Ranger progress & WIP pics

Got a little quiet for the blog, as I wanted to get some progress in before my next post. I also wanted to make sure that I had plenty of pictures to go along with the post.

Before I begin, I'd like to strongly encourage those inclined to do so to please leave comments at the bottom. As a beginner to the blogosphere and painting I'm open to constructive criticism and tips. If people would prefer to interact on Facebook, I can set up a blog page so that you can get updates and comment there instead. Let me know what you think!

Ok on to the meaty goodness. I wanted to show my progress through a squad of British Rangers. In this case they are the North Star metal figures and I am painting them as FIW Roger's Rangers. I'm SURE I'll be using these guys in my AWI games as well. Try not to let the mocassins and facing colors bother you too much. ;)

To start, I have cleaned the figures as best I can (you always notice extra flash after priming!). I should note that I have very few complaints about these figs, but one is that the ramrods didn't cast completely on most of the models. I bought brass rod to fix them, but the results aren't worth the effort in my opinion.

Once the models are clean, I prime them grey. If I have some black primer left (oh the humanity!) I'd start with that and do a basic zenithal prime with the grey. The dudes come out looking like so:

I regret that in my haste I glued them to their bases AFTER priming, but it won't ultimately make that much of a difference.

Now I'm ready to begin basecoating. On these fine chaps I began with their coats and trousers (perhaps breeches?). A very basic basecoat of a single color straight out of the pot (gasp!).

From here I worked from the inside out. This means I worked on their shirts, skin, moccasins, and so on. The last bit are the straps and details such as the wampum belt.

They don't really look like much at this point. Very cartoony and toy-like. I tried to keep the pallet consistent across these figures and the Native Americans I had already completed.

Now for the magic. Those in the audience with delicate sensibilities should look away, as the next step comes perilously close to the dreaded "Dip" method. Won't someone please think of the children?! I know some might consider this a lazy approach, but I've been REALLY happy with the results and plan to continue using Army Painter shades until such time as I start painting like a big boy. In the meantime, here's what our woodsmen look like after being completely drenched in Strong Tone:

Already these fellows look a million times better, and wouldn't be TOO ashamed to put them on the table (after some basing). However, I've found that with just a bit more work we can achieve so much more for our troops, and I intend to do just that. After I wait a million years for the wash to dry that is....

Again, please feel free to leave comments at the bottom (duh). Remember, this isn't necessarily a "How To" guide so much as a "How I Did It" guide. Thanks for reading!