Saxons WIP 5

Just a couple of pics to show I have actually started my next Saxon battalion. I didn't feel much like painting tonight however I plugged on and got my 1st wee man for the battalion AP'd just to make sure they would look fine. I let him dry for a short while and started messing around with the second coat (just to test the water). Thumbs up!!!

   

1st battalion Von Low (blue facings with white metal buttons) all cleaned up and ready to be painted. Loads of conflicting info on uniforms (even my flag sheets have conflicting names). I'm going with what the 28mm guys say.

  

A crap pic (someone with jam fingers was using the camera at Christmas and I have been struggling to clean it). Anyway just like my last battalion I did a test figure and he looks pretty good. Once totally dry he will be pretty much repainted, I went with a darker flesh undercoat (that looks not too bad), I'll highlight with the lighter shade so with the AP it will look like 3 shades.
 
The Master Plan: Robert over at "La Bricole Forum" set the rules on the painting comp (bog standard troops from any Nation). I consider the Saxons to be a cut above (ahmm) however they fit the bill. I have set myself the challenge of painting 3 line battalions (yes 3) and 1 light battalion as well as a foot artillery battery and command base, oh and some jagers before close of play 31th March. Will I be able to do it? Not a chance in the hot burny place!!! However I will try to do as much as I can as after all its a great excuse to get stuck into that unpainted lead pile.
  

Started converting my Saxon command tonight as I couldn't be bothered painting and just wanted to chill watching a fikm. The General was an Austrian with reshaped saddle and bicorne repositioned, fine detail still to be added. The ADC was French with the roll around his chest removed and saddle reshaped and again the fine detail to be added. I have planned to keep all my nations brigade command to 2 figures but I was tempted to make this a 3 man and put in a white uniformed mounted officer to differenciate the Saxons from my fuure French. I decided with the 2 as the red breeches of the general should sort that out.
   

Been on shift since 31st December 2011 and finished today 2nd at 3pm. Again I didn't much fancy sitting down to paint so after a wee sleep I did some more work on converting my Austrian and French command into Saxons following pics I have found online. With a bit of luck I will be finished them tomorrow and they will be ready to paint. Sorry about the pics being a little rough.

Competition Time (1)

I would like to wish everyone a very

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

   

Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog for a wee look or to leave a comment and to everyone I have exchanged emails with. It has been a fun year even if I didn't get very many figures painted and I will work towards changing that ASAP!!!

   

  Now to a little bit of Business, Curt over at Analogue Hobbies has started another competition. Even though I have no thoughts that I can paint enough figures to win it is great fun taking part and inspiration to get the brushes out. The comp started 20th December (my 1st efforts of 2 walls and a hallway in my house were not scored!!!).

 

And a second competition has also begun!!! Robert over at La Bricole has started a Naps comp (bog standard troops). Again I don't for a minute believe I have a chance of winning but it is great to be taking part alongside so many top painters and I'm excited to see all the troops coming together.

   

These are the troops I hope to paint for both competitions, roughly a Saxon brigade in total. As you can see I have all my gear looked out for them. I won't be sticking rigidly to any 1812 or 1813 order of battle (sorry to any purists reading). 

   

If I get half this lot finished I will be happy so wish me luck!!!

28mm French Artillery (1)

This is my brother David's French foot battery from Perry miniatures. I think young David painted the first 1 to get David started and he finished the rest. I think they are great!
  

Was speaking with David about the colours he used on the guns as I would like to use the same for my own and it would appear they used my Foundry dragoon green shade and highlight (and I'm not getting them back!!!)
 

You can't beat that greatcoat campaign look.
  

The caission kit looks excellent and is my favourite (David made a few wee bits to sit around his base, I'll have to ask him what they all are). I think the Caission still has a highlight and some inner detail to be finished.
  

It is amazing how much detail you can get in with the army painter.
    

More cool little hangers around.
     

There is a nice story behind these (you may have already read?). I ordered the Perry heavy cavalry army deal plus ADC and another artillery crew. I received the figures that as you would expect are superb. However it appeared we had received a Guard horse artillery gun and crew instead of the heavy cavalry Generals. I sent an email off to Perry Miniatures explaining what happened and as quick as a flash the Generals arrived and Alan Perry said we could keep the Guard horse artillery set!!! How cool is that. David loves them and no doubt will complete the battery so a win, win all round.

28mm French Line (1)

As I mentioned before my brother David has started a collection of 28mm Naps using Perry figures and he is quite quickly working his way through them. Des if you are reading this I would like to introduce to you your new enemy :0)
   

David has completed 4 line battalions.
 

2 with eagles (I think the 108th and the 57th, the terrible 57th!) and 2 with fanions plus loose voltigeurs. The flags like our French 15's come from the excellent "Flags for the Lads" 1812 French range.
   

David says he coul'd have done them without Army Painter. David has been following the Saxon Dog blog for a good while now and it has obviously inspired him to get his troops finished off.
     

Some of the voltigeurs with a spare command stand to increase the number of battalions if the figures are reduced per unit.
  

I think I may start my own 28mm collection sometime in the new year?
There will be lots more to come as I bought David the Perry Miniatures heavy cavalry army deal for Christmas!!!
  

And finally the General de Brigade (I think?).
Finished artillery to follow!

Our Young Guard

Well the 2nd Annual Analogue Hobbies painting comp has started and I have been stuck painting the house. Anyway tonight we made our way up to my parents to drop off some snow shovels and popped into my brothers on the way home. The Davids have been busy painting and I wanted to get some pics.

  

Seems like a long time ago now when David and I got back into Naps and the 1st show we went to was the Falkirk wargames show. There was a guy selling off all his unpainted OG 15's (large packs of roughly 100). David was cautious as he wasn't sure how long the phase would last but I still bought a stack.

  

  This young guard battalion was the 1st figures I painted from the haul. David decided on French so I chose to go for Prussians (and later russians) so my OG young guard were put to the back of the line.

  

Over the last few years young David has come through as a cracking figure painter and he like his dad has started doing French (as well as space marines, 15mm and 20mm WW2 and LotR). recently he was asking about the young guard and I passed onto him the remaining 2 battalions (as well as 3 battalions of middle guard so watch this space).

It is great to see the young guard finally finished and ready to join David's French army (especially as they don't count as guard!!!).
     

The flags come from "Flags for the Lads" French 1812 range and are excellent.
  

Lets hope I can get some of my own stash of lead finished soon.

15mm Prussian 1806 (2)

Here are some more of John's excellent early Napoleonic Prussians.
 

I think this will be a command for the lights (or jaegers?).
   

Again John has used my favourite figure from the Jena set.
  

I know I am in the wrong period but for some reason this figure in the centre always reminds me of Fredrick the Great.
   

I wish I had the determination to get so many of my commands finshed for the same army!
  

Some really nice Prussian dragoons.
  

And the Von Beeren cuirassiers.
  

I have been looking for this colour of yellow myself for some time, dark but bright.

Next I will show John's artillery.

15mm Prussian 1806 (1)

A few months back I completed a couple of Napoleonic purchases with 1 of our cousins from the USA (Von Blucher). With us enjoying the same hobby we kept in contact and have shared some very pleasant and helpful correspondence (The internet certainly does shrink the world). Anyway Von Blucher (John) is a brilliant figure painter and has allowed me to post some pictures of his fine work.

     

1st up are some of Von Bluchers command stands.

   

As you will most probably know already if Naps are your thing these figures are from the 1806 AB Prussian range. A range I don't know myself in great detail.

   

This figure is 1 of my favourites, I have him converted to a Bavarian ADC ready to paint so to see how John has tackled him is very helpful.

  

I think John and I have a very similar style for painting uniforms and horses? I am a little lazy on the faces of my figures by just using 1 flesh tone over my black undercoat giving a high contrast. I decided early on with my collection that I just didn't have enough available time to add the extra detail. I very much prefer how John does his!
   

I particularly like John's horses as although we have the same style of painting I have a tendency to go way to dark and subtle with my horses.
  

This horse (and rider) is stunning! I love the shading on the horse.
   

When I see a collection of well painted figures like these I instantly want to go and get my paints out!
 

I'm sure you will have found John's figures as inspiring as I have and I will post more pics soon.

Saxon Prinz Clemens

I have been on a bit of a high tonight. Text JP out of the blue to see if the guys had any games planned mid week (usually I am working and can't make it) and I hit the jackpot!!! The guys had arranged a 2 night battle at the 'D' mans new house (10mm Naps Peninsular). Thankfully I was welcome to come along and the 1st night was great fun!!! Pics to come!!!

 

Anyway I returned pretty late but inspired and decided to sit down and get my wee guys finished and here they are.

 

I'm well chuffed with them in the end as I have been fitting them in the odd hour here and there and I have to be honest and say I wasn't really challenged with them. The Army Painter broke the back of them and after that I just felt they were pretty much complete. The weird thing is the AP kind of fools you. You paint the base coats of the figure then apply the AP and leave it to dry and then you go back and use another coat and then highlight those colours. So you really are applying 2 or 3 shades and it doesn't feel like it because after the AP is applied you feel as if the figure is ready to game with.
 Does that sound stupid?

  

I felt the detail on the edge of the flag was poor so I have painted over it until a later date when I will either handpaint it (or maybe the Flags for the Lads guys will bring out an 1812 Saxon set and save me the hassle?).

 

The wee sapper turned out not too bad. if I look close in at him I would say his head sits too far up and should be more into the collar. I tried different Saxon heads and this was the 1 that best fitted.
  

So who are these guys anyway? Well I did think I was painting Prinz Clemens regiment from the sources I used but it would appear these guys (green facings with white metal buttons) are Von Low which is fine as I had them down to paint anyway.

  

Will I be painting any more Saxons, Definitely! I have 3 more line battalions, a grenadier battalion, light battalion and also a foot artillery battery to do.
  

Question is what will I paint next?

Anyone have any suggestions on what figures they would like to see painted?

Bavarians, Russians, Saxons, Prussians, French? Command, Cavalry, Artillery or Foot?

Saxons WIP 4

I know I said that I wouldn't be posting anymore work in progress pics until they were all based and finished but I think it will be another week or 2 before I get the chance to finish them due to work (and decorating before Christmas commitments, remember if the wife asks you ain't seen me painting wee men!!!). So I decided on 1 more WIP set of pics as I just got them based up.

 

Loads of finishing to do: another coat of PVA, earth brown then dry brush lighter on the sand. Then I have to work at finshing off each individual base. I have left a lot of buttons and highlights to the last plus a few corrections on details, drummers wings etc (However they are now a unit and all based up ;0).

  

 My wee sapper dude, very pleased with him and over all well happy with the AP method for painting white.
   

 Oh and 1 last point . . . Saxons Rock!! I'll definitely be doing a good few more.