Speed Painting

I decided to tackle an experimental project I've been considering for some time.  I wanted to try painting figures on the sprue prior to assembly.  This allows for a lot more airbrush work and faster painting.  The big question I had was, "how bad would the final product look?"

I decided to start small and paint a sprue of Warlord U.S. Infantry and a sprue of U.S. weapons.  This results in five figures and a lot of extra arms, heads, weapons, kit, etc.

In the end, the five figures took 2.5 hours to paint, assemble, and base.  I think adding a few more sprues will take advantage of the economy of scale, and my estimate is 20 figures in 5 to 6 hours.  That will be the next experiment.

I started by painting uniforms, heads, arms, and hands.  The paints used are all Vallejo model color except as noted, and I used a Grex airbrush with a 0.3 mm needle for all the airbrush work.

Colors used:
Trousers: 873 US Field Drab
Jackets and Anklets: 988 Khaki
Boots: 984 Flat Brown
Backpacks, webbing, and pouches: 886 Green Grey
Helmets: 887 Brown Violet
Rifles: 875 Beige Brown and P3's Pig Iron

Painting Uniforms

Rifle base color

Back packs, webbing, shovels

I mounted the legs/torsos to their bases, and at that point, I hand painted all the straps and boots.  The rest of the uniforms had already been airbrushed.

The metallic parts of the rifles were painted by hand while still on the sprue.  Sorry for no pictures of those two steps.

I then assembled the figures and found very few places that needed any hand painted touchups.

I decided to use Army Painter Strong Tone Dip to provide the shading to keep with the theme of speed painting.

Painted and assembled

The dip was allowed to dry overnight, and then the I based the figures.

Below are the finished figures.  I think, considering the method used, they came out pretty well.  They pass the 3-foot, tabletop test.

Rubicon Crusader

I recently finished the Rubicon A15 Crusader, and I'm very pleased with the detail and versatility of the kit.  It went together very nicely, and with a little bit of ingenuity, I was able to create two unique versions of the Crusader from the box.

Great kit that assembled very easily with little clean up.

Using some InstantMold, I cast an extra turret box.

Original and green stuff casting

The second turret box allowed me to build two complete turrets of the Crusader

Although it can't be seen, I added a magnet under the one hatch to allow the secondary turret to be added to represent the additional weapon.  

 Some finished shots below.  I added an antenna with the pennants showing the color/order of the day.

Warlord LRDG Truck

I completed the Warlord LRDG Truck - photos highlight the layering and shading of the monochrome paint scheme and culminate with some dusty weathering.  This is a fantastic kit with a good deal of detail, and the cargo provides for some variety of materials and colors to give the model unique desert character.

The metal and resin kit went together well, with little clean up.

Base colors added with some fading - work on the figures underway

Figure base colors complete and ready for shading and highlighting

Figures complete

 I failed to take more interim photos, but below is the "walk around" of the final piece.  Note the sun fading on the metal surfaces and areas where the blowing sand has rubbed away all the paint.

German Gallery in 28 mm

My great friend, John E of Herr Brush (https://herrbrush.wordpress.com), took some outstanding photos of some of my German collection.  Below are some of the highlights.  Enjoy.

Battlemarkers

I wanted to give you a quick review of my new Battlemarkers for Bolt Action. These custom pin markers and turn counters are fantastic!  I ordered 30 German and 30 Soviet pin markers and a turn marker set two days ago. They shipped right away and arrived today.

They are a great size to see on the tabletop and easy to pick up. I never realized how hard it was to pick up my previous, flat pin markers, until I tried these. The Battlemarkers have a kind of lip to them that makes them so easy to handle. 

Battlemarkers has a huge variety of nationalities on the markers, and I know I'll be buying more sets for my armies. 

I truly recommend these markers. Check them out at http://battlemarkers.com

Note: some people always ask if I'm reviewing a product I was given for free in exchange for a favorable review. This is not the case.  I purchased these at retail price, and this is an honest review and not a "review for product" exchange. 

Warlord German Heer Heavy Mortar

I finished the Warlord German Heer Heavy Mortar. This is a great model with excellent metal sculpts.

Two figures are in splinter camo. 

Warlord Nebelwerfer Finished

Below are some photos of my finished Warlord Nebelwerfer in 28 mm.  This was a great model to assemble, with plenty if detail to paint. I chose to paint two figures in pea dot and one in oak leaf camo.

Enjoy. Thanks for looking.