Friday 29 April 2011

VALDEMAR KNIGHT "A HARD DAY'S KNIGHT" 1/72.

Hello all,

Don't worry  people I haven't gone completely medieval mad yet!
I bought a set of Valdemar figures that were on offer 10 figures for 10 Euros a while ago a here is one of them.I wanted to see what all the fuss was about this make.I saw on Benno's some amazing figures and on Yariks blog by the way!
When I got them I was a bit disappointed  when they came out of the box.
But priming them really brought out the details, also there were the now discontinued "Personality" range.The new ranges are even better!!!!!
I have really enjoyed painting these figures and am planning on buy some more (When I win the lottery, a bit pricey).
The figure is meant to be a knight knackered after battle, leaning against a tree catching his breath.
I had to re do the cloak lining from dark grey, to black to give a contrast between the unplanned dark blue and dark grey.
He started off with a light blue tunic, but my efforts at washing and highlighting went peared sharped.There is a time when you just need to leave things alone.
The base was made using a woodland scenic tree and a bit of Vallejo dark mud effect to make the roots and hide the join between the plastic tree  base and tree.
I also used Silfor ivy on the tree,I placed loads of the sodding leaves on one by bloody one!!!This was inspired by my epic weekend battle to save an oak tree in my garden that is covered in the bloody stuff.It fought back I have the scares to prove it!
The foliage is from Woodland scenic foliage cover, and looked even better when I put it on on a dry run.When I took it off and glued it on I put it on the wrong way round, sod's law!
The ground cover is a mix of Silfor grass tufts, weeds and foliage cover branches.The flat stuff is static grass and all the loose stuff that fell out of the tree when I forced the top stuff on the tree.

All in all, I am happy with this effort and shall be resuming normal modern service very, very soon!

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS OR TIPS MORE THAN WELCOME!

Cheers for looking,      Rich.

Monday 25 April 2011

UNDER FIRE MINIATURES MODERN RUSSIAN INFANTRY 1/72,

Hello all,

Long time, no post!

Its duelling season on "Benno's forum" at the moment and I have got myself into loads of them.
To be fair in the duel I have not posted my work on the blog before putting in the duel, so that's why it's been a while (That and the heat wave we are enjoying in dear old blighty at the moment).
This figure was for a duel with the great Maurice and many thanks to him for the duel!Woman V Man duel..
The figure is from under fire miniatures range of modern Russians.I believe they are meant to be from the recent "Georgian war".They have some Georgian soldiers in the pipeline so that should be interesting to see how they turn out.

The picture is not the best in the world, not in focus and the lighting is a bit wrong.
I used Vallejo model colours for this job.It was Russian uniform green, for the uniform (funny that!)Russian green for the the helmet, khaki for the webbing and medium sea grey for the collar.
I used gun metal grey, washed with back and flat earth for the furniture, again washed with black.The whole figure was giving a burnt umber wash and then a going over with Tamiya weathering powder for the dusty look.

The base was bought at the fleet air arm model show,where I bought about fifty of them.
It started off with some Vallejo dark mud effect, with some self cast rocks pushed into it.I found in the stash a "flattened" oil drum I think from SGTS MESS.
I got a heavy dose of MiG rust pigments and dry mud.Silfor tufts were sparingly placed on the base, sometimes less is more.
The background is a simple photo of the sky taken outside my house on the few sunny days we have in the UK.It have served me well and has appeared in many a shot.
This is an over view of the base and an idea of the lighting that I had to face.
And here's a top shot to give an idea of size of the dio, small and simple like the make.
I have really been enjoying painting these Under fire miniatures, and feel that it has motivated again.Some really great subjects that are very well sculpted, I sound like a bloody advert for them!

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS OR TIPS MORE THAN WELCOME!

Cheers for looking,     Rich.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

VALDEMAR MEDIEVAL CIVILIANS "NOW WERE'S THAT KEBAB CART" 1/72.

Hello all,

This was an entry for a duel with the great Paul (off of Paul's bods) on Benno's figure forum,follow the link for the Medieval drinking duel,(it's now finished so don't bother voting this time,always more duels to vote on though).
I would like to thank Paul for having the duel and for once not kicking my arse (which he normally does in a duel).

The rules were, two people, any base ,but must be about being on the piss, or for any one reading this out side of the UK being drunk or drinking.
 Paul was his own worst enemy on this one.I was having trouble working how to remove the base's on these amazing Valdemar figures (metal figures by the way).He suggested using a jeweller's hack saw.I had never heard of this before and thought he was taking the piss, hoping I would go to a shop and ask for one and look a tit when they laughed at me,Tartan paint and all that.
But it was true they did exist and £12 later I was sawing my way through them,having knackered 3 figures with a pair of cutters.
Funny that we both used the same figures for the duel.

 These figures are a dream to paint.loads of great detail that the paint picks up well.They are not the cheapest in the world but most definitely the best,you pay for what you get.
Not really knowing much about medieval clothes or the period I thought a few films would come in handy.After watching "Kingdom of heaven" and "Robin Hood" I started painting.
I used Vallejo paints on these boy's and thought I would be getting away from green and brown of camo clothing but no.By all accounts you bog standard peasant didn't shop at "Top shop" and had a bit of a boring choice of clothes.
The base was made using some of GEM's basing products that I got for coming third in his competition he kindly ran on his blog, and some silfor tufts.I was quite chuffed with GEM's products and when I run out I will be restocking  with a few more bits from his range.The soil is from his pigment range and so is the random rocks,long loose grass and bits of undergrowth.The tree was bought from a model shop but it looks so simple to make  ,I bought some wire and will use the same technique for my Selous scouts base.


I am really chuffed with this dio and will use the base for other photo's of figures.Once again cheers to Paul for the duel and I am sure he will get his on back in the next one.
PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES  FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS MORE THAN WELCOME.

Cheers For looking,   Rich.




Monday 11 April 2011

UNDER FIRE MINIATURES RHODESIAN SELOUS SCOUTS 172,WIP,PT2

Hello all,

Here is some more Under fire miniatures Selous scouts.
A bloody great set that I have cocked up.I am not happy with the camo pattern this time, because I got caught in two minds on which colour to do the base colour.I then spent bloody ages trying to rectify the problems.




Th camo is not that bad I suppose, but I had a book called "Fire force" by  Chris Cocks (yes I know) it is his name.So I had a reference to go by ad still got it wrong.
Well at least I have a load more figures to practice on.
I might add a whip ariel to this bloke to give him a bit more life.The face is not to well done on this bloke, again I think I rushed him a bit.The wash on the webbing was a bit to strong and the dry brushing a bit to light so again not to happy with him.
I should have painted his T shirt a plain colour but I cocked up on the very first bloke and gave him a plain shirt when it should have been camo.To try  and make the look of Rhodesians, I tried to get more camo in but it doesn't look right at all.
The webbing wasn't bad on this bloke but that's about it.






Last but not least a team photo of the boys all together.
I still have to remove the bases with my new jewellers hack saw but that shouldn't be a problem (famous last words).
On a descent base with a few high bushes and a good background they might just look Okay.
A great set that the first bloke gave me really joy to paint then let down by me rushing.

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS OR TIPS WELCOME.

Cheers for looking,    Rich.

Wednesday 6 April 2011

UNDER FIRE MINIATURES RHODESIAN SELOUS SCOUT 1/72 WIP,PT1.

Hello all,

I have STILL been mental at work, so once again I am very sorry for not replying or posting on other peoples blogs.Not that I am complaining, I would rather have work than not.
Anyway, back to 1970's Africa.The Selous scouts were formed in 1973 as a special forces unit to combat insurgents from the ZANLA/ZANU  groups.
When I found out that Under fire miniatures were selling the Martello figures I was over the moon.Then I found that they had expanded them I was chuffed to buggery.So I bought the lot!
This has been a bit frustrating doing research on this topic because I managed to just avoid a nasty virus on the Internet while looking at pictures of uniforms.I had to shout up to the wife quick the computer is dying, before terminating the Internet connection.Then taking the battery out of the laptop, the wife then started to ask questions!"What were you looking at exactly?", "UNIFORMS!!!", "no dear not those kind of uniforms" I plead.I still don't think she believes me now.


I cocked up with the shirt, it should have been camouflage pattern but you live and learn.The hat was the first attempt at painting this type of camo, I don't think it's too bad .When I paint the smocks and trousers of the others I will get a better idea of how it went.

Here is a group photo of the set, and a bloody great set they are too!They do a couple of RLI sets as well.I will be picking up a Heller Alouette on Friday, I will have to bodge something together because it's the police version.
I am happy with this bloke and once my other commitments have finished I will be straight back on them.

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS OR TIPS WELCOME.

Cheers for looking,   Rich.