"Kieler Austrian Infantry: 1680-1700 - 30mm flats" Topic

Finished some old Kieler Zinnfiguren Austrians recently.

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They came from two different sets, pikemen and musketeers. The fixed plug bayonets are a nice touch. Painted with acrylics.

Steve

Beautiful!

I know you always say you wish you could paint better, but you have a knack for painting flats. Beautiful work no matter what period you're painting!

Joe

They are stunning.

Are flats till manufactured today? I always associate them with an age gone by and assume they cannot be purchased anymore?

Phillius,

How could you miss this TMP Board? All your questions with a lot more of Corporal Trim's work can be found here:

TMP link

Thanks a lot, guys. :)

That's not an unreasonable assumption, Phillius. No question that flats are a niche hobby these days, not so popular as before even in Germany. These particular figures were probably designed and engraved in the 1920's or '30's. But it's by no means dead yet and new editors have sprung up to replace some of the old ones which have gone down.

Coincidentally, Kieler/Ochel has just created a website, although there's no prices or ordering system at the moment. But it's an encouraging sign, maybe we will yet see Ochel back in the game. If you browse the figure lists (you may need the F11 key), they are absolutely massive.
kieler-zinnfiguren.de

Steve

There are hundreds of thousands of 30mm moulds in Germany.
However, most of the editors only survive, because they do their trade as spare-time occupation. Today the painting standards are very high which means that the typical customers does only buys only quite a limited number of figures per year, in the past the dream of most customers were quite lage dioramas with many hundreds of flats.

IMHO the pity is, that historical wargaming is not popular in Germany. Wargaming would create a demand for larger numbers of flats. The only stuff that is florishing is the WRG crap :-(((

Ulenspiegel

Today the painting standards are very high which means that the typical customers does only buys only quite a limited number of figures per year, in the past the dream of most customers were quite lage dioramas with many hundreds of flats.

You know, that's a great point. I never really considered it, but the proliferation of "connoisseur" painting must have really cut down on the sales volume. I suppose to an extent, the editors must have to make up the difference on price. (and would have to given the costs of casting metal these days).

I'd like to see if increased popularity of wargaming in Germany would increase the demand for flats, or just add to the profits of HaT and Zvezda.

I'm slowly working on an ancient army of flats, inspired by Tony Bath: in substance, if not style. I may have to make some compromises with the painting technique if I ever hope to finish it.

Steve

Great paint job Steve.
I paint flats myself – for wargaming. I wonder how you manage all that shading with acrylics? Do you use retarder to prevent the fast drying. I use oil, and sometimes mix with Revell colours for initial faster drying base furnish. But the shading I can only do with oil. Must be a special technique.

Christian
link to an image of my 7YW battle of Bergen refight with some shots:
link

Stunning, simply fantastic.

hussarbob1746.webs.com

Thanks, Christian, I don't use the retarder. And the artist's acrylics in tubes generally dries slower than Vallejo or GW. I use both the tube and hobby paints. I'm not using any special technique, just painting as with oils, only rather faster. ;-)

Always loved viewing that Battle of Bergen page ! It's a pleasure to meet the originator of it.

Steve

I just joined this site. I get my flats painted by Tom Stark, the man behind Two Trees brand sold through Michigan Toy Solder. My collection, mostly acquired as a teen 40 years ago (from the late Irv Bechky of New York) is mostly Ancients, with some 1683 and 1756. I'm having them slowly but surely repainted with museum quality paint jobs for display.

Last month I visited Europe and dropped in to Berlinner Zinnfiguren and picked up a few sets of SYW.

If I can learn how to post picktures I'll do so.

Vorwarts, Phoenix AZ USA