Andy's Modelmaking Misadventures

[Andy in Germany]

Life and work has kind of gone up a gear. This is a good thing for a lot of reasons; several opportunities are coming up, and I do enjoy my work.

On the other hand, it’s wearing me out a bit, and after a day of finding solutions to problems, I’m not always motivated to do the same in the evening, so this week I’ve been mostly painting model figures. The Zeppelin crew have been waiting their turn for some time now, and it doesn’t take much longer to paint several figures in the same uniform than it does to paint just one.

That said, it isn’t a quick process and I have a tendency to lose track of time, then suddenly realise it’s rather ridiculously late, and I have to go to work tomorrow…

 

[Punkawallah]

View attachment 760073

Life and work has kind of gone up a gear. This is a good thing for a lot of reasons; several opportunities are coming up, and I do enjoy my work.

On the other hand, it’s wearing me out a bit, and after a day of finding solutions to problems, I’m not always motivated to do the same in the evening, so this week I’ve been mostly painting model figures. The Zeppelin crew have been waiting their turn for some time now, and it doesn’t take much longer to paint several figures in the same uniform than it does to paint just one.

That said, it isn’t a quick process and I have a tendency to lose track of time, then suddenly realise it’s rather ridiculously late, and I have to go to work tomorrow…

Remember it’s a ‘hobby’, not a ‘vocation’ - you are doing this for entertainment.

 

[Marchrider]

View attachment 760073

Life and work has kind of gone up a gear. This is a good thing for a lot of reasons; several opportunities are coming up, and I do enjoy my work.

On the other hand, it’s wearing me out a bit, and after a day of finding solutions to problems, I’m not always motivated to do the same in the evening, so this week I’ve been mostly painting model figures. The Zeppelin crew have been waiting their turn for some time now, and it doesn’t take much longer to paint several figures in the same uniform than it does to paint just one.

That said, it isn’t a quick process and I have a tendency to lose track of time, then suddenly realise it’s rather ridiculously late, and I have to go to work tomorrow…

I know the feeling, well sort of, I'm retired but between the bike and the workshop I really struggle to fit it all in, just simply not enough hours in the day, I think I was less pressurised when I worked

 

[Andy in Germany]

Life is not getting any less busy and on top of the usual, Beautiful Daughter had her annual dance concert last weekend, which for obvious reasons takes precedent over making models. However, I did finally manage to paint the driving trailer unit that I’ve been neglecting for over a year and one house move.

It's not much, but at least it's a start...

 

[Andy in Germany]

I’ve been painting figures again. Meet the Limpton Sisters: Petunia and Aubergine, heirs to the great Limpton Cocoa empire. They are described by the fashion magazines as “society beauties” which is a euphemism.

Less official sources describe the sisters as “Mildly Psychotic”, but as they are keen to explain, they only shoot people who really deserve it, and never in the house: after all, that would leave a mess for the servants to clean up.

Strangely, very few companies cater for those of us making slightly steampunk alternative 1930’s historical tabletop games, so these figures come from a small company based in the UK. I tried a new method of painting as described by someone on a tabletop game forum; instead of dry brushing highlights, I only used washes of lighter and darker colour. For some reason, it didn’t seem to work for me, so I’ll go back to the old methods in future. Fortunately, from normal distances they look fine.

I’ve noticed this happens a lot when making things by hand: a method that works for one person could be a complete disaster for the next. This seems to be the case regardless of skill level or experience, so II’ve learned to find what works for me, rather than what is the ‘correct’ method.

So there: a lesson for life, learned from model making.

 

[Punkawallah]

Looks very ‘British Racing Green’ to me!
‘If it’s stupid, and it works, it’s not stupid’.

 

[Reynard]

View attachment 762650

I’ve been painting figures again. Meet the Limpton Sisters: Petunia and Aubergine, heirs to the great Limpton Cocoa empire. They are described by the fashion magazines as “society beauties” which is a euphemism.

Less official sources describe the sisters as “Mildly Psychotic”, but as they are keen to explain, they only shoot people who really deserve it, and never in the house: after all, that would leave a mess for the servants to clean up.

View attachment 762651

Strangely, very few companies cater for those of us making slightly steampunk alternative 1930’s historical tabletop games, so these figures come from a small company based in the UK. I tried a new method of painting as described by someone on a tabletop game forum; instead of dry brushing highlights, I only used washes of lighter and darker colour. For some reason, it didn’t seem to work for me, so I’ll go back to the old methods in future. Fortunately, from normal distances they look fine.

View attachment 762652

I’ve noticed this happens a lot when making things by hand: a method that works for one person could be a complete disaster for the next. This seems to be the case regardless of skill level or experience, so II’ve learned to find what works for me, rather than what is the ‘correct’ method.

So there: a lesson for life, learned from model making.

I reckon you should read "The Queen of Whale Cay" if you can get hold of it. Might chuck up some interesting ideas for your characters, as Miss Betty Carstairs was incredibly eccentric.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I reckon you should read "The Queen of Whale Cay" if you can get hold of it. Might chuck up some interesting ideas for your characters, as Miss Betty Carstairs was incredibly eccentric.

I am such a nerd that most of the Pulp characters have the names of historical people: Betsy Miller, for example, was a real, highly respected and successful Scottish merchant captain, although she lived about 100 years before the "Pulp" era and certainly wasn't a pirate.
All the policemen in the Royal Navy Air Service Police were policemen in the Metropolitan Police Force, generally decorated for incredible bravery, including some escapades after a Zeppelin raid in WWI-
The 40 Elephants gang really existed and were led by Alice Diamond, and "Col. Lawrence" was a government agent who used some very underhand tactics against the Luddites, while the other members were British fans of the Charlie Chaplin tribute act in Germany during the 1930's so it's not much of a stretch to suggest that in a different world they may have been in such an Auxiliary Police Force.
However, the racers names are generally made up on the spot, and I found Petunia and Aubergine mildly amusing for some reason...

 

[Reynard]

I am such a nerd that most of the Pulp characters have the names of historical people: Betsy Miller, for example, was a real, highly respected and successful Scottish merchant captain, although she lived about 100 years before the "Pulp" era and certainly wasn't a pirate.
All the policemen in the Royal Navy Air Service Police were policemen in the Metropolitan Police Force, generally decorated for incredible bravery, including some escapades after a Zeppelin raid in WWI-
The 40 Elephants gang really existed and were led by Alice Diamond, and "Col. Lawrence" was a government agent who used some very underhand tactics against the Luddites, while the other members were British fans of the Charlie Chaplin tribute act in Germany during the 1930's so it's not much of a stretch to suggest that in a different world they may have been in such an Auxiliary Police Force.
However, the racers names are generally made up on the spot, and I found Petunia and Aubergine mildly amusing for some reason...

I ran across Betty Carstairs when I was cataloguing those engineering drawings from the old Thompson & Taylor office at Brooklands just over a year or so ago. She owned the two Napier Lion engines that she gave to John Cobb for his Railton Special land speed record car. She also financed Malcom Campbell, allowing him to buy the Rolls Royce R7 engine used in Bluebird (the car) and then in the two boats (K3 & K4).

She used to race speedboats herself too, having fairly deep pockets as a result of a large inheritance.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Looks very ‘British Racing Green’ to me!
‘If it’s stupid, and it works, it’s not stupid’.

Could it be any other colour?

 

[Reynard]

If it's any help, the national racing colours are as follows:

Britain - racing green
France - light ultramarine
Belgium - yellow
Italy - red
Germany - silver
Argentina - sky blue
USA - royal blue & white
Japan - white with red trim

That should cover all the bases, I think...

 

[Andy in Germany]

If it's any help, the national racing colours are as follows:

Britain - racing green
France - light ultramarine
Belgium - yellow
Italy - red
Germany - silver
Argentina - sky blue
USA - royal blue & white
Japan - white with red trim

That should cover all the bases, I think...

Are you expecting a national car for all the nations?

Of course in my version of history, Germany is back to being a loose federation so what colour those cars would have is anybodies guess.

I like the idea of an Argentinian racing hero.

Argentina has a weekly airship service to Ascension; they make sure that the airship is generally the "Ilas Malvinas", because of course they do.

 

[Reynard]

Are you expecting a national car for all the nations?

Of course in my version of history, Germany is back to being a loose federation so what colour those cars would have is anybodies guess.

I like the idea of an Argentinian racing hero.

Argentina has a weekly airship service to Ascension; they make sure that the airship is generally the "Ilas Malvinas", because of course they do.

No, but I thought the information might be useful

IIRC, Prussia tended to call the shots, even before Germany was unified. So basically, whatever the Prussians did...

 

[Andy in Germany]

No, but I thought the information might be useful

IIRC, Prussia tended to call the shots, even before Germany was unified. So basically, whatever the Prussians did...

In this region it was largely Austria, with Baden and Württemberg being big enough to assert a little more independence, and then there's Hohenzollern, the tiny sneeze of a state spread across the hills to the south which wasn't just influenced by Prussia, it was part of Prussia, to the annoyance of mapmakers who had to fit it on maps with miles of other territory between it and Prussia in the North.

And as for Esslingen am Neckar, and Rottweil's political leanings...

 

[Reynard]

In this region it was largely Austria, with Baden and Württemberg being big enough to assert a little more independence, and then there's Hohenzollern, the tiny sneeze of a state spread across the hills to the south which wasn't just influenced by Prussia, it was part of Prussia, to the annoyance of mapmakers who had to fit it on maps with miles of other territory between it and Prussia in the North.

And as for Esslingen am Neckar and Rottweil's political leanings...

Oh heck, why did you have to make it more complicated?