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Almost Home!!!


After almost four hours of painting this evening and into Thursday morning (it's just after 1AM here), painting steps #7 (brown musket stocks, silver barrels, bayonets, officer gorgets, sashes, and spontoons) and #8 (brass cartridge pouch badges, drum shells, scabbard tips, and sword hilts) are finished!

Here are a couple of shots showing where we are now with the third and final company of the Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own ) Grenadiers, made up using RSM95 figures. The top shot shows the whole last batch from the font, so you can see the newly finished musket barrels, bayonets, and other silver details on the officer at left. In the lower photograph, I turned a couple of the figures around to show some of the small brass details.

I used Winsor&Newton oil-based silver and Humbrol brass along with a couple of very small brushes for most of the work tonight. One is a sable spotter brush that I've had for close to 20 years! Still keeps a good point, and I use it for metallic detailing only.

The final touches will have to wait until Friday and Saturday evenings since I have a couple of deadlines to meet with a newsletter and some direct mail pieces Thursday, May 31st. But, I've largely made my self-imposed June 1st deadline with these figures, and I'm terribly pleased with the way things have gone.

Next time then, we'll do the silver mitre cap fronts along with Step#9 -- the white shirt cuffs, black garters, gaiter buttons, yellow lace, and final touch-ups. Then, all 60+ figures of the Leib Grenadiers are all finished except for the clear protective coat of Future floor polish, which will have to wait until mid-June as I'm off to visit Mom and Step-Dad in Mexico for 10 days on June 3rd! Tune in this weekend to see the final photos of the completed Company C as well as the entire unit. You won't believe you own eyes!
Ok, time for bed. I'm beat!

Comments

Giles said…
Looking forward to seeing them finished, Stokes. I can't believe you were painting at 1am - how do your eyes manage that?!

Best wishes

Giles
Very red, and bleary, tired eyes the next day, I'm afraid!

Best Regards,

Stokes
Bluebear Jeff said…
Stokes,

I'm going to tell you right now that my painting is not going to be nearly as detailed as yours.

They're lovely. I'm envious of the detail you've been putting into these (I'm just a basic painter -- nothing fancy at all). Very impressive . . . and they look GREAT!


-- Jeff
old-tidders said…
Looking really good, can't wait to see the whole regiment on parade

Allan (Wittenberg)

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