Infantry Regiment 2 - von Wöhl.
Leibgarde Grenadiers - first company viewed from rear to front.
By the way, that's not some strange Romanesque temple in the background - just the lower part of my painting block.
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With my girlfriend's absense at work and my own day job unexpectedly less busy I needed a way of distracting myself - and this is the result. After a productive couple of days I have completed the first part of the Leibgarde Grenadiers, and the rest are on the painting block with their black undercoat drying. IR 2 von Wöhl is entirely based now, and awaiting the arrival of their standard bearers - the delayed appearance caused, no doubt, due to more chicanery on the part of the devious Count Sleibnitz...
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As is only befitting their status I've painted the Leibgarde to a higher standard than the line. I decided to give them black gaiters as the effect makes them seem taller and more menacing when viewed from the front. French naval architects of the late 19th Century termed the philosophy "fierce face" - if it looks mean, it is mean. The Leibgarde wear white gaiters when on duty in the Ducal palace. Grand Duchess Irma thinks they look more splendid that way.
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Once the Leibgarde is completed I'll turn my attention to the famous Bishop of Guggenheim's Regiment of Horse. These stalwart chaps and their sturdy mounts are even now soaking in hot soapy water, ready for their turn on the painting block. I think I'll have to come up with a modification to the dowel rod design to allow it to take cavalry. Do I mount the figures and paint them as a whole, or do I paint them seperately? Hmm...
6 comments:
They look very *great*!
Waiting to discover the cavalry,
compliments,
Jean-Louis
Looking good (as far as I can make out from the photos).
If you come up with a good solution for holding the cavalry while painting let us know. I've seen various ways, including mounting the riders to folded card stock (on one of these blogs - can't remember which at the moment, apologies to whoever it was), mounting the riders on dowels somehow, gluing the riders to the horses before painting, painting the horse and then gluing the rider and painting the rider after. I've tried some of these methods as well as clamping the rider by the sprue between the feet in some cases, but then you have to trim the sprue off after and finish off the feet/boots.
My apolgies for the poor quality photos. I'm having to use my webcam at the moment and the images lack definition. It also has an annoying tendency to pixelate in places.
Fitz, painting cavalry is my own bête noir. I find it a real chore. The methods you suggest are certainly interesting. At the moment I'm inclined to attach the riders to the horses, undercoat the lot then work from the hooves upwards. (For those not in the know, RSM95 cavalry come with riders and saddles in a single casting).
What I've done in the past is to use a "low-temp hot glue gun" to tack the riders' feet onto a large craft stick (aka "tongue depressor").
This holds the riders upright so that I can prime (I use a spray) them and paint them. Now it is true that I have to touch-up their boots after they come free from the hot glue . . . but that's not difficult.
Hope that that helps.
-- Jeff
Hi A.J.,
Wow, you're really moving right along with your painting. Great and inspiring work! Aren't the RSM figures wonderful? Looking forward to photos of the cavalry.
Best Regards,
Stokes
NIce brightly colourd uniforms, looking good
-- Allan
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