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Post by wingman on Nov 25, 2018 0:28:10 GMT
Title says it all. Thanks for any input. I am painting 28mm Norman infantry at the moment, but the question could apply to all shield-armed Dark Ages/Medieval troops. Clay |
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Post by jim1973 on Nov 25, 2018 2:26:12 GMT
Personally, I paint them "wood", i.e. whatever my choice for wood is at that time.
Cheers
Jim
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 25, 2018 7:40:03 GMT
I generally paint them brown or black - to indicate shade.
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Post by Haardrada on Nov 25, 2018 10:19:17 GMT
I still paint using acrylics and enamels and usually use Humbrol Matt 110 for the backs of shields over a black undercoat.
I might be in a minority but I glue the shields onto the figures first and then paint.In this way I'm sort of high/low lighting the figures before I dry brush white over the figure before I varnish with a touch of nuln oil in lamian medium (citadel paints)...a couple of layers gives the lived in,dulled look I like (I personally don't like figures to look like they are on the parade ground, but more like they have been campaigning for weeks).I'm not anywhere near the standard of some painters but I generally like what I manage.😊
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 25, 2018 12:42:02 GMT
I don’t have a problem with shields when they are moulded on and until I started some Polybian Romans last year all my figures did have shields attached. However, the Xyston Polybian Romans haver seperatr shields. I have the LBMS decals. I have painted the figures.........and then because of the separate shields I lost my mojo and still haven’t finished the poor old Polybians. I wish I’d glued theshielsa on first now.
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Post by wingman on Nov 25, 2018 17:19:53 GMT
I hate glueing ANYTHING on 15mm figures.
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Post by davidjconstable on Nov 25, 2018 19:10:41 GMT
They are probably mostly wood on the backs.
Three exceptions I know which used red backs are Spartans, Republican Romans and Han Chinese.
The first two are mentioned in historical sources to hide blood, so a darkish red, Han probably a darkish red which might be lacquer.
There are odd occasions when leather on the front and backs are mentioned, so leather covered shields are probably the same colour front and back.
David Constable
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Post by goragrad on Nov 26, 2018 23:24:04 GMT
As others have posted, shades of brown other than Romans.
Will have to remember the red for the Han as well for the batch of SP I just primed.
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Post by davidjconstable on Nov 27, 2018 11:38:36 GMT
As others have posted, shades of brown other than Romans. Will have to remember the red for the Han as well for the batch of SP I just primed. The Han used red on spears, bows and crossbows as well if I remember correctly, it made a colourful army. So possibly all wood?
David Constable
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Post by wyvern on Nov 27, 2018 21:48:41 GMT
I paint mine a chocolate brown, which is what Javier Gomez's book "Painting Wargaming Figures" recommends.
Darn it I didn't know that the backs of Republican Romans shields were red, I'm not repainting them now!
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Post by davidjconstable on Nov 29, 2018 6:46:20 GMT
Yes, it is mentioned in one of the sources on battles in Spain, it mirrors Spartan, so possibly iffy, it would also imply a red tunic as there is no point in having the shield red with a white tunic.
David Constable
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Post by goragrad on Nov 29, 2018 9:57:06 GMT
I hadn't seen that bit about the Han spears and crossbows, David. Looks like there will be some additional points of difference with the latest additions to the ranks.
And among other sources the dust jacket of the Amour of Imperial Rome and my Ospreys extend the use of red for shield backs, weapon shafts, and bows from Republican times to the Late Empire. That is how my Romans are painted.
Mayhap that semi-mythical Han expedition to the West did make some contact...
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Post by davidjconstable on Nov 29, 2018 19:11:19 GMT
History and myth are a mixture, some truth in both, but both usually rely on second hand information.
If a diplomat went West and met Romans in the middle East would it be with an escort of 200 or an army of 20,000?
In WW2 every German tank is a Tiger, even the smallest SP, and that is based on eyewitness accounts.
So we have to interpret things and guess for the rest. I have a horrible feeling that an awful lot of what we think we know, is actually wrong.
David Constable
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Post by Commiades on Dec 3, 2018 20:41:49 GMT
Personally, I paint them "wood", i.e. whatever my choice for wood is at that time. Cheers Jim That's my approach too. I think anything too bright is likely to be distracting, even if it might be historical. |
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