Back to Africa: Adventures in Somaliland

[Gluteus Maximus]

Another hilarious post! You really should write a book someday.

More great figures, too. I particularly like the pink tones you used for the Somalis' tongues. Very realistic and added a surprising touch of colour. The eyes are just the right size, which is rare for 28mm figures and they really help bring your chaps to life.

I've read and enjoyed a couple of Byron Farwell's books, so I can see this one would be worth reading too. must get a copy 

[gamer Mac]

Brilliant stuff and as we have come to expect a great story along with the pictures.
Can’t add much more to what’s already been said.
The luggage was well worth the extra time. It is one of the things I always like in your photos, even the little details are extremely well painted.

A history lesson included in every post. You learn something new every day, even on a forum about toy soldiers.

Keep up the good work

[Plynkes]

Thanks fellas. Mr. Allen C tells me I have to answer your questions, so I better had (wasn't going to bother otherwise).

Wow! I somehow knew that was Speke when I saw that miniature, so it's a great choice. His white shirt (just like all those robes) looks really nice in the pictures, how did you paint it?

I've finally struck upon a white painting method that I like, after years of struggling. It's the absolute opposite of what our Workbench leader Hammers recommends. In all other regards I consider him to be one of my bestest virtual chums, but on this matter we are mortal foes. I've tried countless complicated and subtle methods, and due to my lack of skill and patience they always turn out shit. This new method is extremely simple. I think it was Orctrader who first suggested it (or something like it), but I may be wrong. It only involves two steps. Paint the whole thing white. Then apply shading just in the deep folds of the cloth with an off-white that is very very close to your white. That's it. Two colours. No fancy shading with nine tones or blending. For me, Less is more with white. It may not be award-winning good, but it doesn't look shit. And it is the first white-painting method I have tried that doesn't look shit when I do it, so I am sticking with it. One more step was used with the Somalis, and that was to very carefully run some GW Devlan Mud wash into some of the deeper folds, just to give a slightly grimy look, the natural sand-staining in the creases that mucking about in a sandy country would bring in between washes.

By contrast the two Askari taking potshots are old figures done using a method that does look shit. No more shall I start off with a light grey and build up to white highlights. It just doesn't work for me.

Who makes the camels? I need some of them.

From the Perry Miniatures Sudan Range. Pack SB44 to be precise.


You get the cheerful fellow standing guard too. Not sure what to do with him.

I was under the impression Foundry's Indian Mutiny range is a little smaller than their Darkest Africa. It looks like u gave Speke a little "padding" in his base - was that the case? If it was intentional it was well done and hardly noticeable.

The Somali's spears are BIG! Did they come with the figures?

Yes, I built Speke's base up a bit to make him roughly the same height as Burton. It seems to deceive the eye into thinking they are the same size. And I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!

You don't get any spears with Copplestone's Somali packs (though he makes very nice ones for his Ngoni, odd that). The big (as in stupidly thick) spears are just standard Foundry Darkest Africa spears. When the Darkest Africa first thing took off and Foundry figures were still relatively good value I bought enough to last me forever, just about. They do suffer from the massive weapon syndrome a bit, but I'm pretty lazy and it is a little thing I'm prepared to put up with.

The spears that are big as in long with a big blade, were made from wire spears fitted to the spearheads of Foundry Masai spears (I also have millions of those). I was trying to make some that weren't stupidly thick, and looked like some of the long Somali spears I had seen in pictures. I thought they worked quite well. But I got tired of doing it, so that's why some of them have the thick Foundry spears.

 

[twrchtrwyth]

V. nice. 

[Conrad Hawkwood]

terrific stuff mate ..

[Doomhippie]

Certainly one of the best reports I've read in a long while. Very nice painting and a great idea! Absolutely wonderful! 

[argsilverson]

Awesome just awesome.

I am speechless

[Furt]

It only involves two steps. Paint the whole thing white. Then apply shading just in the deep folds of the cloth with an off-white that is very very close to your white. That's it. Two colours. No fancy shading with nine tones or blending.

As a long suffering victim of "shit white syndrome", thank you for your detailed description of the method u used - I like it alot. Unfortunately it was not detailed enough for me and I have another question? White or black undercoat Plynkes?

[Pentaro]

White or black undercoat Plynkes?

And which paint? I have Vallejo and Americana white and hate them

[argsilverson]

Dear Plynkes,

After a small recovery of my speech (see my earlier post) I could suggest a Foundry pack for the Herne and Stroyan:

The two officers (one with sabre and hat the other with telescope) from pack BRV202 from Indian Mutiny range.

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/BRITVIC/6/index.asp

[Bugsda]

  Excellent, love the Burton conversion, but I thought he preferred using his pork sword  

[Plynkes]

Bugsda, you know that excellent one you showed us the other day? If you're in the mood for converting I think he would look even better with a Miliput John Thomas hanging out of his trousers. It would be the quintessential Burton figure then.  



Pentaro, Fsultana, I know some folks get good results with black undercoats, but as far as I'm concerned, undercoating in black a figure you are going to paint mostly white is just making extra work for yourself. My general rule is that if a figure is mostly dark, I undercoat it black, and if it is mostly light, I undercoat it in white. These guys are an exact mix of the two, but due to the whole issue of white clothing I go with white undercoat in this case.

It's ordinary GW Skull White. I hate it, and it is probably no better than the paints you mention. It behaves differently to other colours. Either horribly runny and transparent or a big gloopy mass. This method was an attempt to circumvent its shortcomings, rather than take advantage of any special positive properties it may have.



Argsilverson: Good call. I had been considering those fellows, and I will definitely go with sunhat chap. The telescope man I had dismissed as he seems a little distracted by something far away to be involved in a close-up tent battle. But I may come back to him if all else fails. Perhaps he's saying "Don't want to be a downer or anything, lads, but there's loads more of them over there..." The advantage is that I already have both those figures. I'm leaning slightly more towards the fellow from BRV201, the one with a long coat, covered airpipe helmet and pistol. I have him too.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[argsilverson]

you may place him in a small distance watching the event by the tents!

I think that the rest need some conversion (helmets etc). another figure thar might be used is west wind amazonian explorers
pack GHA0003
http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2_35&products_id=327

the 2 chaps in sun hats (with pistols and sabres)

[Plynkes]

I don't mind them being in helmets. I suspect that in reality the explorers wore civilian clothes, but the movie versions of Herne and Stroyan wear their British Army uniforms on the expedition, and I think it looks cool. As with the Somali face paint, for me Cool occasionally wins when wrestling with History.

[Furt]

It's ordinary GW Skull White. I hate it, and it is probably no better than the paints you mention. It behaves differently to other colours. Either horribly runny and transparent or a big gloopy mass. This method was an attempt to circumvent its shortcomings, rather than take advantage of any special positive properties it may have.

It is good to hear that my hatred of white, especially GW Skull White could possibly be universal - I thought it was just me.

My recent attempts to paint some NWF stuff has nearly turned me off painting altogether. I will take up my brush again with renewed vigor - into the breach!

Thanks for the advice and your time.