BROADSWORDS AND BEASTS: EYW

Showing posts with label EYW. Show all posts

Thursday, 31 July 2025

Flocking Bases

I'm in the midst of flocking all the 17c figures and terrain I've done over the past 18 months ( and failed to catalogue for this blog). It really is a bit of a slog, but I'm just glad I finally decided on how to base them.

A coating of Vallejo Brown Mud texture dry brushed with Vallejo Saddle Brown. Originally I chose this to represent the distinctive Mendip soil for my Robin of Sherwood figures ( ROS was filmed mainly in North Somerset), but I like the contrast with the green foliage it gives so decided to use it for my 17c projects.

( This Essex figure looks like my brother).

Once dry, I apply patches of PVA and then add the odd tuft from my tuft library, and a clump here and there.

I try to stick to shades if green and brown, natural colours rather than the neon flowerbeds some figures are forced to inhabit. After the tufts are pressed in , I dip in a tub of mixed fine foam from The Model Tree Shop.

I blended 3 colours and happily they came out exactly as I hoped.

The infantry are based on pennies, but I can get more creative with the cavalry bases.

and here are some finished infantry.

The project is coming together and I just placed a second order with TAG for more musketeers.

Once dry, I apply patches of PVA, and then press the odd tuft in here and there.

Thursday, 24 July 2025

Roadside Shrine

I picked this little shrine up from Bicorne Miniatures on Saturday and got it painted yesterday. A nice piece of scatter for 17c European tables.

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

Another Batch Finished ( almost)

I've just added the Vallejo mud to the bases of another mixed batch of 17c infantry, so once that's dry I can start flocking the entire army.

A mix of Redoubt, TAG, Warlord, Captain General, Old Glory and Foundry.

Friday, 18 July 2025

Shading

I've been continuing painting 17c figures, primarily because they are easy and I don't have to think too hard .

I prime them black ( by hand) and then block in all the colours except metallics, then I dry brush with Ushabti bone, add the metal colours and then wash the whole figure.

Up until now I've been washing the figure with GW Agrax Earthshade, which is a very useful product for grubbying things up, before then highlighting selected parts of the figure. Quite often I won't highlight items of clothing, letting the wash over the bone dry brushing suffice. This creates quite a dark contrast, particularly on light colours which is ok but not always ideal.

I've now discovered Army Painter Soft tone, which is creates a much softer ( surprisingly) contrast which I prefer. It's cheaper too so I'll be using that from now on , occasionally dipping into the Earth shade to use up my reserve.

The last 4 washed with Agrax.

The first 4 washed with Army Painter Soft Tone .

I'm not sure if there's any noticeable difference in these pictures but the

yellow in particular looks a lot better using the new method.

I need to start painting some up in Dutch colours as I've decided to theme my planned Mansfeld's Army on the battle of Fleurus, and it contained quite a number of Dutch infantry.

Monday, 30 June 2025

Raising your hat

I recently made the mistake of buying some Warlord musketeers on eBay, and I have to say I didn't think much of them when they arrived. I can't really place my finger on why I dislike them, but they just don't have the right 17c 'feel' that Redoubt or even the venerable Foundry range do.

The hats come separately, which doesn't make for a very realistic fit on the little bald heads the figures have, but my main beef is that all the hat crowns are far too shallow (imo) for the early 17c . I cracked open the milliput to rectify this

The new recruits with their extended hat crowns. I'll skim over the top with liquid green stuff .

This guy has a sort of shoulder cloak on. The end of his musket is flared like a blunderbuss...meh.

Presumably an ensign. The coat and hose are about 40 years apart and he has a little purse on a string over his shoulder. Not very gentlemanly for the 17c.

I'm not sure about this fellow. Fine detail but just something that doesn't ring true.

Better clothing, and nice to see someone actually loading their musket, but really... resting the butt on the ground when moving with a unit?

Better...I quite like the early feel of this one, definitely been on campaign and again, nice to see a musketeer priming his pan .

That's more like it. Lose the full beard though..

Another moan is all the hats have feathers stuck in them. Not ostrich plumes which were readily available and cheap, but presumably pheasant feathers.

Good pose. Leaning into the musket.

So a mixed bag. I don't think they sculptor really understands 17c clothing and drill like Brian Rigelsford of Redoubt, Steve Jones of Captain General or the Perrys. But fine detail and crisp castings.

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Conflicting Intelligence

I've had the mounted figures of this command base finished for a while, but have just completed the standing chap.

I wanted another command base to represent a non specific leader, and possibly a bit of a bungler.

Lost in the Mist.

The chap on foot I picked up from a rummage bin at Overlord earlier this year. The other two I bought new, but all are Redoubt figures. Foot man I imagine to be a gentleman volunteer fighting with a partizan....

The base can be used for 1600 up to 1642 so fairly flexible. I'll flock it once I've decided what mixture to use.

Blow Wind Blow Part3

I've finished the windmill ( apart from applying flock to the base).

Overall I'm quite happy with it. The sails are a bit on the small side, but any longer and I think they would have been a hindrance to transport and storage.

I'll set some pictures up on a proper tabletop one day, but here it is on the unholy mess of my workbench.

A Bavarian pikeman lays claim to the mill on behalf of the Emperor.

I added a worn millstone from Debris of War .

The ladder and tiller came out fairly well.

I was pleased with the brickwork, painting a light colour to represent the mortar and then dry brushing brick red

I've just watched a very good video on

YouTube about the siege of Leiden in 1573. The defenders moved windmills

from outside the walls and reassembled

them within to provide flour.

I'm just chopping up some coffee stirrers to make some artillery bases , so hopefully I'll be posting those soon.

Sunday, 15 June 2025

The Gallows Tree

While I was in the terrain making mood, and the primer on the windmill was drying, I knocked up a couple of pieces that would have been seen all over Europe in the 17c.

Here are a couple of examples of paintings with gallows evident, and if course there's the well known Magpie on the gallows by Breughel.

Here's my version so far.

There is a bit more of a twist on them than is visible in this picture, just to show the warped wood as in the last painting above.

Also a leaning crucifix.

Hopefully these will add some flavour to the 17c tabletop.

Friday, 13 June 2025

Blow Wind Blow Part2

I've finished all the modifications to the windmill kit, so it's ready for priming.

I added more bits of balsa to the sails as I thought they still didn't look organic enough.

Front and rear

and the 'axle' end was made from the end of an old paintbrush.

The ladder, tiller and tilting mechanism are completed.

I then coated all the additions with Modpodge for extra strength and to hopefully disguise any visible printing ridges.

I was pleased to discover this was a common design in England as well as Northern Europe, so it will be usable in ECW games too. Ready to undercoat now. I'll attach the sails after painting, and add a few extra details.

Finally Sunrise from the Growlery (my mancave ) window this morning.

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Blow Wind Blow Part 1

Having painted loads of TYW figures ( which I will get around to showing you), I have begun to think I need some bespoke terrain. Something like this windmill for instance, painted by Sebastian Vrancx in the early 17c.

I had already purchased a secondhand windmill at Lincombe Barn Tabletop sale a few years ago, but while the top part was ideal, the base wasn't.

I think this model was from the old Ian Weekly range, cast in a kind of hard

foam. I originally bought it for goblins to live in, but that project will have to wait.

I suppose I could have made the lower part and ladder I needed, but I found a 3d printed windmill kit on eBay which would work perfectly.

So here we are so far

Windy helps with the repairs adding an extra step.

The lower half with some alterations to make it more like the Vrancx painting above, such as adding risers on top of the brick foundations, and extending the central post.

I added some spars to the sails to make it a look a bit more ramshackle. The original print was very neat and tidy, and looking at other paintings of windmills or the time the sails often look warped and rotten.

(Note the bright colourful clothing of the rustics. Not everything was black and covered in crap as modern Hollywood would have us believe).

After the glue on the spars had dried I added some furled sails made from some linen tied with thread. I'm not a windmill expert, but I think the sails are rolled aside when the mill isn't in use, during storms or times of battle.

The next detail was the 'tiller' ( I must get a book on the proper terminology, but this seems the right word), with which the miller turns the mill to face the wind. The 3d one that came with the kit was straight, but in all the paintings I found, it's curved through the ladder . Happily the resin the kit was made from bends easily when held in hot water.

Now I've got the headache of fitting it through the steps....

To be continued....

Sunday, 8 June 2025

A few 17c Types

I've painted hundreds of 17c figures over the last couple of years for my TYW armies, but of course haven't catalogued the progress . That changes now, so here are a few I knocked out this week.

A couple of Essex figures with a Minifigs shot barrow.

Redoubt this time. Lovely figures, but the moulds must be in a shocking state. The flash on them was terrible.

2 Redoubt ladies are escorted by a Bicorne dismounted Harquebusier. More complaining in that the Bicorne figure was sadly lacking in detail definition, and cast in a dreadful tinny metal. He painted up ok, but Bicorne charge a premium price for their figures and ought to do better.

Strange to say there seems to be a dearth of 17c manufacturers, or at least new ranges. With semi retirement in view and a strong desire to earn some bread and cheese away from gardening, I'm sorely tempted to do something to rectify this and maybe commission a new range.

BROADSWORD MINIATURES