Sunday 10 July 2016

Roundwood Recommends - Number 6: Holiday Painting



Like everyone I know in the hobby, I really struggle to maintain a consistent painting schedule. Work, family, travelling, doing stuff around the house and garden … everything seems to get neatly coordinated to prevent me sitting in front a table a picking up a paintbrush until 11pm at night. Yes, I know that you know that feeling.

One of the best things about holidays is taking a paintbrush and some paints and figures. Tricky, but not impossible, if flying, but certainly possible if you’re heading anywhere by car. Part of the trick is getting prepared in advance.

I picked up a sturdy deep box from Paperchase, and kitted it out with an off-cut of blue Styrofoam to hold the Vallejo paints downwards with. I blu-tacked the brushes to the lid of the box and added a few other bits and pieces like a palette and brush cleaner. 


A while back I’d picked up a Foldi Daylight lamp which gives out a great daylight LED light to paint with and is powered by AA batteries (and cost about £60). OK, not cheap, but a pretty good investment if you’re painting on the go a lot. A long time back I’d also picked up a magnifying glass which you can dismantle and fold away and can be easily packed away in the painting box.


I fitted a handful of 28mm figures into a separate box – more late 17th Century militia – and I’m all set. I’ve no idea how many I’ll get through, but I’ll let you know!


When I can’t manage to carry paints – such as on an overnight business trip – I try and carry a notebook, some pens and pencils. I’ve loved making and drawing maps for years. Some of them historical, some not. I like dreaming up scenarios, battles and campaigns – some of them even get played! Just as with a blog, I write down the games we’ve played, the ideas that come to you at odd times of the day, and the plans that just about every wargamer enjoys making. Notebooks are a great way to stay in touch with the hobby, even if you have zero time. 

Just five minutes colouring in a map takes you to a 17th Century Italian valley, the Free City of Bravos, the Acheron IV meteor cluster – or wherever, or whatever, you enjoy.



They’re fun to look back through. Not as polished as a computerised map. A lot less printable. But a lot more personal. 

Holiday painting. Very strongly recommended, whichever world you’re visiting this summer.

35 comments:

  1. That's a cracking post Sid. I shall be doing some of that myself come Sept...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I picked up a couple of portable daylight led lights from Hobbycraft ..
      http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/daylight-company-naturalight-portable-led-lamp-white/daylight-company-naturalight-portable-led-lamp-white/603371-1000
      Worth checking out ..£20 a piece

      Delete
    2. Thanks Dave, and fantastic find with the Hobbycraft daylight lamp. Quite a significant discount to The Daylight Company lamp, and portable as well. Great job, Sir!

      Delete
    3. Oh and if you join thier craft club... You can sometimes get 25% off offers.. So I got two for £30 ... Which also came with free delivery!

      Delete
    4. Thanks so much for following this up, Dave! Great work (again!)

      Delete
  2. I have said many, many times and I'll say it again because it bears repeating.

    I hate talented people. I really do and you Mr. Roundwood, I hate most of all.
    I also chuck a few paints in a box occasionally, but I saw that notebook and the delightful little map inserts and I assumed that I was looking at a published book. I for one, would love to see more of the notebook once the feelings of envy pass.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The ramblings of a madman, Conrad, nothing more! Nothing for you (of ALL people) to be worried about !!!! But it's still a very kind comment, Conrad - thank you so much. Happy to offer you some more insights into the Black Noteook in another post!

      Delete
  3. I've been doing a little more painting too. Like you, fitting it in between the demands of my life, new job, and trying to get on with getting on with stuff. There really is never enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is tricky, isn't it, Ashley. There just isn't enough time. But instead of being depressed, I like to think of it as the sign of a full life (not that being reasonable will help me paint my squadrons of French Gendarmes!)

      Delete
  4. I think I probably do most of my painting in hotel rooms travelling for work , good idea about the daylight lamp I'm going to check out Dave's suggestion and I really like the maps.
    Best Iain

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Iain. I'm another member of the Hotel Paintpot Guild (a highly esteemed, travelling troupe of hobbyists). I feel another blog post forming for a later date - "Hotel Hobby Painting - Disasters Narrowly Averted" (!)

      Delete
  5. Looks like a great travel kit Sid. I try to do the same at our usual Spring casual holiday but find the table/hair arrangement can be as problematic as the lighting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spot on, Phil. I forgot to mention the table & chair combination. They can be really tricky in order to get "just" the right height. Been there, tried that.... camping stools, camping chairs, cushions.... It's worthy of a Blog post in itself!

      Delete
  6. Lovely maps Sidney! A real tour de force.

    Have a wonderful vacation!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sound advice! When traveling for work, I try to put in a painting kit and light too.
    As others have said, your notebook is a work of art. Would enjoy seeing more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good chap, Jonathan. Very sensible. Thanks for the comment - if you enjoy insane ramblings, I can open another page (or a randomly determined number of pages) of the Black Notebook in a later post.

      Delete
  8. I have long suspected that the style and quality of your work is as a direct result of a well organised and tidy mind - that sumptuous looking book is not changing that opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Well organised and tidy mind". Oh dear! I know countless people, and Mrs Roundwood, who would disagree! But thank you anyway, Sir!

      Delete
  9. I do write by hand a lot for professional purposes, even dabbling into calligraphy in my spare time. But not for the life of me could I achieve such clear handwriting without reference lines and drafts. My notebooks are a complete mess, illegible scribbles compared to yours. How do you manage and where did you learn this art? I'm in awe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're the scribblings of a deranged and obsessive mind. Follow only at your peril! (But thank you, anyway!)

      Delete
  10. They are wonderful scribblings Sidney! Very cool little maps and I would love to see more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rodger! I'll make sure the maps appear in another post before too long!

      Delete
  11. Those maps have just blown me away and I must admit I'm almost as envious of you're handwriting. My own chickenscratch has defeated many of my attempts at working in notebooks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks for dropping by, Brian! Thanks for the kind comment. Like so many things in the hobby, it's all about having fun - scratchy handwriting or not! So, just go for it, Sir!!

      Delete
  12. Often away but too much other stuff to carry paints. I do carry writing materials and scribble a bit at odd moments also.

    Unfortunately much of this doesn't make it home but "better" ideas are in my head.

    Explains a lot, huh?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I share your pain, Charles! There's always plenty to carry instead of paints and stuff, which is why I mentioned the notebook alternative. However you do it, it's still fun to take a little of your hobby with you, even if in your head!

      Delete
  13. I'm not long back from a month long holiday in the States where I took absolutely nothing wargaming related apart from a book and I found that I painted more in the month prior to leaving and in the month after returning than any other 3 month period in the year.

    I think the enforced break worked wonders to my overall throughput.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Jim!! Thanks for dropping by, mate! A change is certainly as good as any rest - and more power to your painting brushes! I completely agree that an enforced break can work wonders - it's all about doing the right thing in the right time and place! Well done, Sir!

      Delete
  14. Wow, those maps are awesome Sidney! You're not only an ace when it comes to putting paint to lead, no, you're a first class cartographer as well.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Excellent post, Adam. Really inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  16. @ Nick (Moiterei) - thanks, Nick! Hopefully I can post a few more of my mapping ideas from my notebooks later this summer.

    @ Stefan - thanks so much!

    (apologies for posting at the end - the "Reply" function on each comment doesn't seem to be working for me)

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is an utterly fantastic idea, and your etchings are bloody gorgeous sir. I tend to make copious notes for campaign or settings ideas, visiting the fiancee's family in Northern Cyprus a few years ago was full of inspiration, came back with plenty of notes and a half-decent tan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Kieran! Carrying a notebook is always a good idea to help wargamers scribble down the hundred good ideas we have every day (and doubtless a few bad ones as well). I hope you get some time this summer to carry on being inspired!

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...