"We The People" (or AWI revisited)

I find myself taking "up arms against the King" in defence of his subjects against the misguided  
rule of administrators and beauracrats intent in lining their own pockets with the hard earned monies of loyal subjects. [Editor's note: It is early AWI.]

Until this injustice is resolved and his Majesty comes to his senses I am tasked with the destruction of a small fort, called George, and the capitulation of its garrison. The "operational committee game" will provide scenarios for "others" to tactically follow through with the "Higher Cmmand's" (three undiscovered great minds of the enlightenment) lofty instructions.

Naturally this means time to go straight up into the loft to the tin marked "AWI" which reveals the Perry AWI British Infantry project .. see previous AWI work.. only one of which is painted though (see below):

These being the "Badies" temptation rests on my shoulders to go get a box of "Goodies" but only if I complete the British Project first .. talk about carrot and stick.

AWI Brtish Infantry "Rethink and then Repose"

Well I have been looking at the Perry AWI British Infantry on my bathroom shelf (my prime 'painting project viewing' position, despite the wife's protestations) for quite a while now and I have come around to the unsavory conclusion that I did not like the back rankers "poses". They were a little too lackadaisical for my liking. A bit 'camp' Boy Scout not really meaning anything, just lumbering along holding a musket in one hand. Luckily the Perry box has a huge amount of variant poses, so after a few surgical 'arm breaking' they were recast with more menace (see below):

Looking at the spares still left in the box and I see that I can do the same again for the other regular line unit, maybe short by one pair of arms (the six lights in forage camp were already advancing menacingly). All-in-all still worth the faff for the end result, especially as I will have have to contend with Renko's elite 'well painted' troops when I finally get round to playing agame of Muskets and Tomahawks.

One Man in Red the rest in er, Grey?

The WIP "group photo" (see below):

The Airfix Grey Primer has been applied to all the "tri-corn" hats (14 lads in total, excluding the casualty figure)

British "Bob" (Part 4) Wait Until You See The Whites Of Their Eyes!

Facing front (see below):

Facing rear (see below)

Done (bar the basing)!

Notes to Self: 

The musket got the traditional three brown treatment (Vallejo Game Colour: Charred Brown shade, Beasty Brown base and Leather Brown highlight). I also painted his canteen strap (something the tutorial didn't do but was on the Perry's painting description) Vallejo Game Colour: Beasty Brown and highlighted with Leather Brown. The musket strap was painted Vallejo Game Colour: Stonewall Grey and highlighted Dead White.

I then used Anita's Acrylic "Metallic Black" (a versatile oily smearing colour) paint the musket, bayonet and where the buttons were (never done buttons before!). I used Vallejo Gun Metal for the metal bits. Now for a bit of Brass. The water bottle brass bits, the musket brass bits and the bayonet sheath. A tip here was to first paint the area with a mid-brown (Vallejo Game Colour Beasty Brown) then paint the metallic on top of that. Anita's Acrylic "Classic Gold" with a dab of Anita's Acrylic "Silver" to highlight was placed on these areas (including those pesky buttons).

Returning to the face I "dotted the whites of the eyes" (he is 28mm after all), Vallejo Game Colour: Dead White, Imperial Blue (Iris) and Black (Pupil) not that you would necessarily notice! Then a few touches of Vallejo Elf Skintone to highlight and touch up any mess.

Next Step(s): 

Now I have to figure ways in which to increase the production efficiency as I need to paint another sixteen figures for my basic "Muskets and Tomahawks" force but my current three hours a figure is not going to work! The timescale for this project is the end of February and I do have a life outside wargaming ;)
 
I do like the instructional videos from Wargames Strategy and Soldiers, I an eyeing up their "How to paint a British Cromwell Tank" next

British "Bob" (Part 3) Perry's AWI British Infantryman

Facing front (see below):

A look from the rear (see below):

I thought he was looking "too neat" in the trouser area so I gave him a Vallejo Brown (Umber Shade) Wash. Following the painting tutorial I gave "Bob" a "Royal Blue" set of facings (Vallejo Game Colour Imperial Blue, highlighted with Vallejo Game Colour Magic Blue) and trimmed with a bit of nice white lace (Vallejo Game Colour Dead White).

The cartridge box, water bottle, shoes, bayonet sheath and hat got a basic Vallejo Black. To this Vallejo Game Colour Stonewall Grey was mixed in and lightened with with for highlights. The bedroll on "Bob's" back started as base colour of Stonewall Grey and was lightened again with white. I put a little white lace trim on his hat to make him look the part.

Redcoat Tutorial
Currently 13:41 through the 17:13 video

That leaves the gun, buttons and small other shiny bits to contend with .. to be continued .. one more session I think. My only negative thought is that he looks to Xmas decoration Nut Cracker Suite and may need a matte varnish?    

British "Bob" (Part 2) Whites and Reds

Again trying to religiously follow the YouTube tutorial instructions, but subbing in equivalent paints from my collection, (for tutorial see previous post) the 'Whites and Red' were added. Though if I am honest, I am not sure I have mastered the layering of (diluted) white paint yet (in my case Vallejo Game Colours and Anita's Acrylic White) so I may fall back on another 'brown wash and then white highlight' to try and add some more depth and tone (see below):

The 'reds' were a three layer Vallejo Game Colour classic: shade (Gory Red), base (Bloody Red) and highlight (Hot Orange). So far I think he looks a tad bright (see below):  

The only other paint used was Vallejo Game Colour Bone White to differentiate the side slung linen bag from the white trousers, adding a touch of white for a tiny highlight. So far 09:15 minutes through the 17:13 minute total.

PS: For all WW2 fans I am itching to start putting together Matilda "number nine"

"British Bob" (Part 1) the Perry British AWI Figure is Primed and Ready to Undergo the YouTube "Painting Tutorial" (WS and S)

Primed with Airfix Matt Grey Primer (see below):

Painted up to the same level as the start of the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy painting tutorial on YouTube (see below):

Painted the flesh in my classic three tone (aka GW fantasy) schene using the Vallejo Game equivalents (Dark Fleshtone, Dwarf Skin, Umber Shade Wash, Dwarf Skin, Elf Skintone) and the hair white (Bonewhite and Dead White).

Note: This is my painting scheme, I intend to revisit the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy tutorials to see how they do "flesh"

This takes me to 2:57 of the 17:13 minute long video .. to be continued

AWI/FIW Painting Progress

The Perry British Infantry (AWI/FIW) are now all assembled, in a deeper project tin to accommodate the raised rifles (see below, Foxes biscuits if anybody was interested):

The final total in their "type" groupings:

Triangular Hat:

• 12 Line Infantry
• 1 Standard Bearer
• 1 Officer
• 1 Casualty

Cocked Hat:

• 12 Line Infantry
• 1 Standard Bearer
• 1 Officer
• 1 Casualty

Forage Cap:

• 6 Light Infantry
• 1 Sergeant

Mitre Hat:

• 1 Drummer

The Plan: 

Thirty seven of these figures stay in the 'new' Project Tin (the 'old' Project Tin now being full of spare parts and spare colour reference sheets) and go away into the loft (out of site out of mind of my wife). "British Bob" (see below) has been selected to get the full painting treatment as per the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy You Tube video. 

So "British Bob" goes into the current WIP Project Tin, alongside a 1/76 WWII Airfix British Matilda II tank.

Next: Out with the Airfix Primer Paint

British Perry AWI/FIW Redcoat: The First Dirty Dozen and Some (Assembled)

Tried my hand at assembling the Perry AWI British Infantry (see below, please excuse the long range shot):

Just under half-way through the packet. The idea being to base up two units of Regular Line (12 each) and one unit of Light Infantry (6), an Officer, a Drummer, Standard Bearers (2) and the two dead figures for casualty markers.

I have already "sinned" as I ignored the sage old advice of "always wash in soapy water" (which I might regret later) but intend to go straight to the Airfix #1 Grey Primer, then try to copy this excellent painting tutorial on You Tube:

You Tube AWI Video

If mine come out half as good I will be well happy!

Thoughts on a AWI Project (Part II): "The Slow Gathering of Hosts"- First Purchase, British Infantry

"These are not the Colonials you are looking for!", but I bought them anyway. Somebody else had snaffled the Mel Gibson lookalikes but thanks to Mark Urban's tome I had enough interest to put these in my shopping basket (see below):

The figures can be assembled in so many different variety of headgear a multitude of options exist, however on the back of the box it says these are "Centre Company" or "Hat Men". A closer look at the Perry's Web-Site mean revealed that the sexier stuff is available in metal (doubling the cost from £0.50 a figure to roughly £1.00), such as Mark Urban's 23rd Welch [sic] Fusiliers.

I shall try and steer away from the metal, but certain infantry troop types, cavalry and artillery will lure me there in due course ;)

Hmm, yes I seem to have been bitten by another "shiny madness bug"!

Thoughts on an AWI Project: Part I

Source of Inspiration:

Recently caught the last hour of Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" on television and was impressed with the look of the 'brown coated' militia and the blue-coated American militia in the battle scenes. That "twitchy painty" feeling started tingling in my bones. What to do? What to do? Wait and see if it passes? I can at least gather my thoughts ... and ask for advice from fellow bloggers.

Potential Rules: 
http://legio-wargames.com/#/loose-files-awi/4537113783
http://www.caliverbooks.com/Partizan%20Press/partizan_BG.shtml

28mm Figure Ranges: 
Perry's AWI Hard Plastics

Reference Material: 
Mark Urban's: Fusilier (reading at present)

References for other introductory books appreciated?