I've been going through an idle patch over the last couple of weeks, which is why I haven't posted anything.That being said, I've done a little bit more work on my Reservists and also been trying out another little project, which is pictured here. I'm not exactly sure what he is, but the leading theory at the moment is that he's a home-cast pirate of an Alberken Austrian. Early on in my project I acquired no fewer than 96 of these, so there's the beginnings of an army there if anything can be made of them.
If I can successfully create the command group, I may go ahead a paint a whole battalion. It's all part of my cunning plan to persuade my friend, DM, to take up Hinton Spieling. DM has a special thing for Austrians, and said that he just might give it a go if I gave a demonstration of how to paint them. Details about how I went about it will follow in future posts!
Best regards
WM
Edit: Bit of a brain fade there. My friend's initials are DF! Sorry, DF, although I'm sure you would be a very fine Dungeon Master also.
That's a great job Matt as I have found that Austrians are much harder to paint than they look. Don't forget to get in touch if DM or yourself need reinforcements!
ReplyDeleteThat's very kind of you to say so, Ian. Much of the detail on this one is more or less invented, but he's no worse in that respect than many of the DKs I've painted. I reckon 24 of them might look OK as long as one didn't get toooo close to them.
DeleteIf DM actually cracks and paints something I may be in touch!
Really nice, it's the little touches like the highlighting on the backpack that really brings it to life. I could almost feel tempted try a few myself if they'd ever done 2nd coalition period uniforms (I know the Austrian helmet did come out during that period but I do have partiality for the caskett that preceded it). Strangely there is one picture in Lapray's Marengo of Austrians in helmets that inspires me - but that might be because they have facings in a fairly vibrant shade of... pink!
DeleteI'm delighted you noticed that, Rob. The original pack was just a flat slab, so it needed something to jazz it up a bit!
DeleteI really like the simplicity of these uniforms. As for facings, what more could one want? White goes with everything!
Actually not sure where I saw the Austrians in helmets and pink facings - I looked in my Lapray and it wasn't in there; can't think where I saw it.
DeleteI also agree about the simplicity of the uniforms - the Austrians and I are in complete agreement when it comes to leaving off the lace, they with their uniforms and me with my paint jobs.
Another plus with Austrian with white is that it stands out well on the table, even if in real life it probably didn't look too white for long.
The down side with Austrians is that they leave your French even more outnumbered.
This is undoubtedly true, Rob, not to mention the paucity of cavalry and artillery that is also developing....However, there is a method to my madness. The massive Allied preponderance, I'm thinking, will provide that much more incentive to crack on with the Franco-Bavarians when I eventually get round to them!
DeleteHe looks great and perfectly in the style that would have been expected 50 years ago. I too had some that looked very like this chap, but they were in very soft lead...so clearly of piratical heritage . I have too some of the original Alberkens of this ilk , well I think they are original and they too look very acceptable.
ReplyDeleteAustrian German regiments were ( he confidently asserts) wearing the helmet at Wagram, whereas the Hungarians were in shakos by then.
That was my thinking too, LG. I too have a dozen or so original Austrian Alberkens, still wearing their original factory paint jobs, and there isn't a huge amount of difference!
DeleteHe looks really very good - you could field a unit or two of these chaps with no qualms at all, apart from the small matter of provenance, and if the copies are old enough they have a sort of authenticity of their own...
ReplyDeleteExcellent.
They look like very old copies indeed, Foy. As for authenticity - well, there was certainly a lot of piracy going on back in the earlies, so they're vintage Napoleonics from that point of view.
DeleteI may just crack on and paint the rest of them. This would take me way off target with regards to Phase 2, but then as the plan for Phase 2 changes every 5 minutes this probably doesn't matter very much!
Stunning paint work!
ReplyDeleteYour lavish praise is making this very hard for me, ABC. Must...resist...Austrians....Oh, alright then
DeleteFrom where I sit, he has a certain panache, and certainly looks well done to my eyes. Crested helmets lend a certain gravitas to a man, don't they?
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
His head is bowed from the weight of it, H-U!
DeleteA large number of the appeared on trade me some time back. A friend of mine purchased some of them and he was a little disappointed
ReplyDeleteIt happens all too frequently, Jacko. There are some very sharp operators out there.
DeleteI don't reckon you need disparage the finish on the dude pictured - it stood up to the scrutiny of a close-up view extremely well. I judge the finish by the style of the figure, and what I see here is top bracket.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments, AP. He was not all that bad a figure, as you say, and more or less structually sound, although I had to cut off and file down a fair few lumps, bumbs and bits of flash.
DeleteA lovely looking toy soldier...
ReplyDeleteThe sky blue facings go really well with the white uniform.
I am looking forward to seeing a whole battalion.
All the best. Aly
Cheers, Aly. The blue was by DF's special request...now if only I could get him to paint the rest of them!....
DeleteWell done for focusing attention where it belongs, WM. I might even get round to my Habsburgs, if only I can finish Prince William's chaps. Oh yes, and then there are those nice Bavarians. He looks splendid, of course.
ReplyDeleteThank you Archduke. Are you saying that it's the focus on Austrians that you approve of, or something else?
DeleteMy rationalisation for painting this figure and, who knows, maybe even a whole unit of them, is a bit confused, but at least one of the elements is that I thought it might be fun to have a crack at something that is essentially a knock off of a knock off - a knock-off squared, if you will. He's such a perfect example of the lawless, wild-westiness that characterised Anglo-American wargaming culture in the 1960s.
The other motivation, of course, is that I need to do something to redeem myself somehow for having been dim enough to buy him. Flogging him on to someone else, alas, is not an option. The chap who sold him to me, I suspect, will spend all eternity being continuously melted and recast by the enraged spirit of Marcus Hinton, and quite right too.
Ausgezeichnet! we all know where psychoanalysis was born and you have demonstrated the power of the cryptic remark followed by a long silence so much better than its architect could ever have articulated. Naturally, I identify completely with both your motives.
ReplyDeleteAlso, anything that gets Austrians painted is good. Readers may be pleased to know that I was punished for that lot by having to do the robot test nine times.
Only 23 more to go. Out of interest did you paint the figures white and then add the black lining for the belts and then touch up the white ?
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, I'm writing up a sort of photo essay to show exactly what I did and in what order which I'll publish shortly. In the meantime, however, I can reveal that the belts and straps were all painted black initially and then repainted white, leaving a very thin line on the edges. I've done nearly all my figures like this.
DeleteHi Matt
ReplyDeleteThat is the way I did my Austrian artillery although I did end up touching up the black using acrylic ink and a fine brush.
I think you did a rather better job of it too than I did, Mark.
Delete