Category: Dio-Bolical Monday

As pleased as I was last week at having completed another mounted knight I came down to earth when I realised it was only the fifth one and I still had seven more to do.  I’m more than happy painting them but with hindsight I should have mixed things up more along the way.  That would have provided greater variety for me as well as for you dear reader.  Still we live and learn and I am where I am as far as this project goes.  The bottom line is these knights have to be finished before I can do more base work or I’ll box myself in and give myself all sorts of problems.

On the positive side of things I told myself that two more mounted knights painted would see over half of them done which would be motivational so this week I dug in and got another one completed.  I also made the decision that no more work would be done on the Barn until I was over half way with the mounted knights.

This weeks offering is a simple affair.  As you may recall from previous posts only four of the mounted knights have Comparisons to paint and as I have now done three of those it should be quicker for me to do most of the rest.  You never know I might even get two done if I have a good week.  Alas this wasn’t a good week so you’ve only got one to look at!

Nothing particulalry special about this one but he should fit in nicely with the others.  The good news is I’m now half way!

TIM

As tempted as I was to do more work on the Barn I decided to knuckle down and get another mounted knight done.  I was in the right mood for something a little more detailed and fancied something a bit brighter on the colour scale too.  I settled on a green and white combination.  Not the brightest but far more vibrant than the colour pallette I have been using of late.  I also decided to go for a check pattern.  It seemed like a good idea at the time but proved to be very time consuming.  Having said that I was more than a little chuffed with the end result.

Some photo’s below starting with some work in progress shots.

Getting this little chap completed left me feeling motivated to get some of the others done.  I think I will try to take advantage of my mood and look to get another mounted figure done in the coming week.

TIM

I decided I would work on the  base level of the Barn.  The main reason for this was wanting at some point to place it on the main base to visualise more accurately how things were coming along (or not as the case might be).  I should also add that I wasn’t really in the mood for doing more intricate painting.

Before I knew it I was fully absorbed in the task ahead, so much so that a) I forgot to take any work in progress pictures (they would have been dull anyway) and b) I suddenly realised that I hadn’t put together a blog post for publishing.  So, here I am at 21:30 hours on a Sunday night writing this post for publication tomorrow morning.

Now normally I am well organised but these days, and it’s been that way for a while, my mind is all over the place.  Why?  Age has almost certainly got something to do with it but I think I have identified a bigger problem.  Put simply I have, for now at least, lost interest in just about everything I once considered important to me.  I can think of lots of reasons why this might be but I’m digressing and I have a post to complete.

My laziness and lack of planning meant that once again my photos were taken quickly using my phone so apologise once again for the poor quality, I promise to do better in the future.

There isn’t much I can say about the Barn.  The painting style and paints used have been documented in past posts so I see little point repeating them again here (so lazy!).  The only thing that I did which wasn’t a smart move was using sawdust as the material for making the muck texture on the floor of the Barn.  Nothing wrong with the look of it but the sawdust mixed with watered down PVA simply took an absolute age to dry.  It tested my patience as far too many things seem to do these days but it was a  good lesson learnt and one I’ve put down to experience.

Images of the latest state of play on the Barn below.

As far as the Barn goes the roof is the next section to be painted.  After that I have the doors and a few other bits and bobs to do but they can come later and after the ground work has been done once the base of the Barn has been stuck down.  That won’t be yet a while as the mounted figures have to be completed first and fixed into position.

Next week I might do more work on the Barn but I really ought to get another mounted figure done.

TIM

This week saw me on a bit of a role.  Make the most of it, I can’t promise to keep this up.  I’m not sure quite how I managed it, probably something to do with planet alignment, that or because I couldn’t be asked to do jobs in the garden.

First up we have another peasant.  I need to check but I think this is the last one I had to do.  The original figure didn’t come with an axe but with a hoe.  I didn’t think such a hard looking guy suited a hoe so I swaped it over.  It also means I can claim it as another conversion!  Images below.

To my surprise I got this one painted and finished early in the week which left me time to start on something else.  I was tempted to do more work on the Barn but then I saw how many mounted knights I still had to do and decided I ought to crack on with another one.

All in all a good weeks progress and although there is still much to do for the first time  I can see the light at the end of this particular tunnel.  Next week, work on the Barn or another mounted knight? 🤔

TIM

This week saw more progress than I was expecting.  That’s not to say what I did was exciting but progress is progress right? The long Bank Holiday helped, not because I didn’t have to work (I’m retired after all) but because two of the days it rained and that got me out of doing anything in the garden.

So what did I get up to?  Well firstly I managed to get another figure done.  Nothing much to say about her but I think she will fit right in with the diorama and the village and peasant vibe I’m trying to create.  Some images below.  Not great photos but hopefully you get the idea.

With time to spare I decided to take a break from figure painting and make a start on the third and final building, the Barn.

There are several parts to the Barn but essentially it breaks down to three main sections – the lower base level, the upper level and a lean to which fits at the back of the lower base level.  I decided to paint the lean to mainly because it’s the smaller section and I had a chance of getting it finished.  The end result can be seen in the images below.  I will resist listing painting details as these have all been covered before in the two previous builds.  That said, if there was a challenge here at all it was remembering just how I did paint the other two buildings!  I think I got there in the end and that should make life easier for the main Barn lower base section.

That’s all for this week.  Plans for next week are variable.  It’s all well and good that it rained for two days this weekend which allowed me to get more modelling done but if the weather turns out better this week then I’ll be back out in the garden and painting will take a back seat.   Maybe you’ll see another figure, a mounted knight or more of the Barn.  I bet you can’t wait but please try to contain your excitement.  None of us are getting younger and the heart can only take so much excitement and anticipation!

TIM

This week I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked.  The main reason being She Who Must Be Obeyed and I managed to get Covid and it hit us quite hard.  Like a lot of people it started with a slight cough which neither of us thought anything of but then it hit us for six.  Our bodies ached and everything seemed to require a significant effort.  So much so we both spent a couple of days in bed doing the barest minimum.  Just how much the vaccinations helped I guess we will never know but I don’t think either of us would have liked to have been worse with it.  Even now, and after we had both tested negative, there is a lingering element to how we feel.  Fortunately I caught it first and was feeling much better by the time SWMBO hit the canvas so between us we managed to function and get every day stuff like walking the dog done.

As a consequence it wasn’t until late in the week that a finally managed to pick up a brush and when I did I decided to go for a quick and easy figure, one that if I cocked it up could be abandoned or at least positioned in the background of the diorama.  The figure I chose was the Beggar you can see below.  He turned out OK given the circumstances and I don’t feel the need to strip him down and start over.

All being well I’ll get another figure done next week.  Having been layed up for several days I’m behind on numerous jobs and need to give them some attention.  I’ve also got golf matches (yes, I now play golf!) which need to be reorganised and played so tackling another mounted figure isn’t on the cards I don’t think.

One final thing for this weeks post.  For the first time I used an Artis Opus brush and to be honest I was rather disappointed with it as the point curled over very quickly despite the fact that I use brush soap after every painting session.  I have a few of their brushes so it might just be a rogue one, I’ll have a better idea further down the line and if I have a change of opinion I’ll let you know.  For now though I very much prefer my Winsor and Newton series 7 as these brushes have never given me any trouble.

TIM

This week I managed to get another figure off of the workbench, this time a nice little peasant figure from Other World Miniatures.  I’m not entirely sure where this chap will go on the diorama yet, probably somewhere adjacent to the Barn, but he has a well sculpted face so ideally I will look to have him facing forward if I can make that look right.

The original figure came with a pitch fork but I swapped that for a scythe which was included in the accessories pack which I purchased with the Barn building from Table Top World.  Hardly a conversion but I do think he looks better for the change.

No idea what I plan to do next week, I’ll see how the mood grabs me and how the time goes.  I have plenty of other figures to paint, including some animals as well but I’m keen to get started on the final building.  Perhaps I’ll push myself to get another couple of figures painted and use the idea of starting the Barn as a reward for getting them done.

Some images of the peasant below.

TIM

My third mounted knight in as many weeks.  Although I still have another nine to do, as well as plenty of base work to be completed on all of them, I’m feeling a little more happy with the progress I’m making.  Yes, things are going slower than I’d like but if I can maintain this pace then I should get the diorama completed on time.

Looking at the images, which aren’t that great I must say, I think this one will need a fair bit of weathering before I’m completely happy with it.  That can come later but for now I’ll settle for how it is and move on.

Although I still have another building to do it is the figures which I am more concerned with getting done.  Many of the figures, the mounted knights in particular, need to be positioned and based before the third building can be put in situ.  Having said that I expect I’ll branch out and start painting the Barn shortly.  The idea of swapping from figures to building and back again will help me maintain my interest I think but for now I will aim to get a few more figures under my belt.  You can therefore expect to see another figure next week but probably a peasant rather than a Knight.

TIM

This week sees my second mounted knight done, well except for some weathering and the base which as explained last week will get done later on.

Once again the heraldry is based on nobody in particular, I’m far more interested in the aesthetic of the diorama than historical accuracy to be honest and I’m therefore keen to add colour variety where and when I can.

As with the previous knight, and as will be the case for the other ten figures when they follow, this is a miniature from Mirliton, an Italian based company.

Little else for me to say other than that some images appear below.

Next week, and while I’m in the mood, I shall crack on with another mounted figure.

TIM

After a short break I returned this week to working on my diorama.

A quick assessment of what needed to be done revealed the obvious, I needed to paint some figures.   There are a fair few to do, not least of all the dozen mounted knights so I thought I ought to make a start on them.

Of the twelve mounted figures their respective horses can be split between eight plain ones and four with Caparisons, which I believe is the name given to the fancy dress cloth thingies that were worn on the mounts of knights back in the day.  The four would clearly take longer to do but hopefully they would also prove to be the more enjoyable to paint.  I therefore decided to start with one of those.

Below are images of the first mounted knight, a figure from Italian company Mirliton.  He’s not based on anyone in particular, I just chose a colour scheme and heraldry that I liked.   I shall probably do the same with all the others.  The photo’s aren’t great, partly because I was to lazy to set up my light box.

As you can see the actual base hasn’t been done yet, that’s intentional.  Until all the mounted figures have been done, and possibly the other figures too, I won’t be able to determine their positioning on the main board.  Once that has been done I will work on the ground work with the aim of ensuring it is consistent from figure to figure so it all blends in.  I will also look then at the need for any weathering.  Well that’s the plan anyway.

The figures themselves are OK but I prefer the Baron’s War range available from Footsore.  Unfortunately they do very few mounted figures which aren’t in combat poses which aren’t suitable for this diorama.  Nevertheless I quite enjoyed doing a knight again which is just as well as I have more to do.  My plan for next week, unless I get derailed is to get another one done.

TIM