Painstaking Piping Preparation. . .

Painstaking piping preparation continues. . .  Whew!

Well Sir, the Minden Bosniaken are not quite finished, but I bit the bullet and sat down for three (or as it four?) painting sessions during the last couple of days: a hour or so Friday evening, another stint on Saturday afternoon, and again that same evening to apply the white piping c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y along the edges of the red tunic cuffs, black kaftan  sleeve edges, and kaftan lapels behind each rider's neck.  I've also gone back and cleaned up a few wobbly white edges with either scarlet, or black depending.  Both, of course, cover white nicely.  Just the collar piping on the tiny red tunic collars to tackle today followed by the decorative white piping 'round about hip-level on the black kaftans.

Still nowhere near finished -- and let's not even speak of the horizontal black stripes that will need to be applied to the lances -- but the 14 figures and horses really are coming along nicely at this point if I may be so bold as to say so.  Once all of this insanity with the white piping is done, it's onto sword knots, tiny metal bits on the horse bridles, the lances, and then the inevitable touch-ups, finished off by my usual two coats of high gloss acrylic varnish.  

The coming week is relatively stress and preparation free since my students are presenting their first team projects.  But then there is grading along with a few meetings, so it might be a couple of weeks yet before these figures are all done.  Next up, either a couple of mounted generals for another staff vignette, or Russian artillery crew and guns, or a company of Pandours, or a larger Freibattalion, which will be based on von Gerlach's Frei-regiment clad in light blue and dark green uniforms.  All are components of the small fictitious Freicorps currently recruiting here at Stollen Centrale.  The Bosniaks above will form the mounted contingent of course.

Meanwhile, I've enjoyed a relatively free weekend here, and while snowfall has been disappointing so far in our part of Mid-Michigan this winter with regard to ski-able trails, the day seems perfect for more time at the painting table.  So, the plan after Sunday breakfast is to dress and return to the painting bench to apply white piping to the red collars.  This will require a very light touch with just a tiny bit of paint on the very tip of the bristles of my old Leow-Cornell '000' sable spotter, a gift from ol' artist/photographer/sculptor Mom way back when I was an impoverished graduate student.  Part of the now discontinued 8000 series, that venerable fine detail workhorse is finally, and very sadly, beginning to show its age however.  

Long time GD of S visitors might recall my mentioning this particular brush in the past.  I've had and used the '000' for more than 20 years at this point, and I fear retirement will be in order after all of the piping on this particular batch of figures has been finished since the bristles are developing a pronounced hook at the tip.  Sigh.  An old friend that has served me well lo these many years.  Still, finally putting ol' Dobbin out to pasture provides a fine excuse to shop for a replacement.   I plan to peruse new sable spotters, with an eye to purchasing a couple of 'em this time around.  I'll set one aside as a replacement for the next time I find myself in this particular painting predicament.  

I know, I know.  I can hear the collective chorus of consternation and groans now.  He ought to be strung up for the present preponderance of painful alliteration within this post!

-- Stokes