“A (sort of) roll of the die” (week 29)

As this was to be the last week before all hell breaks loose in the form of our “Forgotten Heroes” project, I have to admit I decided to cheat a bit when it came to this week’s painting as I didn’t want anything too complicated so I dug out my “Very British Civil War” list (or Merlin as I call it, for reasons best known only to myself), in the hope that I would get another group of policemen to paint. Well I got Policemen, but I also got the three horses that they are mounted on via a roll of thirteen on the old D20, so…

Box 13– (3x 28mm police cavalry including captain)

First job was to attack the “Dobbins” with the file as again they were horrendously swathed in “flash” then I marked out a “double” two pence oval onto some card and mounted them up, with an extra piece beneath the horses bases to add a little extra height. It was at this point that I realized I hadn’t taken a blooming “before” photo, so I did this next. You might notice from said photo that the captain figure doesn’t look exactly like a Police captain (well he doesn’t to me anyway), but I think I can live with it (I think this is just Irregular recycling figures from other ranges to be honest). Well next the bases were coated with a layer of “Tetrion” filler and the metal bases were blended away out to the edges of the cardboard. I decided to add a couple more beards to the two “bobbies” (the captain already had one), so it was out with a little greenstuff and some putty whiskers were slapped around their chops. Next the riders were perched (but not glued) on the horses and it was out for a spray coat of matt black, before the painting could begin properly.

Making sure the black undercoat completely covered the figures by going around the figures and touching them up with a brush, and then after propping them up with my “Christmas card” pegs I gave the policemen a heavy dry-brushing with some royal blue and for their mounts, I mixed some black with some chestnut and heavily dry-brushed these in the resultant dark red/brown as I wanted them a lot darker than the last batch. The reins and saddles came next these were painted with a mix of chocolate brown and black. Next I added their buttons, badges and dry-brushed their guns in chain-mail, I also did the horses bridles with this as well. I then did the blankets under their saddles in dark grey highlighted with light grey, I also added the dark red stripe on them, and I also did the bed rolls behind the officers and the second bedroll blanket at the front of captain’s saddle without the stripe. Staying with the horses I added a couple of forehead “blazes” and socks in coffee highlighted with cream as well as a couple of black and dark grey ones as well and while I had the black and grey out I did the packs and bags on the saddles along with the belts, gloves and pouches on the officers themselves. The chocolate brown came back out then and the stocks of the policemen’s rifles were painted in this, then highlighted with butternut. Flesh next an undercoat of Continental flesh was used as a basecoat for this and after the eyes were added a mix of the same and pale flesh was used as a highlight to these areas. Their hair and beards were them painted chocolate brown and then highlighted with chestnut brown. Then it was just a tidy up of the boots that had been scratched by the pegs with a little black, that was then highlighted with dark grey, I then added the stirrups with a bit more of the black/ chocolate brown mix and a little touch of chainmail. And they were ready to be glued into place and for their date with the “Quickshade”.

Basing of course came next the bases were painted up in my normal colours of chocolate brown, with khaki and coffee dry-brushing, then some areas painted grass green and flocked. The whole lot were then sprayed with a coat of (not! Sorry) matt varnish and they were ready to join their fellow constables (and I was ready for “Forgotten Heroes” to start!).

Till next week, cheers Roger.