Eureka Miniatures 28mm ECW Irish Musketeers (Carl)

I've gradually been building the beginnings of an ECW Montrose army in 28mm and while the main chunk painted is currently Highlanders I want to include plenty of Irish too.

These lovely models from Eureka Miniatures are the first Irish to join my slowly growing forces. Not a full unit, obviously, but a start on the way to the first group of musketeers.

Warlord Games 28mm Western Imperial Roman Auxiliary Archers (Carl)

Crikey! Where does the time go?

2020 was a very strange year hobby-wise for me. But rather than try to remember it lets start anew!

My first finished models of 2021 are these 8 Imperial Roman Western Archers from Warlord Games.

They'd been languishing in the WiP state for ages with just the first coat of metallics on the chainmail and gold bits. But with adopting the 'paint on brush' approach (just putting paint on a brush everyday - even if it doesn't go on a model) I managed to restart the habit of doing a bit a day.

My current camera phone isn't really up to  the task of taking photos of minis but this will have to do.

2020 - the year that time forgot! (Nick)

 ...or maybe the year we forgot what time it was, what day or even month it was!

To be honest there's not that much to add since the very late yearly review I wrote in October - I managed a grand total of 9 figures finished in 2020, not much to shout about about almost double 2019's total!

The first one wasn't until October and then 8 in December courtesy of the paint on brush every day... which is still on track 6 weeks later, so I'm hoping for better things in 2021 and more finished work to show soon.

Carl still hasn't made it back here but has promised some of his finished work soon, and he is also still on track with paint on brush every day - no matter how little, it is working for both of us, and we have both painted 'something' for the last 45 days on the bounce... probably an all time record!

So what will 2021 bring, well hopefully a return to something approaching normality in the real world, as for us Battling a Lead Mountain well just more 'paint on brush' rehab and see what comes from it - I reckon on average, at least one figure a week from me and that would be amazing progress ...and with another 16 minis primed over the weekend I have several different projects to throw paint at.

Stay safe everyone, and let's hope for a better year to come.

Lion Rampant - Foot Men-at-arms (Nick)

First post of the new year but  really these are still 2020 minis, and more from the 'paint on brush' every day mantra. 

These are a unit of Foot Men-at-arms (foot knights), the best and most reliable unit in the Lion Rampant game... and a nice chunky 6pts, so 1/4 of the whole 24 point retinue - also my second unit finished for Lion Rampant... just 2 1/2 years after the bidowers posted previously, and on the half finished pile for nearly 5yrs!

Figures are again from Curteys Miniatures with shield decals from Little Big Men Studios to produce great looking shields quickly (as the whole force was originally intended to be completed in 2 weeks all those many moons ago).

This time there isn't really much evidence of the green & yellow 'spot' colours I mentioned previously, except on the standard bearer, but colours were pretty much determined by the shield designs and besides these guys are knights so like to swan about doing pretty much what they please! (however green & yellow will be much more evident on the Crusader Miniatures knights I also have)

The banner itself was created and printed on the PC but painted over afterwards to make it look less like printed paper and more like it belonged with the painted figures.
For those with an interest, the design is a simplified 'affectation' of the emblem for Derby - as I'm trying to bring nods to local history into many of my ongoing projects - a buck 'couchant' (lying down with head up in heraldry terms) encircled by palings (wooden fence) - as one of the most likely Anglo-Danish origins of the name Derby means Village of the Deer or 'Deer Park'.

I used the same Vellejo Sepia dipping formula wash again over the base colours but it wasn't nearly as successful on these brighter colours as I'd hoped, needing a lot more work and highlights to bring the colours back up to something presentable - certainly not the speedy paint job as originally intended and although I'm not totally happy with them the 'damage' was done a long time ago and I'm certainly not starting over, instead moving quickly on to the next unit.

Sharp Practice - WFR Russian Jager Officer (Nick)

Another one finished courtesy of the new 'paint on brush' every day routine mentioned last time, it's definitely working (and I hear Carl's still on track too, with some Roman archers no less).

This time a Russian Jager officer as a counterpart to the French officer in the last post, and another 'rescued' Contrast Paints experiment - again, figure from the Wars of the French Revolution range by Eureka Miniatures:

This one actually took longer to finish than anticipated as the finer details took some complex, cross-referenced research but I now feel a lot more confident going forward although NCO's and troops are different again!

I guess the good news is that in the meantime paint has been thrown at other random models so there might be more finished before year end.

Sharp Practice - WFR French Chasseurs Officer (Nick)

Time to hang out the bunting and ignite the fireworks? ...maybe not, but another miniature has been completed as the nights draw in at the end of the year.

Yet another departure from anything I've done before, and my first proper Napoleonic(ish) figure since those Airfix plastics of my youth - I say Napoleonic(ish) as it's a French Light Infantry officer from Eureka Miniatures and their 'Wars of the French Revolution' range, a completely new period for me just before what is generally accepted as the Napoleonic era and quite fascinating.

Starting as another experiment with Games Workshop's range of Contrast Paints this one didn't quite go to plan originally and so was put to one side in shame!

This last week he has been 'rescued' with the application of some highlights and detail using more usual acrylic paints and techniques, and I'm beginning to see how useful the Contrast Paints can be when used in conjunction with other mediums as a basecoat & wash all in one - something my good friend James Morris suggested when I was looking at buying into the Contrast Paints.

This week has also been a revelation for both myself and Carl's painting regime, as we had both stalled due to other commitments and finding it very hard to find time and/or motivation for a 'painting session' - then YouTube suggested I watch a video by the always excellent Zumikito Miniatures on how to get/keep yourself motivated to paint on a regular basis: 6 tips to paint more miniatures when MOTIVATION is low

Now we already know about being set up ready to go, and removing other distractions etc. but the one thing that stood out for me, and then Carl when I shared it, was his #4: set an easy daily target ie. put some paint on your brush even if you don't paint anything - silly as it may sound it was just what we needed, and a real game changer that hit home with both of us... the above is just one on the results for me, and Carl has finished at least one figure too so one week into painting rehab and we're both doing good and getting to our paint station at least once every day because of it.

Onwards and upwards, I can hear my paint station calling and a brush with no paint on it... Vive la France!

Warhammer 40k - Ork Boy (Nick)

Yes, it finally happened, I managed to move something from the half finished to the done pile... and it's only taken me 16 1/2 months since the last one!

What a crazy year it's been and this certainly isn't what I expected to be my first and, so far, only finished miniature to show for it - an Ork boy from Games Workshop.

The inspiration to dig out my 40k Orks came with the release of the latest edition of the 40k rules and the new narrative 'Crusade' style of gaming, which instinctively appealed to both myself and Carl and the way we like to play (when we can once more that is).
I know one of Carl's ongoing 40k armies are old skool 80-90's Orks, which I have quite a few of myself, but I also have a good handful of the newer style Orks even though these too are about 10 years old (but never got beyond a few being built).

With this in mind we decided to have an inter-clan Ork rivalry as the basis for our Crusade campaign, or more specifically as both of us favour the same Bad Moons clan, an 'old' Warboss vs 'new' Warboss power struggle and the 'War of da Teef' was born (Orks use teeth as currency, and Bad Moons are known to grow theirs quicker than other Orks).

As I was effectively starting this project from scratch (even though I already have just enough figures to build the required force), I decided it was an ideal opportunity to upgrade the boyz with the new, larger 32mm round bases and keep all the 25mm ones for something at a later date - might as well bring them up to date while I'm at it?
It was also an ideal opportunity to experiment with Games Workshop's 'Contrast Paints', something which I've been wanting to try and bought into very soon after 'lockdown' came into effect earlier this year.

I started with a brown Zenithal highlight prime using Badger Stynylrez 'Ebony Flesh' primer followed by Vallejo 'Skeleton Bone' surface primer at a 45° angle, an idea I had picked up from a suggestion in one of the excellent Little Wars TV YouTube videos - the idea being that it creates added depth to the 'contrast' effect but with a warmer colour than a standard black/white Zenithal prime (especially important for the yellow colour scheme) but also muting the 'bubblegum' finish often seen with the Contrast paints over their standard base coat.

This guy is 90% Contrast Paints over the Zenithal prime with just the metal being in gunmetal metallic and Strong Tone wash, and the yellow armour receiving a quick Skeleton Bone highlight and Golden Yellow glaze to bring the brown/yellow of the Nazdreg Yellow contrast paint back up to a warmer shade I was happy with - before adding some scratches and chipping, an extra level of detailing for what is otherwise is supposed to be quick paint job but something I felt it needed and quite a focal point of the model.

I also decided to try out my new portable LED Lightbox from Green Stuff World which worked very well I think, and certainly provided plenty of light just where it was needed... I didn't even require my usual mini tripod either.

So one down and plenty more to go, I certainly won't be completing a figure per day this year (much like the previous attempts then!) but hopefully I can get a few more table-ready before 2020 thankfully draws to a close - several are quite close already.