CoffinDodger wrote:Rob,
That is one damned good-looking Custer!
Jim
Thanks!
He was my favorite of the four dismounts to paint, and honestly the easiest. I did a lot of three tone painting on him.
It's counterintuative, but the buckskins were actually really easy to do. I used Vallejo Filthy Brown as the shadow on the fringe only, then Delta Ceramicoat's Bamboo as the main color, and Delta's Antique White for a drybrushed highlight. His fire shirt was Delta Dark Prussian Blue as the shadow, Foundry Sky Blue Shade as the main color, and Apple Barrel's Sky Blue to highlight. His hat and gloves were done with Delta's Antique White as the shadow, Vallejo's Game Color Off White (72101) as the main and Vallejo Model Color Off White (70820) to highlight. That was the only bit I was less than happy about.
I was bad and bought the Reaper Blond Master Series just to do his blond hair right. The skin was done with Games Workshop's Tanned Flesh and then Bronzed Flesh, and highlighted with Vallejo's Basic Skintone. Painting these guys was a blast, and needed after the absolute chore my 25mm Sassanians were. Maybe the miniature Custer can shoot a few of them.
Right now I'm painting Baluchis, but doing either (some of) Custer's command group or a cavalry company next is VERY tempting. I'm working on collecting sufficient figures for Custer's command group. I have two dismounted figures of Adjutant Cooke (Foundry and Dixon) but no mounted ones. I am also lacking figures for the medical staff with Custer, and his two civilian brothers. I think the Artizan Pony Express Rider can serve for Autie Reed, and I may have a Foundry greenhorn for Boston. The real sticky wicket is using both my guidon bearers, which would make additional companies harder to do.
C Company is probably the best for the mix of Foundry miniatures I have acquired through ebay. Smith's E Company is possible because I found a way to paint gray horses that I love, but I don't have enough veteran mounted figures to do it right. E and F Companies were with Custer for the Last Stand given most theories about what went down, so they're the most logical. They're also easy to do at 1:2, since they were 35 and 44 men, respectively.
Benteen's H Company is also tempting, seeing how I already have Benteen done, and I really like how the blood bay came out.
As usual, lots of options!
