Painting Toy soldiers

My uncle is building a fort for his grandson (my first cousin once removed). He's a carpenter by trade and has been teased for years for not making dolls houses for any of his daughters or grand daughters. So when he announced he was making a fort I thought I'd support the effort. The little chaps' mum had bought him some 54mm knights and I'd asked his grandad if he was painting them. The answer was no, Well that's not on, so I volunteered.

I now have on my painting trays 40 knights and men at arms with armour styles from the 12th century to the 15th, plus 4 ancient Greek hoplites with no shields. All from Ebay for about £2.50.

First think I did was  wash them with washing up liquid to clean them up. I then cut off any flash and checked their ability to stand upright. The majority stood on their bases OK but a couple didn't so I got some 50x30 mdf bases from Minibits. I glued the figures on the bases with wood glue. Next I washed them down with watered down wood glue (PVA) to seal them for paint and give a little strength.

They are now ready for under coating.

Grouped in to good and bad guys. Each knight in full plate armour gets 2 men at arms. The figures have been coated with a PVA wash. 

The Greek an untreated figure as I ran out of bases

Ready for under coating

I now need to decide on colours. I've groups them in to sides already, which lefty me with 2 knights spare which I've decided to paint as the Green Knight and Black Knight.