The Grand Duchy of Stollen

The not-quite-finished results of the February 2016 Painting Challenge. W ell, it looks suspiciously like I've run out of time this month, but I have managed to almost (almost) finish those 2 2 RSM95 and Minden infan try figures , who represent to Sachs-Coburg contingent of the Ernestine Saxon R egiment , which were part of the cont ri bution of troops by the Upper Saxon Kreis to the Reischsarmee.  The flags still need to be colored, a tiny lick of white paint (to represent frilly shirt cuffs) needs to be added to the musket - armed men and drummer, and then the glossing can take place.   Did not make it at all to that pledged group of five Suren ladies of ill repute in the midst of being saved by the Black Hussar Lutheran pastor during the last few weeks, but I am nevertheless relatively pleased with my progress.  I've celebrated by making an order with Litko for some laser cut 3mm play bases (no more cutting my own!) on which to mount thes e fine fellows ...

Yes, yes.  We've seen this photograph here before, but it helps illustrate the point below very nicely I think.  Holger Eriksson dragoons, painted in the uniforms of The Imperial Gendarmes.  One of John Preece's originals is at the back, and the two replacement figures I painted are at the front. "A dmittedly, there is a need for quite a high level of detail in models intended or skirmish action where  1 model = 1 man.  But in games where one model is supposed to represent 33 men, the real aim is not to show a set of immaculate individuals, but to convey the impression of a whole seething unit.  Painting skills are well within our grasp which will allow large numbers of men to be painted [relatively] quickly to give a good impression of whole units, where far more time  and energy might be expended in making each one look brilliant, but far too strikingly individualistic.  Moulding and casting philosophies could well be linked in with this t...

This is the sight that greeted us Thursday morning.  Time to fire up the snowblower.  We had about 12" on the ground before it was all over. W ell, sir. . .  We're down to the last couple of days in the current painting challenge, and I have just about finished those 22 Minden and RSM95 Prussian/Austrian musketeers except for the sword knots on two of the ensigns and, of course, the flags and finials, which I hope to address tonight and tomorrow (Sunday the 28th).  Naturally, my camera is not charged, and my phone is two floors above me in the bedroom at the moment, so be sure to check back here for some photographic updates later.  With any luck, glossing and basing will follow later in the week, and then it's onto several camp follower vignettes among which lurk a few surprises. Right now, it's a waffle breakfast and then off to ski/toboggan with the Grand Duchess and the Young Master before all of our snow melts.  We had about a foot of the stuff...

One of John's figures is at the rear, with my two replacements  in the front.  Not a bad job of matching John's painting style if I do say so myself.  I should have gone into art forgery. S pent a fairly quiet Saturday yesterday reading/grading a few student papers and painting a couple of replacement Holger Eriksson figures.  Well, one replacement, and an extra officer since I like and even 30 figures for my cavalry regiments, which can be divided into two large squadrons with staff, or three understrength ones as per the organization suggested in Young and Lawford's Charge! I have no clue what paints John used to paint his figures, but I am pleased with the way I was able to more or less match his painting style with Citadel acrylics and alkyd oil fleshtone.  I added some very thin gold edging to the officer's saddle cloth late last night, but otherwise I am calling these done and ready for a couple of coats of acrylic high gloss varnish. Speaking of...

  The Imperial Gendarmes in all of their glory at, of course, the charge. The Teutoburgerwald Corps of Jaegers. W ell, after a very circuitous and maddeningly slow trip across the Atlantic from Great Britain and through U.S. Customs, they finally arrived.  Not just one but TWO units of painted Holger Eriksson 30mm figures that were part of the now famous Sittangbad refight at the May 2006 Partizan.  These once belonged to John Preece, one of The Wargamers (along with Henry Hyde, Steve Gill, and Phil Olley) who staged the game back then.   Best of all, only one of the 30 cavalry figures is mangled beyond repair, and he will be easy enough to replace in an afternoon of painting I think.  As it happens, I discovered that I have a couple of extra HE cavalry figures in the spares box, so this will be easy since I don't even need to order a replacement figure.  Here are a couple of J o hn's old photos of the two units from ten years ago or so t...

Not bad for a photograph taken with my I-phone (plus a few edits in Photoshop Elements).  In any case, it provides some idea of where we are so far with the pledged figures.  Just slightly more than two weeks to go.  Can I finish the figures shown here?  There is also a small  laundress vignette waiting in the wings just t the let here. S wamped with school-related work since the university semester really got underway, mostly reading and prepping for classes as well as wading through a load of undergrad papers and the odd bit of so called professional development stuff.  However, I have managed to squeeze in 60-90 minutes in the painting chair most evenings the last two weeks.  The tedious white, red, and black are done and now it's time for the hair, musket stocks, etc.  And then of course there are the flags, (brass rod) poles, and finials to add.   I've also managed to find probable examples of the standards carried by the Ern...