Blog v YouTube v Facebook and more photos!

It has recently struck me how few page views this old blog of mine gets these days, possibly because I post far too frequently with limited content but also possibly the blog has just had it's day when YouTube and Facebook hobby groups are so popular? 

An typical post here has maybe 50 views on average, if I post in the FB DBN group then around a 100 views is typical and a short YouTube video of me mumbling into the phone camera will average up to 500 views after a couple of weeks, my record so far is 7.5 thousand on a video. But that said I like the blog because it keeps me in touch with that small group of dedicated fellow bloggers and followers and allows me to keep an easily searchable record of  just about everything I have painted over the past 14 years. Yes, I know its completely different media, this is just a general observation and I have no intention of giving up on the blog after all these years. Maybe it's just personal ego but as a painter I do enjoy sharing my work and also the feedback and interaction that comes with it and with that said lets have some more photos of model soldiers!

Commission update.

I have just completed the latest batch for Old John now all varnished and packed. Below are the 5 units of Les Higgins cavalry, just 20 figures in total but certainly a colourful bunch. Also 3 mounted drummers of the 30 Years War marked 'paint as you like'. 

Les Higgins cavalry. Designed mid to late 1960's I think?

Next I'm moving onto some Steel Fist ECW Horse, first time I have seen these in the flesh and they are superb little sculpts although the swords are very thin and require careful bending back into shape. These are for Noel to add to his Epic Pike and Shott collection that I have painted for him over the last 8 months or so. Oddly enough I was expecting the usual 18mm scale of most new ranges these days but these are true 15mm and as such they are a great match to the slightly chunky Epic plastic cavalry. I'm going to enjoy starting these today and I think I have 6 x 10 figure units of horse plus a dozen or so mounted generals to paint and base. After that Noel tells me it's back to Epic ACW's again!

Steel Fist ECW 15mm (left) and Warlord Epic 13.5mm!

I also have more 2mm bases for Geoff to paint. I have to feel in the correct mood for working on these tiny figures as they can be very challenging on the old eyes so it can take me a while to get going on them but they will be painted.

The Pony Wars commission is on hold for a bit as I have now completed all the figures that I have here and are waiting for the arrival of the final 'Grey Horse' troop of 7th cavalry plus all of the dismounted cavalry which have been specially sculpted by Andrew Stadden. Unfortunately Mark has out of action for a while due to an incident involving a hobby knife cut that became seriously infected and resulted in a stay in hospital. Wishing you well Mark and I hope to see these new sculpts in due course.

New customer Stephen tells me that he is very happy with the initial four regiments of Epic French Napoleonic infantry (32 strips or 320 Epic figures) and that another 8 regiments are on the way so I'm pretty well booked going forward again.

AWI project.

I'm enjoying playing around with terrain now! Making roads and rivers, hills and woods etc. for the card table. The latest video from 'Gruff Mumbling Productions' is now on YouTube where I describe my use of magnetic printer paper as well as the fleece covered foamboard contoured hills, link below.

I continue to add the odd base of Peter Pig figures, starting next on some French and Hessians. So all in all I'm pretty well engrossed in the hobby at the moment and it's all keeping me very busy and engaged in my 'retirement'.

Coming along nicely now.

The first of the French crossing some broken ground in the form of ploughed fields.

And finally The Video :) 

More terrain plus 20mm's for Old John!

 It's always a pleasure to be painting vintage castings for John as well as modern high quality plastic sets. This week has seen me paint through  mostly Les Higgins figures - Papal States infantry and cavalry - as well as several individual mounted drummers and three superbly detailed plastic cavalry. The reference sheets are always provided which really helps me. 

I have four more Papal Cavalry to paint this morning before I give all the horses a highlight followed by a satin varnish. I then have 3 Estonian cavalry and 3 30 Years War cavalry to complete this current batch.

In addition I'm continuing to make more 15mm scale terrain for the card table AWI. One tip on the magnetic road/rivers is to texture the black magnetic side as I find it adheres better. One dry it's nice and flat but still flexible and the vallejo texture does not crack when you bend it. Rivers coming soon along with more windy road sections! 

Also made some hills from contoured foamboard covered with fleece mat same as the table. I'm not a fan of freestanding round hills, especially for this small table so prefer hills to flow on from the edges or corners, Quick and simple to make using 5mm foamboard and the gentle slopes mean bases can stand on them while the 'summit' is clearly defined. 

A few AWI photos and making cheap roads!

I'm putting together some terrain now and once again I turn to magnetic printing paper as a source material for making roads and river sections. It's thin, it can be cut with scissors and fully textured but does not warp. It's also cheap at around £5.00 for two A4 sheets, I can get a lot of roads/rivers from a sheet and also wood templates etc. It takes my Vallejo earth Texture very well and can then be edged with flock/stones etc as required and still lays perfectly flat.

The old wooden card table is covered with some fleece mat which nicely matches the basing I think.

The Rebels are on the move Sir!

Send in the Guards!

Cheap and easy roads from magnetic paper.

Loyalist Butlers Rangers.

 

DBAWI camp #2. American.

Baggage wagon packed with supplies rattles along the road led by Indian scouts. A lady swoons at the sight of a fallen redcoat. Of course I had to use a couple more from the Peter Pig 'Enthusiastic Ladies' pack. Rather pleased with the bases as a pair I must say.

Also a couple of Battlescale 10mm clapboard buildings, now purchased from Pendraken Miniatures as Steve has now ceased  casting to order and is supplying the full range to them. Great service, from order to delivery in three working days. I just need to paint in the window frames in Ivory to finish them off. These each represent a small farm/homestead (non linear fortification in DBN). I am keeping the buildings loose from the bases so that they can simply be placed as required when troops move on. I am looking for suitable 3D printed picket fence to add to them but can only find 00 scale (too tall) or N Gauge (too short). Need them about 10mm tall.

And just in case you have not yet watched the latest video offering from 'Gruff Mumble Productions' here it is featuring the Peter Pig AWI range and close ups of a fair number of the units so far.

DBAWI camp#1 - 'All the Ladies love a Redcoat' !

After just 5 weeks painting I have completed both 12 point armies and have just the American baggage base to go. I'm putting some terrain bits together for use on the folding card table (2'6" x 2' 6"). There are so many great figure packs in the Peter Pig AWI range that I have no doubt I will continue to add to these for some considerable time to come now.

I could not resist a pack of 'Ladies waving enthusiastically' for use on the baggage bases but possibly I may have overdone it on this British base! I like the humour of the piece and of course the sculpts are full of the usual PP character. If I can find some suitable scale picket fencing I will add some along the side of the road in front of the ladies. 

Finishing some tree bases today and hopefully painting the fine Battlescale buildings which are 10mm scale but work well in my eyes for this project.

Commission work.

The 20mm Indians are now completed, all 450 mounted plus 100 foot figures. I think it's been a year now of monthly batches. I have just 65 civilians/cowboys on foot left for this week and that completes everything I have here for Mark so far. We have the dismounted US cavalry plus one more mounted troop to come in from the sculptor/caster then the entire commission will be finished. 

One final piece of news is that the 40mm Peninsular war collection of the late Ian Smith has now arrived safely in the US to join that of the late Graham Cummings (previously owned and mostly painted by myself) and another Australian collection. I believe  that Daniel is now the owner of around 2.500 40mm Napoleonics plus the terrain, ships etc that were so impressive at the UK wargame shows. Dan's plan is to take this huge collection to shows/conventions in the US.