187-390 Painting Points for January

The first of my Saxe-Nweilintz Musketeers arrive in there new uniforms, with first of the horses from the Royal Stables.
They have been marching so much the grass has been worn away..... honest !!!!!
These are for me.... to go to the UK Big Battalions game at Grimsby in October.... 25% of my commitment to the cause is completed.
Austrian Lancers...... Lances to follow
Its a different unit...... honest !!

Told you it was..... and you didnt believe me, shame on you !!

In addition to these 290 points painted, I have also finished a 100 point Rebasing Project for my Romans, which have now faught their first battle in 3 years.

Bringing January to 390 Points.

I have also managed to prep a further 22 units for painting next month (24/30 figures each)

Thanks must go to Wanstead Evening College for giving me 3 evenings a week for painting and to my alarm clock for getting me up 3 hours before i start work so i can get an additional 12 hours painting, so 30 to 40 hours per week..... this will slacken off once the college courses finish and the GF wants more 'together time' but then September comes its back to school and back to the brushes.

On a news front, Wargames Factory have announced thier initial release of Ancient figures in hard plastic, but only in America and not much yet, but they are now linked to Ospreys Field of Glory this should expand quickly, just doubt that they will be available for 15£ over here, especially if old ~Glory get them... theyjust change the dollar sign for a Pound sign and pocket the exchange rate.... might import some while I still can.

Cheers Shaun

145-186 PP YTD

These are the latest batch winging their way to Zac, the back row are shirt wearing Rebels.

These are going unbased again. Next on the block are are 24 Austrian Uhlan for Graham and 54 Prussian 7YW for me..... oh and some Roman bits need finishing

Cheers Shaun

The Ready Room - Production Line Painting

Well that was a busy few days, rebased 9 units of 24 figures, 4 units of 12 figure, 2 units of 6 cavalry and 10 artillery. Repainted 144 tunics and prepred the last 12 Cavalry, 144 infantry and 6 bases of Command figures, mounted and foot, to be painted up over the next 2 months to fill out the ranks and reduce the lead mountain, before the new recruits arrive.

These are racks i use as a production line for my painting schedule.

On the left are a Bunnygirl American football team and a unit of GW Imperial Guard 'falshirmjager' troops.

The top box, based and not undercoated are 4 units of Old Glory French to be painted as Danish troops and 2 units of Chassuers a Cheval, 96 Infantry and 24 Cavalry.

The bottom box has 2 units of Cuirrasiers, 2 units of Austrian Lancers and a units of hussar, black undercoated and a Battery of French 12 pounders.

The books are my Blandfords, but i also have a lot of Ospreys and many others, altho none of them seem to have the pictures i need of the troops i am given to paint.

The process i use for painting is pretty much what i have learnt over the past 20 odd years, 12 years ago I was painting badly, dry brushing everything, using any old paint and the brushes i hate to think. So i slowed down, and painted the best i figure i could, it took over an hour and had highlights, eyes and all the correct colours, with buttons and everything a French voltiguer, i sat back and couldnt see the eyes or the third highlight. So i revised it a little and started working on my speed...

The figures are based onto card, usually 3 figures in a single rank and the base is then covered in a sand mix, then left to set. I usually base up 4 to 6 units at a time and then paint then in pairs or three's of the same colour, usually 48 to 72 figures in a batch (cavalry count as 2), becuase this is the most if can fit into the figure space on my paint tray!! but also i can usually get a colour done across those figure at a sitting.

Once dry i spray undercoat in Black, usually on a stick or board, ensuring the undersides of the figures are properly coated, as well as the sand base.

These are then left to dry before the base colours are added to the clothing, darker then needed to provide a shade between the black and the final highlight. Bestial brown is then painted over all exposed flesh areas and hair, picking up any woodwork at the same time. scorched Earth is painted over the base surface.

Next come any metalics, then the highlight on the flesh, and a Graveyard earth drybrush over the base, covering the edges. The final stage is the flesh, which is Dwarf Flesh, then Elf flesh highlights, followed by touch ups and quality control.

Once all 6 units in the batch are completed then i flock the bases and add a flag (www.warflag.com) to finish the unit, then a spray of GW Purity seal.

Recently i have taken on paint only orders and started to paint for sale units on the Bring n Buy at various shows, this has further reduced the Lead mountain.

Then its back to the start and base up more units...... the never ending cycle of painting.

At which point i am off to paint the flesh on 145-184 (ACW 28mm figures for Zac)

Cheers Shaun

Yellow Army

The current forces from Egyptus, the emporers' old right hand man, comming to claim the Empire for himself.
The Marines are comming..... lock up your sons!!!!!!

The auxilia to augment this will be Numidian skirmishers, Light cavalry and Elephants, north african stuff.

cheers Shaun

Green Army

This Army is going to be based around a Renegade Commander, a battle leader.... comming to save the Empire from the weak control of the Senate, and extravegant excesses of the Egytus forces. They will need sheilds first tho.
The completed force will have 2 added warband, the Skavenii and Lintzii, along with a cavlary unit or two.
The current auxilia, these may be replaced with more ethnical warband types.

A veiw from ground level.... experimental by me.

Red Army so far

The complete Army that will form into the Romula Legions, need to add the command stands, Preatorians and some more Auxilia.

The core force are these 3 Cohorts of Legionnaires..... nice.

A unit of Auxilia spear.

A unit of Equittes and the Scorpio bolt throwers, there are 2 lots like these in the force so far.

The command will incorporate red and represent the senate.

cheers Shaun

133-144 For ME !!!!!

Newest Roman Auxilia for the Egyptus Legions.

When i had finished i showed them to F, who said 'blue and green should never be seen'..... WTF do i know about fashion, might highlight up the blue into a white.

cheers Shaun