Here are some newly brightened and cropped photographs of the finished composite grenadier battalion, more or less according to the guidelines laid out in Charge! Or How to Play War Games (1967), which continues to inform how I organize my tabletop forces.
The final few painting steps were all pretty small items in restricted spaces, and I made a number of flubs in my haste to finish yesterday, but these were corrected pretty quickly and painlessly. Depending on how I feel after the periodontist this evening, I might begin glossing the figures, or not. The idea of a night off sounds kind of nice to be honest, and I have a new John Sandford 'Lucas Davenport' book to read, so. . .
In theory, if one could keep up this sort of pace, it might be possible to paint up a Peter Gilder-sized army of, say, 8-12 similarly sized units during the course of a year. If one hankered after BIG battalions and squadrons, that is, as some of us crazies still do.
As I say, though, in theory.
The pace with the brush during my July painting challenge was pretty relentless, and I am on summer break don't forget without much else to do except some fairly light domestic chores, goofing around with The Young Master outside, and some assorted family time. About 25 or 26 days of painting by my count during the last month, sometimes several sessions in one day.
It also has helped that The Grand Duchess and Young Master have taken two trips in July as well, for a week each time, which has really freed up my days and evenings. Family and work commitments during the normal academic year, a mere four weeks away now (Sigh!), together with related mental fatigue by day's end, mean that it is pretty much impossible to whip up one unit per month like this between late August-early May. To paraphrase the late American president George. H.W. Bush, "Not gonna happen."
Now, some wargamers out there, bless them, manage to paint routinely as a way to wind down at the end of the day. I, on the other hand, need a fairly clear and calm mind to even think about sitting down to the painting table as I've mentioned here before. That degree of mental clarity and calm becomes less easy to find, for me at least, during the school year.
But otherwise, slow and steady will get you there. It's kind of like the race between the tortoise and the hare. How nice it would be to whip out new unit after new unit painted to a high standard, as some are apparently able to do. Little by little has worked well for me though, and I have managed to paint right about 1000+ 25-30mm figures, wagons, and equipment since August 2006. Not bad all things considered.
I read somewhere online in the last several days that British wargamer John Preece, one The Wargamers back in '06-'07, suggests painting but a single unit a year for one's collection. Choose 'what' to paint carefully and don't fret too much about it he advises. Sound advice given how pulled in multiple directions many of us are in the 21st century. Hobbies often are forced to take a back burner when real life intervenes.
Looking back over the last dozen years or so, after my initial burst of enthusiasm back in 2006-2008 though, I seem to average roughly two-four units along with some command vignettes in a 12-month period. So, no complaints. This seems pretty reasonable given the crazy, sometimes chaotic nature of life here in The Grand Duchy of Stollen the last several years.
That said, I feel pleased with the way this particular unit has turned out. Now, if only they could gloss and base themselves. I need a break!
-- Stokes
P.S.
Looking over these photos again, it occurs to me that the officers all need the little metallic tassels in the corners of their cocked hats painted. Hell and damnation! Well, that is something that is easily rectified in a few minutes. I'll see to it this evening after dinner. Blast!
Here, the figures get their black queues and very dark gray highlight -- look closely -- early yesterday evening, Day #31.
At last, the finished unit!
As a reminder, this is what the grenadier battalion looked like very early in July just a few short weeks ago.
Comments
Enjoy basing them ....