Airborne April (5.7. Last Red Devils with Jeeps and a tank!)

[Elbows]

Oooh, and some newspaper scraps...maybe some ditched para-gear (bags and such). 

[Nysse]

Thanks for the tips! Spent shells should be easy to add and adds at least some colour variation. I guess the main issue I have with the current ones is the slightly monotone look. Any ideas on creating the broken glass? Some old cd-cases might work but they are a bit thick.

Newspaper scraps and discarded equipment is actually a brilliant idea. Have to try that too! A brilliant excuse to buy some more plastics to get extra weapons to use on the bases too

[pocoloco]

Great looking chaps you got there Nysse!

How about just using blister pack plastic, sturdy enough, yet easy to cut... and should be quite cheap

[tomek917]

How about just using blister pack plastic, sturdy enough, yet easy to cut... and should be quite cheap

Yup, that's what I'd suggest too 

[Nysse]

How about just using blister pack plastic, sturdy enough, yet easy to cut... and should be quite cheap

Silly me, should have thought of that

Anyhow here's the next batch. A Vickers HMG and a PIAT team. I didn't add anything extra to the bases yet, partly because I haven't had the time to go get thin brass rod and I was a bit lazy in collecting suitable propaganda posters etc to have as torn paper. And these bases work a bit better too as they are more "busy" without as much empty space.

The faces turned out a bit better this time too. I normally use a sepia wash after the base colour to add shadows, but I decided to to paint these guys with a light brown basecoat on their skin. A bit less contrast, but gives a slightly more realistic end result. Though I seem to botch the photos a bit all the time by overexposing the brightest areas. I might still have to go back to these to add some stubble so that they seem like they've been fighting for days. Seeing Cubs's excellent red devils really didn't help either Clean shaven just doesn't seem to cut it anymore.

[Cubs]

Lovely stuff.

Stubble up, man! Keep it thin though, because for some reason it always seems to dry a bit darker than it went on.

[Taffydude]

Lovely stuff. Can I ask where you got the multi figure round bases from?

[westwaller]

If you are after more basing ideas, what about a section of wooden flooring (just a few painted up coffee stirrers,cut to size perhaps) to give the impression that the rubble was once houses?
Maybe seek out some photos on the internet of paras in action for further inspiration.
Keep up the good work

[Nysse]

Thank you guys!

Lovely stuff. Can I ask where you got the multi figure round bases from?

The multiple bases are Sarissa ones. They make three different sizes of weapons bases which are quite handy if you want casualty removal instead of casualty markers.

If you are after more basing ideas, what about a section of wooden flooring (just a few painted up coffee stirrers,cut to size perhaps) to give the impression that the rubble was once houses?

Yeah I was actually thinking of doing one rifle team themed as being inside a building. Maybe when the lost package finally arrives after being on the road for a few months.

[Taffydude]

Thanks for the info

[Nysse]

No stubble on anyone yet, but another finished platoon for the 101st. This time a mortar platoon to smoke all their opponents into oblivion. The scenery bits are from Peter Pig.

In hindsight I guess I was a bit overly optimistic about my painting speed with quite a lot left unpainted still. Though quite a good effort considering that I've been on two vacation trips this month which cut over a quarter of my painting time away After these guys I have about 15 Red Devils 90% done and their Jeeps needing stowage and weathering. So hopefully I'll still finish of a few more before May day celebrations start and I'm more or less out of order for a few days Luckily I don't have to party for a few weeks like when I was still studying...  Also an Airborne antitank platoon for the 101st is more or less underway, but that is definately not going to be finished during April.

[Nysse]

And I just managed to finish a bunch of Red Devils before the end of the month. All in all 29 Red Devils and 55 101st minis painted so a pretty good effort for the month even though I missed my goals miserably

And now that April is pretty much finished it's time to announce the next project! Modern May. Slightly less ambitious this time so hopefully I'll get everything done

Anyhow back to the minis! This time I tried painting stubble on them (and added it to all the previous ones). Results are a bit varying. Maybe a bit too dark on most of them even though I went with only one coat. The paint mixture was Army painter dark and strong inks with some GW Asurmen Blue ink mixed in. I guess I should try adding some skintone colours to lighten it up a bit more. Next time then.





These guys are from Artizan Designs. Great sculpts with plenty of character. Though the faces are a bit cartoonish with the super heavy jaws etc. True manly men. A few casualty figures and captured german equipment on them to add variety to rifle squads and then two officers to lead my forces. Love the umbrella toting guy. Never go to battle unprepared!

Would be interesting to know who was the role model for the Scottish officer. I doubt that there were that many paras going to battle wearing a kilt. So i anyone has any ideas, tips are welcome! Or then it's just the imagination of the sculptor










And this is what I have nearly done. The Jeeps need stowage and wheels painted and then some weathering. The AOP is missing identification stripes, windows and weathering. I've also got an Airborne Antitank platoon for the 101st with bases done and a basecoat on the uniforms done.

[Cubs]

The dude in the kilt is meant to be Cpt James Ogilvie, of the Glider Pilot Regiment (Airborne, but not Para inotherwords).



He held a commission in the Gordon Highlanders before joining the GPR, so that is probably the tartan. He was at Arnhem, led his men in the breakout and was wounded in the shoulder, later to drown trying to swim the Rhine.

[pocoloco]

Those para chaps do look dashing Nysse! Great work. I think the bases with bricks and wood parts look already much better than mere bricks. Maybe add an odd fence post here and there, smaller wood splinters and broken bricks etc to liven up the bases more if that's what you are still looking for?

[Nysse]

The dude in the kilt is meant to be Cpt James Ogilvie, of the Glider Pilot Regiment (Airborne, but not Para inotherwords).

Thanks! Might have to repaint his kilt to fit the Gordon tartan. I just painted him to match what Artizan Designs had.

Those para chaps do look dashing Nysse! Great work. I think the bases with bricks and wood parts look already much better than mere bricks. Maybe add an odd fence post here and there, smaller wood splinters and broken bricks etc to liven up the bases more if that's what you are still looking for?

Yeah I've been adding to the previous minis already. Some spent shell casings etc. I also added some torn propaganda posters, but no pics of them as I'm not sure if they are allowed here due to the German laws. I guess adding a few signposts here and there along with some fences on a couple of the bases would make them pop out more. Still the 25mm bases are a bit difficult as they do seem to get a bit crowded really fast. Couldn't get the test ones to look balanced. It's a helluva lot easier on the big weapons bases.