54mm Andrea Teutonic Knight (FP-2) part 3, Stormcast Eternal conversion, Celtic Chieftain bust

54mm Andrea Teutonic Knight (FP-2)

Well I did a bit more fiddling on the green cloak of the knight and got happier with it.  I decided the spear needed a pennant.  I first tried doing it in paper but the paper kept folding after painting, even after being covered in PVA glue.  Next I decided to make one out of green stuff.  After cutting to shape and attaching to the spear I created the folds and let it dry.

Green stuff pennant

The green stuff needs to be supported (I used a plastic bag underneath to avoid the green stuff sticking) otherwise it will sink before drying.  The advantage of green stuff for this kind of work is that you can get it very thin, it holds the shape and when bumped (as happens, esp. with flags/etc) it doesn't break as it's always flexible.  I'm really happy with the contrast work I got on the pennant.  Unfortunately makes the rest of the figure look a bit flat.  Next time..

Green cloak of many coats..

For the ground work I tried two different techniques.  Normally I sculpt the ground with milliput/modelling clay, glue on a sand/rock mix, then add flock/scatter and then static grass tufts, etc.  This time I mixed-up a batch of the usual sand/rock mix and adding the scatter and bits of static grass (the leftover jar from previous flocking jobs with all kinds of bits in it) and mixed it all together and covered all the base with this.

Ground work start

The variation in materials gave a much better ground texture.  Many people just use real dirt, plaster, ground debris for their bases and I see why now.  Another lesson on why you should try new things, esp when many other people are doing it that way.  The second technique was for the static grass.  Rather than just put it on, or use pre-done tufts I used the 'gently blowing on' technique that I first read about from Sheperd Paine.

Finished ground work

You sprinkle the grass on and then blow it from the side.  This blows off the excess but also makes the remaining static grass stand up.  Works a treat.  I also added in some longer grass bits bent over in the direction of the wind that is blowing the cloak and pennant.

The expression "before anyone did anything, Elvis did everything" could be equally said for Sheperd Paine.  The book "Building and Painting Scale Figures" is a fantastic reference and is the book that really turned me from an army painter to a figure painter.

Cut down and wire supports added

I purchased five GW Stormcast Eternals secondhand in Cancon this year as experimental figures.  The second figure I wanted to convert to a chaos corrupted version.  I had a vision of a tentacle arm going through a nose, with the nose being on the chest.

Shaping areas

Then I added some eyes as per the usual "lots of eyes on chaos things".  All very standard and a bit of a throw back to the old school Chaos marines.

Eyes...

For sculpting I'm using a mix of milliput an green stuff in approx. 60/40% mix with a dash of harsh language.

Celtic Cheiftain 1/16 bust

Finally started on the Celtic Chieftain bust.  Starting to get the bronze where I would like it.  Flesh next.  Need to work out the cloak and shirt colours and I'm thinking about using the airbrush on these given the large flat areas.

54mm Andrea Teutonic Knight (FP-2)

Andrea Teutonic Knight (FP-2)

So my 1-1 scale terrain project has finished up so I'm now able to get back to some painting finally.  In the queue for some time was a 54mm knight with a spear (Andrea FP-2) that I purchased off eBay.

Although a Teutonic knight I wanted to do something different to the usual white as I've got a few other Teutonic figures in the cupboard.  Sorry Mike Blank.  So after much head scratching I went for a tradition(ish) blue/yellow scheme with purple highlights and green (at this stage) on the cloak.  I also wanted to try using the mixtures of two of the main colours to help shade the third colour.  Ie mix blue/purple and use this mix to shade the yellow.

For the blue I used JS Ultramarine Blue as the base, shaded with VMC Dark Sea Blue and highlighted with white and Cerulean Ink from Liquidtec.  I also added some of the base blue back to the mix to stop is chalking out so much.  It has become rather dull but I think that matches the fabric look I am after.  I may also do some dust/stains on the bottom of the cloth area later.  I did try and use the purple (see later) in the mix but that ended with the blue being too violet.

For yellow I used JS Yellow Oxide shaded with a mixture of the light purple used else where and some VMC armour brown.  Basically a very slight darker orange.  I was trying to use the secondary colours from mixing the primary colours of the figure in the shading to have some colour harmony.  Highlights with white, VMC Light Yellow and VGC amarillo yellow ink added to keep the colour intensity.  Really starting to like using inks in the highlights.

For the purple I make a mix of Liquidtec Dioxazine purple (a very dark purple) with white added to make a light purple.  The horns use this as a base and the horn tabs are this colour neat.

Originally I was going to paint the cloak in the purple but it didn't work.  Instead I swapped to a dark green (complementary to the blue/yellow) which helps the tunic pop some more.  More of that to come.

The armour was just the usually black undercoat and then some very gentle dry brushing in metallics and shading with dark sea blue and violets in the shadow areas.

On the rear of the figure the unpainted tab is some milliput that I added to give the cloak something to rest on and stop is sagging while the glue dries as the original fit wasn't that great.  I do have concerns that during gluing the cloak will sag so may also pin this.

28mm bridge painted with oils

Also painted up a 28mm bridge I purchased some time ago.  I used a technique of using oil paints smeared over a light brown acrylic base to represent a wood pattern.  Now need to add some dressing (plants, etc) and clean up some of the highlights.  Really just and excuse to break out the oil paints.

Terminator Genisys human

Finally finished the two Terminator Genisys figures.

...more humans

Christmas, New year, 54mm Cimmerian King (aka Conan) done and some Dungeon Saga

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year.  I had a week off but that was for the kids (and shopping) so not much getting done there compared to the previous week off when I did all the work on Conan.

54mm Cimmerian King (aka Conan)

So first up I finished off my 54mm Cimmerian King figure by Andrea.  The last bit was fiddling on the base.  Everything was glued down with two part epoxy or PVA glue for the lighter items.  I added in a blood spattered dirk and broken spear to the base and made a banner from green stuff.

Best flesh I have ever done

The banner was done by rolling out very thin green stuff and then crumpling it into the desired shape and letting it dry.  Once dry I painted in a light purple to add some colour to the base (otherwise a very dull brown) and to catch the eye.  Finally I touched up the black edging and called him done.

Dungeon Saga Salamander

For a break between big jobs I did another Dungeon Saga hero figure, the fire breathing Salamander.  I tried out some Jo Sonja’s paints for the first time (they were cheap during a boxing day sale).  Very nice colours and they cover quite well.  However when they say matte paint, they really mean it.  I tried a bright orange for the skin and it was very orange, and the flattest finish I have seen.  More so than matt varnish.  So when other people have mentioned that the Vallejo paints are slightly satin in finish, I now see what they mean.  Like many things related to painting, it’s all relative.

Dungeon Saga zombie

Finished off three zombies from Dungeon Saga in the quick and dirty method.  Shouldn’t have gone with a brown for the pants and it blends too much.  Never mind, these guys die off pretty quick :)

1/35 Tamiya German 37mm AT crew

Next up in the “in between figures” will be another 1/35 German from the Tamiya 37mm AT gun set.  Really need to have a go at more 1/35 WW2 figures but just not enough time.  2017 will be the year of the Tamiya tank diorama (which I’m sure I will curse like the Violinist) I think.

500 pages!!

On Christmas Eve I found out that The Combat Company (just down the road from me) had the new FAQ Dioramas from AK in stock.  500 pages of diorama love :)  Always best to buy the Xmas presents you want.

Halo Fleet battles bust

Finally also at The Combat Company they had the “2016 Halo Fleet Battles Tournament” box on sale.  So for under $20 I picked up the set as it had two 1/10 (?) size busts in it (as prizes I assume).  I’ve assembled both and prepared them by undercoating them black and then doing white highlights to suggest shadow placements.  I’ll probably do the human figure first.

Halo Fleet battles bust

Four weeks to Cancon and I’ll probably take the Cimmerian King, the Amy Johnson bust and the Violinist diorama down to enter in the painting competition.  I was going to take the old Ral Partha (mini) Death Dealer but I don’t think he is up to scratch.  I love the figure but the others I’ve done more recently are better.  Maybe I’ll be able to do the 75mm version for next year.

54mm Cimmerian King (aka Conan) by Andrea Miniatures

Well the flesh trials from last week went ok so I’m going to try the 54mm Conan figures I got a few months ago.  My new flesh recipe uses..

* VGC Leather Brown
* VMC Red
* VMC Light Orange
* VGC Dead White
* VMC Voilet Red
* VMC Flat Yellow
* VMC Yellow Ochre

The last thing I want to try out on the test figure is some tattoos.  Never done that before so need to work out how to make tattoos instead of just painted on skin.

Yeah, not going to be able to paint it this well...

On the Conan figure there is nothing but flesh, hair, undies and boots.  The figure comes with a nice tree for Conan to sit on too so hopefully the base work will be minimal (read - not spend months on diorama base work).  However I am thinking of transposing him from the forest to a ship deck (maybe sitting on a barrel).

Pins for everyone

The figure is made up of 5 parts and the sword, with the base being in two parts.  So lots of drilling and pinning.  I pin every part on metal figures as I’m paranoid that something will break off over time.  After quite a few hours I’m really wishing for a resin figure again.  So much easier to work with.

The base

For the pins I just use cut up paper clips.  Nice and cheap and a 3-5mm paper clip rod isn’t going to bend at all.  For glue I use the cheapest two part epoxy glue I can find.  Save the Araldite for where it matters.

Not looking too happy, probably because he has no arms

So more pinning and gluing coming up and should be ready for some paint by the weekend.

MOAB 2015, figure cases and finishing off the Reaper Bones Valkyrie

A good shopping week this week with a number of bargains to be had at the Bring and Buy stall at MOAB 2015.  But first a figure transport case.

Slide out trays

When I took El Torres to Canberra at the beginning of the year I transported the figure inside and old baby milk powder tin.  Quite a robust transport method but pretty daggy and hard to get the figure in and out safely.  As mentioned last week I started making a decent figure transport case.

The case is made out of 9mm (sides and top) and 12mm ply with some 3mm ply as the removable sliding side.  For strength I used 18mm square pine in each of the corners and glued and screwed the ply into the pine blocks.  This way there is something solid to hold the box together.

Slide side 'lid'

There are two slide out trays that the figure bases will be attached to (via screws) and then these trays slide into slots so they are held securely.  There is also a removable dividing wall so if I’m transporting two figures anything breaking off one figure won’t hit the other.  Also if I’m transporting something huge I can by removing the dividing wall.

The removable side slides into slots so that way I don’t have any hinges/clasps/etc that will catch on anything else.  The whole thing is painted with enamel paint on the outside and estapol varnish on the inside.  Finally a carry handle was attached.  The handle was a discount find from Ikea many years ago.  Now that I’ve got that out of my system I can stop wasting time building boxes that I will use once a year.

Reaper Bones Valkyrie

I also finished off my Valkyrie.  I could do a bit more but there are a few casting faults on the figure (esp in the arms) so I think I’m done.  Still struggling to shade metallics esp when they aren’t chainmail.

















As usual I went to MOAB for the Bring and Buy store.  After 30 minutes in the sun the store opened and the great unwashed mass descended.  I was looking for 54mm figures (or busts/etc - little chance there), maybe some 1/35 military figures and anything else that looked good.  However no 30+ year old boardgames are allowed anymore.  The cupboards are full.

I made out like a bandit.  On to the swag bag…

* Malifaux rules and 25 d6 dice - $2

Never going to play, just wanted to have a read.  Plus it came with dice.  Can’t walk past that at $2.  Or to put another way, I got 25 dice for $2.

* German machine gun team - $6

Just to add the collection.  Doubt I’ll use all of the figures but some may be used in a 1/35 diorama one day.  Never been opened.

* German flak panzer IV - $15

Since I did my Panzer II a year plus ago I’ve been wanting to do another 1/35 vehicle.  I’ve also been reading a number of old Military Modelling magazines and have skilled up quite a bit on technique so want to try another large piece.  So this was a great find as it saves me money as I don’t have to buy a full price kit.  I even had someone else ask if they could have it from me :)  Pays to line up for 30mins in the sun.  Never been opened.

* Jagpanzer IV - $12

It was raining Panzer IV variants at MOAB this year.  Again saves me buying a full price one later.  Never been opened.

* Plaster pots - $5

Nice looking pots (Hirst molds I’m pretty sure) which I purchased for 54mm scenery.  Symmetrical shapes are hard to get right by hand.

* Urmuth, scars of war - $15

I normally go over the bring and buy a number of times, just in case.  Really glad I did it this time as just before leaving I came across this.  54mm figure from Andrea. Oh yeah.

* Grondar Firebeard - $15

In the same area on the second hand table as Urmuth, another 54mm Andrea figure.  Again early glad I picked over the scraps this year.

So after such I good haul at the Bring and Buy I didn’t buy anything from the retail stores.  Now that I don’t do 28mm games much any more there isn’t that need to keep buying extra units for armies, etc.  Kind of feel a bit rude about not buying anything to be honest.

The quality of the items at the Bring and Buy store was better than previous years.  The usual huge amounts of 40K and Warhammer although I suspect there will be more Warhammer fantasy over the next few years as people start to dump their collections. Heard many complaints about the Age of Sigmar killing off Warhammer fantasy.  There was less mouldy old boardgames (sad face) and crummy 28mm scenery.  That’s right people, black spray painted foam “buildings” can be done by anyone, so your pieces aren’t going to sell at $20 each.  Lot of magazines too this year.  There was more 1/35 figures there but I had enough.  I didn’t really need more Germans.

It’s also interesting to see the trends of games go through retail and into the second hand store.  Years ago the Bring and Buy was full of LotR figures.  This year was the first scatterings of X-wing.  Like sands through the hourglass…