As a follow up to the Freebootaz charity auction for the Toys for Tots:
The auctions are now closed, and raised $2234.98 for Toys for Tots!
Thanks to everybody for going to bid, and helping out such a great charity.
Thanks to the Freebootaz forum for going to the effort of putting so many donated models, and painting, and building some cool scratch builds, and just putting their time and energy into helping make this happen.
Hopefully next year will be even better!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Freebootaz Support the Toys for Tots!!!
Hello everybody! I just wanted to talk briefly about a great little tradition that was started by the Freebootaz, of the 40KRadio forum, a couple years ago, and has been going strong ever since.
That is their support for Toys for Tots!
Every year, since they have started, the Freebootaz, the 40KRadio forum members, have put together charity drives in the form of donating, building and painting Warhammer 40K armies to auction. All proceeds from these auctions goes directly to the Toys for Tots charity, which has a long generous history of ensuring children in need may have a Christmas wish come true with a gift of a new toy.
This year is no different, and the Freebootaz have built and painted enough miniatures that they were able to create 4 rather large Ultramarine armies. The cherry on top of all that is a lovely scratch built plasticard Thunderhawk, similar in scale to the current Forgeworld version of the Thunderhawk.
On top of that, these auctions not only include some really nice miniatures, but some Ultramarine related extras. Each auction has something different, and all are worth checking out and bidding on, if not for the cool stuff, for the excellent charity these auctions will help.
So without further ado, here are the links to each of the auctions.
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 2nd Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 3rd Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 4th Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 5th Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Thunderhawk
While I have not personally contributed to this, I do wish to thank the Freebootaz who were directly involved with this project for doing such a great job, and being so generous. This was obviously a labour of love for every one of them, and just watching these projects come together into a cohesive whole was a joy to see. Hopefully next year I'll be able to contribute something beyond being a cheerleader, and promoting it where I can.
Bid well and good luck!
That is their support for Toys for Tots!
This year is no different, and the Freebootaz have built and painted enough miniatures that they were able to create 4 rather large Ultramarine armies. The cherry on top of all that is a lovely scratch built plasticard Thunderhawk, similar in scale to the current Forgeworld version of the Thunderhawk.
On top of that, these auctions not only include some really nice miniatures, but some Ultramarine related extras. Each auction has something different, and all are worth checking out and bidding on, if not for the cool stuff, for the excellent charity these auctions will help.
So without further ado, here are the links to each of the auctions.
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 2nd Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 3rd Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 4th Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Painted 5th Co
Warhammer 40K Ultramarines Space Marines Thunderhawk
While I have not personally contributed to this, I do wish to thank the Freebootaz who were directly involved with this project for doing such a great job, and being so generous. This was obviously a labour of love for every one of them, and just watching these projects come together into a cohesive whole was a joy to see. Hopefully next year I'll be able to contribute something beyond being a cheerleader, and promoting it where I can.
Bid well and good luck!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Fantasy Flight Games Miniatures Games Roundup
Fantasy Flight Games has recently released several new lines of pre-painted and unpainted miniatures.
Of interest, specifically for roleplayers in more contemporary settings, or super hero settings, or the like, are the Arkham Horror Investigators line, which has quite a few models that would be suitable as civilians, detectives, even pcs, heroes and villains, for the Arkham Horror game and the Mansions of Madness board game.
 |
| Arkham Horror Investigators pre-painted miniatures, complete set. |
The whole set is available with a single purchase, 48 prepainted miniatures for $191.52 US, and is something I'm considering for myself, if only because they would make decent NPCs for various games.
Apparently, the game itself is quite enjoyable too, as it is a gothic Lovecraftian horror type board game in the vein of C'thuluesque creepy. And the new expansions also have miniatures. Just dig around FFG website for more.
Next in the FFG stable of Pre-Painted miniatures are the City of Thieves pre-painted miniatures collections.
 |
| City of Thieve pre-painted miniatures sets |
These miniatures are more in the vein of Victorian Fantasy-Steam Punk, and if they are roughly 28-30mm scale, would probably suit many Steam Punk themed RPGs or table top battle games, and make decent substitutes for miniatures in games like Malifaux, perhaps. There are several sets, and they are all collected, so NO RANDOMS, which for me is a huge draw! I like to get exactly what I want instead of having to waste time and money buying random packs of minis I hate or will never use more than one of anyway.
For the anime lovers in you, and those who like alternate science fiction with a Japanese pseudo fuedal flair, there are the miniatures (and complete rules) for Anima Tactics. There are some lovely miniatures here, though they appear to be a slightly larger scale, possibly in the 32mm to 38mm range. Though very specifically tailored to the Anima Tactics background, which is heavily character dominant, there is enough variety in these miniatures that they could easily be suitable for RPG or other games.
 |
| Anima Tactics Complete Rules Book Cover |
With such stunning miniatures, like The Colonel, shown below, how can you not want to own some of these and lavish a trophy worthy paint job on them?
 |
| Anima Tactics: The Colonel |
Light Faction Miniatures Line
Dark Faction Miniatures Line
Neutral Faction Miniatures Line
Unfortunately, not all of the miniatures are pictured, though the source art is in most cases. So you may be surprised with what you actually get here. Overall, they have some nice themes and some nice fluid poses in the miniatures, with large surfaces that will lend well to painting free hand detail.
For the WWI Aeronautical junky, there is the Wings of War range.
This range of models is pre-painted, and designed for immediate play using the Wings of War rule set. However, I'm sure with some slight modification, they may be usable with other air superiority miniature battle games in the WWI era, or perhaps be suitable for use in games like Crimson Skies, if you keep your scale consistent. Again, scale on these is difficult to see, so compatibilities may arise, but definitely worth investigating. Especially as there is a model for the "Red Baron" and Billy Bishop, to name a few WWI Aviation pilots who have gone into the annals of infamy.
 |
| Fokker DR I - Manfred von Richthofen |
FFG has also bought AT-43 and Confrontation from the failed Rakham, and is now selling those products on their website. At this time it is unclear if they will be continuing production of those lines, or are just clearing out the existing inventory.
However what FFG has done is port the AT-43 rules set to an alternate WWII setting (*admittedly this is speculation on my part based on what I've seen of the game so far). The game is called Dust Tactics, a tactical miniatures board game for 2-4 players, featuring pre-painted miniatures, and Mech Tanks, etc.
 |
| Dust Tactics Starter Set |
 |
| Dust Tactics Contents |
As you can see, the basic models appear to be unpainted, and moulded in colour. This is fine for some pick up gaming with the basic starter set. But there are "Premium" Expansion Packs available, which appear to be pre-painted.
 |
| "Premium" expansion pack - "The Gunners" |
This is currently also available as a $300 collector edition, Dust Tactics Deluxe Edition, presumeably because the quality of the "professionally" pre-painted starter set is so high from the photos I've seen. Your opinion on the value of this may vary, though, especially if you are handy with a paint brush yourself. But if you want a nice starter set that also displays nicely, it might be worth investigating.
As I've mentioned earlier, there may be scale issues if you are planning to use some of these miniatures as alternative miniatures in your table top miniatures or role playing games, but since the photos available are not taken in relative context to familiar items, you'll be taking your chances. Having said that, I would love to see some better pictures of all of the FFG line of pre-painted miniatures, not only to show the detail, but perhaps in comparison to a standard 28mm miniature to see how well they scale. So if you know of any pictures online, or have some yourself, which show these miniatures in scale with the 28mm standard, please post in the comments below!
That wraps up today's roundup! It is by no means a complete representation of the FFG selection of miniatures and games with miniatures, but meant to be a primer for you to go and explore their website to see what they offer. There are plenty of nicely sculpted miniatures in their lines, ranging from soft plastic to metal, both painted and unpainted.
*Disclaimer*
All images in this article are the property of Fantasy Flight Games and are used without permission for the purposes of reviewing and educating the hobbyist. No challenges or claims are intended. Please click through and visit Fantasy Flight Games and explore all they have to offer.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
1001 0001 1101 0011 1110 1111 0000 1100 0111
September = Fast Attack
So, since I had previously been working on Necron warriors, I kept all the scarabs handy for this month.
These are among the most basic plastic models GW has, being exactly 1 body piece, and 1 stand piece. You can combine several on a base to make a swarm. Most people do 3 per base, as that's standard wound allocation, but I prefer 4 or 5 to a base as it makes them look more beefy.
Here is a shot of the bases during construction:
Unfortunately, I forgot to get photos after I finished basing and priming, and remembered while halfway through painting the metal portions.
And the finished models.
Another month down!
Again, these are painted to a very basic standard with the intention of going back and adding further detail, colours, etc. But my main goal right now is to get this army done to a consistent and playable standard at the very least...then come back later and touch them up, and add some special detail here and there.
So, since I had previously been working on Necron warriors, I kept all the scarabs handy for this month.
These are among the most basic plastic models GW has, being exactly 1 body piece, and 1 stand piece. You can combine several on a base to make a swarm. Most people do 3 per base, as that's standard wound allocation, but I prefer 4 or 5 to a base as it makes them look more beefy.
Here is a shot of the bases during construction:
Unfortunately, I forgot to get photos after I finished basing and priming, and remembered while halfway through painting the metal portions.
And the finished models.
Another month down!
Again, these are painted to a very basic standard with the intention of going back and adding further detail, colours, etc. But my main goal right now is to get this army done to a consistent and playable standard at the very least...then come back later and touch them up, and add some special detail here and there.
1001 0001 1101 0011 1110 1111 0000 1100 0110
The subject for August was elite, so I painted a small unit of Necron Flayed Ones. I would have painted more, but I didn't realise I only had four models, and my budget demanded I not purchase any more for the time being. Fortunately, the minimum unit size for Necron Flayed Ones is only four models. Naturally I will be expanding on this unit, as I rather like how Flayed Ones perform, especially as a roving unit with Necron Immortals or Warriors putting down fire support for them.
I really like them though, because they play on the imagery of zombies, but are a bit more horrific, as they use that primordial fear as a weapon...even though it seems the Necrontyr Psyche in these creatures is damaged, longing for life, and wearing flesh in a grim mockery of life.
I started with a white base coat. Usually for metals, I go with a black base coat, as it makes it much easier to create shadows. However with the abundance of flesh, I felt white would be better. It certainly sped up the paint time as I didn't have to do multiple coats of flesh paint on top of black to give it a smooth surface.
I then gave the models a wash of Asurmen Blue, over the entire model. The reason was threefold.
Again, I'm keeping thins simple right now. Note that there is less shading on the metal of these models. This will be done later one as I add more models to the unit, and I will use some washes and inks to give more depth and help tint the metal bodies. But these are now ready for the table top, so Job done!
For now...
I really like them though, because they play on the imagery of zombies, but are a bit more horrific, as they use that primordial fear as a weapon...even though it seems the Necrontyr Psyche in these creatures is damaged, longing for life, and wearing flesh in a grim mockery of life.
I started with a white base coat. Usually for metals, I go with a black base coat, as it makes it much easier to create shadows. However with the abundance of flesh, I felt white would be better. It certainly sped up the paint time as I didn't have to do multiple coats of flesh paint on top of black to give it a smooth surface.
I then gave the models a wash of Asurmen Blue, over the entire model. The reason was threefold.
- It helps to pick out details on a white primed model more easily if you give it a thin wash before painting. This made it much easier to determine where the skin was and where the metal was.
- I am painting my Necrons to have a bluish chrome type of finish. Starting with blue in the shadows helps to further that tone.
- Dead flesh has blue undertones, so this then becomes a starter base of a blotchy blue on the decayed flesh.
Next, I broke out the Ogryn Flesh wash, and went over all of the fleshy bits. I kept it undiluted, and painted it on into all the tears and rents, and in all the folds of skin. This gives the skin a blue and ruddy blotchy fleshy appearance right off the bat. You can continue this process with other colour washes to reflect decaying skin, or build on it with rotting flesh, or even pink flesh to represent different tones of flesh and different points of decay, from just flensed, to old and moribund.
I chose to leave it as it as this point, but plan to come back and add more detail to the flesh. Besides, with the touch of blue, they also appear to be perhaps from some Tau volunteers.
I chose to leave it as it as this point, but plan to come back and add more detail to the flesh. Besides, with the touch of blue, they also appear to be perhaps from some Tau volunteers.
The base is first painted with a 50/50 mix of Chaos Black and Brown Ink, thinned so it just absorbs into the sand. I then lightly overbrushed codex grey over the still wet base. This actually has the effect of a touch of blending on the edges, as the dark paint bleeds through. I then hit it with a final highlight of codex grey when it was dry, and tidied it up by painting the ring of the base in two coats of thinned Chaos Black.
Again, I'm keeping thins simple right now. Note that there is less shading on the metal of these models. This will be done later one as I add more models to the unit, and I will use some washes and inks to give more depth and help tint the metal bodies. But these are now ready for the table top, so Job done!
For now...
1001 0001 1101 0011 1110 1111 0000 1100 0101
Time for a bit of blog catching up. While my blog has been a bit dormant, that is not an indicator of my hobby progress.
In July I started seriously focussing on finishing all the Necrons I have. You may wonder why, as the net wisdom is that Necrons are not that competitive (though I disagree heartily), but the simple reason is that I'm a sucker for Terminator like Death Robots. So I broke out one of my old school necron models for kicks and will endeavour to update the look and translate it to the more modern plastic Necrons. I aim to finish the year off by focussing on and completing whatever Necrons I have kicking around. And perhaps if there is anything left, pick up one of the new Forgeworld Necron Tomb Stalkers.
Here are some basic build pics. I've got the old school Necron there for comparative purposes, and to get an idea of scale and style. There are a lot of design cues still present, but it's interesting to see how they have been redesigned. I also tossed the scarab in there for nostalgia. I do plan on using that original paint scheme (or a version of it) on the new Necrons.
Notice I built these Necrons to be standing more upright than Necrons are typically depicted. I don't like the hunched over look as they remind me too much of Igor hunchbacks and don't seem menacing and looming enough. I wanted them to be more reminscint of CSM-101 Terminators than undead ghouls. However, to do this, I had to modify the necks so the heads would sit properly without looking up as if they are distracted by something in the sky. A couple snips with a clipper on the control rods and the heads could be pivoted and positioned much more convincingly.
Finally, I have done a bit of a test to see what I can do with tinting the green rod. Below I have used some Asurmen Blue and washed it onto the green rod sprue. You can see it actually dries fairly evenly, despite being a very smooth surface. I like this because the tube does retain some of the green tone, but looks more 3 dimensional, like there is a substance floating inside the tube.
I also did an experiment to see if I could get the tubes to look not so shiny and toy like. Some would suggest using a matt seal, and that will probably work. But I have figured out an alternate method which involves lightly coating the tube with liquid plastic cement - sorry, no picture. I think that it looks rather nice in person, but am unsure if I will pursue that, as I rather like the colour tint. I will decide later on in the project, and will probably just assemble the green tubes stock for now to save on some time.
And here are the Necrons I finished painting in July, though I actually built 20 more Necron Warriors.
Of note, these are strictly painted to a simple standard to get them table ready. I did not colour tint the rod, as I was testing, because I still want to experiment with that. And I have not yet added the extra should scarab shell detail, as I want to do that detail on the army as a whole. So to give them a finished look, I played off the green rod, adding some green glowing elements to the gun, as well as the eyes (hidden in shadow) and gave them a bit of a green wash to represent poison on the bayonet blade.
In July I started seriously focussing on finishing all the Necrons I have. You may wonder why, as the net wisdom is that Necrons are not that competitive (though I disagree heartily), but the simple reason is that I'm a sucker for Terminator like Death Robots. So I broke out one of my old school necron models for kicks and will endeavour to update the look and translate it to the more modern plastic Necrons. I aim to finish the year off by focussing on and completing whatever Necrons I have kicking around. And perhaps if there is anything left, pick up one of the new Forgeworld Necron Tomb Stalkers.
Here are some basic build pics. I've got the old school Necron there for comparative purposes, and to get an idea of scale and style. There are a lot of design cues still present, but it's interesting to see how they have been redesigned. I also tossed the scarab in there for nostalgia. I do plan on using that original paint scheme (or a version of it) on the new Necrons.
Notice I built these Necrons to be standing more upright than Necrons are typically depicted. I don't like the hunched over look as they remind me too much of Igor hunchbacks and don't seem menacing and looming enough. I wanted them to be more reminscint of CSM-101 Terminators than undead ghouls. However, to do this, I had to modify the necks so the heads would sit properly without looking up as if they are distracted by something in the sky. A couple snips with a clipper on the control rods and the heads could be pivoted and positioned much more convincingly.
Finally, I have done a bit of a test to see what I can do with tinting the green rod. Below I have used some Asurmen Blue and washed it onto the green rod sprue. You can see it actually dries fairly evenly, despite being a very smooth surface. I like this because the tube does retain some of the green tone, but looks more 3 dimensional, like there is a substance floating inside the tube.
I also did an experiment to see if I could get the tubes to look not so shiny and toy like. Some would suggest using a matt seal, and that will probably work. But I have figured out an alternate method which involves lightly coating the tube with liquid plastic cement - sorry, no picture. I think that it looks rather nice in person, but am unsure if I will pursue that, as I rather like the colour tint. I will decide later on in the project, and will probably just assemble the green tubes stock for now to save on some time.
And here are the Necrons I finished painting in July, though I actually built 20 more Necron Warriors.
Of note, these are strictly painted to a simple standard to get them table ready. I did not colour tint the rod, as I was testing, because I still want to experiment with that. And I have not yet added the extra should scarab shell detail, as I want to do that detail on the army as a whole. So to give them a finished look, I played off the green rod, adding some green glowing elements to the gun, as well as the eyes (hidden in shadow) and gave them a bit of a green wash to represent poison on the bayonet blade.
Monday, September 13, 2010
On the Map!
Hello everybody!
Wow! It's been a while since I've posted. Not because I've been inactive in the hobby, no, as I've had a lot of things going on and will try to update more soon. I've just been very busy with real life activities and so have had to put off updating the blog for a while. But, as I've said before, my updates may be sporadic, depending on the whim's of fate.
Today I would like to present my new Warhammer/40K Campaign board.
This weekend, the local Games Workshop store was celebrating it's 14th birthday. On a whim, after a hard day at work, I walked in and discovered they had some very special items up for auction. One being a painted Space Hulk demo set (though it was missing 3 of the coolest Terminators....suspicious? Nooooo!) and one of the rare and limited Walls of Minas Tirith, which I bought.
To celebrate their birthday they were also having a prize draw. Among the prizes was a Warhammer Battalion box, and a very cool Mighty Empires/ Planet Strike Campaign Map, created and painted by one of the staff, whom I've been friends with since he first entered the hobby when I was a staffer there 14 years ago. When he called me to tell me I won the map, I was surprised and quite happy, and promised him I would keep the paint job the way it is.
Here is why:
This thing is amazing. There are some excellent details, like a ring of mage stones, a magnificently huge mountain range, a giant pyramid, and a giant Elven Tree, just to name a few cool features.
I will definitely be using this for some time to come, but have plans to use both sides of the tiles as there are plenty of ways to set up this map...
I have some excellent campaign ideas for this map as well...
The gears they are turning....
Cheers, until next time!
Wow! It's been a while since I've posted. Not because I've been inactive in the hobby, no, as I've had a lot of things going on and will try to update more soon. I've just been very busy with real life activities and so have had to put off updating the blog for a while. But, as I've said before, my updates may be sporadic, depending on the whim's of fate.
Today I would like to present my new Warhammer/40K Campaign board.
This weekend, the local Games Workshop store was celebrating it's 14th birthday. On a whim, after a hard day at work, I walked in and discovered they had some very special items up for auction. One being a painted Space Hulk demo set (though it was missing 3 of the coolest Terminators....suspicious? Nooooo!) and one of the rare and limited Walls of Minas Tirith, which I bought.
To celebrate their birthday they were also having a prize draw. Among the prizes was a Warhammer Battalion box, and a very cool Mighty Empires/ Planet Strike Campaign Map, created and painted by one of the staff, whom I've been friends with since he first entered the hobby when I was a staffer there 14 years ago. When he called me to tell me I won the map, I was surprised and quite happy, and promised him I would keep the paint job the way it is.
Here is why:
This thing is amazing. There are some excellent details, like a ring of mage stones, a magnificently huge mountain range, a giant pyramid, and a giant Elven Tree, just to name a few cool features.
I will definitely be using this for some time to come, but have plans to use both sides of the tiles as there are plenty of ways to set up this map...
I have some excellent campaign ideas for this map as well...
The gears they are turning....
Cheers, until next time!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Sternguard Veteran Sgt Aristotle
Today I've decided to take a look back and post a model I made a long time ago. Originally, this model was created to represent an Emperor's Champion for my personal brand of Space Marines, back when all chapters were allowed to have Emperor's Champions. But no sooner was it finished than the rule was invalidated, so he quickly became a Veteran Sgt in my command squad.
I started with the Limited edition Black Templars Marshall model. I thought it fitting that a Black Templar limited release model be converted to be an Emperor's Champion.
Many bemoaned my choice of this model to convert, but I think it was worth while in the long run. Plus I happened to have a second copy of the model, so it really wasn't that risky a sacrifice.
To start with, I chopped off the sword blade, and added the blade from the metal Terminator Captain to give the sword the heft necessary for The Black Blade. I chopped off the bolter, and converted a plastic bolter to be master crafted using some wing detail bits on the housing.
I also decided the Champion needed to be a little less bald, so I sculpted on some hair.
Notice the left shoulder pad has also been cleaned of the Templar's cross. I hand filed it to protect the little Terminator honour badge in the corner.
And to give it a more personalised and characterful touch, I sculpted a sword and laurel on his right shoulder pad to replace his normal squad livery. The sword later became the livery for what are now my Sternguard units derived from the Crusading/Questing company.
Originally, when I sculpted in detail for the power sword, I added the cables for the power nodes, but I didn't feel like that appeared like a relic of the chapter, so I shaved that detail off and painted the sword in fiery colours to give the impression that it was made from an ever burning material of unknown or secret heritage. I also decided to use a banner pole topper as the iron halo, which I glued to the backpack to finish off the model.
There's a bit of a bubo here on the left shoulder pad which I have since repaired since the photo was taken. I have also added the chapter badge to the shoulder.
Overall, I am very pleased with how this model turned out, and it was a very characterful addition to my army, leading the Sternguard to numerous victories...and the occasional defeat.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Sternguard Heavy Flamer
Here's a model that I converted and completed in April for the Astronomi-con tournament in Toronto.
He was made especially for my Space Marine Sternguard squad, as I team them up with a chapter master and use them as a hybrid shooty/assaulty unit. They are especially good when coupled with Pedro Kantor. The Heavy Flamer ensures horde units are thinned out so that the squad can survive the round of combat, due to reduced counter attacks. But it also means getting in close...and since that is what they intend to do anyway, it works out nicely. Normally I field them in a razorback, but am now considering putting them in a Landraider and expanding the squad.
When I started thinking about how I would make the model, I considered using the Legion of the Damned Heavy Flamer model from GW. But realised it just wouldn't fit in with the original squad, which all wears the MK VIII Errant armour.
So instead I used a plastic heavy flamer arm from the Space Wolves Wolf Guard Terminator kit and converted it to fit this model. I removed all the wolf icons and the terminator arm. Then I grafted it onto a regular marine arm, resculpted the tubes to the back, added a couple of purity seals, some paint and presto blammo, I got a really nice and convincing Sternguard Heavy Flamer out of it. As mentioned already the squad is composed of MK VIII armour. However, instead of using the plastic MKVIII chest piece, the miniature itself is one of the 2nd generation metal MKVIII Errant Space Marine Armour.
I'll be doing another Sternguard with Heavy Flamer, to really put a hurt on horde type armies, especially if that squad escorts a Librarian with Avenger, or to make it even more nasty if I make the Sternguard a 10 man squad with two heavy flamers. For a slight difference, I'll be converting that heavy flamer from a previous generation plastic Terminator heavy flamer, with the conical nozzles.
Here is the foundation model I'll be using for that model.
I started with a black base coat. This model has been spray primed with Citadel Black Primer (yes I still have some). I then add the highlights by wet blending directly from Chaos Black to Shadow Grey. This is done in a single wet blending step for each area of armour. Doing a two colour gradient in a single blend step helps keep the highlight gradient sharp, and clean. Note that the edges are NOT done with edge highlighting, rather, that is the highlight effect I achieve through wet blending and leaving the edge with the brightest colour. Basically I draw the dark colour towards the ridges, and deposit the lighter pigment there, while creating an even gradient. Finally, I give it a black ink wash. This ensures the gradients appear smooth, and the tone is consistent. It also goes on a touch shiny, which I like for marine armour.
The next picture shows work proceeding on the bone armour pieces. In this picture you can see various stages. I took this shot to reduce the number of pictures for the tutorial. Anywhere that I paint bone, I begin with a coat of original GW Bestial Brown. However, that is no longer available, so Khemri Brown Foundation is a suitable replacement. You can also use Snakebite Leather, though it gives a more yellow tint.
Here you can see the helmet, chest eagle and belly armour in Snakebite Leather, as I could not find my Beastial Brown. The belt, knees and ankles were given a thin coat of Bleached Bone. It should be about the consistency of skimmed milk, and translucent. Apply it so that you are drawing the brush away from the darkest part, to the highlight. This leaves a translucent gradient, and then deposits pigment on the highlight. Repeat several times until the coat is nice and even. The trick to preventing it from looking chalky is several nice thin coats.
Below you can see the model after several thin coats of Bleached Bone. The photo is a little over exposed, so the highlights are blown out a bit, but you can see how even and smooth the bone is without looking chalky.
Once I have an even transition from the brown to the bone, I start wet blending again. I repeat the translucent layer of bleached bone, and blend in some skull white on the highlight. This is done while the layer of paint is wet, and mixed directly on the model. I let it dry, then do this again with slightly lighter mixes of bleached bone, adding white to my mix every layer. I repeat this for several coats until I have a mix of about 50/50 bone to white on the palette, and finally edge highlight with that specific colour. I then add some spot highlights of pure white on points of interest, like the edge of the belt, the head crest, and the eye surround.
I find the most convincing aged bone effect is done by laying this translucent paint over the darker brown, so that you can almost see the brown through the top layers. If you ever look at dried out bones, say after a BBQ of chicken wings, or ribs, you will see that same effect, as the marrow is almost visible through the bone.
Of course, changing the base colour will change the tone of the bone, making it look more or less age worn, fresh, wet, dried out, etc. Experiment to your personal taste, but I've had very positive and pleasing results doing the same effect over purple, red, blue, black and grey. Green is a nice option too and gives the subject an almost otherworldly effect. You can also make the bone look fresh by using reddish tones, and then giving the area of deepest undertone a thin gloss varnish, to appear gristly and wet.
That's it for now. I'll continue to update this as I make progress on the model.
He was made especially for my Space Marine Sternguard squad, as I team them up with a chapter master and use them as a hybrid shooty/assaulty unit. They are especially good when coupled with Pedro Kantor. The Heavy Flamer ensures horde units are thinned out so that the squad can survive the round of combat, due to reduced counter attacks. But it also means getting in close...and since that is what they intend to do anyway, it works out nicely. Normally I field them in a razorback, but am now considering putting them in a Landraider and expanding the squad.
When I started thinking about how I would make the model, I considered using the Legion of the Damned Heavy Flamer model from GW. But realised it just wouldn't fit in with the original squad, which all wears the MK VIII Errant armour.
So instead I used a plastic heavy flamer arm from the Space Wolves Wolf Guard Terminator kit and converted it to fit this model. I removed all the wolf icons and the terminator arm. Then I grafted it onto a regular marine arm, resculpted the tubes to the back, added a couple of purity seals, some paint and presto blammo, I got a really nice and convincing Sternguard Heavy Flamer out of it. As mentioned already the squad is composed of MK VIII armour. However, instead of using the plastic MKVIII chest piece, the miniature itself is one of the 2nd generation metal MKVIII Errant Space Marine Armour.
I'll be doing another Sternguard with Heavy Flamer, to really put a hurt on horde type armies, especially if that squad escorts a Librarian with Avenger, or to make it even more nasty if I make the Sternguard a 10 man squad with two heavy flamers. For a slight difference, I'll be converting that heavy flamer from a previous generation plastic Terminator heavy flamer, with the conical nozzles.
Here is the foundation model I'll be using for that model.
I started with a black base coat. This model has been spray primed with Citadel Black Primer (yes I still have some). I then add the highlights by wet blending directly from Chaos Black to Shadow Grey. This is done in a single wet blending step for each area of armour. Doing a two colour gradient in a single blend step helps keep the highlight gradient sharp, and clean. Note that the edges are NOT done with edge highlighting, rather, that is the highlight effect I achieve through wet blending and leaving the edge with the brightest colour. Basically I draw the dark colour towards the ridges, and deposit the lighter pigment there, while creating an even gradient. Finally, I give it a black ink wash. This ensures the gradients appear smooth, and the tone is consistent. It also goes on a touch shiny, which I like for marine armour.
The next picture shows work proceeding on the bone armour pieces. In this picture you can see various stages. I took this shot to reduce the number of pictures for the tutorial. Anywhere that I paint bone, I begin with a coat of original GW Bestial Brown. However, that is no longer available, so Khemri Brown Foundation is a suitable replacement. You can also use Snakebite Leather, though it gives a more yellow tint.
Here you can see the helmet, chest eagle and belly armour in Snakebite Leather, as I could not find my Beastial Brown. The belt, knees and ankles were given a thin coat of Bleached Bone. It should be about the consistency of skimmed milk, and translucent. Apply it so that you are drawing the brush away from the darkest part, to the highlight. This leaves a translucent gradient, and then deposits pigment on the highlight. Repeat several times until the coat is nice and even. The trick to preventing it from looking chalky is several nice thin coats.
Below you can see the model after several thin coats of Bleached Bone. The photo is a little over exposed, so the highlights are blown out a bit, but you can see how even and smooth the bone is without looking chalky.
Once I have an even transition from the brown to the bone, I start wet blending again. I repeat the translucent layer of bleached bone, and blend in some skull white on the highlight. This is done while the layer of paint is wet, and mixed directly on the model. I let it dry, then do this again with slightly lighter mixes of bleached bone, adding white to my mix every layer. I repeat this for several coats until I have a mix of about 50/50 bone to white on the palette, and finally edge highlight with that specific colour. I then add some spot highlights of pure white on points of interest, like the edge of the belt, the head crest, and the eye surround.
I find the most convincing aged bone effect is done by laying this translucent paint over the darker brown, so that you can almost see the brown through the top layers. If you ever look at dried out bones, say after a BBQ of chicken wings, or ribs, you will see that same effect, as the marrow is almost visible through the bone.
Of course, changing the base colour will change the tone of the bone, making it look more or less age worn, fresh, wet, dried out, etc. Experiment to your personal taste, but I've had very positive and pleasing results doing the same effect over purple, red, blue, black and grey. Green is a nice option too and gives the subject an almost otherworldly effect. You can also make the bone look fresh by using reddish tones, and then giving the area of deepest undertone a thin gloss varnish, to appear gristly and wet.
That's it for now. I'll continue to update this as I make progress on the model.
Hunker in the Bunker
Today I decided to give my tank brush a workout and settle down to painting some basic scenery.
I have some of the expanded foam scenery released by GW over the years. Until now, it was all unpainted, with just the basic Games Workshop primer coat that was sprayed on at the factory. Getting tired of always playing over the flat light grey and green static grass pieces, I decided to paint up a piece tonight.
Here's the before:
And here's the after:
Since the model was already primed grey, I didn't bother priming it.
I started with scorched earth as a base coat for all the earthworks. I then highlighted it with Khemri Brown, and finally added in some bleached bone and a touch of codex grey for the ultimate highlight.
For the sandbags, I did a heavy drybrush of Snakebite Leather, with some scorched brown brushed into the shadows and crevasses. I then added a touch of Bleached Bone and did a lighter drybrush. Finally, I added a touch more bleached bone for final highlight. I didn't want to go too bold with the highlight as I wanted a darker more weather beaten tone, which I achieved with a light dusting of a pale mix of grey.
The timbers and wood were painted with Scorched Brown, then drybrushed heavily in Khemri Brown, and finally in a mix of Codex Grey and Khemri Brown. I did this to make it appear somewhat aged and weather beaten, as wood tends to turn grey when exposed to extreme elements and time. However, I left some of the brown showing through as I don't want it to appear too old.
The drums, metal beams and plates I painted in Charadon Granite. This is a nice dark olive drab type of green, which highlights nicely with a touch of Bleached Bone mixed in. I followed the same aging method by adding in a light grey, to help keep a similar tone across the weathered elements. I then stippled the metals with light grey, followed by several browns, black, and finally with some metal. This simulates a light rust with some ongoing wear and tear, as though it's an old bunker that sees occassional use.
In order to give it a story to indicate why it sees moderate use, I then proceeded to add scorch and burn marks. Particularly around bullet holes, and especially on the communication console in the corner. I stippled this heavily with black and greys to make it look burned out, with a touch of grey wash to show that it has been abandoned, but not too long ago. I then added some scorch marks in the grass and other areas of the bunker to tell a story of how it might have been attacked with a flamer, or plasma weapon, driving the occupants back.
All and all, this piece only took an hour to paint, and I'm quite pleased with the results, and look forward to the next game where it will surely see some action.
I have some of the expanded foam scenery released by GW over the years. Until now, it was all unpainted, with just the basic Games Workshop primer coat that was sprayed on at the factory. Getting tired of always playing over the flat light grey and green static grass pieces, I decided to paint up a piece tonight.
Here's the before:
And here's the after:
Since the model was already primed grey, I didn't bother priming it.
I started with scorched earth as a base coat for all the earthworks. I then highlighted it with Khemri Brown, and finally added in some bleached bone and a touch of codex grey for the ultimate highlight.
For the sandbags, I did a heavy drybrush of Snakebite Leather, with some scorched brown brushed into the shadows and crevasses. I then added a touch of Bleached Bone and did a lighter drybrush. Finally, I added a touch more bleached bone for final highlight. I didn't want to go too bold with the highlight as I wanted a darker more weather beaten tone, which I achieved with a light dusting of a pale mix of grey.
The timbers and wood were painted with Scorched Brown, then drybrushed heavily in Khemri Brown, and finally in a mix of Codex Grey and Khemri Brown. I did this to make it appear somewhat aged and weather beaten, as wood tends to turn grey when exposed to extreme elements and time. However, I left some of the brown showing through as I don't want it to appear too old.
The drums, metal beams and plates I painted in Charadon Granite. This is a nice dark olive drab type of green, which highlights nicely with a touch of Bleached Bone mixed in. I followed the same aging method by adding in a light grey, to help keep a similar tone across the weathered elements. I then stippled the metals with light grey, followed by several browns, black, and finally with some metal. This simulates a light rust with some ongoing wear and tear, as though it's an old bunker that sees occassional use.
In order to give it a story to indicate why it sees moderate use, I then proceeded to add scorch and burn marks. Particularly around bullet holes, and especially on the communication console in the corner. I stippled this heavily with black and greys to make it look burned out, with a touch of grey wash to show that it has been abandoned, but not too long ago. I then added some scorch marks in the grass and other areas of the bunker to tell a story of how it might have been attacked with a flamer, or plasma weapon, driving the occupants back.
All and all, this piece only took an hour to paint, and I'm quite pleased with the results, and look forward to the next game where it will surely see some action.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Terminator Assault Part 3 - Paint Basecoat
For this update I've got the terminator squad in its basic colours blocked out, minus the weapons. I've also got the bases sanded and added some slate so they don't look too plain. When stood next to a contemporary plastic terminator they look very close to scale, so I'm pleased with that!
Anyway, here are a couple of progress pictures:
That's it for now!
Anyway, here are a couple of progress pictures:
Hopefully I can get some more paint on these soon.
That's it for now!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Nunbnunbnunbnunb...Lubb!
Well, it's been a while since my previous update. I have been painting, and have been working on stuff, just haven't gotten around to updating the blog.
It's a complete repaint. I started by cleaning off the mould lines. The factory paint wasn't on too thick, and the detail was still very good, so I opted to not strip the model of paint.
Instead, I hand basecoated the model using Games Workshop Foundation Charadon Granite. I thinned the paint to about equal parts with water, and brushed it on with a large basecoat brush. It took two thin coats to fully cover the model, which took all of 10 minutes to apply and dry.
Then, working with my Games Workshop paints, I painted from the inside layers out. Starting with the shirt, I painted it with a basecoat of Scorched Brown. I then layered on Scab Red and Red Gore, blending in Blood Red as I highlighted. I then gave it a very thin wash of Red Ink as a glaze to tie the colours together.
I next proceeded to the black vest, gloves, and pants. The base coat was painted with Chaos Black. I blended in various shades of grey to highlight, depending on the type of material. For the leathers, I used Shadow Grey, and for the fabric vest, I used a mixture of Codex Grey and Bestial Brown to flatten the tone and give it some warmth.
This took me along to the brown leather boots, belt, holster and skull cap. I started with a Scorched Brown basecoat. I blended in some Beastial Brown and finally highlighted up to Snakebite Leather. A nice wash of Brown Ink again unified the colours, and added depth to the recesses.
Next up was the blaster. This was painted a flat Chaos Black. I then mixed Boltgun Metal into the black for a nice deep metallic colour and lightly painted this on. No drybrushing here as it would look out of scale. I then added a touch of Chainmail and painted on a very light highlight, and washed it with black ink. This toned it down to give it a more natural dark metal appearance, and helped shade the detail.
Finally, the face and flesh. To give the model a ruddy look, I started with a mix of Dwarf Flesh and Scorched Brown. The red tones help make the skin look warm and living. I then highlighted by blending in some Dwarf Flesh. I continued the blend with a tiny hint of Elf Flesh. I tried to keep the highlights as smooth and subtle as I could on the face, and kept the paint thin, so the ruddy colours below could show through. This helps keep the scale of the model looking realistic, as well as gives the flesh a translucent effect, like real skin.
Finally, I dotted the eyes with straight Chaos Black.
But when I looked at the finished model, I felt something wasn't quite right. Han Solo had stripes on his trowsers, so I began to paint some red stripes on Siou. But that didn't look right because of the red shirt my friend wanted him to be wearing...so I then figured, what better colour for a coward than yellow stripes?
To tie the outfit together I added stripes on both his legs and his shirt. The yellow was painted with a base of Snakebite Leather. I blended in some Fiery Orange, and then up to Sunburst Yellow. Finally, I added a very thin highlight of Bad Moon Yellow, and gave it a very light wash of yellow ink. Again, this wash unifies the slightly different tones of the paint. If you use white to lighten paint, it also helps eliminate any chalkiness.
So far, this model has proven very enjoyable for my friend, who was extremely eager to get the miniature back. I look forward to painting, and perhaps converting, miniatures for the rest of the adventurers!
So I've decided I would post something I painted a while ago. The model here is one of the characters I painted for a friend who is playing in my Star Wars Roleplaying campaign. He is a cowardly Sullustan who lives by the philosophy, if you have to fight, run. If you have to run. RUN. If you have to negotiate...well....let's talk...but often ends up running anway.
The first picture shows an admittedly low rez version of the original minature of Nien Nunb from the Star Wars Miniatures Universe collection.
My friend wanted to give the model a less flashy look with slighly more subdued colours. Basically he wanted a more Han Soloesque appearance, without the swagger and bravado.
So I took his miniature away, and after an afternoon of painting, came up with this version to represent Siou Lubb!
It's a complete repaint. I started by cleaning off the mould lines. The factory paint wasn't on too thick, and the detail was still very good, so I opted to not strip the model of paint.
Instead, I hand basecoated the model using Games Workshop Foundation Charadon Granite. I thinned the paint to about equal parts with water, and brushed it on with a large basecoat brush. It took two thin coats to fully cover the model, which took all of 10 minutes to apply and dry.
Then, working with my Games Workshop paints, I painted from the inside layers out. Starting with the shirt, I painted it with a basecoat of Scorched Brown. I then layered on Scab Red and Red Gore, blending in Blood Red as I highlighted. I then gave it a very thin wash of Red Ink as a glaze to tie the colours together.
I next proceeded to the black vest, gloves, and pants. The base coat was painted with Chaos Black. I blended in various shades of grey to highlight, depending on the type of material. For the leathers, I used Shadow Grey, and for the fabric vest, I used a mixture of Codex Grey and Bestial Brown to flatten the tone and give it some warmth.
This took me along to the brown leather boots, belt, holster and skull cap. I started with a Scorched Brown basecoat. I blended in some Beastial Brown and finally highlighted up to Snakebite Leather. A nice wash of Brown Ink again unified the colours, and added depth to the recesses.
Next up was the blaster. This was painted a flat Chaos Black. I then mixed Boltgun Metal into the black for a nice deep metallic colour and lightly painted this on. No drybrushing here as it would look out of scale. I then added a touch of Chainmail and painted on a very light highlight, and washed it with black ink. This toned it down to give it a more natural dark metal appearance, and helped shade the detail.
Finally, the face and flesh. To give the model a ruddy look, I started with a mix of Dwarf Flesh and Scorched Brown. The red tones help make the skin look warm and living. I then highlighted by blending in some Dwarf Flesh. I continued the blend with a tiny hint of Elf Flesh. I tried to keep the highlights as smooth and subtle as I could on the face, and kept the paint thin, so the ruddy colours below could show through. This helps keep the scale of the model looking realistic, as well as gives the flesh a translucent effect, like real skin.
Finally, I dotted the eyes with straight Chaos Black.
But when I looked at the finished model, I felt something wasn't quite right. Han Solo had stripes on his trowsers, so I began to paint some red stripes on Siou. But that didn't look right because of the red shirt my friend wanted him to be wearing...so I then figured, what better colour for a coward than yellow stripes?
To tie the outfit together I added stripes on both his legs and his shirt. The yellow was painted with a base of Snakebite Leather. I blended in some Fiery Orange, and then up to Sunburst Yellow. Finally, I added a very thin highlight of Bad Moon Yellow, and gave it a very light wash of yellow ink. Again, this wash unifies the slightly different tones of the paint. If you use white to lighten paint, it also helps eliminate any chalkiness.
So far, this model has proven very enjoyable for my friend, who was extremely eager to get the miniature back. I look forward to painting, and perhaps converting, miniatures for the rest of the adventurers!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Terminator Assault - Green Stuff
Well, I've gotten some progress done, so here's my update.
The models have been converted and detailed, and are now ready for paint.
I've done a bit of greenstuff work to detail the chapter badges on the shoulder pads.
I've also based them taller so that they appear bigger. They actually now stand taller than a contemporary plastic terminator, and as a result, the eye is fooled to think they are about the same size, because they look slightly bigger than they are. So mixing them with plastic terminators will be less of an issue.
Bulking out the shoulder pads with bits also helps contribute to the size illusion.
Now I just have to wait for the green stuff to dry and then get painting.
And yes, I'm painting right over top of the red paint. There is no reason to strip these models as the layers of paint already on them isn't affecting the detail. And considering the base coat on the blue marines was done with ultramarine blue spray, there will be good bite for building up, and the red was primed with Blood Angels red spray, and the foundation blue base coat I use will coat the red exactly the same as the blue.
Anyway, enjoy until next time!
The models have been converted and detailed, and are now ready for paint.
I've done a bit of greenstuff work to detail the chapter badges on the shoulder pads.
I've also based them taller so that they appear bigger. They actually now stand taller than a contemporary plastic terminator, and as a result, the eye is fooled to think they are about the same size, because they look slightly bigger than they are. So mixing them with plastic terminators will be less of an issue.
Bulking out the shoulder pads with bits also helps contribute to the size illusion.
Now I just have to wait for the green stuff to dry and then get painting.
And yes, I'm painting right over top of the red paint. There is no reason to strip these models as the layers of paint already on them isn't affecting the detail. And considering the base coat on the blue marines was done with ultramarine blue spray, there will be good bite for building up, and the red was primed with Blood Angels red spray, and the foundation blue base coat I use will coat the red exactly the same as the blue.
Anyway, enjoy until next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)