The Grand Duchy of Stollen

Only Hours Left to Vote!!!

2012-01-31T12:09:00.002-06:00

There are only hours left for you to cast your vote in the "Which Tabletop Battle Should They Fight First in 2012?" poll here at the Grand Duchy of Stollen. Choose which of the five scenarios listed you would most like to see played out first here in Zum Stollenkeller by clicking the appropriate box in the upper right-hand corner of the GD of S homepage. And you are on your honor to do so only once! With that firm proviso in mind, as Tiny Tim so rightly observed in Dickens's first draft of A Christmas Carol, "Vote, or die!"

Freshly Based. . .

2012-01-30T08:02:00.002-06:00

Whoops! I still need to paint the edges of the various bases green.

Finally made myself sit down and attach those 60-odd Luebecker Musketeers to their permanent bases yesterday. I'm pleased with the results. No "terraining" of said bases, in keeping with my Old School approach, but the bases are painted in the same green as the tabletop. Very simple, but I'd like to think that the unit presents a nice combination of classic Young, Lawford, and Grant on the one hand, and slightly more practical Gilder on the other, which works for me. Now, which of the existing units in the GD of S order of battle to be (re-) based next?

Only Two Days Left. . .

2012-01-30T07:52:00.001-06:00

Only a couple of days left for you to cast your vote in the "Which Tabletop Battle Should They Fight First?" poll. Please be sure to cast your vote (and just one, thanks) for the scenario of your choice at the upper right of the Grand Duchy of Stollen homepage. Final results will be tabulated by a team of experts and shared during Wednesday.

Re-Basing Underway. . .

2012-01-29T18:58:00.002-06:00

A regiment of Stollenian cavalry -- the 4th (Trakehenen) Dragoons -- painted during January and February of 2007. My first cavalry unit for the Grand Duchy of Stollen project. They will shortly be re-based, or fastened to multiple bases in keeping with my drive to speed games along somewhat. Figures pictured are Revell 1/72 plastic Austrian dragoons and were painted with a combination of Citadel (ex-Games Workshop) acrylics and oils.

Did You Say Another Painting Challenge??!!

2012-01-27T21:14:00.010-06:00

Two gun crews with a couple of heavy cannon. From left to right: a Minden crew, one by RSM95, and two heavy guns also by RSM95. I plan to paint each crew in a different uniform, probably Saxon and Bavarian, though the Hanoverians were certainly colorful too.

My group of wargaming friends and acquaintances scattered across the globe has collectively found that painting challenges tend to make things happen at our respective painting tables. While not high-pressure situations -- and anyone is free to change his plans, stated aims, or to drop out if real life interferes -- these events instill a healthy drive to get things accomplished. And many of us in the hobby could certainly use this kick in the seat of the pants from time to time.

On that last note, a wonderfully jolly professor from Denmark, from whom I took a course on late 19th Century Scandinavian literature while at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2000, made a similar observation about graduate students once when I visited him during office hours to discuss a term paper project. There is a related joke out there, which I heard some years later, that goes something like this:

Q: How many graduate students does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Only one, but it takes him or her a dozen years. . .

Badda-bing, badda-boom! Anyway, we have decided to stage a third such painting challenge, commencing on February 15th and lasting until April 15th of this year. And here are the two units I will pledge to complete in that time. Another battery of artillery, and a battalion of Croats. It should be fun to work on a couple of smaller, less demanding units than has been the case recently. Let me hasten to add, though, that I've really enjoyed the first two painting challenges, and can't recall when I was ever so productive at the painting table. These challenges really light the painting fire and bolster your enthusiasm to keep going through those more tedious parts of the painting process. Painters, on your marks!

A 30+ battalion of RSM95 Croats with a few Austrian officers, NCOs and musicians thrown in. I have a few more from Minden on the way to add a few more poses to the unit as well as some NCOs and drummers in more correct Croat dress. It should be quite an eye-catching unit once complete. I'm envisioning fictitious uniforms -- brown with Alizarin Crimson facings and yellow/gold lace. In any case, oil glazes over a white basecoat once again. Can't wait!

It's like crazy, man, crazy!!!

2012-01-27T17:08:00.005-06:00

You will have noticed that some extensive renovation is underway here at the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog. Much of the information, formerly on the right side of the homepage, has now moved to pages of its own, making this blog look and feel much more like an actual website. Please note the new navigation bar just below the photo of some of my tabletop forces. That picture will be replaced in due course with another that features better focus and depth of field, following the first tabletop encounter of 2012. Stay tuned!

The First Guest Post of 2012. . .

2012-01-27T15:08:00.008-06:00

Today's entry is the first guest post of 2012. Several of these have been lined up already, and most of which will have something to do with how each guest approaches painting his particular figures. So, you can think of these posts as a growing repository or painting philosophy. . . as well as a different set of voices here at the Grand Duchy of Stollen from the usual ravings of yours truly.

Kidding aside, our first guest blogger is Mr. Greg Horne, the man behind the Duchy of Alzheim blog. Longtime readers of Battlegames might recall that Greg had an article on blogging within a wargaming context in an early issue of the magazine. And indeed, it was that very article that inspired yours truly to begin the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog in August or 2006. So, without further ado, here is Greg with his take on painting vast numbers of vintage 30mm wargaming miniatures quickly and easily.

Painting Spencer Smith Miniatures

by Greg Horne

Thanks to Stokes for the opportunity to make this guest-posting on his illustrious blog!

Here's how I go about painting my plastic Spencer Smith infantry figures.

I’ve developed this method whilst painting my white-coated Imperial Infantry which may be familiar to you from my own blog – the Duchy ofAlzheim.

Before we begin with craft knives and painting and so on, I’ll preface my remarks with a brief word on the goal and the method. What I am after is a nice clean, bright figure with simple colours that pop out for the viewer. Individually they are not masterpieces, but the effect I am attempting here is one of a numerically impressive, colourful and shiny mass. Thus, there is no shading (well… except on the faces), I do not mix colours; they are taken straight from the pot, and I use black-lining to define areas and make colours pop out. Finally, I employ minimal error correction preferring to forgive myself and move on to the entire spectacle rather than correct a sloppy line or two. Well… unless I really want to…

As to method, I paint an hour a day every day – usually while I am getting ready for work. My mind is clear, I am well rested and I am relaxed.

Omm. The Zen of painting.

I paint my figures in batches of four or five at a go and as they are completed they are added to the regiment that is being assembled. That lets me see at a glance how much further there is to go and motivates me as I can watch it growing.

That being said please do be nice to yourself and take a day off. Don’t force it. It won’t happen if you try to force it and ceases to be fun if you do. Take a break. Take a week off. Paint something for pleasure. Paint a landsknecht to help you realise how lucky you are to be painting nice simple figures like Spencer Smiths. As many a wiser people than I have said: it’s a hobby not a job! We are here to enjoy ourselves after all!

So, we start as we do with any soft polythene figure by giving it a good shave all over with a nice sharp blade to remove the flash. Connoisseurs of the figure will not need to be told that it runs down the middle of the face, along the musket butt, over the hand, under the arm, diagonally across the body then down the front of the right leg! Shave the fellow quickly (because you have a great many of them to do) and yet carefully as you will not wish to clip off a nose or a musket or separate a foot from the base.

Do the shaving first as it will stop you from excessively handling your miniature before the next step.

Wash in soapy water. Seven or eight all at once in a cup so you do not lose any down the plug-hole.

That chore done and with your figures now nice and dry, undercoat them liberally in white primer. Do this outside as you will be using a seven or eight [Australian] dollar can of matt white spray paint from the local hardware shop. Several passes will be necessary to get a good even coat as the native colour of the plastic can be either pale grey (yay!), navy blue (boo!) or brown (oh, just use a black primer). Don’t worry too much about losing detail with these figures as there is little enough to lose in the first place! A nice even and opaque coat is what counts!

Note that your nice, even base coat is now also your white coat, cross-belts, waist-coat and breeches. Waste not, want not.

Fig. 1 -- Here is one of Greg's figures with the first two steps complete, a good solid basecoat of white and the base painted green.

Paint the base of the figure green. I use Games Workshop paints for the most part as they are easily had here in Australia. Goblin Green is the shade you are after. It’s nice and bright and has that “Old School” charm. Use the largest brush you can. I use a number 6. It’s quick and if it’s got a half-decent point, will work perfectly well. See Figure 1

Now, begin your acquaintance with your black paint pot. I use a 6/8 chisel tip and paint the gaiters and head, hat and musket black. Once again, we are using the largest brush we can for the job. Contemplate your achievement. Gaiters and hat are now complete. See Figure 2 below.

Fig. 2 -- Apply black to the gaiters, boots, hat, and face of each figure.

Take a deep breath. Take your Number 0 brush. Thin your black paint slightly. Black-line your figure. There. That was easy!

Your goal is to outline your shapes – the arms, the straps. To follow the line of the coat. To indicate the centre line of the waistcoat, it’s tails. The turn-backs. The cuffs. If you want to know if you are taking enough time, I take half an hour to black-line four figures. It has taken me 200 repetitions to get here. If you are just starting, do not be disappointed if it takes you an hour. You will improve, but you must learn the figure and be thorough. I have developed my personal technique to the point where I do all the black-lining in an area of the figure before I turn it in my fingers to do the next. It saves time. See Figure 3.

Fig. 3 -- Now, we're getting somewhere! Greg has next applied the blacklining to his figures, bringing out certain features of each figure more distinctly.

Things now become a lot easier from now on and frankly, a lot more fun. As you have seen, you now have a figure that already looks like something. So let’s put a face and hands on him. A dab of Dwarf Flesh on his nose and chin and a stroke of the same from cheek bone to jaw-line. Lightened (unnecessary, but I just can’t let go it seems) with a bit of white it becomes a highlight colour on the cheekbones and nose- and chin-tips. A line across the knuckles completes the hands. It’s surprising how much character you can get into a simple face even with this simple method and I always find the result pleasing. See Figure 4.

Fig. 4 -- Next, as Greg describes just above, fill in the flesh areas of your figures.

You are on the home stretch now. Because of your diligence in black-lining, the rest is like colouring in.

The haversack is Iyanden Darksun – a yellow-ochre colour from the Foundation Range by GW [Citadel].

Paint on your facings. I am using yellow on these figures. As it’s going on a white base coat, it looks good with a single coat.

Water bottles and Musket stocks are brown with a silver stripe across the top to indicate the gun barrel. While your brush is still all silvery, I paint sword-hilts on officers and Grenadiers, Cartridge-box plates, scabbard tips, belt-buckles, Bearskin plates, silver hat lace and epaulettes for the officers also get done at this stage.

I take a step back at this point and take my white paint out again here and correct and really unsightly errors.

Spray-varnish in your favourite gloss and allow to cure! You’re done. See Figure 5 below.

Fig. 5 -- And here is the finished figure with its facings and other details filled in. Bravo Greg! He looks great.

Add a few more figures to the pile and start again. Repeat as necessary!

Thank you, Greg. As Cary Grant was fond of saying, "Good stuff!" I know some people think Spencer Smith figures are difficult to paint due to their relatively understated detail, but you have developed a straightforward and, dare I say, fairly easy method for churning 'em out en masse in a way that presents these miniatures to their best advantage. Thank you again for your contribution.

Be sure to tune in to the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog throughout 2012 for additional guest postings from the likes of Stephen Caddy, Henry Hyde, and Phil Olley, among others. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Cavalry Comparison. . .

2012-01-26T19:45:00.006-06:00

From left to right: Minden hussar, RSM95 cuirassier, Holger Eriksson dragoon, Spencer Smith dragoon.

A request for a cavalry comparison photograph came in today from Jeff, who is specifically interested in how Minden and RSM95 cavalry figures compare to each other. The two ranges work quite well together as you can see, and for good measure I threw in another by Holger Eriksson and one by Spencer Smith. All slightly different in style, but very good proportions, similar in height and heft as well. A good mix and match.

I will continue to mix the four ranges within my collection (Ooooo, I like the sound of that word, "collection"!) and will shortly add a few mounted officers from the new Fife & Drum range (sculpted by Richard Ansell, who also sculpts for Minden), which is available from Der Alte Fritz, as well as some Austrian and Prussian mounted generals by Minden and, later in the year, a few more mounted officers by Suren/Willie. As the late Brigadier Young and Colonel Lawford demonstrated in Charge!, you can never have enough mounted generals and aides de camp.

What else? Oh, yes. If you have yet to do so, please vote for your choice of scenario in my "Which Tabletop Battle Should They Fight First in 2012?" poll at the upper right of the GD of S homepage. Sittangbad is still in the lead but Charles S. Grant's river crossing scenario is closing in, and there are still a few days left before the poll closes on January 31st.

Last, and most importantly, a small package arrived in the mail today from the Dayton Painting Consortium, containing a 30+strong battalion of Austrian Croats (to which I'll add a few more by Minden for variation), some mounted officers, a couple of heavy cannon, and two dozen flagpoles, which will make very handy lances. I'll use these to convert some RSM95 Prussian hussars into uhlans later in the year. There's nothing like a package of new castings. Shiny, shiny, shiny. . . It was a good day!

Don't forget to vote. . . It's the right thing to do!

2012-01-24T12:51:00.001-06:00

Only a week left for you to place your vote in the "Which Scenario Should They Fight in Early 2012?" poll. Sittangbad remains in the lead with approximately 44% of the votes so far, but the river crossing scenario is running an increasingly close second. Meanwhile, the armies of the Grand Duchy of Stollen and the Electorate of Zichenau are gathering and preparing for the march to the first tabletop battlefield. But which one they march to and contest first has yet to be determined. If you have not already done so, please be good enough to cast your vote before midnight on January 31st. You can do so in the upper right-hand corner of the GD of S homepage.

Banging the Grand Duchy of Stollen Blog into Shape. . .

2012-01-21T12:16:00.018-06:00

At the moment, I am between projects, awaiting the arrival of some new figures, and sitting tight to see how the "Which Tabletop Scenario Should They Fight?" question pans out over the final ten days or so of the poll. So, there has been some nice, lazy almost inactivity going on here in Zum Stollenkeller of late. However, things have not ground to a complete halt. I have been slowly giving the Luebecker Musketeers their second coat of gloss varnish and cutting out their bases from 1/16" plywood. Should look really good once I get those ready to tack the figures to them. And I've also managed to attached a few artillery tools to the hands of those Minden and RSM gun crews and glue the figures to temporary bases for later painting. Might just start that this weekend if the mood strikes me.

And then there is some housecleaning and home improvement to do with regard to the GD of S blog itself. Some of you more eagle-eyed visitors to the Grand Duchy of Stollen just might have noticed the beginnings of a navigation bar just below the collage of pictures at the top of the GD of S homepage and a few additional pages to the blog during the last couple of days. I have thought for some time that the right-hand side of the GD of S blog has become a little crowded, requiring an awful lot of downward scrolling to see everything. So, I'll transfer the campaign geography and personalities to their own pages over the next week or so.

What else? Well, there will also be a new page, featuring some campaign history, a gallery of photographs of my own units in miniatures and their previous tabletop exploits, a guest gallery for anyone who might like to share clearly focused, well-lighted photographs of their own 18th century collections, and a page for guest blogposts. More of that anon, but there are some guest contributions lined up for 2012 that I hope you might find interesting and perhaps inspiring, or even useful.

And now, for some full frontal nerdity. Following a delicious Indian dinner with the Grand Duchess yesterday evening, I retired early to bed with a mug of fresh, very black coffee (delusions of being the Sean Connery-era James Bond here, you know?), and the first 13 issues of Wargames Illustrated from the late 80s. I then spent a delightful few hours looking carefully for photographs from the old Wargames Holiday Centre when it was still run by the late Peter Gilder. Specifically, I sought photographs of bridges. Bingo! It did not take long before I spotted at least two that will provide handy points of reference for my own modelling efforts here in Zum Stollenkeller. Now, when the Grand Duchess next asks why I hang onto these old magazines, I'll have a ready answer!

Anyway, I made a trip to the local arts and crafts store here this morning where I purchased a couple of long 1/8" square strips of Balsa wood (perfect for support beams of one kind or another) along with a Revell/Monogram balsa project bag. And if that weren't exciting enough, by looking carefully through all of the bags hanging on the rack, I was able to find one that consists almost entirely of thin pieces that will make ideal walls, pillars, and planks for the various scratch-built bridges, wagons, carts, and pontoons that I have planned for this year in view of the planned Tabletop Teaser scenarios. Now I just need to find about a dozen suitable limbers and about 40 assorted wagon wheels. Any suggestions?

Last of all, the Grand Duchy of Stollen blog has had approximately 185,000+ visits since its inception in August 2006. I say 'approximately' because from time to time the counter I use has gone on the fritz for a few days at a time, so the number of actual visits may be greater. But we'll just be happy with the number actually shown by the counter. In any case, thank you for your interest in, and support of, the Grand Duchy of Stollen during the last few years. And on a related note, the GD of S has also picked up a few more followers during the last several weeks, so a hearty welcome to you from the Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II, his gentleman's gentleman Hives, and all the rest of the cast here at Stollen Central.

Now, why is it that whenever you are expecting a shipment of new figures in the mail, it seems to take forever, but the bills reach you about two days after being posted?

Books, Books, Books!!!

2012-01-20T11:19:00.015-06:00

Since I have painting technique on the brain at the moment, I thought that I would share a couple of potentially useful titles with you this morning that I own and refer to from time to time. First up, Building and Painting Scale Figures by Sheperd Paine is almost 20 years old, but it contains lots of information that is both interesting and helpful to figure painters, whether wargamers, or their cousins who tackle 54mm or larger single display figures and dioramas.

While the book presents considerable material that, at first glance, might not seem relevant to those of us painting 15 or 25mm figures en masse, read between the lines a bit, and there is actually a great deal here to help wargamers produce sharper looking figures for their tabletop armies. Besides chapters on lighting, color mixing, shading, painting faces realistically, horses, and detailing one's figures, as well as sculpting and converting larger figures, there here is even a short chapter on painting specifically for wargamers. While all of this makes for fascinating reading, and provides ample food for thought where painting technique is concerned, it is Chapter Two, entitled 'Setting up to Paint', however, that is most interesting part of the book. Many useful tips to be found right there between pages 8-13. The book is well worth a look by anyone looking to improve his, or her figure painting technique and end results.

Next, comes the small Oil Painter's Pocket Palette by Rosalind Cuthbert. This is not a handbook on every aspect of painting with oils. Rather, Cuthbert's book provides basic guidelines on how oil colors work and how to achieve more than 600 color mixes with a very modest number of basic colors on the palette. Even if you are mixing on an old chipped saucer or plate! You will learn how to mix various skin tones, oranges, purples, greens, and the like. A section of the book that I find particularly interesting is the one having to do with glazing, that is overpainting with transparent colors. If you are looking around for a way to take your brushwork to a higher level, and want to give painting with oils a shot, the Oil Painter's Pocket Palette is a concise and highly useful addition to your library.

Finally, we finish this morning with the delightful Wargaming in History, Volume 4 by Charles S. Grant with his children Charlie and Natasha Grant. This title sees a return to the Seven Years War and is chock-a-block with information on, and photographs of, Charles's armies, his particular approach to wargaming, the actual political history and military background of three key battles from the SYW, and how to translate all of that to the tabletop. There is also a truly fantastic chapter on the origins and evolution of hussars (my personal favorites despite the difficulty in painting them), featuring the artwork of R.J. Marion, who has done color uniform plates for the previous two WIH titles by Charles.

While I enjoyed last year's Volume 2 on the War of Austrian Succession, it seemed slightly off relative to Volume 1 and the War Game Companion. Volume 4, however, sees the series back on form. There is lots more I could say about the book, which I received, indirectly, as a Christmas gift from my in-laws, but I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who have not yet seen it. Suffice to say, this is one wargaming book you don't want to miss. If you purchase only two hobby titles in 2012, one of those should be this one. The other should be the forthcoming Wargaming Compendium by Henry Hyde, but I am getting a little ahead of myself! In short, there is a lot of interest in Wargaming in History, Volume 4, and you get a great deal of bang for your buck with it.

Here are two more neat comparison photographs. . .

2012-01-19T10:13:00.001-06:00

Two final comparison photos, this time reblogged from Keith's Wargaming Blog, showing three Suren 'Willie' figures and ones by RSM95 side by side. Exciting because they show how well the two ranges seem to compliment each other in size and proportion. I might just have to bite the bullet later in the year and make a purchase from Peter Johnstone of Spencer Smith Miniatures. A few staff figures on horseback if nothing else.

Random Thoughts on Figure Painting the Old School Way. . .

2012-01-18T16:11:00.036-06:00

As painters of wargaming figures, we typically use smaller round brushes with good points for most of our painting tasks, but I liked this particular photo a lot because it reminds me of my mother's studio at her home in Mexico, which smells of clay and linseed oil and has holders of various sculpting tools and paintbrushes on every available surface with canvases stacked against the walls and current works in progress on two or three huge easels.

A number of random ideas have occurred to me in the last week, since finishing that last BIG infantry unit, which I hope to develop eventually into a more coherent personal painting "manifesto" if you'll pardon the tongue-in-cheek use of that politically charged, grandiose term.

Now, I don't consider myself a master figure painter by any means. Nevertheless, I appreciate well-painted miniatures, like most of us do, and the 20/25/30/40mm round varieties in particular. So, I am always on the lookout for new things to try in that eternal quest to improve my own brushwork here in Zum Stolleneller. Over the years, this painterly upward mobility, for want of a better term, has been inspired and spurred on by the likes of Doug Mason, Peter Gilder, Phil Robinson, and others. I may never be as good as them in my efforts with the brush, but part of the fun comes through trying, and the satisfaction gained from a job well done. Painting yuppy jokes aside, then, here's what has been coming together in my mind recently:

1) Misconceptions about using oils to paint wargaming figures.

1b) It's no harder to paint with oils than with acrylic or enamel hobby paints provided one adopts certain techniques and uses good brushes with points.

2a) Using oils to paint wargame figures requires little, if any, additional effort. And there is odorless thinner to thin paints and clean brushes if the smell of thinner, kerosene (white spirit), turpentine, or linseed oil is objectionable.

2b) Thinned oils dry much faster than is commonly thought. Oil Alkyd colors dry overnight. Winsor-Newton produces a nice line of these. Unsure whether other companies do though. Mediums are available in better artist supply houses to mix with oils and speed up their drying time appreciably.

3) Staining, washes, and glazing (one thin color applied on top of another color to produce a third)! Easy, fast, and effective.

4) There's no getting around it. Oil colors are richer and yield figures that are even more interesting to look at.

5a) White basecoats (two good coats) provide a very nice, bright "canvas" on which to apply colors, regardless of which media is preferred (acrylics, solvent-based, or oils).

5b) Black basecoats? Have painted most of my figures this way, but won't again. Black dulls colors applied over it, requiring lots of white dampbrushing or undercoating. Too time and labor intensive!

5c) Watercolors run at the slightest pretext of moisture. . . even after being "dry" for many days. Vivid and bright, yes, but not really suitable for figures that will be handled.

6) If painting uniforms in which one particular color dominates, use that color as a basecoat. A terrific time-saver. Two coats ensure good coverage of the bare metal. All other colors can be painted on top.

7) Aiming for a NEAT impression of uniformed individuals in miniature is easier and less time consuming to achieve than painting every single minute detail that few will notice after the fact. Saves lots of time and frustration.

8) Except in the case of huge, glaring errors with the paintbrush, ignore mistakes. Don't bother fixing them and move on to the next part of your painting process. Another terrific time-saver.

9) Judicious use of black or dark brown lining in the post-painting phase works wonders for bringing out particular areas, but it's not necessary to strain your eyes and take days to blackline every single feature on every single figure. The trick is in recognizing when to stop.

10) Be bold with black or dark brown lining though. It helps figures look more defined and nuanced. Look at Doug Mason's figures.

11) Re: point #7 -- Very thin fleshtone applied to the hands and faces is all that's necessary. If the paint is thin enough, it will settle into depressions on the hands and faces, providing instant shadows. On raised areas like chins, cheeks, and noses, it will be thinner, providing instant highlights that are more subtle and realistic than a two-three part painting process. It's much faster too.

12) Figures that look too busy, or too boldly painted up close will probably look just fine at arm's length.

13) Overthinking how to paint, or asking constantly, "Am I doing this wrong?" risks bringing on great anxiety about it, and can lead to avoidance and inactivity, which gets in the way of enjoying the wargaming hobby to its fullest extent.

14) That said, some thought on how to approach painting several units of wargaming figures is necessary and helpful. The only way to improve at any activity is to try it, skin one's knees a time or two, and then gradually become better as experience with the paintbrush and how to use it increases. It's like a sport or playing a musical instrument.

15) Painting isn't the actual game on the table of course. . . But it ought to be, and can be, a highly enjoyable part of the wargaming hobby provided it is approached in the right way. . . Whatever that might be.

You may agree, or disagree with these points and have your own ideas about how to crank out painted figures, regardless of unit size. Fair enough. Everyone develops his, or her own way of doing things over time. And this post is not an attempt to force any so called painting rules on anyone. But, when working with large units of figures, we tend to stumble onto, or develop various ways to cut corners and still turn out figures that look pretty good in a reasonable amount of time. So, it seems like a good idea to share and discuss methods/approaches/tips that have been useful to yours truly during the last few months of fevered painting.

Maybe a few of the ideas outlined above will assist not only established wargamers, who may be in the midst of a painting slump as I was for much of 2011, but also aspiring newcomers, who might struggle with the the thought of actually painting those 150-200 new figures. To my mind, that "I have the figures, but how will I ever paint them?" question is one reason so many of the latter fade away after a while and are left with a drawer somewhere full of lead. A sad end to what might have otherwise been a fantastically absorbing hobby.

And so, wargaming comrades. . . March with me! Let us unite in our collective efforts to spread wargaming goodwill, painting theory, and eradicate the mountains of unpainted lead and plastic that accumulate in too many boxes, cupboards, and drawers around the world!

Less Than Two Weeks to Go. . .

2012-01-18T11:17:00.003-06:00

Until January 31st, the end of the "Which Scenario Should They Fight First in 2012?" poll. So far, Sittangbad remains in the lead with approximately 42% of the votes cast so far, but Charles S. Grant's river crossing scenario is in second place with the rest trailing along somewhere behind. There is still plenty of time for that situation to change though. What do you think? Which scenario would you like to see the armies of the Grand Duchy of Stollen and its arch enemy the Electorate of Zichenau undertake here in Zum Stollenkeller? Be sure to cast your vote for one of the five scenarios at the upper right of the Grand Duchy of Stollen homepage.

Presenting the 6th (Luebecker Musketeers) Regiment of Infantry!!!

2012-01-17T22:01:00.003-06:00

61 figures and a horse, painted between the end of November 2011 and early January 2012.

Freshly glossed and awaiting a second coat in a day or two, here is the final unit of infantry in my initial Sittangbad-sized forces. The uniform is based very heavily on a Knoetel plate, illustrating the military costume worn by Hansastadt Luebeck's Buergermilitaer during the mid- to late 18th Century. The figures were painted with a mix of acrylics, Humbrol enamels, and oil glazes (the horse and scarlet coats). As you might suspect from previous comments by me over the last couple of months, I enjoyed painting these immensely. Certainly as much as, if not even more than, those Holger Eriksson dragoons a year ago.

This unit will have the honor of beign the first regiment in my armies committed to multiple bases in a few days once I have had the chance to visit the local model railway shop to purchase the right kind of thin wood ply. More photos to come once that final step is all done.

A Little More Stollenian Eye Candy. . .

2012-01-16T17:01:00.001-06:00

A reprise of the July 2010 Battle for Teordorstal Valley fought between the fiery Colonel von Adalnowski and the lovesick Major von Topfsange.

Just one more blast from the past today. The photograph above comes from a solo affair that was conducted here in Zum Stollenkeller during July 2010. The battle that unfolded over a number of afternoons and evenings, while the Grand Duchess and Young Master Paul were away, was based on a Charles S. Grant Tabletop Teaser from Battlegames #19. Lots of fun, and the proceedings led eventually to the surrender of the Zichenauer army to the Stollenians. You can read more about the battle, as seen through the eyes of Colonel von Adalnowski and his guest the young Major von Topfsange respectively, by viewing the July 2010 blog entries.

Plastics and Metals Work Well Together. . .

2012-01-16T11:44:00.017-06:00

Metal RSM figures mix it up with some plastic Revell dragoons in a 2008 refight of Charles Grant Sr.'s "Action" from The War Game, which I retitled The Action at Pelznikkel, to fit into my ongoing campaign context.

One of you visitors to the Grand Duchy of Stollen asked, in the last day or so, whether I used 1/72 plastics together with my metal figures, or not. Guilty as charged. I freely mix the two. The first several units I painted for the GD of S project back in 2006 and 2007 consisted of the sadly defunct, increasingly hard to find plastic Seven Years War sets by Germany's Revell. Larger than some makes of 1/72 scale plastics, those produced by Revell are, in fact, very slender, understated 25mm figures. Like many brands of 25mm used to be before the mid to late 1980s and the advent of Wargames Foundry. So, there was no question in my mind about using the Revell figures on the table next to the larger ones by RSM95, Spencer Smith, and Holger Eriksson once I was seduced by those little metal sirens. . . and promptly crashed on the rocks.

Longtime visitors to the GD of S blog might recall that I use 25mm Austrian and Prussian standard bearers from MiniFigs within my units of plastic 1/72 Revell figures. And while the two are rather different in stoutness, and the Revell figures are actually a bit taller, the combination works fairly well in large units of 60-80 line infantry. Here, what your eye typically notices is the large size of the unit as a whole rather than the individual figures that comprise it. Think "in the grand manner" like Peter Gilder, Charles Grant, Charles S. Grant, and Brigadier Peter Young here.

And while it might seem strange at first, painting and assembling large units of troops is also a way to cut a few small corners in the painting process. Besides, only pedants will notice that you have not painted the fingernails and buttons on the coatees of those 48 Grenadiers of the Old Guard. Or the golden hoops in their earlobes!

It is for this reason that I have thrown caution and perfectionist tendencies to the wind during the last couple of years and have decided to ignore fixing the most minor mistakes made with the paintbrush. If it is something so small that no one else will notice, don't bother going back to fix it. Move on to the next color! This approach is very much in keeping with what my artist mother once told me many years ago about "real" artists and painters, who simply work around their mistakes on the canvas, disguising those mishaps and working them into the overall composition of their pictures and portraits. Some might not necessarily agree with that assessment, but it has always made a weird sort of sense to me.

Returning to the point at hand, while I like well-painted miniatures, and try to produce the best work I can at the painting table, I don't like taking months to finish a single unit. Anyone remember those 30 Minden hussars that took me most of 2011 to finish? I am not working on 54mm or 90mm display figures after all. A reasonable wargaming standard that looks good at arm's length is the compromise that I have gradually made with myself after 28 years in the hobby. That said, it has taken me the last 5 1/2 to get to the current point with the Grand Duchy of Stollen project thanks to things like work, marriage, starting a family, purchasing a house, moving into it, and a host of other mile stones (or is that millstones?) that have come along in the meantime since beginning things in July-August 2006. But, you do the best you can in the time available for a hobby pursuit I suppose.

From the same action in Augsut of '08, here is a unit of Revell plastic Austrian grenadiers, a.k.a. Zichenauers in my alternate corner of 18th Century Europe, entering the village of Pelznikkel after trouncing the Stollenian Army.

Here's a Comparison Photograph from Colonel Campbell. . .

2012-01-16T11:20:00.000-06:00

In keeping with various posts from the last couple of days, that show how various 25-30mm 18th century miniatures match up to each other, or not as the case may be, here is a picture of, from left to right, figures by: Minot, Minot, RSM95, Minot, and Old Glory. Hmmmm. . . The advancing Hessian grenadier and a couple of those officers on foot, designed by Barry Minot and available in metal from Spencer Smith Miniatures, are sorely tempting!

Yet another Comparison Photograph. . .

2012-01-15T19:11:00.002-06:00

A picture I took in February 2007, to illustrate the difference in size between the plastic 1/72 scale SYW figures by Revell on the left and a metal 1/60 scale RSM95 Prussian grenadier, painted here as the famous Oberfeldwebel Klatschen, the most feared non-commissioned officer in the Army of Stollen. Why, it has been said that even the generals avoid tangling with him! While the difference in stature and stoutness between the two miniatures is readily apparent, you really don't notice that when they are deployed in large units on the table.

Another Comparison Photo. . .

2012-01-15T11:40:00.002-06:00

This comparison photograph, taken in 2010, comes to us from Mark Dudley of the Ilkley Old School blog. from left to right, the figures are by: Spencer Smith, Minot, Jackdaw, and the final three by Tradition (Stadden). Were time and money no object, I'd add large units in metal from all these miniature makers.

The responses to yesterday's posting of various comparison photographs have been extremely good, and it has been a real pleasure hearing from all of you on the subject. If there is anyone else out there with some comparisons photographs of nominally 25-30mm figures floating around on your hard drives, and assuming you would like to see them reblogged here, please send them along, clearly identifying which figures are which, and I'll post them at the GD of S blog.

It's really very interesting to see all of these various figures next to each other. For many years, I was under the mistaken impression that 30mm MUST be larger than 25/28mm. Clearly, that is not always the case. Does anyone know why the 30mm classification was applied way back when, and why it was jettisoned in the early 1970s for 25mm? And does anyone still bother painting and collecting 15mm figures? The impression I have is that the 18mm fellows seems to be edging them out. Or is it simply that as someone now well past the age of 40, with middle-aged eyes, it's difficult to imagine trying to paint anything smaller than 20mm figures? Ok, discuss!

Figure Comparison Photographs. . .

2012-01-14T13:11:00.013-06:00

In the above photograph, taken by yours truly in 2007, you'll observe from the left an RSM95 figure, one by Spencer Smith, another by MiniFigs, and a plastic one by Revell at the far right.

Back in early December, one of you Stollen regulars asked in a comment for some comparison photographs of various 18th century figures, to see how they compared in stature and stoutness. So, without further ado, here are a number of reblogged pictures gleaned from various blogs, including my own. Thanks in advance go out to Greg Horne, Jim Purky, Frank Hammond, Little John of Lead Gardens, Allen at The Kingdom of Wittenberg, and Steve Gill. If I have missed anyone, please excuse me, and do let me know offline, so I can make the necessary corrections and give credit where it is due.

At any rate, figure choice, when it comes time to making that leap and parting with your hard earned cash, is, like so much else in life, a highly personal thing. My own preference if for slender, realistically proportioned figures produced by the likes of Stadden (Tradition), RSM95, Minden Miniatures, Holger Eriksson, and Spencer Smith. With the exception of the first mentioned, my own collection consists primarily of 25mm-28mm-30mm-1/60th-1/57th (take your pick) soldiers produced by these manufacturers, along with some 1/72nd plastics by Revell. You might very well have other preferences. In any case, I hope the photographs assembled here today might shed some light on the very different sizing and proportion standards between brands and, ultimately, assist you in making your own decisions about which miniatures to purchase for your own 18th century armies.

Here is another of my own photos, this time from 2009, showing from left to right miniatures by: Zvezda, Revell, Garrison, RSM95, Holger Eriksson, Spencer Smith, and MiniFigs.

This particular photograph is from Frank Hammond of Minden Minatures, showing his own figure at center, next to others by various manufacturers. The Minden and the RSM figures here are my personal favorites. The others, while nice, look too well fed, or there is something about the heads and/or hands that strike me as wildly out of proportion.

Here's a shot by Jim Purky -- Hesse-Seewald's own "Der Alte Fritz" -- of a few figures from his collection. From left to right castings by: Stadden, Suren, Capitulations, and Eureka.

This photograph comes from Greg Horne, the man behind the Duchy of Alzheim, and shows how nicely RSM and Eureka miniatures work together.

I am unsure of the provenance of this particular photograph, gleaned from the web. Credit may possibly go to Colonel Campbell. In any case, it shows miniatures produced by, from left to right: Eureka, Front Rank, ???, RSM, Sash and Sabre, and (possibly) Crusader. If you have any additional information about the unidentified figures above, or who took the photograph, please let me know.

The figures show here are by RSM and Spencer Smith. Credit goes to Little John at the Lead Gardens blog.

The Kingdom of Wittenberg furnishes this nicely composed comparison photo of a few figures sitting around on the painting table a few years ago.

Finally, let's close with another photograph from Wittenberg of some cavalry figures this time. From left to right are pictured miniatures by: Dixon, Old Gory, and Elite.

The Final Painting Progress Chart Update. . .

2012-01-13T14:53:00.013-06:00

Above, you'll see the final Grand Duchy of Stollen painting progress chart update. My mathematics might be off by a few numbers here and there, but nevertheless, the units are all finished and waiting to assemble for battle in a few weeks' time once the "Which Tabletop Battle Should They Fight?" poll ends. If you have not yet voted for a particular scenario, please do so by January 31st at the upper right-hand corner of the GD of S homepage. So far, Sittangbad remains in the lead (not, I hasten to add, "lead." Get it?), but there is still plenty of time for one of the Charles S. Grant scenarios to come from behind.

I've also been sorting through the pile of lead and plastic here in Zum Stollenkeller, and it looks like it's enough to keep me busy for another couple of years at least if you factor in the additional bridges I want to scratch-build along with a planned dozen or so pontoon, baggage, and ammunition wagons or carts, which I'll also build from scratch. I'll use RSM95 teams and drivers for these along with a few by Minden. Anyway, here's what is in the pile already, or will be added to it shortly:

30 RSM95 Prussian Hussars (To be converted into uhlans by simple addition of lances)
30 RSM95 Prussian Dragoons (These will need horses)
30 Spencer Smith Dragoons (plastics in the classic charge pose)
61 RSM95 Prussian Musketeers
21 RSM 95 Austrian Grenadiers (I'll eventually purchase 60 additional RSM Musketeers to form an 80-strong Bavarian Regiment, which will join the Army of Zichenau)
40+ RSM95 and Minden Austrian Grenzers

13 RSM and Minden Artillery Crew and Two Guns
Various odd Holger Eriksson and RSM95 figures
Various Staff Mounted and on Foot

On another note, I have made the momentous decision to mount my figures on bases over the next several months to save time and effort in moving them on the gaming table. I'll probably use the base dimensions set out by Peter Gilder in his In the Grand Manner ruleset -- I have always loved the look of those old games at The Enchanted Cottage -- but I'll tweak things a bit so I can remove single casualties before an entire base of eight infantry or three cavalry need removal. Skirmishers will be based in close order but two to a base. I'll just move them apart to form open order skirmish screens in woods or on the flanks. Generals and staff will be on bases of two-four figures. Artillery crews and aides de camp will remain unbased.

There are, naturally, a few more details to work out with all of this as I go along, but it should speed up the pace of my games appreciably. Henry Hyde's recent efforts to base his huge collection of Spencer Smiths as well as Charles S. Grant's extremely well-presented "new" armies, as seen in recent Wargaming in History titles and the Wargamers' Annuals, have been the main impetus behind my decision. Monkey see, monkey do and all that you know. Oh, and speaking of Henry, if you have not already done so, visit and bookmark his new blog, Henry Hyde's Wargaming Blog.

Now, one of you asked several weeks ago, before the Christmas period, how various 25-30mm makes of 18th century miniatures stacked up against each other. I have not forgotten! It is just taking me a little time to round up some links to others' blogs that feature several comparison photographs. As soon as I have all of those, I'll post an entry here with the requisite links.

Last of all, no painting this evening! The Grand Duchess, Young Master Paul, and I have been invited to an early dinner this evening at a colleague's house two blocks away. It will give us a nice chance to bundle up the Young Master and walk with him through about four inches of snow that is covering our neighborhood right now. I realize lots of people hate the stuff, but to me, nothing is prettier than a winter landscape with a nice blanket of white snow covering everything and some crisp, cold winter air. Alas, it's not quite enough snow to visit a nearby state park and clip into the ol' Nordic (cross-country) skis this weekend, but we are already discussing when to present a first pair of skis to our son in the not-too-distant future, which provides something fun to daydream about in the meantime.

I'm not sure whether to say "Yeehaw!" or "Whew!"

2012-01-11T21:19:00.015-06:00

More to follow over the next few days in the way of photographs, an updated progress chart, and the like. But suffice to say, the 61-figure strong 6th (Princess Nene's Luebecker Musketiers) Infantry Regiment, which joins the Army of Stollen, is now FINISHED. I made a huge push before supper this evening to wrap up painting on the last two company drummers and the mounted Colonel von Weinshenk, who have taken their place with the rest of the regiment to await their two coats of clear, glossy protective coating in the next few days and, afterwards, their marching orders.

What a wild ride the past few months have been due to not just one, but TWO painting challenges (Thanks Bill!). Since I did not quite manage to finish those Minden hussars until after the November 5th, 2011 deadline of the first challenge, I was bound and determined to to wrap up this latest unit of RSM95 musketeers before the deadline of the second challenge, January 16th, 2012. Come hell or high water you might say! I think I'll take a break now from anymore painting for a few weeks though. However, there are some RSM95 grenzers due here any day now from the Dayton Painting Consortium, and I'm supplementing those with a few more, plus some mounted Prussian and Austrian generals, from Minden Miniatures in Britain. Note to self: e-mail order to Frank Hammond in A.M.

The basic Sittangbad-sized forces that I set out to paint in August of 2006 are now COMPLETE! Whatever will I do with myself now? Hmmm. . .

On to the next phase of the project. . . A battalion of pandours? A battery of artillery? A regiment of plastic Spencer Smith charging cavalry? A regiment of RSM hussars converted into uhlans? A largely scratch-built wagon train? Oh, my head hurts. . . but in a good way!

Three Weeks Left to Cast Your Vote. . .

2012-01-10T14:35:00.004-06:00

The Sittangbad town jail, as featured in Charge! I have "borrowed" this particular photograph from the Vintage Wargaming blog.

Only three weeks -- 21 days -- left for you to vote for your choice in the "Which tabletop battle should I fight first in 2012?" poll. So far, a refight of the Battle of Sittangbad is currently in the lead with approximately 45% of the votes. But will it be the winner come Midnight on January 31st-February 1st? There is still lots of time for one of the Charles S. Grant scenarios to pull ahead, so you never know. If you have not yet done so, please cast your vote for the scenario of your choice in the poll at the upper right of the Grand Duchy of Stollen homepage. This is your chance to have some influence on the painting, occasional gaming, and other assorted wackiness that transpires here at Stollen Central. Cast your vote right now!

It has arrived. . .

2012-01-09T19:42:00.001-06:00

A late Christmas present arrived with the mail this afternoon, and although it is just after 7:30 in the evening here at Stollen Central, I will forgo painting this evening and retire very shortly to bed with a mug of coffee, to enjoy an evening of perusing, reading, and daydreaming. A quick look through the book before supper reveals yet another triumph by the Grant family. I might even be so bold as to suggest that this particular title looks like the best in the Wargaming in History series to date. Thanks to my outlaws for the funds with which I purchased said book!