Ultracast RAF Fighter Pilot Work in Progress

Busy painting away at the 6mm which look to be on track so last night I did a little more on the Fighter Pilot. Having already painted his uniform in the flat colour, Vallejo Field Blue I now needed to set about doing the shading.

The model has excellent detail and a wealth of small and large folds and ripples in the jacket and trousers making the work flow really well. The question though is how did it go? Does it look right? and have I got it close enough to the right colour? 

OK that's more than one question, but why does that surprise? ;-) When I started out I thought this would be a few months project as I can't give it long spells given the amount of work I am committed to already and safe in the knowledge I could take till Christmas. Now I am thinking it won't make it to the end of September allowing me to move back onto my Crimean trio.

Here we have the canvas back of the life jacket which is a bit heavy handed shaded but is a fair copy of the example I have saved so will let that run. Still have the gloves and boots to do which again brings up the dreaded black (boots) but I plan to use Black Grey and black (similar to the hair) followed by a little play with ink post matt varnishing the figure.

I still have the silver of the buckles, the buttons and the hardest of the lot, the braid on the cufts, these will be done in the not to distant future. But do I need to go back to the uniform and do some more work on it? have I enough paint changes on the uniform (I have seven in total between the darkest to most highlighted.

Cath thinks the trousers most of all has too much highlight which I did tone back a bit but is it fine as it stands or does it need more or less tone? I still have the front of the scarf to add but before I do I want to do more work on colour change on that as well. The scarf will be gloss painted in area's post varnish to hopefully give a silken sheen on the highlight points and set it off.

This is how he would have looked in 1940 during the battle of Britain. I like how this picture brings out the shading without letting on if it's been over or under painted, it is NOT greyscale like Curt would do LOL

The Chatter Behind the Bike Sheds

Having seen a few photo's of other bloggers paint desks I thought I would have a closer look at mine tonight. I'm not brave enough to zoom out and show you the rest of the desk but instead lets take a tour around the epicentre of my miniature world.

The old and the new all in one shot. Centre back of this photo you may pick out the three British cavalry from the charge of the light brigade dio, well I have continued to work on the prep, filling in the holes and gaps, just need to sand it down and prime it then it will be started. To the left of it is a WWII British Fighter Pilot from Ultracast a 1/32 model I am painting up for my boss so she can give it her husband for Christmas (yes I am that much of a creep!) This will push me to work on the Crimea one as well so it's not all bad.

The jumble below is some of the 15mm ECW I preped at the end of last month and will be starting to paint sometime this week and some old Baccus French that are supposed to be painted as French allies but keep being put off by other needs. I think I have to put all five battalions back in their box to await their turn which has been pushed back further and further.

My work in progress of the moment. Three battalions of the 12th Prussian reserve regiment. These I hope to have finished by Wednesday allowing me a good run at Matt's ECW. I have just the two regiments to finish then I can move onto his Zulu's. Also in shot is the Ox Gall Liquid I hope will work the same as the none delivered Flow Aid but having read a few comments I have my doubts. It may be that they have used too much so that's what I am pinning my hopes on.

The other three French allied battalions and a Leven building that just is waiting it's turn for more work, should get to it soon but all the new stuff keeps getting in the way. 

Anyone remember the French command figures? well I still have twelve figures to finish which is another round to it and hiding in front of them are two Prussians that have not even made it to being sprayed yet.

So quite a few hours worth of work sitting in the wings, a mix of getting a job and the hour heavy Project Waterloo mean that some of these items would have been painted and off the table by now but still sit there. The good news is that the painting of the Prussians is speeding up and I am finding that I am starting to get a few more hours a week at the desk. Monday to Friday I try to paint on average somewhere between one and two hours which does gallop through the figures. This month looks to be the best month since I started back at work so things look good.

Don't forget the blog giveaway of the Mithridates Book, a good read even if your not into the enemies of Rome.

370 Days page has been updated.

Well the title says it all. Essex on the march, so I had best get cracking on painting some Royalists then.

Well my table has a nice mix of projects at the moment. The eight sniper reminders need finishing off which will be done this week, though the bases will probably run into the following week as well. I have two 15mm units almost finished, just the final basing stages to do. The last five 10mm ADC's have fallen by the way side so I will get these gone before much longer along with the 6mm ones I have started. I bought three ECW buildings from Baccus two of which are close to being finished and the third just started. These will be finished during this week and I have a regiment of foote, horses and dragoons all primed ready for a start which should soon see some paint.

 

After that I have all my plastics washed and ready to be cleaned up and primed. These will have to wait though. I have been talking to Tim about his prize and it could be 20mm Naps or 6mm ECW. These will be put before any more of my own projects if they get here before I am finished with what I have whilst I also have done a trade with a friend for a Spanish Hill Village for me painting some 6mm which again is slotted ahead of any of my stuff, though I will be doing bits between I am sure.