Dear Spammers

To all you spammers visiting these pages:

Do not bother! you will not get any extra publicity by posting your spamtrash here - there is no automatic post approval and there are almost zero clicks to be gained by posting a link to Louis Vuitton goods or sexually explicit pages.

So I am sorry to disappoint you all, but your time and comments are wasted.

The Sunday Rant

Isn't the world a horrible place? Terrorism, war, big business greed, weak and ridiculous laws, disease, environmental disasters on the increase, overpopulation, global warming... you name it, it's all evil out there.

Worst of all, I see way too many people giving up and complaining about lack of options...

In a democratic society I blame the non voters first and foremost. If you can vote but don't, then the blame starts with you for helping create weak governments. If you vote and then complain because the other side wins, you're just as bad. Democracy means accepting "defeat" and supporting the winner despite your grievances.

Corruption? It can be beaten. Name and shame. There's still waste, but I have seen small inroads in German politics - there are less personal gain claims happening under politicians because there's plenty of naming and shaming from the press.

Wars? They happen when politics fail. They needn't. But... The Kurds are out on the streets protesting that the west isn't helping enough. The Kurds are also out on the streets attacking the first mentioned Kurds. The Syrians and the Turks are holding back. Meanwhile we are asking ourselves: IS, ISIS, ISIL, good Kurds, bad Kurds, Shiite, Sunni, Ba'ath, Ayatollahs, Koreans, Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian, Mexican drug gangs, Brazilian land rapists?

Disease? Plagues? Bird flu, swine flu, human flu, mad cow. Now it's Ebola (which of the several strains is worse?)

Or possibly the worst plague: humanity itself. We're spreading faster than any disease and our "Maslow's Pyramid" is on the verge of being turned upside down (check this by googling and you'll see what I mean - the lowest tier of the hierarchy (breathing, food, water...) is going to become prime survival factor that will kill us off if we do not keep focussed...

What you negatives need is faith (no, not in the religious sense) in human nature and that we can overcome any problem. If WE don't solve the problem, then nature will. What's a few million years to the planet? Does the universe care at all, if we wipe ourselves out? Hell no!

Is there a cure? I think any half way intelligent person can come up with populist ideas (shoot the ba***rds) but we need some real intelligent problem solvers (not just IQ, but high EQ and MQ as well - i.e. emotional and moral quotients). We need people who are prepared to put the world first.

Yes, this is overly simplified. But dammitalltohellandgone, we NEED simple. Having travelled reasonably extensively, I know that nearly all "normal" people have the same needs regardless of coulour or creed. That means we need to have leaders who believe the same. We also need a set of scales to weigh up new ideas as they are thought of and we need to think if these ideas are good for all.

Is it too much to hope for leaders who always ask themselves what the people need and not what they think the people should think they need.

The biggest flaw is that there is no immediately visible way to give the human race a figurative "slap in the face" to make it stand back and take a deep breath.

Ah well. Enough rant for the moment. Looking out of the window I see the sun shining so I will grab my lunch, take it out onto the balcony, take a glass of wine and enjoy life. 

As Satchmo sung:

"...what a wonderful world"

Still practicing

A week or so has passed and nothing has happened - what a life!

Well, not quite nothing. I have been practicing painting my heads. I think I am slowly getting the hang of things, although at 1/16th scale, it's a devilish job getting the eyes looking anywhere near acceptable, let alone realistic.

But as the old saying has it - Practice makes perfect. Plenty of practice left for me! One of the things I had problems with was that the paints tended to dry a lot faster than I was prepared for. I now know what fluid retarder does - great. A worthwhile lesson, even if it was 30 heads (ish) too late.

So now I am also using a selfie as well:

Another lesson I am learning is that the eyes on the model are too white. So the photo serves to give me a pointer or two, and as you can see, I also have a couple of larger scale heads on poles. These two in this picture are 1/9 th scale. 

Keep following - you may be witnessing the makings of a half way decent modeller - if I should be around that long.

Getting Further Ahead

So, in my last post I described seven phases I wanted to try and follow up for painting heads. So how far have I gone then? Well, apart from having around fifteen heads nearing completion, I have a short sequence to show you:

...and after a further few hours of practice, this is where that officer is now:

Not perfect yet, but I feel I am getting there. I still want to add some stubble and I want to try to add some more eye-lining. Damn! These heads are tiny!

If you want to get a head....

It's not masterclass, but it is what I would call my first real success at painting heads.

There is more that I could do, but this is at least what I will allow myself to call a finished object. So as a reminder, here's my sequence:

1. paint the eye area white
2. paint the irises onto the eye
3. paint the pupil (I found that a 0.2mm technical drawing pen - such as the Rotring series - works great
4. paint the red areas like a mask around the whites of the eyes
5. paint the flesh
6. paint the hair
7. paint the headgear (if moulded on)

I think I will practice this some more and do a photo-story one day. Until then I leave you with my favourite farewell greet:

"Procrastinate!"

"Later..."

Another Short Story from One-Eye's Travels...

One-Eye’s Tale  Continues

We left old One-Eye snoring gently, face down in a bowl of pickled moles. Limp had gone outside for some fresh air, only to go limp from the numerous rounds. He woke up some time later to find a heavy dew had settled during the darker hours.

"Gerroffome, will you, Rabbi Goldstein!"

Shaking hands with his best friend, Limp signed the flower bed and strolled back into the bar to see where One-Eye had had gone. The other one was still there, but the left one was gummy and caked with sleep. Still, being a cheery cockney, he soon spotted old One-Eye and the pickled moles. Giving his best pal a dig in the ribs, he chirped, “Wotcher! Drinking again One-Eye? “

"Why thank you my dear boy! Barman! I'll have a pint of Uncle Elmersh number 5 pleash..." Now considerably refreshed, One-Eye laid his arm around Limp's shoulders. "Say, how's about we go do some water-skiing later, I know where we can get some water skis dead cheap - Candy's selling hers. They have never been used; she bought them a year or so ago, but got fed up because she couldn't find a lake with a slope. But I think I'd better have a hair of the dog, before we go and do the chores, Limp - after all, you have quite a few to do."

This totally threw Limp, after all, he'd been on laundry and washing up duty three weeks running. "Chores? What chores?" He said, somewhat indignantly...

(all together now...)

“Barman! I'll have a pint of Uncle Elmer's number 5 please - my wonderful friend here is buying. Oh, and a hair of the dog too."

Galland, a very worn and patchy looking Retriever, cocked an ear at this and rolled over to make a quick getaway, dislodging Speedy the Chihuahua from his warm "nest". Speedy just turned around three times as Galland made a dash for the dog flap, and settled down in a pile of faux beaver furs that some trapper (or was it a TV mogul) had left in the corner. No hurry for Speedy, after all - hair of the dog was no business of his.

Over at the bar, Fritz's third cousin Johann, thrice removed (...from his car - driving under the affluence of incohol) had just arrived in from the old country and was twiddling the knobs on the club radio set. There were some odd hisses and crackles, and then he tuned in to the marine network.

There was obviously some trouble on the water somewhere because a voice was constantly repeating "Mayday, mayday. We are sinking."

Being a polite and efficient Teuton, Johann pressed the talk button, "Hello, zis is Johann... vot are you sinking about?" There was a spluttering three seats down the bar, as One-Eye choked on a bit of mole. Well, it was actually a beauty spot on Sandy's cheek, but she didn't seem to mind much. Oh, we haven't introduced Sandy yet... Sandy is shandy Candy's randy sister, with the handy dandy mole.

She purred in One-Eye's ear: "Don't you think we should introduce Limp to Wanda?"

"Good idea Sandy! Hey, Limp - rather than lurk around in bars all alone, how's about us fixing you up with a date with old John Nuther's sister Wanda? You'll love that."

Now you ought to know this: Limp was a frustrated playboy, knew what, but didn't know who... always solo... "Yeah, that sounds cool. One-Eye. Interesting name... Wanda Nuther..."

...oh dear...

Let's Take a Look at Brushes

Paintbrushes! The bane of my modelling life! 

I know I am only just getting into some serious modelling, but it's not as if I have never done it before. In fact my first model was a P38 built with Dad, way back in the late 1950s and I have been on a war footing with brushes ever since.

In recent years I have collected more than just a few Revell "Deluxe" brushes because I had a model shop just round the corner. According to the German Blurb, they are made using Rotmarder hair. Might just as well be red squirrel for all the difference in quality I can ascertain. Although doing a Google translate tells me that that means sable hair. Sounds good.

Then I found Italeri brushes. Much better as far as I am concerned! And of course... I have Pelikan and other makes of brush in my collection. But when it comes to detail work, the single most important factor is to have a brush that keeps its point. The reason I now have fifteen Revell Painta Lux brushes is that the small point brushes (i.e. 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0) all "fray" after a few days of use. Take a look at this picture:

The brush in the middle is a Revell 4/0 and there are a couple more on the right. From right to left we have 2 Revell, 1 Pelikan "school" brush, 1 Revell standard quality, the much famed and frayed Revell Painta Lux and the Italeri brush. I'll get to the first one on the left in a bit...

Of all those mentioned (and many others) the Italeri brushes have been the nicest for keeping its shape, although the Italeri brush is starting to show its weakness in that the superfine tip is simply due to less hairs and that means less paint carrying. 

But then the revelation!

The brush on the left is a self-branded brush from an airbrush artists' supplier in Germany: Die Duese.

Now I have no claim to fame as an artist of any kind. I am just an enthusiastic amateur modeller learning the trade all over again, but these "professional" artists brushes are a pleasure to use and just look at the tip. I have used this company's brushes now for longer than any other single brush and that tip is as perfect now as it was the day I received it. 

...and the results show why I like them:

Incidentally, this is definitely a work-in-progress shot, so comments later please. ;)

These heads are 1/16th scale and after plenty of practice (about 30 heads painted and repainted in recent days) I think I am getting the hang of things - but let's wait until I have finished a few of these.

Incidentally - heads on sticks? Perhaps these could make a "Game of Thrones" type diorama?...

Nitty gritty bits - painting can be such a chore!

Painting models can be such a chore at times! Because I am currently building a 1/16th scale model, I am now discovering just how much detaail there is.

These shells, for instance, are just under three inches (7 centimetres) long and this means there's loads of space for the labelling that is applied by the munitions factory. At this scale, the detail is large enough to be read under magnification, so the modeller has the choice of applying fiddly transfers or just painting "pretend" text on the model. I chose to make my own transfers and you can really read the writing on the model.

And then there's the model figures! Zut Alors!!! C'est formidable! Take a look at these tank crew figures. At 1/16th scale a "normal" five foot ten crewman is 11 1/8th centimetres tall. These are the first model figures I have built with any effort more than mere lip-service. I am actually trying to do eyes better and add light and shade to the face. Darker lips, shadows in the nostrils and ears, hair, eyebrows... 

So please don't trash my efforts just yet - at 60 years old I am actually learning a new trade. Not particularly brilliant yet, but the models you see here are coming along and if you don't look as close as the camera does, the characters even tend to show expression. This one on the left here has a touch of Daniel Craig about him - even if I do say so myself...

Now this fellow here will eventually be carrying a machine pistol. But to tell the truth, I think he'd look better singing with the Village People. 

As for the chappie in the last picture... Looks a bit older than your average WW2 German tankie and seems to be carrying a lot of worry on his shoulders.

One thing not visible on any of these characters yet are badges and emblems... I amworking on them. I am making my own set of rank, unit, medals and honors transfers. I'll blog more one day about these. After all - I am such a raw beginner at the moment, that I would even think of calling my work good.

Let's just categorise me as an "Enthusiastic Amateur" for now

Here are my latest attempts. Hey, surprise! I managed to get a sneer on the right hand face and even teeth are visible on the left hand face. I even managed blue eyes... there are a few more in the background... brown, green and hazel eyes. 

One day I'll move on to larger figure models - maybe I should have starte on them first.

Oh well... "That's all for now, folks!"

Introducing One-Eye

You have probably all heard the old adage "There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old and bold pilots". Well, our unsung hero, One-Eye is the living proof that all rules can and will be broken (according to Murphy). He's a character I invented to add colour to my tales of derring do as an armchair pilot flying my flight simulator. After a somewhat dubious career in aviation, One-Eye finally moved to Washington (the state, not the capital - although that is in a state!) in the top left corner of the big bit of America onthe map. There, in a fictional flying club, our hero stirs up the locals - most often by flying upside down under any piece of scenery he can find.

So without further ado, let's hear it from One-Eye...

(Oh yes, that name, well, one eye wus in the wars, things happened that you'd not believe...)

Enter One-Eye

Old One-Eye walked into the Emma Field clubhouse with a pronounced limp and ordered one for the road.

Li Wan, itinerant Asian sheep-shearer, who had just finished shaving the mutton down at the newly founded "Emma Meadows Mutton Arbor" was not a man to take no for an answer. He picked up his book of Japanese Noh poetry from the bar, stood smartly to attention, about faced and marched out onto the road, following One-Eye's order to a T.

At the T junction, he turned right and disappeared into the sunset. That was the next nearest neighbouring waterhole in Lillawaup.

Meanwhile, back at the clubhouse, old One-Eye peered round the bar before looking at his companion again. "Well Limp, here you are, probably the worst dive this side of 14/32...."

Limp (His name is pronounced L I M P) turned to One-Eye, "What's a nice place like this doing in a guy like you? Ah well, never mind. Tell me some war stories, One-Eye..."

"Oh, the wars.... Not as pretty as they used to be... no sense of humour these days. Can't even raise a smile, never mind a... Oh, never mind! It's just grab the cash, shake hands and off to Hollywood. They're only in it for the mink coats.

"No, Limp, I shall tell you something far more interesting. Tell me, have you ever been shaws hunting?"

Limp thought for a moment - a puzzled frown on his face, "No... can't say I have. What's 'shaws'?"

"Why thank you, kind sir. Barman! A pint of Uncle Elmer's number 5, if you please. Cheers!" One-Eye took a generous swig, belched and turned to his somewhat confounded companion.

"No, Limp, I have many other tales to tell. War stories ain't for the tender ears of the listners here." He took another long pull from his glass of 'Chateau collapso'. "Anyway, whun I was in the wars, it wuz against the Yaps. Cunning blighters, them Yaps - laid the most amazing and inventive booby traps and ambushes, they did. Even though they wuz on the other side, you just had to admire their cunning...

"Ah, they may have had some cunning stunts up their sleeves (I'd better say that now - it might be a bit more embarrassing later), but we wuz far more inventive in the end. Invented the most effective counter measure you could possibly imagine - Yap poison!"

Now this really was interesting to Limp, even if old One-Eye's pronunciation was already a bit affected by 'Elmer's number five'. "Are you sure you mean Yaps, One-eye? I've heard of the Japs, but never Yaps. So what's Yap poison?"

The glint that came to One-Eye's one eye reached full intensity faster than you can say 'Antidisestablishmentarianism'....

"Barman, another pint of Uncle Elmer's number five, if you please!" He turned to Limp, "See what I mean? The old Yap poison still works. Cheers! Now, where was I? Oh yes!

"Barman, I'll have a plate of pickled moles please... No, not the ones in vinegar! The ones you have to pick lead out of. You know, the lead shot that Fritz doesn't bother cleaning out, after he sends the skins to the tailors to make those moleskin suits he wears...

"...before he went on holiday to those newer shores."

The barman set a plate of freshly grilled pick led moles on the bar in front of One-Eye and Limp. "Hey, One-Eye," he said, "Fritz has gone to Russia for the orthodox Easter festival. There's no seaside where he's going... so, what shores, eh?"

Quick as a flash at Twickenham, One-Eye responded: "Another pint of Uncle Elmersh numnumbenumbum fiyev, pleash. Hic! Now, where whash I? Oh yesh, the warsh...

"Now you take dear Candy over there. Everyone else doesh. Lovely lass, but easily undr.... er distressed! She went to Hollywood recently and gave hershelf to some Hollywhatsit film producer. Not just the shelf, but quite a bit more... all on the promise of a mink coat.

"Silly lass. Got taken all the way to the cleaners. (Or was it the bleachers? Something American...) Anyway, she was so depressed by her weekend in the lights, that she even tried to commit suicide by jumping from the top of Trump Towers.

"She didn't succeed, of course... got lost half way down and had to stop at reception to ask the way - silly watsers!"

Limp, as usual, took the bait, "Watsers?"

"She'll have an Elmer's Shandy and I'll have another pint of the usual, thank you. Barman! Mighty gentlemanly of you, Limp"

.
.
.
.
.

To be continued, when One-Eye recovers....  

Well, I missed the "Glorious Twelfth"...

...but I can get a bottle of grouse anytime. Although my preference is for Black Grouse as opposed to red.

Anyway! Enough of that and on to the blog. As you will see, I have extended the range of this here blog to include other things in my life. There is still only the one "EagleSkinner" but there are other things to blog about - and who cares if no one reads my tails.

First off for today's post is the fact that I have recently been building a King Tiger tank - the 1/16th scale kit sold by Trumpeter. Heavens! That kit has almost 2000 pieces to assemble and I have been at it for ages already and am nowhere near finishing.

Here in this first shot are just a few of the "swag" items I picked up at the modelling show that was held a few months ago in thePanzer Museum in Munster. There's all sorts of little items there: bolt croppers, hammers small and large, tool boxes, sleeping bag rolls, jerry cans and much more. All to be processed in due time.

I have also started to make some tank crew models.

This was after a couple of months (above) and still later (below

It turned out to be quite crowded inside that hull! Looking at the size of the figures in comparison, I imagine there were more tank crew injuries caused by banging around in that big tin can that many other types...

Even the turret must have been awfully tight when they had to heave those shells around. Then the noise and movement when the gunner fired! If you were fool enough to be standing behind that breech when the gun fired, you'd end up just a tad bit squidged!

These last two photos above are the most recent I have on the camera - but there's been progress since then - I'll keep you up to date in future posts.

Totally Off Course (of course)

I haven't really ever been on track with this blog, have I?

Well today I have one or two cross-links to music videos - I really can recommend these for the sheer cleverness of what this guy does.

Oh - and I may plug a laugh or two as well...