From the Painting Table

 I enjoy painting the figures I use in games. There was a time when I couldn't game much and I did painting for some friends. It was satisfying and fun. Still I enjoy both the painting and the playing. So here are some of my latest projects.

The Old Western Gunfight Skirmish Project

US Infantry in frontier/plains kit
(North Star Figures)

US Cavalry dismounted
(North Star Figures)

Wild West Seraphim
(North Star Figures - Dracula's America)
Beth like this figure so I needed to paint it up.
It really was a lot of fun to paint!

The here-to-for unannounced Dune Skirmish project

Frank Herbert's "Dune" fascinates me and I saw an opportunity for a small unit skirmish game. I'd hope to use the "5-Core" rules since most of the troops would be armed with blade weapons and slow projectile stunners rather than lasers or such. I wanted to find figures in hoods and robes (of a sort) as the Freman. Ninjas seemed to fill the bill for most of it.

Ninja from Iron Wind Miniatures serving as "Fremen" on Arrakis/Dune.
I wanted fighters with bladed weapons and hoods with face coverings.
Capes would have served me more and had I the patience and skill, I'd have added them.
I like the dust/sand colour with a heavy ink wash that picked out the details.

These guys should be armed with knives rather than spears and Katana-style swords.
Still, as a whole, I rather like how they turned out.

The Sardukar soldier-fanatics of the Padishaw Emperor, Shaddam IV proved to be a challenge. I wanted a sci-fi feel with bladed weapons but found that was too much to ask. So I ordered some Sci-fi troopers from Iron Wind Metals who look bulky, arrogant, and heavily armed. I can pretend they have knives.

These troops should be in black but I chose a more easily detailed uniform.
Big guns in hand... I like how they turned out. They may end up being used in some of my
Traveller campaign games.

I liked the rocket launcher on the left.
The unit officer is on the right, with the slight silver touches for insignia.

SteamPunk/Sci-fi/Fantasy Mixed Bag project

The Royal Family from West Wind's Gothic Horror range
They'd been sitting in the To-Be-Painted box for years and I got the urge to paint them up.
Probably Traveller fodder.

Various SteamPunk/Pulp figures
I don't know all the sources since some were bought at KEGSCON convention over the past
few years. On the far left is a Sergeant from Pulp Miniatures Gunga Din-ish offering.
Doctor sorta-Who is on the far right. The women are living dangerously in their arsenic-green dresses. 

Traders! Cultists! Musicians!
Bad Squido... Pulp Miniatures... Reaper... from left to right.
The Musician showed up in my recent Traveller game as DJ PB Smooth, the Scrunge-Rock 
guitarist. (Listening to Scrunge-Rock could lead to seizures or collapse... if it's heard wrong.)

Two Femme-Fatales from different eras.
On the left is Guinevere for Beth's Kings of War army. 

Space Dwarves from Wargames Atlantic
Fun to put together, even if you add heads and arms from other kits!

15mm Spanish Civil War project

These were originally done for Command Decision and were later rebased for Disposable Heroes. Now they're being resettled for Battlefront.

In the Nationalist service, an older model French "fast-firing" 75mm field gun.
For some reason, Spanish Regular Army artillerymen wore white belting.

Again in the Nationalist army, a later model 75mm field piece.
The difference? Rubber tires!

A Republican anti-tank gun.
International brigade crew? Maybe. The French "Adrian" helmets are a give-away.

US Troops in 15mm for Battlefront

The M1919 Browning medium machine gun with a competent crew.

An 81mm mortar ready to ruin my opponent's day

54mm (1/32) Spanish soldiers

Willed to me by my friend, Martin when he moved out of London, ON
3d-printed Spanish Napoleonic troops - a Spanish regiment and an Irish regiment.
The photo isn't too good and I haven't finished too many of these, so it's an on-going project.
Another on-going project.

Look who came to visit at Church this month!

A large cut-out from a past Vacation Bible School.
This was set up in a pew two weeks ago to surprise us all. 
Yesterday he/she had a surgical mask added.
Smart critter!

Further Facinations

Since I've been finding interesting art work of late, I thought I'd share some more of it.

These works are from the Polish artist, Jakub Rozalski. His subjects tend more to the "Steampunk" than the futuristic Science-fiction. He draws the inspiration for his art from Polish history and from some rather grim mythology. Some of his work illustrates an other-when Soviet-Polish War of the 1919-1921, a Polish rebellion against Tsarist Russia in the 1830's, the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, and some horrific (in the sense of horror movies) works from what he calls his "Wolfpack 1863." I'm not much for horror movies, but this man's work is very interesting. His early 20th Century Steampunk works are evocative of such things as the band, Steam Powered Giraffe, as well as some alternative fiction. Many of his illustrations are for video games where they set the atmosphere.

An illustration of a twisted, steampunky version of the 1831 rebellion.
Even the Napoleonic-ish constructs are wearing shakos.

A little view of some futuristic Polish army units on some not-to-be-hoped-for battlefield.

An interesting view of the advance of the Kosciuszko Squadron made up of American volunteers.
There actually was such a unit in the Polish-Bolshevik War, but it was a squadron of planes.
Pity.
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be as calm with the flocks if those mech stomped by.

A German/"Saxonian Empire" armoured unit advances.
The officer in the foreground is one of the characters in the video game, as his his wolf.
The mech is based on the hull of the German A10 tank from the First World War.

The Polish resistance, led by Anna, another named character from the video game.
She's usually accompanied by her bear, Woytek.

There he is! On detached duty.

Nordic Empire intervention forces. I think they're from Scandinavia and might be
Swedes or Finn (who had a bone to pick with the Bolsheviks.)

"Iron Fields" Cold... mechanized... industrial...

Anna and Woytek ask directions... and get them, I'd guess.
Note the harness and packs on the bear; he pulls his own weight.

A Nordic Hunter... a Steampunk viking! and why not?
Of course you can mix genres! It's imagination!

Polish cavalry and mechs advance past some women continuing to work in the fields.
They're braver than I.

I think this is called "Leaving Home." The woman is handing the sabre to her man before he rides off to battle
with the uhlans and the mechs in the background.
I find this piece very evocative and romantic... and really cold.

If you look close you can see the Soviet mechs firing while Red Army cavalry advance in front of them.
The Poles, both mechs and cavalry advance from the right of the piece. It appears some cavalry have been
detailed to screen the farm workers.

Winged Hussars... with bazookas! Oh, yeah!

The Battle of Warsaw. Steampunk romantic art.

Crimean Tatars with a wild tricycle mech in the background and a walking one behind that.

This is just called "Medic." My wife and daughter find it heart-breaking.

This fiery image is a piece showing the German/Saxonian (I'm at a loss) invasion of the newly
revived Polish nation.

This one has to do with the 1939 German invasion of Poland...
with a massive steampunk twist.

Scary stuff from the "Wolfpack" gallery. I don't like Werewolves very much.

This is a separate case. The Krampus and Santa Claus duke it out in the snow while children watch.
A bit disturbing.

The artist also has a series of works based on a world where Samurai Japan intersects with Viking homelands.
I think it's called "The Ancients" and there's plenty of large monsters or deities or demigods all around.
Here the giant Shogun cuts into a Samurai army.

This is just a small sample of Mr. Rozalski's work. There's lots more... some of which I'm not as much interested in. The "historical" works I find intriguing. I recommend you look them up and enjoy them. I may do more another time.

One last one... entitled "Knock knock."

Some "work in progress"

For some unknown reason, I've been getting a good bit of time to paint lately. I wish I knew how this is, because then I could do it again!

I've been doing some "contract" work for Bear and I've been enjoying it. (photos by my phone-camera at my painting table. Not the best studio, but it'll do.)

From the Bolt Action line from Warlord, late WWII SS troops.
Some are in the tunic, some in the late war field blouse (waist length), while a few are
covered by the Zeltbahn shelter half/poncho. I used the late war SS "spring" camo pattern.

This rifleman is in the camouflaged tunic and helmet cover.

An example of the Zeltbahn. Notice the lack of gaiters and the rolled socks.
That's a nice touch.

Field grey field blouse and Panzerfaust.
Another nice touch are the rolled-up sleeves.

One of my favouites - Zeltbahn and captured PPSh Soviet SMG.

For some reason, Warlord loves the soft officer's cap for their sprues. I'm not a fan, but these aren't my figs!

the ubiquitous and necessary MG-34.
I dipped this fellow in the basing sand a little too early.

Also for Bear, Perry Afrika Korps.
Slightly smaller than the Warlord figs, but they look good.
Helmets, field caps, and both long and short boots are in evidence.

A little closer and in better focus.
I used three or four different light tan colours to get different shades of khaki uniforms
with a brown ink wash to pick out the folds and corners.

I also finished a Sci-fi figure my daughter had begun a long time ago for use in out Traveller games. She could be carrying a large sci-fi gun or a wrench worthy of the Titanic's engine room, so I used both. (Reaper Miniatures)

I like Reaper's figures - well-detailed, lots of whimsy.
Katie did the face and hair.

Also for my daughter, some Reaper "Mouselings." These are anthropomorphic mice in various human costume. I have a "Thanksgiving" set, but this pack was for magic and Japan.

Merlin Mouse? Hairy Potter? 

A Samurai-mouse in his robes. He is carrying two swords... as he should.

I've been slowing assisting my wife in her Welsh army SAGA project. She likes slingers and these fill the bill nicely.

I have to get out all of my "drab" colours for this medieval project. The figs are nicely detailed and fun to paint.
Again I use a brown ink wash to pick out details.

And...

For the family's on-going Steampunk projects, this officer came straight from the Northwest Frontier.
Another study in khaki.

I've done a few other things - for my 15mm Napoleonics and SYW projects, my son's Imagi-nations army, and some clean-up things on the painting table. (I tend to be easily distracted in my painting.) I hope to show some of those off soon.