A couple of weeks ago I posted half of my French Foreign Legionnaires, wearing their white Fatigue uniforms. This week I have the same number of Legionnaires, but these wear the classic blue Capote Greatcoats seen in films like Beau Geste and March or Die.
These were a little easier to paint than the ones in whites although I have firmly decided I should have stuck with a dark undercoat rather than white. I stopped painting with a white primer undercoat years ago because I realised any small missed area when painting the base colours stand out as something horrible. I guess I needed to re-learn that lesson with these guys. I’m happy with the way the figures turned out in the end, but the white primer made them just that little bit harder to get right.
Next on my paint desk are some Mounted Legionnaires and a field gun, but you’ll have to wait for these. I’m taking a week off for a short family holiday during the half-term holidays. I’m ahead of where I expected to be at this stage of the Challenge, even after raising my target last week, so I can spend a week away from the brushes. I plan on visiting some of my favourite museums and catching up on some reading.
Points:Four units of 12 Legionnaires plus a Leader each and one spare leader, just in case.
53x15mm Foot = 106 points
Excellent bunch of Legionaires, Lee! :)
ReplyDeleteI get your point, but light colours are more difficult over a dark primer. Ah, first world problems. They came out very well, shades of Beau Geste indeed! I’m quite sure I must have the Airfix desert fort and some foreign legionaries lying around somewhere up in the attic. Hmm 🤔. Great project this, Lee!
ReplyDeleteI find the trick is to prime black/brown and then do a quick drybrush of light grey (sometimes in 2-3 shades if I'm using contrast paints). This way you have the grey to lift lighter colours, but the deeper shadows remain built-in. Easy cheat.
DeleteI’ll give that a try!
DeleteBrilliant work Lee. They look pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, Lee! Waiting for the next units.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff! I agree with a darker primer. I prefer dark brown to black.
ReplyDeleteNow that’s the ticket! Very Beau Geste. I am firmly in the white primer camp, but maybe that’s because I’m stuck in the 80s. But it also suits my painting style and can be found in low door versions that mean I don’t gas my family out.
ReplyDeletePhilistine. Try gesso. Works a trick. Play The Clash and trick yourself that you're in the 80s. :)
Deletelovely work as usual
ReplyDeleteAh, the old black or white undercoat debate. White is unforgiving, but black can lead to some dull looks. Both have their merits. Either way, these look great.
ReplyDeleteLovely work on these Lee, myself I use grey car primer undercoat for most of my stuff, more rarely, a beige one (Halfords Khaki)
ReplyDeleteVery nice work. I’ve gone the other way now I’m using a lot of Contrast, and have gone back to white.
ReplyDeleteIt's Paint or Die in the Legion, and glad to see you've chosen Paint. Remarkable output and lovely to see classic Legionaires straight out of Beau Geste. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
MikeP