It was a welcome change to go to simple painting styles after painting a number of Napoleonic troops of late.
Here we have the 28mm Dark Age Warriors set from Gripping Beast painted up Anglo Saxon Fyrd of the 1066 period. You might notice some interlopers among these. There are a few Wargames Factory heads which I added for interest.
The Gripping beast figures go together really well, are of mercifully few parts, which means a lot less faff and makes them less fragile than some other figures which seem to have more parts than a Tamiya plane kit.
The shield designs are from Little Big Man Studios and these also went on really easily. No wastage from messed up transfer application. The designs are simple yet effective. I go around each design with a black Pigma Micron pen which nicely hides any gaps between shield or boss edge and transfer and gives a fine definition.
The static grass and camera were playing tricks on me today. I had spent some time yesterday diligently brushing off static grass from the figures to prepare them for the photo opportunity. On looking at these pics on the big screen it seems they have been in battle on a field of freshly mown grass! I shall have to brush the figures again!
I'm using a new camera and getting used to the settings. These were actually my 3rd attempt at taking snaps of the troops - slowly I'm understanding what works best but it's taking time. I have had my old camera since 2006 but a sharp steel pike gouged the lens on a close up shot of ECW pikemen and a white smear appears on shots which I have to try to cut out/disguise etc.
Nothing too dramatic with these figures, but they provide the mass behind the Housecarls and look perfectly good providing the weight and numbers. The poses are nice - getting stuck in and doing their best to fend off Normans/Bretons/Vikings.
I undercoated and primed these figures using an airbrush - my first real use of one. It did make the job easier and I was impressed by the smooth even layers. I did apply some colour too with the airbrush, more as a learning experience, but my brush lowlighting and highlighting means that I can't remember which colours I applied by that means. The main thing was the undercoating and priming, which the airbrush made into a relatively simple task and gave a very satisfactory base (airbrush is the Harder & Steenbeck Ultra 2024 - much recommended by others and I can see why).
I'm not quite sure what to paint next. I do still require some more Fyrd in my Anglo Saxon army to avoid using Ancient Celts to discretely fill the rear ranks!). I think another 3 stands will do it. I also need some casualty bases painted up. This should be a quick win if I do those.
On the other hand, I still feel the draw of Napoleonics. Complicating this fun dilemma further is my recent reading of the first two books of Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy set in Arthur's time. These books have really given me inspiration. I think these are the best Bernard Cornwell books I have read - I just hope the 3rd one doesn't let them down!
I have just built the Victrix Early Saxon Unarmoured Warriors and have just ordered the Early Saxon Armoured Warriors. Building these is something I can do in hotels in the evenings when I'm away working. Large Late Roman/British and Early Saxon armies are a new project for me!
I do have one rather bizarre project that I'm toying with and that's a fantasy army using the new Midgard rules - the 'Loki and the Frost Giants' army just looks so much fun! I have never owned a fantasy army in my life and never thought I would ever have one...but they look great to paint and a game with them would be very entertaining. I wouldn't rule it out!
I wish you all a fabulous Christmas and I hope you receive many enjoyable additions for your projects.
Best wishes.
Jason
No comments:
Post a Comment