Just so you know...

I just wanted to let you all know that I have not posted for a while as my camera has decided to not work, like 99% of the time.  I am still painting and as soon as I can borrow or buy a new camera I will be back in business.  Thanks and cheers...

It's been awhile... but I thought I would talk of brush cleaners

As most if not all of you have noticed over time brushes tend to split and or tip curl after "water cleaning".  Well after getting exceptionally tired of buying new brushes every other week due to tip curling issues I finally got some brush cleaners and conditioners from a local art supply store.  The ones that were available at the store were of several different types and manufacturers, the few that I chose were B&J "The Masters" brush cleaner and preserver and another one called "Pink Soap".  The B&J type is in a sealed screw lid type container and kind of like a cake the other "Pink Soap" is a liquid in a dropper bottle.  The are not very expensive with both being under $5.00 USD and considering what they do for your brushes a great buy!  You can search the internet or you tube on videos on how to clean your brushes but I will give you a couple of tips.

1st.  When cleaning the brush either on a cake type or in your hand with a liquid type always draw the brush away from the tip, NEVER push the brush into the cleaner.

2nd.  When using the cake type cleaners, after you get the majority of the paint off in your brush water, take the brush with a good amount of water still on it and work the the brush over the cake to make kind of a mushy paste of the cleaner on the brush and continue to work the brush through the cleaner until no more paint comes out then rinse it and then get some more cleaner conditioner on the brush and drawing to a tip, put the brush a away, yes with some conditioner still on it.  I use the liquid type(Pink Soap) for this step.  Anyway I hope this is understandable, if not like I said earlier look for videos on youtube about cleaning brushes and you will get the idea.  I just started doing this but I am told it will help eliminate the brush tips from curling or splitting.

15mm Prussian Army Commission unit 1 final

So this unit is finished with the exception of flocking the bases.  I need to ask the owner what he wants in the way of flocking.  I have mounted these on Wargames Accessories 3/4"x1" metal stands like I do with my own before mounting the figures. I also attach self adhesive magnetic tape to the bottom of each stand so that when transporting them you put a metal plate in the bottom of the box and then just put the miniatures on it and they stay put.  I use this stand size so that it can be played with either AOE or Lasalle, for Lassale you just use 2 bases to represent one base.  So next I have 38 AB Prussians from my collection that I got in a trade deal that are late Prussians when I was expecting Jena Prussians.  So now they have a new home as I did not know what to do with them.  Gary you will need to purchase separate AB command figures for this unit along with the 4 skirmishers as I do not have those.  So for the next unit I will have 29 to paint.  Anyway here is the first batch and if my research is correct they will be the 10th Silesian Infantry regiment.

UGGGGHHHH!!! I have been drawn back to the Evil Empire!!! Well Kind of... :)

Okay so I have been doing mainly historicals over the past year with the odd Warmachine painting session or game.  Anyway When I went into the FLGS to pickup my commission work I got to speaking with my friend the owner and he was raving about 8th ed. Warhammer. So yea I got it and the startings of a Skaven army.  So here are some pics of the first piece a Skaven Doom Wheel.  This is a very nice kit, goes together well and has great details.  Later I will also post up pics of the Skaven Screaming bell when I get it further on like this one.  This is just about done with a few odd bits and bobs to still paint but I think it is coming along quite well if I do say so.  So here it is...  Sorry Gary I got drawn into this and have not finished the first battalion of Prussians,  but hell it is your fault telling me how great 8th ed was...etc etc etc... LOL I will finish them first thing tomorrow morning, I promise... Cheers...

15mm Prussian Army Commision update #3

Okay here is the 3rd update for this first unit, damn I wish my camera was better!  Anyway I have the facings, collars, shoulder boards and cuffs painted, I am debating on detailing the cuffs with white strips across the yellow but not sure on this historically.  This unit if what I found on the internet is correct is painted up as the 10th Prussian Line Infantry(Silesian) I believe. Also I did discover that regardless of the unit the facings on Prussian Line infantry were always red. So Gary here they are I hope you are liking them, again I am sorry for the crappy pictures...

15mm Prussian Army Commision update #2

Ok so I got to working on these guys and I do have to say I was disappointed with the detail on these guys very subtle and hard to pick out if it even exists, I am definitely AB spoiled!  Oh well the gentleman I am doing this commission for is going to fill out the rest of the army with AB's so those will be a ton easier and better to paint!!!  I can't wait to get them and start working on them. He is going to be starting with his artillery batteries then on to infantry and cav.  So anyway here is the first battalion, I have not decided yet as to which unit these will be that is the reason for the collars, cuffs and facings are not done yet, also there is some touch up still to do and other bits and bobs like the muskets.  Gary I hope these are good for you, let me know...

15mm Napoleonics Collection so far, well almost all of it... ;)

My camera was not cooperating so I wanted to warn you up front and apologize for the crappy pics.  Anyway this is almost my entire 15mm Napoleonics collection that I have painted up so far.  I painted all of these this year so as you can see I have been busy.  I still have a ton more to paint but I will get it done some day.  Anyway on the Left are my French and on the Right nearest to the camera are my British and farther back on the Right are my Jena Prussians.  Yea I know Jena Prussians together on the same field?  Probably never happened historically but I have mainly been focusing on my French and only until recently started back on my allies that being the Jena Prussians.  Originally I started painting up the Brits but than moved on to the French after finishing the first 6 British Infantry units and the artillery.  So here they are...

New Commision 15mm Mini Figs Late Prussian army

I just got a commission from the FLGS owner here in town that happens to be one of my best friends.  Anyway the first batch I will be doing up is 3 Prussian Infantry Units and 1 Landwehr unit.  These are to be based as Lasalle units.  These from the my closest guess would be mini-fig figures.  After these are done I have some Old Glory and Essex Cavalry that he may want from my stock to be painted up. I discovered that the cavalry that he had gotten were mostly French and or  Early Jena Prussian Hussars etc. So he will need more cav.  Also I pointed him in the direction of AB's website for Artillery and showed him what he should get, that being 2 Horse battery's, 2 Foot battery's and 1 Heavy battery.  Also I have a bag of AB Prussian generals that I had doubles of that he may want for me to paint up for him.  So here are the pics of the figs cleaned up and re-primed black, they were mounted as they are but will be rebased after painting.  Cheers Gary check back here regularly for updates...

28mm Warlord Games ECW Saker and gun crew update #1

I have been dieing to paint up one of the two of these guys I have, so I started working on them in "secret" as well...lol  I still have some work to do on them but I at least wanted to get something on my blog about them, so here they are... Please let me know what ya think... Cheers

28mm Warlord Games ECW Royalist Dragoons update #2

Well I am grinding along with these guys, still have some more work to do on them but I think they are turning out ok for now.  As before this is both the mounted and dismounted Dragoon Command from Warlord Games Dragoon box set.  Cheers...