Prussian Grenadiers IR20 (Potsdam Miniatures)
I have been working on the first batch of my new Prussian Grenadiers over the weekend and thought that I would share some pictures with everyone. The figures are part of my own range of Potsdam Miniatures which are designed to be compatible with 30mm Surens and Staddens. Please click on the pictures for a larger view of the figures.
The figures shown above are painted as the grenadier companies from IR20 (Bornstedt). Eventually they will be paired with an equal number of figures from the IR5 (Alt Braunschweig) regiment to form Grenadier Battalion Jung-Billerbeck, also designated as (5/20), signifying that the component companies come from IR5 and IR20. The grenadiers from IR5 have straw breeches, waistcoat and facings and differ from the white breeches & waistcoat with red facings of the IR20 grenadiers.
It has actually taken me about a week to paint the 24 figures shown in the first picture; this includes a marathon painting session of five or six hours on Saturday. I strive to paint at least one hour per day and I find that one can achieve steady progress at this pace. One hour a day doesn't sound like much, but the figures magically roll off the assembly line using this process.
I have the other 24 castings for the second batch primed and ready to paint. Tomorrow I will coat the figures completely in acrylic black paint. I find that primer black has a rather harsh look and I think that the extra coat of black paint softens the look of the black parts. Then I will block in the dark blue for the coats and call it an evening. Then I will block in the basic colors of the breeches and waistcoat, then the skin, the brown knapsack/musket/hair on the second day. After that, the fun begins as I get to work on the details and start highlighting the basic colors that I've already blocked in. It should take about a week to finish the second set of 24 figures.
Jung-Billerbeck will receive its baptism of fire on October 13, 2007 when I host my annual Big Battalion game for the Old School Wargaming group. I expect that we will have approximately 20 battalions of infantry per side, or more, and 10 to 15 squadrons of cavalry per side. The game will be played on two 6ft by 24ft tables with an aisle in between the the two parallel tables. The aisle is imaginery, so sometimes players will face each other across the aisle and not realize that they are really six inches away from the opponent, rather than 48-inches across the aisle. A little fog of war that can prove deadly to those who do not pay attention.
The figures shown above are painted as the grenadier companies from IR20 (Bornstedt). Eventually they will be paired with an equal number of figures from the IR5 (Alt Braunschweig) regiment to form Grenadier Battalion Jung-Billerbeck, also designated as (5/20), signifying that the component companies come from IR5 and IR20. The grenadiers from IR5 have straw breeches, waistcoat and facings and differ from the white breeches & waistcoat with red facings of the IR20 grenadiers.
It has actually taken me about a week to paint the 24 figures shown in the first picture; this includes a marathon painting session of five or six hours on Saturday. I strive to paint at least one hour per day and I find that one can achieve steady progress at this pace. One hour a day doesn't sound like much, but the figures magically roll off the assembly line using this process.
I have the other 24 castings for the second batch primed and ready to paint. Tomorrow I will coat the figures completely in acrylic black paint. I find that primer black has a rather harsh look and I think that the extra coat of black paint softens the look of the black parts. Then I will block in the dark blue for the coats and call it an evening. Then I will block in the basic colors of the breeches and waistcoat, then the skin, the brown knapsack/musket/hair on the second day. After that, the fun begins as I get to work on the details and start highlighting the basic colors that I've already blocked in. It should take about a week to finish the second set of 24 figures.
Jung-Billerbeck will receive its baptism of fire on October 13, 2007 when I host my annual Big Battalion game for the Old School Wargaming group. I expect that we will have approximately 20 battalions of infantry per side, or more, and 10 to 15 squadrons of cavalry per side. The game will be played on two 6ft by 24ft tables with an aisle in between the the two parallel tables. The aisle is imaginery, so sometimes players will face each other across the aisle and not realize that they are really six inches away from the opponent, rather than 48-inches across the aisle. A little fog of war that can prove deadly to those who do not pay attention.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteThese are looking very nice . . . I wish that I could be at your "big battalion" game . . . but it is not to be (I'm not even in the same country).
Please keep us updated on your progress.
-- Jeff
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteFantastic figures! I see your mention of Suren and Willie compatibility. What's the measurement in millimeters from base to eye on these?
Best Regards,
Stokes
Very nice Jim, who sculpted them?
ReplyDeleteCheers
Frank
Great read, very nice figures!
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteNice figures, I look forward to seeing them on the table!
Randy
Good Morning Jim,
ReplyDeleteI begin my day scanning the superb photos again. Stunning, motivating and WOW! are words that apply. Congratulations on your blog and thank you for the easy-going, informative and erudite decriptive style of writing.
Sincere Regards,
Bill Protz
I love your Potsdam Figures, when will they be for sale? Is there a Potsdam Miniatures website?
ReplyDeleteYears ago we once played on two 12ftx 6ft tables with a gap between. Effectively it was 12ft square. Odd as it sounds we played length wise rather than across as somehow it was easier to appreciate the two tables together. The gap separated the armies down the middle as they deployed and it remained one large battle rather than two separate contests.
ReplyDeleteYours,
Guy
Regarding Der Potsdamers, I have been having some venting problems with the corners of the tricorn, so some of the figures come out of the mold looking like the ends of the tricorn have been shot away. So while I don't mind having some of these in my own units, I don't want to offer them for sale until the molds get fixed and a proper casting comes out of the mold. And believe me, I am eager to offer the figures to the public.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing is that these figures are taller (around 32mm to 34mm) than the "normal" 28mm figures which are usually closer to 30mm to 32mm in some cases. That might be a problem for you if you have a lot of Foundry or Front Rank figures etc. They are designed to fit with Staddens, Surens an Elite figures. Elite seem to be quite a bit larger than advertised, I am happy to say, as this provides more figures that I can use with my own figures.
I hope to eventually have Austrians so that potential buyers can paint up the other side as well. For that, I am at the mercy of my sculptor and I'll just have to be patient.
Iowa Grognard: have you considered travelling to the Chicago area on October 13th and playing in our Big Battalion Old School Wargamers game? It would be a great way for you to see BAR up close and to give the rules a try in the perfect setting.
So Jim, are you not going to reveal who the sculptor is? :-)
ReplyDeleteFrank
And yet another question from the Duchy of Alzheim, are you considering "attack march" poses?
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Greg Horne
I have a request in to my sculptor to make some musketeer and grenadier march attack poses for the Prussians and the Austrians will probably be in "march attack" only. Actually getting the figures sculpted is an entirely different matter though. So patience is the order of the day with regard to any march attack poses.
ReplyDelete