Defenders of the Wild

Paints for rangers, druids and the forest watch

Figures that belong in a forest almost always have the same ground plan of palette: skin and leather straps, linen or woolen clothing in greens, a piece of steel and plenty of shadow. That is exactly how this set of eight is built. The brown side is held by Leather Brown and the darker Charred Brown, the green by the trio Camouflage Green, Goblin Green and the rich Heavy Green. The metal parts are covered by Gunmetal.

Two washes as well

The remaining two bottles are not covering paints but thin tinting washes, Sepia Wash and Black Wash. They are applied over finished paint and run of their own accord into engraved lines, folds and joints, so the relief stands out without laborious shading with a brush. The sepia shade belongs to warm areas, that is to leather, wood and earth; the black one suits metal, dark fabrics and anywhere the contrast is meant to be hard.

The procedure that makes sense: a base in covering paint in two thin layers, then the matching wash, and once dry a lightening of the high points with the original shade plus a drop of a lighter green or brown. The greens and browns can be mixed with each other, which turns eight bottles into a considerably wider scale. Everything is water-based and the tools are cleaned with water.

Continuity with the base

A forest subject as a rule does not end with the figure. The brown tones suit bark, roots and the dried leaves of the terrain as well, so the figure and the ground hold together as one whole. The green shades can be thinned to the level of a mere breath and used to glaze moss or tufts of grass lightly, so that they do not look like a separately bought component.

The set is paint only – there are no models or accessories in it.