Napoleonic Wargaming—Painting French

A First Glance

An gaggle of Grognards, Old Guard Grenadier ready for a primer coat.

15mm Old Guard Grenadiers newly mounted on painting caps

I like a tan shade with a lot of tooth.  Krylon™ matte tan primer fits the bill; will not obliterate details at 15mm-18mm; covers well with thin (really thin) application; has a quick nearly odorless dry.  I have to admit, the details on a mini are the main reason I choose one over another producer.

After a long session of painting straps, webbing, and various accoutrements, I will happily paint a battalion in great coats and shako covers. My collection has minis from several producers.

I enjoy the firing pose with fixed bayonet ready-for-action.

Very detailed for a 15mm mini

This mini is incomplete at this time. It is my study for blocking in the painting. I paint in assembly line fashion with ‘uniform’ armies like the French of Napoleon, King George’s Loyal Army, and Romans.

The remaining battalion await en billet for their turns under the lights.

And a back view; see how thin I primed this mini; note the bottle cap for the evidence.

Part of the technique calls for patience to add several thin layers of color. Smooth paint mixing is another quirky skill I am trying to master. Then the illusion of light with shadows and brightness must be natural for the mini otherwise I turn out a ‘painterly’ product with a tinge of the ‘artificial’ look I try to avoid.

I like hints of shadow over against something ‘staged’ mainly because I am not very proficient at painting, yet.

Bon chance!