Having not painted anything from scratch for almost a decade* and in view of the number of brilliantly painted armies appearing in the photo's on the forum it was with a little trepidation that I set up my painting table, bought paints, brushes and a Rolson magnifying visor and set out to find out just how bad my eyesight and hand-eye co-ordination had become. To my surprise, despite the sight being noticeably dimmer and the hand considerably shakier, I was still able to turn out something that I was happy with.
So, I've decided to post some pics - primarily, to be fair, to act as a spur to keep me painting! Plan is to have two battalions of panzergrenadiers (one armoured and one lorried), a battalion of Pz IIIs and IVs and supporting artillery, aircraft, engineers, etc.
When I'm finished/ bored I'll add some opposing Soviets - both regulars and partisans. Might be tempted by some Soviet Naval Infantry too.
I'm using BKC2 for rules, with a stand representing a platoon.
I have the first battalion completed, though they'll have to walk for the moment as there's no transport painted yet! Pics below.
*The stuff posted before arrived assembled, undercoated and (badly) painted so just needed touched up - detailing, highlights and similar.
Looking good to me!
8)
Also have a number of command stands done - many more to go but it's kind of one of each for the moment.
The numbered dots are the command Values of the stands for BKC. It's just piece of grey board punched out with a hole punch and glued in place before painting.
There is my CO (GR207 Sdkfz 251 with map table and crew) passing orders to a Pithead motorcycle rider while covered by a flakvierling (GR56 20mm quad A.A. with crew).
An HQ consisting of an officer in a halftrack (GR93 Sdkfz 250/10 37mm AT gun - without the 37mm, long story) urging a couple of riflemen forward.
The FAO stand has a scratchbuilt wall corner and rubble heap peopled by a pair of spotters (GR64), a radio operator (GR16 with an aerial made from a map pin with the plastic bead top cut off)) and an unused periscope while a kettenrad (GR74) stands ready for them to cram onto and leg it if spotted.
Finally there's an FAC stand with a Pithead artilleryman standing in as the fliegerleitoffizier while various Pendraken infantry act as his Luftwaffe team manning the halftrack (GR205 Sdkfz 251/3 with frame aerial ). This is "Kursk and before" version there will be another for post-Kursk midwar armies with a one lower CV.
Very nice kit there sir!
Very nice work I.
Cheers - Phil.
They look very good to me,
The only suggestion I would make (if I may be so bold 8)) is that the single colour (and rather bright - at least on screen) green flock bases are a bit gauche. I think a more muted (and thus lighter) sand and green mix would set the troops of 8) much nicer.
then again much depends on the terrain you'll be using them on :-\
Zippee, I suspect you're right about the basing but it's now being done to fit in with the rest of the stuff I have.
Last time I was painting regularly life was .... "interesting" and so painting time was limited.
Basing technique in those days was paint the base earth brown, coat with PVA glue, dredge with fine sand, flood sand with dark brown ink, heavy dry-brush of dark earth, lighter drybrush of beige, very light dry brush of bleached bone, add rocks/ boulders/ debris, paint and highlight rocks/ boulders/ debris, dab pva glue in strategic places, dredge with flock, flood flock with leaf green ink, dry brush flock with light yellow, light highlight of unbleached linen. Looked great. Took ages. I wound up with half painted armies I never used because the guys I played with had moved on to new rules/ eras/ scales before I had an army ready to use.
So, to speed up production I painted the base green, coated with PVA glue, dredged it with green-dyed florists sand and gave it a quick drybrush to highlight. Quick and dirty but I got figures on the table and I got to use my own figures rather than borrowing stuff.
Now of course I have plenty of time but am still wedded to the quick and dirty basing method. Old dogs, new tricks and all that :)
If I move on to another period I'll probably revert to a simpler version of my original basing.
I see you've painted in the officers' maps where applicable, so your hand/eye co-ordination can't be that bad, Ithoriel. I love the little touches, like the pennon on the command half-track. :-bd
had a close look at these and I think they are bloody good, particularly the little set-ups on the command bases. nice one
Looking good. Regarding the bases... evidently a spring offensive.
Looks great, the maps are a great touch! :-D
Firstly, thanks for the encouraging comments, though I remain all too aware (and envious!) of the beautiful paint jobs posted by others here.
Finally made time to get some more things finished!
First up, my landsers finally have some transport - though their colleagues with heavy weapons await half-track mounted equivalents.
As well as transport I've added some artillery.
Second batch of pics is of the three 75mm PAK 40s providing rather more effective anti-tank firepower than the 37mm's mounted on the half-tracks
Finally, some heavier firepower in the form of a couple of LeFH 105mm guns
Quote from: Maenoferren on 03 November 2013, 09:39:45 AM
Looking good. Regarding the bases... evidently a spring offensive.
Our games are nominally set in April to July 1943, covering the run up to Kursk and the battle itself.
Quote from: Zippee on 12 October 2013, 07:53:00 AM
The only suggestion I would make (if I may be so bold 8)) is that the single colour (and rather bright - at least on screen) green flock bases are a bit gauche. I think a more muted (and thus lighter) sand and green mix would set the troops of 8) much nicer.
then again much depends on the terrain you'll be using them on :-\
The bases also look much worse in action now as we've moved from a bright green felt cloth bought from a local dressmaking fabric shop to a more "grass green" cloth bought at Claymore this year. Alas, way too much to paint and way to little time to paint it to go back and redo the bases :(
I'll just have to claim to be part of the Naive Art Movement :)
You might try toning the bases down with a black wash. I'd experiment on an expendable piece first, though.
Quote from: Hertsblue on 03 November 2013, 05:43:39 PM
You might try toning the bases down with a black wash. I'd experiment on an expendable piece first, though.
That's an idea. Must create some empty bases and try washes of black or maybe brown and see how it looks - thanks
Quote from: Maenoferren on 03 November 2013, 09:39:45 AM
Looking good. Regarding the bases... evidently a spring offensive.
when I said this I meant dont worry, the grass is always broghter green in the spring :-[ :-[ :-[
I think the colour of the bases look fine on the Pak, but as somebody said you could try a brown wash
Now added some armour to back up the infantry.
2 companies of PzIVHs and a company of PzIIIMs for this first battalion.
At least a company of Panthers and one of Tigers to follow at some point.
More detailed shots of the Pz IIIs
I really like these models. Glad I didn't go for all PzIVs as originally intended.
No Panzer IIIs are really cute. Like yours a lot, Ithoriel. Just don't try to take on KV-1s with them. X_X X_X X_X
A company of pioneers with transport in the form of Hannomags with bridging sections and support in the form of a (Pithead) Sdkfz251/16 Flammpanzerwagen.
They will also be using an "Axis & Allies" Goliath, nominally 15mm but small enough to look reasonable. Need to get another Sdkfz251 to act as it's "mothership" before I can complete the base. Oh dear! I feel another order coming on :)
Painting of the dug-in version of my infantry battalion now under way.
T'riiffic !
Like those lots ! :)
Cheers - Phil.
Ah, are those the "three men in a trench" items from the catalogue? They look really good. :) :) :)
Entrenched version of the motorised battalion now done.
9 stands of GR113 (3 men in a trench) to represent the landser platoons in hastily dug foxholes.
2 of GR4 (MG42 team) in scratch-built MG nests of rather more solid construction
1 of GR15 (8cm GWR34 mortars with crews) with a pair of GR199 (Sandbagged mortar pit) providing protection
With some bits from GR44 (Boxes and sacks) decorating the heavy weapon stands
... and a couple of shots from a slightly different angle
Very nice.
... and finally, proof that I'm a gamer as well as a collector :)
2nd Battalion dug in and awaiting the Red Tide ... and reinforcements!
And, of course, at this point the Soviets started to deploy and I forgot all about taking pictures .... doh!!
:-bd :-bd
Cheers - Phil.
They look great on the table!!
Quote from: Ithoriel on 27 November 2013, 02:53:01 PM
And, of course, at this point the Soviets started to deploy and I forgot all about taking pictures .... doh!!
Nothing like your opponent starting to move to concentrate the mind wonderfully. Handsome game, Ithoriel. 8)
Quote from: petercooman on 27 November 2013, 07:07:22 PM
They look great on the table!!
Just what I thought. Very effective on table.
I want to use on-base dug-in positions like those for some of my Japanese machine guns rather than use separate dug-in mouldings.
Thanks for the kind words - nothing like a little encouragement to keep one painting!
The latest Pendraken order to arrive contained a PzIII command tank and I decided I could paint it up this afternoon and have it available for our next campaign game, tomorrow.
It's set up with a senior officer giving the "tankies" some last minute instructions as his bodyguard watches for approaching Russians and his aide leans nonchalantly against the rear of the tank.
Very, very nice I.
Cheers - Phil.
Brilliant!
=D> =D>
Nice little vignette, I. 8)
Very nice "mini-diorama"
Greetings
Must look out my 10mm Ostfront over Christmas and paint up a few add ons for them (as well as one of the Soviet 76mm infantry guns purchased at Warfare which the rifle regiment gun company needs). I try and paint up more for it when I am readying for a game but I haven't played a miniatures game for ages. I've also got to focus on the SYW to get those forces to a reasonable sized force per side and paint some more desert stuff....
Regards
Edward
Finally back to painting after a hiatus over Xmas and the New Year and a January largely spent trying to organise to get a new kitchen fitted.
Some armoured and tracked artillery to give on-table fire support.
Three StuG IIIG assault guns, a StuH42 and finally a SiG33 (I'd actually intended to get the earlier open-topped SiG but this will do).
Cool work! 8)
Getting them in to the painting comp would be even cooler!
Very nice, I. I particularly like the divisional insignia on the SiG.
Proof, for myself more than anyone else, that I haven't stopped painting entirely!
How come now I'm retired I seem to have LESS time to paint?? Still, "at least one colour on at least one model, every day" seems to be getting me there eventually!!
Anyway, two Horch 4x4s (GR 11) on the left and a pair of Sdkfz 7s (GR119) on the right. Tows for two of my three PaK 40s and the two 105mm howitzers.
88mm AA/AT gun next, then a command stand or two I think.
Very nice work, that man !
Cheers - Phil
Sometimes, you just need to do transports! It makes the text of the army fun!
Oh...
Yeah...
Great job btw! 8)
Very nice
Good job
Take care
Andy
I like that Sig33, very "dont mess with the business end" :)
Did you tone down the later bases to match the new ground cloth & I've missed it on the thread, or am I imagining it?
Quote from: Ithoriel on 23 March 2014, 03:05:17 PM
How come now I'm retired I seem to have LESS time to paint??
Tell me about it, mate! :o
Quote from: toxicpixie on 24 March 2014, 10:05:05 AM
I like that Sig33, very "dont mess with the business end" :)
Did you tone down the later bases to match the new ground cloth & I've missed it on the thread, or am I imagining it?
Thanks, I think the SiGG is my favourite model at the moment.
Basing is still the same, I tried various washes and highlights but wasn't happy with any of them so decided to leave well alone and try something different when I get on to the Russians.
Perhaps I'm getting better (or worse :o ) at photographing them.
If I had any use I'd definitely be in for one of them!
Basing - maybe it's the photography then, they don't pop quite so much. If you do different for the Russians it'll help differentiate them on table, anyway :D
A photomontage showing a "dug-in" HQ ... oh, OK then a "hiding behind a sandbagged wall" HQ :) and an 88mm AA/AT gun.
(http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w669/ithoriel/Dug-inHQamp88_zps28336f2e.jpg?t=1398108516)
Hmm, sometimes the photo shows and other times not - Brigadoon photography :(
Those are brilliant, Ithoriel. I particularly like the sandbagging - very neat.
Quote from: Hertsblue on 23 April 2014, 09:44:59 AM
Those are brilliant, Ithoriel. I particularly like the sandbagging - very neat.
Lovely stuff, I do like a "mini-diorama", especially on a command base.