Painting cavalry

Introduction

I received these guys some time ago, as payment for a commission. 

A note on assembly

A rider broke off his horse, and two spears broke off their riders. I don't know about the assembly possibilities, as I got them assembled and primed black. But as always - pin your metal miniatures!

Painting the riders

Since the riders are mostly dressed in chainmail, I started with that, as it implied drybrushing.

I then painted the rest of the riders:

• dark leather boots
• medium skintone
• warm white cloth
• wood

I fell in love with heraldic shields when painting the skeletons. Sadly these shields have a metal buckle in the middle, so I abandoned the idea of freehanding complicated designs, and just went with the red/white lines.

Basecoat Scarlet Red and Ghost Grey.

Highlight Bloody Red and Dead White.

Next were the horses (see below), after which I finished some smaller elements:

• medium leather straps
• again silver on the clasps, stirrups etc

Brown horse

Basecoat Charred Brown.

Layer Dark Fleshtone.

Bathe Agrax Earthshade.

Edge highlight the muscles Dark Fleshtone.

Black horse

Basecoat Black. There's a real difference between Chaos Black spray and Vallejo Black paint.

Layer with a 1:1 mix of Heavy Charcoal and Cold Grey.

Edge highlight Cold Grey.

Bathe Nuln Oil.

Grey horse

Basecoat Cold Grey.

Recess shade Agrax Earthshade.

Highlight Stonewall Grey.

Light grey horse

Basecoat Stonewall Grey.

Recess shade Basilicanum Grey. I should have diluted it with Contrast Medium for softer shadows.

Edge highlight Ghost Grey.

Tails and manes on the dark horses

Basecoat Black.

Drybrush Cold Grey.

Wash Nuln Oil.

Light drybrush with Cold Grey, just on the top.

Tails and manes on the light horse

Basecoat Cold Grey.

Drybrush Stonewall Grey.

Wash Nuln Oil. 

Finally light drybrush Stonewall Grey on the top.

Hooves

Basecoat Black, edge Cold Grey, wash Agrax Earthshade.

Basing

Woodland base.

Finished!