Friday, April 11, 2014

Entry #2 to the 8th Lead Painters' League: French Survivors Retreating from Russia, 1812


Just a short interlude post before I make the announcements for Sarah's Choice and Judge's Choice. Here is a brief update on my current participation in the Lead Painters' League. 

For my second entry I decided to continue with my 'Retreat from Russia' project and  so submitted a group of five French soldiers staggering back home from the burned-out ruins of Moscow. 


I actually had most of these figures done during the final part of the Challenge but needed to keep them under wraps in order to submit them to the LPL as 'unpublished' models. These fellows, unlike my truculent, ill-fated Goblins, seemed to have resonated better with the voters and so managed to garner me a victory this past round.


As with all of the Perry's 'Retreat' range these are superb sculpts. The freezing, windswept agony is clearly apparent in all their poses.


In particular, I found the fellow with his hands tucked under his arms, the tails of this coat flapping in the freezing wind, especially well done, and so to the stolid grenadier mantled with a green blanket, walking stick in hand and a well-maintained musket over his shoulder. Great figures all.



My entry for this current week (Round 3) is currently up on the LPL. For a change it is WWII themed (and a vehicle no less!). I should have it posted here Sunday night, but feel free to pay a visit to the LPL gallery to view all the matched submissions.

31 comments:

  1. They look great Curt. You're becoming quite the expert on winter themed figures!

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    1. Thanks Iannick. As a Canadian (especially after this winter) I feel a certain sympathy for these fellows.

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  2. I saw these and I saw your tank as well and it was in the lead at the time. There is some really inspiring work over there and my Wish List of figures is growing as a result. Good luck this Sunday!

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    1. Thank you Anne. Yes, there are some very skilled people in the League to be sure which makes it a great diversion to look forward to each Sunday.

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  3. They certainly convey a feeling of frozen misery Curt. Great work and congrats on the win

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  4. Another great set of your Napoleon winter theme! Every time I see them I get cold!

    Christopher

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    1. Thank you Christopher and another thanks for providing comments on the League forum!

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  5. Bloody lovely Curt, on my way over to vote!

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  6. Superb sir. Gives me the chills just looking at em.

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  7. Awesome work on these chaps! Despite not beeing particularly interested in this period I really love it when you pop up with some new Retreat stuff.

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    1. Well, that is a great compliment indeed then! I'm delighted you like them Nick.

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  8. Wonderful painting work. You have a fantastic collection here!!!

    And I´m very tempted again...

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    1. Thanks Juan! Yes, I am slowly starting to mass a few of these poor blighters.

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  9. Looking nice. Well painted as all your other minis on this subject, but I like these "just walking" minis the best!

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    1. Thanks! Yes, there is something 'hopeless' in seeing some of these fellows with no weapons and no winter clothing. I look at them and think, 'This fellow won't last the day...'.

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  10. those look great! I would love to know how you did that snow effect on their bases and the lower parts of their clothes!

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    1. Thanks Achilles! The snow on the bases was achieved with Liquitex gel medium ('Natural Sand 6508) which actually has a very smooth consistency, but still possesses some nice mass. I will often 'sink' twigs, discarded packs, muskets, cartridge boxes, shakos, etc. into the wet gel and then shape it around the items it so it looks like the snow has drifted against their sides.

      Once the gel is cured I paint it a base of blue-grey (I use Americana 'Slate Grey'), I then liberally drybrush a midtone (Americana 'Grey Sky') and then finish with a light drybrush of titanium white (any bright white will do).

      I then glue on a tuft here and there (make sure the tuft is yellow as the grass would be dead in the midst of winter) and then heavily drybrush the tuft with the same midtone and highlight as the base. It can be quite 'globby' as frost will build up on exposed vegetation.

      The frost/snow on the hem of the mens' clothes, their beards and scarves are the same mid tone and highlight (Grey Sky and Titanium White) carefully dappled with an old detail brush. You have to be careful not to go overboard on this step - I find a little goes a long way in giving the effect.

      This all seems a bit convoluted but it's dead easy once you work out the pattern. I find the main element is the texture gel - it works wonders at providing that hard-packed snow effect.

      I hope this helps!

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  11. Amazing work dude. They look like they are walking to work here in Winnipeg.

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    1. I know - this winter will just not give up the ghost! Thankfully we've not had the snow you've suffered so I hope you get good temperatures soon.

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  13. Magnifique travail de réalisme (Marvelous work of realismus) Bravo!

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    1. Thanks very much Christian, much appreciated!

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Thanks for your comment! As long as you're not a spam droid I'll have it up on the blog soon. :)