Friday, August 18, 2006

-ROCKETMAN-

Unlike my productive friend the Grimsby Mariner, (I like the new look by the way) I am slow at painting figures. This is because I am a slower and methodical painter of small miniature soldiers and because I use enamal paints rather than the safer, easier and quick drying acrylic paints. The reason why I choose to intoxicate myself in the fumes and vapours of enamel paint is because I prefer the greater range of subtle tones on offer.
No doubt the quick witted amongst you will ponder on why I don't just mix up my own tones with acrylics, to which the answer is simply because I am too lazy. I like to open the pot and have the colour ready and waiting. There is also the small matter of past experience with acrylics (in my teenage years I was a great D&D player and painted many figures in Humbrol acrylics) as opposed to enamel. The best figure painter I ever met used enamel and so, the habit rubbed off.

Of late I am engaged in a small illustration project so I have not had a great deal of time to paint figures really, but I have made a start and based all my latest acquisitions from Copplestone Castings (my favourite manufacturer of small toy soldiers) and begun painting my Bolsheviks. I wasn't quite sure what colour scheme Bolshevik soldiers had (if indeed they had any at all) so I've gone out on a limb and am giving them olive drab coats and khaki trousers, all insignia will be 'commie red' and all the leather bits will be dark brown rather than 'SS black' to give them a more provisional look.

The Good Guys: 1, Rocketman (bought from Eureka Miniatures). 2, George Macarthur. 3, 'Mad Dog' Mitchell. 4, Lady Penelope Carfax. 5, Murdoch. 6, The Colonel. 7, Sgt Sternov. 8, Bolshevik rifle's. 9, German Falshirmsjäger motor bike & sidecar with mounted MG34 (I may replace this element with another armoured car to even the balance, but also because I can't find anything that indicates the Russians were ever into motor biks with side cars) 10, Rolls Royce armoured car (in truth I doubt the Bolsheviks woul have had RR's, but they certainly had a lot of similar vehicles, also from the UK, and besides, its not like there is a lot of models on offer from this period). 11, Rolls Royce staff car (again, this is a compromise given the lack of period models. I'm using a Matchbox collectable I've 'borrowed' from my Mom) 12 & 13, Bolshevik trucks, (more Matchbox compromises. These are repainted Crossley's). 14, Bolshevik machine gun. 15. Ivan the conductor.

The bady guys: 1. Viktor Korsarov. AKA the Iron Czar (another miniature from Eureka). 2, Olga. 3, Yeltsinsky. 4, Yuri. 5, Agent X. 6, Korsakov's tank crews and engineers. 7, Korsakov's rifle men (are actually French soldiers from Crusader Miniatures because I haven't got any more Bolsheviks, I'll replace these later on with White Russians) 8, Kosakov's machine gunners, (more French troops. There is also a mortar crew, but they're not in the picture). 9, A 1/47 scale Renoult FT 17 tank, (from Gaso Line. Still under construction. I hate resin models, they never fit together as they ought to). 10, A Renault truck (yet another Matchbox conversion). 11. Staff car (this is atually a German desert army kupelwagon which an online friend sent me. He also sent me the Indiana Jones tank). 12. An International Mark 7 tank with a modified turret (this model came from Disneyland in Florida, where it was sold as a kids toy. It is a model of the tank Indiana Jones battles in the film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.)

2 comments:

marinergrim said...

Thanks Moif. I like the new look too - much easier on the eye.

acylics have a fantastic range of shades and colours too now, all straight from the tin as it were. But I still like to shade and mix and bring out some sublety.

moif said...

I do this more with significant figures than with the rank and file. Since we play games more based around characters and role playing, this means there is a big difference between the quality of whats on the table.

Often half or unpainted figures are drafted due to necessity.