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I am busy finishing off the prepping and basing of my new Aventine Republican Romans right now. But I thought I would take a few moments to try out a test figure. You see I’m not going to paint these wargames figures as I normally would do.
Now I do love how they turn out doing this, but it’s just too slow. I want to get these Romans looking nice but on the table as well. Conquering is what they’re for my friends!
I am intrigued by the old dipping technique. I am a member on the Warlord forums (Link now removed as Warlord have closed them unfortunately) so I see a lot of the Army Painter painting technique. But at nearly £20 a shot I am dubious despite reassurances. So I have gone back to the roots of this technique and am experimenting with cheaper alternatives.
For this figure I used a Walnut Ronseal wood stain. Now the good thing about this is that it does take to some diluting with water and washes out with soapy water. It makes it a bit easier on the old brushes, even though I am using old ones. Add a little flow enhancer and Bob’s your Uncle. I also will be brush it on in the old Brut 33 ‘Splash it all over” technique (You probably have to be from mthe UK and over 30 to get this and remember Henry Coopers advert for this aftershave and the catchphrase)
So here are the basecoat paints I used on this Aventine Hastati:
Tunic – Foundry Base Sand C
Bronze – Foundry Gun Barrel Bronze C
Flesh – GW Bronzed Flesh
Belts, scabbard, sandals and leather – GW Vermin Brown
Pilum tip and scabbard – Foundry Chainmail Steel C
Pilum wooden shaft – Foundry Spearstaff Brown C
I then splashed the ‘dip’ or ‘Magic Wash’ as it’s sometimes know, all over. When it was dry I matt varnished it with a Windsor & Newton Artists Acrylic Matt Varnish.
Final touches were add by retouching the bronze, flesh and sand on the tunic. These pictures are a little dak as just quick snaps done with my mobile
Better pictures this time with my camera and had a chance to put the eyes in. But still have to do his teeth. That’s the great detail you get on these figures
I actually quite like this. It has turned out a lot better than expected and I can really see this as being quite effective en masse. I have lost my fear now and will be diving headlong into the rest of the figures, doing 24 at a time. So all the Hastati first, then the Prinicipes and finally the Triarii. I have learnt some lessons but I am hugely looking forward to trying to finish them all on time.
