Wednesday 28 July 2010

Painting again at long last!!!

Well it's been a busy old time with my wife and I deciding we really needed to get the house in order. We have spent every little piece of free time over the past couple of months trying to make the front and back gardens look a little bit less like the clampits and boy am I glad it's over with (for the moment).

I have been desperate to get my paints out for ages but with no painting area to call my own I managed to avoid it as the thought of having to pack them away again after 1 hour just didn't appeal to me.

Finally I got stuck into my 1st AB Russian battalion last night and it's coming along nicely.
The figures are an absolute dream to paint and I have the final figures all prepared to finish off over the next couple of nights. I plan to have a good sized army put together for 2012 so as to have some refights down the club and with my brother and nephew.

I started these Russian cuirassiers a good while back and after a great start put them to the side. The thought of painting thirty five of them knocked me off a bit and I have decided to space them in between my other units.

I think the Russian cuirassiers are my favourite AB figures I have seen so far.

And the horses are just perfect.

This wee guy was pretty tricky but I think he came out fine.

A big thank you to Suvoroff for the excellent Russian flags. I did a little bit of repainting to this 1 and there will be a white 1 in the unit as well.

1 thing about the AB Russians I find a problem is the lack of command figures compared to say the French. I will have to convert a few to make them all different. This is my 1st effort and was going to be part of my cuirassier command but I think he will probably be a dragoon commander?

Ahhh!!! my Old Glory landwher. I just can't seem to get these guys finished. All it would take is 2hrs work to get them ready to varnish and for some reason they are still lingering!!!

The weird thing is I really like them too?

I'll try to keep the updates coming along regularly now, happy figure painting and wargaming!!!!

12 comments:

Ken said...

Hi Paul,

Nice to see you post again - the real world has a nasty habit of getting in the way of the wee men.

The Russian AB's are a dream - but having said that your paint job on the OG landwher is brilliant.

Next I hope to get some more 10mm units completed.

Cheers

Ken

Ken said...

Forgot to ask something...

One thing with the OG landwher, I have this pack myself (not yet painted) did the Landwher really have those Santa Claus beards?!? Or is this a fantasy of OG - I know the Russian Landwher had them.

Cheers

Ken

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back! Fantastic job, especially like the Cuirassiers-very effective white!

Matt

Stryker said...

Good to see that you are back in production! Excellent looking paint job on those Russians. Borodino 2012???

Ian

Paulalba said...

Hi Ken,
Thanks for the encouragement and your kind words. From reading the books on the Landwher there must have been a few santas going around? I like the clogs on the figures but filed some of the hobbit style feet. Look forward to seeing your 10mm guys.

Hi Matt,
Many thanks, the cuirassiers I wasn't quite sure what to do with the white so ended mixing a slight off white with a cote d arms roan horse colour and just 2 shaded it on the uniform and picked out the gloves and fittings with their white. Really impressed with your Russian Dragoons.

Hi Stryker,
Hopefully there will be a few Borodino type games to come. I plan to do some Saxon cavalry too. Good to see your settled in your new place.
Best regards
Paul

DeanM said...

Back with a vengeance, I'd say. Beautiful work - great looking units. Love those kiwer shakos with tall plumes, as well as the cuirassiers. Dean

Galpy said...

Wow the detail of those figures is way past amazing I don't think i've even seen better

Paulalba said...

Hi Dean,
Thanks for your kind words. I think the kiwer is my favourite shako of the Napoleonic wars. Well impressed with your Victrix Highlanders!

Hi Kent,
Wow thanks for the kind words, I felt I was cutting corners on my shading to get more finished. Thanks very much.
Best regards
Paul

RazorOne223 said...

These look very nice mate!!!

Paulalba said...

Thanks very much Razer1,
cheers
paul

Anonymous said...

As regards the lack of AB Russian senior command/mounted officers, the uniforms of Prussian post-1808 generals was sufficiently similar to use them as Russkies (and I think vice versa, too). In fact, you could probably use a few of the Jena generals set as well.

Brendan Morrissey

Paulalba said...

Hi Brendan,
Yes, you are spot on. I was actually talking about the possibility of using other AB figures for the Russian commanders on Saturday. Thanks for the heads up.
Cheers
paul