Finally getting around to Photographs.....

People often think if I'm not updating the site, I'm not painting, but this is often as far from the truth as you can be, since I'm simply too busy with the brushes to get around to photography and updates. This has certainly been the case in recent months. I'm happy to say however, from the websites point of view at least that I've had a couple of quieter days and have finally taken some new pictures suitable for upload to the main site's galleries!

First up, and old piece that has been dodging the lens for far too long. I Painted this as part of a job application to Mantic games a few years back. Obviously, it didn't come to anything, but I enjoyed the process painted some cool stuff. The Warpath Enforcer Captain is the first of these to make it onto the site (9 Pictures)

Something more recent, to prove my first statement - An early World War II Polish army in 28mm I painted for use in Bolt action. Miniatures from Warlord games, Meant to be selling this force, but I'm quickly falling for it myself.... Anybody want to buy it quick before I decide I've found an excuse to keep it! (20 Pictures)

And Finally, After years of not finding either the space or the time, I've taken a few photos of the massed ranks of my own Kraytonian Army, which can be seen in the 6mm Seeds of War section (Sci-Fi). More detail pics from these ranks will be coming soon too, but time has cut me short for this update. (3 pictures)

Totals:
New Galleries: 3
New Pictures: 32

Project Anyaral - works in progress

Very proud to say I maxed out my Twilight points from the challenge on the WoT forums last month and also bagged the Gold spot for the first month. Work is under way on challenge pieces for February, despite painting having been interrupted for various reasons! 

So, Delgon are the focus of the early month, and specifically, command and specialists to add to the core of the army already painted. Ipad photos for the moment - proper ones to add to the galleries will be taken for the end of the month! 

A second trio of striders, including a strider captain have also been added: 

A up I've done a few fun details on some of the command elements - they were just crying out for them! 

Next up appears to be some Enugan forces. Wasn't planned that way, but they've jumped the que! 

Also been painting various warlord games bits, which have already been seen on the Facebook page, but not here, so to correct that...

So, that's what's been seen on the workbench lately - plenty more rolling through as always - thanks for looking! 

What once was hidden.....

Now is found....
I really can't believe I out together all these galleries and never posted them. I guess the site just got too big for me to notice they were missing! What's more, it's been a very busy week, so even just getting this little blog post written up has taken me the week, without having to take the photos. Thank heavens they were there for me to use!

6mm has always been a popular scale for me, and I think, thus by default, for my viewers so this should provide some interest, and with the embarrassing age of some of the pictures, some entertainment for you all - the Epic war machines gallery (44 pictures) is now live. Nothing new there, but a fair variety!

Returning to the historical side of things, but still from among the hidden vaults, there's a gallery for a flames of War German commission I completed a decade or so ago. To say my styles have changed is an understatement, but hey, I was proud at the time and the customer was happy! (20 pictures)

New galleries: 2

New pictures: 64

New Pics, For sale, and new random paint.

well, what do you know - I actually got a few models in front of decent lighting and a proper camera, we have an actual HobbyBrush update!

Not many, granted, but its a token start ;op

First up, a few more pics added to the 28mm Soviet WWII gallery. This whole section is going to need a complete reorganise soon when I add all the new bits to it, but these first ones are all for sale so got priority for good pics. IS2, SU76, T70, and a T34/85 in summer green. (9 pictures)

 The Classic Metal Cadian Squad I painted a few weeks back are going up on ebay, so they qualified for a photoshoot too - new pics in the 40K misc section (2 pictures)

A few upgraded pics added to the Warmaster Misc section - High Elf and Wood Elf Lords and Brettonian king - all painted years ago! (7 Pictures) 

The Witch Hunters Mordheim Mob uploaded to the blog earlier this week get their own gallery (11 Pictures)

New Figure alert! Completely random quick paint job on a classic old citadel foot knight. Added to the Warhammer Misc Gallery and on bay soon (2 pictures) 

And finally, there's this guy. Another random and very quick paintjob on one of the hundreds of figures I received in the Reaper Bones Kickstarter deal. Really cant decide how he should be based, and dot think I'll get back to him anytime soon, so here he is now on the Blog - welcome the ever honorable (?) Bar Tender!

New Galleries: 1
New Pictures: 31

Its a long time since I've typed that..... Happy New Year and Happy Viewing!

Project Kursk : the objectives

Well, the big game may have come and gone, but there's still some things I didn't get to show you in the run up, and some details to be added to a lot of models before I declare them 100% 'done' so you can expect the title to continue to crop up! 

In this post, it's the objectives from the game. They were rushed out to be ready for the day, but served us well - nothing like the site of some hardy soviets cooking up a brew whilst 100 tanks fight around them ( indeed, fight for the rightm to control the very field kitchen they're brewing on! ) .

Ok, so they might not make 'sense' as objectives in all instances, but they're a good excuse to put together and indeed use some more characterful pieces. 

Baggage cart, field kitchen and baggage from baker company's winter war kickstarter:

Tank crews from the same winter war kickstarter: 

And, finally, a selection of casualty bases using black tree designs' soviet casualty figures:

More soon, and variety will start once again as the festive season sees me without a specific project, so time to catch up on things, start new things I'll never finish, and enjoy painting some random bits! 

Project Kursk: the big game been and gone!

Well, the big day happened. 

Over 120 28mm vehicles involved in one massive game. 

7 players. 

Great fun was had! 

My early war flank got it's arse handed to it on a plate by Mad Bob Emmerson's Hungarians, which he'd bought with him all the way from Poole just for the game. 

As the collections went through mid war and well into late at the far end of our 24x4ft setup, our komrades fared a lot better, taking on the might of the nazi war machine and besting it despite massive losses! 

A soviet victory! 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Kursk : the scenic view

It's not all tanks and weaponry. A game of this scale (150 1:56 vehicles in case you'd missed that bit....)  needs a fair bit of table covering too. 

I've had one of the hamlets from warlord games  awaiting some attention for a while now, and it wouldn't be right to have this mega game without putting it to use, so the buildings have seen a swift brush. 

They will receive basing after the game, as I don't want to get them mixed up with the guildford games club ones, which I painted exactly the same and are already based! 

The plan for this weekend had been to work on some of my Vehicles from the Winter War kickstarter, which I had meant to pick up at warfare a few weeks back. However, that didn't happen and I'm finding myself in the same boat as a lot of other WW backers, awaiting miniatures which I was led to believe would already be with me. I have upmost confidence in Gav of Baker Company that I'll get my product, but it is rather frustrating. It now looks like I might be somewhat short of my previously posted armour list, as 20 vehicles haven't even arrived yet! 

14 days to go..... Just one weekend..... Fingers crossed! 

Project Kursk: finally, soviet armour!

But it is on the small side..... 

5 lend lease universal carriers. Bolt action / warlord games plastic kits, with Baker Company heads from the winter war kickstarter. 

These little transports have been rigged with a variety of weapons for their on board troops to utilise - 1 Bren gun, 2DPM LMGs, and 2 anti tank rifles. They may also be used to carry some of my scouts / anti tank squads from time to time, but I mostly got them purely as I wanted to paint them :) 

18 days to go.....

Project Kursk: the Hollywood flank

Anyone else confused yet? 

It's a tank project. Until now within these updates I've painted infantry and artillery support units. 

It's titled Kursk. And the first armoured brigade I'm working on since I started blogging my progress is Americans. 

Conclusion : it's a hobby. I like painting. I also like history. But I do it all for fun and don't take any of it too seriously, so I simply hope you enjoy the pics :)

10 28mm shermans from warlord games, and 3 half tracks. Should the soviets need help, the "Hollywood flank" will be unleashed! 

 These are all sill a wip - weathering and chipping all need to be added, but the insignia and markings were added using pre production stencils / masks from Anarchy models new kickstarter and this is the best moment to photograph for seeing those. 

ANARCHY MODELS H.S. STENCILS: 

All the allied stars, USA markings, and soviet stars on another 6 vehicles were added in just 40 minutes. It's was my first try with the new stencils so there was a little learning time in that too, but they certainly live up to the HS ( High Speed) name. You can see through them when they are against the model so positioning is easy, and the paint wipes straight off cleanly meaning you never have any build up issues and they should last forever! 

There are limitations, mainly caused by the size of the protective surroundings on the stencils which prevent you from getting markings into some tighter spots between details. You do also get a very slight fuzzy edge around the markings wherever the stencil is held away from the surface of the piece by moulded detail. 

If it was a display piece, these things may be slight problems, but I guess that's where the original range of "HD" stencils come into play. I've been using those since Brians (Anarchy models) previous kickstarter to great effect on my many soviets and you realy can get those into place on and over any amount of fine details. 

These are a fast process, and ideal for mass or fast painting, with very good end results. They bend and form over curved surfaces and offer good procptection to the rest of the model in the process. For more awkward ares or smaller models, the "HD" line will continue to be my go-to, but certainly in conjunction with this new range. 

Check out the kickstarter for some good offers on the new range, but Harry, it's in it's last few days! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/805848592/anarchy-models-hs-stencils-flexible-and-fully-re-u

Project Kursk: the guns get bigger

So it's really a tank project, and I started with infantry... I know... I know.... 

But ignoring your cries for some heavy armour, here's a slight step in the right direction - some larger pieces of ordinance have made their way off the bench. 

120mm mortar: the big space on the base is for the trailer rig which comes with the tube( all from BTD) , but which I've completely mislaid so will have to be added later! 

And not one, but two 57mm anti tank guns, which will be being towed until deployment by my forces captured hanomags. 

Actually, because it's meant to be an armour log, here's a couple of things which I painted a while back, but have never posted photos of before - my IS2. Pride and joy of the panther hunting forces already painted and ready for the 14th!

And the ever reliable SU122 

New tanks next time! 

Project Kursk - the preview

A couple of weeks ago, we ran a "little" test game at our local club to try out some ideas of how to handle a game with so many vehicles involved. It went really well, and master of ceremonies, mr Eddie "the Fez" Turner set out some of the WIP forces for a couple of promo shots. I knocked a couple myself for use on the blog, but forgot to post them at the time! 

That's 20 panthers eddie's putting together to form the core of the axis forces. It's a pretty scary sight! Thankfully what's seen here is just a fraction of the soviet / allied forces, but even so! 

Here's the hobbybrush workbench as of a week or so ago. 

Listings change, as I may have to sell a few before the event, but there's more in the post as well to compensate! 

SOVIETS:

20  x t34/85 (inc 3 OT variants)

3  x T34/76

1 x IS2

1 x captured panther

2 x KV 1

2 x KV2

1 x KV8

1 x SU76

1 x SU85

1 x SU100

1 x SU122

2 x SU122/152

2 x captured hanomags, which will be towing 57mm AT guns

5 x universal carriers

3 x T26a

6 x T26b

3 x Kht26

1 x T70

3 x BA10m

1 x BA64

And a few jeeps, trucks and associated unarmed vehicles 

US allies:

10 x Sherman

3 x M3 half tracks, filled with as many bazooka teams as I can compile (anyone got spare zooks to trade?!?)

Germans: 

They're unlikely to get painted in time.... Ad frankly who cares? ;op 

So there's a bit to do...... Then there's infantry to match it.... But not specifically for this game thank god! 

Project Kursk - the countdown

Well, I have the workshop back running at speed again, and there's a big game approaching on December 14th (see here : http://fez-man.blogspot.co.uk/p/bolt-action-fez-kursk-1945-th-november.html ) so it's time to drag mysf away from twilight and random painting to once again focus on the big picture - 28mm soviets 

Mainly armour, but a few infantry and artillery thrown into the mix too. 

My own, personal, aim is to be taking 70 vehicles of various classes to the game. Yes 70. Yes 28mm. Any further questions? 

Let the countdown begin! 21 days til Armageddon. 

I'm easing myself in with some infantry (specifically scouts, hence the amoeba camo suits)  and medium mortars. Figures are black tree. Bases are mdf from warbases.co.uk.