From the very big to the very small

Just finished painting my first four 20mm Brits from Stonewall figures, I'm not sure how I feel about them to be honest. I have not painted anything this little before so the drop in detail is a bit difficult to deal with as I usually paint highly detailed 28mm figures. But that is not to say that these are not nicely detailed figures, especially given the small size, I'm just not used to painting them.

Still I'm quite pleased with the results and they should be a dam sight easier to store, so a great way to collect a company of Brits. Although it may all be for naught as I'm sure I will continue my obsession with painting WW1 brits. Fancy a couple of squads of GB figures to join my Musketeers.

This might be the last post for a little while as I am moving to Scotland on Friday so lots to do.

More large scale nonsense

Another couple of large scale (1:35) British Infantry. Enjoyed painting these up and they didn't take very long. I have however noticed, after taking the pictures, that I have not painted the right eye of the Bren Gunner properly, so I will have to touch that up in a bit. Another couple of these to go, and then they will probably end up resigned to the display cabinet for all time.

Big Scale British Infantry

I'm currently waiting on some 20mm WW2 stuff to trundle through the post, and as I'm moving house and starting a new job at the start of next month I am sort of avoiding starting anything "serious" from the lead pile. However I was pottering around Hobbycraft on Saturday with the wife and picked up a set of Tamiya 1:35 British Infantry.

Now of old I am a diorama builder (in 1:35 scale), purely for my own enjoyment you understand, so I thought I might have a bash at painting up some 1:35. Now I haven't the time or inclination at the moment to build a small diorama but I have space to build and store the 5 figures which come in the Tamiya set. So I thought I would paint them up and base them, who knows I might even build a large scale skirmish set!

The above figure is the Bren Gun Ammo Carrier from the set, I built and painted him on his own as I wanted to see if, A, I could still paint in 1:35 and B, if I would enjoy the experience. Well I blooming well did enjoy painting this chap up so I have the others on the modelling table. A nice little set for around £8 (might be a bit less but I lost the receipt) the rifle is from a Dragon set that I had, I used it for no other reason than I had it.

A grey man indeed

Having appropriated a spare Lord Cirencester figure from a fellow VBCW'er I decided to paint him up in a muted grey Prussian inspired dress uniform, with some nice red detail. I rather like how it turned out, despite having a bit of a problem with the undercoat on the hand which is holding the cigar.

Officer Class

Finally pulled my finger out and painted up the officer to go with my 9 Turkish riflemen. Another great figure from Gripping Beast, lovely little sculpt and a fun figure to paint. I'm in a bit of a quandary at the moment as to whether to sell these or keep them. I had planned on selling them, but having seen the squad painted up I'm quite fond of them and suspect there going to be tough to part with. Only time will tell.

Sustained Fire

Just finished painting and basing up the renegade Heavy Machine Gun team as part of a commission, shortly to be packed of to the US. I like this set and it painted up really well. My only criticism is that the way the gunners hands have been sculpted makes it impossible to drill them out and fit the guns triggers through, equally there's no realistic way to cut the triggers to fit over the hands.

I decided to base the spotter separately as otherwise the single would have been (in my view) a bit big and bulky for gaming.

Still a nice little set and I might even buy it in the future and paint it up for my own collection.

Another Sale

More figures going up for sale as I continue to make room for new bits in the model cupboard.

First Ebay lot is a 10 man commando squad from Artizan Designs which I painted up earlier in the year. £15 + Postage  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150673111132?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1202

Second Ebay lot is the box set of French infantry from Warlord. Again I painted these up earlier in the year. The only thing that has not been painted is the Mortar Team and Mortar which I never got around to painting. These are up for £28 + Postage. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150673115128?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1202

Selling off Imperial Guard

As I'm moving to Scotland, and as I don't game GW anymore I decided to sell of my small GW Imperial Guard army, codex and carry case.

The sale comprises of the following

26 Cadian Imperial Guardsman (painted)
10 Catchans (painted to match cadians)
Commissar Yarrick figure (the old lead one not the new resin thing) (painted)
Forgeworld Commissar (painted)
two Cadian Heavy Weapons teams
1 Imperial Guard Chimera Transport
1 Box of Kasrkin storm troopers - five are painted five are not
Miniature carry case which holds 36 troops and room for 3 tanks (or similar)
Imperial Guard Codex (current edition)

I'm selling this as a job lot (because its easy to ship in the carry case) for £52.50, that's a saving of over 50% against usual GW prices. 

This is listed on Ebay here - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150672739050#ht_575wt_1185

That Woman

I've had this figure for a while, well I say a while what I mean is since Partizan. However I was a bit stuck as to what colours I wanted to paint this lady in. In the end I went for a light blue dress, and a brown jacket. I think she turned out pretty good, although I'm still not completely happy with the cocktail glass in her hand.

On the painting table for the future I have a renegade Heavy Machine Gun, an Ottoman Turk officer and some Modern Brits from Empress, a diverse group of work in progress to be sure!

I'm still pontificating about starting a Viking force, a gaming buddy suggested I start of with some Gripping Beasts plastic Vikings. However since banishing GW from my painting table I'm loath to paint plastics, so my brain and my wallet are locked in a death struggle to decide whether I buy GB plastics or a mixed force of Gb and Artizan metal Vikings.

Masters at hide and seek

When I arranged to sell some of my painted renegade figures recently, I was a bit perplexed as to how I had ended up with a group of 18 (as I usually prepare squads of 10). The question was answered when I found these two figures lurking in my painting pile.

Painted up to match my other renegade figures they only took a couple of hours to complete. My complaint with these, as with the other renegade figures is that they have some pretty heavy mold lines (particularly around the face) which were dam near impossible to remove.

Still at the prices renegade charge I mustn't grumble to much as they are dam cheap.