Thanx for the kind words Guys.
I'm coming down to the short strokes on these two... All that's left now are the two shields. I have to do some looking up on how the shields need to be handled. Both look to be covered in heavy cloth or hide over wood. I've read that the Romans covered their painted shields with leather when campaigning in Germany due to the bad conditions. I have to check if that leather was left a natural colour or where somehow painted.
As for the German's shield, I see it as covered with a rougher, tanned hide with some kind of personal device painted on it.

I don't see this one finished 100% by Tuesday but I think I will have the figures completed by then... maybe a bit of the groundwork but certainly not all. I just have too much to do before I go under the knife

For what it's worth, here's the chunk o'wood I've prepped for the base.

Cheers

Colin

Colin, looking pretty good mate!, an unusual subject for you, I am still waiting to see the Borodino
Question, is the black cat the paint guardian??

Yeah, I bought it on a whim at the shop a couple of years ago 'cause I liked the action of it. I started it and then drifted off until a couple of weeks ago when I found it while trying to make some sense of the workroom... I thought what the hell? Finish it!

Borodino is waiting patiently... I plan to go back at it in a couple of weeks. After my operation Tuesday, it'll be a couple off weeks before I can sit at the bench for any length of time. But then I'll be off work until the new year so I'll have more time then I'll know what to do with... Borodino is one of many projects I plan to see done in that time. I'll start posting again as soon as I get a little progress.

Shooter the Cat guards the bench and talks me through my work. SHHHH, don't tell anyone... He only talks to me

Colin

Cool man, wish you all the best in your procedure next week.
take care

All the best with the opp' Mate.
Cheers,

Keith

Thanx Guys

I notice you , for the most part, use whatever is available form nature for the bases, I like that and I am sure this will turn out to be a great display scene.
Cheers

You're right, most of my bases are scrounged as opposed to being store bought.
One of the carpenters at work keeps a box of scrape wood in the shop. He gave me a chunk of Red Oak about 4"x8"x36" with alot of checks and knots in it that he couldn't use for anything. I've already cut about a dozen bases and still have enough left for a couple of dozen more. With all the "imperfections" it makes some really interesting pieces.
I also scammed a piece of maple handrail, a piece of birch trunk and some sugar maple.

Lots of base material!!!

Colin

I think it is a great idea what you are doing, keep up with the great work my friend and wish you a fast recovery from your surgery.
Regards

Luck boy to have a mate that will give you such huge lump of Red Oak like that. Nice.
The best I have done is to rescue a 150 year old French Oak stair tread, 20" x 12" x 1.5", that a Mate had just ripped out of his house and was using it to fuel his wood burner!!!!!
Ironic that I am using it as a plinth for my Royal Fusilier Officer and Drummer Boy at the Battle of Albuera........on top of the French again
Cheers Colin,
Keith

Evolution of a small piece of woodland in Germania (very small)...
Seems I missed photographing the steps with the static grass and the snow but you get the idea.
Just have to finish the shields, dirty up the figs a bit and make a final decision on the whole blood thing.
Any notes or thoughts?

Cheers

Colin

Maybe you should have scrounged some residual blood for your knee op. Now that would have been realistic and you would not have needed to sign the piece...it would be DNA certfied. Love the tree and snow by the way Colin.

Colin

Groundwork and the display looks very, very good! What did you used for snow?
Cheers,
Zeno

Thanx Guys...
The tree came out of my ''twig box'', the small bushes are upturned grass roots and the snow is Citadel snow. It's kinda small so I paint the ground white under the areas where it's gonna be spread... Gives it some depth, the scatter just gives a texture to the surface.
I had the staples removed from my leg yesterday and there was some bleeding... shoulda kept some.

Thanx again Guys

Colin

Nice to see you getting back to grass roots

Colin

Ahhh... Ever so clever... You saucy little monkey Careful or I'll post some pics of my wound

CJ

Yay research for the bloodthirsty. I will give them a pity "like" if you do.

Colin

I just might... I think I may have dried up the pity well here

Great to see you back in action my friend, I am sure you will back to paint with a revenge!

Here ya go Colin... It loses some of the impact without the blood