The Orcs in the Webbe Advent 2014

The Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar 2014

There is just one day to go before the start of the most eagerly anticipated event of Juletide. The Orcs in the Webbe Advent 2014.

Each year Craig Andrews, editor of OITW cajoles, bullies and bribes various unsuspecting marks to write themed articles, scenarios and even tutorials so that on each and every day between December 1st and December 24th we are treated to a free-of-charge piece of original content.

So what can we expect to find behind the first advent door tomorrow morning?

Find out by visiting Orcs in the Webbe at this link.

Happy Cryptmass

Tony

Previous Advents Calendars can be found here.

Gnome Cannon for November - finished

At last, the Gnome Cannon and Crew are finished.

As stated in earlier posts, the cannon was a bonus buy, purchased as part of a mixed bag of Games Workshop bits and pieces. While the figures were spare, being stuffed in to my Flintloque 'lead pile' drawer. I think they work well together.

Photo Two - Shows the finished, varnished and flocked cannon on it's custom built base.

Photo Three - The crew - a mix of spare or left-over figures!

I find that the challenge of building these On-Line Builds or Pledges force me to paint something each month - even if it is just a single figure. At this moment I don't have anything planned for December (this may change) but for now I might just take a break.

I hope you enjoy seeing this finished group of Flintloque figures.

Tony

Painting over a Black Basecoat

Image used with permission of the artist

Regular readers and followers will know that I usually paint my miniature figures over a Black basecoat or undercoat, ala Kevin Dallimore. For details see Kevin's own website. However I sometimes find that the Black has a 'dulling' effect, particularly Yellows, Reds and in some cases Blue. When painting a Napoleonic Rifleman this effect can actually work in your favour, reproducing the Bottle Green or Dark Green tunics to perfection.

In an attempt to counter this dulling, I have many different paints - most Acrylic or water-based, although some are enamels and even the odd oil based artists tube. In addition I have tried basecoating in Grey, Dark Brown and even White!

Last week I was visiting Leamington Spa and on the way back to the car passed one of the many art galleries where I saw some canvases by Wendy Cook, for details of her site go to this link. I was able to study some of the artwork and in particular one work-in-progress, a dancer wearing a red dress painted onto a Black canvas. Wendy has a series of similar paintings on her website (and Facebook site - follow the links).

The outline of the female dancer and her Red dress were built up over a pale White or Ivory base and this got me thinking. "Is this the way to reproduce my Yellow and Reds?"

As you can see from the image at the top of the page, the Reds, Yellows and Whites appear to be glowing, literally leaping from the canvas and these are painted over a Black basecoat!

I have no on-going project that I can experiment on at this moment, but thought that it was worth producing this post showing the fantastic work of this gifted artist and wondering if her techniques might be transferable to my miniatures, particularly in the painting of Yellow - a real problem for me.

If like me you are interested in improving your painting skills or the theory behind colour, you may want to check out a series of tutorials produced by Wargame Soldiers and Strategy and hosted by Christy, for details see this You Tube link.

I would be interested in any comments concerning the techniques used to paint over a Black undercoat.

Tony

The Olde Barn from More Wargame Terrain

The Olde Barn is the model I chose to have as the cover illustration on Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.2 - More Wargame Terrain for two reasons, the first is that it fitted the portrait format better and secondly it showed a number of different modelling techniques, all of which are covered in great detail in the book.

The article/tutorial is 18 pages long with 7 pages covering assembly or construction and the remaining showing how I painted this model. The final page (as with all the articles in book two) gives a list of materials and paints used.

This image shows the construction complete and the model ready for painting. If you 'click' on the image - you should be able to see the image in greater detail.

Should you be interested in purchasing Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.2 - More Wargame Terrain please go to this link, but be aware the limited edition signed and numbered production run of just 100 books is selling out fast.

Thank you.

Tony

Salamander Space Marine

My latest Games Workshop Space Marine miniature is this Salamander Space Marine Tech.

I have had the miniature both based and primed for some time, but other projects have taken priority. The display figure is mounted onto a block of thick plastic card with the rest of the base built up from Milliput and the texture added by scattering sand and small stones over dilute uPVA glue.

The colour scheme is copied from a miniatures featured in White Dwarf, Woodland Green and Chaos Black over a black basecoat. The back banner (a distinctive feature of these models) was painted onto a sticky-back paper label and trimmed to shape and highlighted after fitting to the banner pole.

I have used GW transfers/decals for the main icons.

Like all of my Space Marine display figures, I have used a wooden base to raise the figure a little higher than a standard gaming piece.

Tony

How to make this model maker very happy?

These five magazines were given to me by my Sister-in-Law's father, who is also a model maker. Thank you Alec.

And how do you make this same model maker very jealous?

By showing his this advert. The Captain Scarlet - Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle is a model that I have always longed after. You see, my father worked for Mettoys, in Fforestfach, Swansea and I was lucky enough to have owned (or my brothers to have owned) most of the diecast models made by Mettoys and Corgi. The Batmobile and Batboat, The James Bond Aston Martin, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and even the Chipperfield Circus set. However that meant that Dinky vehicle were out of bounds, a bit like supporting the rival football team (in my case that would be Cardiff).

When I started a new school at the age of ten, boys were allowed to bring in their pride and joy model cars to play with during break - the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle was the 'Dogs Bol**cks' and the one that every blue-blooded boy would lust over. Now forty-odd years later the SPV still holds that appeal for me.

This advert is taken from the back page of the March 1969 Meccano Magazine.

Enjoy.

Tony

More Wargame Terrain by Tony Harwood

The second book in my short series of modelling guides - Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.2 - More Wargame Terrain is similar in layout and content to the earlier Building Wargame Terrain, but is targeted at the more experienced terrain builder or modeller.

In this post I have included images of three of the models included in the book - each of which include details of the inspiration, the building and the painting of the model/models.

Image One - The Stone Barn which was built by me after seeing a similar building adorning a Warmachine/Privateer Press Tournament table at one of the Games Expo shows in Birmingham. The model is based on a cardboard core with DAS sculpted walls and a card roof.

Image Two - Is a copy of a French Well, Spring and Trough featured in a tourism guide found on the Internet. The main building is built from Blue Foam with plastic card detailing and a pizza foam base. I really enjoyed painting the honeyed stone colours of the corner stones.

Image Three - A Spanish or Iberian Windmill. This model was originally built after running a poll on my Blog, asking member of The Notables (a Flintloque Yahoo group) what they would like to see next. The model features a plastic beaker as the base of the white tower and cut coffee stirrers for the sails.

Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.2 - More Wargame Terrain has been produced as a self-published book. The first 100 copies are numbered and signed. Should you wish to order a copy please go to this link.

As at today's date - there are just 17 signed copies left.

Thank you.

Tony

A Display Base for my 40mm Flash Gordon Miniatures

In a bit of a change from the usual, here is a post detailing how I built this display base for use at Blast-Tastic in October 2014. For full details of the show go to this link. The stepped display was designed to show off some of my 40mm Flash Gordon miniatures, for details go to the Flash Gordon label on the right.

Image Two - The individual steps were cut from scrap 20mm MDF. I had my friendly carpenter cut the strips on his bench-saw.

Image Three - Each pair of blocks were glued together with No-More-Nails and sanded smooth.

Image Four - The blocks were then glued together to form the steps.

Image Five - A 20mm thick backing board was then glued to the back and the gaps filled with ready-mixed filler.

Image Six - I painted the whole base with three layers of watered-down Silver Mist paint that I had left over from an earlier project.

The whole project took less than two days from start to finish and I now have a professional looking display base that I can use for other shows and displays.

Each step is 50mm wide and 40mm tall.

Tony

28mm Raised Market from Building Wargame Terrain

The final tutorial in Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.1 - Building Wargame Terrain is this 28mm Raised Market Hall, while the images below show some of the work-in-progress.

Like the earlier Messy Little Pigsty, this was one of the more detailed or 'signature pieces' in the book and the largest models featured in Building Wargame Terrain.

The projects in Building Wargame Terrain start with simple wall structures, moving through wall and fence and perimeter wall models, the earlier articles should give you the confidence to progress to the more details constructions that appear later in the book (and in book two - More Wargame Terrain).

Should you be interested in purchasing Building Wargame Terrain or the later book - More Wargame Terrain, please follow the links in the top right hand corner of the main Blog page where you can also find some fan-based reviews.

Thank you.

Tony

Gnome Cannon for November - part five

The painting is now complete, just the varnishing and flocking to go and the small group of Gnome and Halflings will be ready for the gaming table.

I have purposely painted the three miniatures in a 'miss-match' of uniform colours to show that they are an irregular unit forced to make-do with whatever they can lay their hands on. This is true of the actual figures and cannons, A Games Workshop Dwarf Cannon left over from a box of second-hand miniatures I picked up in a charity shop; the Gnome from Obidiah's Gun half-box set (Alternative Armies 54501) and a couple of spare Halflings (Alternative Armies 57001) that I had left over from a previous project. Even the plastic disc base that the cannon is based on is a counter found in the bottom of my Spares Box.

I should have images of the finished models up on the Blog - very soon.

Tony

A Messy Little Pigsty from Building Wargame Terrain

This is The 28mm Messy Little Pigsty from Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.1 - Building Wargame Terrain. It is one of two super-detailed or 'signature' models featured in Building Wargame Terrain and as such is one of the most in-depth articles covering a full twelve pages of the book.

The main construction is scrap cardboard with DAS modelling clay surface detail and some textured plastic card. The techniques shown in the book give a step-by-step tutorial on how you can produce a similar piece of terrain.

The article also details how I painted the model. While the two images below show the work-in-progress.

Should you be interested in buying the book - Building Wargame Terrain or Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No.2 - More Wargame Terrain, please follow the links in the top right of the main Blog page.

There are now only 20 signed and numbered copied of More Wargame Terrain left, while copies of the re-printed Building Wargame Terrain are running out fast.

Thank you.

Tony

Ten things you never knew about Waterloo - the Mail of Sunday

This weekend The Mail of Sunday had this feature in their magazine - Event. Sacre Bleu! Ten things you never knew about Waterloo. For a full breakdown see this link. Please note that I am not sure how long this link will remain active.

I hope you enjoy it.

Tony

Gnome Cannon for November - part four

I have painted more of the scratch-built base for the cannon and started on the uniform colours. In fact the cannon is nearly finished.

The three miniatures who are manning the cannon are meant to represent a mixed-bag or make-do crew and so I have painted them in various uniform styles and colours.

Given that I had the Games Workshop cannon for free (I had a box of figures from a charity shop - which I subsequently sold on) I am really pleased with the painted and based gun and this rabble should make an interesting little group to add to my Flintloque collection.

Tony

15mm French Farm from Building Wargame Terrain

Both books, Damfpanzerwagon Guide No.1 Building Wargame Terrain and Guide No.2 More Wargame Terrain feature mainly 28mm scratch-built terrain pieces, however there is one tutorial in book one - The French Farm that is built to 15mm scale.

The building was inspired by a model in Fine Scale Modeler and built from scrap cardboard which was then clad with plastic card strips, watercolour paper and Milliput.

As you can see from these images, I mounted the building onto a scrap of thick plastic card and built up a diorama base with a cobbled street front and a muddy court yard to the rear.

The building has obvious Normandy architectural features, with the sloped corner beams and high pitched roof and would be ideal in a Flames of War 15mm game.

The final two images show the work-in-progress, actually a primed and 'washed' model waiting the first layers of paint.

I hope that you enjoy this 15mm detour from the mainly 28mm structures. The model was won by Big Lee (BigLee's Miniature Adventure) when I held a Prize Draw after the sale of the 100th book.

Should you be interested in buying either book, please follow the prompts featured in the top right of the main page.

Thank you.

Tony

Flintloque Cannon

Following on from yesterday's post, here is a Flintloque Cannon painted in Albion Blue.

The basic cannon is from the Alternative Armies/Flintloque range of miniatures (59501), however (as with the earlier Howitzer) I have modified it. The main frame or spine has had the metal axle removed and a new one added, which was modelled from thick plastic card. The wheels were then attached to cocktail stick axles. The barrel is from a cheap 50p metal keyring and the turn spike (not sure of the correct term for the wooden pole sticking out the rear) is a thinned cocktail stick glued in place with superglue.

I had to cut up my first attempt as I had made the plastic card axle way to long and the cannon looked all wrong. I trimmed back both ends of the axle and re-inserted new ones.

There are also additional 'bells and whistles' attached to the main frame. This was done with small scraps of plastic card and some Milliput epoxy putty.

Tony

Flintloque Howitzer

By way of a small interlude I have included these images of a converted Flintloque howitzer that I have just finished painting and varnishing.

The model uses the canon barrel and main carriage of the Flintloque Grand Alliance artillery set (59501), however I have shortened the carriage and rebuilt the axle, removing the original metal axle and re-building a wooden one from scrap balsawood. The wheels are from Citadel/Games Workshop, but even these have been re-worked.

The model sits a little lower than the original and is therefore ideally suited to my Flintloque Dwarf miniatures. It is my intention to mount the model onto a small display base with some items of 'clutter'. Stay tuned for more artillery pieces.

This November I have been watching with interest Craig Andrews' daily updates on Orcs in the Webbe. The updates are to celebrate 10 years of OITW and Blogging. For details go to this link.

I had not intended to compete with this madness - of posting a daily update each day for November, but find that the challenge has pushed me to search through my store of spare articles, updates and models to try and give you a daily update, each day for November. I hope you like them.

Tony