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 :)