Edit 24:5:20 - Coldstreams painted in enamels, step by step.

[olicana]

Without wanting to big myself up too much, I've had over a dozen emails in the last two weeks asking for detailed advice on painting with enamels and, strangely to my mind, about my painting station, lighting, etc.

Consequently, I'm doing a series of blog posts which, I hope, will cover most of the bases. The painting with enamels step by step will be on a unit of Coldstream Guards for the Peninsular, hence I'm posting a link to the thread here.

First up is 'The Set Up'. It's a very general piece about my painting station, brushes, lighting, white spirit, PPE, etc. but the links will become very much more Big Battalions very soon, so please bear with me.

https://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-i-paint-in-enamels-part-one-set-up.html

I'm not sure how interesting you'll find it but, there are some tick boxes at the bottom of every post and if for you it's "Not my bag",  that's the box to tick.

Regards,

James

[robh]

I look forward to reading it.

Out of interest (as another enamel user) do you find the new formulation Humbrols lose liquidity and take on a jelly like consistency very quickly?

[Bugsda]

I remember when Humbrol enamels were the norm and a W&S series 7 would last six weeks at best 

I'm now tempted to give them another go.

[olicana]

I generally use them too quickly to know. In the past, I've found this happens if you get too much white spirit in the pot. I tend to scoop paint onto a pallet rather than 'dip my brush' and I wonder if this helps it not to happen.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it does. But, not very often.

[SABOT]

I’m still using them.

Sometimes there is too much medium t so I stir the pot well then leave the lid off. After 12 hours or so they are far more consistent.

[olicana]

Part 2. Figure prep.

http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-i-paint-in-enamels-part-2-figure.html

[Bloggard]

excellent - thanks for doing this.

[robh]

Sometimes there is too much medium t so I stir the pot well then leave the lid off. After 12 hours or so they are far more consistent.

It is after stirring them well that I am finding the problem. Opening an unmixed pot I can lift out some thick pigment on a dowel and palette mix it without problem. But if it is a pot that I have mixed well to syringe out a quantity for airbrushing I find that the next time I open the pot the mix has become like sloppy jelly rather than the thick liquid consistency expected of enamels.
I have this over a selection of colours all purchased in the past 6 months or so. I am thinking the problem is with the medium.

[Bloggard]

It is after stirring them well that I am finding the problem. Opening an unmixed pot I can lift out some thick pigment on a dowel and palette mix it without problem. But if it is a pot that I have mixed well to syringe out a quantity for airbrushing I find that the next time I open the pot the mix has become like sloppy jelly rather than the thick liquid consistency expected of enamels.
I have this over a selection of colours all purchased in the past 6 months or so. I am thinking the problem is with the medium.

blimey, hope this isn't the case - just pretty much completed my set of matts over the past few days ... 

[olicana]

I don't use an airbrush. I had a very good one given to me years ago. I found it more trouble than it was worth so somewhere in the world there is a proud new ebay owner.

I think the problem, by all accounts, seems to stem from mixing. I don't mix, I delve, and I don't have the problem - at least not more than usual with enamels. Enamels have always been prone to deterioration in the tin, even over quite small time spans but, I really don't suffer much. Putting lids on properly, quickly, might stop problems but, I can't be bothered - I just bung the tin and open another one. I paint for a living and all business has costs.

Perhaps there is something in this so I will certainly mention it in my next post - I've done the faces and the red coat now, though that is not enough for a post.

[olicana]

Onto the painting itself. It might prove useful to someone.

Link: http://olicanalad.blogspot.com/2020/05/how-i-paint-in-enamels-part-2-figure.html

Finished result

[gamer Mac]

Great looking unit

[CHALLY]

Terrific.

[Harry Faversham]

A great tutorial, really enjoyed reading that, I'm on with the Coldstreams in 10mm at the moment. Am I right in bunging the King's Colour on the left, Regimental Colours on the right looking from behind the unit?

 

[olicana]

HF. Go back to the post. I've edited with new photos.

I think it's the right way around now. The Union flag is the company flag (they had one per company and they alternated them on a daily basis), so I think the crimson one is the King's Colour and should go on the right. It's certainly that way in the Osprey plate for 3rd FG at Telavera.