Saturday 21 January 2017

From PhilH: Makes the Cut! (18 points)

My first entry for this AHPC VII, and I'm adding a bit more to my Spanish Civil War collection.



I've made a really poor start to this year's Challenge, and if I'm honest I'm not sure I'll make as dramatic an improvement as I'd like from here on. One of the reasons has been the safe and happy arrival of my wife and I's firstborn daughter earlier this month. The parents among us will understand that the arrival of little ones can have something of an impact on both time and energy for hobbies. But all is going well, and that's what is important. The start of the Challenge was a whirlwind of preparations, on top of hosting Christmas for the first time, so I didn't get a quick fire entry in, and just found snatches of time to work on these.

My Challenge entries were actually supposed to be taking a new direction this year, a new project I've been saving for it. But a bad can of primer put a catastrophic halt to that, and I've had to strip them all back to bare metal and start over. Pretty frustrating, and a further sap on available painting time to sort it out and start re-prepping them. But these hints happen. Hopefully I'll get back on course and at least some of them ready towards the end of this Challenge - there's a very fitting theme round later in the Challenge.

Anyway, onto the entry. Three Carlist Requetes: a standard bearer with a very colourful flag from Flags of War, and a Chaucat light machine gun team. The berets have been head-swapped to give them he obligatory jaunty berets. 








And, I believe these are the final three Carlist Requetes for my collection. I count a total of 29 Requetes riflemen, leaders, and support weapons. These have been trundling steadily off the workbench since Spring 2015 if I remember rightly. Crikey, two years to get them all done, and it's not even a full-strength platoon!






Three 28mm miniatures for me. Empress Miniatures sculpts with head swaps for berets. And, I believe their points will count for the little SCW side duel..?

Phil

***
Sorry to hear of your issues with a bad can of primer - I'm sure a lot of folks in the Challenge will be able to relate to that.  I still refuse to touch any product made by Krylon after my own bad experience years ago.  

We are thrilled to get a submission from you.  It's always a treat to see the results of your incredible brushwork, featuring lovely smooth highlights and subtle shading. Looks marvelous, and your submissions are one of the treats I look forward to to in the Challenge every year. 

Most important, congratulations from all of us on the new arrival to your family! 

That's 15 points for you, but let's make it 18 for the berets and the banner...

Greg   

35 comments:

  1. A bad can of primer ... is that the new my dog ate my homework? .. congratulations on the first born Phil. And to making it to the right side of the cut.

    As ever lovely figures...well done

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    1. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Cheers Dave, glad I made it

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  2. Welcome back Phil and an absolutely smashing issue. I thoroughly relate on the primer issues - I had a similar case last year. This year the paint went on great but I gassed my wife in the process!

    I love the look of these- the sharp colours, the flag and those berets! More please.

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    1. Rather than risking the wife's wrath, I'll wait for warmr weather.

      Sorry,this is the last of the jaunty ones, but I've some republicans prepped and ready for painting.

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  3. Lovely painting and great flag carlists always look cool.
    Best Iain

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    1. They do have very fine uniform, it's no surprise many of us start with them!

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  4. Beautiful work as always Phil, but I can tell you were rushing to make the cut - only 15 layers of highlights! ;)

    Congrats on daddydom! :)

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    1. I know, I know, slacking. But just make efficiencies somewhere!

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  5. Congratulations! These are very nice and oddly enough you'll probably find you get more time soon as you get more relaxed and find you'll spend most evenings in for a while so you can fill them with painting :)

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    1. Cheers Jamie. Well let's hope that I can Dig a bit more time out, but I'm back to work next week!

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  6. They are lovely. There is an almost cartoon quality to them which I find very appealing.

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    1. Thanks Clint. The colours definitely ended up having a lot of pop on these

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  7. Very good work on those minis, the colours are splendid. Are you using the Paintingwar magazine as a guide? And congratulations for the baby!

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    1. Thanks! I have PaintingWar, but I use it as inspiration and for tips rather than follow it as a guide.

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  8. congratulations on the birth of your daughter, best excuse ever. Figs are great also

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  9. Worth waiting for, great stuff, SCW seems to be getting more and more popular.

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    1. I blame Curt!

      And the lovely Empress range of Paul Hicks sculpts.

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  10. Been there with the primer and the new born. I know which is best :-)

    Your output maybe low but the results are top notch

    Ian

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  11. Welcome to the challenge Phil! And congratulations on the birth of your daughter! I'd say that's a pretty good excuse for not finding more time to paint :)

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  12. Congrats at becoming a dad mate, my second son is just about 5 months now and yes babies are a drain on time and energy, but when you get into a steady routine time will get available once more. Great stuff!

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  13. Bad primer and a new daughter? Congrats on the one hand and commiserations on the other. I'll let you to work out which is which :-). Wonderful painting as always mate, your blending is awe inspiring.

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  14. Congratiulations on the arrival of your first born and welcome on board Phil! These Requetes definitely look the part and will complement your collection nicely... now I really have to get my finger out.

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    1. I'm sure you'll get rolling and overhaul me soon!

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  15. Excellent entry Phil they really look good! I can understand how newborns can eat into time and energy having had that experience.

    Christopher

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  16. Berets, banner, and that blanket roll! I've missed seeing your troops in the challenge, and these fellows are pure awesome!
    Congrats on the new addition!
    I will not give any parental advice as you will get a lot. All of it will be a) flat wrong, b) totally incomprehensible, or c) both
    I will only say do not wear anything white for the next few years unless you wish for it to be not white! ;)

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    1. And d) unsolicited, we find! In fairness, we've had plenty of good tips, it seems to just be a case of finding them among the nonsense, and not taking some of the kore evangelical elements too seriously.

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