Fleshing out Tommy

Just the briefest of updates on this modelling aside.  I had hoped, sadly in vain, that he would be completed for an Armistice Day post but as you can see I am nowhere near ready.

I have to admit that I'm really struggling with this project.  The sculpt is wonderful but the painting technique required is really frustrating me.   What one can get away with at 28mm is not viable at this larger scale.  Blending is obviously the way to go but it is such a time consuming process, constantly going back and forth.  I will obviously keep going and with a bit of luck will get something that looks half way decent!

Through the Swamp - Part 2

The second part of my mini project to try and recreate an American Civil War trading card from the 1960s, sees the introduction of boys from the North!   Now I'm squaring this away by the fact that the conflict did at least fall during the reign of Queen Victoria, tenuous I grant you but it works for me.  

There certainly isn't a shortage of miniatures out there covering this period; Perry's, Foundry, Renegade so many to chose from but where to start?  I knew that I needed the troops to look fatigued and at least one had to be charging with a bayonet.  After quite a period of searching I happened upon Redoubt Enterprises' range that had just what I was looking for.

I have to say that I really enjoy painting Redoubt's figures, true they are not the tidiest sculpts out there but there is something very reassuring about their weight and the poses were perfect for what I wanted.  The soldier with the bayonet will be the brave soul taking on the Gator, while the others fight their way through the Florida swamps.

Decided not to go for the red top to the kepi, must be a creative decision on behalf of the illustrator as I don't seem to be able to find any referemce for it.

Through the Swamp

Who knows where my next distraction will come from as this post will surely illustrate.  Some will remember the dubiously entitled post 'a beer and a bag' where I was given the most bizarre mix of miniatures you could ever imagine, one of which was a crocodile like creature and I immediately envisaged building a wonderful terrain piece reminiscent of the rope bridge scene from 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'.  (I even went as far a ordering up some additional crocodiles and vultures!)  It wasn't until the 'Laughing Ferret' (his tremendous blog can be found here.) pointed out that the said beastie was in fact a gator that stirrings of a possible project began.

Many, many years ago I was presented with a set of trading cards depicting scenes from the American Civil War.  This gift from my father left such an impression on my young mind as the illustrations were incredibly violent but brilliantly presented, full of dynamic composition and colour.  On the reverse of each card was a news report relaying was happening in the war at any particular juncture.  Some cards left more of an impression than others but I had a very vivid memory of one with a gator in it.  Sure enough after several hours of scrambling around the dirty loft space at 'Awdry Towers' the collection was unearthed and to my joy and delight 'Through the Swamp' was there, just as I remembered it!

Well that I was it, I now had to recreate this scene using my Gator!  Phase 1 is now complete in that I have found a suitably large base and painted up Mr. Alligator here.  He looks far too happy, observed the  saintly Mrs. Awdry, but that is probably because he knows that he is going to be able to get his teeth into some Union Boys before too long!  

Just as an aside does anyone know if the red top the soldiers' kepis is accurate or is it just an artistic device?

No Jacket Required

What a week!  So much for my plans to get this chap finished early on, but finally able to get some paint out today.  This wonderful creation, again from 'Hasslefree Miniatures', was to be the companion character to 'Wolfie', posted on Monday.  A sort of before and after if you will; hence similar base and trouser colour.  

Finally united!  Great fun to do, perhaps I need a section called 28mm Victorian Gothic Horror?

Howl at the moon!

Well tonight is all hallow's eve and many will have you believe that it is tonight when all manner of ghoulish creatures will roam the earth intent on causing mischief and striking fear into the unweary.  There is of course the alternative opinion that the whole thing has been dreamt up by those looking to exploit all in their pursuit  of making a fast profit, but for fear of becoming a bit 'grumpy old man' about the whole thing I have used it as an excuse to order up another very splendid miniature from the wonderful 'Hasslefree Miniatures'.

This suitably fiendish (and suitably Victorian!)  miniature is another of their wonderful sculpts and a real delight to work with even if it did require a modicum of construction.  'Wolfie'  came with a slotted base but I wanted to make a bit more of a feature of the whole thing so snipped  off the excess and pinned the figure to a lipped one complete with homemade floorboards.

It is of course another excuse to get out the recently constructed cemetery terrain pieces an capture the moment on film when the beast bursts from from the restraints of his straightjacket.  Such a great and dynamic pose and all in all I was really pleased with the outcome.

There was a companion piece to this that I have started but what with one thing and another I didn't get around to finishing it time.  With a bit of luck and a following breeze I hope to get it finished this week.

Pumpkin Carving

Sadly not much in the way of figure painting has been achieved in the last couple of days due, in no small way, to the village's annual 'pub pumpkin carving' competition.  This competition set up by our local hostelry has only been running for a couple of years and having scooped first prize last year felt it was only right and proper to try and defend my crown!  

You only have to punch in 'Pumpkin Carving' into a google image search to be simply amazed at the imagination and skill of some pepole but let me tell you it is a lot harder than it looks. ( Not to mention considerably more time comsuming than painting a 28mm figure!)  Well here are my efforts for this year; and the result ...

second place!  A couple of pounds richer and a bag of jelly sweet fangs; not a bad result and if it helps to keep the local in business then I'm glad to do my bit.

Book Review#6. - The Zombie Survival Guide

Complete Protection form the Living Dead

I was determined to enjoy this book by Max Brooks, probably because of the fantastic 'World War Z', but ultimately felt a little let down.  It didn't help reading this after its superior sequel, nor did it help having work throw everything at me at once and so it took an absolute age to finish; but still I was hopeful that it was going to be better than it was.

It is pure escapism and does pretty much list everything you need to know about surviving in a world populated by the undead, but that is part of the problem; the first half of the book is simply that - lists!  It is the second half of the book where Brooks' story telling skill comes to the fore.  Here we a treated, albeit in list form, to a chronological sequence of recorded attacks.  Each one could be a great premise for a separate tale and on more than one occasion found myself itching to go and check if what he was detailing was actually true!  So yes, when I finally put it down I was happy to have read it but my word did I make hard work of it.  That said it was a wonderful excuse to go and buy more figures, this time survivors, from 'Hasslefree Miniatures' and I feel safer in the knowledge that it will take approximately five years for an undead corpse to fully rot away!  I wanted to give this more but ultimately a slightly disappointing - three crowns.