Salute 2012, My Thoughts - part two

Regular readers/followers will know that I enjoy building wargame terrain. In fact I think I enjoy this modelling part of the hobby even more that painting miniatures and much more than gaming! "Now that is an admission". At this years Salute I took a whole load of photos of different terrain pieces in the hope that they would inspire me. Here are just some.

Photos One and Two were scratch-built, Mordheim inspired buildings from Oshiro. A company and model maker that I really admire.

Photo Three - This beautifully modelled forge had obviously been painted using an airbrush - something that I keep meaning to try.

Photo Five - A simple kit on a beautiful modelled terrain board. Plastic gravestones from Renedra.

Photo Seven - There were a number of gaming boards that featured Twighlight figures - this was one.

Photos Eleven and Twelve - Feature this absolutely fantastic resin model of a traditional wooden-built Russian Church. Built to 15mm scale and available from Total Battle this was the ONE building that I saw that truly made me stop and go WOW. If there is anyone out there who would like to commission me to build this model in 28mm (or even 40mm) I would love to hear from you.

My Thoughts - part two. Mainly terrain and individual buildings that I thought were worth commenting on. I hope that you agree.

Tony

1st Moldsk Guard - finished

The Pledge for April is now complete. The 1st Moldsk Guard (LEU 02) from Alternative Armies - well at least eight of the 16 miniatures from the set are now varnished and flocked.

Photo One - The finished group of eight Undead Bog Orc Savant Zombies.

Photo Two - My imagineered Flag, based on some historical Russian banners, but using Halloween colours - Orange and Black to add some Undead flavour. The black skull motif is from Games Workshop, highlighted with dark grey acrylic paint and the eyes repainted orange.

Photos Three, Four and Five - Show the Standard Bearer in greater detail. The miniature has been extensively modified with an added blunderbuss and a re-modelled left arm.

Photo Six - The three command figures. Since the last post, I have finished the metallic areas and varnished the miniatures with Ronseal Gloss Varnish and two coats of Galleria Matt Varnish. One tip that I have found works; is to repaint the pure white areas after the Ronseal Varnish has dried as the varnish tends to give an off-white finish. The Galleria Acrylic Varnish does not have this effect.

Photo Seven - There are five foot soldiers in the group - each mounted on to a 2p coin.

Photo Eight - I used this Osprey Leaflet for painting inspiration and to confirm uniform colours.

Photo Nine - The finished Group of Undead Bog Orcs. As a regiment, I think the colours and painting works well (particularly the flag - which is a sticky-backed white label stuck over a small square of Tomato Puree tube). I am still not happy with the flesh areas - but I think I will live with it.

There you have it. Month three of my Pledge - to complete at least ten regiments before the end of the year, finished. Onwards to May's Pledge!

Tony

1st Moldsk Guard -part five

I continue to tweak the flesh areas - I don't think I will ever be happy with either the colour or the painting of these areas! 

In these photos it is obvious that the bases have been finished. But I have also further highlighted the Red and Green areas of the uniforms as well as detailing the Shakos and Plumes. It is getting to the stage where I will soon be opening up my metallic paints and finishing the painting.

In this final image - I show a close up of one miniature to show the progress so far. I think that the group of seven (one is already finished - as a test following comments here on this Blog) look OK together - they just don't look so good under closer scrutiny.

More to follow - but not that much and I think I will be glad to see the back of this group - the colour scheme and painting has been a right pig!

Tony

Salute 2012, My Thoughts - part one

I'm sure others will write the same; a long and arduous journey down to Salute 2012, a late finish arriving home shattered and ready for bed after an exhausting day. But that six hours spent at Excel was just a blur, passing as if just a few minutes and I am so glad I took the camera to record what was just a fantastic day out, really top-notch entertainment and as this first brief post details, inspirational terrain and terrain modelling.

Although not attempting to score the displays, or place them in any order - these three gaming boards/displays were worth the diesel and entry price alone.

Photos One and Two - Show the beautifully modelled Salute Samurai Gaming Board, full details can be found here. I picked this as my first post showing the games on display at Salute because it was just beautiful, a clean, well modelled display board that just screamed quality and attention to detail. No gimmicks, 'over-the-top' modelling or excessive highlighting - just a display board to be proud of. 

The lesson I learnt from this table is that clean and crisp terrain properly executed can add so much to our hobby.

Photos Three and Four - The TV7 Mountain Lair. If the fist terrain board is simple then this piece of engineering is the exact opposite - the build diary has been detailed here and I recommend that you settle down with a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit and read how this inspirational model was built, detailed and displayed.

The attention to (every) detail was just fantastic - once again top notch and as sections were removed to show the similarly detailed interiors - I was just full of admiration for the modellers who helped with this huge undertaking.

The lesson I take away from this build - is detail, detail and then even more detail. You can never have too much.

Photos Five to Eight - Show yet another aspect to our hobby - 'true artistry in terrain building'. The Vitrix Battle for La Vejol. A 54mm display game that for me ticked all the boxes, a breathtaking piece of terrain, beautiful miniatures and that added little extra, perfection. Yes perfection. These buildings, both sculpting and painting were some of the very best I have ever seen and really captured the sun-bleached villages of The Spanish Peninsular with pantile roofs, parched and scattered ground covering and decaying plaster - I really was 'blown-away' by this board.

I take away from this superb modelling an aim that my terrain building will improve and one day equal these examples. I also hope that I will be able to replicate the subtle colours in my next Spanish-inspired building.

There you have it - my first impressions of salute 2012 - a show that I have not attended for over twenty years. There will be more to follow, but rather than loads of images - I thought this more structured and themed post would be of interest.

Tony

List of Published Articles

I have recently uploaded a list of Articles that I have had published, either in paper publications or electronically. The list shows most (not all) of my modelling or short story articles up to April 2012. The list can be found here on my sister Blog Dampfwerks.

The Dampfwerks Blog was intended as a portfolio to show prospective clients some of the work-in-progress and finished commissions I have undertaken. In truth most of this has been detailed on this Blog and Dampfwerks (the Blog) has been very quiet (compared to this Blog).

As a semi-professional model maker, I have found that commissioner have sometimes asked that I do not show  work-in-progress or comment on models until they are released and this has meant that the main 'modus operandi' of the second Blog has been curtailed. I have included this list and another link to Dampfwerks in an attempt to show that when Dampf's Modelling Page is quiet it does not mean that I am not working on a model.

Finally, I hope that this link inspires others to produce models.

Tony

1st Moldsk Guard - part four

Since the last post, I have attempted to tidy-up both the uniform colours and the flesh areas. I am still not happy with the decayed flesh colour or painting, but feel the overall painting is progressing slowly but steadily.

I am planning on having a couple of hours this evening to block-in some more colour. More posts to follow.

Tony

Salute 2012 - an update

With imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, I have this very day bought myself a personalised wargamers poloshirt. The idea was unashamedly stolen from this Blog post. 

This will be the first time I have tried this form of self-promotion (being by my very nature a rather shy and retiring individual - and if you believe that, then you really don't know me at all). It will be interesting to see if;  A - it has any effect? or B - it starts a new trend in wargame show attire?

If you see the grey-haired old browser in this grey poloshirt, don't be embarrassed to tap me on the shoulder. I doubt if there will be two wearing the same dampfpanzerwagon branding. See you soon.

Tony
(dampfpanzerwagon)

1st Moldsk Guard - part three

Progress continues, however I am still not happy with the flesh areas on this group. I had wanted a decaying, undead skin tone and colour, but the coloured washes have just dulled-down the effect I was looking for.  I am happier with both the white areas and the red cuffs. I may still repaint the flesh.

Other than the dull colour, I am pleased with progress to date.

I think this final image shows the poor flesh area colour choice. In addition and since taking this photo, I have had to drill and pin the shako plume. Which broke off after I dropped the miniature.

More (much more) to follow.

Tony

Gingerbread Mania - part eight

Alternative Armies have just released details of their special demonstration game for Salute 2012. Sharke's Gingerbread. For full details and a fantastic piece of new and original artwork by Edward Jackson, go to this link.

My intention is to have at least one game of this special Flintloque 'Lite' game as it features both The Gingerbread House and the Gingerbread Set that I scratchbuilt/sculpted.  The big question is - will I play on the side of Good (The Gingerbread Men of course) or The Trolkin (Rock Solid Troops) or Sharky (in his new reincarnation). There's no chance of me commanding those Blue-uniformed point-ears (The Ferach). I just haven't got the taste for them.

Now, if only there was a regiment of those stout Dwarf Fellows - Huzzah!

I will post photos as soon as I can and (Hopefully) see you there.

Tony

Salute 2012 - just one week to go

With under a week to go to the UK's premier Wargaming Show I am looking forward to my special day out in London. It is my intention to be there in time for the opening (I already have my badge) and spend every second browsing both the displays and the stalls.

This will be my first time attending Salute at the Excel Centre, the last time I went it was held in Olympia and I know that I attended many, many years ago when it was in Kensington.

A full photo report will follow, but for now I just thought it was worthwhile advertising the fact that I'l be there. I look forward to meeting up with fellow Bloggers.

For full details go to this link.

Tony

Witchlands Hovel - A Masterclass Article

My latest Modelling Masterclass Article for Barking Irons Online is this 28mm Witchlands Hovel.  The model owes much to various workbench articles on The Lead Adventure Forum and some illustrations in a book on Northern Russia that I picked up earlier this year.

These four photos show the finished model, based, painted and flocked. For more information on how the model was built and painted go to this link.

Since finishing this piece I have produced five similar models for Grand Manner. Each feature removable roofs and full interior detail. It is planned that these new models will be available for Salute 2012 where Dave will be exhibiting.

I had intended building a church along similar lines, but so far this has had to be put on the 'back-burner' - maybe later this year.

I hope that this and earlier Masterclasses are of interest and help others with their terrain building.

Tony

1st Moldsk Guard - part two

Part two of The Pledge for April sees the miniatures undercoated with Black spray paint and the basic colours added.

Photo One - Black undercoat taken with a flash, hence the strange glow!

Photo Two - The start of 'real' colour, mainly flesh, the Green uniform colour and some Red. As usual, pretty haphazard.

Photo Three - The officers coat has been painted Dark Brown - actually Charred Brown from Vallejo with some Snakebite Leather added for the first highlight. I choose to have the officer wearing white gloves - not sure about this!

Photo Four - Now for the confession. I'm not sure I like this colour scheme or the painting. This particular LEU 02 set was sculpted by me some time ago and I have been looking at partially based and undercoated figures for some months. Now that I have started painting them, the painting looks all wrong. Oh well, this will NOT STOP my Pledge to get ten units painted in 2012. I just have to push-on.

Do other painters have this issue - getting part-way through and then not liking what you see?

More to come.

Tony

300 Followers

Easter weekend saw the landmark of my 300th Follower.  I didn't start this Blog to count up followers. In fact I am not sure I even realised that you could follow Blogs! It was started as a piece of therapy, to both give me something to do and help me through a period of unemployment. Now four years on and over 800 posts, I feel I have developed as a Blogger and made some very special friends.

Thank you for all the support. It is very much appreciated.

A very humbled, Tony

Bombardier Bedford - now available

Alternative Armiesl have released the VLE 12 Bombardier Bedford or Villiam Bedsforc. See this link for full details and a brief character background. It is pleasing (at least pleasing for me) to see that the response to my initial posting has led to both the release of this VLE miniature to be brought forward and that sales are so strong! I am sure that Gavin at AA has different views.

 The Notables Yahoo Group has had some noisy debate about the full character profile. I am sure that an official character sheet will be forth coming from AA very soon.

Finally I read that The Gingerbread Set is already 25% sold out.  Thank you for the support.

Bang On!

Tony