Still Alive and Kicking (Barely). . .

Here is where things stand with the final batch of wagons and carts as of mid-afternoon today (Sunday).

I am still alive and kicking, as the song went, but as you might expect, things have been a tad busy here at Stollen Central since the autumn semester began in earnest at the end of August. However, this weekend has provided a nice lull before yet another batch of students papers floods over me Monday morning, and one more cycle of reading and assigning grades takes center stage for the next 7-10 days.

At any rate, I have been picking away, time permitting, at a few different wargaming-related things since the last post here at The Grand Duchy of Stollen blog in early September. We are getting there, slowly but surely, with the last batch of wagons and carts. The vehicles and horses are done, and now it's time for the usual dark brown on all of the collars, harnesses, traces, straps, reins, and the like. Then, it's time to do the humans, followed by the usual gloss treatment and then groundwork added to the bases.

In addition, I've gotten around to painting a scratch-built table along with an anvil and few tools that came along with the Berliner Zinnfiguren mobile field forge that the Grand Duchess picked up and brought home to me when she visited the city for three weeks last May. ONce a tiny bit of sand and Woodland Scenics grass material have been added to that, I'll finally have a rather large blacksmith vignette completed, which has been in-progress for only eighteen months or so.

Then, there are a couple of hobby-related articles I've been chipping away at as and when time has allowed, or the writing muse has found me. With any luck, one of these should be ready to submit by mid-October, and another by year's end. Naturally, there are lots of photographs that will go along for the editors' consideration. Keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully both articles might appear in the next several months.

On a totally unrelated note, I have also been working away steadily adding content to my other blog, The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style. I don't think I have ever mentioned it here during the two years it has been in existence, but have a look if you would like, and see what you think. Classic menswear and polite behavior are not necessarily to everyone's taste, but both are things in which I have more than a passing interest.

Finally, there are some amazing new items forthcoming from the folks at Minden/Fife&Drum Miniatures here in the United States and Crann Tara in the (apparently still) United Kingdom. Everything will be of interest to all 28-30mm mid-18th century enthusiast whether your interests lie with the War of Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, or fictitious combatants in the tradition of the late Brigadier Young, Colonel Lawford, and the Grant family. Click on the links above to have a look for yourself if you have not already read about these new and/or forthcoming releases elsewhere online.

Looks like it's time to update my birthday and Christmas wishlist for 2014. . . and maybe just go ahead and purchase a few things for myself without waiting for either occasion. You know. Just to tide me over.

-- Stokes

It's Early Days Yet. . .

M aking some early progress with Batch A of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment over the last several days/evenings. Nothing terribly exciting just yet, but the basic black, brown, and flesh areas are done as are the green bases, and gray undercoat. The latter two areas needed some careful retouching early in the week. Next up, the neck stocks. I might just do these in red for the enlisted men although some of my source material suggest they were black, but I always look for an excuse to shake things up a bit. Any errant splotches of red (or black) can be covered with another application of light gray before I move onto the next step. "Giddy up!" as one Cosmo Kramer might have said. -- Stokes

And We're Off!!!

Arrrgh! Gotta go back into camera settings on my iPhone to bring all of the frame into focus. Blast! Painting is underway on the 60 or so Minden Austrians, which are slated to become my version of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment of AWI renown. More or less indistinguishable from Austrians of the era really, right down to the red facings and turnbacks, but the eventual flags (already in my files) will set them apart. I went ahead and based-coated all of them over a couple of days lthe last week of August, using a mix of light gray and white acrylic gesso, before next applying my usual basic alkyd oil flesh tone to the faces and hands. In a day or two, I'll hit that with Army Painter Flesh Wash to tone things down a bit and bring some definition to the faces and hands. As usual, the plan is to focus on about 20 figures at a time, splitting the regiment roughly into thirds along with the color party and regimental staff. Depending on ...

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...

Matt said…

Your dedication to wagons and carts is most commendable. Classic Style - puts the "capital" back in Gentleman. Plus you have finally tempted me into the era of the tricorne-my first order arrived this week!

5:33 PM

Scheck said…

Don´t worry about long termed projects and a spare time - we all have same phases. I like very much such wagons and trains on the battlefield - gives the scenery a beautiful enrichment. Go on, I am curious!
Peter

10:40 AM

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