I wanted to go for something of a frozen look, as if he was in the middle of a blizzard. I recently picked up a copy of the Frostgrave rulebook, so I may well use this one to lead a warband.
The photos aren't great, but hey ho. Any and all feedback welcome, including any ways you think I might have done better.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Just a quick paintjob to get her off my shelf of shame, and to get into painting again after so much time spent sculpting and scratchbuilding. One of the more colorful minis I've painted; I usually don't have this many different colors in one mini. Turquoise was self-mixed; I think 1:1 Peacock Green and LED Blue, but I don't quite remember. Something close to that.
Well the New Year gets me thinking of years past and things to do in the coming year. So I think it is high time that we resurrect the New England Paint Day.
For those of you unfamiliar with the New England Paint Day, it is a get together of like minded individuals; to paint, share techniques and to just have a plain old good time.
On to the debate. As this is a New England Paint Day, we have to figure out the location. In the past, they have been hosted by individual painters and at game stores. I can set up a time with Pat at my FLGS (Citadel Games Cellar in Groton CT) or I can host at my house depending on the number of people. For those who were at the last CT paint day, the Citadel has moved down the street to a new location and has much better lighting this time around.
I am open to other locations if it is more convenient for the majority; someone else would just have to step up and procure a location. Right now I should be good for most weekends up until April.
Two more gnolls down in my quest to finish my gnolls. They look like all the other gnolls I have already painted. Their clothing might be a bit bright and fanciful for gnolls but I was running out of colors. I consider these guys sort of the shamans of the gnoll world, so I am okay with them being a bit more colorful than the other gnolls. Only 3 more to go after this, and then you guys won't have to see any more boring gnolls *yawn*. Comments and criticism as always are appreciated!
I found it would be much easier to cut out the largest level first as a pattern to mark the foam. Then the next level, mark the foam and so on.
Here the Level2 water is on the table directly, the Level1 water is on 1" of foam (2 sheets of 1/2"). The transition from 2 to 1 is a full level. Now you will see not all of the Level1 pieces are glued down. These will be the gradual transition levels from ground to Level1, so they will be 1/2" above actual Level1 water. So you can see there is a slope at some points to entering the water to Level1 but a drop off to Level2.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
So in this picture you can better see all the green areas will be covered with the next layer of foam and the loose Level1 water will be glued to that.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
As well as here. It is obvious this is my first attempt at free hand cutting with the Hot Wire cutter. It will take some practice to gauge the cuts to avoid running into the back stop. Also you need to stop before the point you want to reach at an intersection or a turn as there is a small amount of flex to the cutting wire so it catches up when you stop.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
At this point there will be a bridge constructed to support CAVs crossing the bridge. Also the bridge is on an upper level so all CAVs will be able to pass under the bridge with no problem.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
So much more to follow. Anyone with suggestions or pointers speak out as this is my first attempt at terrain features instead of a flat battlefield.
Across the arid desert a warm wind made its way, sometimes blowing pockets of sand and ancient debris with it. And with it also comes the smell of something long dead, of ancient battles and a once great civilization that is now one with the dust and sand of the desert. In many parts of this great barren nothingness, the curse of ever life still plagues the bones of the restless dead, stirring the spirit of Nehekhara into being.
But something about this wind was peculiar, as if a greater power had somehow sent it to speak to the dead across the desert in a specific way, to awaken the slumbering Kings and Pharaohs to begin to gather the strength of ancient Nehekhara. Into a small crevice the wind finds itself, the smallest crack that would go unnoticed by any passerby, if any living creature could even survive the heat of the desert to find themselves in this desolate place. Deep into the ground the wind blows, until it is in a great antechamber, a lightless place that if illuminated would reveal a room made entirely of gold and studded with jewels and rubies.
The wind stirred the robes of a figure seated on a throne in the center of the chamber, and ended its great trek with a whisper in the Tomb Kings ear “awaken, awaken and serve again!”
Waking as if from a long dream, Prince Neb’nesew wondered where all of the servants were, why he was alone in his great temple. Reaching out with his mind he began to summon them to him, for he was of the blood and would not be without a retinue. The first that he felt was of an ancient being, one even more ancient than the himself, and a perfect being to serve the Prince again.
In a place where nothing moved but the wind and sand, the ground began to move on the surface above the temple. First an arm emerged, grasping the ground and pulling the rest of the ancient bones attached to the arm out of the sand. A skull the size a boulder erupted from the ground, a silent scream coming blasting from the fleshless jaw. Once fully revealed, the skeletal remains of a race more ancient than any remembered in the world stood nearly forty spans tall. Leaning towards the crack that the wind first found, the bleach bone hands began to dig.
As many of you know... I am primarily an army painter. A painter that jumps from army to army, and doesn't always have time to paint due to work.
I am fascinated by the Warhammer World and it's army system, though I don't actually play the game. I am also not a painter who cares where a miniature comes from, so long as the miniature, in my mind at least, feels like it belongs to the army. For some reason, this helps me paint. Making up a small story for each army, and adding bits to it as I add new units and characters.
Painting in this way tends to allow certain threads many weeks or months in between updates. So, in an effort to keep a thread active, I have decided to create this thread for all the WiPs I have, regardless of the army they belong to, and then update the army threads as I have completed units to add to them.
For those of you interested in following along, I am dedicating this first post to the links to all of the armies, for easy access to the completed products. I will be back soon with some WiP pics :)
This miniature is from Reaper Miniatures Dark Heaven Legends model 02911: Colossal Skeleton sculpted by Jason Wiebe. I considered pushing through and just finishing him, but on my second thought I wanted to get some advice first. The glow effect to me is not completely convincing... from the eyes, mouth, and undercarriage of the ribs. How can I make this look better? Any tips would be helpful. For the desert base, I am going to highlight up to a nice sand color, but I am thinking red toned rocks? I also have to paint the ropes that are wrapped around the upper arm. What else do you think can be done to help bring this mini to another level?
This is Reaper Miniatures Warlord Model 14236 Neb'nesew Nefsokar Warlord. An absolutely beautiful model that will represent the start of the Tomb King army well. Sculpted by Tim Prow. He still has quite a ways to go until completion, but I like the colors so far. No significant questions right now, but any comments or suggestions are always useful!
These are models from the 6th edition Games Workshop Tomb Kings. Not sure who sculpted them, if anyone knows please let me know. So far they just have a basecoat on the bones and the blue bits done up. Not sure on the shields... obviously I haven't weathered them yet, but I am thinking of making them red instead?
This is Reaper Dark Heavens 02449 Callus Darklore, Necromancer. What do you think of the colors? Are they working together? Do the runes on the front of the robe pop enough? I need to add some script to the scroll. What else would you do to make him pop more?
These are 8th edition (I think) or maybe 7th Games Workshop Skeleton Warriors. If anyone can confirm this, and who sculpted them? I threw the box away a while ago. The first three are pretty close to done, need to bring the red out a little more and another highlight on the bone, some more rust work. The last two just have some base coloring on the bones.
This is the Games Workshop Dark Elf Sorceress, fairly certain she is 5th edition, maybe 6th. Again, if anyone knows the sculptor or can verify the edition? Still working out the colors on her, I think I like the gold trim, and the purple, and the red... but I think I need to give up one of the colors to incorporate Green into the model. I plan to have some of that really nice looking green marble that I have seen done in other armies. I could always do the skull in green, but I would need to accentuate the green in other parts of the model to make it work. Maybe replace the red armor bits with green? Is that too many colors? Also, I need to work up some make up on her face, if anyone has good experiences with this?
not to mention the 54 color HD line, and the 54 color MSP Bones line (releasing this summer) which expand our paint offerings by 108 colors
I ordered some HD's to try them out. My impression had been that they were only for base coats, but the product description indicated that they are just pigment heavy and compatible with the core colors.
I would guess that more water is needed for thinning, maybe more flow improver, and more retarder (which I was told Reaper named after me). Is that how one would approach HD paints?
Well? What show's been on the tube lately at your house?
I've been watching the first season of The Fall Guy. Had a strange attachment to it when I was a very wee lad. Like, prior to preschool. and I guess I've figured out why: There're some crazily nonsensical stuff happening in this show. And it's really fun. In the second episode, Lee Majors jumped out of one airplane, sans parachute, in order to purposefully land on another plane. As a stunt preview for a movie producer.
Then he did it again at the end of the episode.
Plus Lee Majors sings the theme song. I need to call my dad to find out if Lee Majors really was the Walker-era Chuck Norris of the 80s.
Footnote: I'm in love with Heather Thomas. Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.