Saturday, November 25, 2023

Valkyries and Football-Sexy Football At Its Best

                                      

Valkyrie sisters, Sigrdrifa and Hildr, are known to strike hard and fast when they play Blood Bowl.

Sexy and violent (what fan could ask for more), the two hold the record for the most points scored by their Nordic Warriors Blood bowl team.
Unlike their hard drinking teammates, the sisters prefer to drink from the helmets of their defeated opponents after the game. They even, usual, remove any bits of their enemies from the helmets before they fill them with Beer/Ale or harder drink.

Sigrdrifa, Hildr and their blood stained "Warhammer-Ball" are plastic pieces I painted last October for Richard's next Blood Bowl team.

Friday, November 24, 2023

By the Early Light of Dawn

 

While it's not a miniature, I did just finish the acrylic light house 60.9cm x 45.7cm (24in x 18 in) canvas on Wednesday.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Even Unicorns Love Thanksgiving

                 Stareye and Scarycrow wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Music to Kill the Savage Beast or Man

 

After the untimely death of her abusive husband Winslow, the Widow Wisty Widshipp has spent her time removing monsters from Empress Victoria's capital city with her "Victrola of Soul Rendering" (V.S.R.patent pending). Many threatened or abused women and children owe their very lives to Widow Widshipp's deadly V.S.R. Those of pure heart and soul need not fear for the V.S.R. has no effect on men who are not beasts.

Widow Widshipp is a plastic piece I painted back in June of 2018 for our Rise of Mologh Game.

Monday, November 20, 2023

F4F Wildcat-USN's Early War Fighter

Flights of F4F Wildcats were all the USN/USMC had to hold off the excellent Japanese Zero in the early years of the War in the Pacific.
While the agile Zero was by far the more maneuverable of the two fighters, the solidly built, well armored Wildcat with self-sealing fuel tanks was able to take far more damage.
As the war progressed and the American pilots became more experienced at taking advantage of the Wildcats strengths vs the Zeros weaknesses slowly changed the battle for control of the air.
By the end of the war Allied Wildcats (it was used by the British and Canadian Naval Air forces as well) had earn a 7 to 1 kill ration vs the Japanese.

These are small (the base is only 20mm wide) plastic pieces from a long lost (50 years at least) plastic USN Essex Aircraft Carrier model kit. I just found them this week in an old box and repurposed them for "Victory at Sea" Naval Rules. I made sea bases, used push pin as stands and pained in a beat up three tone paint scheme, dark blue top, blue gray sides and gray bottom.

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Call Me Odysseus or Ulysses, it Matters Not Now You DIE!

 

Never known for a calm deminer, Odysseus takes aim on those who have wrong him, his wife and family. Known for his actions in the Trojan War, his Odessey returning to his kingdom of Ithica and his brutal slaying of his wife's tormentor's, Odysseus (Ulysses to the Romans) is one of the most famous of the King heroes of Ancient Greek Myths.
                                    Odysseus is a plastic piece I painted in July 2018.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Military Uniforms and Weapons Reference Works by Time Period

 This is a list of my favorite/most useful reference works for historical miniature painting.

My first uniform reference book was "Knowledge Through Color Military Uniforms 1686-1918," that I purchased in 1971. 

Ancient -Medieval-Renaissance-17th Century (in historical order by earliest listed uniform/equipment):

Saxtorph, Niels. Warriors and Weapons of Early Times in Color, Macmillan Co. 1972.

Connolly, Peter. The Greek Armies, Macdonald Educational Ltd. 1977.

Wise, Terence. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 69The Greek and Parsian Wars 500-323 B.C.Osprey Pub. 1980.

Cassin-Scott, Jack. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 121, Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265-146Osprey Pub. 1982.

Connolly, Peter. The Roman  Army, Macdonald Educational Ltd. 1977.

Newark, Tim. Celtic Warriors, 400BC- AD 1600," Blandford Press. 1992.

Rothero, Christopher. Blandford Colour Series Medieval Military Dress,1066-1500, Blandford Press.

 1983.

 Fearn, Jacqueline. Discovering Heraldry, Shire Pub. 1980.

Wise, Terence. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 50Medieval European Armies.Osprey Pub. 1983.

Wise, Terence. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe ConquistadoresOsprey Pub. 1980.

Winter, Janet & Savoy, Carolyn. Elizabethan Costuming for the Years 1550-1580, Other Times Pub. 1987.

Bryant, Anthony.  Osprey WarriorSamurai 1550-1600, Osprey Pub. 1994.

Turnbull, S.R. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 86Samurai Armies 1550-1615, Osprey Pub. 1979.

Turnbull, Stephen. Samurai Warriors, Blandford Press. 1994.

Potter R. & Embleton, G.A. The English Civil War 1642-1651, Almark Pub. Co. Ltd. 1973.

Franklin, John. Navy Board Ship Model's 1650-1750, Naval Institute Press. 1998.

Young, Peter. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe English Civil War Armies, Osprey Pub. 1973.

18th-19th Centuries (in historical order by earliest listed uniform/equipment)

Grant, Charles. Osprey Men-At Arms Series, The Black WatchOsprey Pub. 1973.

Mollo, John & McGregor, Malcolm. Hippocrene Color Guides, Uniforms of the Seven Years War 1756-63, Hippocrene Books Inc. 1977.

Braithwaite, J. Uniforms of the Seven Years War, Prussia, Uniforms Reference Serie No. 1, Greenwood & Ball ltd. 1974.

Mollo, John & McGregor, Malcolm. Macmillan Color Series, Uniforms of the American Revolution, Blandford Press. 1975.

Napoleonic Era-

.

Cassin-Scott, John. Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars in Colour 1796-1814, Brandford Press. 1973.

Griffith, Patrick. French Artillery, Nations in Arms 1800-1815, Almark Pub. Co.1976.

Lee, Nigel de.  French Lancers, Nations in Arms 1800-1815, Almark Pub. Co.1976.

Bukhari, Emir. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 68Napoleon's Line ChasseursOsprey Pub. 1980.

Haythornthwaite, Philip. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 141Napoleon's Line InfantryOsprey Pub. 1983.

Haythornthwaite, Philip. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 141Napoleon's Light InfantryOsprey Pub. 1984.

Pimlott, John. Nations in Arms 1800-1815, British Light Cavalry, Almark Pub. Co.1977.

Fabb, John & Cassin-Scott, John. Uniforms of Trafalgar, Hippocrene Books Inc. 1977.

Grant, Charles. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesFoot Grenadiers of the Imperial GuardOsprey Pub. 1973.

Bukhari, Emir. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesNapoleon's Guard CavalryOsprey Pub. 1978.

Pawly, Ronald. Osprey EliteNapoleon's Imperial Headquarters (1) Organization & PersonnelOsprey Pub. 2004.

Bukhari, Emir. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesNapoleon's MarshalsOsprey Pub. 1979.

Povka, Otto von. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Portuguese Army of the Napoleonic WarsOsprey Pub. 1977.

Chappell, Michael. Hippocrene Color Guides, Uniforms of the Retreat from Moscow, Hippocrene Books Inc. 1976. 

Pickles, Tim. Campaign Series 28, New Orleans 1815, Andrew Jackson Crushes the British, Osprey Pub. 1998.

Fosten, Bryan. Soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars, French Imperial Guard Infantry, June 1815 (5) Paris and Waterloo, Almark Pub. 1977.

Pericoli, Ugo. 1815 The Armies at Waterloo, Sphere Books ltd. 1973.

Post Napoleonic Era-

Haythornthwaite, Philip & Chappel, Michael. Hippocrene Color Guides, Uniforms and Battles 1815-1850, Hippocrene Books Inc. 1976.

Wilkinson-Latham, Christopher. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Indian Mutiny, Osprey Pub. 1977.

Wilkinson-Latham. Uniforms & Weapons of the Crimean War, Hippocrene Books Inc. 1977.

Featherstone, Donald. Victoria's Enemies, an A-Z of British Colonial Warfare, Blandford Press.1989.

Haythornthwaite, Philip. Macmillan Color Series, Uniforms of the Civil War 1861-65, Blandford Press. 1975. 

Shaw, Antony ed. The Civil War Catalog, Courage Books.2003.

Katcher, Philip R.N. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesAmerica Civil War Armies (2): Union artillery, Cavalry and Infantry, Osprey Pub. 1986.

Katcher, Philip R.N. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesArmy of the Potomac, Osprey Pub. 1975.

Katcher, Philip. Osprey Men-At-Arms Series, The U.S. Army 1890-1920, Osprey Pub. 1990.

Windrow, Martin, Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesFrench Foreign Legion, Hippocrene. 1971.

Windrow, Martin. Uniforms of the French Foreign Legion, Blandford Press. 1981.

McBride, Angus, Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Zulu War, Osprey Pub. 1976.

Barthorp, Michael. The Zulu War, a Pictorial History, Blandford Press. 1981.

Seaton, Albert. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesArmies of the German Empire 1870-1888, Osprey Pub. 1973.

Esposito, Gabriele. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesArmies of the First Sino-Japanese War 1894-95, Osprey Pub. 2022.

Bodin, Lynn (signed). Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Boxer Rebellion, Osprey Pub. 1979. (And yes 1900 was the last year of the 19th century.)

World Wars One & Two (in historical order by earliest listed uniform/equipment):

Neiberg, Michel S. World War I Illustrated Atlas, Campaigns and Battles from 1914 to 1918, Amber Books. 2021.

Fosten, D.S.V. & Marrion R.J. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 80The German Army 1914-1918, Osprey Pub. 1978.

Funcken, Liliane et Fred. L'Uniforme et les Armies des Soldats de la Guerre 1914-1918, 2 Cavalerie-Artillerie-Gene-Marine, Casterman. 1971.

Mollo, Andrew & Turner, Pierre. Blandford Colour Series Army Uniform of World War I, Blandford Press. 1986.

Jukes, Geoffrey. Essential Histories, The First World War, the Eastern Front 1914-1918, Osprey Pub. 2002.

Bull, Stephen. World War I Trench Warfare (2) 1916-18, Osprey Pub. 2003.

Hogg, Ian V, & Weeks, John. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles, the Vehicles of the Armed Forces in the 20th Century, Wheeled and Tracked, Prentice Hall Inc. 1980.

Lenton, H.T. Navies of the Second World War-American Battleships, Carriers, and Cruisers, Doubleday & Company Inc. 1968.

Robertshaw, Andrew, Campaign Series, Somme 1 July 1916 Tragedy and Triumph, Osprey Pub. 2006.

Bruce J.M. Arco-Aircam Aviation Series- No 9 Spad Scouts SVII-SXII, Arco Pub. Co. 1969.

Bull, Stephen. Military Illustrated Stormtrooper, Elite German Assault Soldiers, Publishing News Ltd. 1999.

Jowett, Philip. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Red Army 1921-1941 From Civil War to Barbarossa, Osprey Pub. 2022.

Lenton, H.T. American Battleships, Carriers & Cruisers. Doubleday & Co. Inc.1968.

Mollo, Andrew & McGregor, Malcolm. Blandford Colour Series Army Uniform of World War 2, Blandford Press. 1977.

Grove, Eric et. al. The Military Hardware of World War II. The Military Press 1982.

Green, Michael et al. German Tanks of World War II in Color, MBI Pub. Co. 2000.

Jowett, Philip. Osprey Men-At Arms Series 532Japan's Asian Allies 1941-45, Osprey Pub. 2020.

Mizahi, J.V. ed. North American B-25 the Full Story of World War II's Classic Medium 

Laughlin, Cameron & Langellier, John. Uniforms Illustrated No 14, US Army Uniforms Europe 1944-1945, Arms and Armour Press. 1986.

Munson, Kenneth. American Aircraft of World War 2, Blandford Press. 1982.

Taylor, John C. German Warships of World War I, Doubleday & Company. 1970.

Post World War Two Conflicts (in historical order by earliest listed uniform/equipment):



Lohnstein, Marc. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Dutch-Indonesian War 1945-49, Osprey Pub. 2023.

Laffin, John. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesArab Armies of the Middle East Wars 1948-73, Osprey Pub. 1987.

Smith, Digby & Chappell, Michael. Blandford Colour Series Army Uniforms Since 1945, Blandford Press. 1980.

Thomas, Nigel & Abbott, Peter. Osprey Men-At Arms Series, The Korean War 1950-53, Osprey Pub. 1986.

Thompson, Leroy & Chappell, Michael. Blandford Colour Series Uniforms of the Elite Forces, Blandford Press. 1983.

Multiple Military Eras (in historical order by earliest listed uniform/equipment):



Risley, Clyde A, & Imrie, William F. The Model Soldier Guide, a Handbook for the Collecting, Painting and Displaying Military Miniatures * Plus a Survey of Military Uniforms, Their Origin and Influence. Imrie/Risley Miniatures. 1965. 

N/A. Catalogue of Military Goods-1927, DIB Books Inc. 1980. 

Funcken, Liliane and Fred. Arms and Uniforms-Ancient Egypt to the 18th Century, Ward Lock Ltd. London. 1977.

Peers, C.J. Soldier of the Dragon, Chinese Armies 1500 BC - AD 1840, Osprey Pub. 2006. 

Bull, Stephen. Encyclopedia of Military Technology and Innovention, Greenwood Press.2004.

Lawford, James. The Cavalry, Bobbs-Merril Co. 1976.

Wise, Terence. Arco Color Series, Military Flags of the World 1618-1900, Arco Pub. Co. Inc. 1977.

Barthorp, Michael. British Infantry Uniforms Since 1660, New Orchard Press. 1982. 

Wilkinson-Latham, Robert. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesThe Royal Navy 1790-1970Osprey Pub. 1977.

Cassin-Scott, Jack & Fabb, John. Ceremonial Uniforms of the World, Arco Pub. Co. 1977.

Inglefield, Eric. Flags, Prentice Hall Press. 1979.

Fitzsimons, Bernard ed. Heraldry & Regalia of War, Beekman House. 1973.

Kannik, Preben. Military Uniforms of the World in Color, Macmillan Co. 1974.

North, Rene. Knowledge Through ColorMilitary Uniforms 1686-1918, Bantam Books. 1971.

Knotel, Richard. Knotel, Herbert & Sieg, Herbert. Uniforms of the World, Army Navy & Airforce Uniforms 1700-1937, Exeter Books.1980.

Gould, Lewis L.& Greffe, Richard. Photojournalist, the Career of Jimmy Hare, University of Texas Press. 1977. (Spanish-American War, Russo-Japanese War-WWI photos.)

Thompson, Leroy & Chappell, Michael. Blandford Colour Series Uniforms of the Soldiers of Fortune, Blandford Press.1983.

Wilkinson-Latham, Robert & Christopher. Infantry Uniforms Including Artillery and Other Supporting Corps of Britian and the Commonwealth 1742-1855, Macmillian Co. 1969.

Wilkinson-Latham, Robert & Christopher. Infantry Uniforms Book Two 1855-1939, Including Artillery and Other Supporting Corps of Britian and the Commonwealth MacMillan Co. 1969.

Wilkinson-Latham, Robert & Christopher. Cavalry Uniforms of Britian and the Commonwealth including Other Mounted Troops, Macmillan Co. 1969.

Windrow, Martin. Uniforms of the French Foreign Legion, Blandford Press. 1981.

Windrow, Martin. Uniforms of the French Foreign Legion 1831-1981, Blandford Press. 1986.

Preston, Anthony & Batchelor, John. Battleships 1856-1919, Phoebus Pub. Co. 1977.

U.S. Military

Bowers, Michael ed. North American Fighting Uniforms, Blandford Press. 1984.

Cureton, Charles H. G.I the Illustrated History of the American Soldier, His Uniform and Equipment-The U.S. Marine Corps, Chelsea House Pub. 1997.

Selby, John. Osprey Men-At Arms Series, United States Marine Corps, Osprey Pub. 1972.

Katcher, Philip R.N. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesAmerica Civil War Armies (2): Union artillery, Cavalry and Infantry, Osprey Pub. 1986.

Katcher, Philip R.N. Osprey Men-At Arms SeriesArmy of the Potomac, Osprey Pub. 1975.

Katcher, Philip. Osprey Men-At-Arms Series, The U.S. Army 1890-1920, Osprey Pub. 1990.

Lenton, H.T. American Battleships, Carriers & Cruisers. Doubleday & Co. Inc.1968.

Funcken, Liliane et Fred. L'Uniforme et les Armies des Soldats des Etats-Unis, Les Guerres d'Independance, de Secession, du Mexique. L'Epopee du Far-West., Casterman. 1980.

Munson, Kenneth. American Aircraft of World War 2, Blandford Press. 1982.

Laughlin, Cameron & Langellier, John. Uniforms Illustrated No 14, US Army Uniforms Europe 1944-1945, Arms and Armour Press. 1986.

The Model Soldiers


Carman, W.Y. Model Soldiers, The World Pub. Co. 1972.

Cassin-Scott, Jack. Making Model Soldiers of the World, Hippocrene Books. 1973.

Dilley, Roy. Model Soldiers in Color, Including the Art of Military Modeling, Octopus Books Ltd. 1981.

Harris, Henry. Model Soldiers, 138 Illustrations in Color & Black and White, Octopus Books Ltd. 1962.

Opie, James Toy Soldiers, Shire Pub. ltd. 1983.

Stearns, Philip O. How to Make Model Soldiers, Arco Pub. Grp. Ltd. 1974.