Thursday, 22 August 2013

Over-exuberant reeds

I've completed the first of the four reed banks, here with a figure, for scale.  The figure is standing where the water will be. The image is clickable.


I'm very pleased with the effect, but they are quite a bit taller than I'd anticipated! I could have cut the feathers smaller, but then I'd have had to waste a lot of material. So these reeds will remain huge: think Nile, or somewhere deep in Darkest Africa...

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

Reed Banks III

Back from my summer hols, rushing to get my act together for Partizan. Here is a reed bank with bull-rushes and some plastic plants in place:-


...and below I've started to add the "reeds", which are a mix of dyed feathers and bits of a cut-up feather boa. Verdant, neh?


Each feather needs to be cut, trimmed and stuck into place. This is a messy and tricky job, which would have been easier with smaller feathers... but I reckon the end result will make it worthwhile.


Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Reed banks II


I've primed the 4 mud-bank bases brown, and prepared a lot of "bullrushes"- these latter are green plastic bristles from an old broom, cut to length and with a double thickness of PVA over the top 5mm.  Later I'll paint these tips a reddish brown.   I'm going to raid the loft for aquarium plants.

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Reed banks I


The above (and 3 others, not shown) are going to be reed-banks for the salt lake* flank at Thapsus. Each is 30cm long, 10mm thick and built of 2 layers of foam core on a card base with a pine "rib" running along the back for strength.

The Impetus units are finished, but I won't post until after the article has been published.  This is a wee bit frustrating, as they are a couple of the nicest units I've ever turned out...

*Strictly speaking, they are more Nile river bank than salt-lake bank, but I won't tell if you won't!

Saturday, 3 August 2013

A little Impetus army

A WIP shot of some used minis I'm restoring to form an Impetus army, that will hopefully appear in a future Wargames, Soldeirs and Strategy.


In the front, on the traditional Jenga painting blocks, are some pieces of Roman battlefield debris from 1stCorps, which has bags of character and which I'd heartily recommend for collectors of smaller 28mm minis, such as Foundry, Gripping Beast and Warlord.  A nice company, 1stCorps.

Note to self: basing colour was a mix of SLD and brown umber as the base coat, with a wash of dark brown ink in Klear wash, then SLD as the highlight.

Friday, 2 August 2013

Hi-definition Romans


I'd noticed that the quality of my painting had been suffering, particularly when I didn't wear my specs, but even when wearing the glasses I have been using (an old prescription).  Today I have taken delivery of a new pair of bifocals, with a focal length of around 12" that is perfect for painting, and a long distance prescription that will help me focus on my other favourite hobby, watching the box! They are glare free which should also help whilst painting under my lamp, and lightweight.

When I just looked at these minis, painted by Andres of Einar Olafson, I could see detail I've never noticed before!  :-)   On the downside, my painting rate will slow right down...  :-(

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Please name my ship

I've more or less completed the first of 2 "Roman" ships for my Autumn display game (Thapsus).  This is the smaller of the two vessels, and is intended to be a small trade ship of the kind that might be found around the fringes of the Mediterranean sea, that might be pressed into use for transporting troops.
  
This is lightly converted from the 1/100 Zvezda "Nina" kit. Luckily, the Romans had lateen sails, so I was able to use the very nice one provided with the kit.  I cut away some renaissance features, and added steering oars.  I've given her some basic rigging, sufficient to pass muster on a  wargaes model, I hope.

I don't have a crew yet, so a couple of figures Andres painted for me are standing in, to give an idea about size. This pic shows the railings and stern-post I made for the stern, and the steering oars. I will later add a bow-wave and a wake.

Next time I will go with a lighter coloured wood for my vessel, but all-in all I'm cautiously pleased with my first venture into things naval, and Roman... 

I'm now looking for a suitable name for her; probably should be female, and likely of mythological origin; any contributions gratefully accepted!