Back to Africa - Ngoni

[Plynkes]

It's been a while, but here's a few more. Mostly married henpecked husbands this time...







I love painting these guys. It is always a rewarding experience, they never give me any shit and somehow come out looking like they were painted by someone better at painting than me. Just need to perfect my shields. Improving all the time but still not quite 100% satisfied.  I'm seriously considering giving up on all minis except Copplestone Ngoni. Just create a massive army and use it as a proxy force for all games. Everything from Battletech to the Boyne. 

[d phipps]

Very nice work! I wish mine had turned out so good.   

[RJ]

Threse are really special, very very nice 

I like the skin tone you have achieved, would you mind sharing your recipe please?

[Calimero]

Real nice indeed! 
Also, I like the shields, I can't see nothing wrong with them...

[Ray Rivers]

 

Nice native dudes!

I should think if you paint up a gigantic army of Ngoni... you shall never want for an opponent to play. 

[Plynkes]

Thanks, fellas.

Also, I like the shields, I can't see nothing wrong with them...

Oh, I like them too. I'm being hyper-critical. There's just one tiny little thing. My lightly-coloured shields with dark straps always come out looking more messy than my dark shields with light straps. It's a very minor thing and not too noticeable on these pics; but it still bugs me a tiny bit so it's something I need to work on.

I like the skin tone you have achieved, would you mind sharing your recipe please?

Sure, mate. I used the same colours as on the first batch (though they didn't turn out quite the same - that's just me), and the recipe is on Page One of this thread. As you asked nicely here it is again:


It goes like this: Black undercoat. Then Coat D'Arms Negro as the base colour (this will be the darkest shade in the recesses, I work up from there). Then Negro + GW Dark Flesh (adds a bit of colour, a bit of life, if you will) + GW Snakebite Leather + GW Bronzed Flesh.

I just add lots of layers (each covering a little less area than the one before), without really bothering to blend, unless I spot a particularly jarring break between shades due to laziness or ineptitude. As more highlight layers get added the mix contains more of the last two colours and less of the first two.

I've yet to find anything I like that comes straight out of the pot, hence the convoluted process above. Be nice if I could do it with less than four pots, but I ain't got there yet! 

[Gluteus Maximus]

I'm being hyper-critical. There's just one tiny little thing. My lightly-coloured shields with dark straps always come out looking more messy than my dark shields with light straps. It's a very minor thing and not too noticeable on these pics; but it still bugs me a tiny bit so it's something I need to work on.

It's true that the lighter straps look slightly better than the darker ones, but only in the way that the young Claudia Cardinale looked slightly better than the young Sophia Loren 

They really are lovely figures and the hide patterns on the shields are superb. I especially like the stippling to give them those irregular edges between different colours.

[RJ]

Thanks plynkes and apologies for not seeing it allready on the first page...

was too busy looking at the minis!

[Captain Blood]

Lovely painting Plynkes - esp the shields.

So apart from the fact they have short-bladed spears not iklwa / assegai, they look a lot like Zulus, don't they? (Knobkerries, head rings, monkey / animal skin necklaces / anklets, Zulu style shields... the larger ones anyway... )

What makes these figures Ngoni, not Zulu?

(I only ask, because I might have the need for a few Zulus, and I like these figures way better than any of the official Zulu figures currently out there...
Could I credibly use them as Zulus?)

Ta.

[Plynkes]

Nothing really. The Ngoni were from the Zulu neck of the woods - exiles from Shaka's Mfecane, so small wonder they look like Zulus.

This guy...



...is probably the only one I would hesitate to use as a Zulu from this lot. All of East Africa was for some reason obsessed with obtaining red cloth, and the Ngoni were no exception. His natty cummerbund speaks more of Tanganyika than kwaZulu to me. But even he'd do at a pinch. You probably wouldn't notice him in a crowd, especially if you paint it something other than bright red.



RJ, no need at all to apologise, mate.

[Malamute]

I hadn't seen this thread before. Very nice painting, the skin tones are spot on. Lovely figures 
As the good Captain says, perfect for Zulus. 

[Ray Rivers]

I only ask, because I might have the need for a few Zulus, and I like these figures way better than any of the official Zulu figures currently out there...

Hmm...

Now that you mention it... they would be great Zulu figures.

Very observant of you, Mr. Blood.

[Captain Blood]

In fact, it's a damned shame that nowhere in his vast Darkest Africa output for either Foundry or himself, has Mark sculpted a couple of packs of Zulus. 

I guess he felt Zulus were already well catered for and wanted to do the lesser known conflicts of the Dark Continent. And that was before the advent of Empress.

Still, looking at these Ngoni, I can't help thinking that Copplestone Zulus would be well worth seeing...

[Malamute]

In fact, it's a damned shame that nowhere in his vast Darkest Africa output for either Foundry or himself, has Mark sculpted a couple of packs of Zulus. 

I guess he felt Zulus were already well catered for and wanted to do the lesser known conflicts of the Dark Continent. And that was before the advent of Empress.

Still, looking at these Ngoni, I can't help thinking that Copplestone Zulus would be well worth seeing...

Agreed and just think what we would be able to buy if he did the British as well

[Earther]

A frightening concept Mr Malamute! Surely such an occurance would see me in a debters prison! Careful what you wish for good sir… 


Nice Ngoni you have there Plynkes (ooer missus etc)