I'm towards the back.
Karen: So what's this big news?
Daisy: We've been given our parts in the nativity play
and I'm the lobster.
and I'm the lobster.
Karen: The lobster?
Daisy: Yeah.
Karen: In the nativity play?
Daisy: Yeah. First Lobster.
Karen: There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?
Daisy: Duh.
Love Actually (Richard Curtis, 2003)
General Gordon is looking a little bit more colourful, though not yet complete. I suspect that he will be one of those figures that looks half finished until you apply the final detail and then voila, he is complete. It's been an education painting both Gordon and the Three Men of Gascony. It's such a stretch beyond my usual painting style that I've had to rethink several times.
What I have learned.
Do not attempt to paint paler lips or palms on African figures, it just looks silly. This is a case I think where stylising certain portions of your paintwork lends verisimilitude to the end product.
Washes of colour rather than a standard highlight work better for larger figures, particularly if they're realistically proportioned. My first attempts at the Three Men of Gascony looked cartoonish and absurd.
Put not your trust in model shop owners, for they shall prove false and betray thy trust. And so it shall be that thou shalt be left without a resin backdrop for thy figures. There shall be a great darkness and lamentable carry on all together until thou thinkest of something.
Lend not thine ear to the blandishments of shop owner and their manifold falsehoods of "I'll have it on Saturday on my mother's life".
Mrs. Kinch was just getting better when she picked up a nasty vomiting bug from her Granny. I can console myself that it's training for the eventual arrival of little Kinches. There shall be some burning of the midnight oil on the Gascons and Gordon, I suspect, if we're to be done in time.
I've been thinking that I should pick up some French heavy cavalry for my Napoleonic forces, mainly so that I could play some of the Brigadiers teasers that demand heavies. The options in plastic are good, but not vast, though the Strelets Cuirassiers look very nice, particularly the great coated ones. Of course its madness to contemplate any painting for myself until the amazing Little Wars painting Death March is over, but a chap can dream.
I wish someone made dismounted and horse-holding French and British dragoons. I have some Strelets Foot Dragoons painted up to fill the gap, but I only have Irregular Miniatures riderless horses and they look like ponies next to the Italeri horses. They would be just the thing for Napoleonic skirmishing.
Also, I received my first wargaming gift of this Christmas, a copy of Brother Against Brother. It seems quite a fast paced and sensible system, not I'm ashamed to say what I've come to associate with rule-sets from the United States*. But, it shall be another shot in the locker for my blackpowder skirmishing needs. Seeing it play in anger of course will have to wait until after Christmas.
*Crossfire and the Command & Colours system being honourable exceptions.
Played Brother against Brother a few years back. A few of the wargaming guys from Cork were running a beautiful demo game at RINIWA's game day. Seemed like an ok system, with a nice mechanic on unit-activation.
ReplyDeleteHave a good Christmas. See you in the new (rounder) year!
I hope that your wife feels better soon and I trust you can both get in some R &R over the festive season.
ReplyDeleteI have used bro v bro - it works better for bigger games but the units do die quickly and often!