The days are getting longer (well, ever so slightly) as the first month of 2014 comes to a close; “where does the time go”!  From a work- output point of view, I find it helpful to break the year into “chunks” using annual key milestone events & dates to pace myself against. The first of these (Valentines Day – oooh, get the red roses out!) is just about to loom up in the next couple of weeks, and I’m glad to say that so far I’m pretty much on target in terms of what I had mapped out for myself at the start of January- then again, I’d better not tempt fate!   Next up after Valentines, is St. Patricks Day (lovingly referred to here as; “Paddys Day”) followed by Easter, and then the first Bank Holiday of the year at the end of May brings us nicely into Summer, and on the year goes.  Before long, Halloween and then Yuletide comes zinging round all too quickly and once again, the year begins to turn; “Enough, Enough”, I hear you say – that’s my  first “Rant” of the year out of the way, so I’m definitely “on target” then!!   On the Modeling front, I’ve spent the last couple of days using some wonderful new paint brushes (which I treated myslelf to when I visited Radu Brinzan at his stand at the IPMS in Telford back in November) and they really are a joy paint with.   Made by the famous Japanese manufacturer; Zoukie-Mura these synthetic brushes apart from being superbly functional in every way, are also a “thing of real beauty” and they just “cry out” to be picked up and used!  The wooden handle being somewhat thicker just “sits” into the users hand, feels nicely balanced and is easily held with comfort during long painting stints.   Of course, the “acid test” for any brush is how it releases the paint onto the painting surface and just as importantly, how it retains (or maintains) it’s shape after use and on both these counts, I would rate them as the best I’ve ever used with Acrylic paint.    Acrylics really punish even the best of brushes.  Each time a brush is brought into contact with the painting surface the fibres have to distort in order to release the paint and then reshape themselves for the next application. Add to this, the constant process of wetting, rinsing, drying and eventually, the fibres begin to distort and the brush will lose it’s shape.   So far, I reckon these brushes have lasted twice as long as other synthetic brushes (which cost as much) without losing their shape, so I’m definitely ahead in that department also!  The two figures I’ve been using them on are progressing well with the main flesh areas blocked in and blended.  The racey looking female is a 90mm metal figure by Pegaso entitled; “Valentina”and the other is another fine resin figure of Niki Lauda from Racing Dioramics.  More on these later, cheers for now.

The Moto GP “moll” is more or less complete in terms of painting – next stage will be to add some suitable decals.  The Lauda figure has the decals added and the main figures blocked in – I also left the hand unattached so that I could have full access to the neck and chest area during painting.  I had problems with the decals in terms of getting them to conform, so there’s a bit of further work required.  I had hoped to use some of the original Tamiya decals from the pit-stop, set but given that they were nearly 20 years old I suppose it was a bit too much to expect!  I reprinted a suitable set on blank decal paper (using the HP inkjet) and although I used this paper before, for some reason it wouldn’t conform without bucketloads of Microsol and then the decal became difficult to work without breaking up – anyway I persevered and am getting there!  Once I get the decals properly sorted I’ll complete the shading and attach his hand and start on the helmet, more later, Cheers for now…