Sunday 8 July 2018

Funky Chickens



There was a Silesian eagle
who thought he'd look quite regal
if he spread out his wings
and showed off his.... things
but he looked like a scrawny seagull

It's been raining slantendicular today, so I spent the afternoon finishing off a couple of new flags. One of them is for Ian S and the other is for me. Ian sent me some very special soldiers recently, so it was the least I could do. I had to twist his arm before he'd let me, though.

I'm not sure if I've completely succeeded, but I wouldn't have got even this far if it hadn't been for the Archduke, who gave me a set of Revell Email paints when I visited him in the UK. Using them has been a revelation. They actually stick to the thing that one is trying to paint. It'll take me a while to get used to this revolutionary concept.

I'm going through another patch of major work stress at the moment so, who knows, there may be some Chasseurs to show off next week.

Toodle Pip,

WM

28 comments :

  1. Very nice looking flags WM, well done!

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  2. These are wonderful. The white lettering is clean and crisp. Did you paint this on or have you used a different technique ?

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    1. The letters were drawn on with a white acrylic pen, Mark, which was a bit hairy as they're not really designed for such intricate work - hence the rather squeezed effect on flag number one. It required a very light touch. It needed a bit of touching up with a brush, but I more or less got away with it.

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  3. Fantastic work Matt - the lads are getting very excited about receiving their colors!

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    1. You'll jolly well have to finish them now, Ian!

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  4. Email paints? Enamel paints?

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    1. So it appears - they come in tins exactly similar to Humbrols. I'm not sure what the "email" bit means. They are excellent paints, however. The only problem is that they're completely unavailable in NZ!

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    2. I shall have to look into these paints if they cover better than Humbrols, what's more I think my local toy shop might even stock them.
      BTW I loved the flags, both versions, but I know my OCD would have me endlessly tampering with them to get them to look identical - stupid I know, but I just can't help myself.

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    3. Hahahaha. I know what you mean, Rob. They are going to live at opposite ends of the world, however, so I spared myself that particular torture. Ian is going to get the one with the better lettering.

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    1. I never get up to the standard of your 1/72nd heraldry, Paul, but thanks for saying so!

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  6. Stunnng work! We have to remember that this is art and not technical drawing and tgat getting the flag to come to life and move is a large part of the art. That's why your hand created flags are so much better than the printed paper articles that us lesser mortals use.

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    1. Thank you, LG. Whenever I paint something a bit wonkily I console myself with the memory of the Liverpool militia flag I used to curate at National Museums Liverpool, which was not very symmetrical.

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  7. They're lovely!

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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  8. First rate flags well done. Whenever I attempted painting eagles I would manage one set of wings no problem but could never get the matching pair to match up. Well done.

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    1. I had to draw the design onto a piece of paper about a dozen times first, Robbie, to convince myself I could fit it on. They still turned out rather differently!

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  9. Once more I doff my virtual hat in admiration.

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    1. Cheers, Matt. I'm not sure when I'm actually going to use my flag, however, as Silesian landwehr are not part of the plan for phase 2.

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  10. Are these painted on Coca-Cola cans? Wubderbar fahnen.

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    1. They are indeed, CN. It's low-tech but quite effective.

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    2. Do you have a post showing how you make them?

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    3. I'm afraid not, to my shame, despite promising to from time to time. I always seem to be caught in the moment when I'm painting them and don't want to stop to take pictures!

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  11. Very fine looking flags sir....

    You can get Revell Email paints from Amazon...though I imagine that the postage to New Zealand would be greater than the cost of the paint.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. I need to try out a few more of the colours first, Aly, but from what I've seen so far I may take the plunge and order a shed load. As for postage - it's the price of living at the uttermost end.

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  12. The flags are of course, wonderful, but what really caught my attention was your use of painting to deal with work stress. I find on stressful weeks my painting decreases, as I have to move and take walks or exercise to exorcise the work demons. Painting for me happens when I am relaxed and at peace, which is probably why my output is so low! I did get in some painting this weekend on the 17th regiment of French Line Fusiliers, so I must have had a good week. Heading for Vacation in California come mid-July, so have to get in some painting while I can!

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    1. I find painting deeply meditative, David. The problems of the world shrink down to where the next brush stroke is going to go. I just can't do this when I'm relaxed - that's when I go shinning up hills and whatnot!

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  13. Interesting. I used to do a daily meditation and breathing exercise, but found that I could not do so at times of high stress. I need the physical exercise first, before I can switch gears, but can understand how the concentration painting requires would be an effective way to drive out work distractions in your off hours. In a sense it is similar to a gratefulness exercise, in that for you it can shift inner dialogues. Certainly I am grateful for your examples of fine art as well as the joy I experience when I am painting these little metal fellows (and the occasional lass).

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