Glory Hallelujah

I have for some time wanted to paint a unit to portray the 54th Massachusetts. I love Glory and have always admired the jobs done by Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. It's a miracle I ever got around to finishing these because the molds by Redoubt Miniatures are the worst I've ever painted and more than once in the early stages I about gave up on them. As bad as they are, I'm fairly happy with how they turned out. I'm now working on two more stands and have enough still needing primer to give me a grand total of about ten stands eventually.

25mm Infantry Tutorial Pt. 5

Well, I've nearly completed this very large batch of infantry. I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that I will not attempt a batch this large again as I get too bored. However, when all said and done I will have knocked out about 35 bases of infantry (or 70 for RF&F if I halve them).

Reb coats and trousers get a hap-hazard mix of grays, blues, grey-blues, grey-browns, and even some grey-greens, tans, and butternuts. Most of these except officers and color bearers are washed. Blanket rolls are primarily varied shades of tan and gray, and blue with a few reds and patterns thrown in for good measure. Most are two-shaded. Haversacks are a mix of the tarred black and off-white to dark tan canvas. Canteens are a mix of blues, tans, grays, and browns. Some packs and leather are left black, some are shades of brown. Paints are varied but primarily Ceramcoat and Vallejo. Flags are GMBs (the best in my opinion - I can't wait to get my hands on a set for the 14th Brooklyn I have on the way).  Stay tuned for a final installment.

ACW Project Pt. 4

I have been able to get a fair amount of work done this weekend on this project (I usually ramp things up when I near the finish line).  Short of flock, my Union army is now ten bases stronger.  Most of these are the remainder of my Sash & Saber regimental pack (RUS1 right shoulder shift).  The rest are a mix of Redoubt, Dixon, and Foundry.  It's a bit tough to notice in the picks, but I like to mix a little pure white with GW's Mithril to hit the top of the bayonets to give an effect of sun glinting off off them. Next up will be finishing about 80 Rebs.

On a side note, I am pretty excited about the upcoming fall. In September I will be visiting Gettysburg for the first time since I was 5 or 6 years old. In November I will be visiting Antietam for the second time as well. We have reserved Randy Buchman for our tour guide at Antietam for the second time as well. If you ever have a chance to visit the park, Mr. Buchman is highly recommended.

ACW Project Pt. 3

It has been some time now since my last post and this project has been moving much slower than expected.  Summer activities and an impending move has and will continue to hamper my progress. Since last time I have been able to get all trousers and jackets/shirts painted. Union jackets got the same two shade their kepis received. Most Reb jackets got washed. All trousers got washed too.

At this point I have decided to shift gears and complete all Union troops (including basing) and move back and finish all Rebels.  I have completed socks/gaiters, canteens, blanket rolls and have began drybrushing muskets and cups with GW's Mithril Silver.  Musket stocks will be a mix of 2 or 3 different browns.

ACW Project Pt.2

After dry-brushing all the black and most of the brown leather equipment, I have moved on to hats and kepis. I am starting to use the dry-brushing method more and more the better I get at it. In addition, it saves a lot of time over the two and three shade methods. Next up trousers and jackets/coats.

ACW Project Update

Since my gaming is going to be very limited for the next few months due to Thursday night swim meets, I am going to be limited to posts on what should shape up to be a several-month ACW painting project (and maybe an occasional post on terrain).

I have quite an eclectic mix of minis that will end up ordinary, rank and file infantry - about 60 - 70  Rebs and about 40 Fed. With my 40x40 infantry bases holding 4 minis (some 3 including a lying casualty), this will add between 28 and 30 bases to my armies, or close to 6 regiments worth. The lion's share are Sash and Saber with an even mix of Dixon, Redoubt, and Foundry...and one Essex I found in a box thrown in for good measure. Once primed in black (cheap Wally World or Home Depot for me), I slap on a base coat of flesh.  Since I like a bit of variety, I use all kinds of base coats with Foundry Flesh 5A getting the most work.

After each gets its base coat, I use a single highlight color (again, a lot of variety). For personalities I will spend more time by using a three-shade method.

Once highlights are completed, I give every model a splash of Citadel Brown Sepia wash (I think they now call their washes shades) over the flesh. In my opinion, this blends the shades a bit for a nice look. Then it's on to hair where I do everything from blonde to gray to black.  Except for black where I simply give a light drybrush of white right over the black prime, I use a 00 brush to pick at (for lack of a better phrase) the hair so to leave some of the black prime for shade. At this point I give a select few eyes (all Dixons and some Foundrys).

After all flesh is completed, I start drybrushing packs, brogans, belts, ammo pouches, cap boxes, etc. that will remain black with a very very light dusting of Delta Ceramcoat Hippo Gray.  I like it for bringing out the highlights of the leather.  Here is the rear of a batch of Sash & Saber Union infantry.

Following this, I do the same thing with items that will remain some shade of brown (primarily Rebel leather goods), but I will brush it on a little harder so it's apparent the color of the item is brown, but with a nice weathered look.  I do this with many Reb hats too.

I am starting to take more and more advantage of drybrushing, as for me it leaves a nice look on some items (primarily leather and reb hats) and it goes a lot faster than 2-shading. I like my infantry to get finished fast without sacrificing too much quality.

Here are a few more pics of the batch.

Mounted ACW Personalities

I recently finished up some generals I'd been putting off doing because I loath painting horses. They are a mix of Dixon and Redoubt. I've expressed my dissatisfaction with the quality of Redoubt and these did nothing to change my opinion.  Most of the horse castings were just flat out bad and the riders were not much better, however, they are an improvement over some of the infantry and dismounted cavalry I've painted. I really hope Redoubt gets their molds cleaned up, as I believe they could have some nice stuff if they do.  What bothers me most is the condition they sent this stuff out in.

The Dixons, while they look like...well, Dixons, are fun to paint and in my opinion are very clean castings.  

Major General George Pickett

Lieutenant General A.P. Hill

Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest

General U.S. Grant

Major General John Buford

Major General John Reynolds

Major General William Tecumseh Sherman

Faugh a Ballagh

When I jumped into painting little lead men I decided I would eventually have to add at least a few regiments of the Irish Brigade to my collection. Well, here are the 69th and 88th NY. I figured from the get-go I'd model them after the ill-fated assault on the stone wall defended by the 24th Georgia at Fredricksburg.  At first I had a tough time finding a line that carried infantry in greatcoats.  I stumbled across Dixon first and then Redoubt.  Looking back I wish I had gotten my hands on some Foundrys instead of the Redoubts.  I have never been as disappointed in a pack of minis as these Redoubts.  The castings are absolutely horrible and it was a real grind to finish them .  On the other hand, the Dixons do have a funny look to them, but the castings are always as clean as any and are a cinch to paint.  As for the flags, in my opinion there are none finer than GMBs.  Not only are they beautiful, but Graham offers a zillion different ones.  First rate all the way.  The Body's Banners are quite nice too.  I will probably paint up a few more eventually along with a command stand for the 63rd NY.

Redoubt

 

 Broken scabbard means break out the styrene

Dixon