Photo Cropping Experiments. . .

One of the 19 figures currently underway whose face turned out rather nicely. Notice the darker pigment in his eye sockets and on either side of his nose and mouth?

Monkeying around this Wednesday evening with the online photograph editor Pixlr.com, which allows you to achieve many of the same effects as Photoshop Elements, although the names o certain functions differ between the two, which makes the learning curve a bit steep. In particular, I have brightened and sharpened the photograph of the current works-in-progress here as well as run the auto levels (colors?) adjustment function before finally cropping it in four ways.

What I intended was to highlight is how, when you apply your fleshtone thinly enough, the pigment will settle in the eye sockets and along the sides of the noses and mouths as it dries, making these areas a bit darker. Conversely, the cheekbones, noses, and chins will show up a bit lighter (remember the white basecoat?) when the paint is thinner, providing instant shading and highlighting with neither the muss, nor the fuss of the three-shade method that is currently so popular. You may not care for the my more subtle results, but it works or me. See what you think.

-- Stokes

Here is a close-up of two of the better faces before the completion of mustaches and dressed hair.

Here's a third face on another figure that I am pleased with. Many of the RSM95 figures exhibit faces that are simply full of wonderful character. The late Seve Hezzlewood was indeed a master sculptor.

And here is the entire batch of 19 figures once again after sharpening of the raw image and fooling around with a few adjustments and filters in Pixlr's online editor.

Here's an RSM Painting Update

Here's a picture illustrating my (S-L-O-W) progress with the second company of Stollen's Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers. You can see I'm doing things a bit differently this time, altering the painting process to keep it interesting basically. This evening, I'll do the white gaiters and, if that goes reasonably quickly, and time allows, the red breeches. Still lots to do, but I like the way these fine fellows are shaping up along side the completed 1st company that's standing in formation just off camera, to the left here. Until tonight then!

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Having a "No Day". . .

F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day." A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day. I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers. These have stood waiting untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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