Step 7.5 Final Details and Bases. . .

  Another Kodak Moment.  Almost finished after a few more details and guidons.

 

Lately, I feel like I have fallen from the edge of the earth given the frightfully busy summer (brought on by the global pandemic and the push to redevelop once face-to-face courses for online delivery) without the usual few months to recharge, my mother's death a few weeks back, the start of the fall semester, and school online for The Young Master, who would much rather be in normal face-to-face classes with his teachers and classmates.  Difficult does not begin to describe it, but then everyone is in similar straights right now, and some much worse, so I really should not complain.

When free time has permitted itself, I have continued plugging away at those 36 Minden Austrian dragoons.  Two evenings ago I bit the bullet and got to work on the yellow and black shoulder wings for the three drummers.  According to Kronoskaf, drummers for the Batthyanyi Dragoons either wore uniforms like the enlisted men and officers but with the addition of copious yellow and black lace, or uniforms in reverse colors.  That is to say red uniforms with blue facings and turnbacks.  In hindsight, which as you know is always 20/20, I should have opted for the reverse color scheme to add some visual interest to the regiment, but I was not thinking ahead when I painted the basic uniforms three months ago.  So, we'll just keep it simple and stick with the yellow and black shoulder wings.  

Live and learn as the saying goes.

Of the shoulder wings, the painting went pretty well considering the rather small details.  I opted for a basic golden yellow ochre and then carefully painted in the black lines with a very new #1 round that seems to have an unusually fine point at the moment.  The two or three glitches with the brush were fixed by quickly wicking away wobbly, misplaced black before it set, and the end result isn't half bad at arm's length.  Not perfect, but the overall impression is pretty good.  I called the six shoulder wings done and retired for the evening.

Very early today, before anyone else was up (the best time of the day?), I slipped quietly down to Zum Stollenkeller with a fresh, steaming mug of coffee, and began applying a nice, bright grass green to the Litko 3mm ply bases that I use for my armies.  While still in my pajamas.  The heart of decadence, I know.  Living life out here on the bloody edge and all of that, you know.  That's me.  A strange hybrid of Bertie Wooster, Stefan Lachner, and Noel Coward, or maybe Bertrand Russeell.  Nah.  Probably more the former two than anything else.

 Returning to the point at hand, just the drum shells, hoops, and cords left now plus the three squadron guidons after that, and then some last minute touch-ups before glossing.  I've really enjoyed working on this monster unit since May, but as with any painting project, you reach a point where you want to get things finished, so you can move on to the next thing.  Which, you might remember, involves six horse grenadiers and three regimental staff to complete my particular iteration of the Batthyanyi Dragoons.

Today, a bright, sunny, cool Saturday in mid-September, I've got handymen in and out of the house all day making various small repairs, so undisturbed free time is non-existent until after dinner this evening for an hour or so following the Young Master's bedtime.  The Grand Duchess and I have a date for mid-evening to bundle up (it's already chilly here in Michigan during the daylight hours and downright cold after dark) for a campfire with large mugs of hot chocolate and some home-made Pomeranian Pfluamenkuchen (plum torte) in the backyard.  In the hour or so between tucking in Paul and joining Sonja, I'll work on finishing the green bases since it's a fairly rapid step that doesn't require too much concentration and breath-holding.  Just reasonable care to avoid any misplaced green blotches on the hooves and legs of the horses.  

A final word of wisdom for today.  Don't ever let anyone tell you that dragoons are easier and faster to paint than hussars.  ;-)

-- Stokes