Aventine Early Sassanid Noble Cavalry

[philhendry]

Here are some Aventine Miniatures Late Parthian/Early Sassanid 'clibanarii'. Keith tells me they're item UD56 in their range. I started these a long time ago - when they came out in fact, but then my painting mojo 'went walkabout' and they say, unloved and unfinished, in a box. My mojo seems to have come back, so this week they came back out of the box and I finished them off. They're painted very simply - just block painted and then given a coat of Army Painter 'Strong Tone' with a brush. The shield transfers are from Little Big Men Studios. Finished off with a light squirt of Testors' Dull Cote.

[Mad Doc Morris]

Good to see your mojo hasn't left for good. Very inspirational work as always, thanks for sharing!

[Atheling]

Excellent work Phil  

I'm damned if I know how you get such good results from AP!! I tried it on some Perry British Nappy infantry once the results were so bad I gave up sharpish!

I'm at Claymore so should see you there if you're around?

Darrell.

[Svennn]

Beautiful and very inspirational    Colour choice is wonderful.

I cannot help thinking back to enamel painted forces on green cloths with books for hills playing WRG and marvelling how far we have come in recent years.

[Steve F]

Woo!  The colours!  The intricacy!

[Denouement]

Beautifully painted and presented.   

Stuart.

[archiduque]

Fantastic unit!!

[philhendry]

Thanks lads!

I'm damned if I know how you get such good results from AP!! I tried it on some Perry British Nappy infantry once the results were so bad I gave up sharpish!

Ah, you're too good a painter to be able to 'get away with it'… You need to be a cheat and a charlatan like me for AP to 'work' - it doesn't like 'real painters'.

It also takes determination… Usually, right after I've 'splurged' the stuff on, I feel an almost overwhelming urge to launch the figures into the bin at Mach 2, because they do look truly awful. It's only once they're dry and they get a decent matt varnish on that they start to look fairly decent.

I'm at Claymore so should see you there if you're around?

Alas, I have a prior engagement. Much as I'd like to attend, I won't be able to. 

Cheers,
Phil

[philhendry]

I cannot help thinking back to enamel painted forces on green cloths with books for hills playing WRG and marvelling how far we have come in recent years.

Yes indeed. Truly this is a golden age, at least where wargaming is concerned. I still have some of my original, Humbrol-painted, Minifigs - kept, at least partly, to remind of how things have changed.

[Atheling]

Thanks lads!

Ah, you're too good a painter to be able to 'get away with it'… You need to be a cheat and a charlatan like me for AP to 'work' - it doesn't like 'real painters'.

 

It also takes determination… Usually, right after I've 'splurged' the stuff on, I feel an almost overwhelming urge to launch the figures into the bin at Mach 2, because they do look truly awful. It's only once they're dry and they get a decent matt varnish on that they start to look fairly decent.

Yeah, I remember David getting some really good results with it too. Mind, David seem to pick up painting methods in a matter of minutes..... it takes me some considerable time 

Alas, I have a prior engagement. Much as I'd like to attend, I won't be able to. 

Ah, never mind. i'm bound to bump into you at Partizan in Septemeber(?)

Cheers,
Darrell.

[philhendry]

Ah, never mind. i'm bound to bump into you at Partizan in Septemeber(?)

Alas, my arrangements are really messed up… I shall be in Scotland, dropping my lad off at St Andrews Uni, that weekend. So I'm going to miss the last Kelham Hall show. 

[Emperorbaz]

Good to see you painting again Dr Phil!

[OSHIROmodels]

Lovely stuff Phil, glad to see your mojo has returned in style 

cheers

James

[Axebreaker]

Excellent!

I cannot get results like yours with just a block paint and adding the dip, but I do get good results when I apply a highlight after the dip which I suppose turns it more into a wash method then strictly an army painter one.

Christopher

[philhendry]

One technique I use sometimes with the dip (especially on figures with pale clothing), which is worth bearing in mind... It's less laborious than adding a highlight...

As the dip begins to get 'tacky', try 'drybrushing' the figure with a brush dampened with white spirit - it 'lifts' the dip off the high points of the figure, restoring the original colour and effectively 'adding' a highlight.