Test painted some 10mm figures

[vcina]

In trying to up my production level for my current project I tried out three different painting methods on some 10mm figures.  Click on the link and see the results.

https://operationwargaming.blogspot.com/2017/10/some-test-painting-on-10mm-figures.html

[DintheDin]

I vote for the third method.
I've painted thousands of 10mm for ACW.
The method I used to speed up the process was to repeatedly paint the same posture, so that the brush movement became mechanical almost "blind". But here your figs come in strips, mine were individually based. I used to alternate water based paints with painters' oils slightly diluted when needed with natural turpentine. For instance, I was painting the coat with water based color, and, before it to be completely dry, I was making the belts (or the horse harness etc) with oil color (the fluidity of honey). With a little care, no color leaking to undesirable places 
Second thought was not to deal much with details at the back side of the front rank figures, as the second rank in these dimensions gets too close.
Making a good bunch of the main bulk figs before moving to a special (e.g. guards) unit I should deal with many details, ornaments etc. Just one or two to break the monotony, then back to the main bulk. But never finish the important units first, then you will be easily bored... Example: Make two battalions, then one cannon and one command element, then two more battalions etc.
As the scale is small, try to take a look at your finished unit on the table, while standing up, as when you are playing. Does it look good? If no, take adequate measures 
Care should be given to: hats, drums, flags. Especially the last!
Hope I helped a little bit. Good luck to your project!   

[vcina]

That's an interesting technique of using both oils and acrylics.  Doesn't the drying time between the two make it difficult to move on to the next step?

[DintheDin]

First of all, I was making batches of approx 50 figures, so there was some time for -especially- the water based paints to dry.
Oils take much much longer, of course, but in times of great hurry I had found a substance used for canvas oil paints, the form of a semi-transparent ointment, which, mixed with oil paint was accelerating the drying time.
Unfortunately, I dont remember the brand 
An advantage of alternating oils and acrylics is that the one substance is hydrophobic and the other hydrophilic, so, with careful strokes you risk not the danger of one color leaking into another. It is a matter of personal experimentation, of course.
One more trick I found, was that you can mix a small quantity of canvas oil paints with enamels, so that enamel paint takes a bit longer to dry. This helps painting horses, at the points where you'd like to make black socks on brown leg, the colors blend nicely to each other.   

[vcina]

I'm going to have to try that.

[DintheDin]

The paints I used were Vallejo, Humbrol, Molac and some good brand of painters oils, just the basic colors: Black, White, Red, Blue, Yellow plus one Ochre and a Red Brown for horses.
The turpentine I used as thinners for the oils was natural (pine) turpentine. It has a strong smell, I don't suggest you work with it in a small closed room, the smell will be permanent - with subsequent trouble with anyone living with you  .
Some chemical turpentines (odorless more or less) I found they are not so friendly with oils, some of them "attack" the paint, making agglomerations of the paint grain.