Saturday, 26 July 2008
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Playing for Time
Thanks for all the very positive comments, I must admit its fascinating painting up a figure you've sculpted yourself, you know exactly where everything is, and what it's meant to be. You also haven't got much grounds for complaint either!
Its been slow progress in the last week as "real life" took over for a while. However the drummer is now complete and the rest all partially finished, with smiling faces beaming out asking to be completed.
Its been slow progress in the last week as "real life" took over for a while. However the drummer is now complete and the rest all partially finished, with smiling faces beaming out asking to be completed.
Monday, 14 July 2008
Final Countdown
A few months ago, it started to become apparent to me that it was going to take me an awful long time to make up and cast the figures I had sculpted, and that time was something I just don't have at present. However I was keen to move the project forward.
In an attempt to resolve this I ended up getting the first master (the Fusilier) moulded and cast for me into a proper production mould by Griffin Moulds (link at side). At the time I was quite happy to do this, as I knew that I would want, over time, several units of this figure and the number of figures I would require would justify the cost (or at least that's what I told myself!). Anyway the figures duly came back and I was delighted with them, very nice, clean castings.
As time moved on, I have to admit that I gave in to temptation (or perhaps laziness) and just thought well in for a penny, in for a pound, and got the rest of the masters done in the same way. It was a bit of an extravagance on my part, but I'm content I made the right move.
So happily in the ownership of some production moulds, I had a batch of figures cast up of all the types, sufficient to make up a few units. I could have got more done, but don't want to put myself off with a Lead mountain. Anyway now I've got the moulds I can go back for more anytime, and no freezing in the garage pouring hot metal about!
The packaged arrived on Friday, and I'm busily in the process of painting one each of the seven figures to see how they look. Initial progress looks good.
When I paint figures for the first time, I usually do one right through to the end to test the colour scheme/paint combinations, to make sure I'm happy with this, before I do a whole unit.
So in no particular order I painted the Chasseur through to a conclusion, and here he is:
He's painted as a Chasseur of the Soissonnois regt in the 1779 uniform, with rather fetching crimson facing colour. I've pictured him prior to the application of varnish.
I wouldn't mind views on a couple of points on the paint job. Firstly as most will be aware, the french uniform of this period has an awful lot of white, something that personally I find difficult to do well in 25mm. In an attempt to break up the expanse of rather boring white, I've cheated a little and made the waistcoat and breeches more of a cream, just to give a bit on contrast. What do you think, does it work or would it just be better in white the same as the coat and gaiters?
On a similar vein, I've gone with white gaiters, but black is a theoretical option, again not sure which way to go on that one.
Anyway I'll press on and finish the rest, and post them up over the next week as their completed.
Overall, I'm pleased with this little project, its taken a bit of time, longer than I would have wished, but we've gone from this:
To this:
And I hope this has been a useful journey for those of you who have travelled it with me.
Back in a few days, with more shots of painted figs.
Cheers
John
In an attempt to resolve this I ended up getting the first master (the Fusilier) moulded and cast for me into a proper production mould by Griffin Moulds (link at side). At the time I was quite happy to do this, as I knew that I would want, over time, several units of this figure and the number of figures I would require would justify the cost (or at least that's what I told myself!). Anyway the figures duly came back and I was delighted with them, very nice, clean castings.
As time moved on, I have to admit that I gave in to temptation (or perhaps laziness) and just thought well in for a penny, in for a pound, and got the rest of the masters done in the same way. It was a bit of an extravagance on my part, but I'm content I made the right move.
So happily in the ownership of some production moulds, I had a batch of figures cast up of all the types, sufficient to make up a few units. I could have got more done, but don't want to put myself off with a Lead mountain. Anyway now I've got the moulds I can go back for more anytime, and no freezing in the garage pouring hot metal about!
The packaged arrived on Friday, and I'm busily in the process of painting one each of the seven figures to see how they look. Initial progress looks good.
When I paint figures for the first time, I usually do one right through to the end to test the colour scheme/paint combinations, to make sure I'm happy with this, before I do a whole unit.
So in no particular order I painted the Chasseur through to a conclusion, and here he is:
He's painted as a Chasseur of the Soissonnois regt in the 1779 uniform, with rather fetching crimson facing colour. I've pictured him prior to the application of varnish.
I wouldn't mind views on a couple of points on the paint job. Firstly as most will be aware, the french uniform of this period has an awful lot of white, something that personally I find difficult to do well in 25mm. In an attempt to break up the expanse of rather boring white, I've cheated a little and made the waistcoat and breeches more of a cream, just to give a bit on contrast. What do you think, does it work or would it just be better in white the same as the coat and gaiters?
On a similar vein, I've gone with white gaiters, but black is a theoretical option, again not sure which way to go on that one.
Anyway I'll press on and finish the rest, and post them up over the next week as their completed.
Overall, I'm pleased with this little project, its taken a bit of time, longer than I would have wished, but we've gone from this:
To this:
And I hope this has been a useful journey for those of you who have travelled it with me.
Back in a few days, with more shots of painted figs.
Cheers
John
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)