Painting War: Season 1, Issue 2 - an excellent magazine, even better than the initial issue.

 

General d'Espagne - a sculpt by Mike Broadbent, exclusive for this magazine.

 

Standard painting color recommendations - three pages are devoted to standard uniform colors, thereby allowing more detail to be added to the pages devoted to painted miniatures. This is essential given the wide variety of colors worn by the French Napoleonic Armies.

 

An example of a painted figure page - the standard uniform colors are listed at the bottom of the page allowing two additional color recommendations to be added to the page. Brilliant!

 

 

These figures from Murawski Miniatures are beautifully sculpted by Paul Hicks and are a blast to paint - you can see the shako details under the hat cover on the shooting figure on the lower right - simply amazing! They are definitely "gotta have" figures if you are gaming the "Retreat from Moscow" period.

COMING ATTRACTIONS! Company B Japanese Heavy Gun and Crew

The heavy gun and crew is perfect for Pacific island and jungle fighting. The officer, loader and assistant gunner were conversions of other Company B figures; the seated figure is from one of the 20mm gun sets. I've always wanted a heavy gun and crew; these figures fit the bill perfectly. And, as the base is designed around the same dimensions as the AA gun and crew, they will fit nicely into the two emplacements that I built earlier in the year.

Note: I bought a large steel washer that fit the emplacements and have used it as the template for the searchlight and heavy gun/crew - if it can fit on the washer, it will fit into the emplacement.

Japanese WWII Emplacement #2

 The original photo that formed the basis of this emplacement.

 

 Basic form with reinforced sides.

 

 A bargain from the Dollar Tree = $1 for an almost endless supply of "bamboo logs."

 

 Bamboo logs in place.

 

 Initial coat of spackle.

 

 I noted the spackle would not lay well as high as I wanted it to lay. I added some "shelves" made from scrap cardboard and glued them at the level/height I wanted.

 

 A much better look to the walls around the gun emplacement.

 

 "Sandbags" made from ProCreate added after the spackle dried overnight.

 

 The blast wall, inside and outside views (this wall would be a separate piece). The basing material is already on the model - a more fine type inside the emplacement and a rougher style on the outside.

 

 



 The finished emplacement. Note: the area between the sandbags and the bamboo logs was covered with extremely fine basing material to represent sand.

 

The final painted emplacement by itself, with a searchlight and with a 20mm AA HMG in place. I was very pleased with the final result.

Painting War - German Army in WWII

"Blacklining"

Above: the difference between brown wash (left) and standard brown paint (right).
Below: Two Perry "Retreat from Moscow" figures before their white equipment straps are lined.

Above: white equipment straps blacklined with a charcoal wash.
Below: white equipment straps blacklined with a dark brown (bittersweet) wash.

COMPARISON: The backpack of the figure above had not been lined. The figure below has had the white leather on the backpack blacklined with a dark brown wash, making the details more striking and realistic.

Back in the Saddle Again!

The "Retreat from Moscow" pictures are from the last game I was able to play with the "Gig Harbor Irregulars" before we left the area. After putting 1800 miles on the car, visiting Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Jackson Hole, we arrived in Colorado Springs safely. We are still settling in; while I have not yet reported to work, I have started to paint again - ahhhh! I will try to post more pictures from local games and ongoing projects here. Thanks for your patience!

Retreat from Moscow, Game 1

Above, from left to right: Scott Murphy, Bruce Duthie and Bruce Meyer.

Above, from left to right: Murphy, Duthie, Meyer, Mikey G, Mark, John McEwan, Steve Gahn and Gene Anderson.

Above: the only new face is Kevin Smyth wearing the ball cap. The only player I failed to photograph was Gary Griess!