Back to the Brushes 401

Been playing with colour the other night, going back to mixing some tones from the base colour and layering from there. 

The base colour is from Vallejo Games colours Scurvy Green and the subsequent tones are mixed from this blended with Army Painter Skeleton Bone. 

It was refreshing to do this and rewarding to have that control and feel of the colours building up. Still to go back for a final highlight or two on the edges and a few other places, then several coats of Matt varnish to knock the sheen off, which is coming from the base colour.

A couple of casualty markers for the Undead hordes in Kings of War. These have been built from a triple 10mm dice cell, a 60 x 20mm base and some spare parts from the skeleton warriors sprues. The MDF parts are all from Warbases.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 344

It is hot here in Scotland tonight, hot and clammy and not in a good way either. Tried to paint last night however, gave in as it was really too hot and that's not something you'll read often. 

Prepped a few stands worth of Late Crusaders for ADLG and DBA. This time a mixture of Knights and Sargeants for the Knights of Jerusalem faction. Haven't gone overboard on these just enough to do what will be needed - two stands of three cavalry with figures from Gladiator Miniatures.

Then tried to paint again and shelved that idea so built a paint stand instead. Five sticky fingers and elastic bands later it was complete.

Recommend this or similar if you use Vallejo or similar style paints. Easy to assemble, tidies desk space - well you have to do that really - and you can see the colours whether the bottle is stored top up or top down. Personally, it's a top up house here. 

After that did a little prep work for a new 28mm project based on a pillar that my hobby is based on, but more of that later.  Some snipping, some gluing and a few sweary words at small parts that just won't go where they are glued and the first unit is on the way. Project E, as it will be referred to for a while has started and will be shown  once the first stands are fully complete. 

On the subject of Projects, will be starting the 30 Days 30 Miniature Painting Challenges again in August as feeling in a better place to commit to this again. The shine was wearing off and that's not what it is all about. 

On that will be back soon with some pictures of other ongoing stuff. 

Cheers for now. 

Back to the Brushes 339

Well, its official that this paint pot is now completely empty. Like say proper empty on the lines of a good bottle of red where you wring out the last drops.

Having stood on its top end for a day before using the last drops were teased by an equally decrepit brush - basing is rough on the nylon brushes hairs. 

A few finished items including the afore mentioned Arabs to follow shortly. 

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 335

 

Been working on a small force for Big Chain of Command in 10mm. As these are first 10mm figures painted here I've put together a little how to guide based on how the paint flowed. 

Base coat of Vallejo Green Brown

Contrast Templar Black to cover everything

In retrospect, will undercoat in black for future vehicles and miss this stage out.

Recoated with the base colour, leaving black lines showing.

Yellow green and dark sand mix to base tone. Followed by a dry brush of dark sand alone.

The bases have been textured and are now waiting on finishing before joining the list of items to be photographed for the AHPC XII

Hope you found this interesting. 

Stay safe and cheers. 

Imperium Sine Fine 31

 A recently completed scenery piece from the Warbases Veni Vidi Vici range in 28mm - the Stone Granary.

Stone Granary

A range of paints were used on this from masonry paint, emulsion, artists acrylics and modellers acrylics to achieve different colours and finishes different than normally used.

A scenery piece like this really sets off your gaming table and this range are superb kits with a huge range of potentials and not just for gaming but in different painting styles and conversion opportunities. 

With painting buildings, I have always thought that texture is everything. The dimensions of the model carry themselves well, however, texture allows colours to be built up in layers much easier than plain surfaces.

A painted or plastered wall is seldom just the one colour - go take a walk and look at the differences in painted buildings. Age, weather, condition are all contributing factors that change the colour and some of this is shown on this building, more will be shown on another future project where weathering will be added in. 

Really enjoyed painting this and will be looking forward to doing more from the same range in the coming months. This takes the tally this month to 2 finished items so far with 4 painting sessions still to go... 

Cheers for now and stay safe.

30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge August 2020

Last months 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge was successfully completed as below

Starting another 30 Days 30 Miniatures Painting Challenge tonight, 1st August. As with last month there will be no theme to this, just to paint and complete 30 miniatures regardless of their starting condition. 

The outline of the challenge is detailed below, however the main point being to have fun with your hobby.

• To paint 30 figures of all shapes and sizes in 30 days
• The figures can be partly painted at the start as the main point is to complete figures that have been forgotten
• Basing is not necessary to count as completed
• Any scale is good
• Too have fun
• The end date is set by your start date - 30th August will be the end date of this challenge
• To post updates as often as possible
• Lastly to show a round up post with a group picture of everything.

Here is the starting point as the painting table currently sits, so lots to be getting on with as usual. 

Hope that you will find this interesting .

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 213

A work in update on some 28mm Undead figures from Mithril Miniatures and Citadel.

Top left is a Mithril Miniatures Wight. Base coated white then painted with Technical paint Nighthaunt Gloom. The dried figure has then been worked upto what you see using the Gloom paint mixed with white. Bloody marvelous effect can be obtained here. Citadel really need to expand this range as this really does give good results. 

Top right and bottom left shows two Citadel wights. Both have been painted using layers. The top figure using Vallejo Game Colours Scruvy, Jade and Foul Green with a final touch of white added in. The second wight has been using Foundry Teal AB & C again with some white added as a final highlight. 

Lastly some Citadel Skeleton base coated in Army Painter Skeleton Bone waiting for the next stage of painting. 

Some other pieces are nearing completion and will hopefully be shown in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge next week. 

Hmmm, some of the pics could be better. 

Cheers for now.

Fantasy Hero 18

Below is the first submission from this year's Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge or AHPC IX for short. 

The figures are all from 15mm.co.uk and are a part of a HOTT army that grows yearly. 

One stand of archers and one of crossbows; plus skirmishers  from each.

There will be a few more for this army in the remainder of the challenge which will complete the army for the time being.

All the figures are painted with base, wash and dry brush for a table top standard suitable for this scale.

The composite picture will become a feature in the blog from know on, allowing different angles to be shown together.

Next will be work in progress on a long stalled project.

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 202

After over twenty years service the faithful paint pot finally gives in and dries up.

Never been a colour to see extensive use however; always useful when painting armour and metallics in general.

Now to try Foundry 35C Spearpoint. How will it compare and will it last the next twenty years?

Cheers for now.

30 days 30 miniatures round up 3

The third 30days30 miniatures painting challenge has ended successfully reaching the target set.

Shown below are:

28mm - 8 including 1 piece of scatter terrain

15mm - 21 infantry figures

1/300th - 6 e-boats (not in picture)

Painting different scales and periods provides different foci and motivations.

The 28mm figures allow more expression and detail to be shown. These are painted with more focus on creating the best effect of light and shade through the use of layers and washes to do so. Increasingly, the focus is on figures as individuals rather than figures within a unit; this is regardless of the figures being part of a warband or larger unit. Realism is a part of this; even with fantasy figures as still looking for colours to look right and correct for the materials used. Sorry, no flurescent pinks here.

With the 15mm and smaller figures the massed effect is more relevant and a quicker and less detailed painting style is used. Self coloured undercoats help with this, for example; if the robes are to be white then the undercoat will be white. Speeds the painting up and allows the washes used to do their job - tone the figure. Brighter colours also add to this so rather than using black use a dark gray and let the wash do its job.

Not highlighting or drybrushing the figures keeps the muted colour effect looked for from the painting and helps the sculpting create the shaded areas along with the wash. When based and deployed in groups the mass effect is good and each stand strengthens the others.

So, what next? Well another 30days30miniatures painting challenge of course in preparation of the ninth Analogue Hobbies Painting challenge coming to the blogosphere soon.

Cheers for now.

Back to the Brushes 201

This 30 days 30 miniatures painting challenge has come to an end. Below are the last figures painted for this challenge; a solitary Norman from Foundry and 18 Arabs from Essex.

Two different scals and two very different painting styles. The 15mm figures are painted using block and wash whilst the 28mm figure is layered from base colour to highlight.

Will post a full review of this challenge shortly.

Day 30

Figures painted: 30

Cheers for now

Fantasy Hero 14

Due to technical issues with a dying hard drive no work in progress pictures just now. Reinstalling from back ups however this is happening too often just now so time to consider replacing the thing. Bugger!

These figures were painted in the mid nineties and are some of the first examples of layering being used here. Both are from Foundry's War of the Roses ranges; think so anyway.

Now rebased to return to their rightful place as arrow fodder in skirmish and role playing games.

Hopefully, back to normal shortly.

Cheers for now

Back to the Brushes 157

First real painting session since the end of the Challenge saw some time spent on a few varied pieces, some un-started some partially painted, some just needing a new base.

During the Challenge a solitary elf was painted, based and finished. The fact is the elf was part of the Citadel High Elves C08 range and the link shows that the elf is far from solitary. 

Strangely enough tucked away in a dusty drawer in the lead mountain there is a full set of these very High Elves and below is the companion figure for the early painted War maid. Some colour to follow shortly for this figure.

A while back a Warband for Songs of Blades and Heroes was started using 'Ranger' type figures and below are two that are so very near completion. These are the original Rangers of Ithilien from Citadel's Lord of the Rings range circa 1985.

These two Foundry figures from the War of the Roses range are being rebased to hex bases as henchmen for some of the fighter types painted last year. These two gents were originally painted over twenty years ago and show some early progress with layering.

Lastly, have been catching up with Vikings on Amazon Prime and as a result these three figures have been dug out for painting. The chap in the buff coat is one of these figures that will be painted because its there, not because of any other reason, not happy with the flesh tones on this one and the coat may well change.

Butterfly painting at present however that helps with keeping the interest levels high before venturing into painting a full base's worth of figures in the one theme.

Cheers for now

Fantasy Hero 12

The last of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge VIII entries below including some Alternative Armies Ghouls and Dixon Miniatures Ninja. 

Achieving a good tone on the tone black is to say the least a sod and often ends up requiring knocking back the high lights with a black wash or similar. Sort of seems counter productive to highlight then darken the same highlight; yet the finished results are often worth the effort.

Back to the brushes soon after a brief break post challenge and returning to the Ninja to complete the remaining four. 

Cheers for now

Fantasy Hero 9

A couple of retro fighters from Citadel; both of which have recently appeared in the Analogue Painting Challenge.

First is Sir Cador Celestor a Lawful Knight from the early days of Citadel.

Below is Cedric who originally appeared in the third Citadel Compendium. Missed him then and caught up with him after a late night eBay purchase.

Kept the colour scheme on this figure simple as the pose of the figure does most of the work for him.

Both figures are hex based and Cedric below being a slotta based figure is on a plastic hex. Cador's base is like all other bases here from Warbases.

Below is a group shot of all four fighters together

Cheers for now

Blood and Souls for my Lord Arioch 6

Another two retro Chaos Warriors from Citadel that have recently been submitted in the Analogue Painting Challenge.

Had originally thought about changing the colour of the cloak on this Chaos Warrior, however, now that he is off the painting table the colour is starting to grow on me.

The sculpt on this figure has lost some of its detail over his thirty four years plus life span. A feeling that we can all relate to in some shape and form.

Next up is a variant figure from the Citadel Compendium 2 - a different helm and weapon are the main changes.

The mix of colours go well and glad that "Gilded" effect on the armour doesn't look too gaudy. Base colour was Foundry Brazen A, washed with a mix of Citadel Gryphonne Sepia and Army Painter Strong tone then highlighted with the base colour again.

Next up are some other fantasy figures to oppose the forces of Chaos.

Cheers for now