Early Swiss some more

Early Swiss Army Approaching

Here we go! And if you got a large monitor-screen, double-click on the pics and blow them up to 100%, the pictures are huge! use them as your desktop background or screensaver. Enjoy!
Early in the morn', before I rose for travel, up came 10'000 footmen...



MushaRing Dabadu Dabadah...

Whack-foul-the-daddio... Whack-foul-the-daddio there's whiskey in the jar!
more pics coming up, that's all for now...my eyes hurt :)

Leopold III of Habsburg 1386 & His Nobles

Leopoldus Dei Gracia

Dux Austrie Styrie Karunthie Carnuole
Dominus Marchie et Portus Naonis
Comes In Habsburg TyrolisFerretis et in Kyburg Marchie Burgowie Ac
Lantgravius Alsacie
Devise: "Virtuti nil invium"


Left:Johann von Ochsenstein, Leopolds Constable
Middle: Baron Ulrich von Aarburg, Bearer of Leopolds Banner
Right: Leopold III of Habsburg


Right and Foreground: Martin Malterer, Bearer of The Banner of The City Of Freiburg im Breisgau.


Above: Look up the "Heidelberger Liederhandschrift" (Codex Manesse) Plate 35 for this one.

Pikes from Freiburg Late 14th c.

The DBA-Armylist says something about 2x4Pk for Medieval Germans IV/13b. I've got no idea what they're supposed to be. IMO they're too early, pikes in the 14th century?! But anyway, I like the figs.

Early Swiss Project continued

All Elements are painted but the bases and banners are still uncomplete. But here are a couple of pictures of the "Beta-"Early Swiss. Here we go:

Bern, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Glarus. Zürich, Luzern, Zug. The Bernese Guild of Ober-Gerweren. Uri and Obergerweren Uri with Urisstier Crossbows (=Psiloi) Unterwalden Schwyz Bernese Troops (General) Glarus

Paint a Polka Dot Hoss

Let's get it up and paint one of these fluffy polka dot hosses I so cherish. I'll show you how to paint the riderless one in the two pictures below. Miniatures are Artizan-Berbers, 25mm. I used this technique in 15mm too, click the "Parthian" Label to have a look.I use a pointy size 3 brush ("rotmarder"-hair). Click on the pictures for a bigger image.

Step 1: Over the sprayed-on white primer paint the fury parts with a very dark Red-Brown (mix Chaos Black with a swaller of Blood Red. Keep the paint not too watery, it should let the white shine through a bit so one still can perceive the redish-grenadine hue.

Step 2: Apply the first VERY watery layer of egg-white over all fury parts (Bleached Bone + Skull White) and let it dry. If too much paint gatheres in crevaces, suck it up with a dry brush.

Step 3: Apply a second VERY watery layer just like highlighting. But don't wash over the whole horse, that was step 2. Keep in mind: The back, behind, and neck should end up very light while the lower parts of the legs stay dark. The horse to the right has 2 layers, the one to the left has 1 layer.

Step 4: A third watery layer (Horse to the left). Remain confident, even if the horse starts too look REALLY bad! The last layer of dots will help blend the sometimes revolting contrast you create at this step.

Step 5: A last, fourth layer of egg-white. Remember: alsways let the former layer dry before you start a new one. Really let the back, neck and behind shine with this last layer.

Step 6: Apply egg-white polka dots, densley over back, behind and back of neck. The paint should be less watery, so the dots stand out a bit. If contrast is too mush, add more water.

Step 7: paint the hooves, saddle, reigns, hair... finished!

Early Swiss Project: 3 Elements done

Two blade elements finished with camp followers (musicians). There's still a long way to go. I intend to paint an element for each of the eight confederate cantons of the 14th and 15th century plus the general (9x6Bd). That is: Uri (black + gold); Schwyz (red + white); Unterwalden (red+white); Luzern (white + blue); Zurich (white + blue); Zug (white + blue; Glarus (white + red); Bern (black + red).

Aragonians, Langobardi and troups from Pisa in the Sicilian Army of Frederico II

Lately I've been painting up some auxilia-troops for my medieval sicilian army of the 12th/13th Century. All from "Crusader-Miniatures".