Tuesday, 3 May 2011

Arthur of the Votadini

These lovely minis were painted for me by Nick Speller (I merely based them).  I think they are some of Nick's finest work, especially the cloak and tunic on Arthur.  Fabulous.

This particular Arthur will be a warleader of some post-Roman celtic cavalry, that I'll be posting shortly (I started painting the units around 7 years ago, finished them last week!). 

 

Gotta love the hound, too.  The Arthur model is one of Gripping Beast's finest, super work I reckon.

Monday, 2 May 2011

WIP Late Romans

I'm still finishing off old stuff, and here are 24 Romans from 4 different ebay purchases, that I'll work on this week, who will become another unit of Auxilia.  They are in a pretty shocking state... to be honest it would be better to strip them, and start from fresh, but I'm too lazy.


Saturday, 30 April 2011

Tribunes!

These figures were superbly painted for me by Andres of Einar Olafson Painting (the photo is clickable, and well worth it!).


Andres is clearly a fantastic painter!  I'm going to have a very careful look at these, to see if I can inprove my own technique, although I know I can't do detail like he does.  Then I'll base them as an army command stand.

There are some lovely pics in Andres's Gallery, I particularly rate this legionary (why don't I own any Roman mules?  A shocking oversight), and this chap, who reminds me very much of the 1962 film Taras Bulba, that I saw over 40 years ago at my Grandma's flat in Cosham, near Portsmouth.  And which I remember like it was yesterday.

I met Andres briefly at Salute and do hope our paths will cross again...  If you want to commission anything he lives in Wales and can be reached at einarolafson@gmail.com

ps one of Andres other blogs, Softwars, has some astonighing 20mm scale Romans on it.

Friday, 29 April 2011

Nice day for a... white wedding

My tickets to the Royal Wedding having been unaccountably lost in the post, I've decided, instead, to celebrate in my own very particular way, by posting (clickable) photos of my refurbished Hun detatchment.  Whilst I watch on HDTV.


The figures are a real mix; mainly Chiltern, but with Essex, Gripping Beast and a lonely Curtey's Mongol.  There is a single Roman in there, and when I expand this unit I'll include more "Roman deserters".  Many of them were bought painted on eBay and have been retouched, others, pained to match.

Below is Attila, Scourge of God.  Gripping Beast on a Foundry steed.

Here are the heavy cavalry, I'm planning to expand these to 18 figures in due course.
The horse archers (above) are based dynamically, firing as they cross the front of the enemy units.  I need a lot more of these, but have unfortunately misplaced my box unpainted Huns, somewhere in the Lead Mountain.

This last unit is unusual; they are fantasy figures, designed and cast by my Scottish friend John Smillie, and I believe this is the only unit of them in existance. 

I'm very pleased with the way the figures from disparate sources have come together.  There are not yet enough for an army, but just about enough for a wing.

Monday, 25 April 2011

'Orrible Huns

I've crudely painted the 6 Huns I mentioned in my last post, to match the crudely painted ones I bought on eBay and based a few years ago.  When I flock the new miniatures, I'll taken the opportunity to "tart up" the older bases to my current standard, with additional Silflor and some drybrushing.

The figures are a mix of Chiltern (ex Whitecross) with some Gripping Beast nomads and a single temporally-displaced Curteys Mongol (rear right, a very nice mini).


I already own another dozen painted Hun heavy cavalry, so am starting to accumulate a useful force; at least enough for a wing.  If the Society of Ancients pick Chalons for their game next year, I shall paint a whole lot more.

Saturday, 23 April 2011

Happy Easter, one and all!

A very happy Easter to all my readers and fellow bloggers!

The weather in the UK has been fantastic; I painted outside until 7, yesterday evening.  The old climbing frame in the background, looks a bit like one of Paul Darnell's forts!   The lilac is in bloom and looks fantastic.  Today (Saturday) the weather is even better, I can't recall ever having  experience such a run of beautiful weather in April.
 

On the painting table are the 6 part-painted Huns I mentioned recently and 4 previously-painted Huns, for style comparison purposes.  The old Huns are pretty scruffy by my standards, tatty sculpts with average eBay paintjobs.  However I think I can make the bases look good, so hopefully one won't notice the minis, too much.  And they are scruffy Huns, anyhow, lather lacking in sartorial elegance! There are also 7 Roman command figures that I seem to have developed "painter's block" over.

Friday, 22 April 2011

The Gallipoli game at Salute 2011

This was one of the most impressive layouts I've seen, and my photos (taken on my phone) don't nearly do it justice.  What got me was the 3 dimensional quality of it; it looked like it had been carved from a massive block of foam.  It turned out it HAD  been carved from a massive block of foam!  It rose 2-3 feet from the sea at the front, up into the hills at the rear.  I chatted with the designer and manufacturer, from Grand Manner (curses have forgotten his name), and he explained that he had based it on topographical maps of the area.


Aside from the mass of it, the detailing was great (figures too).  I could make out the strata in the stone in the side of the cliff.  Top job!


I was daunted by the quality of it, could never produce something like that myself.  I didn't hear if it won an award, it certainly should have. There are some very much better pics of it here.