Skip to main content

A Jaundiced View. . .

Here's where we are with the six Austrian limber teams and riders this afternoon.

Relax!  No controversial posts today, simply a progress report on the current painting.  But I am rather jaundiced in outlook at the moment, following the application of the yellow facing color yesterday evening, a yellow highlight to two of the limbers this morning (while the carpet cleaners were here), and a second thin glaze of alkyd oil fleshtone on the faces, which weren't quite peachy enough for me.  If I get the limbers done this afternoon, I'll address hair, mustaches, and possibly highlight the riding gauntlets with off white this evening.

The limbers have been a two-step process so far.  First of all, I carefully slopped -- Can you ever 'slop' carefully? -- thinned alkyd oil Yellow Ochre all over them a couple of days ago.  I have followed today with carefully touching a small brush, loaded with the brighter yellow acrylic you see at right, thinned just a wee bit, to the raised areas to bring out some detail and add depth to the limbers, yet keep the "woodwork" from turning out too bright.  

The two limbers at far left have had both steps of the yellow treatment, and I am reasonably happy with the way they have turned out.  Not bright Ferrari yellow, but a more subdued mustard yellow, which seems appropriate for Austrian limbers.  It's kind of slow going though, hence the lunch break right now.

-- Stokes

Comments

Conrad Kinch said…
Good man - keep at it Stokes.
Pierre le Poilu said…
"..carefully slopped.." does seem to me to be an oxymoron, but it did make me giggle.

I am looking forward to seeing the finished limbers.
My Dear Heinz-Ulrich,

It was with a bit of joy that I read your last post. It would seem that you are enjoying our wonderful hobby and proceeding to make inroads into the proverbial lead pile. The artillery looks very nice indeed and should allow for one of the bigger games we all enjoy. As the notable Kinch said "keep at it"!

Enjoy the rest of the summer - September with all of its attendant work always looms just over the horizon when you get to the mid-point of the summer.

All the very best for a refreshing summer idyll,

Gerardus Magnus
Archbishop Emeritus



Popular posts from this blog

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...