1798 Rebellion Project Part 20 (!): Some Buildings

 This is the twentieth post relating to my 1798 Project. I must admit I hadn't expected the project to last this long! I suspect there will be many more posts in the future. My interest in this period of history has only grown through researching it.

I've made two buildings this week. Most dwellings in 18th Century Ireland were very humble. The majority lived in small cottages. These were usually made of stone or earth. Roofs were normally thatch, with few being slated. The brick "Georgian houses" were not common outside Dublin. Some landlords constructed large manor houses, such as Russborough House and Moore Hall.

The window frames are made of coffee stirrers. 

The plaster texture was made using my basing mix - similar to Stirland Mud. 

This model is based on a drawing of Boolavogue Chapel in Nicholas Furlong's book "Fr. John Murphy of Boolavogue, 1753-1798". After Henry VIII's "Dissolution of the Monasteries" in the 16th Century,  Ireland's abbeys had ceased to exist.  Beginning in the late 17th Century, the Penal Laws limited Catholic worship in Ireland. Services were held at isolated "Mass rocks". Later, thatched buildings were used for religious ceremonies. The village of Tomhaggard, near my home, contains the only Irish thatched Church still standing. 

The model is made of MDF sheet. It's not the easiest material to use for scratch building. But with a sharp knife, superglue and Milliput, it can be used to good effect. MDF buildings are also very durable. The thatch is made from scouring pad.

This model is based on Evoy's forge, which I've previously visited. It's fairly similar to the church in its construction. The stones were added using a thin layer of Milliput, scored with a toothpick.

Just a few days ago I received some more figures for the project. The next job will be painting some rebel artillery!

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

Big Spanish Civil War Project Part 9 : The Last of the Infantry and Some Other Bits

 Lots of excitment this week as I've finished off all the infantry for the project, as well as a few extra bits. I started by painting the last militia squad, then moved on to the Nationalist individuals. 

                         Squad/Platoon 3

      The Nationalist staff. Messengers, officers and LMGs

The only miniature I still need for the scenario is a Nationalist aeroplane, which hasn't arrived yet. I wanted to keep making progress on the project, so moved on to some terrain. I painted a failed print of the Casa Blanca as a ruin.

It was painted with the same technique as the standard house. The roof is also made of random scraps, like coffee stirrers and cardboard. 

Still looking for things to do for the Spanish Civil War, I painted up a pair of Italian CV33 "tanks" . These absolutely woeful vehicles aren't necessary for the Jarama scenario, but I've always intended to grow this collection. The scenario is just a target to start off with. 

I'm almost ready to play the game itself. Apart from the Nationalist plane, I'll need to focus on making terrain. I've already started a tree or two, which are taking forever. I'm one of those gamers who find it really difficult to buy terrain, even if it's very hard to make! I really like the look of homemade terrain, though, as I can make it to my own specifications.

Until the next post, beir bua! 

Big Spanish Civil War Project Part 8: Moroccan Regulares and the Casa Blanca

 This week I painted the Moroccans - the last full company needed for the project! They weren't as hard to paint as I had expected, but I ran into some interesting challenges when painting their skin. My approach to painting dark skin tones is usually to mix in white skin colours as highlights. The yellow and red pigments in these paints help to make the skin look more realistic and alive. I've found that GW's Reikland Fleshshade wash is really good for achieving this effect on a wide range of skin colours.

The whole group 

Rifle squads

The Command Base. 

I also painted a Spanish hacienda house, which will represent the Casa Blanca or "White House" which was defended by the XV Internationals at Jarama. It's another 3D print. I have another copy of this model which didn't print correctly, so I'm making it into a ruin. During the actual battle the house was bombed by a Republican plane, and the scenario I'm aiming for allows for this to happen. 

In case you haven't noticed, the roof of the house was cobbled together from bits of MDF and cardboard, as it didn't print correctly! It was a lot of fun to make. The model was painted with acrylics, and oils were used to add shading. 

I'm now working on the last squad of POUM Militia. They will be the final infantry for the project. After that I'll paint a Nationalist plane and some command staff, and that will conclude all the miniatures needed for the game. Terrain will be the next priority. 

It feels great to have gotten this far. I was doubtful if I could do everything in this project at the start, as I've never painted both sides of a conflict before, and normally only painting very small groups. I'm looking forward to finishing off the whole thing!