This week I have mostly been......painting Spencer Smiths

As I thought I'd been neglecting my existing projects, I decided to tackle the half-finished army of Banst...

It was a bit of a change to swap to normal acrylics on a black undercoat after all the flats using Contrast paint on white...

To be honest, I'm not sure how the Contrast paints would have coped with the heat (I use a palette); as it was I had to extemporise a wet palette to cope with the paint drying too rapidly.

Quite aside from the challenges mentioned, I have to say I found it a slog to finish off the army; not sure why, but it didn't come easy. It was only when I completed the last of the infantry that I felt I was going to get them finished....

Still need to varnish, make flags and base with labels. Those jobs can be done after work next week and will hopefully keep up motivation. Still feels like there's a fair bit to do on the project.

Here is the army in their box, painted and on temporary card bases for painting:

The |Elector (top left) looks on with his son-in-law (middle) and Von Reuthen - more Fimo "Grotesques":

Infantry:

Cavalry:

Artillery:

The Elector, Erich Helmut Graufuchs, Kurfurst von Banst is an interesting character; when creating his personality, he turned out to be: War Dominant (equivalent to highest military skill), scandalous past, clumsy, elegant and a martinet.

Creating a matrix for how states view each other, it turned out he was either neutral or hostile to everyone else! In many cases, this was reciprocated! These seems to be a back story involving two Hrvatskan twin sisters, married to the rulers of Dupanen and Sinistria which may explain the scandal in the past and current hostility!

I see the army as one using innovations along the lines of Marscall du Saxe and his Legion with Neoclassical helmets....

His son-in -law is Gunter Elster Wealth high as main motivator, a well practised intriguer and unfit.

Herbert Kiefer Graf von Reuthen is Wealth (moderate), huntsman, friends in high places, elegant and a martinet...

Clearly discipline is strict in the Banst army...

A proper parade to follow when finished.