Last Afghans

 For now, anyways.

The command units were saved to last. There are two flagbearers, in addition to one painted much earlier, a drummer, and several generally fancy individuals. Here is one of the flagbearers. The flag will be made of glue-stiffened paper, possibly a historical design or maybe a self-designed one.

 

The total number of completed Afghans is 75. Only one remains incomplete, but he will need to be scrubbed of paint before I can try again. It has been just over a year since I started this project, though I doubt I have painted for much more than half a year's worth of days, accounting for travel and work and a thousand other distractions. There will be a group shot at some point once the figures are all based and cleaned up around the arms.

The next step is to work on the British, and I have already completed a test figure with a second example on the way. They will only need 40 or so figures done. 

This figure's blue clothing is not as reflective as it may seem in the photo, something about the paint mix does not photograph well. 

This figure was originally intended as a group commander, but he came out so well that he has been promoted to the overall leader. I cut up and reposed his left arm to be reaching for a pistol tucked in his belt, but the stance does not quite sell that idea. Still, this is about the best I can hope for from a battle-ready paintjob. And there is an important distinction. While I could have spent four years on meticulous paintjobs for each figure, I instead chose to spend one year on decent schemes with the understanding that they will not be winning any contests. These, and the British to follow them, are an opportunity to practice painting in batches neatly, but not complexly. Even the stripes on the turban were a simple two-colour pattern rather than a more complicated one.

The pirates, who I will be working on alongside the British for the next few months, will be painted to a hopefully higher standard since Blood and Plunder has much smaller unit sizes than The Sword and the Flame. I have just about managed scale, so now the trick will be to manage quality.

Posts will be piled up over the next few days, and then there may be a period of silence.