The Loose Association of Wargamers

I know from my 'Big Boy's Book of the ECW' (actually something by Haythornthwaite but I can't be bothered to look up the correct title), that armour in the ECW was either shiny iron, blackened or russet.

Most of the armour I've painted so far has been the first type: metallic steel paint, black wash & a highlight. Easy.

I've done some of the blackened stuff too: Vallejo flat black then Vallejo hi gloss. This has been exclusively breast plates. Looks OK.

However, I'm wanting to paint a Covenanter commander in a suit of full blackened armour (though bonneted rather than helmeted). This clearly has a lot more angles, curves, gaps & extrusions than a mere breast plate & requires something a bit more elaborate. How to paint?

I was *thinking* of covering it with a very dark blackish-grey (Vallejo Dark Blue Grey), black wash for the nooks and crannies, dry brush steel & a coat of full gloss? Any hints would be appreciated.

donald

BTW how the hell do you paint the less common russet armour?

I have done blackened armour by undercoating only with Humbrol enamel black, letting that thoroughly dry and then buffing up with a soft brush in a mini-drill. I wouldn’t gloss varnish, I’d stick with a Matt.

You may find this helpful (there are further links within the thread):-

https://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=7654

levied troop wrote: ↑Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:07 am I have done blackened armour by undercoating only with Humbrol enamel black, letting that thoroughly dry and then buffing up with a soft brush in a mini-drill. I wouldn’t gloss varnish, I’d stick with a Matt.

LT, the lowest form of internet life is the chap who asks for advice then argues the toss.

So, firstly, many thanks for responding. Secondly, I'm only seeking clarification & I ask for your indulgence.
Illustrations from Haythornthwaite's "The English Civil War" & follow-ups from trawling through the internet, show armour as having a metallic sheen, no matter the finish. But even more, the full armour of Cromwell, Charles, Leven etc seems highly polished. One would assume some lackey was given the daily job of using his tin of Brasso & a multi-fibre cloth to some level?
I certainly do accept that campaign conditions may have changed this - much less the point that such armour was probably not worn on battlefields very much at all. However, my figures, in general, aren't ragged & mud-bespattered as the reality suggests, so is a fairly high gloss so very wrong?

donald

If you want glossy armour then you might as well do as you describe, but leave out the metallic paint on the edges. Gloss varnish will hide most of what you do anyway.

If I were painting black armour on a 20mm or 1/72 figure I'd start with black. Go for a top coat of quite dark grey, leaving the black showing in the recesses, then use a lighter grey to pick out the very high spots (the very top of the ridge down the breastplate for instance) and dabbed on the edges and corners mostly. Then leave it. Life's too short.

I believe russetting armour is controlled rusting. Paint it an appropriate brown. I suppose you could vary the shade depending on the stuff rubbed onto the metal to prevent further rusting.

why not use a satin varnish rather than full gloss then. It will give you a sheen without too much shineyness.

Donald - what is the internet for except reasonable discussion? (Discuss).
Certainly the portraits of Cromwell, Charles et al show them highly polished. I tend to the view that life is shit and campaign life doubly so, so I tend to paint in a grubby style. But the Monty Python view of history is equally valid, viz “he must be a king, he’s not covered in shit”.

Gentlemen: I'm knee-deep in tricornes at the present but will take a "break" early next week to paint this august Lowland Scots general.

I will post photos in order to have you praise my good sense in following your advice or, conversely, blasting my utter ignorance for ignoring you.

But sincere thanks, at any rate.

donald

Was the blackening enamel or was it some sort of colouration?

IIRC for 'russettng' the armour was placed in hot oil, then quenched in water, forming a protective surface coating on the metal, which produced a dark red-brown color. Paint could be also used, or polish on the metal. Enamelling seems to have been rare & expensive. Most of the surviving armour than I've seen, e.g. from the contemporary Graz Arsenal collection, was polished metal.