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Post by waynew on May 11, 2021 16:02:45 GMT
Superb! I'm not normally a fan of this style of sculpting. This series of figures (including the elites and other sets that matched) somehow caught my fancy. You've done them great justice with your skill
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Post by waynew on Apr 1, 2021 19:18:39 GMT
Pommeranian Piccolo Player Update?
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Post by waynew on Mar 20, 2021 0:40:59 GMT
Anther superb job, Sander! Great eye candy.
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Post by waynew on Mar 13, 2021 19:55:01 GMT
Pommeranian Piccolo Players with another set of assorted Camp Followers. Bavarian Bassoonists with Bratwurst and Beer Wagons Viennese Violinists with Pastry Ovens and bakers. Tyrolean Trombonists with Beer Bearing St. Bernards.
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Post by waynew on Mar 12, 2021 21:35:17 GMT
LOL; My first impression is that they are well compatible with many of the products out there and kind of "bridge the gap" sizewise between the various sets out there. Since the 1990s when Conte Collectibles introduce the "large" 1/32 scale one has to keep in mind which side of the 1/32 "fence" a set falls on and whether they are compatible with the figures you want to put them with. As the pictures show, HaT has managed to fit in reasonably well with both types he of figures. Even more, they fit in with other HaT 1/32 scale offerings (and I have all of their 18th & 19th C. offerings, even if they're not painted or photographed yet). I think the comparison shots say more than words.
As far as plastic. Now these are test shots, but I like the plastic they come in - kind of mid-point between the soft stuff I don't mind but everyone else seemed to hate and the stiff, almost brittle plastic modelers and painters love but I hate (what can I say? Square peg in round hole?). This isn't fragile, but isn't so soft you're going to have problems keeping weapons straight.
As to detail, well, I think the pictures speak for that. I was trying to let the sculpting speak for itself while doing as good a job to present them favorably, while at the same time give them a "weathered" look; "five o'clock shadow" on some of the faces, I tried to avoid blank white on the uniforms and let the sculpted creases and fold show naturally instead of highlighting them with a wash - as I was tempted to do. I think it is possible to get great animation from the faces from the sculpts without having to "paint the faces" - which I have had to do on some sculpts from other producers.
Final thoughts: I like these guys. One can build a nice army with them without having to mortgage your house. I am very pleased with these and hope to buy several boxes of each when they come out, at least enough for a decent formation in each of the poses.
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Post by waynew on Mar 11, 2021 4:31:15 GMT
Greetings! These are test shots! Thanks for the correction - I think I had a senior moment.
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Post by waynew on Mar 9, 2021 16:20:00 GMT
Beautifully done. These remain, along with the El Cid Spanish, my favorite medieval figures.
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Post by waynew on Mar 9, 2021 16:16:20 GMT
Thanks for the kind words. I believe they are masters.
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Post by waynew on Mar 8, 2021 21:52:43 GMT
And finally the all-important comparison shots with other companies' output. One of my top criteria in buying a set is whether or not a given set will blend with what's already out there. I'm tolerant of minor variations in height (after all, folks come in all shapes and sizes) if they're not too far off (weapons are key - folks are different sizes, rifles are not). Style is another - but that's according to taste. So, looking at the new figures upside of what is already out there in the period is important to me.Here's HaT's Grenadier between CTS' ACW Infantry (North and South) and Barzso/LOD ARW Continental and British InfantryLest we forget- some older shots reposted for reference: AIP's 7YW French lean a bit more to 60mm or 1/30 scale and are larger than most mid-to late 18th Century figures in the scale. But IMHO they remain one of that company's finest offerings so I use them. I just keep them a bit apart from the smaller guys.
THE vital shot, I think - how do they stack up against HaT's own Prussians?This shot almost makes me flash back to Basic Training. Put those two guys in green and put a "Smokey the Bear" hat on the Prussian...
With the "new" 1/32 scale: This is against Expeditionary Force's 1812 Militia - these are more 60mm. I haven't gotten any of their Napoleonics yet (intend to one day) so I'm not sure whether they're 54mm or 60mm. It depends on the series of figures.I hope this helps. I was very impressed with these guys and am looking forward to their final release so I can get some more.
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Post by waynew on Mar 8, 2021 21:33:09 GMT
Here we have the Austrian Napoleonic Command set. I put different headgear on the figures to illustrate the possibilities of this set:
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Post by waynew on Mar 8, 2021 21:29:40 GMT
Here are some shots of some of the 1/32 Austrian 7YW Line:7 Years War Austrian Grenadiers
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Post by waynew on Mar 8, 2021 21:03:52 GMT
After over a year hiatus I was finally motivated to bring out the worktable and begin painting again when I received some masters for the upcoming HaT 1/32 scale 7YW and Napoleonic masters.
First shot, the 7YW Austrian Command, mounted officer. This was the first shot I took of him, he looked great with my naked eye - even under the magnifier, boy, nothing like high definition digital photos to show your mistakes. But I liked the eyes on the guy, I love the expression they give him. I'm kind of reminded of Major Pitcairn at Lexington. The horse I got from a bag of ESCI 1/32 scale British knockoffs with Scot's Grays I thought the horses would go well with the era and the white would make good Lipizzaners.
I'm still not totally happy with the pictures - they seem to look a lot better in person but I wanted to give folks a look at the figures before they come out. That was just a preliminary shot. So I went back and repainted the guy and found a horse with more suitable saddlery.Here's the entire command set front:
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Post by waynew on Mar 8, 2021 20:58:59 GMT
Works of art! Kudos!
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Post by waynew on Feb 25, 2021 20:49:49 GMT
I love these guys- one of my favorite sets.
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hallo
Feb 23, 2021 3:42:09 GMT
Post by waynew on Feb 23, 2021 3:42:09 GMT
Great work!
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Post by waynew on Feb 19, 2021 19:26:49 GMT
I think new French, Russian, and Prussian Artillery would be great. For me, I'd be happy for new crew - though new guns would be welcome, too.
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Post by waynew on Feb 18, 2021 15:51:52 GMT
Just an amazing work that surpasses hobby, going into art.
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Post by waynew on Feb 10, 2021 16:42:11 GMT
I finally broke my hiatus due to a project done for a friend and finished some 1/32 scale figures. I am now - FINALLY- finishing my crowd-funded HaT Landwehr that have been languishing in my storage for over a year half-completed. I put them away for Christmas 2019 because of kids and grandkids coming in and between everything in 2020 (including my own long bout with COVID-19) I've put off dragging them out and finishing them. As it is, I'm hopefully putting the finishing touches on some 21 Acton sprues with something like 10 Marching sprues after that. At the same time, I'm doing touch-ups on the 1/32 scale project as when I took digital pictures of them I found I was totally dissatisfied. They looked great to my naked eye and even my lit magnifying glasses I used for the first time. After that... I think I'm going to look for something easy. Maybe some guys in overcoats? Just for a break.
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Post by waynew on Feb 10, 2021 16:35:18 GMT
Well, don't forget Pommeranian Piccolo Players when you're focusing.
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Post by waynew on Feb 9, 2021 16:04:44 GMT
I have found using a spray plastic bonding paint such as Krylon "Fusion" (Rustoleum works well too) - in the US (I'm sure there are similar products elsewhere, but can't give you names) as my primer helps the acrylics stick. It not only bonds to and creates a paintable surface on the plastic, but sprays on thinner than you can usually get with a brush and preserves fine detailing - a definite plus on 1/72 scale figures. Then after I finish the job I spray and seal with a clear acrylic sealant using the type finish I want, flat, matte, or gloss (I prefer flat or matte).
Sometimes, if I find I'm having a particularly difficult time with peeling or flaking while painting I'll spray a light coat of sealant over the figure before touching up and doing fine detailng. This helps retain what I've already done.
Test your sprays as some I've found leave a visible film.
My favorite has been Plain Patricia Nimock's Acrylic Spray Acrylic Sealant - I discovered this for my toy soldiers because I was using it on my paintings and wondered if it would work. There are some other brands that work but off the top of my head I'd be afraid to name them. Again, test it. I sprayed an entire group of something like one hundred 1/32 scale HaT Prussians and had to redo at least the dark coats because of the film.
But I have discovered sealing the figures with the acrylic spray eliminates almost all of the chipping, flaking and cracking. Occasionally a bayonet or rifle tip might peal, but a touchup and respraying has usually fixed the problem permanently. I hope this helps.
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Post by waynew on Feb 7, 2021 20:05:55 GMT
Great display. One of the reasons NC troops were so well outfitted was Wilmington was the last major Southern seaport on the Eastern seaboard to remain open, not falling until the fall of Ft Fisher in January 1865. When I was at Ft. Bragg I used to go visit Ft Fisher and Wilmington frequently. Interestingly, when Sherman's troops passed through the Fayetteville area on their way to link up with Grant outside Petersburg in early 1865 they burned a warehouse full of brand new uniforms destined for NC troops in Virginia. The Museum of the Cape Fear in Fayetteville used to have excellent displays of the War.
Really enjoy your work.
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Post by waynew on Jan 25, 2021 16:45:02 GMT
I imagine restocks are as nerve wracking to our friends at HaT as they are to us; moreso as it's their investment.
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Post by waynew on Jan 21, 2021 17:34:48 GMT
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Post by waynew on Jan 18, 2021 5:27:23 GMT
Even my wife is impressed and that's saying something. Superb.
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Post by waynew on Jan 15, 2021 16:32:44 GMT
Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing. I understand your slowdown. You're not the only one. The key is not to stop!
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