So this is more an ideas in progress rather than even a work in progress post.
Packaging Polystyrene blocks kicked this idea off
Having just been on a late Roman figure painting jaunt this summer and despite having numerous castles yet to be built I somehow returned to a theme of Roman city walls “would be nice”. I think it was propelled by the guardsmen diorama where I made a card backdrop.
All sorts of ideas have led to experiments The internet has plenty of gatehouses Colchester’s almost unique 4 arch gateway – I do like the red brick courses……And at the east coast end of Hadrian’s wall but on the south side of the Tyne river is Arbeia
So plenty to inspire and cajole me into trying out some homespun walls. Of course I could just buy off the shelf or made to print ones but it is of course the creativity element that’s being sought here.
I have opted for some crenellations and a ready supply of thick corrugated cardboard is the experiment hereDove grey dry brushed over a light grey and then a very light dusting of dry white on top. The roughness comes from the polystyrene plus some indenting with a cuticle manicure pusher! Then tissue paper glued over with pva followed by the paint regime.
And those brick courses which it turns out were most definitely a later Roman idea which among other things could sustain the wall better during earthquakes!
I decided I would experiment with discrete strips of coursing made from cornflake card
So here is some wall testing for the look of the thing.
Yep I strolled into my favourite hobby shop on a trip into York to discover they had not only stocked the said new products but even had the original General Lee version of the famous British Grant M3 and in 1:72.
Nowadays M3’s are a rare beast even in the ubiquitous world of 3D prints. Let’s face it who wants an already outdated quirky tank of 1942 when you can have the elegant simplicity of the Sherman in all its variants running through to ‘45 and beyond.
An excellent walk out price with no waiting nor postage but included friendly chat with store guy and some exercise in my part.
Well given my preference is anything up to and including Operation Torch and maybe a bit of Italian toe, then some M3’s are worth a punt.
See the cupolas tower and blob nosed gun
The US original comes with the impossible multi stack turreting (great for looking over hedges) and a chunky balancing weight on the 75mm gun. Talk about ugly.
Ok so the lead photo is actually the British “Lee” with tapered barrel and flexible sponson but you can also do a US troop of Lee’s and Russian lend lease versions. I guess the Russian ones might have been lend only?
And that’s not all, Monkbar Models are stocking some classic vintage airfix figures as well.
1960’s Airfix vintage rub shoulders with more recent ? lines from the seventies and eighties !!!A convertors classicI have rediscovered this great range in recent times – I converted a couple stephensons rockets for AHPC16 this year- that was fun if a little tortuous at times.
I also picked up a dapol 1/72 water tank – always needed….. I am thinking of Fauxterre 1930 here. A utilitarian design that still has some character.
A member of the family having moved home needed a smaller (not 54mm) display of guardsmen.
So I got it into my head the idea to use last years purchase of Airfix 20mm British guards (destined for Fauxterre 1848) to create a small diorama.
I am delighted with the result.
I stole a Ferraro Rocher chocolate box and then knocked up a background – I wanted a context for the sentry boxes so put in an archway entrance.
Technically this is a season of scenery challenge entry
A bit of blue mounting card made the pavement
Then I picked just enough figures for the space – not too crowded.
The set conveniently comes with two sentry boxes and their occupants. You get one bandmaster who is just right – a bit of swagger there?
The band march past my pencil sketched archway – theatrical scenery in the best sense – rough, functional and temporary
The four abreast marching guards sort of suggests the back of a column with the main focus the bandmaster and some bandsmen.
I picked various colours from Vallejo but best of all was their sea green/blue which was just right painted over citadel game colour night blue as an undercoat for the sentry boxes.
In a way this is a tribute to Marvin and all his Christmas Units at Suburban Militarism….
………I have not done much travelling (sorry I couldn’t resist).
Nope, we are talking scenery modelling not the real stuff. Mind you a lot of it now looks like wargames scenery – all one colour and very dry!
So back to my poor excuse for the scenery season slow start.
OK these figures are complete except for their varnish and basing. Technically these have not made it over the Painting Portrait finishing line.
Hence I have invented the Picnic Painting theme to reflect a certain casualness compared to my usual Painting Portrait standards – background, supporting scenic items and units based and Wargames ready.
On show are really some sample figures – Roman legion, auxilia and skirmishers plus their Sassanian opponents – archers, slingers, javelin plus some spear and shield legion fodder.
The Sassanians are by Hat miniatures as are some of the Roman auxilia and bow figures.
Miniart provided legion and Roman bow/javelin men while Italeri provided additional Legion and Bow.
As usual I looked long and hard into the Notitia Dignitatum to no avail and then simply dug out my Osprey books for inspiration.
I am delighted not only with the result but also the speed of my work which is most unusual.
Next up is yet more diversion from the scenic journey…..
So well into first month of scenery season and yep – zero progress….
However my late Romans are moving along nicely and not only have I started rereading some great books but I have added to the book mountain.
Heathers better book – the other one is technically fascinating but hard work. JJ’s trilogy remains my all time Byzantine favourite and of these the first book is brilliant. Hearder’s Italian sprint is just simply an enjoyable read.
I already have some useful material for later Roman armies.
My Byzantine leanings have always caused a problem
However I happened to search for 4/5th century eastern Roman books and lo and behold there was an osprey on provincial forces and specifically units.
The book I found was only available to order……
I took a punt on the western publication instead that came out in 2024.
Initially I was dissatisfied as a quick flick through showed no shield detail discussion in the text or contents.
A second detailed read revealed a more interesting approach in this MAA. The book illustrations are composites of western empire wide discoveries carefully matched to recreate a likely dressed soldier. And the image notes are brief because the whole book is dedicated to the illustrations with its content referenced to the illustrations.
So no generalised text padding – it’s straight in and descriptive. In fact Latin terms are only partially explained with no appendix so you need to get online if they are not tripping off your tongue already.
So I actually like this offering – maybe not for all subjects but it (they) will complement my other books.
2024 publication whose Eastern compliment is due out in August It’s always good to buy loads of flat pack furniture for the season of scenery challenge…….
Trouble is what do you do with the furniture left over……..
I do hope to get going on my scenery but before embarking on scratch build items I think this small bridge might be in order.
My beloved first small stone bridge by Bellona has long gone to scenery heaven along with its larger sibling. So this EWM item caught my eye when I was shopping for Fauxterre 1930 kit.
My main miniature scale is 1/72 or 20 to 25mm (because scale creep has a very long history). So I am not in the current mainstream 28mm (whatever that height that means anyway) or 15mm (another much varied war gamers scale).
28mm dominates the supply chain these days while 6-15mm seems to be prospering as a counterpoint – skirmish versus mass battles?
The ubiquitous 1/72 “do it all” scale is now largely unloved by gamers although the modelling fraternity still love it for aeroplanes, ships, vehicles and railways.
I have a soft spot for the “ubiquitous” scale and therefore trawl the supply chain accordingly.
Sadly metallics in the 20mm to sub 25mm are in decline – quite simply sculpting and casting in metal is an art and craft which you don’t start doing at the drop of a hat.
The mainstay of this production industry is not getting any younger and of course 3d printing from digital models inevitably looks the modern progressive thing to do if your starting out as a maker in this hobby
Many of the 20-25mm small metal casting businesses revolve around one of two key people and when they stop working there is often no one else to take on the business.
My current figure collection includes
B and B miniatures
SHQ
Irregular Miniatures
Warrior Miniatures
Frontline
B and B miniatures shut up shop a couple of years ago. They had one of the few extensive ranges for Franco Prussian forces in 20mm.
I should have bought more when I did but did not see the writing on the wall.
SHQ sold out to grubbies tanks who will cast some ranges to order – notably for me Kennington although I always liked the WW2 ranges.
Ian Kay at Irregular hung up his working gear this spring after 45 years. His vast range of figures in so many scales will be a loss to many gamers. I believe the 2/6mm ranges live on through a former employee taking the plunge.
Warrior miniatures run out of Glasgow by John in his 80’s has been on hold due to poor health but he did restart in 2025 only to find he needed to rework his manufacturing to make things possible. Since the June announcement I think things have gone quiet again.
Frontline and IT UK closed its doors this spring as well. I have some of their very nice ww2 vehicles.
As I have a broad tolerance on scale and indeed figure matches I can still access ranges to support my gaming, notably using injection moulded plastics sold as toys back in the fifties and sixties.
Yet today they produce some outstanding miniatures for gaming. Even so this industry has seen rocky times with Hat Miniatures seemingly stopping production at one point – think warlord just stopping – you get the picture.
Right now I am painting 1/72 metal medievals from Tumbling Dice. They come with separate shield and some separate heads. Casting is crisp with no flash and minimal mould lines – a fiver gets you 8 foot but I buy the discount packs where you get an army for 70 quid.
In the pic are some SHQ crusaders mounted in the middle and foot in foreground while some Caesar 1/72 plastics are at the right rear of the picture. Tumbling dice 1250 era mounted blue/yellow plus foot with large kite shields are to be seen middle left.
The winter painting challenges have stuck the usual spanner in the works.
I will hopefully still post a second “afterglow” post wrapping up the whole thing.
Right now though my head has finally been turned. After analogue hobbies painting challenge (AHPC) finished at the end of March, I had a tidy up while finishing some figures slated for the other challenge. I have posted my afterglow about AHPC while I have yet to finish those figures that complete the afterglow for “paint what you got”.
First thoughts were plough on through the paint queue. That idea was ended pretty quickly. That’s despite some of the queue counting the years they have been in it – somewhat sadly.
And then as usual a book triggered some thoughts followed by digging out figures from the hoard and then embarking upon a great book sort out.
This is one of my top ten books on military history. Michael Mallet makes every word count in this journey through medieval Italy. Don’t let the title deceive you as the story begins in the 12th century Although they overlap I find both books very useful for Italian medieval armies
The end result is I am back in medieval times and I plan to paint my tumbling dice 1250 era samples. I also hope to progress my 100YW plastics who have been in the queue awhile. Then again they’re competing with some other figures washed and stored that have also been gnawing away at my brain.
I dug out my tumbling dice 1250 figure samples bought a while ago. Some mounted knightsSome foot knightsMilitia spearmen They prime up nicely
I have had a successful third year in the analogue hobbies painting challenge.
I kicked off with some Fauxterre 1930, trucks 1/60 scale lledo models
This year the challenge was less heavy on a theme and returned to a greater focus on the painters choice.
The theme was about rebellion and resistance – 3 subjects and in my case the first was 1848 Hungarians rebelling from the Austro Hungarian Empire (Hat 1/72)
In my case that focus on figures paid dividends as I got plenty done.
A second theme entry was the Duke of Berwicks Irish Regiment (strelets 1/72) the wild geese
In fact it’s my most productive AHPC so far. The constricted theme helped.
More Fauxterre 1930 trucks by PSC in 1/72Tumbling dice 1/72 English civil war figures – Covenanters made my third and final theme submission
These Covenanters were painted in standard block method
A show freebie king Stephen in 28mm
King Stephen was painted with contrast paints
A scratch build of an 1848 Hungarian steam engine using 2 Airfix Stephenson rockets in 1/72
I had made the steam engine for AHPC15 but it missed that boat because it was only part finished by the end of the challenge
This was a garden rescue figure – games workshop era elf – another contrast paint excursion 40mm Vikings by Irregular Miniatures who retired their business this Spring
I used a combination of block, contrast and washes for these figures
Two “days past” OO gauge railway model transporters carry as it happens John at Just needs varnish gifted Renault tanks for Fauxterre 1930
Johns Renault tanks have some campaign colour while most of my AHPC16 trucks are fresh from the factory
1/76 Airfix Morris tractor and bofors anti aircraft gun
At this point the challenge entered its last month and you can see entry photos prep seriously declined…….
Three 1/72 plastic soldier company Opel blitzes 1/72 plastic soldier company Valentine tank Hat miniatures 1/72 World War One British lancers
Just for fun I returned to using static grass without applicator.
Mardav printed 20mm Italian support group
These Italians got a mix of craft paints, contrast paints and dry brush to get the green I wanted- they too are rookies with shiny new helmets
Left to right antitank gun, medium machine gun and a light mortar The challenge was a successThe ones that got away!
My idea for “afterglow” is mainly centred around what nearly got painted during the challenges. In this case 1:72 strelets War of the Spanish Succession, French Dragoons which were fun to paint. I really like the sculpture work in this range – the wild geese Irish also being from that range.
The uniforms were done in Vallejo yellow ochre topped with deep yellow while the bags and cuffs were done in Oxford blue The horses received coat d’arms chestnut brown followed by citadel contrast gore grunta
My 1700 era armies are based in a toy soldier style – these are perry bases from the 28mm box sets
Paint What You Got ran in parallel to AHPC and I aim to post about an “afterglow” for that too.
The Wargaming Erratic 