A Thorough Washing. . .

Back in the painting saddle this evening after an amazing, yet very tiring, ski trip up north during the weekend just ended. Tonight's painting session was all about giving this company of Croats a good washing. The washes really helped define the basic larger areas of the figures, tone down the initial colors just a bit, and add some richness to those same browns, blues, reds, and yellows.

Various Army Painter products were used including Strong Tone, Mid-Brown, Blue, and Red washes. The figures are still wet in this photo, but I missed the officer's dolman, plus discovered the underside of a left arm still in need of its basic Mahogany Brown (Grrr. . .). Will have to attend to those first thing tomorrow evening.

But, they don't look half bad at this point. I'm even toying with the idea of not going back to highlight raised areas with the original colors as initially planned and just leave them as is. I kind of like their muted, slightly rough, yet still colorful appearance. It seems entirely fitting for Croats. What do you think?

Wednesday evening, I'll take a stab at the mustaches and hair queues. Still lots to do if that step goes well, but it's getting late and time to join the Grand Duchess for our nightly yoga and meditation, which really help the two of us relax when cross-country skiing is not an option.

Speaking of which, I'm heading back up north on Friday morning for another 2.5-day jaunt at Forbush Corner Nordic Ski Center outside of Frederic, Michigan. Lot's of things finally falling into place technique-wise, with some solid feedback from the two coaches I've worked with the last three years. As I quipped to my sister the other day in a text, "And it's only taken 25 years of practice!"

I am clinging to winter as long as possible, you understand, to practice on the 45km of groomed trails and solidify various skills before the long off-season interrupts routine skiing once again. Sigh. I'd be out on the snow six months of the year if I could. As the saying goes, think snow and embrace the winter.

-- Stokes

Comments

Donnie McGibbon said…

They are looking good Stokes, nice work on those dastardly Croats, they are lovely figures too.

10:52 PM

pancerni said…

Wonderful looking Croats, certainly are good for the table here.
I will try to send you our excess snow. You will make better use of it.

4:20 AM

Andy McMaster said…

Those are coming along nicely.

12:52 PM

David Morfitt said…

Nice work, Stokes. :-)

12:35 PM

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good. I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses. I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place. Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

Search This Blog