Normandy Tetrarch -1/56 - Warlord Games

Tonight a welcome change from Dunkelgelb, British O.D in the guise of a Normandy Tetrarch.
Another popular kit from Warlord, and i'm sure i've painted more than actually saw any action. This one however, has the correct AoS marking (Its amazing what details reveal themselves once you've finished painting). Minor mods on this one, tarps and towing wire, and a commanders bren gun on the side of the turret. The track sections have been moulded in a way that facilitates removing the spaces between the road wheels, which is worthwhile doing. Maybe the next one i'll get to "open up".

Still have 28mm and 20mm stuff up on ebay, check out the link to the top right >>>>>>>

12 SS Panzer IV - 1/56th -

First pictures up out of a large split commission depicting AFVs of the 12SS, specifically for Normandy onwards. This is a JTFM Panzer IV, with a Warlord TC head and various stowage, stock and green stuff.

Panzer II Ausf. L "Luchs" - another cutie!

Another of my favs from JTFM. I have completed a couple of these to date, and i'm sure i'll do more.

It would seem the Aufklärungs guys get all the good looking toys, only thing is, I cant decide which I prefer this or the 8-RAD 234/1 or /2! but those pics are for later.

I have taken the weathering stages to the next step on these few commissions, not always apparent from the pictures but the recipients notice! I have slightly modified the basic kit with addition of Jerry can support brackets which are seen on a fair few of the examples. The TC is the Warlord "Herr Grabner" figure which suits the vehicle to a "T". And just for Jeff, the ubiquitous bucket/pail hanging off the rear (my all round favourite bit of stowage, until someone does a bicycle that is.....)

As always click on the pictures for full fat, I think you get a slideshow now with blogger, but if you click on the link in the bottom corner you get the original image. Alternatively, grab a coffee and go to my flickr gallery,  it most be the most comprehensive painbted AFV gallery on the web.

BTW some bits and bobs up on ebay, need some space and its about time I fed the kids.........

251 Platoon "in action"

Quite rare, these days, for me to show pictures of painted examples of my work actually on a gaming table! In the main, the last I see of them is when they are boxed up ready to ship off to the four corners. However, i'm pleased to announce that Neil Tew is busy managing a showcase standard demonstration game, incorporating my work on the AFVs, Toby at Artmaster studios on the figures and Dave at TM terrain, for not surprisingly the terrain! Whilst this is very much a WIP at the moment, Neil has sent me some quick shots of a game he had this weekend. Not the best quality pics (not my fault this time!), but enough to give a taster of things to come......

Pictures of the 251's can be seen in my flickr gallery, but will be the subject of a post in the near future.

Normandy Staghound - 1/56th- JTFM

JTFM Staghound, painted for Normandy. Lovely kit this one, two crew figures and additional stowage come with the kit. Note i have added additional stowage so not an exact representation. Decals form DOM's Decals IIRC.

Not quite got the hang of the new camera, so contrast is a bit iffy.

As always, click on the pictures for full fat, more pictures in my extensive Flickr gallery.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/troop-of-shewe/sets/

WIP Shot, not quite finished

Sdkfz 250/1 "Neu", Sdkfz 250/9 "Alte"

Two 20mm MMS Sdkfz 250's, therefore base kist are metal and nice and robust for the gaming table. These two are painted in a late war hard edge scheme, suitable for Normandy to the Rhine.

Kitchen Table Update #5: Sdkfz 251/22 (Pak40)

Been busy this weekend, instead of the painting shots here's some work I've done on converting a Warlord Sdkfz 251 into a 251/22 with Pak 40. This one has been sitting around for while, with out bits done here and there, however you would have thought this an easy conversion, it wasn't! The Warlord Pak40 itself has a horrible out of scale barrel and muzzle break, and the shield doesn't slip into the 251 body to well. I obtained a 1/48 75mm barrel and married it up with the "jobbed" pak40. The clearing the interior was also a pain as its a one piece cast. Also the thickness of the mudguards is significantly out of scale so these were also slimmed down.

The crew are chopped around Warlord Pak 40 crew, these have the separate head option which make up some nice figures in the end.

I intend to have this one modelled with foliage, so have added some field modified "chicken wire" support as so often seen in Normandy and onwards in responce to the allied air cover.

And finally, my kitchen sink! no prizes for guessing the contents! This is a mundane but vital part of the process, which i do after the initial clean up work. No magic ingredients, just washing up liquid and an old toothbrush.

Cold War T54's

No excuses, bit of a theme here, some more cold war soviets, and still more to come. This time 20mm kit T54's, iconic tank this one. Again the premise was Cold War, therefore weathering limited to mud and dust, no rust streaks and ostfront scratching to fall back on. I will admit the weathering on these took 3-4 months on and off, i just wasn't happy and kept revising techniques untill i was satisfied ( so please no how-tos on these ones!). I can be a PITA sometimes with my work, commission or otherwise and have been known to re-paint even at some late stages. If i'm not happy with it, it won't go out the door!

And just to prove i'm fallible, i have (since posting) found a slight mistake on these, which i'm sure will be pointed out in bold when i hawk these over the forums.

As always click on the pics for warts and all pics.

2nd Panzer Div, Ardennes (in 15mm)

Half of a commission here, bit of a mixture of manufacturers, Peter Pig ( Panthers),  8 Rads, Horches, Demags ( CD/Skytrex) and Kerr&King 251's with BF crews.

Warlord Bren Gun Carriers - without bases

Lovely remodelling job from Warlord, these really do look the part now, painted with MTP camo, Guards Armoured, Normandy. They come with moulded in driver torso, seperate heads and two bren's, one for the AA mount and one "up front".  All decals on these two are Dom's Decals, if you can make them out under the dust!

Warlord Churchill - Normandy Stalwart

I really like the Churchill visually, probably my favorite Allied vehicle. As a painting canvas the straight surfaces and lines are great to show a variation of tonal finishes. Anyway, you've had the WIP shots, now here's the finished article.  Painted as it comes, no mods (as per Warlord display criteria).  Nice solid kit with no fiddly bits, just the Mg's, barrel and TC hatches to add on. The pictures show two different lighting settings, am not convinced which is best.  I've spent some additional time distressing the paint finish, not the "en vogue" gamers huge over scale scratches (its depicted as Normandy, so not in theatre long enough for that Ostfront  vibe!) but rather tone changes and fading combined with dust. Most pictures and movie reels show a heavy layer of dust, i am working up to this as i feel its difficult to pull off convincingly in 1/56th without it looking like a newbies bad hair day with MIG pigments (which incidentally guys, aren't the panacea everyone thinks they are!).

The TC is a Warlord figure but is not included in the kit (one of my stock dummies). Hopefully we'll see a Crocodile soon as well.  I now have a raft of new Warlord Hun opposition awaiting a start date, so Normandy fans will be pleased over the next couple of months.

The techniques are subtle so warrant a full screen, please double click for "warts and all" or alternatively visit my flickr for maximum viewing pleasure.

ISU 152

Plastic kit, actually painted as Cold War, but no discernable difference. Sorry cant recall make, but lovely AB crewmen.

as always click on for full fat pictures

"why do i get the 12.7mm all the time!"