When do they come alive ?

[streetgang]

This is an excellent question to post and one that a wargaming buddy and I have discussed many times before. For me, figures start to come alive after all the base coats and the first stages of high-lights (not that there is a lot of high-lighting going on). That is when i see the light at the end of the tunnel and painting moto is not an issue. Sometimes, during the tedious work of basecoats, I find it difficult to sit down at the painting table.

[FierceKitty]

Belts, straps, baldrics. Once I'm that far, the end is not distant, and they look as if "ready" is a word they're preparing to hear.

[FierceKitty]

Afterthought: Baldrics! is a good oath, isn't it? Baldrics, Peter. You can't retreat through hostile elephants!, or Baldrics! Why do I always throw a 1 in a crisis?, or  Baldrics, the Gatling's jammed!, or, for a crusader, By God's baldrics, today the Saracen shall pay for Hattin and Manzikert and Ager Sanguinis and al-Mansourrah and Cresson and....baldrics, perhaps we should go home after all!

[fsn]

To add to the Crusader theme, may I add the two small drums hung from the belt and known as "knackers"?

"My head rings as if St Peter himself sat in my skull playing on his knackers". 

[Leman]

Brings Rhod Gilbert to mind in Never Mind the Buzzcocks.