Almost Finished !

I have almost finished my AElvish Halbreds !!! I spent Sunday afternoon painting and watching cooking shows on PBS. Fortunately most of them weren't too interesting so I got quite a bit done. The hair is finished, eyebrows added where needed, halbred shafts touched up again, and then (while watching the classic Zulu) all of the rivets and halbred blades re-painted with a shinier silver. I went ahead and painted their bases, using an avocado green ~ which I've decided looks much better than the hooker green I had been using for the last few years.

If I can get blogger to load this image correctly you should be able to click on it for a larger view. I hope you'll agree that they are looking pretty good for figures that are about an inch tall!

I still need to work on their faces and the knotwork design on their scabbards. I haven't decided how I'm going to do the knotwork ~ whether to use blue or maybe silver, or mayber even different colors . . .

I think I'm ready for a little break before working on the faces too. I have to decide just what paint I'm going to use! I think I used a Humbrol flesh way back when I first started these figures. These days I really prefer the generic craft store acrylics, but I haven't found the perfect flesh tone yet. Well have to see . . .

After sitting back and just enjoying looking at these figures I pulled out my boxes of Ral Partha figures. After some more looking and enjoying I think I have my next perfect painting project!

I have a good number of, mainly Ral Partha, centaurs. All along I've intended them to be Allies of the AElves. I think three of them that will be my next painting project! A fun change of pace and beautiful figures.

Watching Zulu did get me thinking about The Secret Project again . . . I've gone back and forth in my mind for some time about different ideas. Reading some of the great 18th Century gaming blogs about different Imagi-Nations recently reminded me of the neighboring, and belligerant, Empires that Ted M. and I mapped out back in high school.

At one point I was had thought about maybe making the traditional barbarian kind of orcs actually technicologically further ahead. A bit difficult though on the figure front. Now Zulu has me thinking along more traditional, though a bit different lines.

HoTT has a neat points system that allows for easy army customization. So my orcs could be fielded as blades, warbands, auxillaries, or just about anything I want or need. Seeing the Zulus disappear and re-appear in the terrain reminded me of playing The Sword & The Flame with Alan H. years ago. The hidden movement rule for the Zulus really added to the game tension. Definitely something to remember when it comes time to field my orcs!

This view is one of my favorites and really shows how they will look on the battlefield.

The unit is on the a cheese tray, with the lid behind them, that I use to store them on one of the living room shelf when I'm not working on them. It keeps them close by and available and keeps the dust off of them. I picked this up years ago for just a couple of dollars. It's perfect for my needs.

Painting Area and Progress

Somehow it's Sunday again and I haven't posted in a couple of days . . . I have made some progress though! I got a late start both Thursday and Friday nights. It took both of those sessions just to get the gloves finished, though I think they look pretty good.

It occured to me that with all of my talk of cleaning and re-arranging I need to follow the gaming/painting blogging tradition of posting a photo of my work area. So here's the roll top in it's new location, both closed and opened. The large vase in the center was made by our friend Hamilton Williams. The two flanking it were made by Betsy Gray. Both are fellow S.H.C. Guild members.

Still in keeping with tradition, here's a shot of my actual painting work area. I like to use a wooden folding TV table. Since I still haven't found the perfect chair yet, I took this while seated in Pat's glide rocker.

I spent a good part of Saturday morning checking out Ral Partha auctions on eBay. That made me feel good, since I found some of the early orcs and goblins that I like so much. I also found a bunch of the Ral Partha medievals that are the same line that Tim the Elder uses with his Castle! Besides just being so cool I'm wondering if I like his games so much because we get to play with his collection of Ral Partha figures! For me those Ral Partha figures from the Seventies are the definition of beautiful wargaming figures!

Pat went to a tea at Marlein's church, so Saturday afternoon I puttered around and then got some painting time in later while watching Shakespeare in Love. It's a perfect background movie for me. Unfortunately I slipped Friday night, and painted this AElf's face and hair and halbred staff! I hate do-overs, whether painting or in our work. But I do them gladly to make things right.

So Saturday's first job was to fix him! I' not sure what I'm going to do about his face though. Or, for that matter, any of their eyes. The eyes on these figures should be do-able. They're well cast and the detail is there. I'm not sure if I'm going to paint them in our do shadows in the eye sockets . . .

By the time Pat got home I was finishing inking all of the hair. I got a start on drybrushing some of them with lighter shades. But I decided to put them aside and we watched an episode of the brillant new PBS Sherlock Holmes series on PBS.

As soon as I run to the store today I'm going back to knocking out the hair!

Set Up & Consequences.

It's been a haul, but the living room is essentially finished. Well, there's a couple of stacks of books tucked into the coat closet, the speakers need to be moved and I need to clean the glass and put them back into the display case. Other than that (and cleaning the windows and blinds) our living room is cleaned and re-arranged!

I even got the two hall book shelves emptied, cleaned and re-loaded yesterday. That added a few more books for Mr. K's!

The living room looks and feels much better. My roll top desk holds my paints and there is a perfect place for my new painting chair ~ once I find it!

After dinner I, once more, borrowed Pat's glide rocker, pulled the lamp over and got some painting time in. I was all set to finish the last three heads of hair . . . But for background we turned the TV on and Monarchy was on PBS. It's such a well done show and so interesting that Pat put her book down and I laid my brushes down to watch.

Once it ended, I was ready to knock out the hair and move on to touching up and highlighting gloves . . . Pat decided that Across the Universe would be fun to have on in the background. (We both had Dear Prudence running through our heads all day.) Great music and visuals, and a really well done musical.

I only got the hair finished, on the last three figures that needed it. Too much visual stimulus in the background! Still, it was fun and the figures are coming along. I took a couple of photos before last night's session; which is why one of the figure's hair is only primed.
The figure second from the right has an odd reddish/brownish color showing on some areas of his mail. I'm not sure what it is! At one point I thought it might be a symptom of lead rot coming through the paint (and it might be, I don't know). But I have been able to scrub some of it off with the tips of toothpicks. I'll clean it up as much as possible and touch the paint up.

Detailing their faces, painting their lips and eyes, may be next rather then the gloves. By then the hair should be ready for inking and highlighting. Then onto some metallic ~ I think all of the rivets need emphasising and the halbred blades could be brighter, shiney-er. I still have to decide how I want to paint the knotwork pattern on the scabbards.

There is more to go, but I feel like I am over the hump now.

And, at least as important, I'm really enjoying my painting time. It is becoming a positive pattern or habit. This is Fun!

Oh, the consequences part of all this cleaning and re-arranging . . . now I have all sorts of clutter and piles of magazines, and ten plastic shoe boxes of painted Ancients figures, waiting for me to find a new place or way to store them . . . But the living room looks and feels Great!

Cleaning & Painting Again.

I did get a lot done on the living room yesterday. We freed up about five linear feet of book shelves when we realized that we just didn't need, or even really want, most of our cook books. So we both went through them and decided on which to keep. We have a small pile to give to Carl the next time he comes over. I've snagged a couple of really good ones for Bill, and I'll let him have first dibs on the rest. Any that neither of them want are going to either Mr. K's used book store or will be donated to Habitat for Humanity or ABCCM's thrift store.

When I pulled the roll top desk away from the wall I discovered mold . . . I hate mold. A very thorough cleaning ensued! I got the roll top and the book case into position with the display case on top of it. (Pat's right, the display case desperately needs painting, I'm just not sure when.)

We spent some time looking at and talking about the room. Then made a few changes. I got the paints all stored in the roll top. (Ideally my new chair will sit within arms reach of it and not block access to the book case.) Then we looked at everything some more, ran out to a couple of thrift stores and had no luck finding a chair ~ the right one hasn't come along yet.

When we got home we looked at the room. I got most of the pottery put away. My David Grant jug collection is on top of the display case. Most of the functional pottery is in the display case, and Pat's vases are on top of the roll top. It really looks pretty good! We ended up putting the three pitchers on the book cases odd little end shelves. They look good there. We moved a couple of lamps around.

We'll end up emptying the other two book cases and moving the wooden one into the hall and storing Dad's old wood and painted cinder block one. Then we can move the couch that I generally use against the wall next to the roll top desk and turn the area rug ninety degrees. We'll have to try it and see what we both think.

After dinner Pat graciously let me use her chair and she retired to the couch to read. I put Serenity on and started painting. I got the hair painted on all but three of the figures; well four, counting the one that was painted a long time age and needs touching up.

They really are coming along very nicely. It was a relaxing evening and it feels good to be getting more done on them. Since these figures are vaguely "viking-ish", with long swirling hair, I'm painting their hair in lighter shades, a few slightly reddish. Since there is so much hair I think they deserve inking and then dry-brushing.

Once again I didn't take a photo of my progress, so today's photo will be "None Shall Pass"! This is the 'Black Knight" I painted for Tim to use in his Road Rash game. I believe he's a Ral Partha pewter figure (from the line that you can find at the oddest places ~ kind of a generic fantasy gift shop item).

Sunday's Sharpening & Progress

I ended up having to go to two different stores Sunday. Got home in time for lunch and then I was able to set up my painting table (more on that later). Just as I finished painting the very first belt blue, Bill and Marlein came by.

We had a coupe of beers and a very good time talking. He also, very kindly sharpened my two favorite knives! Bill's a Chef at the Lobster Trap. He's probably the best cook that I know ~ and I do know a few. He's brillant and imaginative. It's always fun to talk food and cooking with him. (It's even more fun to be hanging around when he's cooking and then get to eat with them!) We had a very nice and enjoyable visit.

After they left I got down to painting. I was able to get the belts all finished pretty quickly. Excited and determined to make as much progress as I could I pressed on and was able to finish all of the sword grips too. It may not sound like that much progress, but it sure makes a difference!!!

It was a fun day. Capped with a nice easy dinner and movies with Pat.

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!

A little more progress.

I wasn't able to get any painting time in Monday. I made a good start on cleaning up the living room which, of course, morphed into re-arranging the living room. By the time Pat got home I had realized that I really would like to have a chair of my own in the living room, for painting and reading and TV watching. I spend way too much time flopped on one of the couches as it is!


So now we are beginning to really take a look around and think about how we want to make changes in our home and our lives that will really benefit ourselves. Fun and exciting.


How come sometimes it can be hard to remember that you can change your life for the better??? We've done it before! We'll do it again!


I did get a little bit more done on the AElvs last night. I started on halbred staves. Only got about three of the twelve done (I think I started a bit too late in the evening), so I didn't photograph them.


So, just to keep me charged up, here's a photo of "Dowg". I believe he's a Games Workshop figure. I painted him a couple of years ago for John to use when we tried to start an Empire of the Petal Throne campaign. (Despite what John thinks, Dowg did a pretty good job, or at least tried to!)


I got to use him as my personality figure's guard dog in Tim the Elder's most recent DBS "Road Rash!" game. He did a great job and once more survived!

Painting Progress!

Well, yesterday was great! We had a really good time with David and Denay and Alyssa and Gwen at lunch. David and I got each other stirred up about our different projects. (I need to remember to send him some of the links that have inspired me lately.)

After a quick stop at the store we were home and I was ready to paint while Pat finished up the spider project for the Guild's school day. (She gave Alyssa the first one she made. Sweet Alyssa loved it.) We put a DVD of Ground Forces on for background for both of us. If you haven't seen it, I highly reccomend it. It is a fun British show with some great garden designs and wonderful eye-candy . . .

I actually made progress on my Ral Partha AElvish Halbreds!!! It was Fun, and really has me excited! I even managed to take some before shots, I'll have to post the after later ~ once I have a chance to take them.

The hair was taking so long, when I was painting last Sunday, that I decided I needed to have some fun painting time where I could actually make progress. And I did! All of the blue is done now. Both the small amount that shows under the bottom of the mail and all of the shields.

The under tunic is two-toned wet-on-wet painting. (One side of the brush is loaded with the main color the other side is loaded with a lighter shade.) It worked well and was fairly fast. The shields were very fast to paint, and are in one color tone. I got a good three hours of painting time in. That probably sounds like a long time compared to some of the fast painters. But Iw as taking my time, enjoying the process, and taking lots of time watching Charlie jiggle and giggle . . . (If you've ever seen Ground Forces you know exactly what I mean!)

Pat and I had a nice afternoon together. And now I'm stirred up again and can't wait to get more time in painting!