...and Andrew Lloyd Webber put it to music creating the song by the same title for the West End (and Broadway) musical "Starlight Express". Although it has been a decade since I saw that show, I can understand the sentiment having just finished gluing together the last few French infantry figures for my FPW project. I can put the plastic cement away (although I do find that smell rather appealing) and prepare to turn off the pipeline from the red paint factory, because there really is light at the end of the tunnel with only six battalions and six skirmish stands - that's a total of 119 figures - to go. And here they are in all their grey glory...
While in all their colourful glory, here is the 2nd Battalion 63e regiment
The 3rd battalion is on the painting table now.
Only 100plus to the finish. To some of us, thats a big project!
ReplyDeleteAnd they are all scheduled for completion, along with seven artillery sets, by 16 December.
DeleteLOL - by 16 Dec - what's happening then Mark? Does your painting desk have to shut down for three weeks over Christmas for preventative maintenance?!
ReplyDeleteThat's when the current stock runs out...fresh supplies are on order, with no guarantee of arrival in time.
DeleteI'm not sure how you manage to find the time or the inclination to keep on painting Mark! Very impressed that you can though.
ReplyDeleteI've always been able to focus on a task and equally good as breaking the elephant into edible chunks. For me the ideal chunk is six foot figures or three mounted figures or one gun set - that is about the equivalent amount of effort - that I can compete in a three hour session, in the evening. When you start adding that up the numbers get pretty impressive quickly. With these French battalions I am completing two a week.
DeleteAlways an unbelievable number of figures cross your painting desk each year. 2023 will be no exception. As always, great job! What’s next?
ReplyDeleteOddly despite the apparent prodigeous output this year will be down on the last by as much as 15%. Next up is the completion of the Ottomans. Then that is it. There will be a number of units from time to time to finish off incomplete projects but I am not planning any more projects - I think that 18,000 figures is enough. In fact some items that have never may be sold off.
DeleteMark, I admire your approach and prolific output. Lovely job.
ReplyDeleteThank you Norm.
DeleteAnother fine regiment Mark, and it is always a source of satisfaction watching the queue whittle down. What plastic glue would you recommend for Perry plastics? Also, with retirement now within reach are you not planning for more hobby time to fill?
ReplyDeleteI prefer the solvent based Citadel plastic glue. It tacks in seconds, but allows a level of repositioning and sets hard in 15 minutes. You are right retirement is around the corner (a mere 307 days away) but even though I will probably seek some part time work, income will drop by around 60%. Also storage is now beyond a problem.
DeleteImpressive work and planning Mark…
ReplyDeleteBut… “ I am not planning any more projects “…. Surely that may depend on what madness the Perry’s decided to do next… đ€Ł
All the best. Aly
There will be some units to complete existing armies, but I don't think that I will start any new projects...unless someone makes a range for the Italian War of 1859 of course...but that would mean extending retirement beyond the next 305 days and I don't know if my sanity would withstand that!
DeleteVery nice looking figures and brushwork!
ReplyDeleteThank you John.
DeleteAnother lovely unit for this great project! Do you have your colour recipes posted anywhere? I'm trying to get the blue and red colours right for a Crimean project and like the *pop* you've achieved. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul. The colour recipe is pretty simple and I used the same for my French Crimean War units too. All the colours are Citadel (except the rifle):
DeleteBlue = Kantar Blue
Red = Evil Sunz Scarlet
Flesh = Kislev Flesh
White = Corax White
Pack = Scarag Brown
Rifle = Burnt Umber (from the Golden liquid acrylics range)
The red and blue are applied over a black undercoat, washed with Aly's Brown Liquid and then highlighted in the original colour. The flesh and the white tent around the pack are given a wash of Seraphim Sepia (the tent gets a double coat) and the gaiters, pack and rifle get a wash of Nuln Oil. Then to finish off I give them a generous coat of Atelier brush-on matte varnish which gives the finish I like.
Thats really useful, thanks indeed Mark! And I was asking for a Crimean War project thats thats most convenient too :-) Just starting out in the era and getting my head around some of the wonderful uniforms. Well, for the Allies anyway! Your projects are super inspiring!
DeleteCrimea is a great gaming period. There are lots of options and might-have-beens. Some of the fighting in other sectors - in Bulgaria and Walachia and the again in the east around Kars - opens up a lot of opportunity for variety, but involves the Turks much more that the French and British. The British uniforms are at their best in this period I think.
DeleteYou are truly a painting machine. Good luck with your retirement - it's not far off. I love mine. I also have said in the past NO MORE NEW PROJECTS. Yeah, haven't kept that promise. Maybe you will have stronger willpower.
ReplyDeleteCan hardly wait for retirement! I think I will hold to the no new projects regime, because I have pretty much completed collections in all the periods I am interested in. But the biggest deciding factor is likely to be where we live in the next few years. Her indoors wants to downsize which is going to seriously impact on my already constrained storage capacity.
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