Russian Around

I hit 39 the other day, I don't mind watching the years go past etc and I had a nice time, the wife was very pleasant to me for the week so that made me pretty happy and when I let big Jon know I was free for a game on the Saturday Jon and JP set up a 15mm Napoleonic battle for me (sweet!). However this turned out to be a double edged sword!!!

 

We had a great game, really great!!! JP was his grumpy self trying to hurry the game along as we fell about laughing at loads of daft stuff and I managed to slip in a wee dig about a fellow wargamer bashing 7 bells out of old baking trays because they were to tight to buy steel sheet to line their storage boxes (10mins past before the penny dropped and JP shouted out "that was me you were talking about ya cheeky b******d" with a smile on his face). Anyway I was on the winning side and it was a great day, I think I said that already?

However there was 1 thing that really kicked me in the teeth, somewhere along the way this past year or 2 I slipped away from painting my Russians. We are in the 200th anniversary year of Napoleons invasion of Russia and despite having thousands of AB and Old Glory Russians to paint I have only managed to finish 9 Russian foot battalions, 2 foot batteries, a cuirassier regiment and a horse battery. I needed to do something and do it fast!!!

 

So enter my new master plan! I have put all other troops out the way and cleared the workbench for Russians only using the Army Painter method I started with my Saxons. I have been finding spare time very hard to come by however the wife is onside now that she understands the magnitude of my task ahead and the significance of the year (truth be told the sister of my wife came down to visit for a few days and showed far more interest in my wee men than my wife has ever done and so she is now making up for lost time, asking questions and looking really closely at the little dudes, she also got fancy new glasses so I guess this must have helped to?). To start with I decided what battalions I will hit 1st, I only have 2 regular grenadier battalions so I figured i'll get them out the way before moving onto my 2 pavlov battalions and that's it for starters.

  

So where was I? Oh yeah Army Painter, well I am pleased to say it still rocks my painting world. As far as I am concerned it's the best thing since sliced bread. I'm blocking in my paint like I was 10 years old painting my airfix Germans then brushing on the dark tone, waiting till it's dry and picking out highlights on the face, trousers, belts and leatherwork. painting the buttons then a matt varnish and I'm done. I've experimented highlighting the coat but there is no real difference.
 

I have spent maybe 8 broken hours in total working on the 1st battalion (as well as clearing up the 2nd and also a light battery) and I really only have 7 figures still to AP and the rest are well on the way to being finished. I am pleased with how well they paint up.

  

Even the gear comes out looking good.
  

Except for the highlights on these guys really only the command figures to go.
 

I realised something else, the figures I am painting with army painter take less than half the time as with my original style and to be honest don't look out of place beside them and the flesh looks better.

  

A little side project: This is a test figure for the Isum hussar regiment. I picked a bunch up on ebay and did a little work to him before applying the army painter. Finger crossed he will turn out fine!