The second book (booklet technically) that I learned conversion and painting from in my pre-wargamer days in the early 70's, was Peter Blum's The Model Soldier Manual.
It was illustrated by Claude Risley. (
Which probably explains why the drawings are all of ImrieRisley castings. Note the identical ACW uniform to my marching fellows and the arms which also appear on some of the figures that are currently on my painting desk.)
It was from the text and these b&w line drawings that I learned to convert and paint figures. None of these full colour, step by step, plates for the young me!
I forget what I paid for the booklet in 1970, a couple of bucks perhaps, and have no idea what the equivalent would be in today's dollars, but it led to hundred's of hours of enjoyment and satisfaction. Money well spent indeed!
Today I didn't have hours but I had enough minutes to begin the un-shaded shiny toy soldier painting style that I am now imposing on these model soldiers.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal 7 decades ago. Began playing with toy soldiers at 5 years. Started painting & converting at about 12 yrs and wargaming about 15 yrs. Never really stopped.
5 years in the Black Watch of Canada Cadets, 5 years at the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean followed by 4 in the navy. 25 years with CPC in IT simultaneous with 23 years running a boarding kennel. Inherited my love of toy soldiers from my mother's father. Married with a pack of litle Italian Greyhounds and a cat. Prematurely retired and enjoying leisure to game, maintaining our 170 yr old farmhouse and just living.
Interesting looking book and figures proceeding well.
ReplyDeleteThey are getting there: "Hurry up and wait".
DeleteSadly the internet has killed of the need for such books nowadays , which is a shame - a classic book and classic figures .
ReplyDeleteThere are days when I feel like an "old bugger" but maybe if I had better technology and eyes I'd be more comfortable with referring to a screen part way through painting and accidentally getting paint on it.
DeleteGosh!…
ReplyDeleteI used to have that book… unfortunately mine was lost many many years ago…
Toy soldier painting and converting guides have certainly come on a lot since then…
All the best. Aly
Mine was buried for decades but eventually resurfaced when the time was right.
DeleteI wish I had known about this book when I started out in the 1970s! So much flailing about and frustration could have been avoided!
ReplyDeleteI was lucky to have stumbled on an ad in a magazine in my high school days and ordered a mail order catalogue.
DeleteI started with Better Military Modelling by Donald Featherstone, which I found again when clearing out my Mother's house.
ReplyDeleteI always liked the fact that a man in uniform is showing the young boy how to paint...
https://pictures.abebooks.com/inventory/30023400922.jpg
Nice cover! I've never seen it but did have a copy of its predecessor: Military Modelling. Didn't find it till a few years after it came out and by then I was pretty much past Models and converting Airfix for wargame armies and into Minifigs and Garrison 25's.
DeleteThe font on the cover of the Blum book brings back a flood of memories from those days (sort of like when you catch a whiff of some familiar scent from your past). It's so characteristic of its time, as are the line drawings. Thanks for posting it!
ReplyDeleteAhh back when we lived in a new modern age. Little did we know what was coming!
DeleteI still have a copy of this pamphlet - my mom got it for me back when it came out. I also still have my old Historex catalog - I still use the examples of horse markings/colorings from it.
ReplyDeleteI still base my painting style on it when not doing toy soldiers.
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