Paint less, rub more

Mitchell you are a genius!

This post is about changes to how I will paint. These 13th Polish hussars, painted under the previous regime, have had the base coat applied and are ready for black wash highlights/details and then varnish. They are about as good as I can do.

I have not been this excited about painting since the first time that I painted figures as a young fella and marvelled at them 'coming to life' with each added colour. So excited in fact that I have felt compelled to stop painting and to post about it.

After Mitch, this fella was the genesis of all this. You see a poorly painted figure (if you can seen anything at all in the top photo thanks to be choosing a textured backdrop!), I see blue that was easy to apply and the first details (crimson) that were easy to pick out.

It came about because of a wonderful discussion that Mitch and I had after the game last weekend, when everyone else had left (except Steve W. who quickly became bored with our conversation and left the room!). It was one of those indulgent, endless discussions that wargamers can have about figures, collections, painting, conversions, uniforms and so forth.

On the subject of painting, and hearing about how many figures I (still) aim to get done before I can paint no more, Mitch suggested, as he has once previously, that I adopt his inking approach. I said that I did not think it was for me. While I love his painting and think his figures look excellent, the brightness of the inks does not suit my eye/bias. Crucially, I asked him to show me exactly what he does. Just as well. I thought that I understood, but it turned out that I did not!

He described the process and then showed me a figure that had been undercoated, dry-brushed grey and then dry-brushed white. After this he simply applies ink to the relevant parts of the uniform, the ink settles in the lower sections, raised sections remain and instant highlights and shading result. Inking is a quick process and one does not have to worry too much about missed bits as they are covered by the shading/lining effect of the undercoat/dry-brushing. There are always a few touch-ups required, of course, to sort out overlaps or crucial missed bits.

It is marvellously simple and ingenious.

You clever painters will no doubt be well aware of this already. "Everyone uses it now," Mitch said, "I should have copyrighted it when I started doing it twenty years ago!" Whatever the veracity if that statement, it is a beaut and elegant method and he has been painting that way for ages. "Still, not for me," I said "as I don't like the colouring of the inks."

Then I slept on it.

I have not changed the way that I paint in over 30 years. I was introduced to the idea of an undercoat, base coat, dry brush technique by Marcus, an artist fellow at the wargame club in Perth. Naturally, he produced absolutely sensational looking figures. Painting figures is an easy bit of colouring in compared with actual painting. I could never emulate him but the approach was one that I really liked.

I have tweaked it a bit over the years, and it now consists of undercoat, base coat, black wash and then highlights (rather than dry brushing). The only real change was when I was made aware of Paynes' grey# as an undercoat in place of black. What a ripper colour it is. Beaut for mixing too; especially skin tones.

I have always painted slowly. My approach, with its double handling does not help this, but I could not see my way past it as it gives a look that I like and enables me to paint to the best of my limited ability.

Thinking further about what Mitch had said and shown me I thought, "What if I add in the dry brushing? This should help to lighten my figures [which tend to be dark, even after highlighting], may make applying the base coat easier, will help with the application of the always fiddly and time-consuming 'white bits' and may even obviate the need for highlighting." Worth a go for sure.

I considered that the Polish cavalry that I am finishing off were to advanced to try it, so I would have to wait until I get to the infantry. I was sorting through the Polish infantry this morning and found a dismounted Polish general that I had missed. Better chuck him in with the cavalry, artillery and generals that I am painting. Hang on. What if I have a go at that dry brushing post-undercoat thing?

Some figures representing the 3rd uhlans, done in the old style. These are towards the end of the base coat stage.

I did, then applied some blue to his coat (even used a bit of ink that I have, just to see) and I liked the effect. So, I slapped on some dry brushed grey and white to figures I have to represent the 9th, 12th, 15th and 16th Polish uhlan regiments that are a bit behind the others in the production line. They still need their blue coats, shabraques and such done (let alone all the other bits). Happy with the aforementioned officer, I duly applied blue to them. Oh yeah. So much easier, looks much better. This is good.

Figures representing the 16th uhlans with grey then white 'rubbed' on.

Figures representing the 9th uhlans with blue plus some details added; new method to left, old to right.

Figures representing the 12th uhlans with blue applied post-dry brushing.

The same figures at left, plus two representing the 15th uhlans to their right, one of whom has some details of the cramoisi facings added.

Thanks Mitch!

The idea of 'tricking the eye' when painting was pointed out to me several years back. The best that I have achieved has been the 'free' black lining that results from undercoating with Payne's grey. This 'new' approach takes this up a notch or three. You only need to paint the main areas. Any missed bits are shaded beautifully by the combination of the Payne's grey, grey and white. The dry brushing 'lifts' the detail making it easier to paint and, in turn, requiring less paint to be applied. 

I am now wishing that I had not progressed so many of my figures to 1/2–7/8ths completed!

I was already feeling reasonably confident that I'd be able to make serious inroads into the masses of figures that I wanna paint, but that confidence has now doubled.

I 'hatched' a new plan (for myself), to the ever-changing order that I reckon I'll paint figures. I have decided to make my next batch a combination of sufficient Polish infantry, Saxons and Austrians to have a go at a game of Raszyn with brigade-scale rules.

L'affaire d'un déjeuner are 'simple rules for games of the black powder period 18th–19th centuries'. They were initially conceived for brigade scale (around 1 000 infantry and 500 cavalry per base) and published in Vae Victis no. 138 over just three pages of the magazine (including photos and tables). They have since been expanded** to four pages of text plus a one-page quick reference sheet and a sheet of some markers (available as a free download to Vae Victis 158) and include suggestions for regimental and even battalion scales. I suspect that brigade remains the 'sweet spot' for such a simple system and that's what I'll be trying in due course. There are reports of several games on 'Borodino's superb Un Soixante-Douze blog.

(**The 'expansion' added more detail to the text, but did not change the rules.)

I am also sufficiently confident of my future production of painted units that I can 'reveal' this:

The situation and the equations

Proportion of figures currently painted 10%

Annual painting output required if have;

• 20 years (unlikely) — 2 965 figures

• 15 years — 3 953 figures

• 10 years — 5 930 figures

Better get me skates on!!

#Addendum—Payne's Grey

Jackson's (UK), the arts supplier, has an article about Payne' s grey on the web blog. I have copied the first few paragraphs below.

Payne’s Grey is made up of a mixture of pigments that combine to make an alternative to black. It is usually very dark in masstone, and reveals very blue undertones when diluted. Payne’s Grey can be found in almost every oil, acrylic and watercolour range – proof of its popularity. This article explores where the colour originated, and how it can be used in the palette.

The History of Payne’s Grey

Payne’s Grey was created by the British painter William Payne. William Payne was born in Exeter, Devon, in 1760 and found acclaim in London as a watercolour tutor. Along with the creation of Payne’s Grey, he is also credited with the technique of splitting a wet brush to make different marks for foliage, and using the side of a dry brush to make rock-like textures in the foreground (perhaps we can think of him as an 18th century Bob Ross?). He was criticised by the ‘serious’ painters of the time for apparently reducing painting to a step-by-step, easy-to-use approach. It should be noted, however, that his mark-making methods were not new. Chinese landscape painters were certainly using these techniques with their brushes in the 15th century, if not long before.

His primary legacy, however, is the colour Payne’s Grey. It is a deep, stormy grey with a distinctly blue undertone. The ‘original’ colour, used by Payne himself, appears to have been a mixture of Prussian Blue (some sources say it was Indigo), Yellow Ochre, and Crimson Lake.

His paintings may not be well-known today, but it’s interesting to reflect on the legacy that this British painter continues to have. The vast majority of watercolour, oil, and acrylic ranges carry Payne’s Grey, evidence of its continued demand. Today, a ready-mixed Payne’s grey varies from range to range, so its hue is not consistent across brands.