Painting Update-Saracens and Teutonic Foot.

I am getting on pretty well with my latest additions from Warrior Miniatures,having completed 3 foot units and 4 cavalry units.........................

These are the three Teutonic Foot units-am I sick of painting Crosses???-the standards are from wine bottle foil-close up they don't bear careful scrutiny,but working on the three foot rule,they will pass!!-only another three to do,but one will be a Templar unit(white with a red cross) and one Hospitaller unit(black with a white cross) and one Sword Bretheren unit(red with a white cross) so shouldn't be too hard!!

These are the 4 Saracen cavalry units in full flight!-again the standards are from wine bottle foil.I went to town on the colours,which are in no way accurate,but I thought they looked the part!!

A bit of a close-up,showing the highly authentic extracts from the Koran,painted on the flags!!
I don't know what it says,but it looks ok to me!!(no offence meant to anyone!!!!!!!!)

A shot from the other side,showing "bonny" colours!

AAAAAAgh!!-I really must stop drinking Rum!!

Painting up-date,Saxon Army.

Due to my son being rushed into hospital on Sunday,we didn't have a game,and it looks like Thursday will be out too-he'll probably still be in hospital for a week yet with a collapsed lung,which just keeps on collapsing!!
I have been painting the first 100 figures of my Saxon army(Warrior Miniatures) at a fair old rate,16 figures at a time(each unit will be 16 figs,and so far I have 6 units finished)

A box from Warrior arrives,c/w back copies of the Glasgow Herald(?)-very well wrapped up!

The "Goodies" revealed,wrapped in bubble-wrap for extra protection!

With some "extra bits" in the form of axes and swords,for variation.

After painting this lot,it was down to applying the "flock" for the bases.............

I find this a rather tedious task,and always manage to get paint(used to stick the flock onto the bases) on the figures!!!!

The finished "half" army-only another 100 to go,then I can start on the Vikings!!
As it happens,I "dug out" some Prince August moulds that I had forgotten about,of Dark Ages/Viking figures,and found that they were a perfect match for Warrior figures,being "true" 25mm,so I cast and painted some to see how they would come out..................

I may have gone O.T.T. with the "ginger" hair but I think some of these might just make their way into a few units,to supplement the Warrior figures,there's always a "project" going on in my mind!!-like Dark ages houses which I'm also working on,then there's the Viking ships-but that's another story!!

Dave's latest command base

I thought this impressive painting work deserves viewing. Well done Dave!

Painting Update.

We didn't have our usual group game on Sunday,so I thought I would up date you all on our painting progress instead of the usual game report.
I am on the last leg of my Dacians from Lancashire games,with three units of Sarmatian cavalry.

I have shown the stages I go through,like everyone else! the first photo shows the figures on their painting bases,the second photo shows them undercoated (white),the third almost completed,and of course the fourth photo is the completed unit.
The figures themselves are very good,no flash etc. the only "grouse" I have is that some of the bases have not been caste properly,and some care had to be taken not to snap the horses legs when straightening them out,however this is minor taking the whole figure into consideration.

Brian,as usual,is painting for England,his output rivals mine! He has been painting Germans from Lancashire games,and some plastic 18th century Hesse infantry.
On his German cavalry he has painted teeth on the horses!! However I have painted teeth on the Sarmatian cavalry riders,what next I wonder,although Brian has hinted he is working on a colour for "ear-wax!!!"

The cavalry are full of action,can't wait to see them up against my Prince August Romans!
The Hesse infantry are superb,the colour is Indigo Blue,and the facings really stand out,Brian has one more regiment to paint,with Yellow facings,now that will be colouful!!

One last shot,of my Dacian King (Decebalus) mounted on a piece of slate,compleste with horn blower and standard.

Paul is working on his 7 years war infantry,and Dave is working on his Napoleonics and Tipoo Sultan figures (can't think what happened to the Great Northern War !!) and everything else he can get his hands on,Graham is painting WW2 stuff and Dutch-Belgians,and of course his on-going painting for Michael.

Well roll on Thursday,possibly 2 games,Greeks vs Persians.

Painting update.

Today I've finished the last of the figures I bought at Falkirk show,from Lancashire Games, so thought I'd take a few photo's to show you how they've come out.

I'm pleased with the way they look,they were easy to paint,and of course you can "go to town" with the colours,shield designs etc, a very colourful bunch they make!
The service from Allan at Lancashire games was great,very fast and efficient,and best of all,fun to deal with,a credit to his trade!
When I received the figures they were "flashless!",the only slight moan I would have is that some of the bases weren't cast properly,but a bit of super-glue and a pair of pliers put them right in no time.
I have 24 Sarmatian cavalry,16 Archers and 16 Fanatics,hidden away somewhere in my house (I've looked all over but my wife has hidden them very well indeed,until my birthday next week!!)
and I'll get a start on them probably by Friday next.
Brian has been painting some German Tribesmen (also from Lancashire Games) and I'll get some photo's taken by the weekend and put them on the blog too.
Come on Paul,where's the Seven Years war Austrians??

Refurbished figures

As well as painting some new figures I spent some time a while ago re-painting some old command figures (painted by Graham) which had become a bit faded and battered. I created a couple of command stands out of them, one of Napoleon and one of Blucher. Figures are Elite and Connoisseur, and the bases are big as these are army commands:

Bay Watch,painting update.

I finished my "bay" project earlier than I thought,so here are some photo's;

I have outlined the required shape of the bay in this shot,and have painted the blue onto it.

This shows the banks painted on,using a mix of brown and green poster paints,as per lake!

Some "unkindly" souls may think that this is a photo from my holidays when I was a lad! However it's not,I have put a couple of palm trees and a mountain on to the bay to see what the end effect will look like-I'm pleased!!

Same terrain pieces,different angle! Hopefully the lake and bay will give us a bit more flexibility in our games,and we can incorporate beach landings,attacks on ports etc.etc.

I wish to report that,whilst I was doing these very important "projects" my wife was busy decorating the kitchen!! Well, division of labour,equal rights,it's only fair that I make sure she's spending her time productively !! (I hope she doesn't read this)

Painting update

A strange thing happened on Sunday night,we didn't play,because I had to report sick !!

So instead of the usual game report,I will update you on my "project" of the French and Indian war. I have almost completed all of the figures,including canoes and crews,and took some photo's last week.

This is a "company" of Rangers,I am using 12 figures to a company and will have 8 companies in total.All the figures I have used are from Warrior Miniatures,except the canoes,that are from Irregular Miniatures,however I have had to use Warrior figs. for the crews as the Irregular crews are ridiculously small and way out of scale-ho hum !!

This is a "war Party" of ,again 12 figures,I have included a couple of "Courrer de Bois" ie. backwoodsmen in the war parties.
I painted the figures in my usual fast (crap!) way and then varnished them with a quick-drying Mahogany varnish to give them that "ruddy" glow,the Rangers were varnished using a Matt varnish.

This shows a "base" of Indians,I went to town a bit with the war paint,but followed colours from the excellent book "tomahawk and Musket"

A company of Rangers emerging from the woods,with a bit of activity going on in the background!!

Rangers paddling their own canoe.The canoe model is quite strange,in that it doesn't have a bottom to it,however I easily overcame this by cutting a small piece of card to fit.

Indians,also paddling their own canoe!! I have 3 Ranger canoes and 3 Indian canoes,I was tempted to get more,but I have been known to get carried away,and I don't want "fleet actions" on the Canadian Lakes !!

The Ranger figures come with 2 different  styles of headgear,Glengarry caps and Tams,here I have painted a whole company wearing Tams,but with the rest I have mixed the hats up.

Here I have shown a couple of War Parties attacking, a fine bunch of chaps !
I am looking forward to dreaming up some scenarios,including ambushes,raids on forts,settlements,and villages.

My inspiration comes from these two books,great text and great illustrations,I've got to get them on the board now.

Hopefully I'll be fit enough to wargame on Wednesday,Thursday and next Sunday.

Painting update

The following photographs show some figures I got for Christmas,from my sister,via Irregular Miniatures,I think that, in the hands of a good painter,these figures could be made a real asset to any wargame,from Ancients to say Marlburian/Napoleonic ( not the Barbarians obviously!)

Quite gruesome!,I had fun painting these figures,and added the shields and weapons etc. to make some of the "dead" figs. into Barbarians.

The next photo's are of a sample figure I received from Warrior Miniatures, of a mounted Samurai,I believe they have re-moulded some of the Samurai,worth a look anyway.

The above shots show the figure on "his" painting base,no cleaning up was necessary.

The above show the figure undercoated and ready to paint,I will keep you updated,as and when I get "him" done.

Roll on Thursday,Brian has planned a Napoleonic game for Paul and I.