FROSTGRAVE PLASTIC WIZARDS FROSTGRAVE PLASTIC WIZARDS
© North Star Military Figures Click here to order Click here to order Home Latest North Star Stargrave Frostgrave Oathmark Crusader Artizan Great War Shieldwolf The finished Stargrave figures, Terrain Expert and Engineer and the Frontier Co Pilot.
Painting with the Masterclass: John Blanche paint sets from The Army Painter.
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COLOURS

The two sets are made up of 20 paints and washes as follows; Set one, 1. Fiery Vermilion (very bright red, covers well), 2. Blanched Berry (nice dark rich burgundy or maroon), 3. Sunburst Ochre (light wood brown) 4. Midnight Olive (mid green), 5. Tainted Garden (a good military olive drab), 6. Ruddy Terra (pinkish brick red), 7. Turnbull Turquoise (a dark turquoise Speedpaint), 8. Voodoo Shade Colour (very useful mid brown wash), 9. Grim Rust (interesting dark rust effect paint), 10. Heavy Metal (dark steel metallic). Set two, 1. The Darkness (very dark Prussian blue), 2. Ivory White (quite opaque off white great mixer for highlights), 3. Moonbeam Yellow (good strong bright yellow always useful with the greens and browns), 4. Ironclad Grey (mid to dark grey, covers well), 5. Blighted Green (dark bottle green), 6. Banshee Brown (very opaque, dark chocolaty brown), 7. Bloodmoon Red (strong red Speedpaint), 8. Warm Skin Shade (light flesh wash), 9. Grimdark Shadow (dark brownish black wash), 10. Emperor Gold (good gold bronze metallic). Why is there no black or white? You'll either already have them, or you might discover that you don't actually need them!

SETS

For all of these models I have used only paints from Masterclass: John Blanche paint sets from The Army Painter. Those of you who are familiar with my work will havee noticed that I struggle a bit with darkness, but I believe that these colours have allowed me to paint beyond of my comfort zone, at least temporarily. Now, when I say “only paints from the sets," I have used certain extras like undercoats and varnishes, but the actual paintwork is all from the 20-piece paint and wash sets.

DARK

I received the paints and the question of what to do with them arose. Obviously, the first thoughts were dark, specifically Grimdark. As luck would have it, some likely candidates present on the painting table, and some less likely. Skeletons of some sort seemed like a good choice, so the first models I tackled were a pair of Skeletal Napoleonic Soldiers from The Silver Bayonet series. The others were a pair of Stargrave soldiers and an Artizan SF character from the Frontier range.

LIGHT

The other group I painted were Bandits from The Silver Bayonet Italy collection; I did these to demonstrate that, despite the palette's limitations, you don't have to stick to dark hues, as you can see. When you don't get a pure black or white, it makes you think! Using a limited palette can be enjoyable and inspire all kinds of creative enthusiasm!

SKELETONS

These are undead soldiers so can be as down and dirty as you like. The first thing I did was to undercoat them with Brown Leather spray primer. This brown seemed the ideal choice to be the background for those darker hues. The figures already had been primed with grey car primer that I use when photographing unpainted miniatures.
Above. The finished Stargrave Engineer and Terrain Expert and the Artizan Frontier Co Pilot.

TECHNIQUE

To make the most of the new paints, I utilised a hybrid style for these models; it's a combination of my usual layered style and an element of Nick's brown wash method, both of which I've displayed extensively in previous magazine pages. This method allows a bit more speed and a bit less control than my normal technique.

PAINTING

The initial step is to paint the solid colours in their respective locations, all colours blocked in neatly,
Above. The first thing I did was to undercoat them with Brown Leather spray primer.
as can be seen in the pictures, The solid colours are as follows. Bones and straps, Ivory White. Tunic, Ruddy Terra. Woodwork, Sunburst Ochre.  Collars & cuffs, Moonbeam Yellow.  Trousers, Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. Boots, shako and cartouche box, Ironclad Grey. Gun barrel, bayonet & lock, Heavy Metal. Buckles and shako badge, Emperor Gold.

WASHING

The next step is to hit all those areas with the washes, you can be pretty generous with the washes, to make the figures as dark or not as you whatever takes your fancy. The washes are as follows. Bones and straps, Voodoo Shade.
Tunic, Ruddy Terra. Woodwork, Sunburst Ochre.  Collars & cuffs, Moonbeam Yellow. Trousers, Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. Boots, shako and cartouche Ironclad Grey. Gun barrel, bayonet & lock, Grim Rust applied randomly to the metalwork. Buckles and shako badge, Turnbull Turquoise  mixed with a tiny bit of Moonbeam Yellow to make a green wash for a verdigris look.

STARGRAVE

The two Stargrave figures are Specialist Soldiers, Terrain Expert and Engineer. To keep them consistent with the Grimdark aesthetic, I decided on a military look and tried to keep them dark, keeping in mind that I wanted them to match previous Stargrave paintjobs. I also black undercoated them because I intended to paint these guys with a more layered manner than I did on the skeletons. But I did use some short cuts with Speedpaints and as you’ll see a wash layer on most of the colours. I did get through a lot of Ivory White… The colours are as follows. Flesh for both of them. 1. Ivory White plus Ruddy Terra. 2. Ivory White plus Ruddy Terra plus more Ivory White. 3. Warm Skin Shade washed liberally over the flesh painted areas. 4. Highlight with Ivory White plus Ruddy Terra  plus more Ivory White, making sure to leave a decent beard growth, if you want to. 5. Add tiny dab of Fiery Vermilion to the mix and paint in the bottom lip.
The first thing I did was to undercoat them with Brown Leather spray primer. This brown seemed the ideal choice to be the background for those darker hues. The first thing I did was to undercoat them with Brown Leather spray primer. This brown seemed the ideal choice to be the background for those darker hues.
Above. The initial step is to paint the solid colours in their respective locations, all colours blocked in neatly.
The initial step is to paint the solid colours in their respective locations, all colours blocked in neatly. The initial step is to paint the solid colours in their respective locations, all colours blocked in neatly. The initial step is to paint the solid colours in their respective locations, all colours blocked in neatly. The initial step is to paint the solid colours in their respective locations, all colours blocked in neatly.

HIGHLIGHTING

The next stage is to highlight, which entails applying the original colour as a highlight over the first layer of that colour, which the washes will have made duller. If you want to accentuate your highlights, blend Ivory White together with these colours and use it as a final touch. The only variation in on the metalwork which I list below. The highlight colours are as follows. Bones and straps, Ivory White.

PAINTING WITH BLANCHE PAINTS

Above. The next step is to hit all those areas with the washes, you can be pretty generous with the washes.
The next step is to hit all those areas with the washes, you can be pretty generous with the washes, to make the figures as dark or not as you see fit. The next step is to hit all those areas with the washes, you can be pretty generous with the washes, to make the figures as dark or not as you see fit. The next step is to hit all those areas with the washes, you can be pretty generous with the washes, to make the figures as dark or not as you see fit. The next step is to hit all those areas with the washes, you can be pretty generous with the washes, to make the figures as dark or not as you see fit.
Tunic, Voodoo Shade. Woodwork, Voodoo Shade. Collars & cuffs, Warm Skin Shade. Trousers, Grimdark Shadow. Boots, shako and cartouche, Grimdark Shadow. Gun barrel, bayonet & lock, Grimdark Shadow. Buckles and shako badge, Voodoo Shade.
Above. The next stage is to highlight, which entails applying the original colour as a highlight.
The next stage is to highlight, which entails applying the original colour as a highlight over the first layer of that colour, which the washes will have made duller. The next stage is to highlight, which entails applying the original colour as a highlight over the first layer of that colour, which the washes will have made duller. The next stage is to highlight, which entails applying the original colour as a highlight over the first layer of that colour, which the washes will have made duller. The next stage is to highlight, which entails applying the original colour as a highlight over the first layer of that colour, which the washes will have made duller.
Above. The final step is to add the staining and Grimdark characteristics.
The final step is to add the staining and Grimdark characteristics. The final step is to add the staining and Grimdark characteristics. The final step is to add the staining and Grimdark characteristics. The final step is to add the staining and Grimdark characteristics.

DARKENING

The final step is to add the staining and Grimdark characteristics. First, Bloodmoon Red speckled like blood, followed by Banshee Brown flicked all over the figures with an old toothbrush. Then Voodoo Shade and Grimdark Shadow wash up the trousers and other areas of the models. The boots and trousers were then dry brushed with Banshee Brown to tie them into the base colour. Finally, there are sporadic spots of a mouldy mixture of Moonbeam Yellow and Blighted Green on the models.

VARNISH

My usual gloss varnishing in Humbrol, then matt varnished.

BASE

The base was painted and dry-brushed in my usual manner but with these colours as follows. 1. Banshee Brown. 2. Banshee Brown plus Moonbeam Yellow  and Ivory White. 3. plus more Ivory White. 4. pure Ivory White.
My usual gloss varnishing in Humbrol, then matt varnished. Some people prefer a gloss finish like these. My usual gloss varnishing in Humbrol, then matt varnished. Some people prefer a gloss finish like these.
Above. My usual gloss varnishing in Humbrol, then matt varnished. Some people prefer a gloss finish like these.
FINISHED SKELETONS
The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. The Finished model. TSB051 - Skeletal Soldiers. Skeletal Soldiers make up the bulk of any necromancer’s legion of undead. So many dead French, British, Calabrian, and Neapolitan soldiers – hastily buried in unmarked pits after a battle. Flesh in Ivory White plus Ruddy Terra. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. Flesh in Ivory White plus Ruddy Terra. Specialist Soldier: Engineer.
Above. Flesh in Ivory White plus Ruddy Terra.
Add tiny dab of Fiery Vermilion to the mix and paint in the bottom lip to finish the face.. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. Add tiny dab of Fiery Vermilion to the mix and paint in the bottom lip to finish the face. Specialist Soldier: Engineer.
Above. Add tiny dab of Fiery Vermilion to the mix and paint in the bottom lip to finish the face.
Because they are such a fiddly task, I decided to cut corners and utilise Speedpaints, in most circumstances the Speedpaints require a white or light undercoat to work effectively. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. Because they are such a fiddly task, I decided to cut corners and utilise Speedpaints, in most circumstances the Speedpaints require a white or light undercoat to work effectively. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert.
Above. In most circumstances the Speedpaints require a white or light undercoat to work effectively.
Turnbull Turquoise Speedpaint over all Straps and packs and water bottle. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. Turnbull Turquoise Speedpaint over all Straps and packs and water bottle. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert.
Above. Turnbull Turquoise Speedpaint over all Straps and packs and water bottle.

TERRAIN EXPERT

Straps and packs and water bottle.

Because they are such a fiddly task, I decided to cut corners and utilise Speedpaints, in most circumstances the Speedpaints require a white or light undercoat to work effectively. 1. Ivory White. 2. Turnbull Turquoise Speedpaint. 

Cap, knee pads, boots and epaulettes.

1. The Darkness. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash, and lots of it!). 3. The Darkness. 4. The Darkness plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Uniform jacket and trousers.

1. The Darkness plus Ivory White. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash, so not much this time) 3. The Darkness plus Ivory White. 4. The Darkness plus more Ivory White. 5. Plus yet more Ivory White.

Rope.

1. Blanched Berry. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Blanched Berry. 4. Blanched Berry plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Sleeves.

1. Ironclad Grey. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Ironclad Grey. 4. Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Gun body, knife grip, soles and grenade.

1. Tainted Garden. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Tainted Garden. 4. Tainted Garden plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Gun foregrip and recoil pad.

1. Midnight Olive. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Midnight Olive. 4. Midnight Olive plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Shell cases and laser sight.

1. Fiery Vermilion. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Fiery Vermilion. 4. Fiery Vermilion plus Moonbeam Yellow. 5. Plus Ivory White.

Strap badge.

1. Sunburst Ochre. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Sunburst Ochre. 4. Plus Moonbeam Yellow. 5. Plus more Moonbeam Yellow.

Communicator screen.

1. Ironclad Grey plus The Darkness. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Ironclad Grey. 4. Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Cap Badge.

1. Emperor Gold. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Emperor Gold.

Lettering and lines.

1. Pure Ivory White. 2. Warm Skin Shade (wash). 3. Just Ivory White.
Lettering and lines, Pure Ivory White. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. Lettering and lines, Pure Ivory White. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert.
Above. Lettering and lines, Pure Ivory White.

Bases for them both (to mimic the existing

Stargrave figures).

1. Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. 4. Plus more Ivory White. 5. and yet more Ivory White.
Cap Badge Emperor Gold. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. Base Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White then Grimdark Shadow. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert.
Above. Cap Badge Emperor Gold.
Above. Base Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White then Grimdark Shadow.

FINISHED TERRAIN EXPERT

ENGINEER

Uniform.

1. Tainted Garden. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Tainted Garden. 4. Tainted Garden plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Body armour.

1. Midnight Olive. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Midnight Olive. 4. Midnight Olive plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White (extra damage in pure Ivory White).

Boots, helmet, neck band and loin cloth.

1. Blighted Green. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Blighted Green plus Moonbeam Yellow. 4. Plus Moonbeam Yellow. 5. Plus Ivory White.

Webbing and equipment.

1. Sunburst Ochre. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Sunburst Ochre. 4. Plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.
The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Terrain Expert.

Armour details.

1. Sunburst Ochre 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Sunburst Ochre. 4. Plus Moonbeam Yellow. 5. Plus more Moonbeam Yellow.

Tools.

1. Ironclad Grey. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Ironclad Grey. 4. Ironclad Grey plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

Tool details and laser eye.

1. Fiery Vermilion. 2. Voodoo Shade (wash). 3. Fiery Vermilion. 4. Fiery Vermilion plus Moonbeam Yellow. 5. Plus Ivory White.

Gun body.

1. Heavy Metal. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Heavy Metal.

Gun pistol grip.

1. Banshee Brown. 2. Grimdark Shadow (wash). 3. Banshee Brown. 4. Plus Ivory White. 5. Plus more Ivory White.

FINISHED ENGINEER

ARTIZAN FRONTIER CO-PILOT

His paintwork followed the same principles as the Stargrave lads, in fact I did him at the same time as them, so I’ll just list the colours. Boots, holster, belt.  Tainted Garden. Trousers. Ironclad Grey. Shirt. Blanched Berry. Jacket.  Banshee Brown, Fiery Vermilion and Moonbeam Yellow. Hair. Sunburst Ochre.
The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Engineer. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Engineer. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Engineer. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Engineer. The Finished model. Artizan Frontier Co-Pilot The Finished model. Artizan Frontier Co-Pilot

COMPETITION

Of course, the other reason I wanted to paint these models was to try out the same colour palette as the folks competing in our Masterclass JB painting competition and see if I could do it too. I believe I got some Grimdark in the skeletons and a little bit in the Stargrave soldiers. The Bandits were not intended to be Grimdark, as I wanted to reflect the painting competition's two categories, dark and light, and demonstrate that these sets may be utilised for a variety of purposes. You can try your hand at painting with these new sets in our current painting competition, which is running now. Click here to find out more.
Bandit 1.The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. Bandit 1.The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet.

THE SILVER BAYONET BRIGANTE

These were done in a lighter and brighter palette, using the same paints but with fewer dark washes; as always, I'll describe the colours and provide more details if I do something out of the ordinary.

Bandit 1.

Flesh.  Ivory White mixed with Ruddy Terra. Hair, hat and cartouche box. Ironclad Grey. Hat band. Blighted Green mixed with Moonbeam Yellow. Cloak. Blanched Berry. Shirt and stockings. Ivory White. Breeches. The Darkness mixed with Ivory White.  Woodwork. Sunburst Ochre. Shoes. Banshee Brown. Sash. Moonbeam Yellow. Gun barrel and lock. Heavy Metal. Musket fittings. Emperor Gold.

Bandit 2.

Flesh. Ivory White mixed with Ruddy Terra. Hair. Ironclad Grey. Fichu cap and cloak. Blanched Berry mixed with Fiery Vermilion. Shirt and embroidery details. Ivory White. Skirt. The Darkness mixed with Ivory White. Corset. Tainted Garden. Woodwork. Sunburst Ochre. Shoes. Banshee Brown. Gun barrel and lock. Heavy Metal. Musket fittings. Emperor Gold.
Bandit 2. The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. Bandit 2. The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet.

Bandit 3.

Flesh. Ivory White mixed with Ruddy Terra. Hair and jacket. Ironclad Grey. Hat, shoes and cartouche box. Banshee Brown. Hat Band. Moonbeam Yellow with Fiery Vermilion stripes. Neckerchief. Fiery Vermilion. Shirt and stockings. Ivory White. Breeches. The Darkness mixed with Ivory White.  Woodwork. Sunburst Ochre. Gun barrel, musket fittings and lock. Heavy Metal.

Bandit 4. 

Flesh.  Ivory White with Warm Skin Shade washed over the flesh painted area. (Here I experimented with just the wash over the base colour). Hair. Ironclad Grey. Fichu cap. Tainted Garden. Shirt, apron and embroidery details. Ivory White. Skirt. Blanched Berry. Neckerchief. Moonbeam Yellow. Corset. The Darkness mixed with Ivory White.  Club. Sunburst Ochre. Shoes. Banshee Brown.

Bandit 5. 

Flesh. Ivory White mixed with Ruddy Terra. Hair and shoes. Banshee Brown. Cloak. Tainted Garden. Hat and breeches. The Darkness mixed with Ivory White.  Hat Band. Fiery Vermilion. Neckerchief. Moonbeam Yellow with Fiery Vermilion stripes. Shirt and stockings. Ivory White. Woodwork. Sunburst Ochre. Gun barrel, musket fittings and lock. Heavy Metal.
Bandit 3.The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. Bandit 3.The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. Bandit 4. The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. Bandit 4. The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet.

GRIMDARK

I really enjoyed using this set of paints and making different choices based on my wish to utilize them as a stand-alone set, as well as discovering a little piece of inner Grimdark that I didn't know I had. I hope you think the models turned out okay. 
Bandit 5. The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. Bandit 5. The Finished model. TSB045 - Brigante. The Silver Bayonet. The Silver Bayonet TSB045 - Brigante. Whilst many Briganti see themselves as freedom fighters or patriots, there are those who are willing to apply their sinister skills in service to the necromancers – for a high price. The Finished model. Specialist Soldier: Engineer. The Napoleonic Skeletal Soldiers join their Norman buddies under the malevolent leadership of Il Negromante. The Army Painter's regular Fanatic paints were used to paint Il Negromante and the Norman Skeletal Soldiers. All models The Silver Bayonet Italy.