Speed painting British Line Infantry

I'm not a very talented painter but I am careful, methodical and above all very patient so I can turn out some decent looking miniatures with a lot of hard work and effort!

Whilst this is fine for low model-count games, with Napoleonics on the scale I'm planning it's simply not feasible to paint a battalion a month. The problem is it takes me so long to paint a battalion the task becomes daunting to the point where I don't bother trying!?

One way around this is to buy units already painted which is what I'll do in the most part going forward, however I have a lead and plastic mountain to work through so I need to figure out a way of speed painting napoleonic miniatures!

With this in mind I sat down to figure out how to do it! No more precise painting of everything I need to liberate my painting technique get a big brush and slap on the paint!

After a lot of trial and error here is the system I've come up with for British Napoleonic line infantry:

1) dark red basecoat on jacket.
2) light red drybrush on jacket.
3) dark grey Base on trousers and blanket roll.
4) light grey drybrush on trousers and blanket roll.
5) dark brown Base on musket and hip bag.
6) light brown highlight on musket and hip bag.
7) brown Base on hands and face.
8) dark blue on water canteen.
9) light blue highlight water canteen.
10) black Base on hat, backpack, ammo pouch, boots and hair.
11) regimental colour on cuffs and collar.
12) colour on plumes.
13) white details on crossbelts, backpack, straps, jacket trim and plumes.
14) brass colour on musket barrel, bayonet, cap badge and belt buckles.
15) metal highlight on musket barrel and bayonet.
16) flesh highlight on hands and face.
17) final touch up of any mistakes.

Using this system i managed to paint 6 models in 3 hours, that's 30 minutes per model which means a 36 man battalion can be completed in 18 hours I can do that in two days rather than a month! Whilst I understand true speed painting is alot quicker than this it is a vast improvement on my previous speed!

I also think there may be scale efficiencies to be made time wise so if I paint in batches of 12 or more I might be able to do it even quicker! I'm pleased with the finish of the models they're a nice tabletop standard and the best thing is knowing I can get so much done in such a short time makes me incentivised to get painting! :-)