Hors de Combat painting opportunities

[ochoin]

Seeing I'm unable to work & barely able to walk (for a bit), I've actually done more painting in the last 4 days then the previous 4 months.

I'd rather be at work, TBH, but I've finally started making progress on my Lion Rampant force. I'm not confident with medievals though. I've looked on line, checked out the illustrations in the rule book, consulted the very few books I have. I'm still tentative, though. My figures (given to me) look to be early-ish.....1200s? Kite shaped shields for infantry, heaters for mounted knights.
I've been thinking about all this for months - one reason I hadn't started. painting.

The one unit finished are crossbowmen. The idea was they were mercenaries & dressed in muted colours, no two alike.
I've started a unit of archers. The idea here is they are fuedal vassals & hence in livery (versions of green & buff), so more uniform & colourful.
I'm also working on a dozen spearmen. They're mainly in chain mail hauberks(??). I'm giving them a range of colours for their mostly hidden clothes. However, I think all their shields will be the same.....a black geometric pattern on a yellow background.

I haven't thought much about the Bidowers (essentially peasants) and the 6 knights but I think they'll all be different & one to sport the Y&B colouring ie he's the retinue's warlord.

How does all this sound?

Work is only about life & death matters but this all seems more stressful.

donald

[RMD]

Isn't 'Camp Followers' the more politically correct description?

[Essex Boy]

Have I missed something, Donald, what's keeping you from working and walking?

How does the above sound? Sounds like there's an absence of big flags.

E

[ochoin]

As the figures are Tumbling Dice, they come with a range of metal flags. I may paint some or use paper ones - not sure.

Knee injury (from running) - MRI on Friday to determine if rest or op needed. No worry. I will be ambulatory again.

donald

[ochoin]

Isn't 'Camp Followers' the more politically correct description?

Bidowers?

One of those wargaming terms only the cognoscenti know. See 'psiloi' or 'voltigeurs'.


donald

[FreddBloggs]

From your description they sound Baron's war'ish period, or crusaders.

[Paul]

To answer your main question...
....Yes it sounds as if you're doing everything on the right track.

Whatever anyone tells you pretty much everything before the late 1500s is fantasy in any case.
Yes, there is heraldry, less so in the earlier period, but unless you are setting out to produce a very specific force (ie Knightly Order or Jerusalem) I wouldn't worry too much about what colours you're painting things.

Even vegetable dyes can produce bright colours....but they fade to more muted tones fairly quickly in general use.

Somewhere on here I swatched a series of natural dyes into a wargames friendly chart i'll try to find and repost it

Here it is:

[ochoin]

Thanks, Paul. VERY useful.

donald

[Essex Boy]

As the figures are Tumbling Dice, they come with a range of metal flags. I may paint some or use paper ones - not sure.

Knee injury (from running) - MRI on Friday to determine if rest or op needed. No worry. I will be ambulatory again.

donald

I wish you a speedy recovery.

E