painting wood colors

[megroot]

Hello Guys,

I think this question must been asked before, but i can't fiend it.
I' m doing at the moment a roman soldier. The backside off his shield is made from wood.
How can I paint a nice wood shield.

Thanks

Marc van Megroot

 

[frank h]

Hi Marc
Generaly speaking the reverse of a Roman shield is
usualy portrayed as painted a red brown.

Hope this is of some help

Frank

 

[Luis R.]

For 54mm or smaller scales, there's an easy trick that works fine with rifles and so. You might have to add some changes for such a big surface as a shield.

First, paint the wooden parts in a light sand colour with acrilycs. Once dry, paint again, this time with a red-brown oil. Finally, use a flat brush to take away some of the oil paint. The brush srokes have to follow the intended wood grain pattern. That would result in beautifull wood grain effect.

In your case, i guess you should first try to draw the lines between the planks that form the shield and use the method above plank by plank.

 

[pkess]

I believe Frank is correct. Every Roman shield that I have seen illustrated is painted a reddish brown leather.
As far as painting wood, I undercoat with a acrylic base color that is close to the color of the wood that I want to depict: oak=yellow brown; walnut- deep brown, etc. I then apply a base oil color. While the base color is wet, I paint in a a grain pattern with a dark shadow color. Then I take a large dry brush and very lightly blend the grain in. The key here is you do not want to blend the colors together like normal, you just want to make it all look homogenous. While still wet I paint in a grain pattern with a highlight color and lightly blend. After this is all dry, I mix some thin washes of one or two different oil colors and apply randomly to the "planks." After every thing is completely dry, you can darken the lines between the individual boards and around the edges and hardware. I use Sepia or Lamp Black for this. Daniel Smith makes some colrs which I really like for oak washes: Quinacindrone Green Gold and Quinacindrome Gold(?).

 

[megroot]

Thanks guys,

So i must believe that the boxart is not correct. The instruction sheet said: outside off the shiel metal, inside wood.
It looks (but i am not a historicus) that the instruction sheet tells me that the shield is constructed with wood and that the wooden shield is covered with steel.
Maybe i am wrong, but that's why i call for help.

 

[pkess]

Marc,
Which kit are you painting, that would be a big help. Is it a late period Auxiliary Infantryman or a 1st cent AD Legionnaire? That may account for the instruction sheet.

 

[megroot]

There is not much on the instruction sheet, exept the colors.
The box says: romano rendicion vercigentorix.
ref: FXCON/001 serie ttFXmedia.

Is this helpfull.
Harnas?: metal with yellow copper for the closerings.
I visit today almost every roman site i could find. Every site said.
Red tunica.
Red shield with golden leaves.
Wite trouser.
Helm: Silver/metal, with yellow copper (gold) at the seams of the earflaps and backshield???

Hope you can help. Iám now painting red at the moment.

Marc

 

[frank h]

Hi Marc
I would suggest go red for the tunic (some historians reckon white but in
figure terms red on Romans looks better I.M.O.)

For the knee length trousers, could go a darker red/brown.

Helm/armour(lorica or mail) polished Iron (silver/ black)
Fittings/fastenings brass (gold shaded brown)

Shield lots of variations in design, usualy on red background

Hope this is of some help

Frank

 

[megroot]

Thanks Frank,

I'am starting it as you reed. Tunic red, trousers i didn't know still now. The shield is gonna be red instead off metal
But i've read that red is a difficult color to shade and highlight.
So i started the red all over with a cadmium red (it's very dark red) Than i'm gonna do the red.
The highlights i do with orange or something.
I hope its correct, because i'm just on my second figure.

Greetings Marc

 

[pkess]

Marc,
Who is the manufacturer of the kit? Your description doesn't sound familiar. Based on the caption you posted, it seems that the figure may be "Vercingetorix in Roman Dress?" Just guessing, but the figure may be a Gaul/German wearing items of Roman armor. In that case, the back of the shield may be natural wood. Is the shield round or the typical Legionnare shield?

 

[frank h]

Hi Marc
As Phil says Let us know the manufacturer.
As for painting red,
either go dark base colour, only highlight (with lighter red)
or light base colour, only shade (with medium to dark browns)

Frank

 

[megroot]

I'm sorry guys but that post of me didn't go well

It is from ttFXMedia
Ref: FXCON/001
Romao rendicion Vercigentorix

Sculptur: Fernando Martinez

That's all the box said.

I've been now done what you said, but the red didn't go over the dark red. Now i moved to another paint (decorfine) and now after four time's it is red. The darker would be cadmium red (it's really dark)

So you be all so helpfull

Thank so very very much