Dec 1, 2012

An humble piece of land

I had started November by opening a parcel and unwrapping a rather exciting medieval homestead, so I thought  it would be nice to exhibit the results of this interesting sub-project to kick-start December.

"If you look for the keys, they lay under the stone"
"A simple place, for simple after pillage parties with the lads"
I think I did wrong when assembling the cottage, since some parts did not adjust very well. I might have interverted the opposites side walls, so I had to trim the bottom of each piece a little, in order to have everything on the same level. I can't really imagine this is due to a defect of the kit, since the quality of Renadra products is not something to question here. Anyway, I didn't really worried about the overall look of the finished piece. One  can disguise many under layers of drybrush, and the house surely looks more medieval thus.

"Follow the guide, if you like to see where the peas are grown"
My initial idea was to arrange all elements of the kit together in order to create a terrain feature that could have a significant impact on the battlefield and give a feel of the period. Well, I don't really aim at historical accuracy in gaming, the dwarves I have painted like russians and played like SAGA Anglo-Danes tells it enough. This kind of timber framed house probably apperead in Feudal Europe during the 12th century and so might very look like a snobish avangardist piece of architecture in games meant to be set during the 11th century. Nevertheless, I tried to have it look plausible, if not accurate.

"back of the place"
"Now from a distance"
So, I ended up with this idea of having it surounded with wattlework fences, to protect both cattle and crops from the greed of foxes and boars. Well I can't claim to have invented something here, and previous works of others definitly paved my way, as much as the well known picture from the Limbourg brothers displayed earlier. Through the readings I have had as to understand how a meaningless peasant cottage would have been seated on a nasty piece of earth, I found out what seems obvious to me now, that the most precious belongings of its inhabitant, i.e. vegetables and goats, would have been kept the closest possible from its walls...

"The peas should be ready for next fertility celebration,
 when the lads will be raping enslaved virgins named Ursula"
That's it, I hope you'll enjoy my modest attempt to simulate, both a muddy yard covered with straws, and a tiny backyard adorned with peas and pods about to blossom. Let say that the same snow that started to fall on Montreal the other day has just leave room for Spring to blossom on this humble piece of land...

"The goats are away for the moment"
"But as soon as they are back,  I and the lads
will prepare the blood sausages"
Now, I only wish to order the beasts and serfs it takes to achieve the country-side feeling of this cottage. But wait, something new has just landed on my doormat straight from Volgograd, Russia...

The long coveted Plastic Miniatures Russian Heroes...

7 comments:

  1. The cottage turned out great! Will be interesting to see the newly arrived miniatures as well. Are they 28 mm?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jonas and Thank you! The figures are 28mm and have very much to do with the background of this blog...

      Delete
  2. Great job, I really like how this game out. I would like to know the colour scheme for the thatch, it look much better then mine. I also like how you did the base. You should tell us more.

    John

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello John. It's funny that you mention the thatch, because I was considering your attempt to be quite convincing. I use GW paints (the now Old School ones) so I started on a base of scorched brown, then applied several drybrush, Iyanden Dark Sun, Desert Yellow + Deneb Stone, then a wash of Devlan Mud (I know, I still have some) and a last drybursh of Desert Yellow + Deneb Stone + Bleached Bone... Or something like that. I am glad you like the base too. I think I'll be crafting some plowed fields next, something like the backyard but bigger, so I'll try to think of an how to, at that point.

      Delete
  3. First of all, the cottage is just amazing! The whole arrangement is perfect!
    Many many thanks for your nice words about my blog and your suggestion to nominate me for the Liebster blog award. Really appreciate it.
    In my turn I must admit that I loved your work the very first moment I visited your blog. It has to do with the whole atmosphere of your blog and of course the unique way you paint your dwarves! Your choice of colours reminds a real work of art, something from Marc Chagall I would say...
    Panagiotis.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Panagiotis, thank you for the kind words. I must say I am kind of surprise to realize how this wargaming blogger community friendly is. I find it really motivating. Marc Chagall you say? Well I don't know for the work of art, but the guy was russian, a place I certainly have a lot of interests for, hence the colorful dwarves. Now, I only hope to see more of your Marc Chagall style Gobelins in the future!
      Thanks again.
      Nicolas

      Delete