The Grand Duchy of Stollen

  A fter several short(-er) painting sessions Sunday morning and early afternoon, here's where things stand with the final 15 Croats, based on the Slavonsich-Brooder Grenzer . In keeping with the muted palette, I used Army Painter 'Basilisk Brown' for the yellow facing color.  Fairly easy to apply to the cuffs but trickier for the visible edges of the coat collars.  For a while, I toyed with the idea of applying a slightly brighter yellow highlight, at least to the cuffs, but decided against that in the end.   Fewer things are more frustrating than a snafu+ atop already reasonably good brushwork.  You know what I mean. The trick seems to be to get only the tiniest bit of color onto the very tip of the bristles -- my trusty old 000 sable spotter that I've had for going on 25 years -- and deposit a drop or so onto the visible collar edges.  Be careful to leave some of the dark undercoat showing and wick away any excess with a damp brush quickly before it sets...

  A fter several [shorter] sessions -- three or four? -- in the painting chair today, the musket detailing is finished.  Brass fittings, trigger guards, firelocks, highlighted [musket] straps, and the ramrods in gun metal on the underside of the stocks.  Yes, I realize my head should be examined because no one will ever notice them.  But I know they are there.   One more easy session this evening to tone down the shako plates with an Army Painter wash, which will also bring out some of the detailing, but then I'll call it a day.  The old eyes are tired, and it has been a pretty good day's work with a minimum of mistakes to correct.  Nice when that happens. Tomorrow (Sunday), I'll start the scabbard belts and possibly the brass detailing on the scabbards.  There is quite a bit on the Minden figures, and I'll naturally want to suggest the presence of some on the slightly less detailed RSM95 figures in firing position. -- Stokes    A S...

  B efore heading upstairs to open and enjoy our usual Friday evening glass of wine with the Grand Duchess, I managed to sit down in the painting chair for 45 minutes or so to finish undercoating the musket straps in gray and next apply gun metal to the bayonets.  Saturday, I plan to begin and hopefully complete the various tiny brass details on those same muskets, gunmetal to any visibly firelocks, and small white highlights to the musket straps.   Depending on how that goes, it will probably be time to clean up various edges on the figures and apply a drop of Army Painted wash to shako plates to tone 'em down a bit and help pick out the incredible detailing by the late Richard Ansell, whose work is something to behold. Ok, I've got a cork to pop and glasses to pour.  Goodness knows those of us in the US have a valid reason to drink ourselves into a stupor. -- Stokes

Here's where things stand with the latest and last batch of Croats about a month in.  Still much to do, but they're coming together reasonably well I think all things considered. A n easy, quiet day yesterday (Saturday) for the Young Master and me while the poor Grand Duchess wrestled through flight delays of one sort or another after a conference in New York City.  She finally made it home about 1am this morning about six hours late.  Anyway, three sessions of various lengths in the painting chair yesterday, working mainly on highlighting musket stocks and carefully, very lightly adding the musket barrels.  Added the shako plates for the Minden figures and started the musket straps.  I'll finish the final four of those later today before moving onto other musket details and toning down the very bright shako plates with an Army Painter wash. It's funny what you notice as you work your way through gradually painting a bunch of figures.  Lots of little things...

The cover of the recently arrived new title from Osprey.     A t last, a copy of the new Osprey title, German Troops in the  American Revolution (2 ), arrived early during the week that was.  The long awaited book provides a reasonably detailed take on the subject without covering much new ground, but I am glad to add it to the bookshelf.  Of special note, the brief description of the flags possibly carried by the Anhalt-Zerbst contingent is (new) food for thought.  Sadly, as the the author points out, the one remaining example was lost during the 1939-45 war.  But what about the uniform plates themselves?  These are always inspiring in books of this type and bring to mind visions of units yet to paint and add to the collection.  Dangerous butterflies, right?  Which kind of brings me to my next point. A few years back, I purchased 60 or so "Hessian" Fife & Drum infantry and added the shipment to the lead pile after it was left i...

  A fter an almost two-hour session in the painting chair this evening, the shoulder belts for the cartridge pouches, straps for canteens, and sundry pouches/bundles are just about finished.  I used a few different browns for variety, and see that I need to clean up some edges here and there before continuing with the next step.  But my eyes are fried, I'm tired, and we lose an hour of sleep to Daylight Savings Time.  Heading off to bed now with a large bowlful of red grapes and a few clementines for good measure. -- Stokes

  T wo painting sessions this Saturday morning, applying the usual light gray undercoat to white cartridge pouch belts, where visible, across the backs and chests of the figures.  Depending on how time runs today -- I am working via Zoom this afternoon with a colleague to prepare a presentation/discussion for next Friday -- I will return tonight after the evening meal for white highlights.  Still lots to do of course, but we're getting there. -- Stokes

  Which one looks the most like the late Jon Lord to you? H ere's where we stand with the batch of now 15 Minden and RSM95 Croats after catching up Private  Gulyás (now with a muted yellow and blue cockade on his shako) and tackling the combination of mustaches, hair locks, and queues in three or four different shades of brown.  A particular challenge was allowing those slivers of ears to show and NOT obscuring the tips of noses with tiny flecks of paint.   Briefer than usual painting sessions helped, of course, but  definitely not feeling like a highway star with the paintbrush after several sessions focused on these related details during the last couple of days.  Whew!  Never what you might call fun, these particular details on figures of any size have always been a real challenge for my painting skills and concentration.  And it hasn't become any easier these last 40+ years or so.  Still, they look reasonably good, and I can now mov...

  A fter just a couple of painting sessions during the last two days, an evening and an early afternoon, Private Gulyás is beginning to resemble his fellows although with a few notable differences to set him apart on the table.   The eagle-eyed among you might notice a slightly different blue was used for his leggings although that then received the usual Army Painter blue wash.  Likewise, his dolman was given a dab of GW Korne Red followed by Army Painter red wash.  Last, his headgear features a red cloth top and, like several others in the unit, his dark red cape (the same two-part blend of Khorne Red and red wash) has been fashioned into a bundle stuffed with plunder and loot of one kind or another.   Now, for some reason, I can't help but imagine either the late Frankie Howard or, perhaps, the equally departed Bob Todd in the role of Pvt. Gulyás were anyone ever foolish enough to bring the feature to the silver screen during the 1960s or 70s. Robin...

The until recently missing figure, known henceforth as Goulash the Shirker.   S ounds like a lost episode of Wallace and Gromit , eh?  Sean the Sheep might want to keep his head down though. Just returned from another extended ski weekend sans the Grand Duchess and Young Master, it's Spring Break Week, and time to get myself back to the painting table to maintain some forward momentum.  There's a skate ski reference in their somewhere given my work on V1 and V2 Alternate technique the last few days.  But I digress! I've decided to name this particular figure Gulyás the Shirker because, well, he is something of a sad sack who manages to avoid his duties, delay following orders, and go suddenly absent without leave.  Sort of a Balkan Beetle Bailey who gives his sergeant fits and, as a result, is more or less on permanent KP duty.  Or at least anywhere the action is not.  The moniker seems rather fitting for a misplaced figure that has managed to escape ...