Tuesday 26 February 2008

Kornberg Complete

I am now completely out of unpainted Fredericks, the picture below shows him in his different guises.



The three Freds (from left to right: unscathed, Dragoon Colonel, Kornberg)


I decided to paint the Kornberg figure to match the Rochling print. I'm happy with the result apart from the white frilly bits on the horse furniture - that looks a bit too much like the icing on a Christmas cake.




It was a fun figure to do, and not that hard - I can't sculpt organic things like hands, but a cuirass is fairly easy to do - as long as you've only got the one figure to do.



John Preece made an thought provoking post on painting figures for wargames. I think I'd like to add my comment on this. Its very easy to look at what other people do, like what you see, and seek to do the same. I think that's where we make a mistake - instead we need to select the features that are relevent to our own situation. In my own case, what I'm doing now would be utterly impracticable (because of the amount of time involved) if I was trying to recruit large armies. But what I can do is try to milk as much enjoyment as possible from creating a small army.


Next on my list is a second squadron of cuirassiers: having done that my metal mountain will be all but gone, pending the arrival of another parcel from the manufacturers.

9 comments:

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

Good Morning Andy,

Your General Kornberg is lovely. The casting/conversion itself is impressive enough, but your painting just brings it all to life. Your other two Freds are equally attractive. What brand of paints do you use?

I use a mishmash of Games Workshop, Armory, and Ral Partha acrylics, Humbrol enamels, and Winsor-Newton oils, depending on the color I am after. I'll second your feelings on relatively small armies. While I am slowly building BIG units, like those seen in Charge, the armies themselves will be between 4-6 infantry units, a couple of cavalry regiments, along with some guns, cre, and a few generals when everything is all done. But I digress.

Anyway, well done with your Three Freds, and I'm looking forward to seeing your two squadrons of curiasssiers all assembled for parade once you finish them. What's next on your painting agenda?

Best Regards,

Stokes

Andy Mitchell said...

Good morning Stokes. I'm using Coat D'arms and Games Workshop acrylics.

After the cuirassiers, I've a squadron of dragoons and two cannon and their crews left. Once they are done I'm ready for my first Landmark battle - BlastHof Heath.

Bluebear Jeff said...

When they are seen side-by-side up close I can tell that they're from the same figure . . . but with the way you've painted them I would most certainly NEVER clue to it on the table top.

Well done, sir! Very well done.


-- Jeff

Fitz-Badger said...

I just happened upon your blog yesterday and enjoyed reading through the posts and comments this evening.
A very well-written, entertaining and informative read.
The more recent larger pictures are a blessing for my aging eyes.
Excellent work on the "Fred" conversions and other minis!
My painting output is not the fastest. I'm opting for smaller units so I can have more variety.
I am not a memeber of the Old School Wargaming Yahoo group, but maybe I should look into it. I am intrigued by your mapping program (later to morph into a campaign aid? I hope), being a geographer/cartographer by training and a software designer/tester by trade, and a gamer by gosh.

Andy Mitchell said...

The Old School Wargaming group is very worth joining - yet another ideas machine.

I'm currently working on adding control of units to the mapping program. At the moment I'm just looking at how best to define unit organisations.

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

Andy - fantastic job on Kornberg - I think you criticise yourself unjustly on the saddle cloth edging.. but if you HAD to, then to dull it down and show the texture the only thing I could think of would be a very thin wash of black ink, almost to the consistancy of water, but enough to allow the black to lie in the recesses, and take the brightness off the white???

Andy Mitchell said...

I think you might well be right - a wash might fix it.

johnpreece said...

Thank you for the mention of my blog, pleased that you found something of interest.

I agree the joy of creating your own armies ought to be the luxury of having time to divert to any interesting byway. A personality, a building, a little biography for the main character or a personal bodyguard. The treadmill of turning out massed units can turn things perilously close to a chore sometimes. And remember all large armies start off as small armies.

I can't see anything wrong with the saddle cloth but that may be down to my eyesight. I think he is a very striking figure, let us hope he lives upto his reputation when on the wargames table.

John

Der Alte Fritz said...

Andy: I'm really enjoying your blog and all of the work that you are doing. The Kornberg conversion is fantastic.

best regards,

Fritz