Contrast paint - first impressions

I bought a couple of Games Workshop Contrast Paint (Contrast from now on) one year ago, on the wave of enthusiasm. They have been sitting in a corner of my painting desk until this spring.  I was stuck with little to no willing of painting, so I decided to give them a try. I'm still painting.

I purchased about 3/4 of the line and these are my observation about them so far.

My Contrast collection so far. I should probably buy a rack for display

Contrast are not (of course) colors in the traditional term, since they are meant to paint both base and shades with one passage, so they are rather are highly pigmented inks or shade. Remember: they are very liquid. Colors vary a lot in pigment density and quality, for example Militarium Green is a bit light in pigment and need at least two coats to be efficient, otherwise it could result in speckled figures. Black Templar is also not very pigmented and can result in "not so black" color. Iyanden Yellow is, so far, my favorite color, even if tend to dissociate yellow and orange pigments so it need to be lay with a bit of attention and remember to shake the pot before painting.

Painting with Contrast only seems easy: painting with contrast at basic level is very accessible, but I think that achieving a high quality model requires a good hand skill, maybe at the same level than traditional painting: you can direct the flow of this liquid color, and the effect varies with the brush size, quantity of color absorbed in it, the pressure, the way you lay the color them, how many layer of paints you lay. So lot of different results, actually. Basilicanum Grey is paradigmatic: can vary a lot with the quantity of liquid placed on the miniature.

Cloak on left model, mail and sword on right one, are both painted with Basilicanum Grey.
Hard to believe, I know.

The primer is very important: I found myself at ease with Wraithbone spray but you really have to experiment: the final result can vary a lot. Only remind that a smooth basecoat is essential for let Contrast flow, the risk is the color could evidence the granularity of the primer.

Base Wraithbone is essential. It is the same primer but you can lay it with a brush: you will need it to cover the smears. Important! With small exceptions they're not able to cover other colors smear, and I suggest painting the figures from lighter to darker colors for this reason. 

Attention on metals! I tried using Contrast to shade Vallejo real metal colors and I found both Wildwood and Skeleton Horde tend to give them a brass effect. I decided for now to use non metal color (i.e. Basilicanum Grey, see picture above).

Not the best picture, but the gun was painted with Vallejo Silvermetal and then washed with Skeleton Horde. The result are brassy shadows. Other colors are Contrast.

Which miniatures are (in my opinion) best painted with contrast paint?  Well they work greats on simple, plain clothes and fur (both in clothes and on animals, including horses). I would avoid armies with a lot of tiny details (as Napoleonics), if you want to go full Contrast. Otherwise, you could use contrast paint for basic uniform and then revert to traditional painting for details. Also bear in mind that the colors selection is (compared with other brands) quite small: you will probably have issues finding the right shade of blue for that particular regiment in that particular campaign. But...you can always mix them and create new colors, I found no particular issues with that, just remember avoid mixing with water. 

In conclusion: the miniatures are not gonna painting themselves, but choosing the right subject they allow to spare an enormous amount of time and going right into playing with an army nicely painted (using it unpainted was never an option). I am very happy with them and I must thank them for getting back to painting.

Shakò64 Borbonic Hunters (2) - Painting guide

Cacciatori and Carabinieri esteri (1859-1860)

Documentation about uniforms in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies army during its last period is fragmentary, and few dedicated volumes exist, for this reason I decided to write this guide to help new wargamers getting started in this fascinating period. Few depictions of this army arrived to us, and I chose to follow the Vinkhujzen collection watercolors, which follows the description of the 1859 regulations.

Carabinieri esteri and cacciatori napoletani (hunters or chasseurs) were  light infantry corps trained in open order fighting and broken terrain operations. I remember most of the Sicilian and Calabrian internal areas are mountainous and impervious. They fought valiantly (even when - often where led by less than competent leaders) during all Garibaldi's campaing of 1860 and 1861 from Calatafimi to Volturno.

In 1859 cacciatori napoletani and carabinieri esteri were reorganized and were issued new regulations about uniforms. They received a tunic grigio ferro (dark grey) or light blue and trousers in dark grey, light blue or white, all with a green line. The third carabinieri esteri regiment was going to wear green tunics with red trousers, but probably they never received the new uniforms.

The everyday uniform or labour uniforms, often wear during campaings was the biggia (lit. grey), actually a light blue grey, obtained intertwining grey and blue wires. 

3rd rgt carabinieri esteri, note the grigio ferro uniform

Miniatures

I used the recently released figures from a newly established Italian company, "Shakò64". The figures are coded as: Comando cacciatori in tunica (grigio ferro) e shakò (covertato e scovertato) and Cacciatore in tunica e shakò (covertato e scovertato). They are suitable to represent both Cacciatori napoletani and Carabinieri esteri. The figures portray troops during campaign, in tunic and carrying all the necessary equipment as haversacks and water bottles. Epaulettes are not shown, probably they've been removed to be preserved from the injury of bad weather. They were kept clean to be used for high uniform or garrison duties. The troopers are armed with 32" rifled carbines and "yatagan" model bayonet.

 

Bavarian Carabinieri Esteri Battalion, in biggia (blue grey)

Painting guide

I chose to paint the tunic in my own version of grigio ferro, so dark grey with a strong blue component, and biggia trousers. Most of the colours are Vallejo model colours. I applied a white primer.

For grigio ferro tunic I used as base color Vallejo Dark Bluegrey 70.867, then I lightened it with Vallejo French Mirage blue 70.900 and then again with a mixture of French Mirage blue and Vallejo Dark Blue Pale 70.904 in a 1:1 ratio. 

For  the biggio coloured trousers I used a 1:1 mixture of Dark Blue Pale and French Mirage blue 1:1 and then I lightened it with pure Dark Blue Pale.

I suggest also experimenting using different washes. If you're using them, I suggest using as base color for tunic a mixture 1:1 French Mirage Blue and Vallejo Dark Bluegrey, and for the trousers Dark Blue Pale only, since I expect the washes to darken the base colour shadowing the model. Then you can lighten it as I suggested before. In the last passage I often add a small quantity of pure white in the mixture with a dry brush, to exaggerate contrast.

For those desiring experimenting with blue-grey tunic I noticed after I painted these models that a good starting point could be  Vallejo Luftwaffe uniform WWII 70.816, let me know if you try it!

Summary table

Item	Base Colours
Tunic and trousers grigio ferro*	Vallejo Dark Bluegrey 70.867+French Mirage Blue 70.900
Trousers biggi*	Vallejo Dark blue pale 70.904+French Mirage Blue 70.900
Shakò, belts in black leather	Vallejo German grey 70.995
Belts in white leather	Italeri Flat Sand
Backpack, waterbottle, carbine wood	Games Workshop Gorthor Brown
Bags, cartridges in leather	Vallejo German grey 70.995, Italeri Flat leather, Italeri Flat Sand
Cuffs, Shakò pompon	Vallejo Deep green 70.970
Steel and Brass	Vallejo Natural steel 70.864 + Italeri Gloss Brass

Update

I just noticed on Shakò64 a fantastic uniform guide for Naepolitan Cacciatori, by CIPA, check it here.

Bibliography

• Giancarlo Boeri, Piero Crociani, Massimo Fiorentino, "L'Esercito Borbonico dal 1830 al 1861" I° Tomo Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito Ufficio Storico.
• Stefano Ales, “L'Esercito delle due Sicilie uniformi equipaggiamento armamento 1850-1860”
• Gabriele Esposito, Giuseppe Rava, “Armies of the Italian Wars of Unification 1848-70 (1)”, Osprey Publishing
• Illustraton from "Vinkhuijzen Collection"