About 4 weeks ago I picked up the "Gripping Beast" Viking Berserkers. Wanting a brak from mechs (there's plenty more of them to come), I decided to paint these, afterall it's better than watching TV in the evenings when I get home from work. (As I am sure we all agree.... absolute rubbish on most nights). Anyway 4 figures in a pack, I found the sculpting OK but not great, and the poses so similar on each one as to seem almost the same. Casting was acceptable, some flash and mould lines, but nothing major. Overall they are not something I took delight on, but at least they are done, and I won't be doing them again. When If comes to SAGA the game I will probably swap out the two handed axe man and add the Ulfhednar from Citadel I have already painted. I Painted their shields in black and white patterns. I remember when I was doing dark age re-enactment (about 15 years ago now) some woman, who was into textiles claiming that people in the dark ages probably did bot have a word for black as they could not dye it. I have never looked into it but for me common sense says that they did. After all just because they could not make a black dye did not mean that they could not make black ink or paint, or even just accept that the colour of coal could have a name. If we use her agrument today, it would mean we have no word for chrome, just because we can't dyd it. (SOrry went of on a Rant!
AS you can see these all have wolfskin "Cloaks" and the spear used overhand are quite long. I did not trim the spears and perhaps in retrospect I should have. While I am not overly impressed with the figures (or the painting if I am honest) they do round out my SAGA Vikings, so as far as I am concerned that's enough for me.
Thanks for reading, I shall try to post again on Thursday. All the best and speak soon. Clint
AS you can see these all have wolfskin "Cloaks" and the spear used overhand are quite long. I did not trim the spears and perhaps in retrospect I should have. While I am not overly impressed with the figures (or the painting if I am honest) they do round out my SAGA Vikings, so as far as I am concerned that's enough for me. 
They look rather nice sir. I agree they are quite similar in pose. Never really thought about what dyes they would of used tbh
ReplyDeleteRed is not too hard (use Madder), Blue use Brazil wood, yellows from several sources, like onion skins. Some Greens are hard to dye, others easy.... so they can be quite colourful, just steer clear of black and purple.
DeleteI would think the pose was to make the sculpting easier, I see no other reason.
All in all they are done (waiting Varnish) and I shall press on with a few more mechs.
Don't knock the paintjob, looks good to me.
ReplyDeleteThe poses aren't quite what I'd expect from berserkers.
As for colours, the Romans certainly had a word for black and it wass quite difficult to make into a dye.
Yeah that was just some random memory from the past about some silly woman. I am Sure the Vikings or Anglo Saxons did have a word or it.... I just got side tracked in nostalgia.
DeleteAs for it eing difficult to dye, you are correct which is why in the Dark age northern europe Purple was reserved for nobility, and black for the church. Black being hard to dye allowed the church to sho how powerful they were (and thus God) when they wore it.
Yeah the paint job is Ok but I still feel unhappy about it. But thank you anyway.
They look fine to me Clint!
ReplyDeleteIt's a personal thing. You know as well as I do that sometimes you are just not happy with the figure at the end. But thanks.
DeleteGood paintjob there but I have to say one of the chaps is going to feel the cold.
ReplyDeleteI am led to believe these Viking chaps are pretty hardy, Still beter him than me. (At least he won't get blood on his clothes.
DeleteThey look good to me.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Cheers KIWI.
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