Sunday 25 February 2018

A New Pirch

My new gunners are complete, but as I haven't finished their guns yet I've used an existing gun detachment to illustrate the spiffy new plasticard gun bases I've made for them. The prospect of painting this (in fact I needed to do six) with my increasingly dodgy supply of Humbrol 80: Grass Green was so daunting that I finally bestirred myself to head down to the local DIY warehouse and get a 250ml pot of matched emulsion.


It wasn't an exact match, but this was by no means a bad thing. I rather like the daring two-tone effect it produces with the original Humbrol colour on the figure bases. I think I'm going to all my plasticard bases like this from now on.

Pictured with the gunners is my newly completed Der Kriegspieler Prussian General. He is to be Generalleutnant Georg Dubislav Ludwig von Pirch (or Pirch I as he's generally known, to distinguish him from his brother). Pirch I was the commander of the Prussian II Corps in 1815, a gig that was awarded to him because the previous incumbent, Ludwig von Borstell, had refused to execute a group of mutinous Saxon soldiery who were less then keen to join the Prussian army.



He's not the most spectacular figure in the world, but he'll do for me.

Brand new gunners to follow, I promise.

WM

24 comments :

  1. The demise in the quality of Humbrol enamels is very sad, I have read somewhere that production was switched to China or some such to cut costs. Your alternative seems to be the way to go. Mr Pirch makes a lovely addition to the chain of command.

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    1. It's vexing, isn't it, Matt. I'd also heard the China rumour, but that they'd subsequently been repatriated because of all the complaints. One suspects there's still a lot of the Chinese stock lurking about whatever the case. No two tins alike at the moment. I'd buy the Archduke's recommended Revell paints if I could get them in NZ.

      Pirch was much less enamoured of Saxons, apparently...

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  2. Aha! Photos at the second look, earlier this morning there was just a tantalising text-only post, which seemed cruel. :o)
    I also like your two-tone effect, as like your table top, the paler green highlights the figures better. It looks darker than your table so presumably will generate three-tone battles? Not sure how that will look but I'm guessing the two-tone bases will be less apparent next to the paler table, which I'm still considering copying as I love the contrast.
    By the way I think someone ought to tell Pirch I to stand somewhere else or Pirch II will be in line for a battlefield promotion.

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    1. Something was going horribly wrong with my connection to the google servers in California (or wherever they are) last night, Rob.

      The tabletop, as you say, is paler still. I'm not entirely happy with it. I'm investigating greener tinges for it, but can't make up my mind.

      Pirch has really got to stop taking directions from that idiot Lutzow...

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    2. It's just a suggestion, but before re-painting the table why not experiment with painting an A4 piece of card first and taking matching photos of troops on this and the table (colour & black and white) for comparison. Wastes a bit of paint but plays safe as it can be hard to predict how a colour will look when applied to a larger area.

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    3. That is indeed my plan, Rob. In fact I've been doing it for a while, as evidenced by the changing shade of the green board I've been using in the photographs of the troops. I'll probably end up with so many test pots that I'll have to paint a landscape.

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  3. I like the two tone bases..they sort of "lift" the figs. I had a similar issue when basing my lot for the ACW airfix Project. I hadn´t thought out that the green I painted the figs bases with was a darker tone than the DIY paint I was going to use for covering the stands. I should have stuck to the way you´ve done it instead of wasting time matching up the bases and the stands.

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    1. You are a man of taste and discernment, Paul.

      The new colour is very pleasing, I think - I can't help thinking it's the colour Humbrol 80 ought to be!

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  4. You know, bright green bases just have a wonderful way of highlighting the figures attached to them. I agree that the two-tone effect is worth keeping. And von Pirch looks great! His horse is just the right shade of brown. Is that an oil glazed over a yellow? Lovely in any case.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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    1. Thank you, Stokes. I've often admired the bright green bases of others but never had the courage to do it myself before.

      I'm getting a bit more daring on the horses these days too. He was done in yellow with just a brown ink stain, and then varnish slapped on top!

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    2. Must concur that the tones you have achieved on both horses are simply brilliant. I have to fight a constant battle to keep my figures anywhere near as bright as they need to be. For some reason I always tend dark, especially for aging eyes...

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    3. From three feet away everything starts to look like a heap of dark grey spiders whatever you do, David - but that may just be the tablets I'm on. It's hard to say.

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  5. I really like the two-tone effect and it seems you have the final solution to the Humbrol 80 problem. Pirch is just superb!

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    1. Thank you Mr Stryker, Sir.

      I wish I'd done this three years ago. Mind you, when I was starting out investing in a 250ml match pot would have seemed an outrageous extravagance.

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    1. It's a very calming green, Phil, don't you think?

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  7. So, Lutzow ist now an idiot, ja? Wirklich? Kann one not see the genius of inviting him to stand in front of ze French cannon, damit one improves greatly one's promotion prospects... zum Teuffel usw...

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  8. I think you're on to something, Archduke; the veneer of incompetence is merely cover for his dastardliness! One can certainly imagine his colleagues saying so. They were now doubt horribly jealous of all the media attention he kept getting.

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    1. If it's media attention he craves, perhaps you should send him over here to the states. He could hang out with the Donald. :)

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    2. I'd never suggest that Lutzow was THAT dastardly, David.

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  9. I might try getting a pot mixed myself. I wonder if anyone mixes enamel paint ?

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    1. That is a jolly good question. The only thing on offer to me was a pot of the standard emulsion goop. The main drawback with it is that it takes ages to dry. This is not really all that big a problem if you're not a hurry, but preparing the bases first when starting out to paint a new unit might be an idea.

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    2. If one puts a drop of yellow into Revell enamel no 68, one gets something very similar to Humbrol 80, except that it dries matt and only needs one coat. Sorry WG, I understand your frustration here, but the UK beckons.

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    3. I've managed to secure exactly one pot of Revell enamel so far. It came from the Christchurch model shop - the owner believed that it was the only one in NZ. He told me that they used to stock the whole range, but uptake nationally was so anemic the wholesalers stopped offering it.

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