Introduction
Bolt Action is a tabletop wargame that allows players to simulate battles from World War II. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this hobby is painting the miniatures that represent the soldiers, tanks, and other units on the battlefield.
I'll focus on how to paint Bolt Action US infantry miniatures with the M1941 field jacket.
M1941 Field Jacket
The Jacket, Field, O.D. (also unofficially known as O.D. Cotton Field Jacket, Parsons Jacket, or M1941) is a field jacket that was used by US Army soldiers, most famously during the beginning of World War II. In 1941 it started to be phased in as a replacement for the wool four-pocket service coat of World War I, but around 1943 it was replaced in turn by the improved M1943 model. Owing to wide adoption, the M1941 is usually recognized as a symbol of the World War II American G.I. - Wikipedia
Getting Started
You'll need a variety of paints, brushes, and other tools to create a realistic and detailed look for your miniatures. Some recommended brands include Citadel, Vallejo, and Army Painter.
Once you have your materials, it's time to prepare the miniatures for painting. First, make sure they are clean and free of any debris or mold lines. If necessary, use a hobby knife to trim away any excess plastic or metal. Then, prime the miniatures with a spray or brush-on primer to create a smooth surface for the paint to adhere to.
Priming
I usually prime my miniatures with my airbrush, but these were primed using "rattle-can primer", Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Flat Grey Primer.
Base Coating
I usually start by applying Vallejo - German Camo Medium Brown to the pants and canteen. While I wait for it to dry, I start applying Vallejo - Khaki to the shirt, gaiters, backpack and any ammo pouches on the miniature. For the helmet, I apply Vallejo - US Dark Green and Vallejo - Flat Brown is applied to all the leather straps, boots and the rifle.
Painting skin can be intimidating, but I've found my simplest (and favourite) results start with a base coat of Citadel - Bugman's Glow. Finally, metallic details on the rifle are done with Citadel - Leadbelcher.
As I apply the base coats, mistakes are inevitable. Luckily, this is easy to fix by cleaning it up with the base coat for that part of the miniature.
Shading
To add depth to my miniatures, I start by applying a shade (aka wash). I'd suggest waiting a few minutes (~10 minutes) for your base coats to dry before applying a wash.
First, I start by applying Citadel - Nuln Oil to the rifle and helmet, covering the parts entirely. For the uniform, boots, backpack and pouches I shade them by applying Citadel - Agrax Earthshade.
Finally (and carefully), I apply Citadel - Reikland Fleshshade to the skin of the miniature.
Layering
Many stop after applying washes, but I like to go a bit further by adding some additional layers to the miniature to make it "pop". The shades applied in the previous step need to dry for a few minutes (~10 minutes) before applying the layers in this step.
Start by applying Vallejo - German Camo Medium Brown to the raised areas of the pants, avoiding the recesses which have been shaded in the previous step. Vallejo - Khaki can be applied in a similar manner on the shirt, gaiters and backpack.
As for the skin, I've found Citadel - Cadian Fleshtone to work the best. Start by carefully applying it to the raised parts on the face (such as the nose and cheeks) as well as the hands. Dragging the bristles of the paint brush (almost) horizontally across the fingers helps with keeping it neat and only applying it to the raised parts of the hands.
Finally, apply Vallejo - US Dark Green to the raised areas of the helmet, as well as applying Vallejo - Flat Brown to the raised areas of the rifle, boots and leather straps.
Highlighting
The fun part. I've found highlighting to be much simpler by using a brush dedicated for highlighting, usually a 0 or 00 size brush is my go-to.
Recently, I've started using Vallejo - Dark Sand to mix with my base coat colours to use for highlighting. Depending on the colour, I use a ratio of 2 - 3 parts base coat and 1 part Vallejo - Dark Sand. Mix the two colours on a palette (I love using my Army Painter Wet Palette) and remove any excess paint from the brush.
Drag the bristles of the brush horizontally across the edges you'd like to highlight, such as:
- The brim of the helmet.
- The creases on the shirt and pants.
- The edges of the rifle.
For highlighting the metallic areas, I use Citadel - Runefang Steel.
Basing
Almost done!
For my US infantry, I've taken small bits of 0.4mm cork and stuck them to the base of the miniature to achieve the effect of rubble before priming the miniature. Then, I apply some PVA glue to the base and dunk the miniature into a tub of Army Painter Brown Battleground. Once the PVA glue has dried, I apply some PVA glue over the pebbles and then finish it off with some patches of grass using Army Painter Battlefield Field Grass.
...and done!
US Infantry in action, holding an objective against oncoming Finnish infantry.
Paints Used
Citadel - Bugmans GlowCitadel - Reikland FleshshadeCitadel - Cadian Flesh ToneCitadel - Nuln OilCitadel - Agrax EarthshadeCitadel - LeadbelcherCitadel - Runefang SteelVallejo - US Dark Green (70.893)Vallejo - Khaki (70.998)Vallejo - German Camo Medium Brown (70.826)Vallejo - Flat Brown (70.984)Vallejo - Dark Sand (70.847)
