Nuriochi's Wargaming & Painting Blog

Druchii Uber Alles

2012-01-17T21:37:00.005-05:00

So I've begun collecting Dark Elves (hence the new background image here on my blog) and I'm eager to finally get them on the table. The building is a challenge since I'm not used to these plastics, but I've gotten the hang of it. I love the feel of the Dark Elves; their merciless style is unlike ANYTHING else I play (or have played for that matter). So, without further ado, my first list:

20 Spearmen w/ Shields. Banner of Murder. Full Command = 180pts

10 Cold One Knights. Full Command = 310pts

20 Corsairs. Sea Serpent Standard. Full Command = 250pts

10 Repeater Crossbowmen. Guard Master. Musician = 110pts

1 Sorceress. Lvl2. Tome of Furion = 150pts.

That's 1000pts on the nose! Yes, I'm THAT OCD. So, I have a bit of this left to assemble and I'll be testing it out soon - learning this game by hook or by crook.

One question for the audience - any recommendations for good and inexpensive movement trays? What are the standard sizes I should be looking to buy?

Wish me luck as I sow merciless slaughter!

New Strategies - Random Casters!!!

2011-12-30T23:09:00.010-05:00

Aside from expanding out into Malifaux Outcasts (again) and Warhammer Fantasy Dark Elves, I've also decided to allow a bit of random chance and specific learning exercises guide my Warmachine & Hordes games to higher levels.

First, I've been inspired by a fellow Circle forumite - fildrigar - to track my wins and losses with a few sentence description of what happened. Highlights are on mistakes and bits of cleverness.

Second, I've decided that with so many options for warcasters and warlocks at my disposal, I'm designing a random system of game play. I've been using this site to generate random numbers within any range I want. Each month, I'll generate a random number for which faction to play for the month. Then I'll generate a random caster for each week or two. I'm not super strict with it, but it'll help me break out of the rut of using the same caster over and over. For example, I'm using two here to prepare for an upcoming 35pt tourney. So here goes...

January: Cygnar

Warcasters: General Adept Nemo & Captain Kara Sloan

And from here, I make some lists. I'm also trying to push myself to use models I don't usually use. So first up, the General... then Captain Starbuck.

General Adept Nemo (-6pts)
* Firefly x2 (10pts)

* Centurion (9pts)
* Hammersmith (8pts)
* Ironclad (7pts)
* Squire (2pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller x5 (5pts)

*****

Captain Kara Sloan (-6pts)
* Defender (9pts)

* Hunter (6pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (2pts)
Trencher Commandos (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)

* Trencher Commando Scattergunner x3 (3pts)

Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Rhupert, Piper of Ord (2pts) - {considering the Squire instead}

I'm excited to give these a whirl as I approach the upcoming tourney. I'm stoked. I'll use this space to track a bunch of my thoughts and experiences in Mali, WFB, and my new random approach to PP games. Also, keep your eyes peeled for more modelling and painting work.

Here we go!

2011-05-26T09:00:00.004-04:00

So, I've decided that not only do I need to paint my pigs, but I need a playable fully-painted force when I'm all done. So I've struck a balance between what I have started painting already, and what I can safely add and still make progress.

Lord Carver (*6pts)
* Gun Boar (5pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
* War Hog (8pts) {new}
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Slaughterhousers (Leader and 5 grunts) (6pts) {new}
Farrow Razorback Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (3pts) {new}
Alten Ashley, Monster Hunter (2pts)
Gudrun the Wanderer (3pts)
Rorsh & Brine (9pts)
Saxon Orrik (2pts)

The stuff marked {new} is going to need to be caught up to where the others are (base primer coat and leathers). In addition, I'll finish Dr. Arkadius, Pendrake, a unit of Bonegrinders, and another Gun Boar, since I don't want anything I've started painting to remain in-progress after this first pass.

The goal is to have these fully painted and based by September, ready to face my friend's fully painted and base Retribution. Should be quite the awesome showdown!

I'll start posting pics when I get each phase completed.

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Now playing: Sepultura - Endangered Species

Hogs Gone Wild

2011-05-06T23:47:00.003-04:00

I have too many piggies to paint at once. So I've divided them into two broads groups. So here's the entire collection...

Lord Carver
Doctor Arkadius
War Hog x3
Gun Boar x3
Farrow Brigands (min) x6
Farrow Bone Grinders (max)
Farrow Razorback Crew x3
Rorsh & Brine
Alten Ashley
Gudrun the Wanderer
Victor Pendrake
Saxon Orrik

And on the painting table is both warlocks, one War Hog, two Gun Boars, two units of Farrow, the Bone Grinders, Rorsh & Brine, and all four solos. Half tempted to keep moving forward and try to paint it all. But then the new stuff's on the horizon; it'll never end. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Warning Boar Crossing

2011-04-17T10:44:00.003-04:00

Started in on my Thornfall Painting. I have a small collection of models and I'm working through them one color at a time. So far, I've primed them all in Army Painter Leather Brown and started working through the leathers on the models in GW Snakebite Leather. After that I head into P3 Trollblood Highlight for all the tufts of fur and RMS Creamy Ivory for the tusks, nails, and hooves. Then GW Chainmail for the metal and P3 Ordic Olive for the loin clothes. Non-Farrow allied models get to use the same colors, but I'll put it somewhere else on them.

Here's the complete list of what I'm painting to start...

Lord Carver
Dr. Arkadius
Gun Boar x2
War Hog
Farrow Bone Grinders (Leader and 5 Grunts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) x4 (yes, that's 4 min units!)
Rorsh & Brine
Alten Ashley, Monster Hunter
Gudrun the Wanderer
Professor Victor Pendrake
Saxon Orrik

Later, I'll be adding 2 Warhogs, 2 Razorback crews, the new solo Targ, and a unit of Slaughterhousers.

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Now playing: GWAR - Gor-Gor

IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE!!!

2011-04-01T21:50:00.002-04:00

I don't paint. I just have to admit it and get over it and then start painting.

I've been itchin' for warm weather, to get priming, get painting, etc.

Above all, I have a PIG army that needs paint. It's my best chance to have a faction/army that stays fully painted. It's small. Lends itself well to dipping.

Stayed tuned. Tomorrow I buy the appropriate colored primer (Army Painter Leather Brown) and the first 50*+ day, I prime PIGS!!!

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Now playing: Budgie - Crash Course In Brain Surgery

Gorax Step-by-Step

2010-09-22T22:43:00.004-04:00

Base coat
Prime black. Top prime light gray. Paint ropes with 1:1 of VGC Earth and VGC Khaki. Paint metals with 1:1 of VMC Bronze and VGC Tinny Tin. Teeth and nails get a coat of VGC Cobra Leather. Wash entire model with GW Devlan Mud. When dry, wash the model again with GW Badab Black.

Highlights
Paint rock as Wolds are done. Highlight fur with P3 Trollblood Highlight. Highlight again with RMS Creamy Ivory. Final highlight with RMS Linen White. All dry-brushed. Paint nails and teeth with RMS Linen White. Highlight metals with base color, then add a little more VMC Bronze. Add some VMC Oily Steel for a sheen.

Details
Paint inside of mouth and dot the eyes with RMS Linen White. Wash the inside of the mouth with P3 Flesh Wash. Add a little red ink if necessary. Wash the eyes and surrounding areas of P3 Turquoise ink. Paint the leather straps with VGC Charred Brown. Then highlight by adding VGC Cobra Leather.

Base
As for Circle standard.

Painting a 35pt Circle Force

2010-07-31T10:41:00.005-04:00

Coming back to the Wolves of Orboros after a hiatus, and trying on some new techniques to stay motivated...

1. Remember these are one-wound models. Paint them as such. Don't obsess.
2. Cleaned off the painting table of all models except the WoO.
3. Morbid Angel and lots of other moody metal helps motivate for Circle.

So, the goal is to complete a 35pt Circle force in short order. It's the most common point level I end up playing against friends and what not. So, with out further ado, here's the list, along with what's completed.

Morvahna the Autumnblade (*6pts) -- painted
* Gorax (4pts) -- painted
* Woldwatcher (5pts) -- painted
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
* Woldwarden (9pts) -- painted
Shifting Stones (2pts) -- painted
Wolves of Orboros (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts) -- in progress
* Wolf of Orboros Officer & Standard (2pts) -- in progress
War Wolf (1pts)
War Wolf (1pts)
War Wolf (1pts)

So that's 25 points to have this list all painted up. Wish me luck!

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Now playing: Morbid Angel - Sworn to the Black

Consistency, consistency, consistency - Cygnar military scheme

2010-01-13T17:26:00.003-05:00

I like to keep track of stuff. I know I don't post a lot of pictures; none lately, in fact. But ultimately, I come back to this blog time and time again EVERY time I start a painting project. With no further ado, my scheme template for my Cygnar from here on out. It all gets used somewhere, more than likely.

[main color]:[shadow]:[highlight]

Military Green
[P3 Traitor Green]:[GW Badab Black or Devlan Mud]:[Base + RMS Leather White]

Military Gray
[P3 Ironhull Gray + Morrow White]:[GW Badab Black]:[Base + more white]

Military Brown
[VGC Charred Brown]:[GW Devlan Mud]:[Base + RMS Leather White]

Leathers
[VGC Beasty Brown]:[GW Devlan Mud]:[Base + RMS Leather White]

Armor/Machine bits direct
[VGC Gunmetal Metal]:[GW Badab Black]:[Base + RMS Honed Steel]

Armor/Machine dry brushed
[RMS Honed Steel]:[none]:[RMS Polished Silver]

Gold direct
[VGC Tinny Tin + VMC Brass]:[GW Devlan Mud]:[Base + more brass]

Gold dry brushed
[VGC Tinny Tin + VMC Brass]:[none]:[Base + more brass]

Blue accent
[P3 Cygnar Blue Highlight]:[GW Asurmen Blue]:[Base + P3 Morrow White]

And that's it... hair and skin is extra, and done on a model-by-model basis, using some basic skin tone recipe. This will keep things nice and documented for me.

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Now playing: Shadows Fall - In Effigy
via FoxyTunes

Something's gotta give...

2010-01-10T00:16:00.004-05:00

I gotta get this painter's block cleared and start pumping out models in a quickness. Here is an option for a 35pt paint-and-play list; includes a couple painted models, and a bunch of unpainted.

Commander Coleman Stryker (-6pts)
^Lancer (6pts)
^Ol' Rowdy (9pts)
^Squire (2pts)
Stormblade Infantry (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Stormblade Infantry Officer & Standard (3pts)
^^Stormclad (10pts)
Captain Arlan Strangewayes (2pts)
Journeyman Warcaster (3pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller (1pts)

Stryker, Lancer, Stormsmith, and Junior are painted; stormblades are WIP... the rest should be fun though, given my new Cygnar scheme I'm developing. Let's see what happens... see if I can get inspired to keep going after I finish my Defender.
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Now playing: Front 242 - Headhunter (V1.0)
via FoxyTunes

What's missing?

2009-11-04T15:29:00.002-05:00

I realized that I am in serious need of photographic documentation for these projects I've worked on. Time to borrow and play around with the new camera my mom isn't using. Cheaper than buying my own for now...

Stay tuned...

Wolves of Orboros

2009-10-20T21:54:00.015-04:00

Starting in on my Wolves of Orboros. Here's the idea so far, that I'm using on a test model:

Priming
*Prime with Duplicolor Sandable Primer Hot Rod Black
*Prime from top-down, and a little on the sides with Bright Touch Light Grey primer
*Wash the entire model with GW Badab Black
*NOTE: touch-ups can be done with VGC Cold Grey or VMC Black Grey

Base Coat
*Spear haft - GAFA Raw Umber
*Blade/pommel/armor - VMC Bronze/VMC Tinny Tin - 2:1
*Gloves, boots, leather bindings/wrappings - VGC Beasty Brown
*Clothe bindings on chest - RMS Deep Ocean

Shading
*Fur/clothing - wash with GW Badab Black as needed
*Leathers/clothing/armor/weapon - wash with GW Devlan Mud
*Clothe bindings - wash with original color/P3 Coal Black/VMC Matte Medium

Highlighting
*Fur - heavy dry brush of VGC Cold Grey
*Fur, pt 2 - lighter dry brush VGC Gold Grey & RMS Leather White
*Fur, pt 3 - straight RMS Leather White
*Weapon & armor - highlight with base mix
*Weapon & armor, pt2 - mix in VMC Oily Steel
*Leathers - highlight with base color
*Clothe bindings - highlight with base color
*Clothe bindings, pt 2 - mix in RMS Leather White

Detailing
*Belt buckles with RMS Honed Steel

Basing
*Standard Circle-style basing; for test model, just paint colors in for now.

Progress report

2009-10-04T10:54:00.004-04:00

I finished Commander Stryker, following the standards for my Cygnar, and finishing up my first battlebox (after what five years?). And after some initial doubts he turned out rather well. Not able to get any pictures up here right now, since I no longer have a camera. Also, not sure what to paint next. Thinking about a number of things...

Steelhead Halberdiers (using a fast approach with spray paint/washes)
Kaya the Wildborne & 2 Argus (to try finishing up another battlebox)
Gorten Grundback, 2 Gunners, and a Driller (for another WM battlebox)

Thoughts?

Circle Resumes - I'M BACK!!!

2009-09-19T11:38:00.007-04:00

Out with the Trollbloods, in with more Circle (and Cygnar, Mercs, & Minons for that matter). Decided to start trading off stuff to focus on the armies I will play and enjoy the most; have a lot of great trades in the works as I look to unload all my Trolls. If anyone reading this wants to know what I have left, leave me a comment here.

That said, the method I developed for speed-painting my Trolls should help me finish off some Circle units. Much of my Circle (and Mercs) have been primed with Dupli-color Sandable Primer in Hot Rod Gray, a pretty dark grey. I've also picked up a can of Bright Touch Light Gray, that turned out to be sandable too. First, a test model...

1. Prime with Bright Touch Light Gray.
2. Fill in bare metal with VGC Cold Grey mixed with hint of VMC Silvergrey.
3. Wash with GW Badab Black wash.

We'll see how that works and from there, apply it to my Circle Wolves of Orboros units. Starting as so...

1. Prime with either Duplicolor Sandable Primer Hot Rod Black or Hot Rod Grey.
2. Fill in bare metal with either P3 Great Coat Grey or P3 Ironhull Grey.
3. Prime from top-down only with Bright Touch Light Grey primer.
4. Wash with GW Badab Black wash.
5. Detail metals, skins, and a deep ocean highlight, per normal circle painting patterns.

Should speed things up considerably. ^_^

Gaming Pieces - Trollbloods

2009-05-07T22:47:00.007-04:00

I'm never gonna paint all the models I own; I know that now and can accept it. Taking a page out of Franzoni's book, I give you... gaming pieces! These are one-color models, with a heavy wash to bring out the details, great for getting some color on the table.

1. Begin with a black primed Trollblood model. Mount it with poster tack onto a small wood block. Touch up anywhere the primer missed or rubbed off. Get a nice solid coat of black.
2. Holding the block, and using a can of Duplicolor Sandable White Primer, held directly at the top of the model, begin spraying back and forth, right to left. Meanwhile, rotate the model front to back, along it's front arc, about 45* each direction (forward and backward - for a total of 90*). Yes, the model's movement and the can's movement will be perpendicular to each other. This will create a strong highlight. Allow to dry.
3. Take a can of Design Master Floral Paint Robin's Egg, and begin spraying the same way, from above. But this time rotate a total of 180*; from directly above to directly level, but don't rotate up underneath the model. This creates a nice gradiant from blue-over-white, to blue-over-black, to straight black. You may have to rotate the model around a bit to get the sides; avoid the underside of the model!
4. Mix up a batch of wash using GW Asurmen Blue, a drop or two of VMC Matte Medium, and a touch of water. Give the entire model a healthy wash, including the base. Be sure to avoid large pools and use the wash to darken in the deep recesses. As it dries, add more to reenforce the shading. Use a BIG brush; it helps speed things up so you can move the pools around before the drying rings develop. Overall, a smoother outcome.
5. Repaint the lip of the base only with VGC Black. Paint front arc markings using P3 Trollblood Base. It should match almost exactly. Wash it over with the blue wash just to even it out.
6. Coat with varnish - either gloss, then matte; or just matte. These are simple pieces after all.

Voila! Done... they're not technically fully-painted, but they look nice and are a heck of a lot better than just having primed or, even worse, bare metal miniatures on the table. My test model - a Fell Caller - took about an hour. I didn't even wait for everything to dry at each level before moving on. Works like a charm! WARNING: Individual models look kinda "meh", but as the collection grows, the sense of unity and function works terrific! They really look good.

Let me know what you think. I'll post some pics when I have a bunch done - probably the battlebox with the Fell Caller. Feed back is welcome and needed!

By The Book - Cygnar: Prime

2009-04-29T23:56:00.012-04:00

I think I want to try and paint the models I own from way back. To do that, I'm going "by the book", meaning I'll begin with Prime and work my way through to Legends, painting whatever Cygnar and Merc models I encounter along the way, in the order they appear in the book.

That means, since pCaine and pHaley are already painted, we get pStryker. I'll also take this opportunity to go back, in order, and paint front arc markings on completed models. So, to follow my standard routine, we begin with base colors...

Base Coat
*Armor - base the metals in VGC Gunmetal Metal.
*Vented plates - plates with holes get a 1:2 of VGC Tinny Tin and VMC Brass.
*Sword - base the sword in RMS Honed Steel.
*Leathers - base the leather pants and some arm areas in VGC Beasty Brown.
*Jacket - base the coat in 1:1 P3 Ironhull Grey and P3 Morrow White.
*Inner jacket - base with P3 Ironhull Grey
*Jacket trim - base with P3 Cygnar Blue Base.
*Armor highlight - gets P3 Cygnar Blue Base.
*Skin - base the face in a 1:1 mix of VMC Cork Brown and VGC Elf Skintone.
*Hair - base the hair in VGC Charred Brown.
*Hair - base with 2:1:1 mix of VMC Orange Brown, VGC Orange Fire, & VGC Bloody Red. Leave an edge of brown near the hair line.

Shading
*Armor, jacket, inner jacket, sword, and hair get a wash of GW Badab Black.
*Vented plates, leathers, and skin get a wash of GW Devlan Mud.
*Jacket trim and armor highlights get a wash of GW Asurmen Blue.
*Hair gets a wash of VGC Beasty Brown and GAFA Burnt Sienna.
*Hair gets a 1:1 mix of VGC Gory Red and GAFA Raw Umber painted into deep recesses.

Highlighting
*Hair gets rehighlighted with the base orange, then orange mixed with RMS Creamy Ivory.
*Begin highlights by reclaiming areas with base colors.
*Jacket trim and armor highlight get a 1:1 P3 Cygnar Base and Cygnar Highlight.

Wet Blending for Simple Armor Plates

2009-04-23T10:04:00.004-04:00

...and other large surface areas. This comes from DangerMouse, a super prolific and talented painter, often featuring his work on the PP Modeling and Painting forum. His water bases are amazing!

1) Lay down the base coat color (let this dry i do all the base coat at one time)
2) Mix base color with a touch of highlight (in this case about 5 drops of base and one of white)
-at this point a also normally make 3 more mixes of: about 5 to 2 and 50/50
3) Paint the mix on where the highlighting is needed one one plate
4) Wet blend with base cat back into the dark areas (the spots where base coat is showing)
5) Blend 5 to 1 for first highlight area
6) Blend 5 to 2 for the next
7) Blend 50/50 for bright spots, edges and that sort of thing

I also work form ether the top down or the bottom up on the jack that way my lighting stays consistent . Also the mixes are not set at 5 to 1, 5 to 2, and 50/50 i mix them until they look right and give a nice some flow from base color to bright.

Wanted this preserved, so I wouldn't forget it. It's basically the process I had to accidentally discover as I painted my Grundback Blaster. Thanks again, DM! Colonel K says - well done!

EDIT: @Airport... my definition of blending. Hmmm.... Instead of thinning my paints with water, I use drying retardant, flow improver, and distilled water, in a roughly 1:1:2 ratio. A drop or two in my paint on the palette helps keep the paint workable longer.

For the Gun Bunnies below, I would paint the upper third in the first highlight color, and while wet, use a clean brush to pull the color down in streaks into the middle third. Sometimes, I'd need to add a little base color back in and swirl it while it dries. The goal is a smooth gradiant without obviously lines.

Repeat the process with the second highlight, but only cover the top quarter of the area. Blend in with some of the first highlight color. Swirl it, mix it, "blend" it - just play around so it looks right.

The final highlight is more stark, IMO, and usually a little less subtle in the blending. I try to retain a smooth transition without an obvious line, but the distance it takes to go from highlight to next color darker is a much narrower area.

Searforge (General Merc) Test Scheme

2009-04-15T00:24:00.051-04:00

I'm using a Grundback Gunner as a test model for my over-all Merc test scheme. With some exception in metallics and various highlight colors, I think this will be the overall scheme across my gray-primed Mercs. I used my Dupli-color Sandable Primer in Hot Rod Grey - which comes very close to matching P3 Greatcoat Grey, making an easy basecoat for what's to come.

Edit 4/16/09 - added a Grundback Blaster to the mix; bringing him up to Base Coat colors and then moving on together as a pair.

Base Coat
*Metals - VGC Gunmetal Metal. The Searforge wouldn't allow oily metals like those crazy Swamp Gobbers or other wilderness types. Nice, even, classic metallic.
*Brass parts - VGC Tinny Tin and VMC Bronze in a 1:2 mix. This accidental color is awesome and creates a really nice tone/value, with good constrast.
*Hull - P3 Greatcoat Grey. See I told ya, priming gray would come in handy. Ease of coverage and a nice base for highlighting.
*Colored Hull Highlight - VGC Hexed Lichen with a spot of RMS Leather White. This accent color will carry through all my Mercs somewhere.
*Metal edging - VMC Brass and VMC Bronze in a 50/50 mix. It pops without being too bright. Including the bronze tones it down and helps blend.

Shading
*Metals - wash with GW Badab Black mixed with a little VMC Matte Medium and plenty of water. This wash may need a couple coats to build up.
*Brass parts & Metal edging - wash with GW Devlan Mud mixed with a little VMC Matte Medium and plenty of water. This wash may need a couple coats.
*Hull - wash with base color mixed with a little GW Badab Black, a little VMC Matte Medium and plenty of water. Focus on the lower areas and blend up.
*Colored Hull Highlight - wash with GW Leviathan Purple, a spot of VMC Matte Medium and plenty of water. Blend up from the lower areas.

Highlights
*Base - this is the perfect point to start the basing. Paint the inside of the base with a solid coat of VGC Earth. Use P3 Thamar Black on the lip.
*Metals - thinking of bold highlights. Highlight with a mix of VGC Gunmetal Metal and VMC Silver. Stay high and wet blend into the darker areas.
*Brass parts - Highlight with straight VMC Bronze. Stay high and wet blend into the darker areas.
*Hull - Highlight with a mix of P3 Greatcoat Grey and RMS Leather White. Stay high and wet blend into the darker areas. Use VGC Glaze Medium.
*Colored Hull Highlight - Highlight with a mix of VGC Hexed Lichen and RMS Leather White. Stay high and wet blend. Use VGC Glaze Medium.
Use VGC Glaze Medium.
*Metal edging - Highlight with straight VMC Brass. Stay high and wet blend into the darker areas.
*Blending - repeat shading washes to blend any overly-stark highlights.

Detailing
*Bolts & Screws - all the grey-based bolts and screws get painted with P3 Thamar Black and then spotted with VMC Silver. Easy! Bronzed bolts get a touch of VMC Brass; brass bolts, VMC Brass and VMC Silver.

Basing - autumn-themed
*Having already painted the inside of the base, retouch with VGC Earth.
*Using 50/50 PVA glue to water to glue my ballast/sand mix into place.
*Wash the entire inside of the base with a wash of P3 Battlefield Brown.
*Get a little sloppy and muddy up the feet - wash, dry brush, or both.
*Dry brush or stipple VGC Earth onto the natural highlights.
*Clean up black lip of base; paint front arc markings in VMC Black Grey.
*Add patches of Cygnar "Summer Blend", GF9 Autumn and GF9 Summer Flocks.
*Add a single dot with the silver Sharpee on each lip, back center.

And some pics...

Incidentally, these pics were the inspiration for my Merc bases in an autumn theme. Not a bad job matching these, considering scale and all, even if I do say so myself.

Bokur Repose

2009-04-10T21:09:00.020-04:00

Here's something new. This is my third bokur to be attached to Gudrun in my Searforge lists. Though I'm glad I finished this before the Mk2 rules hit. The bokur was nerfed pretty hard. They're still good solos, just not as b0rken as they once where.

As for this mod. Did some chop. A lot of filing. Some A+B putty on the joins. Then lot of green stuff. Followed by the ol' knock-off Dremel for smoothing, finishing, and molding muscles. Sorry the pics aren't great, but it's some forward progress. ^_^

Pics are clickable for larger close-ups.

Return of the Fully-Primed Challenge

2009-03-16T21:50:00.006-04:00

Just to stay up on things, and make some forward progress, announcing Fully-Primed in '09! Since last summer, I've accumulated a bunch of new stuff, so I'm priming it. In reverse order of how many points I have in each group. I'm also washing all my models now again before priming. After talking to Lincoln, I got a little paranoid about it.

5. Minions - done!
4. Trollbloods - done!
3. Mercenaries - done!
2. Circle Orboros - done!
1. Cygnar - done!

Thanks GOD for warm weather... so happy the winter is finally gone in Michigan!

My dedication knows no bounds...

2009-03-02T22:54:00.007-05:00

I just couldn't help it. Had to share. That is all...

Thanks to gdaybloke on the PP fan art forum for this!!!

Oh and some lyrics to inspire...
Want to see you vulnerable, I am not your equal
Ruling with an iron fist, and you are on my bad list
A routine casualty
Razor sharp beauty queens
Bridges built are bridges burned
You will get what you deserve

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Now playing: "Bad List" by Ayria

Ladder Challenge Revisited

2009-02-19T23:45:00.006-05:00

Here it is, bitches. Since it seems I'm motivated again, I'm retooling my 350 for Morvahna. Yes, I understand that Morvi might not be the most competitive at 350 points, but I think this list will handle a lot and come back for more. These also include a lot of models that have a place in my heart and/or really deserve paint jobs because of their performances.

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^Morvahna the Autumnblade
Gnarlhorn Satyr
*Woldwyrd
Wolves of Orboros (6)
Wolves of Orboros Officer and Standard Bearer
Professor Viktor Pendrake
*Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew
-Army Points: 346/350
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The star denotes finished models. The little chevron denotes model(s)-in-progress. I'm cheating a little, but I'll be painting my entire unit of WoO with the UA, so there. :P

So who's with me? Lincoln, I'm looking at you!!! Challenge time! Trade Rob for Khador and let's do this...

Morvahna in Ocean Blues

2009-02-16T19:26:00.033-05:00

On to Morvahna. After my successes with my Swamp Gobs, I'm keeping up the momentum, loving the color scheme, and applying both to my favorite warlock.

Base Coat
*Skin - finding the right skin tone has been a challenge for me, but I think I like this one. It's a 50/50 blend of VMC Cork Brown and VGC Elf Skintone. It's even, it's healthy, it's youthful. Multiple layers, thinned with my normal mixture, is key.
*Cloak - on less important models, the deep blue-green color will be less pronounced. On Morvi, it's front and center. The entire cloak is painted in a nice even coat of RMS Deep Ocean.
*Clothing - keeping with blackclad theme, Morvi's long skirt and sleeves are painted in VMC Black Grey. I've painted all the jewelry and stones this color too, just to make detailing easier later.
*Under-corset - to drop the greys in there, this subtle bit of cloth, sticking out from under her armored corset, is coated in a layer of VMC London Grey.
*Hair - hair is going to be a rich series of browns with red highlights. So to start, we need a nice deep warm brown. VGC Charred Brown is layered on and into the whorls and curls.
*Metals - the corset, sword hilt and pommel, the disk-shaped cloak pin, and the crown are all painted with VMC Bronze. Later, the metal woven into her hair will be detailed with the same color.
*Sword Blade - this is easy; a nice even coat of a 50/50 mix of VMC Oily Steel and VMC Silver. Again, multiple thin layers are best. Later this will be highlighted up to a brightly honed steel.

Shading
*Wash Morvahna's hair and black clothing with P3 Armor Wash.
*Wash her cloak with the original color & VMC Matte Medium & P3 Coal Black.
*Once dry, wash the cloak again with more P3 Coal Black. Focus on recesses.
*The brass metals get a wash of GAFA Raw Umber and VMC Matte Medium.
*The silver metals wash with GAFA Payne's Grey and VMC Matte Medium.
*Once dry, follow with a deep recess wash on all metals with P3 Armor Wash.
*The shirt under her corset gets a wash of P3 Armor Wash.
*The deepest recesses of the cloak get a very thin wash of P3 Armor Wash.
*The skins get a wash of GW Devlan Mud thinned with water and VMC Matte Medium.

Highlighting
*Begin by reclaiming the original color on the black clothing. Then use the base coat mixed with RMS Leather White, progress up to a deep grey.
*Reclaim the color on the shirt under the corset. Then use the base coat mixed with RMS Leather White, progress up to a light grey. Highlight the edges in almost pure RMS Leather White.
*Lightly reclaim the brass areas on her corset, sword, head piece, and medallion. Then use the base coat mixed with RMS Honed Steel for a further highlight. Do a final highlight with the base and RMS Polished Silver.
*Reclaim the silver on the sword. Then use the base color mixed with RMS Honed Steel for a highlight. Mix in RMS Polished Silver for a final highlight.

...after over a two-month hiatus, I return...

*Paint the lip of the base with P3 Thamar Black. Paint the inside of the base with VGC Charred Brown. Now's a good time because I'm starting on the cloak soon, and I don't want to be painting brown near it after it's done.
*Reclaim the brown color (since I had it ready from above) on the hair with a light dry brushing to hit the high points. Add a drop of GAFA Burnt Sienna to the mix and highlight some more. Keep adding and highlighting. Add a little P3 Moldy Ochre for the highest edge. Then wash entire head in GW Red Ink. Then GW Devlan Mud. Then reclaim the burnt sienna/ochre hightlights on the upper light-hitting edges.
*Using a two-brush wet blending approach, highlight the upper areas of the cloak with straight RMS Deep Ocean, pulling the color down into the darker areas. After that dries, do the same on a smaller area with a 5:1 mix of RMS Deep Ocean and RMS Leather White. Proceed to a 5:2 mix. Then a 1:1 mix for the extreme edges. Then, to smooth it all out, wash the entire cloak with P3 Turquoise Ink and water in very thin layers.
*Reclaim the skin by using the original color. After that dries, begin highlighting with a 5:1 mix of the original color base and RMS Creamy Ivory. Proceed to a 5:2 mix, on smaller areas. That should be enough, but a 1:1 mix wouldn't hurt for extreme highlights. She's gonna be pale, folks. Use a bit of GW Devlan Mud to smooth transitions and reclaim any over-highlighted areas.

Detailing
*Paint the little curls on her cheeks with straight GAFA Burnt Sienna. Paint her lips and nails with a 1:2 mix of VMC Black Red and VMC Brown Rose. Highlight the lower lip with straight VMC Brown Rose.
*Paint the eyes standard. Black, then white, then black.
*Paint the hair "trap" with VMC Bronze, then a layer of 1:1 VMC Bronze and RMS Honed Steel.
*Create a glaze with 2:1:5 of VMC Black Red, VMC Brown Rose, and VGC Glaze Medium. Carefully paint this onto the upper eye lid, up to where the eyebrow will be. Use a 2:1 mix of VGC Charred Brown and GAFA Burnt Sienna and carefully trace the model's brow ridges.
*Basecoat all the stones hanging from her wrists and across her legs with GW Foundation Charadon Granite.

Basing
*Standard Circle basing scheme.

Total time: ~12 hrs

Swamp Gobs Begin!

2009-02-03T21:29:00.030-05:00

Ok... documentation time. These little buggers will serve as a template for my Circle Orboros warrior models. As of the base coat, it looks really good together.

Base Coat
Start with a base of VMC Green Ochre on the skins. Shirts, pants, and handkerchief are a combination of VMC Black Grey and RMS Deep Ocean, alternating which colors are where on each model (e.g. pants and handkercheif are blue on one model, black-grey on the other). Cover the leggings, gloves, and hat in a coat of VMC London Grey. Leather bags and straps are a 50/50 blend of VGC Beasty Brown and RMS Dark Shadow (to cut the red tone). Woods on the bellows pump is a 50/50 mix of VGC Charred Brown and RMS Dark Shadow (again to cut the red tone). Cover the tubes and pipes, and the inside of the tank, in VMC Oily Steel. Coat the nozzles and trim in VMC Brass.

Shading
Skins get a wash of the original color mixed with a touch of GAFA Raw Umber and VMC Matte Medium. The clothing is left alone; it's dark enough and gets highlighting only. The leggings, gloves, and hat get a wash of the original color mixed with VMC Black Grey. Leathers and wood get washed in a mix of GAFA Raw Umber, VMC Matte Medium, and water. The silver metals get a wash of GAFA Payne's Grey and VMC Matte Medium. After it dries, following with a deep recess wash of P3 Armor Wash. The brass metals get a wash of GAFA Raw Umber and VMC Matte Medium. After it dries, follow with a deep recess wash of with a touch of P3 Armor Wash.

Highlighting
First highlight is to clean up areas of spillage and error from the washes, and do general broad highlights, using the base coat colors. Further highlights were:
Gloves - base coat mixed with RMS Leather White, progress up to a 50/50 mix.
Blues - base coat mixed with RMS Leather White, progress up to a 50/50 mix.
Blacks - base coat mixed with RMS Leather White, progress up to a deep grey.
Wood - base coat mixed with a touch of VGC Bonewhite.
Metals - base coat mixed with VMC Silver, especially on the bronze areas, allow original color to show.
Skin - base coat mixed with RMS Creamy Ivory. Lips, chin, nose, ears, elbows and ankles use the same mix but with added in VMC Beige Red. This added a lot of warmth and character to the models.

Detailing
Eyes - RMS Sunlight Yellow
Teeth & nails - RMS Creamy Ivory
Clean up any untidy spots, errors, what not.
Add black/brown lining between areas that seem a little indistinct.

Basing
As per my Circle Orboros standard basing technique. I've found painting the lip of the base black at some point during painting - this time during highlighting - helped provide a solid base and covered the white between the lip and the flat inner portion nicely.

Well, I promised pictures... I didn't promise they'd be good though. :-/

Total time: ~10 hours

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black...

2009-01-09T20:42:00.012-05:00

Well, here's another one of those "scheme posts". If you recall, here's my plan for my current factions.

Summer's Trial (Cygnar) - Classic blues/brass w/ summer mix bases. Some whites, bronzes, golds, silvers. Basic classic studio scheme.
Spring's Malice (Circle Orboros) - Dark/bronzes w/ turquoise glow & slushy bases. Very dark grays & greens. Some deep wine reds for cloaks.
Winter's Wrath (Trollbloods) - Cooler classic blues/gold w/ snowy bases and a lot of yellow grasses. Look at Masonic tartans.

But today, I was inspired by my favorite Man in Black to have my Mercs really look the part. They'll be a black & purple version of my Cygnar, with lots of dark metallics, and more yellows on the grassy bases. I think this will mesh well with the existing forces, either Cygnar or Cryx. Besides, Ashlynn certainly would wear black in mourning for her fallen kingdom.

Autumn's Vengeance (Highborn Covenant) - Blacks, purples, oranges/gold w/ autumn bases. Coherent with Cygnar. A black Cygnar.

Maybe I'll start with Rhupert, to try and get the scheme down.

Group shot

2008-10-07T22:12:00.003-04:00

Here's the mass of Circle/Minion models I have completed to date. I just love group photos. This one's a little crowded, but still makes me feel good.

I think this may mark the end of my Circle painting for a bit. Maybe finish up some Cryx and Cygnar stuff now...

Woldwarden Step-by-Step

2008-09-24T19:51:00.008-04:00

Took on the Woldwarden next. Made some changes from the Woldwatcher experiences and went ahead with the sponge painting approach again.

Base coat all stone areas black (this guy was primed white - mistake). White out the "eyes" and some of the surrounding area. The sponging will help delineate the appropriate eye area.
Sponge or stipple (in tight areas) in consecutive, diminishing layers - VMC Black Grey, P3 Ironhull Gray, P3 Cryx Bane Base, P3 Cryx Bane Highlight, P3 Trollblood Highlight. Careful to leave recessed areas black.
Paint all the wood and ropes with a 50/50 mix of VGC Charred Brown and RMS Dark Shadow. The Dark Shadow kills a lot of the red in the Charred Brown, making for a nice even brown with a suggestion of gray tones.
Paint all the wood "flesh" or exposed inner parts with a 5:1 mix of VGC Khaki and the mix for the rest of the wood. This deepens the Khaki and makes for a nice base.
Paint all the ropes with a 50/50 mix of VGC Khaki and VGC Earth. Careful to keep this on the ropes and knots only. Leave some dark recesses as appropriate.
Wash entire wood/rope areas with a mix of VMC Matte Medium, water, P3 Armor Wash, and VMC German Camo Black Brown, in equal portions.
Highlight wood and ropes with their original colors. Highlight up more with adding VGC Khaki as appropriate.
Wash the "eyes" with P3 Turquoise Ink. Leave some whiter areas in the middle; focus on edges.
Base per Circle Basing article below.

That's it. I'm on Step 9 now, and the highlighting turned out great! It's all recorded here, so I won't forget what I've done or planned to do. Will update with pictures (at this point, I have a lot of photograph and show).

Pics, as promised.

Second angle
Third angle
Fourth angle

Bones & Leaves

2008-09-21T22:45:00.005-04:00

Some new techniques I stumbled upon or modified from other sources that I should document quick. First up, old bones; the kind sitting on the ground waiting...

Old bones
1. Base coat with VGC Bonewhite.
2. Wash with a watered mix of VGC Sepia Ink & VMC US Field Drab.
3. Glaze with a very light layer of VMC Brown Violet (actually a greenish color).
4. Highlight back up with VGC Bonewhite.
5. Pick out teeth with RMS Linen White.

And every once in a while, PP sculpts a model with leaves or grass. These can be hard to paint to match whatever terrain goes on the base. But I came up with this...

Leaves in Pewter
1. Base coast with VMC Brown Violet.
2. Highlight with P3 Ordic Olive
3. Consequetive highlights with P3 Ordic Olive and P3 Moldy Ochre mixed.
4. Last highlight should have a little more Moldy Ochre than you think you need; it really pops!

That's it. Both of the techniques were developed on my latest Shifting Stones. Should have pictures... eventually.

Sentry Stones

Second angle

Shifting Stones

Second angle

Feralgeist #2 and new Trollbloods basing

2008-09-09T22:15:00.006-04:00

Did another "accidental" Feralgeist. Did the same process, but started with more of a 50/50 GW Dark Green and Yellow ink mix near the bottom and slowly transitioned into a mostly yellow ink near the top. Actually, did the top 1/3 and the bottom 1/3 and then transitioned between. Did the bones the same as before. The base was a bit different. Followed the Cygnar base process, but after the ballast dried, I deviated...

Dry brush VGC Earth on the turf
Dry brush a layer of VGC Earth and VGC Khaki mixed on the high areas
Dry brush straight VGC Khaki near the tips of stuff
Paint on front arc markings with VMC German Camo Brown Black
Glue on smallish areas of my custom Summer Mix flock
Glue on some areas around and above (where possible) of straight GF9 Summer Blend

Looks really good. A dryer look with a lot of texture in the base. This method will be great for my trolls. The second Feralgeist is outside now, his layer of gloss coat drying nicely. Started two Sentry Stones as well, in my standard sponged-on rock method. They looks great with a lot of turquoise-glowing areas. Just need to finish up the sculpted foliage and base them.

Second angle
Third angle

Front arc markings...

2008-09-03T22:39:00.010-04:00

Just to keep it all straight and organized, I'm writing my front arc markings color choices here. The goal is to have colors that are dark, subtle and easily overlooked when simply viewing the model, but easy enough to see in play, while also helping to tie the army together in a cohesive style.

Cygnar - VGC Imperial Blue
Circle Orboros - VMC Black Gray
Cryx - VGC Scurf Green
Trollbloods - VMC German Camo Black Brown
Highborn Covenant - VGC Royal Purple
Legion of Everblight - RMS Walnut Brown

Painting the front arcs involves using YoungWolf7's front arc measuring templates, a fine brush (0 or 1) and a steady hand. Be sure to thin the paints with Stokes Magic Sauce because the lines get thick with raised borders otherwise. Ugly...

Minions will use the color of the faction they'll most likely see time with. For example, my first Feralgeist went with the Circle Orboros front arc markings. My second one will go with Trollbloods. The colors are subtle enough, and faint enough, to not matter. Being painted's the most important part. Yay!

Feralgeist: A Bit of Random Painting

2008-09-01T23:16:00.004-04:00

I somehow just started this guy. After buying some P3 Turquoise Ink, I realized I could get a cool color if I mixed some of my preexisting inks. With my Feralgeist sitting there, primed and waiting, I went to town. Here's what I did...

Cover the entire spirit portion of the model with a 50/50 mix of GW Dark Green Ink and GW Yellow Ink. Mixing in some Vallejo Matte Medium on the subsequent layers, I was able to darken the effect.*
Paint the carcass with a solid base coat of VGC Bone White
Wash the carcass with a mix of VGC Dark Fleshtone and water, with a drop of VMC US Field Drab, to cut the red tone. This gives an appoximation of P3 Idrian Flesh, as recommended for this model in NQ #16.
Highlight the bones' natural edges with RMS Creamy Ivory. This approximates the 50/50 mix of P3 Menoth White Highlight and 'Jack Bone, again as recommended in NQ #16.
Wash the entire carcass with a blend of one part GW Red Ink, two parts GW Brown Ink, and lots of water. I added some more red ink to the mix for a little extra gore. Worked well.
Re-highlight the bones' natural edges as in step 4, but keep it subtle.
Base as Circle Bases tutorial below - this guy will work most often with my Circle. I skipped the front arc markings since he has no melee weapon and will often be used in other factions; the colors won't clash that way. I also skipped the leaves, since his usable base area is kind of limited.

*Two thoughts: be sure to let each layer dry thoroughly; I almost ruined the effect in places as the ink rubbed off. And on my next Feralgeist, only use one layer of ink, with no Matte Medium - the effect was cooler before adding too much color - the yellow stayed high, and the green went into the recesses. Oh well, next time.

Voila! He looks neat. His gloss coat is drying as I write this. He'll get dull coated tomorrow and maybe I'll get some pictures. Overall, took about two hours; should knock out the second one quick while the method is still fresh in my mind.

Good night, all!

Morvahna: Pomegranate Inspired

2008-08-16T11:25:00.002-04:00

Based on the narrative I wrote last year about Kaya's battle against the skorne and her relationship (a bit) with Morvahna, and given my personal desire to paint more, I'm looking for inspiration for the high lady of Orboros.

How can I work the pomegranate imagery of my story into my paint scheme for Morvi? If you have any suggestions, please include how I'd achieve the effect. So far, I'm thinking her cloak will be a deep red/pomegranate color, the color of the seeds.

Here's a good photo reference, but I'm struggling on how to achieve these colors. What would you start with and how would you shade/highlight? And here's one with more high and low lights.

(I know this post is kinda scattered, but it's an accurate portrayal of my creative process.)

EDIT: Quickly playing around with my available paints, I found that VGC Gory Red mixed with VGC Hexed Lichen, in a 5:1 ratio, resulted in the base color I'm looking for. I think adding a smidgen of VGC Imperial Purple might result in a good shading color. But the reference photos show a strange fleshy highlight color. Maybe I'll play with VMC Beige Red for a highlight mix (an almost identical color to P3 Midlund Flesh), followed by some glazes of red ink. That might work in light of the "painting gems" tutorial in NQ #16. Any thoughts?

Woldwyrd Step-by-Step

2008-08-15T17:48:00.011-04:00

Here's my Woldwyrd step-by-step, documented based on my Woldwatcher experiences, plus improvements made. I want to keep up this approach for all my constructs.

Fill in any flaws from the black priming with P3 Thamar Black (use thinned with about 50% paint, 25% Stokes' Magic Mix and 25% water).
Sponge on in decreasing coverage, sequential layers, straight from the bottle: VMC Black Grey, P3 Ironhull Grey, P3 Cryx Bane Base, P3 Cryx Bane Highlight. Simulate lighting and highlights.
Paint "eyeball" with GW Hawk Turquoise.
Darken upper "eyeball" by mixing turquoise with Blue Ghost wash.
Lighten the lower area by mixing in P3 Morrow White. Dot of pure P3 Morrow White opposite the lower highlight.
Carefully paint wood and ropes with P3 Battlefield Brown, including around "eyeball".
Wash wood and ropes with a watered mixture of P3 Battlefield Brown and P3 Armor Wash.
Highlight back up with P3 Battlefield Brown plus P3 Trollblood Highlight and GW Bestial Brown (to warm up the wood).
Pick out ropes with VGC Earth and a light VGC Khaki highlight here and there.
Wash ropes with a watered mixture of P3 Battlefield Brown. Re-highlight with VGC Khaki.
Base, gloss coat, dull coat x2 light layers, add slush mix, dry brush P3 Morrow White, and then gloss varnish the slush.

Total time: ~4 hours

After a couple hours work, I'm on stage 11 right now. I added the slush mix this morning, now I'm hitting the movies. Later I'll be doing the gloss on the slush, and I'll be done in time to field the little bugger tonight in my Kromac rematch against Thagrosh...

W00t!

Finally, some photos...

Angle 2
Angle 3
Angle 4

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Now playing: "Cut Down" by Sister Machine Gun

Cygnar Bases

2008-08-09T08:12:00.005-04:00

Here's the process I've developed to base my Cygnar models (from here on out that is; some of my older models are much simpler)... Make sure you allow plenty of drying time between each stage.

Paint entire inside area of base, including any cork, with VGC Earth.
Using 50/50 PVA glue to water to glue my ballast/sand mix into place.
Wash the entire base with a wash of P3 Battlefield Brown.
For cork bases, add P3 Armor Wash to the original wash; apply in the deep recesses.
Dry brush or stipple VGC Earth onto the natural highlights.
Clean up black border on base; paint front arc markings in VGC Imperial Blue.
Using above PVA mix, glue "Summer Flock" into place*.
One strong layer of Testor's Gloss Coat, following by 2 light coats of Tester's DullCote**.
Using above PVA mix, glue tufts of my static grass mix into place***.

*My "Summer Flock" is a 50/50 mix of Woodland Scenics Green Blend and Burnt Grass, with some sprinkles of GF9's Summer Blend to whatever looks right to me. The GF9 stuff is too bright without the other colors. And a good flock is always a mix. Experiment!

**I use two different spray varnishes for a couple reasons: 1) gloss is actually the stronger protector. The stuff was designed glossy, and the process that makes it dull weakens it chemically. 2) I use my models; a lot, in some cases. Having a layer of gloss coat at the bottom lets you know when the dull coat is wearing off so you can reapply before the paint is damaged. 3) I have this pesky problem where all the matte medium I use (and I use a lot) interacts with dull coat and turns a milky white in the deep recesses where it should be black. It's very annoying. I've found gloss coat doesn't interact with the matter medium. 4) I find something satisfying about bringing all the mixed gloss/satin/matte of the model up to an even gloss, and then down to an even dull, helps bring all the colors into alignment and blends away a lot of little color gradient goofs.

***My static grass mix is a roughly 50/50 mix of classic bright green static grass and GF9's Winter/Dead grass. It mutes the intensity of the green grass enough that you don't need to dry brush the grass if you don't want to. It looks more realistic, in my opinion.

So that's it. Documented for posterity. I'll post some pictures of my Centurion that I finally finished later on today or tomorrow...

Finally, some photos... figure since this is a post about basing, I'd start there.

Then show the whole model...

Angle 2
Angle 3
Angle 4

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Now playing: "Dig It" by Skinny Puppy

Tharn Ravagers Layer by Layer

2008-06-08T22:05:00.003-04:00

Ok, I don't want to get rid of the richness of my prior post, but I need something more user-friendly. So here it is; my Tharn layer-by-layer

Skins

Base coat - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner [1:1]
Flesh tone, 2-3 coats for coverage - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, H2O [7:1:1:1]
Flesh wash #1 - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, Matte Medium, water [3:1:2:1:5]
Flesh wash #2, recesses only - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, VMC German Camo Brown Black, Stokes' magic sauce, VGC Matte Medium, water [1:1:1:2:1:5]
Highlight #1, same as Flesh tone - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, H2O [7:1:1:1]
Highlight #2 - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, H2O [9:1:1:1]
Highlight #3 - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, H2O [11:1:1:1]

Das ist alles fur jetzt...

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Now playing: "Inside of me" by Benny Benassi

Tharn Ravagers Update

2008-06-02T16:16:00.007-04:00

Well, I dove in on the Ravagers. This is going to be a long process; very complicated models. Next time PP wants to design a model off creatures that think, "I'll attach every piece of meat and bit of trash I can find to myself with these tiny little strings", I'm gonna reach through the intertubes and throttle someone! That said, I'm happy with the progress so far. This blog entry is to document the procedures I've used and developed.

Skins

Base coat [DONE] - The first layer of skin was a 50/50 mix of RMS Grey Liner and RMS Tanned Skin. This was a really nice, warm, but too dark gray. Awesome color for some other projects, I'm sure. Next, I put down two (in some spots, three) very thin layers of a new mix. RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, and water in a 7:1:1:1 ratio. Worked like a charm, dried very smooth and even, and resulted in the kind of odd skin tone - somewhat sickly, but still vibrant - that I was looking for.
Shading [IN PROGRESS] - Following the standard for skins, I want to mix up a wash that incorporates the base tone, but darkens it with browns. I'm avoiding any reddish browns, because I want to maintain the unsavory look. I began with a mix slightly darker than the original color and used this as an all-over wash - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, Stokes' magic sauce, water, and Matte Medium in a 3:1:2:5:1 ratio. Then to deepen the shadowed areas, I mixed a darker mix - RMS Tanned Skin, RMS Grey Liner, VMC German Camo Brown Black, Stokes' magic sauce, water, and Matte Medium in a 1:1:1:2:5:1 ration. I applied this only to bring out the muscle definition. This provided a neutral brown that lets the grey/flesh combo come through. As I use these colors, I want a clean brush handy to walk some of the darker color up out of the recesses a little, to assure a smooth transition.
Highlighting [IN PROGRESS] - The obvious first step will highlight with the base color. Then I'll add progressively more RMS Tanned Flesh to the base mix. Add some higher highlights in smaller areas with more Tanned Flesh. Using a thin paint at this stage really helps with blending. I want some contrast, but not too much bling, so I'm avoiding the RMS Linen White as I originally planned.

More to come as I progress and experiment. I'll keep y'all posted.

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Now playing: "Lord of this World" by Black Sabbath

The Ravagers Begin

2008-05-31T08:10:00.003-04:00

I will soon tackle my first unit for Hordes - my Tharn Ravagers plus the Shaman. I'm debating laying Kromac's skin tone at the same time, at very least, but we'll see. But the scheme I intend to use is as follows:

Skin Tones - pale and unsavory will be the trick. I'm considering a basecoat of 50/50 RMS Tanned Flesh and RMS Grey Liner. Wash with a mix of the basecoat plus a little RMS Brown Liner. Highlight back up with base coat + adding more Tanned Flesh at each level. Eventually add RMS Linen White for the final layers. Eyes - consider WarpWolf eyes - dead black eyes with a white pip in the middle. Mouth/teeth - same as WarpWolf.
Clothing layers - P3 Thamar Black, highlighted up with VMC Black Grey, final highlights mix in a little P3 Trollblood Highlight. Smaller cloth layers - consider a complimentary color - e.g. P3 Coal Black/VMC Cork Brown mix like the WarpWolf skin.
Weapons - VMC Hammered Copper base with progressive highlights of VMC Hammered Copper + VGC Oiled Steel to pure VGC Oiled Steel. Highlight with VGC Oiled Steel + RMS Honed Steel. Wash with watered down layers of Black Ghost Wash or P3 Armor Wash. Highlight with RMS Honed Steel.
Leathers – GW Scorched Brown washed with P3 Armor Wash. Highlight with GW Scorched Brown. Fine highlights with GW Snakebite Leather or Bestial Brown.
Dead trophies - decide as I go, but some will use VGC Dead Flesh instead of Tanned Flesh, but use the same method for the skin tones.
Turquoise - any crystals or runes should be treated like the crystal from the WoldWatcher. Base in GW Turqoiuse, darken upper area by mixing in Blue Ghost wash, lighten the lower area with P3 Morrow White. Dot of pure P3 Morrow White opposite the lower highlight.

Hopefully this works out and looks good. Nice thing is, I can always change my mind along the way. Neat huh?

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Now playing: "The Distance" by Cake

WoldWatcher frustration

2008-05-24T23:15:00.018-04:00

Well, I tried and failed to use my standard stone wash. I obsessed over the wood and ropes. I screwed up the stone. I worked and worked.

Finally, I gave up. Using VMC Black Grey, P3 Ironhull Grey, P3 Cryx Bane Base, and P3 Cryx Bane Highlight - and a bunch of transport foam left-overs - I sponge painted him. He looks okay. I'm just happy he's done. And he's very dark now; matching my scheme nicely. I think I'll paint one of my WoldWardens to match him, and the other one to match my Shifting Stones. So I'll have straight gray and splotchy gray constructs. Also, I think splotchy will go with turquoise, and a truer blue with truer gray.

For the record, the wood was GW Scorched Brown with a P3 Armor Wash/GW Scorched Brown wash, and then rehighlighted. The ropes were then picked out with VGC Earth and a light VGC Khaki highlight here and there. The ropes were washed with GW Scorched Brown, too.

My pride and joy, however, is the turquoise gem on his forehead. I've never tried this method of making reflective jewels before, but it seemed straightforward enough. And voila, it worked!

The basing is done; the slush is drying on him now. He'll be ready for the camera tomorrow.

EDIT: I remember now why I like to start with gloss coat and then dull coat. The straight doll cote likes to react with the matte medium in my washes and turn white in areas with a lot of wash. When I use gloss coat first, this doesn't happen. I've spent an hour black-lining this PITA model. Hopefully, I've got it all now. So, from now on, gloss first, then dull coat.

As promised... pictures...

And a close up of the gem I'm so proud of...

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Now playing: "Heartbeats" by The Knife

Pix of Recent Work

2008-05-20T22:47:00.012-04:00

Because Blogger's giving me a little gruff, here are some recent pictures, in order, without out much ado. I know the pics aren't the greatest. But any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Now that these are done, on to my WoldWatcher...

These are in my Spring's Darkness theme for Circle. (Considering thematic titles for my other factions: Summer's Triumph for Cygnar, Autumn's Ire for Cryx, and Winter's Hope for Trollbloods.)

Shifting Stones

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Now playing: "Cuts You Up" by Peter Murphy

Circle Bases

2008-05-20T21:35:00.015-04:00

To document the process of basing my Circle models, here goes... Make sure you allow plenty of drying time between each stage.

Paint inside of base with VGC Charred Brown.
Using 50/50 PVA glue to water to glue my ballast/sand mix into place.
Wash the base with VGC Charred Brown/P3 Armor Wash/water.
Clean up black border on base; paint front arc markings as desired.
Using above glue mix, glue GF9 Winter/green static grass mix into place.
Using above glue mix, glue Woodland Scenics Green Blend into place.
Gloss coat. Dry. Dull coat. Dry. Second light dull coat. Dry.
Mix 50/50 Slush mix and water. Add to base realistically; next to logs, etc.
Dry brush a little P3 Morrow White over the snow/slush.
Lightly layer on VGC Gloss Varnish over the snow/slush.

Voila! It's a little labor intensive and kinda messy, but it looks very much like a wet forest floor going through the spring thaw.

EDIT: 9/13/08; 2/7/09
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Now playing: "First and Last and Always" by Sisters of Mercy

WarpWolf Beginning to End

2008-05-16T11:31:00.009-04:00

For posterity, I've decided to document the painting process on my WarpWolf. I learned a thing or two in doing this model, too, which means I need this info handy for later. This is presented in roughly the order it was done. Note the heavy use of P3 Armor Wash - I actually did a lot of that all at once when more of the model was actually covered. This is great stuff!

Skin – P3 Coal Black with progressive highlights of P3 Coal Black + VMC Cork Brown. Wash with P3 Armor Wash.
Fur – Progressive shades of grey, beginning with P3 Ironhull Grey, adding in layers of VGC Cold Grey. Wash with Black Ghost Wash as needed. A little RMS Honed Steel looks nice here and there, too.
Eyes – black in with P3 Thamar Black and use one dot of P3 Morrow White for the pupil on each eye.
Armor – VMC Hammered Copper base with progressive highlights of VMC Hammered Copper + VGC Oiled Steel to pure VGC Oiled Steel. Highlight with VGC Oiled Steel + RMS Honed Steel. Wash with watered down layers of Black Ghost Wash or P3 Armor Wash. Highlight with RMS Honed Steel.
Inside of Mouth and Tongue – coat everything with VGC Dark Fleshtone. Then layer on a mixture of VGC Dark Fleshtone and VMC Beige Red. Wash the roof of the mouth in Black Ghost Wash. P3 Thamar Black to clean up the borders/black line between tongue and teeth.
Spikes and Teeth – Dry brush successive layers of GW Snakebite Leather, VGC Bonewhite, and RMS Linen White. Fine highlights with P3 Morrow White. Wash base of spikes with watered down GW Scorched Brown and then with P3 Armor Wash.
Leather – GW Scorched Brown washed with P3 Armor Wash. Highlight with GW Scorched Brown. Fine highlights with GW Snakebite Leather or Bestial Brown.
Claws – Black with fine line highlight down the curve of the claw with VMC Black Grey.
Base - Cover entire inside of base with GW Scorched Brown.
Rocks - Paint rocks with P3 Greatcoat Grey. Highlight by mixing in VGC Cold Grey.
Log - Lightly paint entire fallen log with VMC US Army Field Drab. Wash length of the log with P3 Armor Wash; allow it to pool. Highlight with original color and some lines of GW Scorched Brown. Dry brush VGC Khaki and RMS Linen White in successive layers on the ends of the log. Black line between the bark and the bare wood at each end. It helps.
Ballast - Add glue and ballast as needed. Wash ballast with a mix of P3 Armor Wash + GW Scorched Brown. Dry brush back up with VGC Earth or other suitable color for your scheme. Or leave dark, because it looks like moist/wet earth.
Base - Re-paint the black outside of the base. Using thinned down watery P3 Thamar Black and a flat brush, pulling down instead of right to left, resulted in a very smooth finish on the base.
Clear coat - Clear coat entire model. I use a thin layer of Testor's Gloss Coat followed by two layers of Test
Static Grass - Add static grass sparingly. When dry, dry brush on some VGC Khaki into the grass. The effect should appear as if new growth is coming out from the dead grass.
Slushy Snow - Mix 50/50 Slush mix with water. Add to base in areas that make sense, the shadows of the log or rocks, etc. This needs to dry a long time.When dry, dry brush on some P3 Morrow White to brighten it up.
Gloss Varnish – Using VGC Gloss Varnish, add a little gloss to the snow, maybe the surrounding soil, and to the Warpwolf’s tongue/inside of mouth and a little to each eye.

Well, that's it. I'll post pictures later. On to the Shifting Stones and then the WoldWatcher.

UPDATE: Shifting Stones are done, too.

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Now playing: "Addiction" by Sister Machine Gun

Step It Up Challenge

2008-05-10T10:15:00.011-04:00

FULLY-PRIMED '08 is complete!
ALL MODELS ARE 100% ASSEMBLED & PRIMED!

Taking a page out of the No Quarter's Studio Challenge and IMI's attempted Step It Up events - both essentially the same idea - I'm going to try this new and improved 350 pt Morvahna the Autumnblade list, and as I get it painted, add more to it, until I reach 1000pts (spoiler: I'm considering Baldur for 'lock #2, though if eKaya is out, she may take priority).

Morvahna the Autumnblade
[DONE] Warpwolf
[DONE] Woldwatcher
[DONE] Shifting Stones
Tharn Ravagers (4)
345/350

I chose Morvahna for a couple reasons. She's my favorite to play, given her little tricks and ins and outs, and I'm tired of hearing people say she's not competitive; I think the girl's got more to her than most people realize. First, every girl needs a Warpwolf, so I added him in. The Shifting Stones are just fun and already mostly painted. The Tharn are my go-to unit for Circle, especially Morvahna. Her Regrowth spell makes them so annoying. I'm concerned at fielding a min. unit, but I'll step them up to 500 soon enough. That said, I'm going to paint the entire unit plus UA at once for sake of uniformity. Finally, the Woldwatcher - he's probably my favorite light in the game, with the Pyre Troll taking a close second. I love his animus and he looks fun to paint.

I'll give myself a couple months to finish and play test this. Then I'll step it up to 500. I'll keep posting my progress and my game results here.

EDIT: It looks like I'm being taken up on my challenge to other locals. The goal now is to have this list painted up by June 28th. It won't help me for the Hardcore Tourney that day, but it's a motivation to Bowen, Stokes, and Monty Kev. Best get crackin'!

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Now playing: "Traversing the Portals of Reality" by Akira Yamaoka

Circle Orboros Color Scheme

2008-05-09T18:15:00.021-04:00

First off, I'm 99% done with all my assembly and priming. All I need to do is finish up my Troll Long Riders. Four more to go and then they can all get the can. The primer can, that is.

Meanwhile, the title says it all. I'm trying to come up with a unifying color scheme for my Circle forces.

Light beasts - see Speed Painting Nephilim Soldier article in NQ#18
Dark beasts - P3 Thamar Black; h: P3 Coal Black & VMC Cork Brown.
Fur - Take the scheme for the skin and lighten it. Brush onto fur. (See Circle entry in Evolution)
Wolds/Shifting & Sentry stones - warm greys, blue runes
Armor - *see below
Human skin tones - normal warm tones (see Escalation for good tutorial)
Tharn skin tones - something paler, almost sickly or bluish; base 50/50 RMS Tanned Flesh and RMS Grey Liner, with progressively more flesh tone.
Clothing - VMC Black h: VMC Black Grey w/ Cryx Bane Highlight? mixed in.
Leathers - VMC German Uniform Brown, w: GW brown ink & P3 Thamar Black, h: Trollblood Highlight
Teeth and claws - GW Snakebite leather; h: VMC tan and VGC bone white

Looks like a good start. I'm sure I'll modify it as I go. I'm considering finishing the Warpwolf to fine tune the leathers and armor and then starting the Pureblood using the Speed Painting article from NQ#18. This shouldn't be so hard; I can make more progress without being so obsessive. Bases can be pretty standard, but with a mix of dead and green leaves + slushy snow!

Let's see if this actually pans out.

Ok, I painted more on the WarpWolf. *Armor findings.

VMC Bronze + a little P3 Thamar Black
Add in VGC Oiled Steel for highlights
Add in RMS Honed Steel and dry brush
Dry brush straight RMS Honed Steel
Very watery wash of Black Ghost Wash
Dry brush/highlight with RMS Honed Steel

The effect is like deep bronze with silvery highlights where the edges have been worn and buffed from use. Looks nice! I tried to fill in the recessed spaces with blue to tie in with my Wolds/Stones, but I hated it. Took it out. I like the effect I have, and it creates a more monotone look to the model. The only blue then will be the runes on the Wolds/Stones. Nice!

Accidental techniques are awesome! I've been trying to find a way to paint the inside of beasts' mouths realistically. I think I found an easy way that works.

Coat inside with VGC Dark Fleshtone. Leave black areas between inside of teeth and tongue, etc.
Add in a little VMC Beige Red and highlight/re-coat.
Lightly wash top of mouth and edges of tongue with Black Ghost Wash.
P3 Thamer Black to clean up the borders.

Voila! Instant cool! Wow, I'm on a roll... the teeth are looking good too, with just GW Snakebite Leather dry brushed on.

Go, me!

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Now playing: "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys

The Home Stretch...

2008-04-15T22:20:00.035-04:00

The thread that never ends... Just a few more to finish off for completely-primed '08. I've got about two dozen models left to assemble/spray (see the tallies below). Maybe today will be a nice day... I really wanna move on, but won't let myself until this is all done!

Cygnar - 100% DONE!
-[DONE] Ten (10) Precursor Knights
-[DONE] One (1) Thunderhead

Circle - 100% DONE!
-[DONE] Five (5) Tharn Wolf Riders

Cryx - 100% DONE!
-[DONE] One (1) Lich Lord Asphyxious
-[DONE] One (1) Epic Skarre
-[DONE] One (1) Egregore
-[DONE] One (1) Lich Lord Terminus
-[DONE] Ten (10) Bane Knights

Trollbloods - 100% DONE!
-[DONE] One (1) Borka Keg Slayer
-[DONE] One (1) Keg Bearer
-[DONE] Five (5) Long Riders

Mercenaries - 100% DONE!
-[DONE] One (1) Master Gunner McNaille
-[DONE] One (1) Mariner
-[DONE] One (1) Mariner

Minions - 100% DONE!
-[DONE] One (1) Feralgeist
-[DONE] One (1) Feralgeist
-[DONE] Two (2) Swamp Gobbers

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Left to repair: o
Left to assemble: 0
Left to prime: 0

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NEXT UP: Painting whatever the hell I wanna paint! Because all this structure is making me cranky! Grrrr!

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Now playing: "Where Is Everybody?" by Nine Inch Nails

Countdown to Fully-Primed '08

2008-04-06T11:39:00.026-04:00

The title says it all; I'm trying to get all my priming done. I've also got a small list of other repairs, clean-ups, and assembly jobs taken from last week's blog post.

FULLY-PRIMED MINUS ASSEMBLY/REPAIR!

Fully-Primed '08 - Say no to pewter models!
-[DONE] Cygnar: 138/149
-[DONE] Circle: 62/67
-[DONE] Cryx: 95/111
-[DONE] Trollbloods: 34/40
-[DONE] Mercenaries: 57/60
-[DONE] Minions: 4/5
Total stragglers: 42

Clean-ups & Repairs - the list grows...
-[DONE] Thunderhead (minor reassembly/cleaning)
-[NEXT BLOG] Lich Lord Terminus (to pin some spines)
-[DONE] Lich Lord Aphyxious (prime 'im)
-[NEXT BLOG] Two (2) of 12 Bane Knights (brass rod)
-[NEXT BLOG] Egregore (green stuff ooze vertical support)
-[NEXT BLOG] Feralgeist (green stuff gap-fill)
Total models finished: 12/17

Assembly List - lingering left-overs
-[DONE] Nine (9) Precursor Knights (prime 'em)
-[NEXT BLOG] One (1) Precursor Knight (mispack)
-[NEXT BLOG] Epic Skarre (HOT, must try)
-[NEXT BLOG] Master Gunner McNaille (with plank base)
-[DONE] One (1) Mariner (Simple Green soaker)
-[NEXT BLOG] One (1) Mariner (new in package)
-[NEXT BLOG] Four (4) Long Riders (love those trolls)
-[NEXT BLOG] Five (5) Tharn Wolf Riders
-[NEXT BLOG]Borka Kegslayer and [DONE] Keg Bearer
Total models assembled: 11/25

Not bad... a worthwhile endeavor; no bare models in '08, baby!

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Now playing: "Drive That Fast" by Kitchens of Distinction

Progress made... keeping up the momentum

2008-04-02T07:45:00.020-04:00

First, I want to say that the 4-11 tournament I played in was a blast! Very intense and fast-paced games against some great people, with some hilarious April Fools' scenarios. Chuck's Hoarluk and Pete's eSkarre managed to take down big Termi, but Terminus personally took down Sarah's Haley and Kev's Butcher in some spectacular style (stacking Malediction and Dark Shroud on the Butcher, leaving him DEF 12, ARM 14... priceless). Overall, I took best in Cryx by strength of schedule (the Butcher was against someone who had 4 defenses of his table; we played Stampede style for this event; great format). Of course, Terminus ended up a little worse for wear; transporting him is near-impossible...
(Terminus update: designed and executed a solution)

So, after a good showing of hard work last weekend, I'm continuing to push forward with general maintenance and catch-up projects. See my last blog for details on last week's accomplishments. Now onto the new goals. This will finish the priming of my Cygnar & Circle, get a few repairs done, and finish all my lingering assembly work.

Fully-Primed '08 - Cygnar-Circle-Cryx
-[DONE] All Cygnar (minus the Thunderhead)
-[DONE] All Circle models
-[DONE] 64 Cryx models (16 left to fully-primed)

Clean-ups & Repairs - the list grows...
-[NEXT BLOG] Thunderhead (reassembly/cleaning)
-[NEXT BLOG] Lich Lord Terminus (to pin some spines)
-[NEXT BLOG] Lich Lord Asphyxious (brass rod)
-[NEXT BLOG] Two (2) Bane Knights (brass rod)
-[NEXT BLOG] Egregore (green stuff vertical support)
-[NEXT BLOG] Feralgeist (green stuff gap-fill)

Assembly List - lingering left-overs
-[NEXT BLOG] Epic Skarre (after seeing in her action)
-[NEXT BLOG] Master Gunner McNaille (ubiquitous planks)
-[NEXT BLOG] Mariner (post-Simple Green soaking)
-[NEXT BLOG] Mariner (new one, for 3 total)
-[NEXT BLOG] Four (4) Long Riders (love those trolls)

Wish me lucks, all... I'll be adding some Cryx in here too as time goes on. I have to see how this weekend pans out.

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Now playing: "Starlight" by Muse

Ugh... still no progress... but another plan

2008-03-29T10:22:00.031-04:00

Ok... I need to get organized and make some headway! First, my Circle painting goal list is (and has been) totally assembled and primed (see below). Second, I'm trying to get more stuff assembled and primed, especially since the weather finally broke and it's nice outside! Focusing on Cygnar and Circle for now. Also, bought a fresh can of black Dupli-Color Sandable Primer (the most amazing primer ever). So as a baby step...

Priming - Fully Primed in '08, Baby!
-[DONE] 52 Cygnar models (7 models left to fully primed)
-[DONE] 19 Circle models (8 models left to fully primed)
-[DONE] Aiyana and Holt (needed for current Cygnar builds)
-[NEXT BLOG] Storm Lances (ready)
-[NEXT BLOG] Rangers unit leader (ready)
-[NEXT BLOG] Thunderhead (soaking in Simple Green)
-[NEXT BLOG] 7 Tharn Ravagers (ready)
-[NEXT BLOG] Second Warpwolf (ready)

Soaking in Simple Green - nothing like a fresh start
-[NEXT BLOG] Thunderhead (trying not to disassemble)
-[DONE] Mariner (now needs to be reassembled)

Assembly list - finally!
-[DONE] Storm Lances (three have been rider-less)
-[DONE] Rangers unit leader (small pin/repair job needed)
-[DONE] Tharn Rav Shaman UA (just got 'im & I needs him!)
-[DONE] Dire Troll Mauler (a long road on this one)

Green Stuffing - ditto!
-[DONE] 2nd Warpwolf mods (just a little shoulder muscle left)
-[DONE] Gap-filling on last couple Tharn Ravs

This starter project will result in the entirety of my two main armies assembled and brought up to primed (at least for now). I think once everything's assembled and primed, and I mean everything, I'll feel more like painting. I hope...

EDIT: After all this work, I'm on a roll. Next up, CRYX!!!

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Now playing: "Promise" by Akira Yamaoka

Morvahna the Autumnblade

2008-03-14T00:19:00.004-04:00

Planning means not actually painting... lol...

1. Armor/bodice - a dark bronze (VMC Bronze) with a silver sheen, with a blue wash inside instead of green. See Hordes: Evolution for a recipe using red; substitute blues. Use armor colors on bracelets as well.

2. Robes/fabrics - a base of VMC Black Grey. P3 Armor Wash to darken it up and add shadows to the recesses. Lightened it back up with Black Grey, then a lighter medium grey (borrowed from brushtralls.com). Possible use this or P3 Coal Black for the cloak, and take it all lighter, perhaps with Cryx Bane Highlight, for the sleeves and skirt. Use darker for fabric behind the bodice.

3. Skin tone - basecoat 50/50 Reaper Blue Liner and Reaper Tanned Skintone, and worked up from there by adding more and more Tanned Skintone, then adding Linen White at the final. The key to this skintone is that, no matter how light the layer, there is always a trace of the Blue Liner in the Tanned/Linen mix (borrowed from the Reaper Gallery). Consider scraping this idea and just going with the standard warm healthy skin tone. Regardless, lips and eyes should match by adding a little VMC Rose Brown or other neutral red (to make either a purpley color or a natural lip color). Consider Dune-esque effect for her eyes.

4. Leathers - dark brown base, P3 Armor Wash, highlighted up with brown base, then progressive mix of P3 Trollblood highlight or Cryx Bane highlight.

5. Hair - Brown so dark that it's almost black. Highlight with dark browns. Very dark overall.

6. Stones/runes - consider turquoise, provided the balance of colors work out.

Whatcha think?

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Now playing: "London Dungeon" by The Misfits

Personal Painting Pledge

2008-03-10T18:33:00.004-04:00

It has to begin somewhere. So here's the theory. Taking a page from the new No Quarter (#17), where the studio guys start small forces and build them up over time, I'm starting with a 350 pt army that I will attempt to paint . Focusing on my Circle, we'll begin there. So, here's the list, with a couple in-progress projects noted. Not exactly super viable on the table, but it's the core of a larger force, one that can easily swap in other 'locks.

Morvahna the Autumnblade
Warpwolf (50% complete)
Gorax
Woldwatcher
Shifting Stones (50% complete)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew
342/350

The obvious first stop is to finish what's already begun...
Edit: Mar-14 - to change my warlock... for now...

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Now playing: "Terror Couple Kill Colonel" by Bauhaus

Trying again...

2008-03-05T10:58:00.004-05:00

It's obviously been a while, but I'm trying again. I've added a side bar, listing what I'm hoping to be working on. This is in addition to a bunch of assembling I have to do. Later, I'm going to post my progress and also post new pics of my work area. It's all in an attempt to get motivated.

Some new strategies: (1) less TV, (2) more movies on my laptop at my painting desk, (3) paint and play - make a list I like to play and attempt to get it painted. My last thought is to resume use of a painting group; try to get the old team together to paint and socialize. It's always more fun when you have someone to show your progress to immediately, and get advice from regarding colors and techniques.

I've settled on a paint scheme for my Circle as well. It's going to be dark. The initial work on my WarpWolf is black fur, with P3 Coal Black highlights, lightened with a little VMC Cork Brown, leading to an oddly bluish-green hue. The fur has some cool grey highlights to set it apart from the skin. His eyes are a simply white pupil on black, inspired by the wolves from 300. The metals will be a dark bronze with a silver sheen, with a blue wash inside instead of green. The leathers will be standard, though a little darker. The bases will have lush greens, with some forest debris, and sparing use of slush; the effect I'm going for is spring thaw and the awakening of something evil out of the woods. Should look good...

Wish me luck, all...

WIP Warpwolf Strikes Again!

2007-10-01T20:16:00.001-04:00

Here we go again. Inching towards completion. Another hour's work. Sculpted in some upper thigh muscles and smoothed out his stomach a bit more. I think he's ready for brown stuff fur treatments and then to call it a done deal (or rather on to paint).

To the side here is one view, try these others on for size.

WIP Warpwolf #21

WIP Warpwolf #22

WIP Warpwolf #23

Other than that, I'm excited to finally be nearing completion on this long task. While it would have been maybe a long weekend's worth of work so far, I feel that taking this much time has really helped me think through some of the musculature and details in such a way that I'm sure to make it look as good as possible (given my relative skill level and knowledge of anatomy, etc.).

Aside from this, I've been assembling some Trolls and other odds and ends, playing in my local CTA league and generally being too busy for anything else. Even this much is stealing from what I'm "supposed" to be doing. But something has to keep me sane!

If anyone ends up reading this, any thoughts on a paint scheme for this bad boy?

Time invested to date: ~14 hours

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Now playing: "Unicorn [Duet Version]" by Apoptygma Berzerk

Warpwolf WIP

2007-09-23T22:06:00.000-04:00

Some may have seen it already.

I've been working on this mod of a WarpWolf for upwards of 13 hours now. These are the latest pix, but are dated. I've all but finished the green stuffing and getting ready to do some brown stuff fur and patch jobs.

I'm excited about it overall - eventually it'll get done and I'll post some new pix!

Overall, the mods include:
-cut, repositioned, and rebuilt right arm
-cut and repositioned left leg
-repositioned left arm
-thickening of calves/thighs on both legs
-customized cork base to raise overall stance

Time invested: ~13 hours

Still contemplating color schemes. Nothing really calls out to me just yet.

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Now playing: "Dig It" by Skinny Puppy

Contemplation

2007-09-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

Well, I've tried and tried to find someway to stay inspired for my painting and modeling. Somehow, I just keep faltering. Perhaps this blog will help. Not sure, but here goes.

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Now playing: "Snowblind" by Black Sabbath