Horse colours

I’ve been using Howard Hues paints for my horses for a very long time. The large pots have lasted ages, but when it came to needing to replace them I discovered there was no longer a UK distributor.

I really wasn’t prepared to pay the crazy cost of shipping from the US, so I sought an alternative, settling on Coat d’Arms. I thought to try one of their Superstar brushes too, to replace my by now very out of shape Rosemary & Co size 2 brush that I use for blocking in.

I’m looking forward to trying these out soon – I have quite a lot of horses to paint.

Coat d’Arms chestnut, brown, dun, and roan, and a new brush to try.

Progress on all fronts

This week I assembled the men-at-arms and bill armed men for Hastings’ contingent, finished the bridges, and thought to take stock.

I have a fair few figures with a fair bit of paint on now, and I really need to get on with finishing these, since I don’t have room to assemble Hastings’ archers. A clutch of command groups, Wenlock’s two companies, and Clifford’s mounted archers are in the frame for finishing next.

The two bridges are finished, and I am waiting on delivery of custom MDF bases for them.

Left-to-right: some of Clifford’s dismounted archers, a headless Clifford (in Or – yellow) and his mount, Hastings’ companies of men-at-arms and bill armed men, and nine as yet unassigned bill armed figures.

Left-to-right: Edmund Earl of Rutland, Edward Prince of Wales, Margaret of Anjou, John Baron Wenlock and his companies of bill armed men and archers.

A pair of Clifford’s mounted and dismounted archers, and Hastings, his standard bearer, and a man-at-arms holding Hastings’ helmet.

The finished bridges.

The river runs away …

Firstly, welcome to my first follower! My river project really took over these past days, becoming my sole focus so that I could get my desk clear for more figure assembly and painting. Oh! And work.

I finished the additional short curves and 150mm lengths, giving just over 2300 mm of river.

I have also modelled stone and wooden bridges; these will be based on custom 3mm MDF bases from Pendragon, with modelled banks and route ways. I’ll make a ford too.

The complete Trevor Holland river sections.

The stone bridge and the wooden bridge – with a removable section to simulate damage, both ready for painting.

More river sections

I liked the Trevor Holland river so much I simply had to have more of it!

At around 1300mm, the set I bought (TH63) didn’t give quite enough length, especially if the long curves were not used.

So I bought another five 150mm sections and a set of short curves. I set about removing the rocks cast in the rivers so that there would be more variety when matched with the original set. This gives around 2400mm, which should be enough.

I have begun to make a stone bridge, and have plans for a wooden bridge and a ford. A small water mill would be a nice feature too, I think.

The slightly modified 150mm straight sections (TH03) and short curves (TH16).

A river runs through it …

I have been diverted from painting figures by an unexpected urge to get the river finished.

I had a bit of time off-and-on this past week, and once I had got the basic colours on, and gloss varnished the water, it was a matter of applying flock, lump foliage, and tufts.

I am using Woodland Soil scatter from WWScenics, Footpath Scenes’ Grass Ground Cover Earth Blend and Grass Blend, with Basing Lump Foliage Battle Field Shrubs, all from Model Scenery Supplies. I have many different flower and grass tufts from a number of suppliers.

I want to have some 2mm MDF bases cut to fit the edge profiles for mounting some trees, and I’m planning stone and wooden bridges, and a ford.

The result is really quite satisfying. I am looking forward to seeing how it looks in use, but this is some time off.

Trevor Holland’s river set TH63, looking the part after quite a bit of work.

First scenic items

My plan is for rural features: a small farm, river, bridge, maybe a ford, trees, that sort of thing.

I recently bought Renedra’s Medieval Cottage and Wattle and Daub Outbuilding, and I am waiting on the release of Victrix’s Dark Age & Medieval Farm Animals for their Pillage range. I’m also quite taken with Gripping Beast’s Flint Stone Church. Victrix’s Market Stall may be serviceable too, for farm and camp items.

While at Partizan last May I stumbled upon the Trevor Holland range, and was impressed by one of the river sets (TH63). I now have this, and it’s quite literally a mixed bag. The short lengths and short curves are pretty uniform, but the two longer curves are much thicker and the surface detail is quite different. I think they will need quite a bit of work to achieve uniform thickness and appearance.

I’m considering a fleece games mat; I like the look of the Geek Villain mats, but I really want a larger one.

Renedra’s Medieval Cottage and Wattle and Daub Outbuilding.

Trevor Holland’s river set TH63, full set and detail.

Spear tips and standard bearers

I seem to be on a bit of a roll, which makes me happy. I have a lot of figures ready for painting and I assembled a few more this week.

Ready for undercoating are a pair of horses, a holder, and a standard bearer for Clifford’s Flower of Craven dismounted archers, and standard bearers for Wenlock’s bill men and archers. I made a couple of short spear armed fellows too.

I have never liked the shape of the tips of wire spears, so I have been cutting the tips off of plastic flag staffs, drilling them and glueing them to carefully shaped wire tips.

Needing more than were on the sprues of the Perry Miniatures sets that I have, I ordered North Star’s plastic spears (NSS 111). A set of 40, these are perfect; I am also using them complete.

North Star’s very useful set of plastic spears, which I am using intact and just the tips.