Fireforge Hospitaller foot sergeants

Continuing on from the previous post, these are the foot units which the client requested to go with his knights.  Again, these were to be multi-based, four to a base;

Firstly, two units of crossbowmen.  Apart from grouping them in fours (easy, apart from the more dynamically posed miniatures, such as the chap second from left), these were similar to previous Hospitaller crossbowmen I'd painted.   Firstly, I prime and undercoat in black.  Next, all the metal areas are treated to a gunmetal base and steel highlights, followed by a thinned black ink wash (ink - not paint - so as to give a slight sheen).  Next, all flesh areas get a ruddy flesh coating, and the eyes completed with white and chocolate brown (oval of white, flattened dot of brown).  The Fireforge faces, in common with the Bolt Action WW2 faces, don't need any highlighting - they look great with a single coat, and much more natural.

Two units of (mostly) spearmen, again finished in the normal way.  Once the flesh areas are complete, tunics, hoods and sleeves get a layer of mid brown.  Any scale-armoured miniatures (such as the chap second from right) get their scale armour coats layered in a red leather colour.  Hose are not painted uniform colours - so two or three complimentary colours (sometimes more for large units) are selected.  In this case, a deepish red, french blue, and a blueish grey.  The hose colours are then applied in such a way as to avoid two similar miniatures having the same colour hose.  The scale-armoured chap mentioned earlier has no hose - I've painted him bare-legged (same skin tone as his face).

Another two units of (mostly) spearmen.  With the hose complete, the belts and shoes are finished in red leather (as for the scale armour) and most of the weapon hafts given a layer of light buff.  'Grips' on the weapons are also touched-in with red leather.  The miniature himself is then finished off with a cross applied in white to his chest.  Regulations existed for the size and placement of crosses, but these changed over time.  I usually apply a mix - some large and plain, some with serif, some small ones (placed top left, like a school blazer badge), and some 'Maltese' style.

The fifth and final foot unit.  The last step in painting is to complete the shields.  I have a few techniques for this, but these ones feature an old standard style I've used since the 1980s.  The shields are separate here, making the job much easier.  First, the shield is primed and undercoated (colour not important, though grey / black / brown works best).  Next, the front has a printed paper cover applied with wood glue and pressed smooth.  This is less shiny than a typical transfer, and mimics the leather cover many shields of this period had.  Next, the back is layered in buff, then thin lines of red brown and dark brown applied to imitate wood grain.  In reality, the grain is overscale, but they would otherwise be quite plain!  Finally, nicks and tears are applied to the paper cover, and buff leather colour applied where damage has occurred.  Attach the shield and presto!  All done.