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Painting with the Young Master. . .

 

A couple of different projects going at the same time!  We've got two good thin coats of the white acrylic gesso applied and have move to blocking in the basic dark blue uniform color.  As time has presented itself, I've also continued adding details and piping to the nine horse grenadiers and regimental staff for that three-squadron MONSTER regiment of Batthyanyi Dragoons painted between May and October 2020.  Covid lockdown painting!

 

The Young Master and I have been having a blast with base-coating and applying the basic dark blue -- a very nice shade of navy blue -- to his battalion of Prussian garrison troops.  It's been slow going, but priceless for the calm, focused effort and wargaming-related conversation that takes place as we work side by side for about 30-60 minutes in the evenings.  Not unlike the quiet chat I remember from trout fishing and camping trips in the woods of southern Missouri with my father when I was four and five years old.  

Anyway, painting with Young Paul is proving a fantastic way to end the day and calm him down for his 8:30pm lights out.  But now I've got that old UFO tune bouncing around in my head having written the previous sentence.  Darn you, Michael Schenker!

Returning to the point at hand, Paul informed me yesterday (Friday) evening as we worked that since we have a three day weekend here in the U.S. that we can spend extra time all three days painting away.  He's got the right idea at least!  

However, Paul has bribed me into watching the first Harry Potter film with him after dinner tonight.  A little give and take I suppose.  Still, it should be fun to see how the movie stacks up next to the book, which we read together in December before Christmas and enjoyed immensely.  Both of us for the record.

After last night's  bedtime reading and tucking in Young Paul -- at almost 11.5 I imagine he won't want to do this too much longer -- I returned for some detail work on those last nine Austrian dragoons horse grenadiers, painting the visible parts of saddles, sword blades, and carefully applying some scarlet to the (French) trumpeter's coat, who ought to look spectacular when finished.  

Our painting, separately and together, has been slow, but as I explained to my son during yesterday evening's session, it's not simply about getting the figures painted as quickly as possible, but also about the journey of getting them to that point.  Slow, steady, focused, solid brushwork.  

And don't sweat the occasional mistakes too much.  It's easy enough to fix any misplaced splotches of color later.  And as my late mother -- a trained painter and sculptor -- once advised many years ago, artists work their mistakes into their scenes and portraits.  An important point for children with perfectionist tendencies.  So too is the following.  It's a hobby.  Hobbies should be fun.  If it stops being fun, or you get discouraged by mistakes, calm down, rinse your brushes, bring them back to a point, put your things away, and stop for the evening.  The figures will wait patiently until your return.

-- Stokes

 

Comments

Rob said…
Sounds like an idyllic family scene, you’re a lucky man.
Der Alte Fritz said…
I think that you will enjoy the first Harry Potter movie. There is a sense of wonderment as the Hogwarts story unfolds.
tradgardmastare said…
Quite agree regarding film. Great to hear your painting tales.
adeptgamer said…
I envy your son's engagement with your hobby. I have two and they have never been interested. Enjoy it strange friend you have a rare opportunity there.
Phil said…
Lights out, lights out in London... great UFO track, Stokes.
Well done on introducing young Paul to the hobby... I sense it will be time and patience that is repaid multiple times over during the years to come. All the very best. Phil

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