Send him down, you Zulu Warrior! The first 10!

[Captain Blood]

New Foundry Zulus, starting to roll off the painting line.

As I finish them off, I shall be posting throughout this week - like a kind of Zulu advent calendar 

Lovely figures to paint - except for the cowtail decorations, which are a right pain the bum.

Anyway, I was never going to do Africa, but that dratted Plynkes inspired me with his Ngoni, and Malamute has a cunning plan which might require a few Zulus.
So it's all their fault.

More to follow tomorrow... 

[Svennn]

Lovely skin tones Captain but I am still not totally sold on the miniatures myself.

[Ray Rivers]

 

Wowy!

Hard to pick out any single feature as they are so nicely painted.  So, I'll go with the shields, especially the attention to the back of the shields, which normally don't get the "special" treatment.

[traveller]

Inspiring!!! Can you reveal the skin colour codes used? I still haven´t decided how to paint my African lead mountain...

[oxiana]

A mild shock to see the good Captain paint something as 'modern' as figures from a late 19th century conflict, but the paint jobs are as grand as we'd expect. Nice work. I hope these are only the vanguard of a nice big impi. 

Malamute has a cunning plan which might require a few Zulus.

He's going to get Zulus to attack the Alamo?   

[Phil Robinson]

Excellent work, particulary like the work on the shields and the knobkerrie looks ace.

Looking forward to seeing the next 998

[Roustam]

Great stuff.  I also would be interested in knowing your flesh technique+colors.

Russ

[Helen]

Lovely brush work Richard. How many did you say you are painting?

Helen

[Furt]

No Army Painter here! 2 down 11,456 to go. 

Very Nice.

[Overlord]

Cracking painting Cap'n Blood.  As others have said, the fleshtones are excellent. 

Lovely brush work Richard. How many did you say you are painting?

Zulu's, faah-sands of 'em. 

[Plynkes]

Lovely figures to paint - except for the cowtail decorations, which are a right pain the bum.

You make a rod for your own back with that high-contrast style of yours!  I find the cow-tails and colobus monkey stuff to be perhaps my favourite parts to do on these kind of figures. But pain in the bum or not, yours look damn good.

[Driscoles]

very nice Sir,
do I have to paint more Zulus for next BLAM ?
Cheers
Björn

[Captain Blood]

Thanks all  :smt001

Here are the next two...

How many? Well I bought 4 packs - 24 figures, and I've got 20 of them in various stages of completion. Should get 10 - 12 finished in the next few days... Then the rest in the New Year. I might add the 'pure' Copplestone Ngoni too...

But do not fear for my sanity! I certainly wouldn't be painting 'fahsends' of them to this level of detail! 

The skin recipe is absurdly simple - it only involves two colours:

GW Scorched Brown (applied neat over a black undercoat), gradually lightened with increasing amounts of Vallejo Dark Flesh for each highlight layer - that's it! Couldn't be easier, and quite effective I think. The trick is to use a lot more of the pinky flesh colour than you think would actually be present in a negro complexion.
So the final highlight on the knuckles and so on, is almost pure Dark Flesh. But over the darker tones beneath, the eye fools the brain into seeing only shades of brown  :smt002

[Malamute]

He's going to get Zulus to attack the Alamo?   

 

They look great. I think they are full of character, top notch painting

[Le matou rouge]

Really nice skin tones, Captain, but not as colourful as your magnificent indians though 

meow,
Matt