Rain stops painting - midweek update

The lack of blog posts is mainly due to getting on with the Caesar in Gaul project. Sadly, as one of the areas in the UK experiencing torrential downpours after excessive heat, painting for today had ground to a halt - it's just too dark to paint. So I have taken the opportunity to get on with other tasks including a blog update.

The painting in question are some Early Germans by Donnington. They were primed in grey and have been getting left over Contrast Paint splashed on them while painting Celts. It meant it was a quick job to get them blocked in with basic colours, aiming for muted natural shades. They have had a highlight of main colours and flesh; a few will get green shields to tie them in an break up the number of black shields.

I have painted my way through the remaining Celts - they are mostly awaiting varnish and basing.

There are various command stands, including mounted and dismounted versions of Vercingetorix, baggage, camp followers, more LC and Chariots and some Druids.

There are a few awaiting basing material.

In the to-do pile are more Germans, Roman baggage and Tribunes - I decided to add a stand to the 10x Legions, animals and more scenery.

There are a host awaiting varnish in addition so I have plenty to be getting on with.

Making progress....despite the weather!

I have been plowing on with the Celts (and the odd German) with what free time I have after work and at weekends. The more I have done, the more enthused I have been to carry on, hoping to get stuff finished so I can paint something other than b***dy Celts! 😐

I managed to tackle the remaining skirmishers, despite being in black undercoat, with the aid of a home made wet palette (I had forgotten how it was arranged and managed to get the kitchen roll and greaseproof paper the wrong way round and wondered why it wasn't working! 😖)

I also slapped some Contrast Paint on some Minifigs early Germans, with any left overs being slapped onto some Donnington. For the Germans, I went for muted natural colours and simple black or white shields.

They are sitting in a box awaiting varnish - I am resisting going back and adding shield designs to the Germans....

I also tackled some more Celts - the last bar command stands and a chariot and some camp followers. They were a bulk eBay purchase and on inspection were a mix of Forged in Battle and Old Glory 15s - the latter were bare metal and the former in black undercoat. The OG15s got cleaned up and primed white before Contrast Paint, Army Painter washes then tarting up with acrylics....

Still need metallics and final corrections.

I kept the Westwind in black and the few bits of colour. Both were short two figures each, so some old Tabletop figs made up the numbers....

This is the point at which I decided enough was enough - the paint was drying even on the wet palette! I'd also reached my limit before I would just make mistakes, despite trying to push on and get them finished. Part of the problem is that I have not enjoyed painting these figures; I may be simply burnt out on Celts, but I found both problematic - odd anatomy on the OG15s and poorly defined faces on the Westwind - I slogged my way through them, having to correct again and again and ending up with paint where I didn't want it (the design meant there were some tight areas) but it was becoming a chore 😖😔

By contrast, the old Freikorps 15 were a joy, loads of detail allowing washes or almost drybrushing on raised areas.

We seem to be in for another heatwave......😬😣

Progress - Celtic muster

This week I managed to get some more Celts done - some were with Contrast Paint on white or grey and some black undercoat with normal acrylics - I had to resort to the home made wet palette for these as the paint was drying too quickly due to the heat.

The aim was to try and make sure they all looked the same, so some of the black undercoat figures had Army Painter washes over the first coat of acrylic followed by highlights / touch up. After a coat of quick drying acrylic gloss varnish, most got based.

The Minifigs went on loose order bases as they are waving arms about - all mu other Minifigs are on loose order bases so it made sense to continue.

The Freikorps 15 were all based on close order bases, in some cases a challenge due to poses and weapons. They do look suitably wild and will represent better quality warbands.

Most are plain colours but some got fancy cloaks.

The figures were mostly eBay purchases in different lots; as figures turned up they were cleaned and primed and stuck in a box and painted in lots, some using Contrast Paints, others black and layers. The FK15 grew and I was unsure what would be light javelins. As it turned out, I had enough to move all but one with a small shield to the lights. Some more Minifigs light infantry also appeared.

As mentioned, I have moved to the idea of Strength & Honour - here you have a base representing a Legion or a warband. I've gone for 2/3 size (80mm v 120mm) to fit on the small table and decided on a warband being 6 x DBA elements - I will have to make some sabot bases and magnets eventually. So two bases wide and three deep.

Skirmishers can either be formed units or used to support other units.

Light infantry could be 6x bases but 4 is probably more practical. Cavalry will be 4x bases due to the deeper bases, so 4x 3 for 12 or 4x2 for 8 LC. At least that's the plan.....

When time allows I will have to mix up some basing gunk. In the meantime I have enough painted Essex for another close order warband and some "odds and sods" for either command stands or to make up another loose order warband. That would give 6x close order warbands and 14-15 loose order warbands. I'm tempted to add more close order - I have the figures - but am trying to finish the remaining Celts and Germans. A few of the latter have had some Contrast Paint splashed on them and are awaiting an Army painter wash.

While it may seem like overkill, I have no idea how big the forces will be generated by the campaign. I have been tying the game strength points to numbers of units. This gives the Celtae and Belgae a theoretical maximum of 18 units each. With the Aquitani (4 units) that's a whopping 40 units! Anything that big would have to transfer to the dining table just to fit them on.....