Supporting cast

I’m beginning to think about the civilain population for my medieval adventure; camps, a farm, and village.

Steel Fist Miniatures have just announced some rather splendid female camp followers sculpted by Paul Hicks – I shall definitely be buying a set of these. I’m also looking for male figures for my small farm, and Perry Miniatures’ labourers set may prove suitable.

Debris of War have some rather nice tents, and their haystacks and bee hives look useful. They have a range of dry stone walls too, which will probably prompt me to make roads.

I have just taken delivery of Victrix farm animals, loot, and sacks from their Pillage range. I was never going to need full sets, so I bought a sprue of each from The Sprue Shop.

Wenlock’s retinue is almost ready for basing, and I have assembled a few extra hand gunners for the Yorkists.

Steel Fist Miniature’s women camp followers.

Victrix farm animals …

… loot and saccks.

A few more hand gunners, destined to be in the service of Edward IV. I added simple small pouches to some of the figure’s belts, made from ProCreate.

River crossings

The river project is now finished … for now. The stone and wooden bridges have been based, I have made the ford, and I’m pleased with the way they have turned out.

I am tempted to make another stone bridge, though, with two Gothic arches with a central pier. I also have an idea for roads: Pendragon make 75mm wide 2mm MDF straight, curved and junction road sections, which will be ideal, I think.

Now my desk is clear of modelling and scenic materials I can get on with painting miniatures. I have almost finished the first of Clifford’s Flower of Craven, and will move on to Wenlock’s companies next.

The ford …

… the wooden bridge …

… and the stone bridge.

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.