Tommy's War painting instructions for British World War One uniform

T MMY’S WAR
1914-1918 in miniature
Painters
Guide
www.tommyswar.com
Trade Order Catalogue
April 2014
tommyswar.co.uk
TW32001 – Private, Middlesex Regiment,
Mons 1914 by Alex Long

T MMY’S WAR
1914-1918 in miniature
TW32001
Painters Guide
Foreword by Darren Parker-Mead
I first met Alex Long in 2011 at Euro Militaire and it
was obvious from the start that he was an extremely
talented guy who was going on to achieve great
things in our hobby.
It’s been a pleasure to see his progress, I remember
his first gold at Euro Militaire and his wide-eyed stare
the first time he visited Scale Model Challenge
(although that might have been his two nights in
Amsterdam!).
So, it’s great that Alex has been able to share some
of his painting tips in this guide, and I’m hugely
grateful that he’s been able to contribute.
I hope you find this informative and interesting and
it gives you the inspiration to start those Tommy’s
War projects.
Darren
Getting Started
Before we get into Alex’s step-by-step commentary
I just wanted to offer some thoughts on the build
and preparation of the painting step. This is a vital
step that can cause inexperienced modellers some
concern, and I know from the emails I receive that
it’s an area where there is some confusion. However,
with a bit of practice its quite simple and I’ve listed
some hints that I’ve found useful over the years.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will
spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Preparing the Kit
Tommy’s War models are manufactured in resin,
you’ll see that your kit will have some of the casting
blocks in place, these need to be carefully removed
with a sharp knife or modelling saw. Once the
majority of the block is removed the area should be
sanded. Remember that resin can be toxic, so always
work in a well ventilated space, I always advise
wearing a mask and gloves.
2
Assembling the Kit
Once you’re happy with the clean-up it’s time to
glue. Resin can be fixed with any cyranacrylate
adhesive (otherwise known as Superglue).
There are many glues on the market. I use a brand
called Deluxe which is widely available. This comes
in different consistencies, with thicker faster drying
glues to more liquid versions. I tend to use the
thicker consistency.
One tip I always pass is that the glue adheres
better to a rougher surface, so I always slightly sand
the surfaces that will be glued. Only slightly, don’t
overdo it.
Less is more with superglue, the more glue you
use the longer the drying time, apply in a thin layer
and let it do it’s magic.
The Rifle Sling
The rifle sling is the part that seems to present the
most problems, and I confess I find them quite
tricky myself. My advice would be not to use the
photo-etch one supplied in the kit, but to create
your own with either masking tape (I use Tamiya
tape) or Alex’s method (electrical tape).
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Drilling the Figure
I always drill a small hole into the foot of the figure
and superglue a small piece of wire. This gives me
something to anchor the figure while painting but
also fits it into the base securely when it’s
completed.
Ready to Go
Once all the parts are fitted check your model, if
there are any small gaps fill with a putty and make
sure you’re happy with the finish. Before applying
a basecoat wash the model thoroughly in warm
soapy water.
It sounds like a lot, but getting a great finish really
does start at the preparation.
Paint and Colour
If elements of the clean-up cause some anxiety, then
that’s nothing compared to paint and colour choice
and is easily the subject I get the most emails about.
There is a huge amount of paint choice. In this guide
Alex references Vallejo, which is great as it’s one of
the easiest paint brands to get. Vallejo is an acrylic
paint which is the most popular paint type used
at the moment and there are a plethora of other
brands such as AK Interactive, Andrea, Ammo, Scale
75, Nocturna, Army Painter and Citadel (Games
Workshop).
This isn’t even the full list, and doesn’t even cover all
the paint sets that include everything from painting
flesh to a certain type of RAF aircraft.
It’s no wonder modellers are confused, it’s baffling.
The trick is to not get sucked into the marketing,
certainly at a basic level you won’t find too much
difference between the manufacturers, don’t fall for
thinking you have to buy a complete set, try
different paints and see which you prefer. I like Andrea
for it’s matt finish. Some people like Scale 75
but I find it hard to get out of the dropper bottles.
In-short they are all good paints and you can’t really
go too wrong.
The second part of this is uniform colour, on this my
advice is simple, don’t worry too mucn about it. Yes,
that’s counter to everything a modeller stands for
but it’s true.
There are two books on World War One uniform
references by Chris Pollendine, Campaign 1914 and
Campaign 1915. These books show original World
War One British uniform and equipment and I spoke
to Chris some time ago on colour.
Chris explained to me that in all the years of
collecting original uniform he’d seen a huge variety
of shades and colours, from mustard brown to dark
green there wasn’t one single shade that
represented what he had seen.
When you think that between 1914 and 1918 the
British were producing millions of pieces of clothing
each year in mills in Britain and Ireland and as far
away as Canada and the US. There were no colour
swatches to reference, no easy communication to
ensure a shade was right and very little quality
control.
However, as modellers, it’s important that th
colour looks correct, so my advice would be to check
online for original pieces of uniform and match to
that, alternatively Chris’s books are a great source of
information.
I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but Facebook
has some fantastic groups dedicated to uniforms
and I find those incredibly helpful.
Failing all of that, I have worked with the paint
manufacturer Lifecolor and we developed a set of
World War One uniform colour which you can use
‘from the pot’ if you wish.
And finally
My major piece of advice is to enjoy what you’re
doing. The best painters didn’t become great
overnight and while they have considerable
talent they also work hard at their craft.
Painting takes patience and it takes practice.
We’re fortunate in these times that there is a
wealth of knowledge online and take your time
to absorb that teaching but also make time to
paint.
I spend a lot of time watching tutorials on
outube, it really is a fantastic resource and there
aren’t many modelling topics you can’t find on
there.
But don’t be discouraged if your work doesn’t
look like those winning artists, enjoy the hobby
for what it is for you.
Have fun and keep smiling!
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3

TW32001 Painters Guide
by Alex Long
Preparation
All Tommy’s War 1/32nd scale miniatures are finely
cast in high quality resin and therefore require
minimal clean-up, meaning they can be ready for
paint in under an hour. The main tools required for
the assembly of resin figures is a scalpel or sharp
knife, sprue cutters, epoxy putty and super glue.
Simply, but carefully, cut away the moulding lugs
using the sprue cutters, be careful not to cut too
close to the figure itself to avoid accidents, we don’t
want any wounded Tommys at this stage! Using the
scalpel of knife, gently scrape away any visible mould
lines from the miniature, the scraping action leaves
the resin nice and smooth, unlike a file which tends
to make the resin “fur up” and look rough.
Assemble the model as much as is practicable for
ease of painting, as TW32001 is in a fairly simple
pose I have fully assembled the figure before
painting.
Super glue is the number one choice for gluing
resin, it’s quick and creates a very strong bond. If,
after assembly, there are any gaps that require
filling, then a two-part epoxy putty or model filler
can be used. I prefer epoxy putty for filling joints as
it can be smoothed very effectively before it dries,
meaning it does not require sanding.
As you can see in the first photograph (fig 1) we
have the fully assembled miniature in the bare resin.
Note that I have made my own rifle sling using
electrical tape, I find this the best choice as it’s
strong, flexible and will stretch if needed, enabling
a more natural look. Using electrical tape is a very
simple way to make slings and straps, simply stick
some to a cutting mat and trim to the desired width
with a scalpel. It is easily glued to the resin with
super glue and test fitting is made easy by utilising
the sticky side to help get the correct position.
Fig 2
The second photo (fig2) shows the miniature
primed and ready to paint. For the primer coat I
Fig 2
have used a grey lacquer-based primer-filler
administered via the airbrush. This gives a nice
absorbent, matt ground ready to accept the acrylic,
paint which is important for avoiding any shine that
may build up during painting. Now it’s on to the
painting.
Fig 1
4
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Painting - Palette
I always use a wet palette for painting, simply because
it keeps the paint workable for longer, enabling
the painter to come back to his work without
having to re-mix paint. In the third photo (fig 3 ) we
see the palette with all the colours used for TW32001,
I lay the paints out beforehand and pre-mix all the
colour transitions ready on the palette. Here I have
listed all the colours used, all coming from the
Vallejo range of acrylics:
Fig 3
Flesh
70.951
70.928
70.860
70.804
70.814
70.859
70.959
70.950
White
Light Flesh
Medium
Flesh
Beige red
Burnt Red
Black Red
Purple
Black
Uniform
70.921
70.950
70.924
70.311
70.988
70.976
English
Uniform
Black
Russian
Uniform
New Wood
Khaki
Buff
Webbing
70.976
70.643
70.950
70.871
The colour transitions for each
area of the figure are mixed on
the wet palette from dark to light,
additional tones are created by
adding more volume of either
warm or cold colours.
Buff
Lee Enfield
Ivory
Black
Leather
Brown
70.984
70.928
70.871
70.804
70.826
70.859
Flat Brown
Black
Leather
Brown
Medium
Flesh
German Medium
/ Camo
Brown
White
Colours are referenced from the Vallejo acrylics range. The guide indicates the major parts of the figure only:
The painting reference should be used as a guide only. It is recommended that you test the colours before applying
to the figure.
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5

Fig 5 Fig 6
Fig 4
Fig 7 Fig 8
Fig 5 Fig 6
Fig 7 Fig 8
Fig 13
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Fig 11 Fig 12
Painting - The Face
(Fig 4) shows the figure with a dark basecoat to the
uniform and webbing as well as some rudimentary
work on the face. The closer shot in (Fig 5) shows
the face with very basic highlights over a mediumdark
flesh mix. This gives some shape to the face and
helps define the areas of light and shade or in other
words, contrast. Contrast is an important factor
when painting scale miniatures, as a rule of thumb,
the smaller the miniature the higher the contrast
should be.
Using the flesh colours laid down on the wet palette
I create the various shades of flesh as follows:
Mid-tone – Beige Red
First highlight - Beige Red plus Medium Flesh
Second highlight – Beige Red, Medium Flesh,
Light Flesh
Third highlight – Medium Flesh plus Light Flesh
Final highlight – Light Flesh plus White
First shade – Beige Red plus Burnt Red
Second shade – Beige Red, Burnt Red, Black Red
Third shade – Beige Red, Black Red, Black.
Tones are achieved by adding more Burnt Red and a
touch of Purple to the mid-tone.
With the basic highlights applied some colour tone
is added to the cheek area, as can be seen in (Fig 6).
At this point we can start smoothing the transitions
of colour between dark and light. Using filters is the
easiest way to achieve this, bearing in mind that a
filter is a little different to a wash. When using a filter
technique, we are trying to evenly cover the whole
area with a thin layer of paint with low opacity.
With a wash on the other hand, WE would be trying
to get the paint pigment to pool up at the edges
or in folds and creases, not homogenously over the
whole area. To smooth a transition between dark
and light simply use a mid-tone thinned to the
consistency of skimmed milk, load the brush with
the paint and gently apply the filter from one side
to the other. Remember, keeping the paint thin but
not too watery is key. It will require a number of
filters to gradually smooth out the transition, don’t
be tempted to increase the opacity if you cannot see
immediate results (which you shouldn’t) as this will
eliminate any subtlety.
We can see through (Fig 7 – 9) that the gradual
smoothing of the out of the various tones is
taking away any harsh lines. (Fig 10 & 11) show the
further progression of the face following further filter
layers as well as additional tones around the nose,
lips and cheeks. The hair has also been blocked in
ready for the finishing touches to the face. Moving
on, (Fig 12 & 13) show the completed face,
showing additional highlights, eyes, hair and five
o’clock shadow.
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7

Fig 15 Fig 16
Fig 14
Fig 17 Fig 18
Fig 19 Fig 20
Fig 21 Fig 22
Fig 23
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Fig 11 Fig 12
Painting - The Uniform and Equipment
While British Army uniform colours of WWI can
appear all the same, a variety of tones can be
ntroduced to represent fading, dirt and
weathering. Adding more Russian Uniform will
increase the green tone, something I usually do for
gaiters and water bottles. Adding more Khaki will
achieve a more faded look, while the addition of
New Wood will bring more warmth to the colour.
For our Tommy I have chosen to represent him in
a clean uniform, perhaps he is marching through
the home counties freshly called up for duty on the
front.
The dark basecoat of the uniform has been painted
over with a mix of English Uniform and black, as can
be seen in (Fig 14). Highlighting by increasing the
amount of English Uniform is the next stage, see
(Fig 15 & 16), highlights are increased by adding
a small amount of Russian Uniform and Khaki.
Again, filters of mid-tone (slightly darkened English
Uniform) are applied over the whole area to smooth
demarcation lines.
The webbing is painted in using a mix of Buff, Black
& Leather Brown with highlights created by
increasing the quantity of Buff, see (Fig 17) & 18.
Using a dark, not quite black mix, the webbing has
been lined-in to help create some definition, seen in
(Fig 19). (Fig 20) shows the pack and webbing
finished, following some further highlighting by
adding Ivory to the mix.
(Fig 21 & 22) show the gaiters and water bottle, as
mentioned previously, I have added more Russian
Uniform to the mix to change the tone from the
Uniform to become slightly greener and help break
up the different areas of the figure.
The final part of the figure is our Tommy’s trusty Lee
Enfield Rifle. A very simple way to simulate a wood
grain is to paint the rifle with a dark brown/black,
and paint quite harsh uneven lines (Fig 23) over the
mid-tone using the German Camo Medium Brown
and Medium Flesh. This is then covered with a few
filters (Fig 24) of Flat Brown to tone down the effect,
some extra highlights can then be added carefully
to certain areas of wood grain if needed.
Fig 24
For the finishing touches some metallic brass and
gunmetal have been used to paint the equipment
buckles and gun barrel respectively. I generally tone
down the metallics with regular paint, in this case
using Yellow Ochre and Leather brown mixed with
the brass and black and blue added to the gunmetal
for the metalwork on the rifle.
CONCLUSION
The final presentation of the figure is to
provide him with a base, in this case I have
chosen a simple wooden block, adding
epoxy putty to create a dirt road with a low
bank of grass to the side, fitting in with my
idea that our Tommy is marching off to war
on the Western Front.
Brave lad!
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9

This series is commissioned by
Tommy’s War Limited
Figure sculpted by Nino Pizzichemi, box art by Alex Long
T MMY’S WAR
1914-1918 in miniature
www.tommyswar.com