As I struggle to motivate myself to start on the fourth GNW cavalry regiment ( it took me three separate sessions to glue the heads, arms and muskets to the figures and the to glue the riders to their horses!) I had a night off and experimented with some of my recent arrivals.
One of the second hand sets I got from Col Bills were three Copplestone Bolshevik Lewis gunners. I decapitated two of these and added a couple of the Anvil female heads in parade cap and then painted them up. Oh the joy of twentieth century uniforms - they took about four or five separate colours to complete! The RCW figures in particular are unencumbered by back packs, webbing, water bottles etc - so quick to paint, it was a pleasant change to be sure, and I am happy with how they came out, although the skin tine on the faces may be a bit swarthy for women......
You have the right attitude. If you meet a road block on one project, it is more productive to move onto another until the mojo returns.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jon. In reality, it was more a case of being distracted by the newest toys to arrive! I will get back onto the Swedes this weekend.
DeleteThose are nice and simple bit very effective conversions Keith. When I hit an impasse with my gaming or painting, I just move onto another period until the mojo returns. It may take a while but these days I can't be bothered to force myself anymore, unless a gaming deadlines looms!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve. I have been planning this for two or three years so it was nice to finally see a couple of figures done. I am going to force myself to get back on target with the Swedes now though!
DeleteIt is always a good idea to mix up projects. I regularly have a couple of side projects I can dip into to prevent going stale on my main project
ReplyDeleteIt's very sage advice Neil....I do have bits and pieces of several projects that I could pivot to if I really hit a block with the GNW.
DeleteI tend to have at least 5 projects at any given time. Helps with painting fatigue particularly. Only problem is the lag in finished units before the burst of new ones finished.
ReplyDeleteYes that's one of my concerns at the moment Joe (although I am not THAT concerned!) For the first time in many years, I am starting to create a genuine lead pile of unfinished projects....
DeleteMy first thought upon seeing the thumbnail of this blog post was "heads up!" My brief foray into Copplestone figures is consistent with your experience: clean yet well sculpted: as close to being a "pleasure to paint" as I'll ever come. Outside of conversions (a whole other thing), I have very little patience with multi-part figures (particularly metals): sometimes a necessary evil, as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed. I was discussing that very point with a friend the other day. I fully understand WHY Ebor produce their figures the way they do, with separate head and sword arm etc...but I would prefer he had just created them that way then dine five or six combinations and cast the figures whole! I don't mind Perry or Warlord plastics, which only have two or three parts (I exclude Victrix...far too fiddly!) and plastic glue works in a few seconds, whereas I find glueing metal a real hassle!
DeleteVery nicely done. I might look up those anvil heads wasn’t aware of them and add some nice variety. Copplestone definitely do it for me, the only sad thing is he has moved on to other projects and doesn’t seem to be expanding the range. Would be interesting to see your wider RCW collection ?
ReplyDeleteCheers Matt, yes, they do a heap of stuff, ninety per cent make of course, and including medieval helmets, Napoleonic shakos, WWI Picklehaub and Adrian helmets etc...something for everyone I would think.
DeleteNice work Keith. A change of topic is always a great motivator. Hopefully you'll be ready to tackle those Swedes and knock the final ones over soon enough.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope so Lawrence!
DeleteNice looking conversions Keith…
ReplyDeleteUncluttered figures make a pleasant change from the fuss of some of the earlier periods
I to am a fan of Mark Copplestone’s figures… he is also a lovely chap.
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly. What is Mark up to these days? As Matt says, it's a shame he has not/is not adding to these ranges....is he sculpting for another manufacturer or is he not sculpting at all any longer?
DeleteNorth Star Military Miniatures now has the Copplestone range and Mark intends to continue to add to it…
DeleteI know he has been quite quiet on that front… a bit like myself with Great War Miniatures… he may well be giving himself a break from sculpting.
Hopefully I will be able to catch up with him when the shows start happening again in the U.K.
Thanks Aly....I think Mark must be having a bit of a break, the last statement re his range going to North Star says this will allow him more time to add to his existing ranges.....
DeleteWhy did you swap the heads? Looks like it worked out thoughđ
ReplyDeleteStew, you obviously are unaware of my "issue" with female figures!! I just wanted to create some female Bolsheviks for my RCW collection....I think I have a total of around fifty female heads on order from three or four different suppliers, bareheaded, wearing peaked caps and also ten wearing Russian style fur hats! I am not sure I will use them all and I might mix a few in with male units too. As justification I refer you to Wkipedia which says two per cent of Bolshevik forces in the RCW were female ....40,000 I think from memory!
DeleteJust checked....make that fifty to seventy thousand female soldiers in the Bolshevik armies!
DeleteGood looking conversions, nice looking female bolsheviks!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain, I like them! Looking forward to a few more figures turning up, along with the other heads ordered. A small order from Hasslefree posted on 30 August arrived today...just over a week again, so pretty good.
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