C12 Armour

[fsn]

Dear Chaps of the Forum,

Although being one third of the way through painting my Marlborough Wars army, and despite having just read the books on the Peninsula War and Waterloo, I listened to the Bretwalda book on the Battle of Lincoln, 1141, and noticed "Stephen and Matilda the Civil War of 1139-53" by Jim Bradbury, and now am greatly enthused by the C12. I've always liked that twilight period between the Norman conquest and the Hundred Year's War.

My question to you (the fish heads in the Pendraken stagazy pie) is have you painted painted ch ... mail? I know that during the period armour was painted red, green or black, but wandered how to replicate this in 10mm so that it looks both coloured and metallic. Any thoughts? (To anyone whose answer involved more than three applications - "thanks. I'll bear that in mind.")

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Ignore the chainmail, use figures with cloth Tabards, theses were common 12th century onward.

IanS

[Fenton]

I think it will depend on what the paint was made of and I think they only really painted helmets

If the paint was thick and gooey ( technical term) then I think you could paint the armour without  any of the metal showing underneath unless you want to make it look worn and used I suppose

If they used thinnish watery paint then maybe just  a wash over the metal colour you have chosen  

I dont know which is correct historically but its the way I would think about doing it

[fred.]

I don't think mail was ever painted (in real life) or are you asking how to paint it on the figures? On the figures black undercoat, then dry brush of a dark metallic colour (blot gun metal / oil steel). Then the lightest dry brush of a bright silver colour - but not too much, I prefer my mail to look darker than the plate armour.

[Maenoferren]

Painted helmets yep, but not mail (well not that I know of)

[Hertsblue]

Easiest way to do mail is to paint the whole surface black, let the paint dry and then gently scrape it off again, leaving the paint in the indentations. A coat of gloss varnish on the mail completes the job.

[fsn]

Ignore the chainmail, use figures with cloth Tabards, theses were common 12th century onward.

IanS

"Chainmail" alert ...       "Chainmail" alert ...        "Chainmail alert" ...


The Battle of Lincoln says "By this date mail was often painted ... We know of knights wearing red, black or green mail by the mid-12th century."

[Chad]

Silver then a black wash

[toxicpixie]

Wouldn't the paint wear off as the links rubbed against each other?!

[fsn]

I would have thought so, but the book says, so it must be true!

[toxicpixie]

They must have had bloody good enamel/varnish technology!

[Leman]

I'm afraid that book is starting to sound like bo**ocks to me. How on earth do flexible metal links retain paint in action. Are you sure it's not referring to lamellar armour? I think 10mm figures with coloured mail would look pretty grim TBH. Stick with the occasional painted helmet.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Plus chain armour rusts, think about an average summer in Britain, now factor in the 'Little Ice Age', it would have been cold, wet and miserable!
The standard way of clearing the rust is two suits in a barrel, topped up with sand and rolled between the two owners.
Paint would never have lasted.

[fsn]

The point of painting it, apparently, was as a rust proofing.

I was thinking medieval Hammerite.

[Leman]

Just think how much metal is rubbing against metal in a suit of mail. It's a non-starter, as indeed is lemon meringue pie.