Report from the front

Scattered reports have trickled in from the front. Silver bayonets have been seen flashing in the moonlight.

 

My last post might have indicated that I was going to be making some sort of root-based figure. Fret not, I still fully intend to. But my thoughts on the matter are that if one is going to make a corruption of something one ought to get an idea of what is being corrupted in the first place. Thus, a common-or-garden Victrix Frenchman. Painting him took about a week of backburner effort, where I would spend half or more of each session on more British figures and the rest of the time on this single one. Research was probably the hardest part, and I know for a fact I have erred in places.

To start with, the white clothing and straps are Vallejo ivory, the straps are washed with extremely diluted Black Templar, and the clothing with a Black Templar and Agrax Earth mix diluted almost to invisibility. It is an astounding effect, and I am very pleased with the Goonhammer site for revealing it to me. Both were highlighted with a recoat of ivory. The skin was a Cadian->Reikland->Cadian->Kislev progression, with lips done up via a Kislev-Bugman's Glow mixture and the eyes in Ivory with corvus black lining and pupils. Hair was dryad bark, washed brown and highlighted with Catachan Flesh.

The coat is Vallejo Imperial Blue, washed with Nightshade and rehighlighted first with Imperial and then with Vallejo Ultramarine blue on the top, which I found too bright until I reshaded it with more Nightshade. The red is a simple Mephiston->Carroburg->Wild Rider progression similar to what I use on the British. The black is Corvus->Black Templar->Eshin. Gold is Retributor->Black Templar-Reikland->Auric Armour. The Black Templar wash is largely incidental to the gold, and is fine to skip.

The bedroll and brown straps are Zandri-Agrax-Zandri. The pouch is XV-88, the backpack liner is Mournfang and the backpack interior is either Baneblade or Gorthor brown, I forget. I did not want to attempt the cowhide pattern seen on many of Napoleon's troops. The Pom-Pom is Vallejo Flat green, then Biel-Tan wash, then Vallejo Park green. Steel is leadbelcher, Black Templar, and Ironbreaker. The rifle wood is Mournfang washed with Black Templar.

I am extremely pleased with this figure. The inaccuracies, being chiefly the lack of a white strap on the bayonet holder and the potential absence of gold buttons on the rear of the coat, are not significant enough to bother me. I intend the figure as a member of the Second Corps in 1813, stationed in French-held Corfu. This is largely due to the region's connection to Veruzia, which means I can in theory say that this is also someone who might have been involved in the establishment of the Verussian empire in one way or another. My goal is to use it as part of a French Adriatic force for the Silver Bayonet. Other units I will want to paint in more niche uniform styles, like the Septinsular Battalion. I might even try to scrounge up a figure for a member of the French Albanian regiment. Against them will be pitted Austrians, who I have an actual Silver Bayonet kit for from a local store. And of course, being that this is the Silver bayonet there will be a share of supernatural creatures too. Hopefully before Halloween if I can paint quickly enough.

As a final word for the moment, here is a base I attempted to make for the figure. I sculpted large paver stones out of milliput based on images of the city of Corfu, but I was impatient with painting and turned what should have been a drybrush into more of a smearing as I drybrushed over wet paint. The effect is not entirely unpleasant, so I am filing it away for experimentation later. With stronger shading it might even have potential. It was primed white, then based in XV-88 and Zandri Dust 50/50, then drybrushed while drying with Ushabti bone and again once dry with Karak Stone.