Painting Distractions and other nonsense

I ave been very busy as of late with life and so this little corner of the blogosphere has been quiet for me. And its been pretty quiet in the workshop of doom as well.

Since the Bones have arrived I have painted exactly  - ZERO. I finally got so Fusion paint so I can prime them black. Its my painting style so I really don't want to go back to the days of a white primer and painting out all the white. I hated that period in my painting. Anyway I'll get a few primed as a test and see what happens. Once I start I will be painting monsters only really.

I did base paint about 30 Mechwarrior Clix figures. Fleshing out units for my initial Mechwarrior forces. We may pick up the new quick play Alpha Strike rules and actually play Mechwarrior, or we may just continue to use them for whatever we decide to play. Either way, they are a nice distraction.

As I was contemplating 15mm Sci FI, Fantasy or Post Apoc to paint next in the 3 hours I had to paint last night, I pulled the trigger on one of theose units that had been vexing me for several years - The 42nd Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) for the Pennisula. My British Nappies are waiting on 2 infantry units to be finished so I said, what the hell. I got faces, jackets, and kilts all base painted. Hopefiully tonite I can steal an hour and finish highlighting jackets, doing boots and gaiters and getting prepped for belts and lace. I should have about a week of off and on painting to fnish them, but, they were fun. The 92nd Gordon's Highlanders are next and I should have 12 infantry Units finished and the Brit infantry is finally complete. No promises after that, but a few more guns await, as well as 3 more cav units. And you can't have the Penninsula without the KGL. I still have 3 Spanish Infantry units, a couple of cannons, and a cav unit to finish them off.

Then come the French. they wait patiently and are understandably perturbed about being bumpe once again, this time by giants in dresses. They shoud be encouraged though, because a new line of metal Vitula Legion has been released. Scultoed by Paul Hicks these beauties are as vital to the French cause in the Penninsula as the KGL were to the Brits. So once on the market I will gobble these up for a whole division I should think.

The RECRUITS Con announced that they were close to closing the PEL for games at this Falls event. Seems a bit early for a regional gaming con in mid-september. But you all know my love for the Con. I am sure I will run a game. But with Football practice and season starting, I'm gonna be mightily distracted.

Keep rolling sixes

LA

Some little progress...

 So last night, I climbed this creaky a bruised ole body back up on that horse and started to paint again. Painting is a mind game for me. And I have to be in the zone to do it well. And much like good writers will tell you, you can't wait for inspiration. You have to write, everyday, to really get good at it, so that when inspiration does strike, you have exercised enough to capture it and ride it out. So following the loss of my father in law, I just hadn't felt like painting. So I hadn't picked up a brush in 2 months, and only then was I painting cause I was painting a gift. So after getting excited by seeing the Portuguese Nappies that Eureka picked up from Victrix, sculpted by Paul Hicks, and various other stuff from the interwebs, I dipped my toes back in the water for a couple of hours last night. I had Season Three of Community on the DVD, a box of Dots, a big glass of ice water and a unit of all YELLOW Spanish Dragoons staring me in the face. Oh well, better dive right in. It took a bit of time to get brush control, and the brushes them selves working in unison, but, when I was done, it felt good to be back in the saddle. I see some time this weekend spent at my paint table to finish the Numancia Dragoons.So here's to being back at it. As sloppy as it was, I still enjoyed it.

Sadly, the state of my brushes is not good.  It took a little bit to get my favorite 2 brushes up and running last night. But at the end they were soldiering through. So I need to go get a couple of new ones to get in the rotation.(and now... a brush rant)

I want to say that I am pretty hard on brushes. I have spent really good money on really good brushes (Sable W&N, Foundry, Reaper Pro, endless others) and for me, I keep coming back to two lines. First is the Reaper Pro line of takalon brushes. Blasphemy #1! I know as a painter I should use sable. I should prefer sable. But ya know what, I hate sable. Too supple, too soft, to blah for me. I use cleaner and soap on my brushes and take good care of them, but I also use the hell out of them, and the sable is always the most expensive and the first to fail. Side hairs, won't hold a point, split tip, you name it. And for all of the advice to keep paint out of the ferrel of the brush, how is that even possible when yo are pallette mixing, and paint a unit of 36 line infantry at a time? So for my money the Reper Pro line is a good value and they last the longest. runner up is Brush Blasphemy #2 - I like Plaid brushes too. You know the ones at Hobby Lobby, or Jo Ann's or Michaels craft stores, that you always get a 40% off coupon for. Yeah, those. They last as long and hold a point as well as my Repaer Pros do. Now when they go, they go fast, but up to that point, they are the tits. And Blasphemy #3, I never paint with anything smaller than a #2. Never. Oh I have them all, I just don't use them. I don't even know what I would paint with the 000 that I have. I just got it cause people said you had to have one. I use a #3 for almost everything, and if it is keeping its tip, I don't have to go smaller. I will admit, for my British, I started using a # 2 to make sure I wash getting definition on all that lace, but that's really it. And if I paint eyes, which I don't do on bulk troops, a good pointed #2 will do it. So like many things, its all about what you are comfortable doing. and I guess I really did listen when an art teacher said, paint with the largest brush you can to accomplish your goal. Done!

Scale Creep Miniatures is having a crazy clearance sale on Derivan Minis Paint. Its a 37ml bottle(about twice the size of Vallejo) for $1.00. I don't really need a bunch of paint, but they had several great and interesting colors, and they have gotten favorable feedback on TMP, so I thought I would pick up a few. And with all this 28mm Nappy, 15mm Sci Fi, and 15mm Fantasy to paint, plus Sedition Wars and Bones coming, you can never have enough paint. When I was done, I had 25 pots in my cart. So if nothing else I have a bunch of new terrain paints. And if I can ever get the boys to paint again, they will have some good paints too. My hope lies in the fact that they have a French Blue that I like for my Nappies. We shall see.

Yeah for Black Bowder! - Albion Triumphant

Warlord has released their Black Powder army book for the Pennisula - Albion Triumphant!

They are including that dashing Guards Color Guard figure if you order from Warlord. At $29.00 for the whole Pennisula Campaign, it's well worth it for me to get, obviously. and since I have my Brits done, and my Spanish in the home stretch and my French in the blocks, it couldn't come at a better time. Huzzah!

28mm Spanish Napoleonics for Black Powder - Irlander Unit

Here is the completed Irlander Unit for my Spanish Army for Black Powder.

I am doing the Spanish Units at 20 figs, instead of the 24 for my normal units. But I may go back and do the extra stand. Not sure.

Banners and Basing when I am done with the Army. I will do them at the same time with the British.

Regiment Zargossa(Green Facings) is next, Then the last unit will be Cordoba (Red Facings), and two extra grenadier stands from Regiment Princesa(Black facings, light blue jacket, red piping) for a converged grenadier unit, when you take all the grenadier stands from the other units.

I have a nice large militia unit to do after the regular infantry. So that's 4 line, 1 converged grenadier, and 1 militia unit. That's 1 big division, or two small ones for Black Powder. Add a couple of cannon and cav units and I am all set.

Thanks for looking.

Spanish Napleonics-update

A quick, no pic update on my Spanish Napoleonics. I have the first two units, El Rey and Irelander, base painted. El Rey is almost finished except for metalics for braids and buttons and gun metal barrels. I think I will finish both units by the end of the weekend. I also have extra grenadiers to do a converged grenadier unit, and I need to clean two more units of line infantry.

So when complete, the Spanish Army will consist of: 

So there you have it. the next phase of the Nappy Project. I have all the figs ready to go, except 1 militia unit and two line units. 

The Baron nears completion of his French unit, so I am anxious to see it. That will make 5 French units. Once I finish the Spanish, I will start the long road that is the French. I of course will have to do the Portugese when they are done. 

Finished...15th King's Own

Here's some pics of the completed 15th Hussars (King's Own) unit to help flesh out my cavalry division for the British Penninsular Army. They give me a great deal of closure. I have a couple of arty units I am going to do, but this allows me to feel like I can finally finish all the bases at one time, at least for this phase of the Brits. I must say, they are one beautiful looking army.

I took a couple better pics of the 16th Lt Dragoons as well.

British Napoleonics - 15th (Kings Own) Hussars

I have been making some good progress on the next British light Cav unit, the 15th Hussars. A beautiful unit, they were in the Pennisula from the beginning. Here:s a couple of reference pics:

Reference from Osprey - Chap in the Center is from the 15th



Painting of the battle of Sahagun Spain 1808



An action figure. But it shows clarly the detail of the uniform



Reenactment Group for the 15th

I have completed eveything on the figs from the neck down. Now its time for faces, collars, busbies, cords and bags. Should be just one evening and they will be dine. Pic when they are.

That will leave me with 3 cannon and crew and I will have completed the first and 2nd phase of my British Penninsular Nappy Project. Still in the wings, but maybe there for a bit are another 3 units of Cav, 2 Highlander units, and 3 Infantry Units that are certain to become KGL(as will one or two of the cav units).

French Napoleonics...a trade

This is kinda long winded and rambling on a hot KC monday morning before the MLB All-Star game. Its kind life and gaming stuff with no pics. So read at your own risk.

So I have been blessed with an amazing gaming group, a best friend who really is to blame for all this mini madness some 25 years ago, and a brother in law who is an incredible painter and all around obsessor of toy soldiers in a way I could never attain, try as I might.

I have spoken many times about how many of the Baron's and mine own experiences are shared ones, both in gaming and in life. But I never speak much about my brother in law, who was my friend first and then bro in law, and how over the years my bro in law has opened up many new horizons for me on the gaming front, as well as show me, by his own actions, how to be a decent, selfless person.

It was he who really amped up the GW obsession at a time when GW was putting out things like Man O War, and Blood Bowl, and Necromunda, as well as 2nd and 3rd edition WHFB and 40k. He had a small but respectable shop he opened on the weekends cause it wasn't his first job, and he had a loyal following. He would be the classic Old West barkeep. Talking to everyone and friends with everyone. Generous to a fault.

He was the one who introduced me to real historicals. The BAron and I dabbled in DBA, but found it lacking. And as the Baron was devouring history and his own personal obssession with gunpowder and pointy sticks, I was being introduced to wars and battles on an (at the time to me) unfathomable scale. 10's of thousands of men and horses with horribly inaccurate guns and gruesome conditions, fighting in full dress uniforms with giant hats and plumes and lace. It was all so...dignified and horrifying at the same time. And so my first case of Nappy Fever was born.

Since those first days of gaming with my bro in law, he had a tradition in his gaming circle of horse trading. This has gone on since the day I met him. Its a special thing to watch as traders try to eek out every last piece of value for their painted/unpainted figs and terrain and books and magazines for the at thing they just had to have. In the years I have witnessed it, I have seen amazing trades, and amzingly bad trades. Most are in the middle, but you can't stop a man from his own obsession, and many times I have seen that ruin a person's collection. But for those of us who have been doing it for so long, it all has a way to even out in the end.

And I tend to not mention trades and trading on the blog. But the fact is, as much as I love to paint, I am terribly slow, and I have way to many periods that I will never get to. So I do actively purchase and trade for figs, mostly painted, some unpainted. I have gotten over the last few years, through purchase or trade: a huge amazingly painted viking army, three large gangs of Necromunda guys, with more lead to paint myself, a hundred or so ancient GW/Marauder rougue trader era painted figs, 2 small 15mm ECW armies, a large 28mm ECW army, a small 15mm sci fi army, and small collection of 28mm WWII. Several years ago I traded for my bro-in-law for an entire collection of 15mm Nappies and 15mm Civil War. Pretty varied stuff. All of it very good wargamming quality or better(some much better).

But you will notice there is no 28mm Nappy in there. That has always been the holy grail. That has always been the one period I would be painting myself, or I would have figs from a very limited palette of people: my bro-in-law, his best friend Mike, or the Baron. And It was a project I never assumed I would fully finish in my lifetime. And I was OK with that.

Well a couple of things changed that for me. One, Black Powder. Finally a ruleset that allows a gentlemanly game that's fun and could be finished in 3-4 hours. Two, the painting I did on the Pennisular British this winter/spring. I could finish this to a scale and degree I would be happy with. And I don't need to get huge masses of troops on the table. So as I have written in this blog, the Nappy project is in full swing. I reached out to some of the guys in the BG's who would have interest in doing a unit or two of French so we could get to the table quicker. The Baron is even gonna paint a unit of French. we may get there yet. I was predicting at least 5 years to have the British, Spanish, French, and Portugese.

Well, as horse trading always is, you never know when it will come up or why. On a fluke Sunday afternoon, as I was painting some 15mm fantasy(this was only 2 weeks ago), my bro in law came over. we were talking and he was looking at all of the boxes of unpainted lead on my shelves. I never have anything he is interested in. But he saw some old GW stuff I had amassed over the years. A bunch of it. He decided he would like to trade for it. and I couldn't blame him. It was great stuff. It was still in the blister. And it was all right there. I let him know that I would only really trade for a couple of things. Painted Nappy French, and an old Spanish Village I wanted back I had traded to him a while ago. He tried some other things, but he knew I only wanted painted stuff in exchange.

Well, 2 weeks to the day later, and many late nights, he painted 3 units of french line in campaign dress, and a couple of cannon to throw in the deal. He knew I wanted 4 four units so he threw in a legere unit he had already painted. and the Spanish Village. In return he got 6 stuffed shoeboxes of in the blister GW figs. We both placed great value on what we had to offer the other. In the end we both were very happy with the trade. I must say that over the years, this is the most even trade we have ever made. It hurt to lose those  figs, but I may actually have a painted French Army in a year. That's inconceiveable.

Oh by the way, did I tell you the figs are beautifully painted. No. Well they are. I'll post them when I get them based up.

So completing a French Army is possible now. Sometimes it just takes a little push and a start. Well a full Division is a good start. And if the BG's paint a little we'll have a second one. I guess I need to get started on the other Division. The Spanish may need to wait. I still have a couple of Highland units to do for the British. But I am excited about the next year of Nappy Fever.

British Napoleonics Update - 6-11-12

Wanted to do a quick update on the painting front. I have put the Hirst Arts on the shelf, my terrain cravings stiated for the time being, and began painting a couple of units of 28mm British Nappy cav for my Penninsular Army.

I have had these particular figs on sticks for a very long time and it is nice to see them getting some love. I got the ponies done on two units of 12 figs. One of Hussars (in their rediculaous tall fur hats), and one of Light Dragoons on their distinctly British Tarelton helmets. Why they stopped using these and went to the french style Lt Dragoon uniform and shako is beyond me. How the hell would you have told them apart on the smokey battlefield is beyond me.

I have to do the horse furniture and tack, but the ponies themselves are done. Simple brown. about three shade variations for variety. Pretty sloppy at this point. But that will change.


Hussars



Light Dragoons

Both Units

I hope to get some real time with these guys over Fathers Day weekend. But with spending time with my dad, stepdad, and father-in-law, that might be tough.

May have to move out the end date for finishing the Brits till August. Probably more realistc as the last 2 months have been spent on house and deck projects.

British Napoleonic Infantry - 4-18-12(pics)

Well, well, well. I am sure since my last few posts have been all text you can't believe I have pics. Well I do. I snapped a few shots of my Brit infantry before heading in this morning. Pics were quick so I apologize for the washed out color a nd a couple of blurry ones. Also some shots of the workshop. some look better small. A bit shakey. I have to get a tripod.

the first shots are a bit of the process I go through to knock them down.



Pants on all and jackets started



roughing in belts and lace

 

Just details left to paint(cuffs, collars, muskets)



rear is done

and the latest unit of Guards and The Royal 4th.

the complete 4 line units

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4



Adding in the Light infantry and Rifles, 8 units of 24 fig/6 stands each



95th rifles

Lt Inf Unit 1

Lt Inf Unit 2

Lt Inf Unit 3

Mtd Commander

Mtd Brigade/Army Commander

Mtd Cmd 2

Laid out in Reinforced thin, red, line

 A few notes: There a numerous things done right in the figs and the paint. But there are a few things that stickler Nappy Gamers/criticizers will point out. I know those issues. But after all is said and done, I am painting these for wargamming, not a museum. Hope you enjoy them.

I got the pants base painted on my next 50 figs, as well as faces. So that is the missing stand for the 3rd Lt Infantry unit, and a Unit of Guards (I assume I will do the 2nd), and a Unit of the 4th (a Royal, but not Guard unit, for the blue facings). Then its on to the Highlanders. Been researching the best way to get at Gordon's and the Black Watch kilts. They are the same government pattern with different over stripe. I will ignore the switch to trews and the terrible nayure of campaigning in a kilt and presnt all of mine in kilts and with pipers. Cause I want to.

And one more note on the commnad stands. I really want to have both the regimental and the royal flags for each unit. So I may need to paint up an extra flag bearer for each unit and replace somebody.  or pack somebody else in. We shall see. I plan on using WARGAMES FLAGS! for there flag sets. A huge variety of British Flags and they look nice.

I will be doing all of the ground painting and detailing as an army. So that's why there are no painted bases. I will be using my standard base covering, then my 3 part color system, then I am going to have some fun with Silfor grass tufts, field flowers, and such. Hope you enjoy.

Leadaddict

Much Progress

Well, hard to believe, but much progress was made over the weekend. The lovely birde of the lead addict was very kind and understanding(so far) of the time the Lead addict whittled away for his Nappies this weekend. Thank you dearest. Hear is the run down:

Thursday Night - completed Command Stand for British Line Unit. 2nd Unit complete at 6 stands.

Friday night-completed 2 additional stands (of 4 ea.) of 95th Rifles. Bringing the 95th to 6 stands.3rd Unit complete at 6 stands.

Sat-Sun - started on additional stands for 2 Light Units and 3 Line units. Need 10 extra stands. 9 stands of figs primered and on sticks. As of Sunday night all additional figs are painted except facings and collars. Missing 1 stand (4 figs) of Lights.

Sun - Finished facings and collars on 43rd Light Inf. - 4th Unit complete.

I need about an hour to finish and mount the remaining figs. I will then be 1 stand short of having (8) British 6-stand units completed for my British Pennisular Army. I have 4 more after that. 1 Guards Unit(Coldstream probably), 2 Highlander Units(Watch and Gordon, maybe), and 1 Line Unit. The British Infantry will be done once they are complete. I assume End of May or June, depending on how much time I can devote to them and not house projects.

So after I finish the facungs on the current figs, my current collection will look like this:   

So much progress indeed!

I continue to be stoked for this so I will plow on. The next batch after the Infantry is done is some Cav Units. I have a Late and Early Lt. Dragoon, an Hussar Unit (with their rediculous tall fur caps), and another Heavy Dragoon Unit that could easily bcome a Guard Unit. I also have another 3 Cannon, High Command, and any misc. commanders I want to do. If I stay on it, I could have a British Penninsular Army complete by the end of the summer.That's crazy to me.

What's after them, well the Portuguese sit in a large pile. And since they were critical to the eforts in the Pennisula, I have to do them. But they will wait, casue I already have a bunch of great looking Spanish from Front Rank, on paint sticks and primed. They will get the business this fall. and then maybe the Portugese in the winter if I am not too burned out.

At some point, of course, you know I have to paint this mountain of French.

I snapped some picks over the weekend. I'll get them uploaded tomorrow.

And BTW, I fully disclosed a bout of strong Nappy Fever coming on. It's in full swing, but I do want to keep picking away at 6mm terrain, and maybe knock out some 15mm Dungeon explorers as well.

Thanks for stopping by.



Napoleonic Update - 2-28-12

A quick one today. I got about an hour so got the bulk of the unit finished. Buff facings, Regular line unit. I have to finish off the commnad, but have them mostly painted. I lik eto do them kinda separate so I can feel like I will spend the time on them that I need to. always fun painting a drummers uniform. Reverse colors are my favorite. too bad its covered in white lace everywhere. Anyway here's a quick pick this morning before work:

New unit in front missing their command, but on their stands. Grens on the right, lights on the left. Unit 1 from yesterday is behind them.

If I can get another hour tonite or tomorrow, I will finish the unit, then on to the rifles next week.

Napoleonic Update 2-27-12

I like doing these quick updates. Helps me focus on the moment.

So at the moment. Some progress.
 

1 unit of British Light Infantry done.

Six Stand Unit completed

Closeup of the Command

My style is pretty impressionistic when I am unit painting. I tend to make some folds where there aren't any at times as well. Looks good on the tabletop.

I am well into the next unit. I have canteens, facings, and finishing the command.

 

Next Unit. I like Marching pose. It really exposes the British uifrorm.



I am getting the knack of the British Uniform again. And the painting of the second unit went really quick. The pose helped too, and I have a bunch more in the march pose, whew. Its been pretty fun. If I could do 2 units a month, that would be awesome. If I can finsih the current unit before thursday, I would have gotten the february count done(even though I didn't get started until the end of the month). and I can move on to March.

After the current unit, I will be adding 2 stands to my Rifles to bring them up to 6, and 2 stands to each of my undersized units. Goal for March = get all the undersized units up to size. Tat would be a total of 12 stands, the equivelant of 2 units. At the end of March, that would mean I have 8 complete units, 6 Cannon, and 1 Cv Completed. Afetr that it would be 2 Cav units for April, and Highlanders for May.