The washing of the longbows*

Just a short WIP update. With the launch of the Perrys WotR range looming somewhat (circa 12 weeks and counting down), my focus is now to get both armies to a stage of semi-completeness asap. First up are the English longbowmen, which need several more figures adding to get them to a close-to-planned state, ie 20 bases rather than the 24. I'm testing achieving this by a possibly speedier painting process, on a psuedo-production line basis, as the finished figures will get mixed in when based to achieve a non-uniform medieval appearance.
So I've tried is to use washes more than I've ever done previously - not the complete dipping process (which personally creates a finish to my liking) - but Games Workshop washes, as I've read generally positive reviews about.
I stared using them on the padded jacks of these archers. The jacks were painted in Foundry Buff Leather (mid-tone 7B) and then had GW Devlan Mud & Sepia 50:50 mix washed over. This adds deep shadows in the thin creases of the jacks - which is difficult to achieve by hand - as well as dulling the overall colour and creates some contrasts with the raised surface areas. I've then picked out highlights using the Buff 7B straight from the pot.
For hands and faces I've applied the same method. Foundry Flesh mid (5B) with GW Orgyn Flesh wash and then highlights on nose, cheeks, chin and forehead with 5B again. Not much facial details show with these helmeted figures, but I think next time I'll pick out shadows on the eyes, nose and mouth with my usual method (Plaka Red Brown) post wash and before the highights to achieve more depth and contrasts - although this will add to the overall time to finish a figure.
Overall I'm satisfied with the final figures, and which feel like they've been a little quicker to complete (although no stopwatch was set). Am now contemplating using the washes more; on the other clothings at least. They do create neat natural shadows and exploit the fine sculpting of the castings. However the trade-off is that washes do 'dull' the paint they're applied over and I don't want a 'dipped' finish, so adding the highlights as I'd usually do, will still be needed.
I'll post up the next batch and we'll see...

* with apologies to Donald Morris.

The Maid of Orleans

Here's Joan of Arc vignette base, to inspire the French to kick the English claimants to the throne out of the Loire valley castles and back into Normandy (ie a plus one on all morale tests!). She leads one of her aides, Sire de Kermoysan (k 1450) and her personal contingent of herald and flag-bearer. The flag carrying Charles VII's royal arms is a temporary one and will be replaced by Joan's personal pennon (when GMB produce it, I could bring myself to try and paint it, whenI know that GMB's will surpass my attempts by miles). Kermoysan has had a head-swap so that he's not rudely looking at Joan through a closed visor and the banner-bearer is an ex-Citadel figure with bill replaced to hold flag.

Joan passes by a group of Cistercian monks who have travelled from the local monastery to witness and venerate the holy miracle that they have heard about. These have time-travelled from the Perry's Crusader range.

Am now thinking that things should be balanced up a bit with a Henry V or duke of Bedford vignette- better see what ideas I can muster for their layout.

French Crossbowmen II

Thanks for the comments on the basing from the last posting. Taking these onboard I've completed the next French crossbow company; adding casulaties and arrows. These are having to advance into range without any pavise protection and taking the resulting casualties. Figures are Perry (with some converted to carry bows) and couple of older Citadel.

I've purchased some transparent perspex movement trays, from James at Oshiro http://www.oshiromodelterrain.co.uk/index.html to enable the figures to be used for Impetus ruleset, this being designed for larger base sizes. I like the clear perspex as they are less intrusive than others I've seen and I don't have to paint them to fit with my basing style. James will make these high-quality trays to order; mine being 100x50mm - a great service I'd really recommend (as well as the lovely handmade buildings and terrain he offers).

Am now re-planning to see how far I can get to a near-finished state of affairs before those pesky Perrys release the 'Wars of the Roses' range - due 'before Christmas' I've been told.

work in progress

Just a quick update to confirm that there's still life in this here blog and that some painting progress has been made during the family fortnightly vacation to France. However painting al fresco was an interesting and challenging experience, not usually encountered in the UK climate. My main problem was to find sufficient shade and then to cope with the glare of sunlight, plus the problem of paints drying out in the heat - still not something I need to concern myself with now I'm back to the dull and damp British summer!

Pics above are in progress shots - Joan of Arc (nearly complete) and a French knight who'll be part of the same vignette (along with some monks marvelling at the visionary maid!) - the latter has a simple head swop to provide a little variety. The plan is that he'll represent sire de Kermoysan, 'Le Bourgeois' (the Burgess) who has heraldry of 7 white scallops on a red background (wish me luck!). Also the French crossbows completed on aforesaid break.

Looking at these has made me realise how much the final basing really 'finishes' my own figures. I've read many views on when a figure really comes 'to life' and for me the seachange occurs at the basing stage, when everything seems to fall into place. I often feel that i spend too long on basing, in proportion to the figures, but then again it's probably time well spent.

When these are completed, I'll post more pics.

Four Vignettes

One of the great attractions (and distractions!) to building any army is the creation of the non-standard troops; those command stands, personalities, casualty markers and general hangers-on. These are the first I've completed so far.

So above are; Etienne de Vignolles, nicknames 'la hire' (due to his alleged temper and hatred for the English). La Hire was a captain at the battle of Bauge in 1421 and a prominent leader of the French reassurgence at the seige of Orleans and the battles of Jargeau, Beaugency and Patay in 1429. He died 1443. His flag is very distinctive, bearing bunches of grapes. Its a Freezywater one, which I plan to 'upgrade' to GMB when one's available.

Next, the duke of Alencon command group. The Alencon family were a leading French noble family in the fifteenth century; Jean was killed at Agincourt and his sceond son (also Jean) was a leader in Joan of Arc's armies at Jargeau and Patay. He died 1476. Here he discusses the finer points of the French battle plan with Jean d'Aulon, who was squire to Joan and later a chamberlain to Charles VII of France. He died 1458. The flag bearing his armsis GMB and his personal banner by LBMS.

The bowmen are from the Perry pack of 'longowmen preparing', which i think best captures this period and which I hope will be extended at some point, not too distant. Not really a combative group; as this is definetly a 'before' not during battle activity.

Finally a vignette showing what war for many professional soldiers of the medieval period was all about (besides looting) - the opportunity to capture a high-ranking nobleman in order to share in the potentially lucrative ransom paid by his family for his release. According to Anne Curry in 'Agincourt', despite the high numbers of French prisoners killed on Henry V's orders during the battle, many Englishmen still secured ransoms for captured nobles taken back to England, in the following years.

These are last posts for few weeks as I'll be on summer hols in France - but am hoping to snaffle away some crossbowmen to do between dips in the pool and glasses of local vin.

English Longbowmen (I)

The famed English longbowmen, who have their place in historical posterity for their successes over the French in the key battles of the Hundred Years War. These are the first completed & based figures, Perrys as usual, painted by the talented Jim Bowen (couple of mine sneaked in - they're the ones that don't have the fine flowing paintwork!), who has an amazing skill in his use of the colour palette, as well as creating some beautiful, convincing facial details.

I've based the defensive stakes on 50mm wide bases, to be used seperately on the gaming table. My current plan is for a total of 24 longbow bases, based on a 3:1 ratio with the men at arms; the Normandy conquest being the last period before the 'bows-to-bills' ration started to climb significantly.

French Men at Arms (I)

The first completed French men at arms, 8 bases. Wanted to try and achieve sense of some movement with these figures as they advance in chaotic manner towards the English, under arrow fire on the verge of making contact for melee.

The figures are a mix of dismounted knights with their retainers, alongside some professional soldiers raised for the campaigns. The heraldry on the knights has been researched as pertinet to the Henrician campaigns in Normandy and northern France following Agincourt and I'll add a note to the underside of each base re the actual figures portrayed. Total of 24 bases planned and next figures for basing-up are underway.

All figures are Perrys - with a couple of older Citadels sneaked in - flags are GMB (have used the smaller version of the 2 per sheet from GMB for the dismounted figures and larger will be for mounted figures or command vignettes) and arrows chez moi.