Congo - Zanzibari Column (23/10/16 - complete)

[pauld]

Happy Days

Got my Zanzibari group for Congo today - it is the box set from Wargames Foundry.  The contents:

1 Emir
1 Diplomat
5 Zanzibaris
4 Trained Troops
5 Young Warriors
5 Baluchis
3 Scouts
8 Spears
5 Shields

(with an additional pack of 8 Askari at the top to ring the changes)

Very wonderful figures as you would expect from the Darkest Africa range and top notch service.  Order one day arrives the next morning!

Along with the toy plastic beasties (I do know there are no tigers in Africa, it will be repainted as a lady friend for the shaggy one) I am on my way to a game.



Just need to paint them now

Seeing as I am rather lazy, I might use this thread as a painting log.  A bit of peer pressure will spur me on.

Scouts first I think, there is only 3 of them so I will start with the simple ones and gain impetus



A useful multipurpose lot they are too, equally suitable for Pulp Alley and (the Baluchi and natives anyway) Conanesque adventures with Matakishi's Crom!

So one purchase to service (at least) three game systems  - I have saved money again  

I will try and keep you updated

[marianas_gamer]

Yes, I save money like that on a regular basis    Here is a pic of that hippo painted up by the way

All the best on this project.
LB

[pauld]

Painted the first unit - Scouts



a bit of stray tuft on Mr. Middle - I shall have to get rid of that and photos at night are not a great idea with my camera, hey ho.

No shields for the Scouts in the box (although the body posture looks as if they should have them).  I suppose dragging a plank around the jungle is not a great idea if you think it through

I have to say the spears are a bit telegraph pole and a bugger to fit in the hands but other than that lovely figures

Next

5 Young Warriors are primed and ready for paint tomorrow

[philhendry]

They look great! I agree about the spears - I could have used North Star ones instadd, but decided to go with the telegraph poles - they have character somehow! Know what you mean about the left hands. I added shields to one set of scouts, and North Star javelins to another - by drilling out the closed fists.

[pauld]

Some out of focus Young Warriors are startled by the flash join the column



some actual Zanzibaris next - give it a week, I said I am slow

[Traveler Man]

Nice work!

I found a few usable African animals in the 'Toobs' sold in craft stores. Pressing the head of one of the hippos into Sculpey several times then pouring casting resin into the depressions creates a nice line of semi-submerged hippos. Same goes for crocodiles.

[Arthur Chance]

Looking good Paul - I've started on my White Men's Expedition - all the base coating done on the Africans and the European's are all primed and prepped. Aim is to wash and highlight the Africans in the coming week and base coat the Europeans the week after - should then get them washed and highlighted the week after. So, if plan works out, will be able to put a force on the table by mid October.

[pauld]

Did I say I was slow?

Not quite finished - just eyes, teeth and highlights to go then base and varnish

Hopefully the varnish will blend out the obvious wash/dry brushing.  I really cannot paint white at all but it is plain that I should have used a grey wash for folds.  I'll just pretend that laudromats and dry cleaners are hard to find in the jungle.

4 x trained troops



The pressure is on now.  First game of Congo is only 9 days away so I really have to shackle myself to the painting bench

Only

1 Emir
1 Diplomat
5 Zanzibaris
5 Baluchis
and selected beasties (Lion and Gorilla)

to go 

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

I feel your pain about painting white.  I am currently using Vallejo Pale Sand as a base coat with Ivory then going over the top apart from the deep folds.  Having tried both strong tone and soft tone AP shade, I concluded they just don't work well on large areas of white.  Either can look alright if the area isn't too big, say a loincloth, but on Zanzibari robes I ended up repainting white over the shade.  The other method that worked reasonably well (better in my case than grey washes) was to take my lightest grey, mix it with a lot of white, and then use that as a base layer with white over the top.

I am probably teaching you to suck eggs here I know, but it took a fair bit of trial and error for me to get results I am happy with.

[Hu Rhu]

A good start for your expedition.  I have found that using Foundry Triads helps with white.  I use either Arctic Grey for a very 'white' white or Canvas for a slightly 'creamy' white works for me.  I don't use washes on whites.

[Arthur Chance]

Looking good Paul.

And for what it's worth, I don't wash whites either. I block in the white areas with a light grey, then apply a mix of AP Strong and dark tone (three drops to one drop, then mix) to the whole model. When dry, highlight up with the original block colours, and for the areas that are to be white - highlight with the light grey and then white (although I use an off white like Foundry canvass).

It probably takes as long, if not longer, than using a Triad approach, but I find block - wash - highlight - and a few second highlights - simpler than painting Triads. Its a bit like comparing painting by numbers to painting.

[philhendry]

I prime white areas white, along with the rest of the figures. And I leave them alone... Until time for Army Painter, when they usually get a painted-on coat of Soft Tone. Sometimes, as the AP goes 'sticky' I 'drybrush' it off the highlights with a brush dampened in White Spirit - but sometimes I don't! Lazy, I am!!!! But it looks okay, en masse, for a 'wargames-quality' paintjob.

[pauld]

I hated the whites so had to go over them



a bit happier ... but now I hate the beige doh!

and here is one with added kitty power

[pauld]

Baluchi Warriors



... getting there
                       ... still hate white
                                                 ... Zanzibaris, Leaders and Gorilla to go
                                                                                                          ... got to finish these tomorrow
                                                                                                                                                       ... and then read the rules

[marianas_gamer]

I agree, white is a bi$^&! Yours looks fine though.
LB