Thanks to all the folks who responded to my crowd-sourced request for advice on some Dark Ages thatch roofing for my Sarissa model. The consensus of the hive-mind was that my roof, made of chopped up bits of washcloth, looked too white. I had saved some bits so used your advice and test-painted a strip, using a base coat of dlluted Brown Umber craft paint, and then, once dried, a heavy dry brush of yellow ochre. It looked pretty good, so I went for it.
My faithful reader Dai Dead sent me a photo of his mum’s thatched cottage in the UK, which made me think I was on the right path. The photo reminded me of Madame Padre’s favourite mystery series, Midsomer Murders, a Netflix staple chez nous, where half of England seems to live in quaint thatched cottages, when they’re not murdering one another. I would never venture into the English countryside, as judging by that show, the murder rate must be catastrophic. Mind you, it’s all nasty toffs killing toffs, so I guess Canadian tourists are safe.
I now have a cottage to form the nucleus of a village to defend in my Dux Rohirrim project. Here are two finished Rohan defenders to protect it. These are two of the three figures I gratefully received from my 2015 Secret Santa, from the Foundry Casting Room Miniatures Dark Ages Saxon line. I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t be Rohan Royal Guardsman or part of the retinue of a Lord of the Riddermark.
The chap on the right, with his more ornate cloak and helmet, seems a likely captain of an elite eored (a company of 120 men) and the lancer one of the captain’s hearth guards. They are a little more armoured than the GW Riders of Rohan models I’ve seen, but none the worse for it. The horses are big, substantial brutes, with long bases, too long to fit on the GW plastic bases that ship with their cavalry models, so they will stand out in base width from my GW Rohirrim, but I’m not too worried about that. Likewise their shields are bigger than ones the GW sculpts carry, and they are missing the quivers and bows that the GW Riders carry, but since these are elite shock cavalry, I can live without those features.
I’ve tried to follow the greens and browns that distinguish my other Rohirrim, which I admit is the same palette that characterizes the Rohirrim in the SirPJ films.
Nice embroidery on the captain’s cloak. Makes him look suitably important.
Blessings to your brushes!
These figures bring my 2016 totals to:
28mm: Foot Figures: 29; Mounted Figures: 3; Buildings: 1
6mm: Mounted figures: 36; Buildings: 2
I thought it looked fine before but even better now!
ReplyDeleteThe painted thatch looks great Padre, as do those two Rohirrim :)
ReplyDeleteWell done!
ReplyDeleteThatch coloring turned out very well and your two mounted warriors are outstanding!
ReplyDeleteNice!
Excellent. I need to make my Vikings some shelter. I've kept an old dressing gown that is of similar material (and has already provide a field).
ReplyDeleteMidsomer Murders is a favourite down here. There was a scandal a few seasons back when the producer stated that they wanted to keep it "English". They were replaced and more recent episodes feature a more diversified cast, but just a bit. Sykes, the dog, is out favourite.
We like Sykes the dog as well, though we noticed that when they brought in the second Barnaby, the younger one, his sidekick Jones, the Welsh detective, inexplicably got stupider.
DeleteWe too have noticed that the cast is quite, well, white, and that they have a seemingly inexhaustible supply of horse-faced English ladies of a certain age.
Interesting to see the actors who have had guest roles, including what's her name, the driver from Foyles War, and the current Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, when he had dark hair.
Ah yes, that works a treat, bravo Sir.
ReplyDeleteVery good work
ReplyDeleteThe building looks splendid
Really like the thatch now , looks ace riders of rohan look good too nice embroidery and lovely basing
ReplyDeleteThat turned out fine. I have a Sarissa building that will be getting teddy bear fur thatch soon, I will report on how that turns out.
ReplyDeleteSome great additions to the collection.
ReplyDeleteLoving the fur Michael.
Cheers
Stuart
Great job...and splendid roof!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, all round.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the improvement. Glad to know that my thatch has hatched successfully and does not need to be dispatched. Also glad you like the riders. I am thinking I will have to get some of the Footsore Miniatures Goth cavalry to flesh them out, as there aren't a lot of Saxon cavalry figures around - Renegade makes some, I think, and I have seen some nice convesions. Cheers, M
ReplyDeleteBlack Tree Design make some decent Saxon cavalry.
ReplyDeletehttp://eoeorbis.com/collections/dark-ages/darkages-range_saxons+type_cavalry
Thatch looks far better. The new riders will fit nicely I think. Good stuff Mike.
(To be fair, having grown up in Welsh countryside and lived a further 6 years in the English countryside, there really isn't that much racial diversity at all. Even in the largest City in the east, Norwich, my brown skinned wife felt she stood out like a sore thumb amongst the very white populace.)
Excellent work Padre! The roof looks way better and those valorous warriors of Rohan look the part.
ReplyDelete