My New Light Box and a few Afghans and SIkhs

So Mrs C the finance deartment bought me a nice lightbox for Christmas to help with the taking of pcitures. Not entirely sure about it yet, I wonder if its bright enough, but here is a trial run with a bunch of figues painted over the Christmas break.

The box itself comes flatpacked in a simple bag and folds out into a box quite easily, it comes with a umber of coloured backgrounds, so far I have only tried the white.

This right hand Afghan horseman is new and I like the washed out buff and blue colours.

The horse is a Perry Afghan horse and the rider an old Foundry one, it matches perfectly with the Perry Afghan behind on the same base.

This chap is another of the 5 Foundry Afghans I have in the same pose different colour schemes to distinguish him. 

The next couple I used a pallette with pale blue, orange and Green for the most part, works well for the Sikhs I feel.

The softer lighting has its limitiations but is a bit kinder on the close ups.

Thats same pallette again, I particularly like how this Sikh lancer has come out. Foundry again.

This armoured sowar has again the same basic Pallette, the horse is however a Foundry Polish horse, it fits quite nicely I feel.

My assumption here is that I need some natural light to augment the LED's in the box and bring the colours out a little more so I am trying that next. 

It started snowing so I thought I would get one of my Perry retreat from Moscow Cossacks out and paint him, came out quite nice.

You can see that with the added natural light it is slightly brigher but also casts a slight shadow.

I took another one with a lot ore natural light, this didnt really work any better and casts more shadow, so I am thinking that it may need a little help from an external LED light. One to try next time perhaps.

This last one ts a British Carlist Wars General I am using for Sikh Wars, added some natural light and also played around with phone settings slightly better?

Not quite the resounding success I was hoping for but these last two shots of Baluchi's I actually rather like, using the natural light and then tidying the picture up on the phone before loading..

So whilst I will probably use the little vignette and the free standing LED lights approach for displaying the latest figures to jump off the workbench this does give me a nice option for displaying individual figures. I will certainly get some use out of this nice present.

Thanks Mrs C. 

More Afghans and Sikhs for the Sikh Wars Project

 Getting some good traction on this project just now. As ever a real mix of manufacturers, this bunch of brigands in particular having Perry, Studio, Wargames Atlantic and Perry Plastics all mixed in.

So my modelling skills have yet to improve but the figures are great anyway. a slightly different pallette of colours for this lot so will look better once mixed with the others. These two may sit on a  skirmisher base with other kneeling figures when I eventually base them all.

I will have a whole unit advancing with firearms when I get a bunch more done, the plastic Perry set allows for lots of dynamism as illustrated by these three.

Two leader figures from Perry the plastic on the left will be a unit commander whilst the metal junior leader on the right might end up mixed into a skirmish screen.

Two more with Sikh plastic heads applied, it was suggested to me that these are Perrys from the desert rat box, as they are grey I still think they are Bolt Action, not that it matters, will need some Empress metals to flesh these out into a full unit.

These two are both Studio miniatures, they paint up really simply and quickly and whilst not my favourite of the manufacturers are still quite nice.

The Wargames Atlantic figure stands out as the least favourite of this lot and I am tempted to get rid of the rest of the sprues I have not used yet, lets see though, rear rank fillers possibly.

I have also managed to get a bunch of cavalry done. Again in batches with limited colour pallettes.

This armoured Sikh lancer is mounted on a Warhammer riders of Rohan horse, as it was sculpted by the Perrys it takes their other ranges of figures quite comfortably and the mail chamfron doesn't look out of place given the gear Indian cavalry were using. Adds a nice bit of variety to the horses within a unit. Gotta love Sikh nobles where else do you get to paint sky blue, lemon yellow and Polish Pink in the same unit.

This particular bunch are all on black horses but the next lot will be greys then a bunch of brown ending up all mixed together when I ready them for basing. I particularly like the orange and blue on this one.

Another on a black horse with a different array of some of the same colours.

This one is a particular favourite with lots of colour and again a Rohan horse, this will add some character to a light cavalry unit.

These guys are one heavy and one light, the heavy horses with colourful blankets only come in two models charging and further one standing so I want some simpler ones added in just to give some variety. The black horse here is from the Foundry mutiny range but as you would expect fits in quite nicely if a little small.

These two are from the new Perry range but mounted on the small Foundry ponies. The horseflesh are the biggest difference in size for the old Foundry ranges, I can mix the figures up with other ranges but the horses need to be in separate units for the most part. Flag from the Perry Plastic Afghans box.

Lastly this guy, for some reason I have about 5 of this figure so mixing him into most cavalry units, this particular one is bit richer and has a nice saddle blanket for his richly harnessed horse. 

Thats it for now but I have already started some more horses and hope to have some more finished to share with you in due course. Until then take it easy and stay safe.

First Jacobite Highlanders Based for the 1745 Rising

The basing department has been busy and the first of the highlanders is done on their new round bases. Our plan is to base them in twos and threes on 40mm and 50mm bases. This allows for a flexible approach to the unit sizes.

I have multiple different manufacturers in the ranks of the highlanders, some have come out surprisingly well. 

In these shots you see the Flags of War highlanders with muskets charging alongside the Redoubt Enterprises ECW highlanders.

In the below a further Flags of War highlander with musket charges alongside two Front Eank highlanders.

Viewed from above you can see how the circular bases lend themselves to the more irregular formations of the highlanders.

I am purposely keeping those earlier scots on separate bases, this will allow me the option to field them with earlier forces such as my Elizabethans should I wish to at some point.

The tartans are all very simple but I think they look quite effective, particularly when en-masse as here.

The odd figure has an extra thread of colour running through to add some variety, still simple though.

Lastly a low land leader figure, probably will use this as a level one leader for my Loyalist militias, a nice Galloping Major figure in suitably simple clothing.

I am reasonably happy with the progress of this project, it will tootle along for a while until the new Flags of War Kickstarter posts out in April next year at which point the regular units will get their final troops and start to finish off, expect to see a lot of posts in the spring, with a few in between as I work through the highlanders I already have.

More Highland Buildings for the Jacobite 1745 Rising

 The last two (for now at least) of my buildings for the 45. Again both are lovely Hudson and Allen buildings, same basic painting approach as the last one, this now gives me a really good selection of buildings that will also be ideal for Border Reivers and Elizabethan Ireland.

This first one is half timbered and thatched, sort of half cow shed half croft. Couple of figures for scale.

The contrast in colours between the thatch, wood and stone works really well with this model.

 This last one is the largest I bought on this occasion and is a lovely piece.

At some point I will set a table up and photograph the whole lot together, probably when I have more of the figures based to set them off.

I have used a number of different purple flowers to represent heather and add a touch of colour to the model, it doesnt need many to lift things and soften some edges.

The only different colours used on this model are for the earth between the walls. I have matched this to the colours I used on the based figures so its Colour Party again leather brown as a base coat, wet brushed with ECW Buff and then dry brushed same as everything else with the bleached linen.

Different enough from the stone that its obvious its not the same but close enough not to look odd. Well thats my theory anyway.

Its a really lovely scenic piece this one and I look forward to seeing it on table with muskets lining the walls.

Taken as a whole that gives around a dozen buildings, mainly Hudson and Allen, that I can use for the 1745 rising but also for the Borders and Elizabethan Ireland. I am picturing a table with a village around a large Inn with a walled manor at one end and a scatter of crofts around the edges.

Chum Chris who is also doing the 45 with me has some of these models also, so plenty for a large table set up.