Victrix Light Greek Cavalry

[Orctrader]

Experimental painting.

Nothing like my usual style.  I wanted to see if I could produce "Basic Wargaming Standard" with speedpaints - first edition - and various methods on the horses.

I selected these figures because  - sorry to offend any fans - I don't rate them that highly so thought if they are ruined it won't matter too much.

However, I don't think they look too shabby now.  I'll flog them on Ebay at some point.

Riders all done with speedpaints on a white undercoat apart from the metals and some leathers.
Horses, some with speed paints, some with washes and some with oil paint washes, over either white undercoat or light browns.  All horse tackle painted base, midtone and highlight.

[Codsticker]

They look perfectly acceptable to me.

[Orctrader]

Thanks.   

[Muddlingthrough]

These look very nice. I've been away from the hobby for a few decades and just getting back into painting. I've been following a few tutorials that have a lot of prep before actually applying the speedpaint. Like, prime, dry-brush once or twice with increasingly light colours, then apply a shading wash, THEN apply speedpaint/contrast/Express.

Speedpaint doesn't save any time over traditional methods, but but it does seem to remove the need for skill and brush control to get decent results. I've been painting up some Republican Romans with my seven-year-old. With the Hastati, you can tell who painted which one, but with the relatively simple Velites in their tunics, it's hard to tell which one was done by the child. You kind of have to look real close at the details.

And since my child isn't interested in any of the "boring" painting like priming and drybrushing, they can just whip through a unit of Romans once i've got the prep done. I kind of bemoan their ahistorical colour choices, but they're in command.

[Orctrader]

I've been following a few tutorials that have a lot of prep before actually applying the speedpaint. Like, prime, dry-brush once or twice with increasingly light colours, then apply a shading wash, THEN apply speedpaint/contrast/Express.

Tunics - white undercoat.  Speedpaint applied neat - after lots of shaking of bottle, then left 24 hours.  I had read that version one becomes wet again if touched, so I didn't.  Then the leather belts painted usual method, but two layers instead of three.  I didn't do any of the fancy stuff you mention, because I already know how to produce good results.  No point in this speedpaint stuff it it isn't much...speedier.   

Some of the white \ grey horses were done the same method. - see closeup.  (Click the image to see it LARGE)  To repeat, the speedpaint over a white undercoat then the leather work done in a two layer method with standard acrylics.

I'm not recommending this, you understand, as I will continue to paint in my usual style.  This was just to test a fast method to use on figures I want to move on.   

[Tim Haslam]

They’re really nice.
I’ve sent you a PM.

[Orctrader]

They’re really nice.
I’ve sent you a PM.

Thanks.

PM replied.

[Waffles_vs_Tacos]

I think those look excellent. I have thought of using some, converted, as light Roman alae Calvary for the Punic wars.

[Muddlingthrough]

Oh yah, your stuff looks amazing. As a newb starting out, I appreciate that the new paint technologies get table-ready results with little skill. Like, my seven-year-old is getting some of my troops on the table. None of them are gonna be in the front-rank come inspection, but still.

I'll say the results can be a bit inconsistent. Like some of my Romans look great. And some look like they stuck their faces in a combat bread-oven. And I'm not sure exactly what's causing the inconsistencies.

The names are just marketing. I don't think skill-freepaint ^tm would have gotten the same consumer response as speedpaint. At least the original, Citadel's Contrast paints, did not make velocity claims in the name. Hmmm... I should start a paint company. Velocitypaints! ^tm

Tunics - white undercoat.  Speedpaint applied neat - after lots of shaking of bottle, then left 24 hours.  I had read that version one becomes wet again if touched, so I didn't.  Then the leather belts painted usual method, but two layers instead of three.  I didn't do any of the fancy stuff you mention, because I already know how to produce good results.  No point in this speedpaint stuff it it isn't much...speedier.   

Some of the white \ grey horses were done the same method. - see closeup.  (Click the image to see it LARGE)  To repeat, the speedpaint over a white undercoat then the leather work done in a two layer method with standard acrylics.

I'm not recommending this, you understand, as I will continue to paint in my usual style.  This was just to test a fast method to use on figures I want to move on.   

[Basementboy]

Oh yah, your stuff looks amazing. As a newb starting out, I appreciate that the new paint technologies get table-ready results with little skill. Like, my seven-year-old is getting some of my troops on the table. None of them are gonna be in the front-rank come inspection, but still.

I'll say the results can be a bit inconsistent. Like some of my Romans look great. And some look like they stuck their faces in a combat bread-oven. And I'm not sure exactly what's causing the inconsistencies.

It does amaze me how great contrast can look on a model, and then how weird and patchy it can on another from exactly the same kit. Sounds like a nice thing to do with the kid though, it’s always good to have some bonding time

[Muddlingthrough]

Yes! The patchiness. Me and the junior Centurion just did a few velites last night and I guess I didn't thin the satchel brown enough as their tunics ended up a bit patchy (child: what's a tunic? Father: It's his shirt-skirt). But the ones we did in palid bone looked great straight out of the bottle.

I find the darker colours need a lot of thinning with medium to get anything like "contrast." I guess it kind of makes sense. LIke, if you you buy a bottle of black paint. Sometimes you just want to cover something in solid black. Sometimes you want contrast black. Thin it enough and it turns to shaded grey (for velite wolf skins).

It does amaze me how great contrast can look on a model, and then how weird and patchy it can on another from exactly the same kit. Sounds like a nice thing to do with the kid though, it’s always good to have some bonding time