Dodge's Painting Blog

Blam 2010

2010-09-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Oh bugger have agreed to do my first game in 12 years,

just a quick shot of the gameboard layout before we begin, only three weeks to go

More updates as we go on

And some more...

2010-05-04T03:46:00.001-07:00

And a chinese mortar

fairly happy but frustrated with my inability to highlight this colour effectively.

cheers

Field Gun, MG and Motor

2010-05-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

Just finished some more Back of Beyond figures

a white russian field gun:

a white russian heavy machine gun:

Hope that you like them

I am very happy with them

It's been a while...

2010-02-28T13:14:00.000-08:00

But I've done a bit,

not as good as some but I've been a bit out of practice.

I was mesing about trying to improve painting flesh so...

I did some spartans and...

some Confrontation Kelts

with pretty much mixed success, overall though I'm fairly happy.

Then I went back to my Back of Beyond (one day we will have a game) project

and finished my US Devil Dogs

Followed by a Russian Aristocrat working for the Whites...

Then just because I was getting fed up painting brown, green and grey
I had a crack at a GW Warhammer Empire Hand gunner. Painted up in
the yellow and purple livery of Ostermark.

I am pretty pleased with him so I think the mojo is slowly coming back...

Still a bit to finish off though

Laters...

Life and Hobby Collided

2009-11-16T04:37:00.000-08:00

So no new posts for nearly 6 months.

Haven't really done anything of note in those months since life intervened on the hobby stuff.

Have completed a few models and will be updating very soon...

2009-05-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Just found some more figures I painted at the beginning of the year.

They are the two white renegades Yuri and Sergei Ramanov both mounted and dismounted.

Followed by Lord Peter Bromhead British attache to the Back of Beyond. He has a rolling brief and gets into many scrapes. An expert shot but is he popular?

Old Glory figures from the Hunting Party packs in the cowboy wars range adapted for the great game in the Back of Beyond.

Found these very hard to paint but generally happy.

New Don Cossacks

2009-05-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

Lost in round 4 3 to 2 ratio but was up against 'the' Steve Dean so was well impressed with the ratio and number of votes.

Round 5 is cavalry and so I painted up some Don Cossacks to complete the unit started earlier this year. The flag is an Army of the Free Don flag.

McGinty's Marauders

2009-05-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well Round 3 is over and I was heavily beaten, so round 4 is some Pulp US Marines in Montana hats.

I think I've improved on round 3 so hopefully I will do a bit better.

McGinty is a maverick commander, his Marines are the best of the best.

They always get the job done no matter what.

They are in the region looking after some American Archeologists or so they seem.

But they arrived in the region shortly after Blucher and Scharndorff...

Murgen, Belker and thugs

2009-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Round 3 entry for the LPL3 currently getting well beaten.

Otto Murgen , Hans Belker (left with sabre) and thugs.

Murgen (centre) is a mysterious man, high up in the German military hierarchy. What does he do and why is he in the Egyptian desert.?

Hans Belker (far right) is a Great war veteran with generally a peaceful nature and an interest in archaeology and Egyptology what has he found that interests Murgen?

Pre Second World War games involving these guys could be on the horizon.

Belker has an English friend, Professor Henry Allenby, he will come later, but they are doomed to oppose eachother as war fast approaches................

Von Blucher's Zeppelin Troopen

2009-05-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

So round 2 is up and running.

My round 2 entry is Von Bluchers's Zeppelin Troopen. Lets hope I have some success with them. This photo is, unfortunately, better than the one I entered.

Von Blucher is a Prussian Count with an adventurous nature, he has raised a military expedition to Asia to fight against Bolshevism. He has persuaded his old sargeant Sharndorff to come with him with the promise of untold wealth and adventure............

Scharndorff's Assault Troops

2009-04-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

So no posts for ages. This has all been down to the Lead Painters League Season 3.

A good opportunity for me to paint some figures and have some deadlines, so that the lead pile goes down a bit.

My first entry was these German assault troops from Pulp Figures. Didn't win in fact got very well beaten. Still several rounds to go with other entries.

At least I think I have now developed a style I am happy with.

Wish I could take better photographs though.

I want to use these as mercenaries in my back of beyond games or as troops in pulp games.

Scharndorf the guy kneeling down has been sent to Asia with Von Blucher to assist the White renegades and Chinese Warlords against the Bolsheviks who are establishing a foothold in the area. But does he have other motives.........

Cossack Cavalry Models

2009-02-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

As we move nearer to the back of beyond campaign, my thoughts have turned quickly to finishing stuff off so that uninterrupted gaming can begin.

Projects on the blocks at the moment are finishing off a chinese fortified town, walls gate hose and some adobe buildings to do, completion of the White Russian Army, 12 more cossacks, one heavy machine gun and a field gun, the completion of a chinese army with mounted generals, 20 red spears, 10 more dare to dies and some armoured cars and baggage.

I completed these Cossacks tonight and am quite pleased if not with the photo's the actual 'in the flesh' finish. This first group was done when trying to get more definition in my flesh:

I then had a crack at these and attempted to paint them as Don Cossacks from the Osprey book.

I think I managed to achieve better flesh and overall definition with these:

Russian Cossack Character Models

2009-01-18T09:01:00.001-08:00

A shot of some Cossack Character Models, to be used in Back of Beyond, Pulp, and WWII.
Figures by Artizan, very versatile.

A Group shot

Count Smolinksi

Countess Smolinski

Udo

Petra Petrova

Henchmen

Terrain for my Wargames

2009-01-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

The Back of beyond campaign start is nearing , my friends on the Lead adventure forum decided I needed some terrain and so here is some.

Small Russian farm where some whites are holding up:

A close up of the buildings

The Whites wait for the Bolsheviks to attack:

More to come later in a battle report.

New Camera

2008-12-29T13:19:00.001-08:00

Quick practice of new camera

Work in progress of a new project

2008-12-12T01:10:00.000-08:00

Re reading Elric novels at the moment and fancied doing some miniatures in that style. Using Warhammer Dark Elves as a basis I put this one together, in the books Melniboneans where yellow or bronze armour , so I tried yellow, its a bit yellow though............

White Russian updated photo's

2008-12-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Figures

2008-12-02T12:22:00.001-08:00

White Russian Cossack Cavalry

2008-12-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

Building Model project

2008-11-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Trying to build a walled town for Back of beyond and pulp gaming.

some quick shots of how far i have got

Czech Legion

2008-10-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

Ragged Whites and Officers

2008-10-06T01:20:00.001-07:00

Upadetd Photo's maybe a little better

2008-09-19T00:31:00.001-07:00

White Russians

2008-09-16T01:08:00.001-07:00

Austin A/C

2008-08-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Quick shot of Austin

Buglers and standard bearers

2008-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Some quick photo's of Buglers and Standard Bearers

Chinese Executioners

2008-08-09T09:20:00.001-07:00

I have just completed some executioners for my chinese warlord army.

I have always liked these figures from Mark Copplestone and I have tried to bring them to life.

I am quite pleased with them.

Chinese Finally Complete and ready for action

2008-07-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

They have only been 12 months in the making but finally the Chinese are finished and ready for action.

It consists of 4 officers, 80 infantry, 12 cavalry, 1 field gun and 1 hmg.

Now for some senery and then gaming in the back of beyond.......

On reflection

2008-05-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have benn looking at the mini's I have painted over the last 12 months and think that I am improving a little.

November / December 2006

April / May 2007

April / May 2008

I think the later ones are much better and attempt to get the three colour method in. Always seem to mess it up at the end with the final highlight. Back to the Dallimore Bible for me.

More Chinese Warlord Era

2008-05-18T10:28:00.001-07:00

I have now finished some more of my Chinese Warlord Era Army.
I have now nearly completed the full army that I want apart from a few specialists to addin later plus some standard bearers to make it look more attractive for the table.
I have now finished a field gun. Some more troops in fur hats and some uniformed troops. This was a time of firsts for me. The first time I really had a go at eyes and the first time I tried to paint the hat bands and collar tabs on the uniformed soldiers.

I think overall I'm pretty happy with these. However as usual I was more fond of them in the flesh than in picture.
I think that the attempt on the eyes needs to be refined more.
I did have a matt varnish disaster (a bit cloudy and should have bought some more) but it didn't turn out badly.

The troops that were my favourites in caps below weren't the best when it came to the photo's. But here they are.

I have now painted 100 troops for this army. I also have two planes, two trucks and an armoured car to sort out.
It has taken one year to paint that many which is about one mini every three days. Not too bad.

Zeppelin Troopen

2008-03-25T03:16:00.000-07:00

Just a coupe of quick photo's of some Bob Murch Pulp Figures German Zeppelin Troopen. These are going to form the basis of some enemies for my Rocket Troopers posted earlier. I still have a couple more squads including the command squad to paint up. I need to think up an suitably Teutonic name for the Baron and his men.

I tried to give them the sense of being Airborne troops in the pulp era hence the bluey grey appearance to their uniforms. This was also the first time that the photo's were taken with a camcorder on the stills setting.

I think that some close ups would work quite well so I will post some more pictures later.

US Rocket Marine Corp

2008-01-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have finished my squad of US Rocket Marines by Pulp Figures.

I really enjoyed painting these figures and I am really pleased with the results too.

Faces have never been my strong point but I think the leaders face turned out quite well.

I'm Looking forward to gaming with these in my pulp games.

Pulp American Rocket Trooper

2007-12-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

I recently bought some pulp style gaming figures from Pulp Figures.

They are really great figs and I enjoyed painting them.

I think that they are some of my best so far.

But is that because they have no faces?

We'll find out...

Some World War II Germans and An American Agent

2007-12-23T13:12:00.001-08:00

Had abreak from the Chinese Warlord Army to have a go atthe Hour of Glory Miniatures I bought.

So far I ahve painted the German Sentires and Commander together with Major Link the US Sabre Agent.

I really didn't enjoy the experience of painting these but I am fairly happy with the results except for the eyes and faces.

Still finding those difficult.

Chinese Warlord Army

2007-10-02T06:06:00.001-07:00

I started painting this army after discovering Back of Beyond accidentally. I bought the rules and purchased some Chinese soldiers from Copplestone castings.

Here are my first attempts at these figures. Having looked at the results I think I need to work on the faces and some of the shading to make it more real. Bases do seem to make a difference though. I'm quite pleased with those.

What am I doing here

2007-10-02T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well to be honest I really don't know.

After spending some time away from work on long term leave I rediscovered my passion for War gaming and painting miniature figures. I got Kevin Dallimore's book about 3 stage painting and became hooked on painting armies and figures and developing a painting style.

I also began to annoy those close to me (the wife and kids) by showing and talking about the hobby all the time. So after another 'you are obsessed' with this discussion I joined the Lead Adventure Forum to talk to like minded people who have a passion for the hobby. Unfortunately this made it worse so now instead of talking incessantly about it at home I am going to do this blog and see where it goes.

I hope to narrate my journey through painting my miniatures and to see some improvement in my style and the results. To post photo's and commentary on what I'm currently doing.Eventually I will put up battle reports for the games I've played and photo's of the battlefields used and things regarding the gamed periods that I have found interesting.

Maybe you'll like it maybe you won't but it's my space...