Man, They Sure Are Small

Yeah, well, as advertised. But can you paint ‘em? Sure you can, and the results ain’t half bad. It took a while, with both infantry and cavalry, to get a technique that worked. But once I had it, I clicked along pretty easily. Here are a few pointers I would pass along.

• Use thicker paint than you would on 15s or larger. I went for a creamy, buttermilk consistency. Craft paints and Vallejo were pretty much unthinned. Thinning just lets the paint run away from you and on figures this size, even a minor run can look awful.
• Paint in batches of a dozen or more strips. Then, get the base colors done fast. Coat, pants, boots, flesh. Now put them next to each other and look at them from 3 or 4 feet. Even at this stage they look cool. Step back to help see them come to life.
• I used two small brushes, one for base coats, one for the rest. They were both Master’s Touch brand (available at Hobby Lobby for about $3.50 each) I used a 10/O round and an 18/O spotter, as seen here. Even with a small brush you still need good control.
• If highlighting with other than black, use very strong contrasting colors. I used a near-navy with a mid-sky, for my Dragoons, for example. Up close, as you paint it can look awful, but stick with it. Anything less is invisible even at point blank range.
• Be patient, in context. You can paint infantry in batches at 90 seconds each, but don’t rush to make it 60. You’ll just end up frustrated with work you don’t like.

Yeah, But Would You Buy Them?

Well, yes. The worst part is, my copy of Grande Armee Napoleonic rules just shipped, and is very 6 mm friendly. Then there’s the 6 mm Napoleon’s Battle’s group I just learned about.

My issue is not is 6 mm too small. My issue is Peter hasn’t done Spanish yet. My interest is primarily the Peninsular War. I suppose I could buy another brand, but those turned me off of 6 mm in the first place. Or I could use Revolutionary French, and have the troops with the wrong backpack. Decisions, decisions.

So, once my Lead Free days are over, Peter can, at a minimum, look for a little terrain business. And even if I don’t dive into 6 mm Napoleonics for gaming, projects this size in 6 mm are a lot of fun. In about 4 hours I painted from lead to overspray an entire army. A great way to get into a period quickly, cheaply, and with figures that reward the painting effort for me.

Now all I need is a job to pay for it all......

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