Painting and the Failing Memory

~ anthony ~ 6 Comments

This whole post is more for me than anyone else, and I am pretty sure it’s one I will return to over time to edit, and append. But even with Summer still having another month to run, I already find I’m having trouble recalling the order in which I painted some of my bases and terrain pieces…so this post is really just a dump all of my memory.

Numbers in parenthesis refer to the Daler Rowney colour code, while AP denotes Army Painter, and C denotes Citadel colours, and a whole slew of shorthand to help jog my memory.

Fences – Picket or Wood – Whitewashed: Matt Black (spray paint), liberal dry-brush Raw Umber(247), dry-brush 50/50 mix Paynes Grey/Warm Grey(065/078), dry-brush Warm Grey(078), dry-brush Titanium White(009)

Fences – Snake or Rail: Matt Black (spray paint), liberal dry-brush Raw Umber(247), dry-brush 50/50 mix Paynes Grey/Warm Grey(065/078), dry-brush Warm Grey(078), dry-brush/highlight (bottom rails only) Army Green(AP)

Gabions: Burnt Umber(223), dry-brush Naples Yellow(634), dry-brush Burnt Umber(223), dry-brush Warm Grey(078), dry-brush Tyrant Skull (C-dry) or Buff Titanium(024)

Ground (brown dirt): Burnt Umber(223), dry-brush Raw Sienna(667)

Ground (fantasy black): Process Black(040), dry-brush Warm Grey(078) or any old black matt spray paint, dry-brush Ulthuan Grey(C-layer)

Rust: Process Black (040), wet/dry-brush Plate-Mail(AP), liberal dab-on Typhus Corrosion(C-technical), dry-dab Ryza Rust(C-dry), highlight edges Plate Mail(AP)

Shingles (green): Matt Black (spray paint), liberal dry-brush Raw Umber(247), dry-brush 50/50 mix Paynes Grey/Warm Grey(065/078), dry-brush Warm Grey(078), dry-brush Army Green(AP)

Stone: Process Black(040) or any old black matt spray paint, wet/dry-brush Paynes Grey(065), very-dry-brush Warm Grey(078). Build last colour up until happy. Possible last option: dry-brush/highlight (bottom rails only) Army Green(AP)

Thatch: Raw Umber(247), dry-brush Raw Sienna(667), dry-brush Naples Yellow(634), dry-brush Buff Titanium(024)

Wood – Natural: Burnt Umber(223), dry-brush Naples Yellow(634), dry-brush Buff Titanium(024)

NOTE: Black can always be replaced by Matt Spray paint. Especially for large terrain pieces and if weather allows.

An Aside

~ anthony ~ 4 Comments

Hanging on the ceiling of my new barbers, measuring nearly 10′ x 5′ is Gericault’s painting of “the Charging Chasseur”. I remember being blown away by the original in the Louvre as its scale is basically 1 to 1 and it just dominates the wall on which it is hung.

So while wargaming has taken the backburner as COVID restrictions start to ease here and all those social interactions and chores that were delayed are now having to be done, this was a great reminder that, firstly, I have chosen a great barber, and secondly, I need to get a move on with some of my WIP, the “leadpile”, and building a table for actual gaming.

Hope you are all making more my progress than I am?

PS: I passed 1000 page views sometime last week. Not sure if that’s regarded as a milestone, but it was nice to see the counter tick to 4 digits.

KSLI I

~ anthony ~ 4 Comments
Somewhere in Shropshire

The Kings Shropshire Light Infantry was founded on this day in 1881. The regiment was an amalgamation of the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot and the 85th (King’s Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot, and apart from forming 1/4 of the later formed “Light Infantry”, was also the regiment of my father.

Although he was born in Torquay, my father spent much of his formative, and post war years, living on N.Castle St in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. And were it not for the immigration of his family to Australia in 1960, he used to tell me he would have continued with his military service and how different his, and by extension my life would have been. Without delving too far into family history, in short, dad resigned his commission to emigrate with his parents and sister rather than be left alone in the UK.

The “old man” turned 80 this year, and failing eyesight and Parkinson’s not withstanding has always been a keen supporter of my interest in both Military History and Wargaming, always eager to see what I have painted, or what I have been designing and 3D printing, I think his support sprung from both his interest in things “army” and of his own interest in model railways, he always being particularly keen to see what terrain I have made.

He has, and continues to be my most ardent fan. (well maybe apart from mum*)

So in some ways all this malarky is partly his fault, though I think it’s a blame he would gladly shoulder, and grin cheekily while doing so.

* sorry to my readers from the USA…it’s how we spell it in the Commonwealth. (You know…the yoke you threw off while keeping their antiquated measuring system, while the rest of the world embrace the French loved decimal system. hehe)