Back to the Brushes 324

More Moorish archers for SAGA today and getting near to the final paint session with both groups. The figures are from Gripping Beast and still hold up well considering their age. 

Starting to get the jist of Contrast paints and seeing a lot of potential with them for certain things especially as using as glaze to bring colours together.

Still to complete any figures or terrain this month but there are a lot of items on the painting table. That's part of the problem, needing to focus more on a single element and get it done rather than butterflying around from one shiney to the next shiney. 

Hope that you found this interesting and stay safe. 

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 323

A brief update for this month's 30 Days 30 Miniatures and the initial pics of the two buildings currently on the painting table - Warbases Veni Vidi Vici range barracks A and B. A is on the left as viewed and B, well it's obvious isn't it, sits next to A.

The starting point for these after building is to create additional texture. The tiles are from Warbases and the mix for the exterior walls is a blend of PVA, paint and very, very fine sand. Once the roof tiles are in place on both buildings it will be time to start colouring in. Washes and layers will provide the basis of this with contrast coming from the windows, doors and woodwork on the porch. Will look at possibly weathering these buildings further by using weathering powders.

As the barrack blocks can be displayed singly or together will be looking at painting the roof and long walls in a single session to keep the colours close to each other. The gable ends will be done next before looking at the windows, doors and woodwork at the front of the buildings. 

More work in progress pics to follow

Cheers for now and stay safe

30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge - October 2021

 Will be starting another 30 Day Painting Challenge this evening and continuing the catch up on the growing shortfall from recent months. 

For the 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge there is no theme to this, just to paint and complete 30 miniatures regardless of their starting condition or size. 

The outline of the challenge is detailed below, however the main point being to have fun with your hobby.

• To paint 30 figures of all shapes and sizes in 30 days
• The figures can be partly painted at the start as the main point is to complete figures that have been forgotten
• Basing is not necessary to count as completed
• Any scale is good
• Too have fun
• The end date is set by your start date - 31st October will be the end date of this challenge
• To post updates as often as possible
• Lastly to show a round up post with a group picture of everything.

Hope that you will find this interesting.

Cheers for now 

Back to the Brushes 322

There goes September as we move into October and the last quarter of 2021 and another 30 days 30 Miniatures Painting challenge has ended. 

September's painting

A few different periods and scales here this month as well as picking up on stalled projects. 

From left to right there are the following:

1 x 28mm ruined classic column from Templar Wargames

1 x 28mm Norman archer from Gripping Beast

3 x 28mm Moor archers from Gripping Beast

4 x 28mm Fallschrimjager snipers from Warlord Games (Centre) and Artizan Design

9 x 15mm Early Imperial Roman Legionnaires from Plastic Soldier Company

This takes the total for September to 20 completed figures including the building for Warbases. Short of the total however, there is a lot sitting so near finished that October will be a full on month. 

Imperium Sine Fine 31

 A recently completed scenery piece from the Warbases Veni Vidi Vici range in 28mm - the Stone Granary.

Stone Granary

A range of paints were used on this from masonry paint, emulsion, artists acrylics and modellers acrylics to achieve different colours and finishes different than normally used.

A scenery piece like this really sets off your gaming table and this range are superb kits with a huge range of potentials and not just for gaming but in different painting styles and conversion opportunities. 

With painting buildings, I have always thought that texture is everything. The dimensions of the model carry themselves well, however, texture allows colours to be built up in layers much easier than plain surfaces.

A painted or plastered wall is seldom just the one colour - go take a walk and look at the differences in painted buildings. Age, weather, condition are all contributing factors that change the colour and some of this is shown on this building, more will be shown on another future project where weathering will be added in. 

Really enjoyed painting this and will be looking forward to doing more from the same range in the coming months. This takes the tally this month to 2 finished items so far with 4 painting sessions still to go... 

Cheers for now and stay safe.

Back to the Brushes 321

Working away on these archers for the Moors in SAGA as levy troops. The figures are from Gripping Beast and hoping to finish those below in the next painting session. 

The two archers in black below were an experiment to start off with using Games Workshop Contrast paint for the black; I forget the name, its black paint. 

 The levy will be made up of a mixture of these two figures and two other casts still to be started. 

There are a few items finished that will take the count to roughly halfway for this month; just need to take the pictures to show. 

Cheers for now and stay safe. 

Back to the Brushes 320

First figure for September's 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge is the lead Thessalian cavalry man below. These are a part of an ongoing project for a Macedonian DBA army in 28mm.

The rider's thrusting spear is still to be added however, it's best to let one glued piece set before gluing another piece to the same piece. 

Next in this project will be the Companions with wee Eck himself. These have already been started with the horses about finished and the flesh tones on the riders. More of these and other updates throughout the month. 

So this takes the running total this month to

1 x 28mm cavalry man

A few more to go however, will get there this month and a few extra as well. 

Stay safe and cheers for now.