Redstar Vietminh

here's a pic of my first Redstar Vietminh  figure; I really struggled to get the green right on this figure and think I'll paint a more olive tone for the rest of them as well as darkening the flesh a bit. cheers Pete 

red star French in caps and bush hats

A few more French paratroopers photographed alongside the beginnings of my home made jungle; which so far covers 2 2'x4' terrain tiles and cost just over £17. These when put  with the 80 palm trees I bought from ebay for £15  should just about cover half the wargames table 

French Indochina War Village

Here's some pics at my effort in making Vietnamese hootches; it cost me 4 quid to make the five as I had glue/paint in the house already. The thatch is a hanging basket liner, the bamboo poles are spaghetti and the patterning is a place mat from Asda for £2 and some sheets bought from the works for a quid,  I've got enough materials to make another  2 so gotta be a bargain.. The figures are Red star French and the Vietminh are TAG  Viet Cong , the greyhound armored car is from Warlord 

Bolt Action M8 Greyhound

This Warlord Games M8 greyhound is the first vehicle I've painted for about 30 years and I think it's came out okay.

Painting walk through Red star Dien Bien Phu range

figures undercoated with x4 parts Humbrol Matt 89 beige and x1 part matt 117 Green. Figures left to right British windproof trousers and smock undercoated with Vallejo PanzerAces 311 New Wood and dry brushed by adding Vallejo Panzer Aces 315 Light mud to the new wood. Figure carrying the .30cal trousers are Vallejo light mud  mixed with Vallejo Panzer Aces 314 Canvas approx x3 light mud to x2 Canvas. US marine camouflage vest is approx x2 Vallejo model colour  70922 Uniform Green , x2 Citadel Ogryn Camo and x1Vallejo  light mud.

Adding the camouflage:  when painting camo paint from the seams of the clothing on the figure.  British windproof Vallejo Game colour  72044 dark fleshtone for the brown and Vallejo uniform green painted in geometric patterns. TAP-47-52 tunic (figures 1 and 2) Vallejo Model colour 70.871 Leather Brown and Citadel Loren Forest Green painted in stripes.  USMC camouflage vest the green was x 4 parts Vallejo uniform green and x1 part Vallejo model color 70877 Goldenbrown, the brown was a 50-50 mixture of  Vallejo dark fleshtone and Vallejo model colour 70818 red leather. Painted green splodges first with brown over the top. 

Fgures 'coloured in' prior to washing. webbing and helmet band straps etc Vallejo model colour 70880 Khaki Grey. Boots Vallejo Model Colour 70984 flat brown, helmets motar, ammunition boxes etc Vallejo Model Colour 70890 Reflective green.  Knife scabbards and helmet 'boxes' uniform green . I painted the weapons black  prior to painting the metallic parts with a dry brush of gunmetal and the wooden area with dark fleshtone. the flesh was citadel Ratskin Flesh. the grenade is Vallejo Goldbrown

Washing the figures: Flesh washed with Citadel Reikland Fleshshade. Uniforms washed with citadel Agrax Earthshade. Helmets and webbing washed with 50-50 mix of Agrax Earhshade and citadel Thraka Green . Citadel Nuln Oil (black wash) was used for weapons ,boots, under helmets, under tunics and around both sides of the helmet band.

Close up view

Close up view

Highlighting: flesh highlighted with a 50-50 mix of Ratskin flash and Vallejo Gamecolour Bronze flesh, a bit red was added for the lips and Vallejo model colour 70.918 Ivory  was used to highligh the original mix.  boots and weapons were highlighted using citadel Doombull Brown. Ogryyn camo was used to highlight the rolled up sleeves and either Vallejo goldbrown  or light mud was used with the original colours to highlight the webbing and dry brush the helmets. 

Finished figures 

Red Star Dien Bien Phu

Red star Miniatures French Indochina War, I've always been interested in this conflict and couldn't resist these figures when the were released  I painted them using a combination of washes and  a touch of drybrushing  and am quite pleased with the results, cheers Pete