Merry Christmas

Just a quick one, to wish all followers and occasional visitors to this and the other blog, a very wonderful and peaceful Christmas and New Year. Many thanks for all the comments made over the last twelve months, they really do provide great encouragement.

More models and related fifteenth century stuff will be coming in 2012.

Restoration - stage 3.

A little more progress made, despite commitments to Xmas preparations. All the wood has had another highlight; a very thin drybrush of GW Fortress Grey. The rest of the work has been focussed on the dawb rendering, which requires carefully painting as some of the angles are hard to reach on such a large model. The barns have been done with Foundry Buff Leather, highlighted with some white added. This looked a bit too 'fresh' and bright, so I've washed it with GW Ogyrn Flesh wash, which has toned it down to a degree that I'm happy with.

The farmhouse itself I wanted to be a little different and as medieval folk were keen on bright colours I've gone for a red-pink tone. The shade is GW Mechrite Red, again with about 25% white added for a drybrushed highlight, and then Ogryn Flesh washed over when fully dry.

The stonework has had another highlight to pick pout edges of the stones and corners - Plaka Yellow Brown and white added. I've also opened up gaps either side of the gateway to insert the hinges of the homemade gates I'll be adding. Next I plan to tackle the thatching.

Restoration - stage 2.

For those of you with extremely long memories, I started work on this fortified farm almost a year ago (!). My recent foray into a building has prompted me to try and make some meaningful progress with this great Hudson and Allen casting.

The building has been black undercoated using Humbrol enamel. The stonework has had a basecoat of Pelikan Plaka Yellow Brown and black, mixed to about 50-50. Then the drybrushing has begun. This model is so well detailed and so finely cast that this is the best method for gradually bringing out all the immense detail. So first has been a neat Yellow Brown drybrush. When fully dry I've gone over with another layer of Yellow Brown mixed with light grey, again about 50-50 proportions. I plan two other lighter layers will be added to the stones to pick out the details. Plaka's Yellow Brown has been one of my 'go to' shades for stones for many years, as I love the warmth of the colour, a bit of a Cotswold stone finish I guess. Regretably, for reasons that aren't clear, it's recently been removed from their Plaka acrylics range by Pelikan and getting hold of a few pots in the UK in the late Summer, to put aside for projects like this was a bit of a challenge.

I want the woodwork to look old and to contrast with the stone - so I've gone with a grey - starting with Vallejo German Grey over the black undercoat. Over this I've highlighted up with Vallejo Grey Green. Again at least two more highlights will be added.

The black and grey on these photos has come up very blue which doesn't show how it looks to my eye - I'll ensure that the next pics are taken in daylight.

Medieval Chapel - completed

The finished model - constructed and painted - with a figure to show overall dimensions.

Overall I'm pleased with it; it'll serve the purpose I want of an additional model to place on the table and add some visual interest, that I can employ with my HYW and Burgundian-Swiss. The stonework is primarily Pelikan Plaka Yellow Brown, with black added for the initial undercoat and then grey and white added for the drybrushed highlights. Rendered walls are Vallejo Khaki, with white added for the highlighted layers. It'll get a quick spray of Coat d'Arms matt varnish to seal all the paintwork.

Medieval Chapel - roof

The roof construction is basically a straightforward 'from the box' build. There are no changes needed and the model has a nice finely detailed wooden shingle roof, with a small prominent bell tower. The roof was painted Vallejo German Grey and then drybrushed with mid and lighter greys. The exposed wooden framework at both ends of the building have also been treated the same way whilst still attached to the sprue, which will be added once the walls have been painted.

Hoping to get this all done this weekend.

Medieval Chapel - stonework

I've now added the stonework to the bottom section of the walls, which cover up the extensions to the height. These are cut from some embossed plastic sheets that I had in the 'bits box', which were originally from a model railway water tower I think, but I can't recall the manufacturer. I tried to create an uneven finish to the line of foundation stones, which should contrast with the rendered upper sections of the walls. I made a mould for the door and took a casting from ProCreate putty; it sits a little bit too proud but I hope it'll blend in when painted. I filled in some of the missing stones at the corners by both cutting out individual stones and gluing on and by filling any remaining gaps with modelling putty. I also found an excuse to use Games Workshop's Liquid Green Stuff for the first time to smooth over cracks and it seems to work pretty well.

Next step will be to construct the roof.

Medieval Chapel build

The next few postings will relate my attempt to build a small medieval chapel, the type that would have been a typical site along roadsides before the Reformation and which I can use with any of my medieval armies. I'm taking a modest step out of my comfort zone of figure painting into converting a plastic kit.

The idea has been taken from one that John Boadle has already completed for his own collection and which looks absolutely great - mine will use the same approach - but won't match the quality of his. The framework is a Faller HO railway kit (which comes with numerous very useful shrines as you can see on the box lid).

First step is to raise the height to make it more compatible with 28mm figures. I've cut extra strips of plasticard and added to the foot of the walls. Those of you with keen eyesight will note how my inability to cut a straight section of plasticard attempts to recreate the odd angles seen in medieval structures(!!). I've blocked up the original doorway and window, as I'll add the larger door - one of John's castings that he very kindly given me to use on this model. The inside has been braced with some balsa struts as it has a degree of fragility as I'm not securing it to the original base that comes with the kit.

So far, so good. Next will be cladding the lower walls with stonework to disguise the lower walls.