Sunday 30 August 2009

Command stand painted!




Even if the base has not yet textured, but I'm happy with the result.  I've been steadily working on a lot of French infantry over the past week whenever time permitted, and in between various impoverished and decrepit Marie-Louises, I've been adding the final touches to these gentlemen. 

These two have taken a while to complete- ten years in fact!   As I mentioned in a previous post, the general's overcoat and cape are made of epoxy putty, and the feathers and cockade were also added from the same material.  I started him before Front Rank released their general officers, but as he is a unique miniature I'm quite proud of him. 

His ADC is sporting a non-regulation white greatcoat- in part practice for me, as some Austrians are on the horizon.  I actually painted him about six years ago, but I had to use Tamiya paints at the time which really don't work all that well for miniatures painting.  So I have heavily retouched the figure, particularly the face and the trimming around the front of the coat.

I added a broken gun carriage wheel, and once the glue has set later this evening, I'll get out the wood putty and artists trowels and start on texturing the base, along with a number of other light infantry stands I've been working on. 

The bases are from Litko, as are all my bases.

*****
I've also commenced work on one section of a 6pdr. artillery battery for the French. I'm going for a mix of pre- and post- 1812 uniforms, as I did with the infantry and which seems appropriate for the 1813 campaign.

Two figures are being painted "as is", but I decided it would look interesting for the rammer to be modelled as if he was in the process of sponging out the gun.  So I clipped off the end of the ramrod itself and drilled out a hole in the gun muzzle to receive it.  While I was at it, I thought I'd replace his shako with a forage cap, just for variety.  


Now this meant that I also needed to have a gunner with his thumb covering the vent- this was necessary so as to prevent draughts of air from igniting any unconsumed powder in the barrel (and sending the rammer to the Great Sutler's Tent in the Sky).  

Front Rank don't do a mini in this pose, so I took a gunner holding a match at his side and did a bit of surgery to his arm using a razor saw, a small drill, and a paper clip.  Once the epoxy has cured, I'll build up the arm again with putty and know one will know the difference!

*****
On a sour note, a wrong move with an elbow resulted in me accidentally knocking two centre company infantrymen off the table- broken bayonets and crushed plumes meant they were damaged beyond repair.  And of course, they happened to be two from the group that was nearest to completion, and one in particular had a very nicely painted face that I had spend some hours on.  

Also sent into free-fall was one figure- a wounded infantryman for use as a casualty marker- that I had not yet spent much time on, and which had just recently been undercoated in black.  

He, of course, survived the plunge without a scratch.  Not one.  Of course. 

I'd like to say I took it all manfully with stoic acceptance- but I'd be lying.  Big-time.



(And I have to say, I like Blogger.com's new version of their blog editor!)


3 comments:

john de terre neuve said...

Beautiful figures as usual. I am looking forward to seeing them fully terrained.

I have a lot of problems with whites, yours look fantastic. How do you do it, what brand to you find is the most spreadable. I find when I thin it I lose opacity, but when it is not thinned it clumps and will not spread.

Sorry about your broken figures.

John

Peter said...

Howdies Robert

Nice work on the generals base figures. It must be nice to know that you have a unique figure as the result of your own endeavours.

Commiserations with the wrecks. The damage sounds impressive for a fall from a table. How high is your table?! The figures obviously both rolled a double '1'. All very unlucky.

Salute
von Peter himself

Paulalba said...

Very nice work,
Nice to see an army take shape
cheers
Paul