A Little Drybrushing Last Night. . .

Careful dry-brushing of black horses with dark blue produces subtle blue-grey highlights on the raised areas of the horses, picking out the musculature of the miniature animals as well as the strands of hair in the manes and tails.

Had a little time for dry-brushing those final nine horses last night. So, I dug out an old brush and got to work. Don't use your good brushes that still hold points for dry-brushing. Nothing kills a good brush faster! So, dip the tip of you bristles in the paint, brush most of the paint off onto a handy folded paper towel, and then quickly apply the remaining paint on the bristles to your figures. Dry-brushing is actually a much easier thing to do than it is to describe.

Anyway, here are a couple of photographs that will hopefully illustrate the benefits of this step for painting better looking black horses. Of course, you can skip this step if you like, but I prefer the extra subtle difference that careful dry-brushing with dark blue brings out. It seems to help make those heavy cavalry horses come to life.

Here's a comparison photograph, showing a dry-brushed horse on the left next to one that has not been dry-brushed. Look very closely, and you'll notice the subtle difference.

The Eventual Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. . .

The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment musters in the drill square to sort themselves into platoons and companies during the coming weeks Fall maneuvers if you will. A large dose of real life the last few days with the start of classes next Monday, various preparatory meetings, and finishing up a few other things this week. But, I managed to sort out 60 or so Minden Austrian infantry from the pile and get 'em stuck to temporary painting bases. Must carefully drill out the hands of several NCOs for flagpoles and pole arms this weekend before the usual basecoat. I'm thinking of mixing the usual white gesso with the usual light gray to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Applying both base- and undercoat in one fell swoop as my grandmother used to say. In the meantime, the recently finished squadron of Saxon cuirassiers has been placed carefully in one of the clear acrylic boxes on my shelves until I have the suitable flag to affix. -- Sto...

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

And It's the End of September!!!

Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November. With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important, I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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