Painting Ronin Day 43

While reading up on the North-West Frontier I read about an incident that made me laugh and think it could only happen to an English officer.
Taken from Osprey's men-at-Arm series for the North-West Frontier
"The following day Lts. Edwards and Fowler set off from Mastuj, sixty miles north-east of chitral,with an escort of sixty men and porters carrying ammunition for Chitral. When they reached the fortified village of Reshun the Chitralis appeared to welcome them, announced a polo match and invited the two officers. After the match the officers were seized and the leaderless soldiers were overpowered and slaughtered""
You could not see a Scotsman falling for that one.
 back on the painting table I missed posting yesterday due to a hospital visit, I did get a bit of painting done but really cracked on today. The largest part of painting 28mm Cav is the horse flesh, I always do this first and as you can see below I have completed the horses in all three units, I have used a few different shades on the units this has come out well.

As we near the halfway point of the challenge I looked back and totted up how many figures I painting, you can see the totals on the right of the blog above the link to Curts blog. I am well on target for beating my Par score, I hope all of you are feeling inpired to push your selves that little bit faster and getting plenty of those unloved figures painted up so they can make it to the gaming table (or E-bay if you need to reinvest)

Painting Ronin Day 41

So what is on the painting table today....Tax return   Boo hiss

After completing the return I was able to do a little bit of painting. I did the first layer of flesh on all units and the horse flesh on the first unit of Heavy Cav, I have also started on a 15mm WW2 Para jeep (another part of the commission)

Painting Ronin Day 40

Got back into the painting grove today (nice to concentrate on something different), as I hoped I matt sprayed and based the completed French and AWI stuff. After I cleared them off the table I completed the 15mm WW2 Para's. All in all I cleared everything on the table, this means I have nothing to show you as it is all winging its way through cyberspace to Curt were you will see it soon.
I have started on 3 units of French Cav, these I can show you

I can not remember if I posted the last lot of figures sent to Curt so I will post them anyway.

Painting Ronin Day 39

As you may have noticed I had no post yesterday, that was due to one of those days that you hope never come around again. It started with getting to work just before the snow storm that closed the M6 I was the only supervisor on site (so in charge of the whole site) and you can imagine how things were in a distribution company when nothing can move around site or on/off it. Then just when the snow stopped my daughter called me in the early hours of the morning to tell me my wife had taken a fall at home and damaged her shoulder. I had to tell her to phone an ambulance as I was stuck on site. In the end I left an hour early and met then at casualty in time for the Dr to tell her she had broken her upper arm.
 Not a lot of painting was done yesterday as I fussed over my wife, but the stress induced insomnia let me catch up over night. I was able to finish all on my painting table and get them covered in dip, so tomorrow I can dull coat them and take some pictures.

Anyone who is doing a bit of dipping or plenty of base work might be interested in the brushes I found at Tesco @ only £1.95, they do not last super long but at that price its not too much worry.

I have been doing more work on my 15mm Para's not got the hang of taking pictures of them yet but I think you can jut about see where I am up to.

I think this week is going to be a French SYW Cav week, I have 5 x8 Heavy Cav 1 x8 Dragoons and 2 x12 Hussars below you can see the first 2 Heavy Cav units undercoated and on the table ready to go.

So thats my plans for the week ahead but things may change with my wife being stuck at home with only one arm, so if I miss a day or two with my post's you will have to forgive me.
Also I am thinking of making it down to Salute this year it was 1992 last time I made it, I understand most UK gamer try to make it their but what day are you guys going to be there because if I am making the trip down would be great to get face time with any of you that wanted to.

Painting Ronin Day 37

Happy Burns Night, I hope you all had a bit of Haggis tonight. I cooked flying Scotsman and served with Neeps and Taties (mashed Swede and mashed potatoes).

How to make Flying Scotsman

1. Preheat oven to 180°c.
2. Clean and flatten the chicken. Place the haggis in a bowl.
3. Make a patty of haggis per portion and wrap with chicken and bacon.
4. Drizzle with olive oil / butter, then place on a baking tray and cook at 180°c for 40 mins.

Before we get on to my days work a quick tip for any Sci-Fi gamers (particularly Dr Who) get on down your news agent for the latest Dr Who magazine and get some great 28mm baddies

this is the same place I picked up some Dalek's a few years ago below is a picture of them painted up with a 28mm Dr Who as size comparison.

On the painting front I finished a quick SBS on my wargames flesh as you can see from close up the paint job looks shocking but in the last picture you can see how it looks from the table top. I will (when I get some time) paint a figure in my full display style and show that here.

Dark Flesh

Flesh color in prominent areas

Flesh wash

over painted with flesh color

Light flesh on cheeks, nose and chin

Lips and hair painted

Tabletop view

I completed the flesh on the 15mm Paras and the 28mm SYW French only have the metal's left to do before they are dipped.

Painting Ronin Day 36

Not much got done on the painting table today due to visits to dentist and dog walking and prep for work. What I did get today was another load of stuff for my Pirate project, I found Bluemoon do F&IW stuff so I ordered a pack of British infantry would I will paint up to act as the Marines on my Man-of-war (probably one of two).

I also ordered the set of rules that Old Glory hold so i can have a look at them (I have heard good thinkgs about them), if anyone knows of other easy rules I could look at drop a comment for me. I will take these to work and see if I can grab 10mins or so to have a first read.

I am so enjoying the Challenge and find myself checking on the blog several time a day, I see that we have 3 guys running away at the top but below that it is well bunched with any good entry pushing people up into the top 10. I do so love the bromance between Ray and Fran their quips at each other (or at each others expense), Curt likend them to Tweedledee and Tweedledum while I think they remind me more of these two.
My idea of Fran's efforts to sabotage Ray painting efforts

Figures what I painted for foundry

I have just noticed that one of the packs of foundry figures rereleased is the one I painted for them, was the only job I got off them but it did start me down the paint style you see today so a big point in my painting life.
http://wargamesfoundry.com/historical_ranges/single_packs/ancients/greek_-_macedonian/macedonian_pikemen_at_the_ready_wg121/

just a shame they took the painters names off the pitures.

 

Painting Ronin Day 35

So I said earlier my dogs love the snow and now I have photographic evidence, take the look of joy in Mackie's face and time it by 3 more dogs and you get the idea.

Back in the warm I made good progress on all on the bench, I have added the 15mm WW2 Para's. The SYW units are about 2 more sessions away from complete so I plan to have them and the Dragoons and Minutemen done but the weekend.

I might have to watch A Bridge Too Far as research for the 15mm stuff.

Painting Ronin Day 34

Evening All hope I find you all well and beavering over you paint tables, its time like these I am happy to have brush on primer. I was able to undercoat the 15mm WW2 Para's without braving the cold garage. After completing that I move on to the flesh on the latest batches that means 50 base layers 50 skin tone and 50 skin highlights not forgetting 50 lips painted. As you may imagine that took up most of my painting time tonight but things speed up from this point.

terrible pictures I am afraid, will do better tomorrow.
One thing I know from experience is that after a paint-a-thon you can go through a bit of a low, I have decided to combat this I want to try some thing new. I have been investing my commission money in a new period 15mm Pirate's one thing that I want to get from this period is full on ship to ship battles so I need ships I found some great 15mm ones from Blue Moon via Old Glory UK, they are great value from £24-£34 but you get all the cannons and extra bits in lead and the hull is one heck of a lump of resin (as I said good value) and the dowel for masts. So far I have this Pirate ship and an 8 Gun ship, I plan a few more before the end. These models require a bit of modelling before painting so will be a fresh change from speed painting.

Painting Ronin Day 33

Busy old day in Cheshire, snow was falling this morning but I was warm in my painting room looking out of the kids slipping their way to school. I started by taking photos of the weekends work and sent off to Curt for entry.
I got a small commission through to post, a little something fresh 15mm WW2 Para's, these you will see on the painting table in the next few days. I have a second commission on its way from Canada, this one will be GW fantasy so while you will see it on the blog it will not get entered in the challenge.
As I am back to fresh units these first few colors take the time so I have taken WIP shots but it does not show much change from yesterday.

Painting Ronin Day 32

Great day today still snow on the ground so make the dog walk great fun as my boys go nuts in the snow. Home from the walk with cold nose's (not just the dogs) I caught up with Fridays NCIS and watched Man City's game on MoTD, once the boys had settled down to sleep off their walk I move up to my painting room and got cracking on the current units. I was able to complete both the French lights and the Athruian Romans shown below.

This last unit was another of those projects that this challenge has kick me up the bum enough to finish I had painted most of the infantry for this army but had them still to base. With the above unit needing to be based for the comp I tackled the rest of the army too, these will all get varnished tomorrow and be ticked off my do-it list, I have the General and one unit of Cav to do. A quick shot of the whole army below.

So that cleared the painting deck's and I sorted out the next few units to attack, it has been noted that I paint more than one batch at a time and for me it helps me keep things fresh.
Below is how I left the table ready for tomorrows onslaught.

We have 2 units of French Musketeers the last of the Mintuemen and a unit of English Dragoons (AWI & FIW).