Monday 28 December 2015

Back to the Brushes 104

A quick couple of pictures of the first work started on the Basic Impetus Macedonians; shown here are bow armed skirmishers and prodromoi. Figures from Foundry and A & A Miniatures respectively.


The archers are from Foundry's original range of Greek and at present may end up as a two figure stand instead of three. Will see how they fit together when fully painted.


Early stages on both of these bases and already behind on the draft schedule created at the start of the challenge, also pictured below.


Sorry, no spreadsheet fu here, just plain old scribbles of a painter and gamers mind. Sort of a very rough plans within plans draft here.

That's all for now

Cheers

Friday 25 December 2015

Seasons Greetings to all


Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and hoping that everyone has a peaceful and prosperous New Year.


Saturday 19 December 2015

A beginning is a very delicate time.

Know then that it is the day before the 6th Analogue Painting Challenge begins and the preparatory work is complete. The brushes are primed and the painters are in the starting blocks. In the picture below lies the target for the next 3 months - a 28mm Basic Impetus Macedonian army.



The army comprises of the following:

15 cavalry figures - 1 x CP 6 Companions, 1 x CM 5 Thessalian and 1 x CL 4 Prodromoi
42 infantry figures - 2 x FP 12 phalangites, 1 x FL 8 hypaspists, 1 x FL 6 peltasts and  2 x  S 2  skirmishers.

The horses for the Companions are not shown here as they are still drying having been re-undercoated last night.

Now, nearly everything is starting off in the traditional black undercoat except that is a some of the peltasts that have been undercoated in a flesh base colour. Not sure how this will work out so will keep you posted on the results of this little experiment and the reasons why throughout the challenge.

In terms of points this lot will total 360 points if completed which is higher than the entry level posted for the challenge. Time will see how this fares.

Thats all for now

Cheers

Thursday 26 November 2015

Roll the bones


The die has been cast and along with a host of other miniature painters hobby energy, time and focus turns towards the 6th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. The board is set and the pieces are moving towards the start date of December 20th. Follow the challenge, the side duels and general mayhem of this grand celebration of our hobby here.

There will be more to follow shortly.

Cheers for now

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Lest We Forget





DULCE ET DECORUM EST

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, 
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, 
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs 
And towards our distant rest began to trudge. 
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots 
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; 
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots 
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, 
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; 
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, 
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . . 
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, 
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. 
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, 
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. 
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace 
Behind the wagon that we flung him in, 
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, 
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; 
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood 
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, 
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud  
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, 
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest  
To children ardent for some desperate glory, 
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est 
Pro patria mori.


Wilfred Owen

Friday 16 October 2015

Back to the Brushes 103

Trying to sort out the painting table this weekend - have both Friday and Monday added to the rest days this weekend - with the aim to be able to return to painting throughout the winter months.

So here is the starting point:


As you can see this has been taken from above to show the full effect of not having any hobby time over the last six months. The idea is to completely tidy the table to bare wood and then move to the fixed table in the study. This will mean less painting time but it will be in a fixed location and hopefully this will allow some time to be spent with some brushwork. Hopefully...

The next picture is one of three stands of Arab/Moor infantry that are waiting on their bases being completed. They are all at the same point and have been at this stage since mid 2014.


They need a good brushing down as they are very dusty but again hopefully these will progress over the next few days. Its time they moved on to prevent any damage being done.

Will attempt to have more regular posting as well in the coming months

Cheers for now

Sunday 20 September 2015

Items for Sale

The Items for sale page has recently been updated. Please let me know if there is anything that interests you via a comment

Cheers for now

Friday 18 September 2015

And Now for Something Completely Different 27

Another couple of pictures of the last finished painted items from march 2015, this time command stands for Critical Mass with 15mm figures supplied from Ground Zero Games:



Hoping to return to the brushes in the near future and get some painting done in the last quarter of 2015, time will tell on this.

Cheers for now

Wednesday 16 September 2015

And Now for Something Completely Different 26

A brief return to the blog this morning with a few pictures of a miniature painted in March. Think this is one of the original LOTR Orcs from the mid eighties. Great figure to paint regardless and here are the pictures:




Hopefully some more finished pictures to follow shortly.

Cheers for now

Monday 27 July 2015

Fury of the North 12

Another Gripping Beast Viking painted for SAGA and Lion Rampant. This figure was painted and completed just after the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge finished in mid March. Sometimes things can take a while to reach the final based figure seen below.



The figure is from Gripping Beast's newer Bondi Command packs and the shield transfer is from Little Big Men.


 The figure will also see use as part of a group Impetus army in sabot bases.


There will be another finished figure up for display very soon

Cheers for now

Sunday 19 July 2015

And Now for Something Completely Different 25

There hasn't been much time over the last few months for hobby time. This is due to becoming a father for the first time in mid April to a bouncing boy. Everybody tells you to expect a change, however no-one can really prepare you for how much of change parenthood will bring. Have to say all good so far.

These pictures are the result of a long weekend off work and grabbing the time to quickly record some figures that were completed towards the end of March just after the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge.



The figures are Games Workshop Uruk-Hai scouts from the releases that supported the Fellowship of The Ring Strategy Battle Game.The figures are great to paint and are full of the character of the Uruk Hai from the film.

There are currently another twelve figures from this range gathering dust on the painting table along with a few other bits and pieces from other projects. Hopefully as things become more routine hobby time will start to appear here and there and some more painting can be done.

More pictures of completed figures to follow over the next few weeks - time allowing.

Cheers for now.

Monday 25 May 2015

General update

Well its been almost two months since the last post and there is not a lot to report. There are a few figures to be based from a range of genres however, no real progress has been made on any real painting. All of this and blog has reached record visitor numbers last month, strange thing this T'internet.

Hopefully, with a few days off coming will gets some pics ready and posted.

Cheers for now.

Tuesday 31 March 2015

And Now for Something Completely Different 24

The last of the figures painted for this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, an Uruk Hai leader from Games Workshop's Lord of the Rings range. This is a metal figure that has now been replaced with its new resiny counter part in "Fine Cast." Not something that will ever grace the painting table here.

Enough rambling here are the pictures




There will be more from this range throughout the remainder of 2015.

Cheers for now

Sunday 29 March 2015

And Now for Something Completely Different 23

Shown here are several different range of figures to be used in Critical Mass at some point in the distant future. These all appeared in the last entry for this year's Analogue Painting Challenge.

First up is a half section for the ARC forces. The figures are from Ground Zero Games 15mm New Israeli troops and are the standard figure used for an infantry man in this force.





Next up, again from GZG are missile and las-cannon armed troopers that will be used for Tank Hunters in their own right or as support troops within platoons.




The next miniatures are from Critical Mass and are their ARC Drop-ship Troopers. Slightly larger than the GZG figures but not so they can't be used together.






Next to be painted in this range will be Augmented troopers - that is power armoured - from Critical Mass and then a range of support weapons from GZG. Then the walkers and vehicles.

Cheers for now.

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Blood and Souls for My Lord Arioch 4

Another two Chaos Warriors from Citadel in the early eighties. These figures were a part of the last submission for the Analogue Painting Challenge and were a blast from the past.

First up is an iconic figure that was a major image in the start of what some now refer to Oldhammer: Harry the Hammer or Uthmog Elvenblade.


This figure will be used a Chaos Champion in Songs of Blades and Heroes and possibly Oldhammer itself.



A great miniature that captures the feel of the early days of this gaming life perfectly; looking forward to seeing the future games with this one.


Next is another Chaos Warrior as shown in the Citadel Compendium Two - a miniatures bible at the time of publishing circa 1984.




There will be more from this range throughout the rest of this year as the other miniatures from this range are awaiting undercoating.

Cheers for now

All Hell Let Loose 12

Another set of "Big Cats" for the 20mm WW2 Germans that have been painted off and on for several years now. These were a part of the last entry submitted for this year's Analogue Painting Challenge. The three Panthers are all from Frontline Wargaming.






These models will hopefully see use in Disposable Heroes, Memoir 44 and perhaps even re-kindle a spark of interest in Rapid Fire.






There will be more to follow from the Challenge soon and a return to normal painting updates as well.

Cheers for now