Sunday 8 November 2009

Prussian Musketeers


Calpe Musketer btn
Google seem to have a new pic uploader, seems to be a little more punter-friendly than the old one. You also get these BIG pics. Jolly good.
Just got round to basing up these Musketeers (apologies about the blobs of white glue under the grass tufts. they will dry and be invisible pretty quickly. These Calpe figures are possibly the most painter friendly figures I've ever encountered. For someone who has been brought up on Connoisseur they are so simple to paint. In fact, you would have to be a REALLY bad painter not to get a decent result with these. Even a cack-handed twat like me can make them look ok.

The usual massive mix of poses, which I like, I know its not everyone's cup of tea, but this is my blog, so tough. I used the same method as the Landwher, and these took about the same amount of time, so November is looking highly productive so far: 64 figures in 8 days. I won't be able to keep this up for the rest of the month but its a bloody good start.
Checked my bank account yesterday and there was a very significant difference all of a sudden which I hope means that Mr Moreby has posted the Austrians. Excellent. Trouble is I'm quite busy this week and then on thursday head to down to Newquay for a long weekend of WWII gaming (1/285th, so not very photogenic). I'm looking forwards to this, should be a good laugh, good crowd and it will be a good game. (D-Day, and a bit of Goodwood in 2 games). However, it is bound to mean a delay in getting stuck in to the Austrians.

I've got another march attack musketeer btn  like this to do, plus a Fusileer btn in a firing line pose, going to be difficult to do before starting the Austrians. Discipline will be required which has never been my strongpoint.

Managed to remember to do the flag correctly this time, 5 coats of brushed on artist's gloss then a brushed matt coat. Came out as flat as a pancake (?)...ok, thats a mixed metaphor but you know what I mean.
I do prefer to brush on varnish these days, seems a bit more controllable plus I'm a lazy sod and in order to spray I need to go down 3 stories to the garden. The artists gloss is not smelly.
So, no hair-spray or other "magic" solutions....just brush it on. Not rocket surgery.
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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely. What varnishes are you using for your brush on?
Chris

Chris Cornwell said...

Gloss is windsor and newton
"Artists' gloss varnish" (oil based)
and the Matt is W&N "Galleria acrylic mediums matt varnish" (water based).
I am about to run out of the matt however, and couldn't find any more in the art shop. The assistant recomended the W&N "Artisan water mixable oil matt varnish" (bit of a mouthful) which she claimed was the same, I haven't tried it yet.

Anonymous said...

The Prussians look great Chris, though that is an obscene number of figures to get through in such a short time.
I use the W&N Galleria Matt as well, I've never got on with spray varnish. Do you want me to pick some up from my local art shop for you?

Noel.