6 mm armies, painting thereof

[burnaby64]

I've gone for 6mm in an area which Pendraken doesn't quite cover and because I want seriously enormous forces on a smallish table. I'm looking for advice on painting them (I'm using Captain General rules, just as a matter of interest). Is it a case of what looks good at a distance, even more so than 10mm, as I imagine it would be, and how do you best achieve that effect?
Many thanks in advance for your help, chaps.

[Ithoriel]

Somewhat brighter colours, rather less detail, otherwise as per 10mm in my case.

[burnaby64]

Thanks for that, Ithoriel. As some of them are Ottomans that will mean very bright colours 

[Subedai]

Over the decades I have painted sh*tloads of 6mm but only the Irregular blocks so this method might need a little adapting.

Black undercoat -to my mind essential. Always use bright colours and in shades that are slightly lighter than what you really want to make them stand out. In metals use silver not steel. If you are putting them on textured bases than again use bright colours. You can really go to town if you want by adding a highlight, I started doing it then concluded life was too short.

Examples of blocks below.

ECW Parliamentarians:



and

[Zippee]

Not that different from other scales, either:
1) Black with bright colour built up on top in layers leaving deep shadow (the Baccus way  )
2) White with bright colours blocked or washed on, finished with a "dip" wash (my preferred way)

Key points:
1) Don't paint for the detail, paint for the effect.
2) Sharp and precise with fewer colours looks better than every last bit painted.

Most important thing:
Light, bright, clean block colours well based on pale neutral bases

A bunch of mine can be seen on my Flickr page (see sig)

Not the best but effective

[Subedai]

Zippee,
   Just had a quick butchers at your ECW Parliamentarians. The painting is brill on both the chaps and the bases.

[Fenton]

I go for grey spray with a vallejo black shade wash, paint in block colours then give them a wash with W&N nut brown ink

[burnaby64]

Wow! Thanks a million for the advice and the excellent photos. Lots to learn from here.

[paulr]

Key points:
1) Don't paint for the detail, paint for the effect.
2) Sharp and precise with fewer colours looks better than every last bit painted.

Most important thing:
Light, bright, clean block colours well based on pale neutral bases

Zippee has summed it up well here. It is all about the contrast between main colours; jacket/trousers, shield/tunic...

[Fenton]

Over the decades I have painted sh*tloads of 6mm but only the Irregular blocks so this method might need a little adapting.

Black undercoat -to my mind essential. Always use bright colours and in shades that are slightly lighter than what you really want to make them stand out. In metals use silver not steel. If you are putting them on textured bases than again use bright colours. You can really go to town if you want by adding a highlight, I started doing it then concluded life was too short.

Examples of blocks below.

ECW Parliamentarians:



and

Lovely work on those mate

[mollinary]

Excellent advice, as always on this forum.  Lighter is better.  Have a look at Peter Berry's Baccus website. It has a good "How to" section, which gives first class advice as to basic technique.  Then, my advice would be, have a go at a bit of trial and error, to find out what suits you.  You may decide there is one part of your figures which you really want to stand out, and concentrate on that. One piece of advice I would offer from personal experience is that the smaller the scale of the figures, the bigger the effect of the basing and the flags on the overall look.

Good luck!

Molllinary

[Ithoriel]

I go for grey spray with a vallejo black shade wash, paint in block colours then give them a wash with W&N nut brown ink

Love your Rapier Egyptians.

Waiting for some Rapier Sumerians - hope I can do them half as well!!

[toxicpixie]

Cor, really nice work on all those photo's!

[Fenton]

Love your Rapier Egyptians.

Waiting for some Rapier Sumerians - hope I can do them half as well!!

Thanks

They painted up really easily...though I confess the chariots were a complete bollox due to the riders not fitting in the back of the chariot

Thinking about it I may have washed these with a very watered down AP strong tone ink rather than the W&N nut brown

[burnaby64]

What a wonderfully helpful forum this is! Thanks again for all the excellent help.