I got a little bit more done this morning. The general idea for the scenario is in place and I got a bit more 'work' done on the table.
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| The central section of the table, waiting for the armies. The roads are made from traction sand which I can't get anymore (black grit seems to have taken over) which is why I sometimes use painted masking tape roads like the streams. The woods are formed by placing trees, rocks and "bushes" on painted cloth bases. Fields and so on can be added the same way. The table top itself has been mottled a bit. This will continue to be added to and changed as time goes by. |
One of the things that I like about a painted wooden table top is that in addition to terrain items that are placed on top, I can add features such as rivers, roads and woods with paint or painted masking tape and then over paint them when I want to change them. After a few months and years, the table top loses its unrealistic monotone colour and begins to look as messy and irregular as most real terrain.
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| The colours are slightly off in this shot due to a lighting issue this morning but at least it gives a better look at a quick masking tape stream. Essentially the tape is laid down then painted with the same green as the table (I keep a quart of my custom mix on hand.) The stream was then painted over top. When leisure time is available, the painting can be gussied up with rocks, currents and ripples, reeds etc on the banks, and maybe a bit more gloss on the water. |
Looks like Thursday will be a Snow Day which means the dice are very likelyt to be rolling..
Awesome that you have a bigger table back in action.
ReplyDeleteWith my recent move, I have not rolled dice nor pushed lead in more than a month ... other than moving the towers of minis.
Yes I am jealous.
Enjoy your snow day.
Well, 24 sq ft vs 21.2 but every bit counts. I'm sure the move will be worth the work.
DeleteYour table is looking good with the mottled painting.
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to have a fresh restart.
DeleteInteresting to see you breaking away from the grid Ross. Must say everything looks so much more natural and kind of flowing to my eye. The surface colours are very nicely done. Like you I have long had a love affair with grids but craved the freedom of the open board! Let's see how the fighting compares with the grid games.
ReplyDeleteLee.
Oddly, after some henning, hawing and brain strain, I'm going to be using a gridless version of my gridded rules.
DeleteThe table looks great and the stream is very effective - is it a single use stream or can you keep it?
ReplyDeleteIt could be good for a game or two but I have occasionally managed to remove masking tape features and re-use them a couple of times. Given the minutes and pennies involved though, its rarely worth it.
DeleteRoss Mac,
ReplyDeleteYou achieve a very effective look to your terrain using some simple methods that are not beyond the skill for even the poorest modeller. That requires a good eye and imagination.
All the best,
Bob
and practice and trial and error!
DeleteLooks great, and really interesting methods for rivers and roads! 'Mottling' seems an excellent idea, the cloth or table base can often be a bit too unvarying - good to mix it up a bit..
ReplyDeleteAlso helps if you spill something on the table, blends right in :)
DeleteLooking good Ross…
ReplyDeleteThe colours work really well and the scarlet of the Grenadiers really stand out nicely…
All the best. Aly
Thanks! All the better for the enemy to see them.
DeleteSo, did you get a game in? I spent the day grading papers and shovelling ;)
ReplyDeleteI graded the sand road on the table and shovelled and worked on adapting the rules. Game today. I hope, maybe carrying over to tomorrow's deluge.
DeleteI'm ...'GREEN' with envy!
ReplyDelete>roads are made from traction sand
Excellent idear, traction sand! Gives the figures..more...like........traction. (heh!)
Naturally its now been replaced by black grit which is no good for anything, well, except traction.
DeleteRoss, you always lay out a most attractive table.
ReplyDeleteGreg
Thanks, (blush)
Delete