@Melnibonean: Thanks, ha very understandable. I've found a lot of people go for a very clean finish on historicals which surprises me a bit. Maybe my perception's just warped from the grimdark of GW. The skin tones were easy to do really, just a blended progression from citadel tanned flesh > dwarf flesh > bleached bone with some tanned flesh shading at the end.
@Captain Blood & Phil Robinson: Cheers chaps, however I've got to come clean in that I did no conversion work to the shields at all; the kit comes that way with damaged shields.