F&IW Rangers Painting Guide from Galloping Major

[Galloping Major]

For those who have read or downloaded the painting guide for Rangers (and for those who haven't yet) I've added more information about the appearance of Putnam's Connecticut Rangers at the end of the guide. 

Command packs should be available in January (for more info see Studio page of the website).

www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[axabrax]

This is great, but it would be even better if you added a table for each school of rangers that referenced a piece of clothing or equipment and then listed the appropriate color.  If you really wanted to focus on the painting aspect even more, you could even suggest a color from one of the more common paint sets. It would be nice to see a step by step painting article as well.

Thanks much.

Steve

[Galloping Major]

This is great, but it would be even better if you added a table for each school of rangers that referenced a piece of clothing or equipment and then listed the appropriate color.  If you really wanted to focus on the painting aspect even more, you could even suggest a color from one of the more common paint sets. It would be nice to see a step by step painting article as well.

Thanks much.

Steve

Hi Steve, glad you like the guides so far. Re a table of colours, I think as a resource it could possibly become misleadingly 'uniform' in the case of Rangers, where I've tried to supply as much as I can of the available information to paint up realistically presented units of rangers for customers' collections. Clothing issues changed, varied, were replaced and often, especially early in the war, for some units just didn't happen. What we have is what we can be pretty sure they are likely to have worn at a particular time, which I've illustrated in some cases with painted figures. When it comes to regulars for both sides, and provincials, that's where I think I may more closely take up your first suggestion.  

At the head of the Painting Guides page I put the following:
"Our painting guides are designed to pass on the information required to enable you to confidently get on with painting your Galloping Major figures, with the minimum amount of time lost in searching out the details. They are not step by step guides, most of us (wargamers and collectors) already have our prefered painting styles, if enough interest is shown, we'll be happy to produce specific staged guides later."

Actually, I quite fancy doing some "step by step" guides when time allows - and if I think there might be enough interest - so your feedback is particularly helpful, and if supported, may just nudge me into doing something about it  
Perhaps I could start by listing some of the colours I've used to paint my own figures that appear on the website, with suggestions for alternatives from other ranges where appropriate.

Meanwhile, back to the sculpting.  

Cheers,
Lance

www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[fergal]

Major,

I understand your hesitance to lead people to creating "uniform" troops in the case of rangers and indians.  I also think you are right that most experienced 28mm painters have their own preferred method of painting style.  But let me throw this at you, they most likely also have a preferred manufacturer by now as well. 

If you want to capture new people to your range (and maybe new to this scale) the more guidance you give them the better.  I'm very confident with 6mm troops, all I need is a uniform plate for a new period and I instantly know, what colors I will use, what uniform details I will accent, and what color I will base coat.  I've been painting them for five years straight.

I found your site BECAUSE of the painting guides, and placed a nice sized order directly related to the content you have posted on the site.  That's the nature of the internet and something many old school folks in the hobby haven't nailed yet.  What if you had the best (most likely only) step by step painting guide for native americans and rangers on the net.  Then every time someone asks on a forum, "How do I paint...." someone linked to your site and the 130 or so people that read that thread are lead to your site, exactly the way I was.

If you don't have time to do it, find some aspiring young painting service, one of the many one man jobbies out there, but one with a blog who's rather well written and a ship them a few free figs and have them whip up a painting guide.  Pop it on the site and link to them as payment for the job, both of you are winners.

I didn't know a thing about 15mm WW2, but after visiting the Battlefront website (weather you play their rules or not) you will find exactly what you need to paint infantry, tanks or whatever, and that "STORE" button is always there waiting for you.  They made it sooo easy for me to spend hundreds of dollars with them a few years ago and paint them up confidently.

The next time someone asks on a forum, "how do you paint those white French uniforms?"  There could be a link to your site and a new sale waiting.  After all, they are beautiful figures.

[Galloping Major]

Fergal - a good point, well made 


www.gallopingmajorwargames.com