I broke out the Windsor & Newton oils this morning to take up this project again. The primer and initial layer on the leather flying coat and face are Vallejo acrylics, but I decided to try oils as they dry much slower and allow easier blending. I am trying to follow the techniques described and explained in Shep Paine's book on painting miniatures:


I find that I enjoy all of the mixing and playing around with variations in shade that oils allow, as shown by this morning's palette, a plastic dessert plate!

I think I have the face to where I want it, not perfect or dramatic, but passable. This is my first one in a long time, so I'm learning again.

Remarkably, this figure looks rather similar to the photo of Warneford in flying kit:

I may need to go back and darken the eyes a bit. The casting there is imperfect, so it may be a challenge, but I can always repaint if I am unhappy with it.
Time to go to work, so I have placed he figure under my make-shift dust cover to dry a bit. Second-best use for a pint glass!


Next, I'll have to figure out a good mix approximating British khaki olive. The text of the RNAS book indicated that the khaki olive uniform was commonly used in the field in 1915, so that's what I'm going with. Any thoughts on whether the leather flying coat should be black or dark brown? Hard to tell from the photos, and I don't have a strong preference.
Cheers,
Bob