Painting Challenge - August 2015

This month I aim to complete the miniatures list below:

• Finish two Marathon Class Heavy Cruisers (Halo Fleet Battles), both started in August.
• One British foot artillery battery consisting of twelve gunners, a howitzer and two 9 pounders cannon on three bases.  Bases will be textured and painted.

Here are the pictures of the current state of the miniatures:

July 14th to 31st Painting Challenge Result

So the July 14th to 31st painting challenge has ended.  There was a fly in the ointment last month because I was too ill to do much more than prep models for over a week of the painting challenge. The initial plan was to:

1. Paint 28 troops and attached to bases.  Bases will have steel paper attached to the bottom.
2. Assuming the flags from GMB come, these need to be attached to both the 30th and 69th.
3. Bases of the 30th will be textured and painted.

So how did I do?

1. I painted both command stands and the light company of the 30th.  These have been attached to bases and steel paper is attached.  I haven't finished painting the remaining 8 line troops of the 30th as yet.  I did however paint the sergeants from the 33rd and the 73rd.  So I missed the target by 6 in the end.
2. The flags came in and I have attached these to the 30th and 69th command stands.
3. I only textured and painted the bases of the grenadier and light companies of the 30th.  So I missed this target.

All in all, and considering how ill I was, I'm pleased with my results.

As I wrote above, I did manage to clean and prep a lot of other models during the challenge.  Most are base coated.  This amounts to:

• 12 British Dragoons
• 20 British line infantry
• 1 Mounted general, 3 officers, two drummers and 4 standard bearers (including replacing the flag poles)
• 5 British 9 lb Cannon and 1 5.5 howitzer
• 3 Foot artillery crews each of 4 men.
• 30 Austrian line infantry in helmets (including replacing the flag pole).

As you can see I have started painting some of the cannon in August.

Painting challenge, 14th to 31st July

After my success in the first painting challenge, I've decided to run a second one that will run until the end of the month.  The target for the challenge is painting another 28, 15 mm British infantry.

The first 20 are the remaining troops of the 30th.  All are cleaned up and fixed to lolly sticks for painting, most are undercoated.  This group consists of an officer, drummer, sergeant, two ensigns (banner bearers), four light company and eleven line infantry.

I have drilled out the standard bearers hands an attached a straightened paper clip, in place of the massively thick pole supplied.

Additionally, I'm going to paint the command stand of the 69th.  This group consists of an officer, drummer, sergeant, two ensigns (banner bearers) and three line infantry.  This was the third regiment in seniority in the 3rd Division, 5th Brigade at Waterloo.  I will be fielding both the Kings and Regimental colours, in spite of the fact they lost the kings colour at Quatre Bras.

The deliverables of the painting challenge are:
1) All 28 troops are painted and attached to bases.  Bases will have steel paper attached to the bottom.
2) Assuming the flags from GMB come, these need to be attached to both the 30th and 69th.
3) Bases of the 30th will be textured and painted.
4) Matte varnish is not required.
5) Flock or static grass will not be applied.

Wish me luck!

First challenge complete!

Friday night I completed the last of the 15 outstanding British infantry for the challenge.  The models still need basing and Matt spray, but until I have the whole unit finished, I won't be doing this.  The models look ok from a distance en mass, but they won't win painting competitions.

Anyway, pics or it didn't happen.

Hope you like these figures.  The next challenge will be painting more Brits, but more on that in another post.

Painting Challenge update, and Heavy Dragoons

Update time, progress is going well on this weeks painting challenge.  No pictures yet, but 11 models are painted and attached to bases.  They need basing but are otherwise ready for the dull cote.  The remaining 4 are being brush/dipped tomorrow and highlights/sticking to bases are planned for Friday.

For the rest of the update, I'm going to talk about a future project that will form part of my 15mm Napoleonic British Army.  These are the heavy cavalry of Waterloo, the can represent either of three regiments of Dragoons present. The Models are from Bluemoon manufacturing and supplied by Old Glory UK, as can be seen the models haven't been cleaned as yet.  The unit size I'm aiming for is 24 on 8 bases of 3.  The method of painting will be the same as for infantry.

Thanks for stopping by!

Painting challenge - 5th to 12th July

These are a new set of challenges I will set myself to motivate me to finish some units/armies.  I have seen these growing in popularity over the last few years, and do genuinely seem to motivate people to finish models.

On to the rules:

1) Models will be photographed before, in their current condition, and added to a blog post.

2) At the end of the challenge, the completed models will be photographed and blogged.

3) Models don't need to be based unless called out in the challenge.

4) Matt varnish is weather dependant so this is not required unless it is part of the challenge.

This first challenge will be painting more 15mm British Napoleonic Infantry.

The models have been cleaned, undercoated and painting is underway.  These will, combined with the five finished models fill out half a forty strong battalion, the 30th Cambridgeshire.

These are four centre company soldiers.  They have been dipped, but need highlights and touch ups.

These models are base coated and in various early stages.  There are a four man grenadier company, and seven centre company soldiers.

Wish me luck!

15mm British Napoleonics

I've been experimenting with a method to speed up the time taken to paint my Napoleonic British Troops.  Currently, my first unit (the 44th East Essex) look like this:

While I think they are not bad, they are very dark with quite thick lining.  A long while ago I purchased some ArmyPainter dip (strong tone), so I thought I would give this another go.  i brushed this on, as actually dipping is messy and rather stupid (who would really want varnish or a back problem).  I then added further highlights, touched up the white bits and dull coated it.  Finally, the face was washed with GW Serephim Sepia.  All told, I think its much improved and hopefully a lot quicker.

My next task is to paint another 7 models to build two more companies to see how they look enmass.  Currently a lot has been happening at work, so I have been a hobby butterfly, the aim now is to focus on this project and get the rank and file painted to fill out several battalions.

Here's a group picture of everything so far.

Waterloo 200

Quick post to get in on the celebrations!

Latest troops for my British army.  Heavy Dragoons command base.  No banner as the Brits didn't carry these to battle.  Also, I have doc'ed the tails.  Brit regiments did this to reduce the burden of animal care.  During the peninsular war, this was a good way to distiguish siloettes.

British Cavalry Test Figures

I've painted two test figures for the cavalry I recently received from Old Glory UK.  These are a light dragoon in a shako, and a dragoon/dragoon guard in a helmet.

The light dragoon is painted as a member of the 12th light dragoons for Waterloo.  These were in the 4th British Cavalry Brigade at Waterloo.  The regiment was three squadrons strong with around 430 sabres.  

The dragoon is painted as the 6th dragoons (Inniskilling) who fought in the 2nd British Cavalry (Union) Brigade.  The regiment started the day as the strongest of seven British heavy cavalry regiments with over 450 sabres in three squadrons. 

British foot artillery battery

I have finished a battery of 15mm 1815 british foot artillery equipped with a 9lb cannon.  These are Bluemoon Manufacturing miniatures mounted on a 2mm warbases large flames of war style base. 

I've tried a new technique for basing.  Valejo model pulmice, paint with two coats of woodland scenics flat earth paint, then flock, static grass and clump foliage.  Edges are painted black. I really like the style, so will base all my napoleonics like this now.

I have finished the first two stands of British line infantry.  Both stands are the centre company troops.  The first question I had was which unit to start first? As I hail from the Ancient Kingdom of Essex, it was an easy choice.  While I'm from the West of Essex, the 56th did not fight in the 100 day campaign, so I will instead start with the 2nd Battalion of the 44th Regiment of Foot (East Essex).

These lads, where in Pictons 5th Division, 9th Brigade.  By Waterloo (1815), this was an experienced infantry regiment having been deployed in the pennisular campaign, and then engaged during the the Battle of Quatre Bras.  They where equiped at this point with Belgic Shakos and a facing colour of bright yellow.

The paints are Foundry, valerjo and GW colours.  There are 2-3 layers for each colour.  Currently the troops are glossed varnished (Brushed) by I will dulcote them when i have more finished. 

I've been finding it very hot to paint at the moment.  These were finished a week ago, but had to wait to get the picture taken in good natural light.

Things I'm happy with:

- I've finished 2 bases of troops
- I'm happy with both the speed and the overall standard I have achieved.  Its certainly better than I was expecting for a first go at this scale.

Things to improve:

- The faces, need to try to get better highlighting.
- Missed painting the canvas knapsack.

I may go back and sort these out later, but this is not a deal breaker to me as they look good from 2-3 foot away.

My next job is a command stand, and a flank company.

The £50.00 Challenge

My wife has laid down the gauntlet and challenged me to finish a project. The stake is £50.00. If I win can then I can spend this money on anything I want, if I flake out, she gets the money.

The rules:
1. There is no time limit
2. My wife chooses the project
3. No other project may be started or continued during the challenge
4. Only consumable items directly related to the challenge may be purchased, (e.g. paint, bases, brushes, etc…)
5. All models must be painted, based and varnished (note there are a two models that will not be fully based because I don’t have sufficient models for a 4 man base)

My wife has chosen the 15mm Blue Moon Manufacturing (Old Glory) British Waterloo models I just purchased. These are; 1 x British Line Command pack (8 Miniatures), 1 x British Center Company March Attack Pack ( 30 Miniatures) and 1 x British Flank Company March Attack pack (12 Miniatures). So a grand total of 50 Miniatures.

I'm going to be basing these for Black Powder. The bases I will be using are 30mm x 20mm from Renedra. So that is a grand total of 12 Bases. I have started the first two bases, hopefully I will be finished on the first base tonight so I can take some pictures.