But not Prohibition era coppers this time. Instead I present you with some Orkish Russian Space Marines of the Spanish American Civil Wars of the Roses against the invaders from Mars.
6mm ACW Union Infantry - Eight Bases
These are the first 6mm figures I've painted for about 3 years. I'd forgotten what it was like painting such teeny tiny shininess. It wasn't that bad.
I actually had four of these bases so, so close to being finished for last Saturday but didn't quite make it in time. So, you're getting them this week along with another four bases I painted up alongside the NSL power armour.
The two batches were painted and based slightly differently, but not so differently that you'd notice particularly. When I last [painted some 6mm ACW I was using Revell Aqua Colour paints, but have since switched to Vallejo, so I needed to find the most appropriate colours to use.
The First Batch:
I actually used three different lots of static grass (summer, meadow and moorland grass) on these to give some variety as with 6mm good basing helps with the overall look of the units.
The Second Batch:
This will teach me to look at the bases before taking photos. It looks as though I must have splodged a bit of the paint I was dry-brushing with onto the skirmishers. That will need to be touched up at some point.
The figures are all from Baccus, as are the flags. I did go over the edges with a gold pen to disguise the white of the paper.
So, eight bases of 28 figures in 6mm at 0.5 points each should be 112 points to add to my tally.
Hmm, can I very quickly paint up a 28mm foot figure to take my weekly total over 200 points?
From Curt:
Ah, these look wonderful Tamsin! Painting these little blighters one definitely has to be clean and neat but I think one of the essential things in doing micro-scale is to nail-down the basework as it can often make or break the whole aesthetic. With that being said I think you've really done a great job on how you've approached the basing of these figures Tamsin. The mix of foliage and tallus helps to accent the figures but does not overwhelm them. Great job!
I'm awarding you another 8 points for the eight sets of flags in this entry, so with this you've more than achieved your 200-point week. Well done Tamsin.
Also, with this entry you've managed to regain your lead from Alan and Ian, but with only a 41 point spread. I have a suspicion that we will be treated to a running battle between you three over the next few weeks!
"Orkish Russian Space Marines of the Spanish American Civil Wars of the Roses Against the Invaders from Mars"; I think I've seen that movie...!
ReplyDeleteOh, for the eyes of youth! Great work, Tamsin, these are pocket masterpieces.
They look really sharp, Tamsin! The flags look excellent for them, I will steal the gold pen technique as it really adds to the banners! I havent gone that small yet as I still have a lot of 28mm ACW and Naps to complete. I do plan on some grand manouvers with the smaller scale for Antietam.....a few Zouave units participated there!
ReplyDeleteWonderful work. They look great.
ReplyDeleteMore really great units.
ReplyDeleteSplendid job on these. I REALLY should use them as inspiration to get mine re-painted.
ReplyDeleteLovely work Tamsin and I really like the way you finished the flags they really have the look of being blown by the wind
ReplyDeleteIan
Great work Tamsin - exceptional looking troops. One of my first forays into Historical miniatures was 6mm ACW and my units were very similar to yours 24 figs in two ranks and four skirmishers out front but based on 60x30mm bases.
ReplyDeleteOf course, my troops were not painted nearly as nicely as yours!
Lovely work Tamsin! I love the look of the deep bases with skirmishers. Terrific stuff.
ReplyDeleteImpressive, the basing really makes them stand out!
ReplyDeleteImpressive consistency on these Tamsin. You set a great level to begin with and have kept it going across the whole lot. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThey are very nice; a great painting work in such an small scale!
ReplyDeleteLovely looking units Tamsin, I find the basework really makes units in this scale.
ReplyDeleteThat's a truly impressive number of tiny blue blobs! Well done.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff some how I knew that my spot a mere two points a head of you Friday wouldn't last long :) I have been considering 6mm for some projects and the work this group does with them makes them look more appealing all the time.
ReplyDeleteThey do look nice - impressive at that scale; and as Curt points out the basing really captures the overall presentation.
ReplyDeleteWonderful mass of troops Tamsin.. Well done
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows that the 192nd Orkish Russian Space Marines were the KEY to the XIXIX Corps defense of the Little Big Round Flat Top Bottom Hedge Rock Apricot Orchard, which won the decisive battle of the Spanish American Civil Wars of the Roses - InnerOuterEastWestNeuAltGetChanVickSpotsBurgVilleAnyia CourtCrossroads. As such, every serious collector simply must have them in their collection.
ReplyDeleteSnark aside, smashing work. What're they based up for?
Wot Rob just said..............
DeleteVery nice job, they really do look like groups of soldiers lined up to fight. Great looking bases.
ReplyDeleteJohn
I remember trying to paint 6mm Russians for Curt's SPEARHEAD games years ago. And that was only five or six figures a stand! You have better eyes than I, Gunga Din! ;-)
ReplyDeleteVery nice work, Tamsin!
@ Curt - you definitely must get cracking with your teeny tiny troops!
ReplyDeleteI think the worst part about painting these is doing the belts and straps. Getting the basing right to set them off as a unit was fairly easy - I used the method Ian has described on his blog (cover the base fairly thickly with emulsion paint and dump the sand/grit mix on top, shake off the excess then drybrush when the emulsion/sand has dried).
Thanks for the extra points for the flags - I wasn't expecting them as the flags are commercial.
It's definitely hotting up between myself, Alan and Ian. however, I have a plan...
@ Evan - indeed, for the eyes of youth. The number of youths I've had to extract them from for my painting potions is disgraceful ;)
@ David B - thanks! Feel free to steal the gold pen idea; after all, I stole it from someone else somewhere along the line :)
@ Iannick - cheers! :)
@ Martin C - glad you like them :)
@ Clint - cheers! Well, what are you waiting for - get cracking and do yours! :)
@ Ian - thanks! I could have left the flags stiff and flat, but that just didn't seem right :)
@ Miles - I think that that's pretty much a standard unit composition for 6mm. I did think about doing them on 60x30 bases, but decided that 60x60 would look better as there is more room.
@ Dux - and so another side-bet of ours comes to life. Hopefully Curt will soon join in. I was definitely right to go with the deep bases for these :)
@ Sander - thank you. Basing is so important for small scale figures :)
@ Millsy - cheers! I must confess that I went for much more detail than I really needed to with these. I guess some people will recommend that I get therapy! :)
@ Juan - thanks!
@ Peter - cheers! You're right - basing can make or break the look of 6mm units :)
@ Adam - well, you should know what to expect from the painting demoness by now ;)
6mm is a great scale for fielding impressive looking armies.
@ Dean - glad you like them. :)
@ Dave - there's more mass to the bases than the troops ;)
@ Robert H - cheers! I've based them for the Polemos rules, but I guess there are other sets out there where similar base sizes are used.
@ Ray - copycat! ;)
@ John - thanks! :)
@ Kevin - I'm actually tempted to do some 6mm SciFi in the future if I can find some decent rules, so those will be much like your Spearhead stuff.
Great-looking stuff! I do love this scale for the, well, scale it can impart from massed ranks of troops. I'm working on some 6mm figures right now (for the time in YEARS) and it's been a nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I don't often think of skirmish lines operating out in front of the main body of troops when it comes to the ACW--it seems so much more Napoleonic--so it's really cool that you included them with your basing to create a somewhat different tableau.
What rules system are you using?
These look great Tamsin. But after that intro, I've never been more disappointed to see just regular union civil war troops... :(
ReplyDelete