Mid Week Update for 11/07/2009 Goal

Okay so I want to finish this Skorne Battle Box I have been slowly working on.  When I started playing Hordes I made a rule to myself: NO new units hit the table unit I finish painting a Skorne unit.  So for instance, I finished Morghul, and now I can use Hexeris, once I finish the Cyclops this week I can use the Basilisks.  I started the this rule when Mark II is a known but distant event.  Now Mark II is almost upon us now not only are more goodies are coming, but the pull of older miniatures is working on me.  My favorite faction in Privateer Pres is the Mercenary contract for the Highborn Covenant. Mercenaries are due to get their revamp right before my Skorne, which I actually play with (albeit, in a very limited way).  Therefor I wanted to push these guys out before they get eternally shelved.

So here is what I started with Sunday night:




Cyclops Savages with Banner Poles. These guys are mostly done.

So here you see the Titan Gladiator with Banner Pole.

He has a long way to go.  The skin is all done and the gold metal is pretty much in, but everything else is just base coats and guide coats.  From five feet away, it is passable, but the closer you get it becomes exponentially bad.  So bad that about that if you closely examine the model from under two feet away, all the Democrat gubernatorial candidates  up for election lose, that is how powerful my bad painting is.


As of Tuesday night I was this far:




Handles on the Cyclops are based in light grey craft paint, then double washed with Delvan Mud, a la Ron's Deathwing.  Gives a decent spotty leather really fast.





The Banners are getting roughed in.  Now  it is just slow layering to get even whites and purples.

You can see the ropes are all done the metals are cleaned up, the purples are nice and solid and the whites are started, the loincloth painted and washed.  I need to go back and start putting contrast on the whites, do the tusks, and then put the interference paint to the purple armor and minor spot highlighting on the loincloth.  After that, attaching the banner poles comes.

However, I don't think I will be able to do all that with my limited time this week, so this project may drift into next week, which is okay, as I can add basing to the project and I will have limited time due to travelling anyway.

Finished Random Models

So I buy a lot of models. Most miniatures go to a game of some kind nowadays, whether it is some thing as common as Games Workshop's Warhammer 40k to more esoteric stuff like Avatars of War or Ron and Bones. This is where the really random "Hey that is cool!" purchases and other models that don't fit another category will end up being documented. Here you find stuff from Resina Planet, Enigma, Reaper, Dark Sword, and Mega Minis, etc. If it isn't elsewhere on the top or side links, it should be here ... if I have finished it.


Reaper Miniatures


Hyena, from 03277: Hyena Pack (2) by Jason Wiebe

This pack of models was used for the first Painter v. Painter feature on From the Warp.  The only way to tell this thing is actually a hyena is the coloration.  If you study pictures of hyenas, the muzzle is all wrong, far more ursine than canine.  It would make a great demonic hyena or a hellhound though.  Animals are one of the things I have the worst time painting.  This model did satisfy one prime requirement though--you get two for $7.99 making it ideal for our purposes.

Goal of the Week 10/31/2009

So this week's goal was to finish some tanks. Those tanks being 15mm Flames of War M4A1 Shermans. this week also the saw the introduction of a D90 camera, and me building a light box out of a cardboard box, some Kleenex, tape and a office paper.

You'll notice some dramatic sways in photo quality as I learn to use the camera.

So there they are.


I did some weathering using powders and added an antenna using 1st string from a guitar. No enamels, no oils. Caked, dry mud made from weathering powder and matte medium. The decal softener and setter worked like magic. Notice how the Allied Star meshes perfectly to the seems in the front.As you can see I build a little light box. That will probably get added to the Side Projects heading later. While it worked for this, I am learning fast how to improve it. I discovered this wonderful thing called white balance. I still haven't figured out how to use it on the camera itself, but Picasa has a white balance bar that lets me remove the excessive yellow from the photos.