Some Progress

Well I was able to make a slight change last night . . . We ate a little earlier. (A good thing to, because we were both very hungry!)

Between a little bit of The Scorpion King and Chef Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares I was able to finish painting the halbred staves for the rest of the unit!

I am beginning to feel like I'm getting somewhere. Painting is starting to become a bit of a self-fulfilling phrophecy ~ the more I get done the more I want to do!

And I want to do more! As you can see, I still have lots more to go. I should finish hair next, but I think I'll try to get the belts done tonight. I'll stick with blue for the belts, since this shade of blue is going to be the AElvish Army's main color.

If I remember right, I believe these figures are from the mid or late seventies. Classic Ral Partha sculpts. (I might have bought them in the early eighties, I can't remember for sure.) They might be made of a soft pewter alloy, but judging by how soft the halbred shaft is I'd say they are lead.

I started basing my figures on individual ceramic tiles years ago. (An idea I got from Alan H., who sold me his collection of Ancients.) It really makes it easier for me to hold onto the figures while I'm painting them and is perfect if they are going to be used in a skirmish or role playing game.

As an experiment, these and a couple of other units were spray primed with grey Krylon. (Which stunk for the longest time as it cured.) At some point I painted their faces ~ looking at them now, I'd say with Humbrol paint. Much later, years later, I dry-brushed the mail, shield rims, and halbred heads and rivets. Even later I painted the boots different colors. (I might have done the boots before the dry-brushing; it's been so long ago I don't remember.)

I generally use cheap craft store acrylics. There are great ranges and shades of colors available. They generally cover well. They're easy and very cheap to replace, even cheaper if you catch a sale. And you get a lot of paint in a bottle. So I have no hesitation in using them for all kinds of scenic projects too.

The next time I'm in that area, I'll stop at Michael's and pick up a dark grey to match this color so I'll be prepared when it's time to touch up the gloves. Not sure how much if any painting I'll get in Saturday because tomorrow will be Pat's Sixty-fifth Birthday !!! !!! !!!

In keeping with our long tradition I'll be cooking her choice of dinner: salmon with lemon-butter, my potato au gratin (baked in my Perfect David Grant Pot!), and grilled asparagus. I've already done my shopping so I'm ready to cook Her Birthday Dinner! It'll be Fun!