Dark Age Irish -- The Irishmen are all painted!

I've accomplished my goal of painting the last of my Dark Age Irish figures in 2011.  I'm painting these to base up for Impetus, my current favorite ancient-medieval rules.  This makes about 250 Irishmen completed, and will create an over 500 point Impetus army alone.  For those unfamiliar with Impetus, this is one side of a large game, there are certainly enough units for three guys a side at 500 points.  The army-list also allows Islemen.  These will be added later - I've bought the Crusader figures for the Islemen (hooray for Islay!).  These figures are a mixture of Irish and Viking, and they will appear different from both my Irish units and my Viking army.  I also have two units of medium Irish cavalry to paint up.  I'll leave this painting project for the future, as the Irish don't have cavalry in the Dark Age list.  However, a friend is painting up the Welsh, and if we ever ally for a game I will use them then.

In the Impetus Dark Age Irish list, the Irish can have Viking allies.  As I have a 500 point Viking army, this means I can field a 1000 point combined army.  I know that someday I will, just to see the specticle!

My last 14 figures (whew)

I've worked on the Irish for seven months or so, and this is the first painting I've done in many years.  So there is a real difference between the first figures and the last.  My earlier figures appear muddier (I was using one wash at the time -- I changed to a color specific wash per item over time).   Also, I believe my detailing improved over time, certainly I accomplished more with the shields as I put in more time painting.  I will use the changes over time to visually show class.  There are three classes of soldier for the Irish in the Impetus Dark Irish list -- kern, bonnacht, and nobiles.  I will make the kerns the least colorful and muddiest looking units, the nobiles will be the most colorful and cleanly detailed figures, and the bonnachts will be in the middle.

The rear row of figures are older paint jobs, and are muddier in appearance

There javelinmen also show the change in appearance over time

Here the more recent figure is on the left.

Here the more recent figure is on the right (I know -- just like some rules I play.  Hi, Low, Left, Right . . . )

IMO, these standard bearers really show a difference.  I'll use this to visually show class.

So my next step will be to lay out the bases of the different types on the table and move figures around until I am happy with the arrangement of them into the units of the army.  I will share this step -- I would like a based Irish army within the next few weeks.