The lead mountain
My attempt at painting and wargaming!
Friday 20 April 2018
Shiny website
One of the biggest hurdles for me was getting some web space together, everything so far has been on a shoestring! and having no capital to speak of a website was causing some consternation. But through some very knowledgeable contacts I found Wix!
So I present my website 😁
hardline miniatures
Still very much a work in progress that will expand over time I'm sure!
Go take a look, let me know any feedback, drop me some figures to paint!!
Friday 6 April 2018
A new journey begins
After much consideration I have decided to take the plunge and begin offering my services as a wargames miniatures painter. It's been quite a journey and a fair transition to get to here. I have retained the company name I set upon a few years back that of Hardline Miniatures, this was created after my love of 18th and 19th century warfare. The hard firing lines must have taken so much courage to stand and endure. I initially set about creating products in resin but due to poor health and a lack of workshop space I was unable to maintain this aspect....... at the moment! Going forward it is something I will pick back up as there are a lot of items I would like to produce.
https://www.facebook.com/HardlineMiniatures/
Like a phoenix rising Hardline Miniatures is now up and running and my books are open for work, so if you or anyone you know would like help working through that lead mountain feel free to drop me a line!
I am currently running off a Facebook page until I can secure some form of web presence.
Tuesday 3 April 2018
French Indian War
And to facilitate this Sharp Practice II! a fast fun set of rules that generate a hollywoodesq cinematic experience (oooo la de da) with a touch of the carry on films! In all seriousness they are fun, if you've not tried them, rectify that as soon as!
With that said I decided to take a short break from 6mm (the eyes need a rest sometimes) and stepped up to paint some FIW forces for SPII. I started with some English and opted for the 45th Foot, a nice contrast with red coat and the green facings. Altogether there are 3 groups of 8 and various officers, foot and mounted to discern the status level, I think levels 1 and 2 will be foot and 3+ will be mounted, also are a drummer and standard, with surveying officer for some support points.
My next batch was for some Provincial troops, these are painted to represent the Massachusetts Regt, quite well armed and supplied as provided for by the crown. Here we have 2 groups of 8 and various officers, these will all be lower level status to represent their level of professionalism. Again a drummer and standards for support. The various officers will be good for mixing in with various militia dependent on scenario.
Next on the bench some French line.
Sunday 18 March 2018
A splendid day!
Pleased with that result! Now I need to keep the momentum!
Momentum
So here are the finished articles.
Ross's Troop RHA
3 Caissons to litter the field or add supply scenarios
Thursday 15 March 2018
A direction.
The first of these short comings is to enthuse more about what interests me, and that is tabletop wargaming and scale modelling and hopefully this will inspire me to retain focus, learn more! and hopefully meet some like minded folk in the process. I must also (writing as things hit my mind) attempt to log some game reports, you dear reader will soon notice I lose lots!! frequently trying to assess my opponent and understand what they are like as gamers rather than moving bloody soldiers around! But what is it they say a winner rarely learns anything but a loser always takes a lesson??!!
So my painting table is currently under siege by a vast amount of British and allied 6mm troops for the Peninsula! All Adler miniatures.
I decided after much deliberation that the Peninsula campaign was one that interested me quite a lot, lots of interesting tactics and some quite varied troop types.Not to mention the acquisition of the series of books written by Sir Charles Oman, very detailed works, well worth seaking out. 1810 was the best starting point for me to begin assembling forces, for this I am using the OOB for Bussaco and from there I can add extra units as I fancy painting some up, eventually that will give a pretty damn fine collection!
GO BIG OR GO HOME! is the mantra!
Once this is satisfied I have a huge amount of Russians to crack into and 1812ish will get some attention.
I will cease rambling and leave you with a current WIP picture of;
Ross' Troop RHA
3 caissons
1st regt Portuguese artillery, comprising 2 batteries under Rozierres and Preto respectively.
An edit:
Looking over the last few years of sporadic updates I really have not stayed on point at all! See the blog is working, I feel the shame!
But in some meager way of resolving myself dear reader, I have produced a lot! but I really really need to stay focused on a project!
Thursday 3 March 2016
Wednesday 2 March 2016
And the wheels rumble
Still ironing out the creases, but we are getting there, demands on one person to start from the ground up are challenging to say the least!
At some point I hope to expand into other scales, lets see how demand takes.
Hardline-Miniatures
So come give me some love and share with friends
Monday 29 February 2016
A new venture. Hardline Miniatures
These are the first off, breastwork defences for 10/12mm scale miniatures, suitable for so many periods through history right upto WW2. There are 5 items in the range so far, two corners, one turning forwards and one back, then there is one plain straight infantry defence and two different artillery defences, one single cannon and the second can accommodate two artillery pieces.
Cast in high quality resin that captures a high level of detail.
I will get some pieces painted up at the earliest opportunity.
Currently looking at some form of website presence, so if anyone out there in blogger land has any suggestions, I'm open to ideas!
And if anyone is interested in buying some of these fine defence works please drop me a line,
UK based and happy to ship worldwide at buyers expense of course, all sales will be via Paypal.
The British are coming
And then I was persuaded to enter the Pendraken painting competition, so these are the two images I have submitted, today is the last day of entry, we wait and see now!
My first time entering anything like this, I don't expect to rank at all as the painting talent is high.
Sunday 21 February 2016
Its technical
So we have a Taliban technical, or if your from the north west of England it could be a 'scallyvan', either way its in need of a little 'T'cut treatment on the body work!
I laid down some of the AK interactive chipping solution, then airbrushed white, and quickly masked the bonnet and door and hit it with the respective colours, when this had dried sufficiently I went at it with a wet brush and worked it until the top coat lifted revealing the rusty shade of brown beneath. Details followed and then a wash of light rust, finished off with a light dusty wash to bed it all in!
Pleased with this!
Next......
Sunday 14 February 2016
Second post in one day!
But that little gripe aside they are beautiful miniatures,
The Humvees will require some extra detail to give a better impression of having the HaRD kit fitted as it looks a little weird with an O-GPK turret with a SAG shield on an unarmoured Humvee, but nothing a little plasticard wont solve.
Once assembled they were undercoated, settled on black, maybe should have gone with white in retrospect.
The terrible photo above shows my US marine/infantry platoon, there are a few extras like sniper and heavy weapons specialists so that I can change out mission/scenario specific.
And here is the first four figures with the basic colours and the ACU camo, commonly referred to as digital camo. I have researched this a bit this week and it appears to be universally unpopular due to its one camo fits all but is suitable for actually no environment ever!! It would appear the US military are coveting the British scheme, how the worm turns (the Brits loved the US ww2 uniform).
Once a wash has been applied it should tone down the greyness, and then I can complete the rest of the figures.
The Freedom fighters/ insurgents delete as appropriate! have some heavy weapons in the form of a ZU 23-2 (the ZU 23-4 being mounted on armour and formed the shilka, devastating weapon) one of which mountedThe models have been sprayed with a brown shade, now I am going to use some chipping solution and different colours for some panels on the pick up to simulate rust and replaced parts, should look the business when finished!
busy busy busy
Anyway here is where I'm at with the 15mm sci-fi. The NAC were basecoated with a brown, in this instance Vallejo English uniform!
And also hit the NSL with some undercoat, these are much bigger sculpts, and personally I prefer them.
Fired up the airbrush and hit the vehicles I will attach to the NAC, this is a colour from the Ammo range, British green 1944, should look good with a wash and weather to matte is down a little.
And here you can see the whole lot and some Napoleonics, did I say I was busy!!
And here are the first 4, 6 man squads, two blue squads, two yellow, the reason for this is easy ID on the tabletop, they will each be numbered, and I can mix and match the weapons systems for smaller games. And quite honestly with weapons systems becoming more advanced it is starting to negate camouflage even today. think blue force tracker etc.
That brings that up to date!
Wednesday 27 January 2016
Strong start
All GZG and NSL
I started the NAC about a year ago but the scheme didn't sit well and I lost motivation as I struggled to work out a colour palette, the hardest aspect with regards sci fi I find. With that in mind I looked at producing an earthy tone and went with British uniform brown, I will pick out the armour plates with a grey tone.
The NSL are primed and ready for the first coat, I think these will wear a blue grey tone.
And the vehicles for the NAC are underway, I sprayed these with my airbrush using some of the new paint from Ammo, designed and developed for scale models by Mig Jiminez, and very nice they are too, they have a satin sheen which will help with washes and weathering afterwards. (they look glossy due to the flash)
So that's a good start for now! faster done faster on the table and, having fun, causing arguments, causing frustrations, delete as appropriate :-)
2016 a fresh perspective.
I thought rather than just hit stuff randomly as I have been doing a plan needs to be drawn up. Last year saw me focus on my Napoleonics predominantly, SYW and WW2 interspersed with a lot of not doing very much. Its not all bad, I finished my US forces for Chain of Command, I may just add a few extra vehicles and specialists when I have tracked them down.
Well this year that needs to change, the mountain gets taller,
The plan, in no particular order.
Finish 10mm SYW
15mm Sci Fi
Continue 6mm Napoleonics
Flintloque
WW2 28mm German
New projects
These I have had a yearning to do for quite some time, AWI is in deep research as we speak.
Modern middle east
American war of Independance
so that should be enough for now, the Napoleonic's should take plenty of time on its own!
Thursday 31 December 2015
Shelf queen
Paint was Lifecolor, best stuff for authentic colours (well I think so) and weathered with AK Interactive weathering washes and effects, and Mig pigments.
Completede as a vehicle stationed somewhere near Aachen, Germany 1944.
Tuesday 15 December 2015
Musings..............
This is now the paradox, is it going to get seen and maybe get commented on....... now where's the laughing emoticon !!!!
With that said there are some excellent blogs that are very inspirational!
My library received a boost this week, four new books on the Napoleonics!
Monday 7 December 2015
No Money! No Swiss! more Napoleonics
So another infantry regiment, this time the 3rd Swiss, mercenaries the lot of em! They had the privilege of fighting both on the Peninsular and also into Russia, so this fits into my overall collection nicely as I'm hoping to cover Leipzig too. This should at this scale just require changing the elite companies due to the distinctive headgear amendments.
Sunday 6 December 2015
Painting rather than posting
That painting has predominantly been concerned with Napoleonics. Hammering through the Artillery, First full regiment completed and some caissons for good measure.
More to come........