28mm scratch built Mosque for World War Two North Africa

The latest addition to my World War 2North African/ Tunisian village, is a small mosque. When designing the building I decided not to include a minaret tower, reasoning that a mosque in a small village wouldn't have one.

The frame of the building was made using foam board attached to an MDF base using grab adhesive. This was then covered with sharp sand and painted with B&Q Soft Almond interior paint.

The door was made from a scrap piece of MDF and the windows were made with plastic 'granny grid'. Both of these were painted and highlighted in blue.

The dome was made from a Polystyrene ball from Hobby Craft. It was cut in half, glued to an MDF roof. I then covered the dome in fine surface filler that was sanded down to a smooth finish once dry. I decided not to paint the dome gold, but in the same blue as the doors of all the building in the village to match.

The base was then completed by gluing sharp sand that was painted, washed and highlighted in Citadel paints. To finish it off I added foliage scatter for weeds and self adhesive grass tufts.

Next on the table is another house, this time made from cork tiles!

More 28mm scratch built North African (Tunisian) buildings for WW2

 Following my last post, here are the latest scratch built additions to my World War Two North African village.

First up is a well - very easy to make, a donut of Miliput attached to a piece of MDF , followed by three sharpened pieces of wooden cooking skewer glued together and o the base using a impact adhesive. This was all covered in sharp sand and painted as per my last blog entry.

The LRDG officer standing by the well comes from Artizan Miniatures.

Next up is another single story dwelling, made exactly the same as those featured in my last entry. The only difference being the sheltered porch. This was simply made using pieces of wooden cooking skewers. The material used to make the covering came from an old pair of my wife's tights, which I painted with Citadel Tallarn Sand.

This picture shows the other addition, shutters for the window, which I made from thin MDF. This was scored and painted in my usual style.

The Afrika Korp soldiers patrolling by are also from Artizan.

Next on the paint table, a small mosque.

28mm sctratch built Tunisian or North African buildings for WW2

 That's right folks, the summer holidays are here, so I reappear on the painting scene.

I have been working on a 28mm World War Two North Africa project on and off for a while now. The pictures below are of five scratch built buildings.

The buildings are made from foam board and MDF. The buildings were clad in a mixture of PVA glue and sharp sand (remember basetex?) which I applied using a plastic spatula. The base itself was covered in watered down PVA and scattered with sharp sand.

The roofs and doors were all made from thin MDF which I then scored with a pointed file to create individual planks.

The paint scheme is based upon the Tunisian village of Sidi Bou, where every building is painted white and all the doors and shutters painted blue. I used a combination of Citadel, Vallejo and B&Q tester paints.

To complete the models I added clump foliage to represent a kitchen garden on two models and weeds. I also used dry grass spots to represent weeds.

Next on the table are a few more buildings and a well.

28mm Artizan Long Range Desert Group (LRDG)

At long last I have been able to put the DAK to one side and start on the British. Ever since I started war gaming I have had a hankering for putting together figures from the unit my maternal grandfather went on to serve with, the Long Range Desert Group.

 

Artizan Miniatures produce a small range of LRDG/SAS and desert commando figures. I started three of the LRDG packs. The figures were all well cast and in dynamic poses.

 

In order to differentiate them from the DAK I chose a lighter palette. The base colours for the uniforms are Vallejo Iraqi Sand and Vallejo English Uniform.

 

 

 

 All the webbing details were picked out with a 50/50 mixture of the two base colours.

 

This first group of LRDG are wearing a more standard uniform than those normally associated with the unit, but are historically accurate.

Next on the paint tray are six more LRDG, but with much more varied uniforms.

28mm Afrika Korps wearing Greatcoats

One of the things that I remember my grandfather telling me about his experiences in the desert was that as hot as it was during the day, it was freezing cold in the night.

Artizan miniatures include in their Afrika Korps range a single pack of mid war infantry wearing forage caps. Painted up in desert colours, they make a worthy addition to my Afrika Korps force.

The greatcoat was painted with a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Green Brown and Citadell Gorthor Brown. This was then washed in Citadell Agrax Earthshade.

Next on the paint tray the first of my Long Range Desert Group.

28mm Afrika Korp Sentries

 

Well the joys of summer holidays painting time continues. Below are a couple of pictures of the latest batch of Afrika Korps to make it off my painting tray.

 

For the first time ever I actually felt sorry for the figures as I painted them... as sentries, I suppose that this hapless little group are forever destined to be killed first by the LRDG figures waiting in the wings.

Next on the painting tray, riflemen in greatcoats.

28mm Afrika Korp HMG team

 The summer painting frenzy continues...

 I have always been happy with the quality of the sculpting of Artizan Miniatures, however there does seem to be a bit of a size discrepancy between the gunner and the loader... It looks like the loader bought his kid to work!

As always, a mix of Vallejo and Citadell paints and varnishes were used.

Next on the table, sentries and greatcoat wearers!

28mm Afrika Korp Mortar crew

 Below are photos of the latest addition to my 28mm WW2 Afrika Korp; a mortar team.
The figures are from Artizan miniatures. I'm not a big fan of basing support weapons and their entire crew on a single base, so decided on each figure and the weapon based separately on 2p pieces.

As ever, the figures are painted with a combination of Citadel and Vallejo paints and varnishes.
The main paints used for the uniform are Vallejo Desert Yellow, Vallejo Iraqi Sand, Vallejo German Field Grey, Vallejo Khaki and Citadell Agrax Earth shade.

Next on the paint tray, a HMG team, Afrika Korp sentries and infantry in greatcoats.

Converting Western Europe to North Africa part 2

Now that the summer holidays have finally arrived, it means just one thing... PAINTING FRENZY!

Below are pictures of  the completed sandbagged guard post that I started months ago... the transformation from Europe to Africa is complete. The model was painted with a mix of Citadel and Vallejo paints and varnishes.

Converting Northern Europe to North Africa

 If you are anything like me, you will no doubt have drawer fulls of terrain and models that have never been out of storage since it was first painted! With my current focus on North Africa (and whilst waiting on miniature deliveries from Artizan) I decided to look through my old terrain pieces to see if any could be converted.

The piece below is a tin roofed, sand bagged check point built against an old fence. It also features a downed telegraph post. I figured that this would look like something found on the outskirts of s French colonial village.

The first step involved soaking the model in warm soapy water, which made the flock come away from the model easily. The residue of the glue can be seen at the base of the telegraph post.

The next step will be to paint the model with a base coat of Vallejo Desert Sand.

More 28mm Afrika Korps

 Here is my second batch of Afrika Korps. I really like the Artizan Miniatures, it is just a shame that it took almost four weeks for the figures to arrive! Whilst waiting for the figures to arrive, I painted n old Solido Puma that had been sat on a shelf gathering dust.

As per my last blog entry, the figures were painted with a mix of Vallejo and Citdel paints and varnishes.

Next on the paint table are 4 NCOs armed with MP40s. I have also ordered a HMG team, an 81mm mortar crew and a first pack of SAS raiders.

28MM fox holes for North Africa World War 2

 Whilst I was waiting for my second batch of Afrika Korps to arrive from Artizan, I decided to paint up two old two/three man foxholes that have been in the painting mountain for a while. I bought these several years ago from the now defunct Snapdragon Studios. I painted several up for Northern Europe, but for some reason left these.

I started with a base coat of Homebase exterior paint 'sandstone' and then washed it with Citadel Devlan mud. I followed this with progressively lighter drybrush coats using Vallejo Desert sand, Vallejo Iraqi sand and finally Citadel Dry Tyrant Skull.

The wood started with a base of Citadel Base Mournfang Brown,followed by dry brush coats made up of the base and iraqi sand.

 "Vere ist der Englanders, Heinrich?"

"You dumkopf Fritz, Mark has not painted any yet!"

 

 

More Afrika Korps are due on the paint table next, just as soon as they arrive!



28mm Artizan Afrika Korps

Ever since I started wargaming I have always wanted to game the North Africa campaigns of World War Two. (My Grandfather served as an infantryman in the Lincolnshire Regiment, part of the 8th army, before transferring to the LRDG). I recently bought a copy of Call of Duty and there were some pretty good skirmish scenarios for North Africa and this prompted me to look into figures.

 

I opted for Artizan Miniatures range of metal figures, purchasing four packs of their DAK to start with. The miniatures were well sculpted and had no flash or cast lines on them. The picture below shows some of them glued onto 2p bases, the bases covered in polyfilla with cork rocks added.

 As ever I added sharp sand which I then painted because it didn't look enough like sand (am I the only gamer that thinks this way?). The figures were then painted with a range of Citadel and Vallejo paints. I deliberately varied the colours uniforms to give them that faded, in theatre look. The pictures below show the figures painted and gloss varnished (awaiting a final matte coat). I used grass tufts for the fist time with these figures and was really happy with the results.

 

I'd be really interested to know what you think.