Just realised I have quite a few projects on at the moment.
I'm home sick today with a badly rolled ankle and am examining my (worryingly-growing) pile of lead and wondering what to do.
Shall I put my troops on maneuvers? Read a couple more table Top Teasers? Actually paint something? I've been shying away from painting my WAS/7YW troops for some reason recently. Perhaps it's time to get stuck in; do those light troops I've been banging on about. It'd be a good way to use up some odds and ends in varying poses. I'd like to do a Charge!-style regiment of two companies, each 12 strong of light infantry. OK - you talked me into it.
On the subject of being talked into doing things, I'd love some feedback on the Bauer-His Majesty-von Browne vignettes. What I'm trying to do with them is add a little depth to the Alzheim setting. I though it might be a way of exploring their little world. I have at least two more in mind and wonder if people are finding them, if nothing else, entertaining? If that's so, I'm really thinking of carrying on with them in the long term.
Sculpting. This is a rather scary word for me, but I'm starting to come up against the limits of what I think I can do with the RSM range. I'm starting to think about some head-chopping conversions, but this is going to lead me down a certain road. A road paved in greenstuff.
For example(s), the Prussian officer with spontoon would be better-looking were he looking off to his left and encuring the troops were maintaining their alignment. The von Kleist infantry (Loading) is the whole of what's available. I'd like a little more variety and think a von Kleist head on a Hungarian infantry body might broaden the range of what's available to the King of Prussia. On the topic of the head-swap, it might be nice to produce a British Light Dragoon who is doing other than firing at the halt - Emsdorf, anyone? Likewise, I wonder whether an "Advancing" torso mounted on "Marching" legs might not produce a somewhat satisfactory standard bearer.
3 comments:
Greg: I've noticed that you are all over the board in your projects (Vauban forts, WW2, Victorian toy soldiers, tanks, etc). You need to listen to the maste, Peter Young, and not get distracted by other periods. Stick with the 18th Century for awhile and get some of those units up to full strength. I'm sure that monsieur Force-Majeur would gladly welcome a full complement of Gardes Francaises - the few that you did were awe inspiring.
BTW, I've enjoyed your background stories with the King, etc. Keep them up, they are fun to read.
On the subject of conversions, I tried to take an RSM musketeer firing and convert him into an NCO, cutting off the musket and right arm and then re-attach the right arm so that it is digging a cartridge out of the box on his hip. The left hand is still outstretched and is either pointing or holding a halbred or a musket. There is an example in the Military Modelling (?) cover picture that depicts the original introduction of RSM figures. I think that a copy might be in the OSW archives. At any rate, I had great difficulty in trying to make a new right arm out of green stuff. It is not a talent that I possess.
regards,
Alte Fritz
Gardes Francaises, eh? Well, I'm further along with them than with anything else at the moment, and we must attempt to keep M. Force-Majeur happy, mustn't we? Perhaps i could do another company this week to progress them. I think my WW2 craze is running it's course and is fated to end on June 30, for what it's worth. They were good fun; easy to paint as I seem to not have the patience to paint carefully at the moment. I tried painting with washes on a few RSMs yesterday with rather unimpressive results.
The King shall carry on, ably assisted by Master Bauer, I'm sure.
I think that such a radical conversion might be more easily done with a wire armature built up little by little with green stuff. One of the good things about the RSM range are the profusion of seperate weapons that I think will be of the greatest assistance.
I have to admit that I have been all over the place recently and that steps must be taken to remedy this at once. Perhaps I'm needing to rediscover some inspiraton.
I propose drawing a wing of the Army up in battle array and a nice big photo shoot.
The wire armature idea is a good one. I will have to give it a try. I don't think that I have been using the right kind of putty, as it doesn't seem to harden fast enough (it stays pliable for several days). I read that you can change the mix ratio of yellow and blue to make the putty harden quicker, but I'm not sure of which part is the hardener.
Also, time is the biggest factor. I'd rather spend the time painting.
Alte Fritz
Post a Comment