From SimonG: "The Witch of the Westmorland" - Two 28mm Vignettes (75 points)

After a few week's absence from posting I am finally back with my centrepiece for this challenge, a pair of 28mm vignettes based on the song "The Witch of the Westmorland"(1). 

This song made a great impression on me the first time I heard it off Kate Rusby's 2016 album "Life in a Paper Boat". It is highly evocative of time (I'd say 500-600CE), and place -- Rheged, what is now Cumbria and the Lake District. 

Having spent several months selecting and sourcing miniatures I created two vignettes on live edge Yew plinths. I've included two short videos so you can get a sense of the full vignette in each case.

The male mounted and dismounted figures are Victrix late Roman unarmoured cavalry and Romano British infantry, with some kit bashing to match the heads and arms and add the bandaging. The female figures are both 3D prints from the designer M3DM, her Goddess of Virtue and her Druid Centaur. The hounds are from CheckPoint Miniatures and the hawk is from Reaper.

For a closer look at these pieces it makes sense to follow the song. 

"Pale was the wounded night that bore the Roman Shield" (2)

Don't look too closely as the leatherwork and boots on the two figures are different!

"Turn, turn your stallions head til his red mane flies in the wind"

Red is strictly speaking not a particularly realistic horse mane colour and usually is sun bleaching on a chestnut or sorrel, anyway I had fun trying to get this effect but it's hard to photograph as the bright light masks the shades!

"And he said, lie down my brindled hound and rest ye my good grey hawk"

Brindling isn't too hard to replicate, not sure if wolfhounds can be brindled however, usually applies to a shorter haired breed I think. As there are no grey hawks specifically native to the UK (as far as I am aware) I chose to make this one a peregrine falcon -- that's quite a bird to have at your beck and call!

"And it's down to the water's brim he'd borne the Roman shield"

Modelling water is where most of the effort in this job has been, and I've still got a lot to learn. I did like sourcing a bunch of neat photo etched reeds and some lovely paper water flowers. The main water is done using Aqua Magic which I discovered doesn't like to set when constrained as I had to do using a jerry rigged dam as shown in the picture above. I also hoped to get some good reflections off the water surface but didn't realise that this would need a darker shade underneath than the light stones I selected -- oh well, lessons learned.

"And wet rose she from the lake and fast and fleet went she.

One half the form of a maiden fair and a jet black mare's body"

Lucky to have found that M3DM sculpt -- it's exactly as the source for the song suggests -- tales of antlered women with bodies of deer, perhaps based on sightings of red deer in the lakes. There is an inordinate amount of fine detail on these figures including one braid which had snapped, I patched in a spare from the back up figure I purchased and it's at least something (it's her left side braid). I also only discovered in photographing the figure that's she's wearing more of a bra top than a vest -- at least my styling keeps her respectable!

"For I see by the briny blood that flows you're wounded in the field"

Basic green stuff bandage and some subtle blood work!

"She stood in a gown of velvet blue bound round with a silver chain"

One of the best sculpted female faces I've seen, albeit a rather static pose, but  being from the same designer the look of both faces is similar. For hair I tried for a Yffing (3) chestnut :-) There's some wonderful fine hair detail about the face that was a pleasure to paint.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

So hopefully by now you've had a chance to listen to the song and follow along with the models. I certainly had fun planning and executing this project and I hope the results do justice to the source material

For points I am claiming two mounted 28mm figures (20 points), two foot (10 points) and four creatures (20 points) plus a 20 point bonus for love in paradise -- the song does after all say that "she's kissed his pale lips once and twice and three times round again" -- I think that's a worshipful, healing sort of kiss as befits paradise! I also relied on the female centaur druid to fly us straight to the third sphere! So with that bonus, if permitted, i get my hard earned 70 points!

Hopefully you enjoy these pieces as much as I do. Now what shall I plan next?

(1) The song is by Archie Fisher from 1976, it's been covered by many others, there are quite a few variants on the words but I'm using Kate's version, and even that has differences in what folks claim to hear!

(2) One of the specific differences being that the original and most versions sing "Rowan Shield". I've got problems with this. Why make a shield of Rowan, it is very hard and lighter than oak but not as common and I've not found evidence of this as a shield material. Or why have a Rowan sigil on your shield? Kate's singing "Roman shield"(i.e. a shield in the style of or dating to Romano-British times) makes perfect sense to me and that is how I modelled it (although an infantry shield when mounted is a little impractical!)

(3) This is of course a reference to Nicola Griffith's Menewood, which I cannot recommend too highly, although an interest in the specific details of seventh century life and warfare is a pre-requisite!

TeemuL: I'm not sure what all this is, this entry is just staggering! May be it is the flu or the excellent entry, all the backstory, sourcing the minis, but I feel a bit light headed... I guess it is better, if you just read, watch and listen, my words are unnecessary. :) Take 5 bonus points for the dioramas!

From SimonG: Wrathful Roman War Machines [Wrath] (125 points)

So, it's been several weeks since my last post. But I am back with a return to one of my ongoing projects -- the first century Jewish Rebellion in 28mm and based for Impetus.

In part this delay has been down to the complexity of what I chose to paint this time, but more importantly, the need to take time out to deal with the sudden death of my father. In fact I would like to dedicate this posting in his memory as it was a trip we made to Israel in 1973 while he was on sabbatical from his university lectureship, that stimulated my interest in military history and in particular the Jewish rebellion. Visiting Masada at the age of 8 (back in the day when you still had to hike all the way up) kind of does that to you(1).

My Scrapbook of Masada (1973, age 8)

The figures this time are all Victrix early imperial Romans -- a stand of legionaries defending their signum. These are on large (120x60) diorama like bases for Impetus. As always these are great sculpts with loads and loads of detail which I cannot help but fill out (even the hands holding shields have painted nails!). Every time I do a Roman suit of armour I discover more leather straps that should be picked out, and once you've seen them my anal retentiveness says I need to do them!

The other two stands for this week are each bolt throwers -- machinery is another level of fiddlyness and I couldn't help but bind up the dragons teeth with thread -- something has to hold them together after all! These are on super big 120x80 stands and altogether look quite impressive.

So much as I enjoy the result the time taken is considerable -- anyway here's hoping you appreciate it -- some close ups so you can get to know the characters. 

The paint is mostly Citadel, with some Army Painter. 95% of the work is in the base coat which takes me about 1-1.5 hours per figure -- washes, highlighting and dry-brushing then flies by. The key is close inspection at the end under a 2.75X Optivisor. It's easy to correct all the little defects at this point. One quirk I have is that I always do a flesh tone first, there's no colour logic to this (it will need loads of touch ups as other colours spill on to it), but for me it makes the figures come alive! Eyes are a straightforward five step pricess: black eye socket outline, white eye within the socket, reikland fleshshade wash over the face which dulls the white of the eye, black eyeball (option for colour at larger scales or with larger animal eyes), gloss finish.

Photography under artificial light tends to make the finish seem glossier than it is and masks some of the dry brushing, so please fill in a requisite overall level of grime and dustiness! Also be assured that all toenails are present and correct, I just didn't trouble you with any close ups this time around 🤪

Blowing his own horn?

Bearskins in Judea! No way!

Studying what brown bears look like!

So thats what they look like under their helmets!

This should also count as a Inferno stop off for Wrath -- my Dante inspired piece of literature this time is Gary Panter's "Jimbo's Inferno"(2), a loose reimagining of the Divine Comedy set in "Focky Bocky", an alternative Los Angeles shopping mall!

Watch out guys!

Points wise that should be 120 (16 28mm figures = 80, plus two crew served weapons for 20 more and the 20 point Inferno bonus) --- a major haul by my standards but not really helping me achieve my target.

Not sure what to do next but I think I need to start on my early Medieval British special musical project so looking forward to sharing that with you in a couple of weeks.

(1) And my interest in modern miltary history as we lived through the Yom Kippur war as well, I still don't know why my mother let him take us on sabbatical again after we'd been in Nigeria for the Biafra conflict in 1967 as well!

(2) Full size hardcover limited edition, Fantagraphics, March 2006. Mine is copy 30/150. Gary advises "Don't try to pass a pop quiz on Dante's hell based on a reading of this comic: it won't work."

TeemuL: Very sorry to hear about your father, especially when he seems to have been a very influential person both to you and most likely to his numerous students.

Thank you for an excellent entry, lots of beautiful photos, historical and personal background, theme entry and the minis itself are very nicely painted. I especially like the photos, where most of us are happy with the mandatory three photos (or less), you are giving as several ones from different angles. They are like action shots. I like them very much! And not to mention the groundwork you have done on those large bases, they look great. Have your 120 points and 5 bonus points, too!

From PaulSS: A Sharp connection of Lust and Gluttony (55 points)

 

I was suffering a bit with "the Lurgy" this week but wanted to give Teemu a break from the 6mm Napoleonic onslaught I've been subjecting him to.

So I pulled out a couple of figures in the 28mm Napoleonic backlog that I think are perfect for the Lust and Gluttony circles of The Abyss.

First up is Colonel Claude Runciman, Wagon-Master General, he is described as an obese, indolent man, who because of his post as wagon-master general, attempts to get Richard Sharpe to refer to him as "General."

Sharp fandom wiki

This figure was the show figure, I think from a couple of years ago that chum James picked up for me knowing I would be interested.

I think he fits the Gluttony quite well, chowing down on his chicken leg in this sculpt.

The second figure represents Josefina Lacosta, Sharpe coveted her, but is told he'll never be able to afford her, so that fits right in with Lust. 

Sharp fandom wiki

This is a Brigade Games figure.

I rather rushed this one and the flesh tones have come out pretty terribly, I'll likely redo the skin tones.

I think many a lustful though was had when Katia Caballero played Josefina in Sharpe's Eagle and then especially when Elizabeth Hurley played her in Sharpe's Enemy back in the early 90's

One, 28mm mounted, plus one 28mm foot plus the two location bonuses should net me 55pts and take me over half way to my target!

TeemuL: I must say Paul, your skills with these 6mm Napoleonics are excellent, they almost look like 28mm minis! Hats off! :)

I'll buy your explanations on the theme rounds, very nice entries. I especially like the general, but Josefina looks fine, too. Maybe your redo of the skin will make her even better. You are now over half way of your target while the Challenge itself is not, so you can breathe a bit and fight that lurgy and reach your target in schedule. I just wonder what you might be painting next. Snow? Silver Bayonet?

From PaulSS: Cold War BAOR supports [Limbo] (40 points)

 

Just like my last post this entry contains figures that were primed ready for painting in Challenge XIV but have remained in the box untouched, so I think are worthy of having been in Limbo.

Seven Days to the River Rhine has also had some of my gaming attention this past year so it was a chance to add these Pendraken Models to the BAOR forces.

A FV432M for indirect fire support and a trio of Milan teams.

Nine figures, three crew-served weapons and a vehicle in 10mm should score me 24 points, plus the 20 point bonus for the location.

TeemuL: Paul's second post today looks great, of course the infantry is very hard to see, when they are hugging the ground, as they should. And I'll count them as prone figures, too, so snipping couple of points away. But they are fitting for Limbo, of course, and I'm happy that after waiting for a year you have decided to paint them, since they look great, as I said. I think from 3 feet the excellent basing materials will make it realistically difficult for the opponent to see what they are actually facing at. :)

Let's see if we get any other entries today...