A Bit of Painting Progress at Stollen Central. . .

A few hours of uninterrupted painting yesterday (Sunday) mean that only the red turn-backs, facings, and shoulder straps remain before the third and final company of Huzzah Prussian musketeers (painted as Wurtemburgers) is finished! The company officer, NCO, and drummer are already finished and waiting to the rear, more or less in the middle distance of the picture in amongst some Holger Eriksson dragoons, RSM95 mounted officers, and a few Minden artillery crew. Thirteen Garrison artillery crew (next in the painting queue) are just out of sight to the right.

Nope, I have not dropped off the face of the earth! Just haven't had much to say here lately that I haven't said many times before, and free time for painting has been scarce since the start of the fall academic term. Teaching along with developing a new film course for Fall 2011 (or Winter 2012?) has eaten into normally free evening hours ravenously. And then, of course, there has been the parenting side of things, which really hasn't been too bad time and effort-wise as we approach Birthday #1!

Young Master Paul has become an amazing little boy in the last 11 months or so. Smiling up a storm, babbling to us and himself, clapping his hands, laughing at private jokes, scooting around on the floor, "Dada" was his first word and remains a favorite, etc., etc. I find most aspects of parenthood to be far more pleasurable than I would have thought a year ago. Who woulda thunk it? But I digress.

Back to the soldiering. I made myself take some time off late yesterday afternoon and following dinner for some relaxing painting down here in Zum Stollenkeller. And it was wonderful! The paint flowed almost effortlessly, and completing a just few small details seemed to make the final sixteen figures come alive. Go figure! Next up, I'll be seeing red as I work to finish the figures this week before the Grand Duchess flies to a conference on Thursday, leaving the men at home to hold down the fort. That means, of course, that it will be a busier than usual few days for me as I care for Young Master Paul solo, but the evenings will be free for painting after his bedtime. I only hope I won't be too fatigued to contemplate picking up a paintbrush. We'll see I guess.

On a totally unconnected note, I'm taking the Grand Duchess to see the B52's here in town on Wednesday evening. THAT should be lots of fun! Don't usually get too many big name rock acts in our neck of the woods, so we can't wait. Love shack baby!

And here is a close-up of one figure from the company in question. The paint just seemed to go onto the sword knots, white straps, and muskets by itself yesterday. Or perhaps it was single-mindedness? Still, we're just about there. Whew!

Comfortable Rules for Games of Glossy Toy Soldiers in the Old Style. . .

Introduction A Tangled Mass is a game of toy soldiers in the old style, set more or less in the middle part of the 18 th century. Our miniature forces are colorful and, we hope, glossy. Although the latter, like so much else, is up to the discretion of the players. But it is the modeling, brushwork, and unit organization of hobby greats like Gilder, Mason, and Robinson that provide our visual touchstone and continue to inform "the look of the thing" even now. Tabletop armies in A Tangled Mass can be historic, semi-historic, or whimsically fictitious, but the more flags and mounted officers, the better. Formations, while bearing some resemblance to their historic precedents, are generic: column, line, or extended order for lighter types. Squares, while possible, are less common than during all of that later Napoleonic madness with its guillotines and Spanish ulcers. And we'll simply choose not to mention patent leather dancing pumps, or that unseemly bedr

Prussian 3rd Garrison Regt. Update. . .

Still a few small things to do, including apply fleshtone to a left hand on an officer that I somehow missed at some point plus lace on the drummers and officers , but we're very close to the glossing stage. L ots of painstaking work to clean up edges, highlight folds, and touch up various bits and pieces the last few evenings. My trusty little Sony Cybershot, I fear, has gone to that big electronics place in the sky and no longer seems to be working. Well, I've had it since 2013, and small electronics don't last forever, so I cannot complain. With that little hiccup in mind, I snapped today's shot with my iPhone, brightened, and cropped it in Fotor before sharing it here. Again, the blue is not quite so bright in reality, but the auto-improve, or whatever they call it, makes for nice bright photographs in which everything shows up. Not long before these are done, and The Young Master was suitably please when I asked him to have a look a few minutes ago. -- Sto

A Break in the Radio Silence. . .

S till plugging away at the 60 or so Wied Infantry currently on the painting bench as and when work and family life permit. Using three different whites for the clothing, shoulder belts, and officers' wigs plus trying some Army Painter quick washes. My friend and one-time online magazine co-editor Greg Horne (the man behind The Duchy of Alzheim , still one of my blog and hobby touchstones) suggested I give washes a try a month or two ago, and I think he might be onto something. Admittedly, he suggested the Citadel contrast range, but what I purchased eventually is in that general direction. I am especially pleased with the Army Painter flesh wash, which picks out the facial details on the Minden figures very nicely. I've applied it on top of my usual Windsor & Newton alkyd oil fleshtone and then highlighted the brows, bridges of noses, cheeks, chins, lower lips, and knuckles/thumbs the next day with more of the fleshtone. Suddenly, and with relative ease, my paint

Steve-the-Wargamer said…

"Bring me my rock lobster outfit, Hives!" :o))

6:56 PM

Bluebear Jeff said…

Very good progress, Sir Stokes.

-- Jeff

8:45 PM

tradgardmastare said…

Good to hear news of the Duchy- enjoy the fifty twos!

Alan

11:50 PM

Fitz-Badger said…

@ Steve: LOL
B-52s should be a fun concert. :)

The troops are looking good!

6:52 PM