Painting: My Brothers British infantry - "they don't like it up them!'

Since setting up this new blog there has been very little time for anything. Work has been exceedingly busy I have had little available time to put into 'hobbying'! However, it does give me an opportunity to  discuss a few other things our small family gaming group has undertaken, ideas we've had and showcase some of the miniatures from other armies. 

The British!

Anyone interested in my original Afrika Korps will know that the DAK's first major skirmish was a hold until relieved scenario based around a fictional engagement at Vimont, France, on 18 July 1944 as part of Operation Goodwood. This was a 750 point battle against my Brother's British forces. At that stage he had started to paint some of the force but has since completed a lot more. We have a Whatapp group that we update each other on our progress etc - as well as showing off what we've done and having a bit of 'banter' it is a good option to share ideas and encourage/gain inspiration. Seeing his progress I have wanted to get the paints and brushes out again!

Since our Warhammer days his painting has seriously developed - am I jealous - Yes as they are very good! Apart from having a virtually fully pained army he has also built a lot of scatter terrain - he gets a lot of ideas for that and painting vehicles off of YouTube - so if you're struggling with how to do something or there's a particular process/look you want to get then there is probably a tutorial on YouTube - and some of those processes you thought were too complicated i.e. weathering on vehicles are made simple and straightforward.

Pictures: elements of the British force painted - some finishing touches on the bases to come.

Bases

He went for an urban field to the bases - dry brushing the black undercoat with layers of grey/white to get the gravel affect. However, to add a bit of colour and finish off the models nicely he has added some static grass and also molded some bricks out of clay and painted them red. By doing this sparingly it keeps the urban theme, but just adds something to the model to make it a little bit special and stand out.

Pictures: Updated bases

Home Guard

One of the character elements of the British force is the home guard - who have been both fun to look at and also provided a nuisance on the battlefield (historical inaccuracies aside). Their most memorable contribution was during one of our practice games holding up the entire German left flank and destroying an entire Kradschutzen squad! (Don't underestimate inexperienced squads - they may get wiped out, but will likely disrupt your opponents battle plan and can sometimes produce surprising results - they can also flee in disgusts!)

Members of the home guard:

Pictures: Members of the home guard - elements like the scarf add a little bit of colour, which I think brings something different to the greens/browns and greys and makes them stand out.

Reconnaissance 

As we don't game much our Whatsapp group does keep us connected. While we have a general idea of what each other has (as we can't resist showing them), however, what is fun (and my brother has taken the lead on this) is incorporating new models in the background to photos of old models and seeing if anyone notices (and if we are vigilant we can prepare our armies accordingly!). As part of the scenarios we play we also like to add recon (true and false reports) to order documents to add a bit of character to the scenarios. A prime example was the photo of the update on his Dimiler armoured car:

Picture: Dimiler with the transfers applied.... but wait what's that in the back ground!....those don't look like any of his existing force!

Closer inspection revealed something with a heavier punch:

The most humorous occasion was I'd purchased a King Tiger in the black Friday sales and it took quite awhile before my Dad picked up on it in the photos - not what you'd call a small cat! Still its a bit of fun. 

Conclusion

Points noted:

- Use google/YouTube to for guides and painting tutorials

- A good base can really bring the look of your men to another level

- Characters and a little bit of colour make units stand out 

- Recon can add a bit of flavour/intrigue to games and groups