Back to the Brushes 272

Blink and before you know it another month is drawing to and end and this has been an eventful month with a few significant dates happening:

• Reaching the half century
• Celebrating 20 years married
• The young Padawan starting school.

Whilst this has all been good and rewarding in very different ways, there has still been a little time to get some painting done including the following work in progress pics:

The Late Roman archer's horses are already done and these two ponies belong to some undercoated Huns. 

Half of the started Gondorian archers for Dragon Rampant. Been playing about with the base colours for the plate armour with these so there will be some difference in the finished appearance from previous figures in this retinue.  

More Prussian Landwehr moving slowly forward. The blue is taking more time than anticipated for such a large area of colour. The base coat is looking more like a contrast paint and requiring over painting when it shouldn't. 

Hope that this has been of interest to you 

Cheers for now

Scourge of God

A new series of posts starts with these pictures of recently based Huns from Gripping Beast's Steppe Nomads range.

This series will plot the progress of two armies in two different scales linked by the common theme of horse archers.

The first army is the Huns for DBA and ADLG in 28mm with figures entirely from Gripping Beast. The second army is the Mongols for both DBA and ADLG in 15mm with figures from Museum Miniatures. Both very similar in nature although the Huns offer more detail and basing opportunities due to the larger scale.

Currently working on the horses for the Huns as a separate project broken down into different categories by horse colour as below:

The list is from a Trello card and finding this app very useful in tracking larger projects like the Huns and Gondor Rampant. 

After the horse-flesh tones are completed it will be on to the trappings for the horses and then basing and finishing. The riders will follow as a separate project split by light, medium, heavy and command stands. Hoping to complete the entire army for spring 2021 or earlier if at all possible. 

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 265

In the previous Back to the Brushes post, Hun cavalry were mention being found underneath the Late Roman cavalry. 

To say that there were surprised expletives used when the figures were counted would be an understatement.

The basis of a 1500 point WAB army was there, horses glued to stands, prepped and primed. Forty one cavalry in all plus sixteen skirmishers; there were tears in the corner of both eyes. 

So what to do with them? Store, paint or sell are the main options. Storing takes no effort but achieves nothing. Painting takes the most effort and is the most rewarding once completed. Selling, is easy enough and can be financially rewarding if not tinged with regret. 

So, painting it is and as it is well known that horses are my bete noire; then how to do it? 

As one very large protect split into 8 colour sections. The Trello cards are drawn up and each colour has a variety of steps until based and completed sans rider. Why? Because painting horses is a bugbear here so deciding to take the stallion by the main and go for it. End date? Have notionally set the end of September for the horses and basing; the riders will be a separate project in their own right later in the year. 

Will post updates on this as the project progresses. 

Cheers for now. 

Back to the Brushes 264

To quote Bilbo Baggins "Don't adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story" Fairly sure that we can all relate to this in many different ways and 28mm Late Romans would be an example of this here.

When looking through army lists the other day for ADLG realised that the cataphracts from the previous Late Roman incarnation, that is Impetus and WAB had never been rebased. 

A trip to the loft was in order and behold the original unit of cataphracts from WAB partially painted and partially rebased on 60mm fronts. There were ten in the original unit only four of which have been completed, the others languish in states of un-readiness for gaming. 

Imagine the surprize that raised the roof when another 14 cataphracts were found in the drawer below the above. Followed by the stunned silence that there were almost another thirty Late Roman and Romano British cavalry in the same drawer. 

God knows why there are so many and god also knows how much painting cavalry is a chore to me. However, that said over the summer months there will be progress on the Late Roman cavalry as well as their ally and foe: the Huns. 

Some armies are never truly finished painting and like Bilbo's adventure there are always more to carry on the story. Rest in peace, Sir Ian Holm, may the road go ever on. 

Cheers for now. 

Back to the Brushes 238

A quick up date on this months 30 days 30 miniatures painting challenge.

A Hun horse archer from Grippong Beast and a command stand for Ayyubid Ghulams from Gladiator Miniatures are now finished.

Day 3 - 4 miniatures finished

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 237

Started another 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge last night, 3rd September. Opting not to have a theme in this challenge as the free flowing approach suits better at present

The out line of the challenge is detailed below, 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 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 - 3rd 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.

Work in progress pictures of five Gripping Beast Norman crossbowmen and a long forgotten Hun now very near completion.

So, pick up your brushes, dig out some half painted and half forgotten figures and show it some colour.

Cheers, for now

Back to the Brushes 223

The notion that a clean desk means a productive worker is an artifact of the mid-20th century. ... Mark Twain, for example, chose to leave his desk cluttered whenever he was photographed: Albert Einstein famously pointed out that "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?"

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe? 

Which way I willI go?

Perhaps only the fates will know?

Or is all of this just for show?

Drawn in too many directions on the painting table; time for a more focussed approach.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 218

As the last weeks of this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge start the sudden realisation that hardly anything has been submitted.

This will soon change with the first of several batches being posted this week.

But first, some random work in progress pictures of current painting.

Command stands for the 15mm Crusaders.

Some Late Saxons from 1st Corps? These are being speed painted; block base colours snd washed with strong tone. No more than twenty minutes painting on each.

The rebasing continues with all painted Germanic Tribes and Hun cavalry waiting for their bases to be textured, dry brushed and flocked. This time round all of the Late Romans, Germanic Tribes and Huns will have the same basing flock and tufts. This will enable all of them to be used as a part of the same or different armies. Simples

Thinking that starting this during the AHPC IX wasn't the best thing to do.

On top of the amp, there are some Undead, Moors, Germanic tribes and Late Romans as well.

More to follow shortly along with some completed pieces from the Challenge.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 98

Here are a few work in progress pictures of a variety of different items that are being worked on at present:

First up is a command stand and three attack drone stands for Critical Mass. The figures are all from Ground Zero and will hopefully all be completed this coming weekend. These will be used in a supporting role in Critical Mass and have been a sod to glue into place; hence why there are still three to do.

Next are two Chaos Warriors for the growing Songs of Blades and Heroes warband. One figure is being painted in tribute to Rackhir the Red from the Elric Sagas, can you work out which one?

 

Next up are two roguish types from Otherworld Miniatures, the left hand figure as viewed will be making his way to Canada when completed.

Below is a Hertzer - Jagdpanzer 38 - tank destroyer again from Britannia Miniatures which should also be finished by this weekend.

Some 6mm figures from Baccus that will be making an appearance throughout 2015. These will be used eventually for Command and Colours and L'Art de la Guerre.

The last three pictures show the two places that all of this painting gets done. Apologies for the state of both.

Above is the folding table paint station that allows regular progress to be made throughout the year. As you can see there is not much room so the paints are all stacked in toolboxes at the side of the table when its in use as shown below.

Foundry Paints

The picture below is the actual painting desk in the study - again in need of a right good tidy up. The close up below show a unit of five Huns that will be getting painted in the next few months, their leader having been painted for several years now. The figures are from Gripping Beast and will be used in Impetus.

Bottom centre are three WW2 German Vehicles still wrapped

Now after all that chat about painting its time to go and actually do some.

Cheers for now.

Rounding up 2013

As 2013 draws to a close in sunny Scotland its a time to reflect before the Hogmanay celebrations start. The year started with the 3rd Painting challenge and progressed  from there.  A new Impetus army has been started and hopefully early next year will see the finish of another one. Several warbands have been completed and a few others started.

In summary the total of figures finished is detailed below:

• 28mm Infantry - 88 figures
• 28mm Cavalry - 6 figures
• 28mm Chariot - 1 set
• 28mm Elephant - 1 set
• 20mm Infantry - 6 figures
• 20mm Vehicles - 4
• 15mm Vehicles - 17

Overall not a bad tally and hopefully something that will be improved on next year. 

Cheers for now

Imperium Sine Fine 14

Pictured below are the recently completed Huns which serve as both allies and enemies for the Late Romans.

A note to self on this stand and all others, remember to varnish before apply the flocking to the bases. An interesting time was spent varnishing these by brush.

The last picture below shows them with more of their kin; this is one third of the final amount in the three hundred point army.

Cheers for now

And Now For Something Completely Different 13

Now finally based and pictured below is the first Elf for Songs of Blades and Heroes. There will be between five and eight figures in the war band and the second figure has been prepared and undercoated for painting.

The theme for this warband is going to be woodland, so the colours will be mid greens and greys as the elves are to represent the Elves of Mirkwood. 

A future warband will represent the Noldor or High Elves and the colours for them will be more in line with their heritage. These figures will also come from the same early eighties Citadel range.

More to follow shortly including Sassanids, Huns and Claymore Castings.

Lastly, a warm welcome to:

• Tomsche
• RazarOne223

Hope that you both find something interesting in these pages

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 72

Well, at last that is the stand of Huns finished painting; only the varnishing and basing to do now.

As a reward a bit of time was spent painting an Elf for Songs of Blades and Heroes. The figure is from Citadel's C08 range of Elves for the early eighties and is the first of a new warband for the above game.

Next up will be some work in progress pictures of the Sassanids

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 71

As promised a few work in progress pictures of the Huns. This is the third stand of Huns which is a third of how many will appear in a 300 point Impetus army. The figures are from Gripping Beast and are all very nearly finished.

Hoping to get some more work on these this evening and that should be them complete bar the basing.

Cheers for now

Persian Fire 2

Here at last are the final pictures of the first elephant for the Sassanids in Impetus. At 300 points two of these beasties can be fielded and this will probably happen in the distant future. The figures are from Gripping Beast and this has been a very enjoyable start to a project. Enough rambling though, here are the pictures:

The choice of colours for the crew and coverings on the elephants back has been very deliberate. The red (Foundry Madder Red) is the same that has been used for the skirmishers and will be used for more infantry stands in the near future. The beige provides a good neutral colour for the red to stand out against.

There are two reasons for this; firstly it will develop common colours throughout the less important parts of the army and secondly it will allow more personalisation to be added to the Savarin stands when they are painted.

The thought behind all of this is to set the elite cavalry apart from the levies and skirmishers of the army not just in terms of the actual units but in the use of colour as well. Time will tell how well this works.

Some detailed pictures of the crew in action above taken from both rear angles.

The last picture below shows the elephant next to a stand of skirmish archers showing the scale of the elephant against them and the start of the common link in colours.

Next up will be some work in progress pictures of the Huns.

Cheers for now