That's another box done!

With John's box of figures now completely painted it's time for my weekly Sunday tidy up and planning for the week ahead. So having sorted out the next box and got everything organised into the desk drawers - figures and printed reference sheets/notes/ box art etc - I check through the paints and make a note of any that are getting low for which I don't have replacements, (what you see are just my most commonly used colours, I have about 100 unopened spares together in a drawer below). 

This week I'm going to be painting Peter Pigs for Graham. I have another ECW regiment of foot and 38 Confederate's. I do enjoy flipping between scales and periods like this as it keeps things fresh. When I get to start John's latest box I'll be starting with the lovely Ral Partha winged hussars that you see below, the horses are especially good sculpts.

Meantime I continue to keep an open mind and one eye out for something a bit different to do for myself on the side

Old John's big bash!

John has been sending me pictures of a big game he is getting set up for later this month, which will be his first game since Covid and lockdowns. It will feature many of the Ottomans that formed the Eric Knowles collection as well as a lot of the figures that I have painted over recent months on both sides. As John does not update his old blog and is not on social media I'm sharing them here with permission as I think there are others who would enjoy seeing them. The Ottoman commanders from my previous post will be marching to join the battle on Monday along with the last painted figures from 'Box 1'.

I'm sure John will fill you in on the makes and manufacturers of the figures involved. 

A dash of Ottoman colour!

Thirteen mounted Ottoman command figures for Old John. Ten of the horses (rear) are ex Eric Knowles collection and supplied ready painted, the front three are painted by myself. As John had more or less given me a free hand with these I went for plenty of colour and quite a bit of gold. The banners were also supplied and I just gave them a gold edging before gluing them on.

Robs magnificent Hinchliffe ECW collection!

With kind permission of Rob who has spent the last three years working away on my old ECW collection, I present to you these stunning photos I don't think I have ever seen it done better, they are simply exquisite.

Link.

More ECW's, Ottomans and VSF!

For the week ahead I'm going to be finishing off the previous box of goodies from Old John before making a start on his latest box. What's left is an interesting batch of figures, Ottomans, WSS Scots Greys and some dismounted dragoons. There are a few horses included that are painted and from the late Eric Knowles collection and while I would love to add highlights etc I think given the due reverence shown to this collection by other bloggers they are best left untouched and I will only paint the bare metal riders. 

I had a few days away from the painting desk this week but still managed to paint some Prussian Uhlans and artillery crew for JBM, and a regiment of ECW foot plus petard crews for Graham. There is another ACW regiment coming over from Graham this week and I have some ideas on trying to capture  some of the cream and faded butternut tones illustrated in the image below of SOSKAN re enactors. From my time as a member twenty plus years ago I know that those guys put a lot of effort into research on cloths and fabrics going so far as to buy in rolls of cloth from the original US mills.

I was of course a 'Bucktail' (42nd Pennsylvania), and proud to wear that badge of distinction on my kepi. Quick story, when I was given my tail with great ceremony I found it really stank. When I got home I gave it a thoroughly good shampooing - you  should have seen what came out of it, the sink was black - and next event I had the whitest, fluffiest bucktail in the company, something that did not go unnoticed as I stood out a mile!

Painting service - I'm finding that I have really settled back into this and can comfortably paint for several hours each day, what's more I'm enjoying doing it, there is a delight in sending back nicely painted soldiers that arrive as bare metal. Currently I paint for Old John (10 years plus) and Graham with some additional figures for JBM as and when. If anyone is interested in using my service and would like to discuss it with me please contact me for details, but please note I only take on 15/18mm & 20mm scale figures, individual units or longer term projects, but can only paint in my own modest long established style to what I consider to be good wargaming standard.  

Progress and a little side project!

 Not a bad weeks painting, 12 Hanoverian cavalry and 34 Turkish Janissaries all for Old John. Starting next on more of  JBM's gas mask wearing Prussians - even the Uhlan horses are wearing them! - and Denzil Holles Regiment of Foot for Graham. Then it's back to more for John, more Ottomans mostly before I get started on the follow up box. 

I still have quite a number of AB Napoleonic 18mm figures left in the drawer so as a means of using them I have decided to paint up British, French and Portuguese armies for use on the Commands & Colors game board with 1 figure replacing each block. I have absolutely no intention of painting up full units, entirely pointless, but I still like the idea of a game of commands & Colors now and then and the figures are perfect for it being very robust. In order to enable single figure handling I'm going to use a couple of coats of gloss varnish to get a more toy soldier style. A few examples below, note the bare round bases with colour coded edges, again gloss varnished. Not going to rush this, just a background project over the next couple of months or so and who knows, if I'm happy with it I may even go on and do the Prussians. I have no interest any longer in laying out big tables with lots of scenery but I do fancy having some shiny soldiers to use straight on the game board with just the terrain tiles supplied.

EDIT: Once again useful to view the photos large, slight scratch on the right shoulder of one of the spearmen corrected, also tidied up the tops of the officers turbans.

Above: John asked me to paint the 4 Turkish officers the same as the supplied gloss varnished figure if possible. I think I managed to get pretty close? (Minifigs).

Turkish archers above: Ral Partha.

Above: Janissary archers, I love the huge 'onion' turbans on the commanders, green was the requested colour! (Minifigs).

Above: Turkish spearmen by Ral Partha.

Above: gas mask wearing horses, next in line for JBM.

Above: Here he goes again I hear you say! Shiny toy soldiers for C&C.

Hanoverian Liebgarde cavalry.

I make no apology for the frequency of posts recently as it really helps me with motivation and keeps the blog ticking over with what I hope is interesting content. 

12 Strelets cavalry painted as Hanoverian Liebgarde as per supplied reference plate. These are of course for Old John. Today I have 12 Minifigs Ottoman archers undercoated, these seem to weigh a ton after the plastics but they do feel as though cast in a particularly heavy alloy?