's a complex design built up in acrylics on a 54mm figure done in the way described. (The folds added some 'interest' to the difficulty)
Hope that helps
Paul

Many years ago when I was a young teenager, I used to make my own decals for model aircraft. It involved painting (Humbrol in those days) on the gummed side of sticky paper and adding several coats of varnish, to give the decal film some useable thickness. Care was needed when transferring the decals after soaking but they never broke for me. It’s important, obviously, to use water-soluble gummed paper and it may be worth giving it a try if you don’t or can’t print from your computer.

It’s obviously easier to paint flat than on a curve and nowadays I’d be tempted to use permanent-ink pens to delineate areas of fine detail, like lettering, and there are some nibs as fine as 0.05mm. A light box would help to refine the design from your working drawing.

Jeff

Hi All ,
Many thanks for the above information and the illustrations of mitre caps.
The scale will be 54mm to 60mm and I am looking at painting up figures representing the 1st,21st, 25th and 26th of foot. As can be seen there is a Scottish thing at play here. I tend to use acrylics, oils usually reserved for horses. The use of inks-fine pens is one I am considering and may make up as "decal" before applying.
If anyone has a coloured illustration of the 26th of foot, it would be most welcome. My main library has a copy of the Miller and Haswell volumes of Military Drawings and Painting in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen. I know there is a painting of a grenadier of the 26th shown, but cannot remember if it is colour. Will try to get hold of it next week but suspect access may be an issue at present.
Keep Safe Everybody.
Lightbob

Hello Again,
A special thanks to Nap for the above image. I think this is the one in Miller and Haswell's book. I remembered about there being 3 figures on the plate that had the 26th, but what regiments no. The image of the 25th is a bonus. It reminded me that although formed in 1688 by David, Earl of Leven in Edinburgh, it was for a time known as the 25th (the Sussex) Regiment of Foot, and did not become a royal regiment:- the 25th(King's Own Border's) Regiment of Foot till l1805. So deep yellow, almost orange facings it is.
Many thanks again to all. Now to finish off the current project, before tackling the grenadiers.
Lightbob

A challenge indeed in small 54-60mm scale. Some larger figures already have the details moulded in place such as the superb DF Grieve 100mm Grenadier of the 1st Foot Guards which is about all I could tackle scale wise on such an involved piece of head wear.

Good luck with the project!
Gary

This may not help you, but I start with the choice of the figure. I have a good number of British grenadiers from the Seven Years War, in 54mm, and fortunately, the cap embroidery is sculpted on, which helps in painting those details. I haven't run across a figure without that detail sculpted on, myself.

Prost!
Brad