I'm the owner of the white with red Infinity army. Let me just say how happy I've been with Ramos' services. He's very easy to communicate with, is a phenomenal painter, and is one of the most patient guys I've ever dealt with regarding commissions, of which I've used probably a dozen for several different games, (FoW, 40k, etc.)
If you have a desire to have your stuff painted, definitely reach out to him. He's well worth his asking price!
@Dave: These ones are the "least bad" of the shots I took. I wanted to have many more, especially the group shot- but the depth of field got all screwed up with the new camera app :/
@SL: The trick here is the airbrush and oil wash. It's really cheating!
@Paulie: Heheh, Thank you VERY much for such a glowing review!!
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Worked on the golds for Cabrakan- Trying something a little different with him. Purple and green washes after the usual double brown wash. So far results are promising!
About half-way done highlighting the golds with a bright silver edge.
Yeah I wasn't very familiar with the dark age stuff either. But the model is looking very nice. Really like the idea of it tearing chains from the ground.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I had no knowledge of the dark age models either but am enjoying watching the cabrakan model coming together.
Really liking the idea of it tearing chains from the ground to charge the enemy. What a good idea as the model really does lend itself to that idea.
Good job Ramos! clean and great use of colour for the body of whatever it is? I like the purple hues in the gold and the slight glow in the sockets of the skulls is a good touch! :-)
Beautiful work, really brilliant, loving the model too, maybe I have a one track mind, but gives me inspiration to do a Aztec Thousand Sons army, judging by this they would be cool. And if the other models are suitable then you could maybe cross over on the units, playing both.
Love it Ramos, all those little things you do with your work the dust on the feet, glint of something coming from the eyes really makes your work standout.
@Alph: Ooooohhh.... You are an evil evil man.... Im really liking the look of some of those minis... May have to pick up Coatlai in particular. He speaks to me on a really odd level, haha!
I wouldnt mind getting a demo of it in sometime...
@Gits: Thanks, boss!
@nerd: Thank you very, very much, man!
@Cam: Oooooh.... I wanna see that!! Aztec/Inca marines would be a really wicked aesthetic!
@Theo: Thankfully I pledged for Kingdom Death...
After that minor obsession, I dont have money left for any other games (seriously though, I may have a problem... )
@Yorkright: Hehe So glad you noticed the feet! It was a last minute addition, but does so much to make him fit to the base Very much appreciate the kind words.
@Tides: Thanks!! Clients were super stoked about them, too!
@SL: He does have a bit of an Alpha flavor to him, doesnt he No work for WM or Tides for now (He does have some stuff coming down the line, though... More farm animals )
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Its been a busy past couple weeks with work and a friend's wedding, but I've been chipping away at some bases for my alchemists. Just about done with them- Just gotta wash the gold down a fair bit.
Thanks Archer-
As far as I know, I dont think that there is a play surface (mat or otherwise) that resemble these. Would be a neat project to do, though. Big 3x3 board that is a courtyard or atrium or something, the runic circles cut into the stones... Would be a heck of a project but man would it look cool!
@SL: I've not forgotten! Just working through the backlog after the Titan, haha!
Got a couple things before your girls, but itll be their turn soon enough
@Steve: Thank you! Yeah the Kukulkani stuff from Dark age is really fantastic. Really want some of the minis Alpharius showed off on the last page xD
@Graven & Yorkright: Thanks guys! Wanted something a little special for them rather than the plain jane bases. It jsut so happened that SWM launched these right when I was looking.
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So Im sort of putzing between projects right now. Still a little burnt out from the past couple weeks, but making a little headway on assorted things.
Transferred over some of my Alchemists to the new bases, now with supergloss applied!
@Cam: Appreciate that... Progress just isnt as fast as I'd like... haha, its just been a crazy past month with so much going on... Hopefully I'll get back in the groove pretty quickly now that things are calming down.
@Gits: Thanks!! (Havent forgotten your big old flyer either! Just sitting on my desk waiting for me to clear some stuff before it- Soon soon!!
@SL: Glad you like them- Its been a long time coming, and Im happy to finally cross them off the list.
@dave: Heh, Thank you! I've had a lot of practice on black and white lately... Nearly every project over the past year has been one or the other Even more is on the horizon, as I have that other Infinity army that is all BLACK!!!
@Zerg: Thankee kindly!!
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Finished up some Brewers for a client who's been waiting a while-
Friday! (Friday, Fridayyy.... *ahem* Ill see myself out.... )
Scum, aka, G.D.C.
Painted this to resemble the clients own cat- first time attempting this, and it sounds like it worked well enough!
Put Veteran Katalyst on his new base as well... He's mean!!
Hey Ramos, looking good! tartan is a bitch to paint, i've tried and threw the model out in disgust but yours looks pretty darn good! the big guy looks just as nice as I thought he would with that skin! soooo much skin......
@nerd: Thanks, man!! You know, Tartan is remarkably easy if you can get a decent base color for the cloth. After that, its just a case of painting a grid! (Just remember- Thin coats of paint and you can keep painting over attempts you didnt like xDDD This was like... version 3 of friday?)
@Ice: Thanks a bunch- It looks like every mini on the team has it somewhere, and I agree with ya on that- it really dresses up the paintjob!
@DrH: Tartan tartan TARTAN!!! Haha, glad everyone likes how that turned out~
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Sorry for the radio silence lately, guys. Been going through a few changes at work...
Some exciting news, too... The Privateer painting job is open again! Time to throw my hat in the ring once more!~
It occurred to me that I hadn't done much since I was last interviewed, mostly because I spent a majority of my time painting the big damn Warlord!! So I set to getting my Alchemists finished off... (Hey, even if I don't get the job, I'll still have a finished team!)
Got 4 of the bigger minis complete- so at this point I just have the 2 little mascots to paint. Katalyst, Compound, Crucible, and Vitriol!
Katalyst:
Compound:
Crucible (my first attempt at painting an Albino skin tone)
Vitriol:
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Havent quite decided if Im going to shoot them a demo mini like I did last year... If I do, thats next project... If not, expect some more Infinity!!
Holy hell, and the winner is! RAMOS! those look fantastic dude and you have my fingers crossed for you for the P3 job again! you are certainly good enough by far!
Another quick update- (Super appreciate all the well wishing, guys!)
Nothing on the job yet (with the holiday week, I imagine things are rather busy), but I plan to follow up with them soon- Probably going to end up sending them a little something as a demo piece after all, but nothing as big as the Titan from last year. Both for expediency's sake, as well as me simply not having anything handy in the Warmahordes range
As I figure out what to do for them, I did a bit more work on commissions
Worked on a new mini for OTL- Light Dragon~
Ended up trying something interesting with him... Apart from the eyes and horns, I only used 2 paints (well, a paint and an ink). Jsut a lot of mixing and blending between them. I rather like the overall color, particularly on his chest tuft. Hes just about done right now- just gotta clear coat him at this point!
Also put on the base black for the large Infinity army
One of the more impressive bits to this army is this big guy, apparently called a TAG
Real talk, though... That belt is insane- its actually cast as a straight belt -in pewter-, and you bend it to fit on the mini. Whats more is that there aren't any real tabs to slot it into. At best its a little square divot. Ill be damned, though... It went together unbelievably easily! And it should (knock on wood) be pretty sturdy, as I havent had any issues with it breaking, even after dropping it on the counter.
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More OTL minis- this one is a Chibi version of a Dark souls boss, iirc. Experimented a bit with getting a beaten, weathered bronze look to the armor.
Put some paint on one of the Infinity minis as a color test for the client- Really pleased with how it came out
Beautiful painting and a lot of models I haven't seen in the two pages I've looked at. Only - christ - 160 to trawl back through? Thanks for the entertainment for the next few days!
@Scarper: Oh my gosh... you are all sorts of crazy xD I dont know that many could go that far back... There is a lot of history here- almost 10 years of hobby work, haha!
When you finish (and recover from the shock of some of the early years here), definitely let me know some of your favorite pieces/moments... Yours will be an interesting point of view!
How is Guild Ball to actual play? I picked up a few models for dirt cheap 4 for less than $10 total (2 butchers and 2 Morticians), and I'm thinking of getting into the game. I think the 2 player starter box plus the mortician and butcher starters would give me 4 teams off the bat.
Oof, sorry for the delay in getting back here, guys! Its been a heck of a week. Changes at work throwing my schedule in disarray, and generally being too hot and humid to paint- even in the basement!
So bad news- I'm not going to paint for Privateer Better luck next time! In the mean time, I can only build up my skill sets and make myself more attractive in the future!
Onward and upward-
==============================
@nerd: Hehehe You bet! When I move out or if this stuff ever gets replaced, I may have to save a fair bit of it for.... reasons...
@MerkBerk: Oh what dreams they must be.... <3
@moonpie: I dunno, I kinda like having them metal... One of the biggest gripes I have of the new farmers is that theyre preassembled plastic! I mean, yeah the starter kit Brewers/Masons were ok, but I really think the models lose something in the transition.
then again, Im a masochist who likes installing molecule-thick pins into models.....
@Alberious: Soon, very soon!!! Always appreciative of your patience
@Theo: I think it plays pretty well. I have a few minor quibbles with how certain guilds play (ie butchers dont play with any sort of tactics, just "HURR ROLL DICE!", but that might be a case of just me being inexperienced with playstyles. In theory, every guild has its own playstyle, as well as ways to counter certain playstyles. I think it plays pretty quickly, and the addition of terrain on the field adds an extra layer of tactics.
I can recommend getting a demo or two in, definitely.
As far as the starters, iirc, you wont have a mascot for either the Butchers or Morticians, so youll need to buy those to make those "full" teams. the Mason/Brewer starter box is awesome value, though.
==============================
Work continues on the Infinity Pan-O stuffs- The green is still just the base color, so the recesses/creases will get more defined. Then its on to a whole buncha detail colors!
Closeup:
Dragos TAG:
While I was taking a mini break from painting, I built up some Kingdom Death stuff. My players were getting a little tired of hunting so many Lions, so we moved on to something a little more... Legged...
@nerd: Ahahahahahaha! AUGH I want to see thaaaat!
Yeah, man at the moment its gonna be rough finding him. But you might have a bit of luck next year after the expansions get a reprint! Might have luck when there are more in the wild? I'll keep my eye out for extras. Might yet make it a realityyyy~
@Scarper: If you zoom in on him... well... I wish he was wearing a bow tie D:
CREEPY BABY HANDS!! D: D: D:
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Progress on the TAG continues, along with the rest of the Pan-O army- Next big step is to highlight the main black armor. I do really love these bright colors!
I wonder how big that models is.... I don't see anything that gives me a clear sense of scale... It needs to *be* something.... knowing what size it is would help.
@Gits: Spidicules and the spiderling look like this next to Ethereal Aun'O'Scale-
I should note that I have 4 random legs spare from the big guy's kit- Long story short, there was a production mistake in the kit- a lot of them have the wrong legs, so KD had to do a quickie "patch" to fix it. They're yours if you want em! Jsut lemme know
@Denua: Maybe Spiderkin? Pumpider?
@Alpharius: Agreed!
You know I have a convention mini from Reapercon last year that might be up that alley..... Might have to do a special halloween project!!
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After work today I got the black armor touched up and hit them with highlights. Also touched up the little bit of freehand on the "fins"
I'm liking the armor colors on that Infinity robot thing. And that spider creature looks creepy as hell. I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with that, paintwise.
@Zerg: Yeah painting the big spider is gonna be interesting... Like all the KD stuff, theres very little actual color art of the minis- at least that isnt super stylized monocrome. Might do him up as a grayish tan. Sorta Daddy Longlegs sorta look, ya know what I mean?
@EDC: Thanks!! The blue in particular has given me insight into painting my own Marines Errant. Think I might go back and redo a bunch of my stuff... But thats its own trip down the rabbit hole, haha!
@Gits: Consider them yours You know if you looked, im sure you could probably find other spare legs from other people who have the kit. Iffin you wanted the full spider set of 8 legs...
@Moltar: Thank ya kindly!! The infinity colors are turning into one of my favorite combos. Blue Green Black!!
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Work has been pretty exhausting lately, so painting is slow. Got the skin/heads/faces over and done with:
So much fiddly, done so well! really great stuff so far Ramos, the faces in particular are great! these will look as per your usual painting style Fantastic!
@EDC Thanks!! Those are Reaper Triads over an olive green basecoat. Specifically the Tanned skin and Fair Skin Triads.
@Gits: I miiiight be able to help with that. Ill letcha know- Know a few people with the kit and put a message out looking for em. They're all stray "useless" bits, so heres hoping!
@nerd: Oh man, absolutely fiddly!! Infinity stuff looks awesome, but SOOOOOO many details. Makes me admire their studio guy all the more. He really makes them shine!
Appreciate the kind words on the faces as well! You've been no small resource in helping me figure these out. Little bit of adaptation here and there, and I think I've got a pretty easy way of painting skin!
=========================
Busy busy here as I do some last minute GenCon prep.
Also had my first GM experience Sunday- Ran Mongoose's Traveller- my favorite RPG at the moment. Scifi and very flexible. You can run it anywhere from Firefly to Star Trek to Star Wars... We ended up playing for 6 hours straight, which was INSANE!! After talking with the players, I guess Im on the hook for more...
On the painting front, Im nearing completion with the infinity army. I put some more color on the main force, picking out the gun housings in brown. Metal bits have been based in black.
I also got the base armor down on the 3 remaining minis from this army. The client is using two main color combos to delineate different special troops and whatnot.
These guys will be getting the same Turquoise, Tan, and Green bits as the black armored guys.
@Theo: Its just such a brilliant system.... I was sold on it immediately as we character creation. one player of ours rolled poorly and ended up locked in prison until the end of time!
I also love how you can totally just up and die during creation... Its harder (apparently) than it used to be, but the possibility is still there
@Red Harvest: Thank you very much!! Yeash, apparently the client is doing the Shock Army force... Im afraid its all greek to me, though... I've never played the game, and barely know what the models are called, haha!
Sure are pretty, though...
So progress is not as rapid as I would like, but now everything in the army is at the same stage. Today I put the various detail splashes on the light armored guys:
Final touches, now... Less than a week to go before Gencon!!
@moonpie: Definitely! I told Tom (Alfandrate around here) to bring his as well, and I think hes got his Brewere... Looking forward to seeing you guys!~
Sooooo.... I though Id be able to finish in time, but in addition to a packed work schedule, my client sent me these truly wretched decals... They just didn't want to cooperate with me at all!
Theyre on a peculiar backing... you dip them in water, then peel them off where theyve been "pre-cut"... Then the decal "washed off" if you werent careful and played with it too long...
Im sure theres a knack for it, but I just don't got it xD Hopefully they still look alright.
Final photos next week after Gencon- Sorry, guys, but I gotta be a tease! Come see me at the con- Ill be working for Panda Cult Games, demoing their brand new game "Wander"
Lots of post GENCON stuff to tell, a few pictures to show... But alas, I dont have the time to tell it right now- Tomorrow morning IM off to the West Coast to hang out with the folks from OTL- Busy busy week
Quick photo dump for you guys- Infinity Shock Army is complete!!
I also completed a big mini for OTL- Light Dragon:
Very cool! I'm pretty impressed with the dragon considering it's so pale! hard to do so it looks finished and still exciting, you've done a smashing job on it and the little gem in the corner is a really good spot of colour and done beautifully.
everything else is really good too, every time I see you work on the infinity stuff I get an urge to try them.
Moltar wrote: Just awesome all around. Still loving the blue and green combo and that dude's flowing brown hair looks fantastic.
Huh, I never took much notice of the dude's flowing brown hair...... it's magnificent! he obviously takes good car of his locks and likes to maintain his dishy good looks and model persona!
I love the color scheme on those Infinity models! Almost makes me want to start on that game, especially now that it seems to be picking up at one of the FLGS's in my hometown (they got a huge amount of Infinity stuff stocked recently). I can't though, my wallet wouldn't be able to take the strain. I am curious as to whether that force is a typical game force, or if most games have more or fewer models than that per side.
So Im back from Cali and catching up at real work... Might be a little bit yet before getting to a more proper update and the next painting project, but wanted to drop in on you guys
Appreciate the complements on the Infinity- The client did a solid job selecting colors, and Im pleased I could get the colors to work together paint-wise. I wouldnt mind a nice Tau force in the scheme. If I have time, Id like to throw it on a few stray Tau guys I have floating around here. I definitely agree the colors would look great on em!
Glad everyone likes Sgt. L'Oréal (Because he's worth it!). I think he was my favorite mini to paint other than the Draigo. His hair was the start of an experiment in pushing my contrast. Always seems to be a problem with my work... Over GENCON, I was studying the work that Liz did for Wander and Kingdom Death and was just floored. She makes my stuff look like fingerpainting, haha!
One of the biggest visual differences seemed to be the contrast. She shaded much deeper and highlighted much brighter than I ever have in the past. So Im gonna try to do something along those lines.
@nerd: The Dragon was actually a fun little experiment, too. I painted him primarily with only 2 colors of paint and a color of ink. Early versions of him were looking darn near monochrome! The gems are always a fun bit to the EFT studio minis. Brings the whole line together and is something of my signature I would really love to see you paint some infinity. I think you'd have a fun time with all the fiddly details.
@dave: Same, man!! Shoot, we'll have to meet up next year, provided i'm not chained to a booth again, haha!
@Zerg: I've never actually played the game, but its definitely a smaller game. Nothing like 40k these days. I imagine that this is a "large" force if it was all on the table at once.
One thing I do know is that the game is played on a table that is absolutely crammed full of terrain. Lots of LoS blocking.
@Theo: Yeah, we were all kinda bummed by the news, but its just one of those things that happen :/ They're still in the gaming community, mostly casting for a few companies, but for now their games are being mothballed. Someday maybe they can come back- I really was a fan of Endless
Been catching up with regular work this past week, so the painting bench has been sitting a little unloved… Started on this guy the other day as something of a refresher. Ibexus, the grumpy goat wizard, from Wander!
They have a kickstarter going up in a couple days that you should check out iffin you’re looking for a new game to play. Cooperative dungeon crawler with some pretty solid rules.
I'll be sure to post up a link once it goes live
Automatically Appended Next Post: So that was a fun little project- Ibexus is complete!!
Archer wrote: He may be grumpy but he is ever so cute. Are there more models for this game?
Why yes indeedy!! In fact, there are SIX others! (all of whom will be pictured soon- just gotta find the bases for em These sculpts are all frigging amazing xD
I dont recall if their webstore is live, but they are all actually available through their new kickstarter as an addon for $50.
I dont mean to shamelessly plug, but this game is really worth it- Cooperative Dungeon Crawler with some really fun rules and models!
It's what I was demoing all weekend at Gencon!~
Give a look and see if its up your alley- There are plenty of gameplay videos that show off its features, so give em a watch and perhaps pick the game up for yourself (I know, Solar- More farm animals Theres an end in sight from them, dont worry! Got marines on the table in a few weeks! )
Getting back into the swing of things. These are for RiTides' Farrow army! 4 Bonegrinders and two other counts-as models. (Sorry, SL, more animals!! )
The main skin tone is about done, and the hair has its basecoat. From here it'll be on to metals and leathers.
I've been spending a lot of time cleaning the workshop, and I think Im finally getting close to where I want to be. One of the newest additions to the shop is an18-Drawer organizer on the wall. Was walking through a local farm supply shop and stumbled on it. Perfect size for tossing miscellaneous figures in as well as certain smaller projects. Im also using it to store all the various glues and epoxies I use every so often but dont want on the desk.
Heres a quick shot of my area (Yes, that wallpaper is on ALL 3 walls!)
@Theo: Lights are good!! I actually need another one- I get in the way of the one I have too much xD
@FGM: Thanks!! Im the same way with workshop pics. Its a little glimpse into someones life. You can see bits and quirks of their personality come through.... In my case, its that I have very terrible taste in wallpaper!
Bit of a special project here, and one with a tight deadline.
This is a 1:24 scale model of Buff the Roadster from the anime "Riding Bean". It recently had a kickstarter for its remaster/bluray release, and the guy running it reached out to me after On The Lamb passed my name on to him (They do the casting for them, you see!)
This version of the car is planned to be a gift to the creator of the anime, so I want to really knock this one out of the park! And that deadline I mentioned? He's going to Japan to deliver it OCTOBER 18th!!!
Time to get cooking, eh?
A bit of cleanup is necessary, as this is cast from a 3d print! Fortunately the client saved me from the "Hell of Sanding" and bondo'd a good bit of the printlines out. Still a fair bit to smooth out and some holes to fill, but that'll work as a side project as I paint the piggies some more!
I've also been hired out to write up a "how-to" for painting up the smaller version (1:43) that some backers got as part of their reward. Those should be with me Saturday!
@RiTides: Wehr did a nice job with the Cyber Boar... Love them chunky legs!
@Theo: Hehe, Alf's got ya covered! YEah the bluray and dvds are currently available! I actually have the Bluray sitting on my desk- just need to rig up the PS3 to play it! As far as the wheels turning sideways.... That'd be a neat little conversion, now, wouldnt it? If I wasnt pressed with time, I think I'd love to figure out a way to convert it up... Maybe even rig up some kind of cast that I could just duplicate over and over... Hmmmmm....
@Graven: Hehehe, thank you! I'm really aiming for special
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Buff is coming along... Mostly just filler and sanding!
I've never done this sort of body work before... My normal schtick is pretty much assemble, paint, boom!
After an initial filling with Squadron Green putty, making sure to hit any initial imperfections and ripples, I sanded the filled areas with 220 grit. A brief wash and it was on to primer layer #1
I then took liquid Greenstuff, brushing it semi-heavily over miscellaneous divots and surface imperfections. After that dried, it was back to the 220, then another wash in the sink to get the dust off. From here, it'll be on to anothe rcoat of primer, and hopefully very little extra sanding/filling!
Car work can be insanely fiddly. I have dabbled in real car spray painting and it can be an unbelievable pain in the proverbial with all the filling and blocking back and then making sure that after all the coats of paint some piece of lint doesn't end up settling onto the finished panel. Good luck with doing a tiny little one.....
Still alive- Sorry, guys. Got sick a couple days after that last post, and only now am I getting back to 100%!
Progress continues on the Pigs (and bull, but shhhhh)- Should start cooking on these pretty quick. Just gotta get going...
As far as Buff, the big one is currently on the FOURTH level of filler and sanding (this time, 400 grit wet sanding), and I think she's about ready for paint. One last coat of primer and we'll see where we are.
As the model is destined for a display piece, I bought a nice case for it and put a layer of pumice on the base plate. Should look like asphalt once I get a bit of paint on it.
The smaller ones I've got just about ready for paint as well. In addition to the tutorial, one of the things that I've been hired to do is come up with quick ways to add fun detail to the model. I've so far come up with two ideas: The first is the easiest, but takes a steady hand, deepening the panel lines with the tip of a round needle file.
The second is the one Ive had the most fun with (seriously, way too much fun). Rolling wheels!
A simple case of cutting some tube and drilling holes, but Ill be damned if it isnt fun to play with~!
Don't get too excited about PP stuff... most of the things Ramos is doing for RiTides are either heavy conversions or complete counts as models. Or both. I think he only has like 4 PP models in his army, maybe less.
The piggies and pig-bull are looking very good! I love the blond manes you do. Also, I am glad you are using the red on the little guys. I did some work for RiTides that has some Khador red plates (scavenged of course) and it will tie in really well there!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Uhm... did I forget to put wires back onto the mecha claw on the big pig, or can I just not see them in the picture?
@Theo: Oh sorry, its a B.Y.O.B. party in this thread... You gotta Bring Your Own Bacon!
Also, yeah, like wehr says- most of these guys aren't PP minis- RiTides has a complex that prevents him from using stock minis The only PP ones here are the small guys!
@Wehr: I dunno- Here's a closeup of the arm...
Got the (hopefully) last layer of primer on Big Buff- Looking pretty smooth!
Oh damnit. Yea, there are supposed to be two wires that go from those holes and wrap around to the back of the claw. I either forgot to replace them when did some work on the scar tissue around the wrist/elbow area, or they broke off in transport somewhere. I had a devil of a time with some of the cables even when they were just on my desk, so there's probably tiny copper wires floating around somewhere between VA and the midwest.
So things have been pretty hectic around here getting big Buff finished and ready to ship out-
From the gray primer, I preshaded everything with black from my airbrush. Panel lines, etc.
The red I used was Army Painter Dragon Red, which is a bit of a pain in the ass to spray- Very translucent and liked to clog in my airbrush, though maybe that was just the old pot of paint. In any case, it was a slow build up of color...
After painting in quick details, I hit everything with a gloss varnish. However, this wasnt my normal Enamel. Instead I decided on lacquer.
The differences arent super clear to me (im not a chemist, after all), but I think the primary difference is ease of application and durability. The lacquer is easier to apply, as there are no worrying about recoat times- enamels can peel away from each other if you spray them outside of the "recoat time"- generally something like within 1 hour or after 24. However, this comes at the expense of some durability. i think the lacquer is softer,
The comparative softness of the lacquer is a bit of a blessing though, as it lets me polish it easier. I dont really know if it did all that much, but I used NOVUS polish after letting the lacquer dry fully. Buffing and polishing by hand.
And at last, Final pictures of Buff!
This thing is the glossiest thing I've ever painted.... I mean DANG!
The windows took me the longest time to figure out. I jsut couldn't decide whether to airbrush them with a shine or paint them as a big lens.... Ultimately I ended up going in a more cel-shaded direction. A little unrealistic, but in some weird way its almost fitting....
Anyways, This project had a hard timeline to it, which is why it jumped the piggies, but those are next up! Back soon with images of them
Hahaha! Thanks, guys!! It was a rush to get it done in time, but Im glad it ended up turning out nicely. Learned a fair bit, too. First time using lacquer and polishing compound, first time doing a LOT of bodywork...
The client is similarly excited and hopefully by the end of the week we'll hear what his friend in Japan thinks!
@Theo: Precisely!!
@Gits: Thank you- Very much outside the norm of things around here, and it was refreshing to return to my roots. I grew up painting car models, then got into the Warhammer scene. Havent done anything of this scale since then... Ridiculous how bad I was back then, haha! No primer, bare paints (no shading!) only using rattlecans to finish, and not very well at that! Maybe I should break out a set and see where my new skills take me... Thoughts for another day!
@Graven: Do it! Ideas are meant to be stolen! (In fact, I took this one from a repaint of a Transformers toy!)
@Dr. H: Hehehe I'll take that as a complement
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Currently in Reapercon Prep mode, but that cant stop the BACON!!
I think im going to join in on the metal patina bandwagon... After seeing Gits take on Nerdfest's technique, I think Ill give it a shot on the robo piggie! Plenty of metal, so I think it could do to have a fair bit of extra color and wear
I love the old school animation look to the car windows. Great job I just might nick that for cockpits and so forth. Nice bacon also
Can't wait to see more.... oh and btw the Boss of me aka the Girlfriend says you have horrible taste in wallpaper she would of covered it years ago All I heard when I showed her that pic on my phone was wow really, that needs to be covered.
@FGM: Thanks!! Yeah I cant recommend the cel-shaded look enough. Its quick but very very effective!! Should work a treat on cockpits and the like!
And hey now... That wallpaper is like family! Family that you'd rather see only once a year, and when they come over they tend to overstay their welcome and they eat all the good chocolates from the box and theres that one cousin who wont leave you alone and its really awkward cause your parents are thinking the same thing but dont want to be rude because you only see these people during the holidays and "its family", driving you to drink heavily to escape the inane questions theyre asking only to hear themselves talk and.... uh...
hrm...
I cant help but feel like I lost the narrative somewhere. Oh well.
Truth is, the wallpaper has been in this room for probably 20 years- Used to be my Mom's craft area, so blame her for the hideous choice
@Wehr: Eeeexcellent! High praise! Thank you As far as the piggies, hopefully Ill be able to knock them out this week. Work is gonna be crazy, but that just means Ill want to zen out and paint a little bit more than normal, haha!
@RiTides: Thankee much!!
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Back home from Reapercon, and boy what a weekend! I entered a pair of minis into the Painter’s Competition- Ibexus (the grumpy goat) and this one, a Bombshell Kritterkins Lady Sakura. Sakura was a bit of a last minute entry, as I wanted to get something into the category (I love Patrick’s sculpts!). So I set to a quick paint, probably about 9 hours between Thursday and Friday morning. Cut to Saturday afternoon, after they've done the judging, and I notice that Sakura was judged (yay), but Ibexus appeared untouched (oh dear). They pick only one of your entries in the categories to judge (your “best”), and the selection of Sakura genuinely surprised me- I painted her with no lamp and in limited time!
Imagine how excited I was when Sakura won not only a gold from the manufacturer, but gold in the painters!!
Oh, and the first parts of the last Kingdom Death kickstarter came in while I was gone.... Hehehehehehehe
Congrats on a well deserved win Sakura is beautiful. Nice blending and color choice.
Sometimes it’s best to get back to the basics. We get stuck on having the better quality tools and stuff and maybe lean on them instead of our skills. Besides, having a lamp which shoots one spectrum might not be the best when the item is judged in a different spectrum of light.
Really gave me some new and interesting goals for the coming year... I want to try to get something in for several of the categories... My eye is on one of the big prizes... a SOPHIE!! Only a few are given out every year, so it's an even higher bar... Heres to the future
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So after catching up with the regular 9-5 job (its a particularly bad week this week D: ), I got back to the piggies.
I decided to join the weird weathered metals club with Gits and Nerdo, and threw some washes onto the big mecha piggy!
Still going to have rusts and such applied to it, but that will be after the piece is varnished!
This is also the debut of my new painting lamp. At Reapercon, all the artists had these lovely full-spectrum LED lamps. Nice and slim, lightweight, and very clean diffuse light. So Sunday I hopped on Amazon and ordered in one for myself! Gotta love Prime... It was waiting for me when I got home!!
This should mean some more evenly-lit studio pictures, too, but we shall see...
As it's piano black and very very thin, it kinda blends in with all my desk junk, so no good pics of it in action So far, though, its an awesome little lamp!
@WM: A Sophie is reaper's manufacturer awards. Exceptionally fierce competition for them, especially "Best of Show" awards... They give medals and such to everyone, only a certain number of the Sophies! Plus, they're a big damn impressive trophy... so I want one!
Plenty of time between then and now, so in the meantime I've got a fair bit of work to do. Could this year be the one that I get off my butt and get stuff into the Crystal Brush come Adepticon? (Not a snowball's chance in taking one home, buuuut.... Who knows...) Then theres the P3 event at Gencon... Ahhhh This is gonna be an exciting year!
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Pigs continued... Almost done!
Decided to add in a little bit more red than the last one. Scavenged plates, etc. Adds a nice bit of color and breaks up the big areas of metal.
I think at this stage its mostly the bases and horns/hooves, then of course a bit of rust!
Piggie is looking good! The red is a good add too, I just did another piggie for RiTides with that same shoulder in red, so they should tie together nicely!
Congratulations on the win! It is well deserved too; that lass looks very nice! Its funny how you mention the quick, rushed/inspired jobs coming out the best sometimes. I did the same thing with a Commissar a few years... a decade?... back. Had another model I had labored over for weeks, then thought "Hey, I should paint this dude up too." Slammed him out in a day or so. Commissar Big McHugefist ended up being a golden demon finalist and winning a medal or two from Reaper at Cold Wars (I think it was Cold Wars.) Things like that make me think "Maybe I am trying too hard" with most models
That light is very sexy! How well balanced is it? Top heavy, or very stable? I am always looking for new lights. Even though I love my Ott-Light, I don't get to sit at my main painting desk... ever? It's been at least 3 years. So I need a good one to drop on a shelf in the living room.
@Yorkright: Hah, thank you much! Dont worry about not posting often- Its just lovely to see you when you do pop in
@Wehr: Peeeeerfect!!
Haaaaaah! Thanks, and yeah that sounds just about right- Plus there's just no telling what part of a model will catch a judges eye- They might REALLY like an element that you added in last minute, or some random touch that you threw in without a second thought... Tell you what, though... Those kinda surprises are pretty sweet xD
As to the light, its perfectly balanced. All the electronics are in the base of the lamp, so the main structure of it is pretty much just a hollow box and LEDs. I haven't had it long, but I think it's been solid so far
Oh, I guess it's been a while since I checked in on this blog, and you've been pretty busy. That Sakura model turned out amazingly good, so it's no surprise to me at all to hear that she won the gold in the competition. Congrats on a well-deserved award! I also love how the mecha-pig is turning out. That's a pretty interesting model, and it's going to look amazing when it's finished, I can already tell!
@kestral- That blue is surprisingly easy. Just based with Reaper's "Dark Turquoise" from their MSP HD range, then blended with Reaper Surf Aqua and Vallejo Jade Green! All jsut a case of taking the time to blend. I loooove painting robes/cloaks!
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So amid various power failures around here (crazy weather), I got the piggies done!
Had no end of trouble with rattlecan Dullcote, though. I just never have any luck with it. Like in this case, it came out satin-y, and a bit glossy in some areas! I dont really want to mess with it more and risk messing it up, so leaving it as is for now.
First course, BEEF!
Second course, Pork Tenderloin kebabs (cause hes all skewered with machinery! Geddit? Ill go home now... )
(This one got the worst of the "Glossy" Dullcote- A little frustrating!)
And for dessert, Candied Bacon with house-made "green" BBQ!~
Next on the menu are the pair of smaller cars... but thatll have to wait till the storm passes! Dont wanna even TRY cleaning my airbrush in the dark!
You should go on America’s got talent with your comedy routine...I need more gag reels to watch .
These guys are looking great . As I’ve said before your skills have almost sold me on PP minis, but I know I couldn’t match you and the models themselves are not to my fancy.
Haaaah, thanks for the complements on the minis though... I know they arent to everyone's fancy (some people get tired of farm animals, after all ), but I'm glad to be the voice of Privateer Temptations in your head!
Theophony wrote: As I’ve said before your skills have almost sold me on PP minis, but I know I couldn’t match you and the models themselves are not to my fancy.
Except most of them aren't PP minis but yeah, he does make even the bone grinders look awesome!
Love it all, but especially the paint job on Wehrkind's crazy conversion, you really did it justice!
Ramos Asura wrote: I know they aren't to everyone's fancy (some people get tired of farm animals, after all ).
Call me out by name please..
They do look great. and you do them justice. I may not go for the 'Farm Amimals' games, but i do appreciate an talented amazing paint job when I see it.
Building some Space Marines now. Part for an Imperial Fists army commission, and part for my own Marines Errant. The latter were graciously donated by Solar- Aim is to beef them up for games at Adepticon!
Looking to build to this list I snagged from online. Its got a bunch of Sternguard, which I've always liked.
1500 pts Ultramarines
6 CPs Total 1499 pts
Battalion Detachment
HQ
Captain - 89 pts
Power fist, master-crafted boltgun, Sanctic Halo. Warlord w/ Adept of the Codex
Lieutenant - 75 pts
Power fist, master-crafted boltgun
Looks very nice! I think the Leviathan's may be my favorite GW kit.
Interesting list. I do wonder though if you might want to look into a little more ranged anti-tank/monstrous creature capacity though. Maybe work in space for a predator?
Oh hell yeah man! those Leviathans are going to be fantastic! I love them and would love to get one for my mino's but not sure where they'd fit in? are they long range usually or just walking tanks you don't want to run in to? either way i'm dead keen to see you paint them up, I have a soft spot as big as Australia for Space Marines ! :-)
@Alberious: Like I said, I pulled it from online and dont really know the specifics, haha!
So more AT stuff, eh? Perhaps some Devastators couldfill this niche- Squishier than a Predator, but cheaper and I happen to have those already painted up!
Gonna have to look into maybe swapping out some Rhinos for Razors- especially in a 2k points list.
@nerd: Levi's can be run ranged or melee or mixed. Four different weapon options, and this pair will have one of each of the different weapon options available right now.
Im right there with you with Dread-Love... Theyre still some of my most favorite minis in the range... Something about the big stompy robots just warms the cockles of my heart.
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So busy busy around here... Lots of assembly while I get the Imperial Fist army prepared.
I also finished one of the small model cars. This one was painted all with brushwork. This is going to complement the second one, which will demonstrate using an airbrush to paint it!
In other news.... I got a toy in the mail the other day from our good friend Solar Lion....
So excited still to see you do Fists mate! you've got a lot of models to paint right there! these are going to be excellent, your style and little Ramos touches are going to really bring the entire army together and look frickin' amazeballs!
I've never been interested in doing Imperial Fists, Iyanden Eldar, or other yellow stuff because yellow is such a pain to paint. However, when they are well done they look spectacular! I'm looking forward to seeing these guys!
Also, I'm excited that you'll be at Adepticon! I'll be going myself for the very first time, so maybe I'll see you and your cool models up there!
@Zerg: Yellow is an evil evil color. Airbrush is honestly the easiest way I've found to do it- Id hate to try to paint these by brush! Let you in on a trick though. Base over white in your yellow, then shade it -down- with a warm brown! (reverse of how youd normally "highlight"). Brown is yellow's best friend!
And heyyyyy~ Congrats on making the Grand Journey! Definitely pop in and say hi! Im sure youll find the wardens and me doing some 40k in the open gaming most of the weekend. And of course there's the KNIGHT FIGHT on Saturday!! (Im more than a little excited for it! Does it show =D )
@Gits: You know, I know a guy- Can totally hook you up with a brand new '17 Roadbuster! Wont lie, though. Theres no damn legroom in the things... Good gas mileage, though. Lots of very lightweight materials
@SL: Hahaha! You know it really does look like a Deff Star?
Dont you worry- Ill get my army painted yet! I've still a few months before I start worrying
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Working out the color for the Fists- The client wants a more muted/earthy yellow. Still think I may hit it with a little sepia wash to shade the recesses.
I got some new toys in the studio this week- Brand new airbrush set by Badger- A Patriot 105 and (what im more excited for) a SOTAR 2020. Also got some quick disconnects for them. Cant tell you how much Im loving the swappability!
One big difference in these, though... My Talon I got used to fully disassembling and cleaning... these you really dont do that unless you want to do a super deep clean! I learned this when it took me about an hour to fit the trigger mechanism back into the Patriot!! I am also trying out actual airbrush thinner and cleaner, rather than Windex for everything. I do think the paint flows a little better with this stuff... Time will tell!
Im misc. other army news, Marines errant continue being built (mostly just me cutting and cleaning parts), the Knight is taking a bath...
@Gits: Lets not speak of my moss-accumulation, eh? Doc says itll clear up in a few weeks
Ughhh Where does the time go... Man, feels like Ive got nothing done this week!! Hopefully I can get things rolling a bit faster... I dont wanna face the wrath of Solar come Adepticon D:
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With the new airbrushes, I was able to finish the second mini car- Just need to write up a tutorial now!
Another mini project has been developing a desert scheme for a client's Thousand Sons.
@graven: I think the panel lines are darker on the right side one. I used a black micron pen to line that one. The left one was lined with a super dark red. The light probably does mess with it a little bit, though, as it's not nearly as noticeable in real life.
@Alberious: Hah, thanks!! The obsidian is just painted with 2 coats of Liquitex Super High Gloss varnish. One coat makes things a little glossy, but with two it's almost like it's dipped in glass!
@Archer: I didn't paint the sons- jus doing bases! I think the client is painting them pre-heresy. Unsure what he actually plays, though
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So with what feels like the first day off in weeks, I set to painting the Fists.
So much airbrushing! Everything has a basecoat of Vallejo Model Color Flat Earth. From here, I'm going to work on bringing it towards the earthy yellow color I managed to get on my test mini! These pics were taken about half way through.
I think they'll be trickling in over the next couple weeks, what with the holiday and all. So far I have a batch of 3!
Project to look forward to next year~
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Yesterday was spent spraying more color! This time, a nice Ochre color...
MAN ARE THERE A LOT OF MODELS!!!
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Lastly...
As per this project log's tradition.... Have a festive Holiday ditty!~
*whew*
Holidays are always so busy!! I've hardly had time to be online at all, let alone paint... But Im back!
First major project of the year is getting the Imperial Fists army all finished up. Had the day off today, so I got right on down to it and finished the main airbrushing of the yellow.
Troops will get a wash of sepia, but the larger models like the Levi Dread here will have a more elaborate gradient. Everything will then get edge highlights to really make everything pop!
Heres what the rank and file troopers will look like. Post wash:
And lastly- This was the last mini I painted in 2017
Miniature Monthly was running an end-of-year contest based around this mini. I figured that since I already had it (was in the swag bag at Reapercon), there was no reason that I shouldn't enter!
Skin is still such a pain... One of these days!
Anyways, I'll have to do a yearly wrap-up in the Gitsplitta tradition soon... Ill start working on that in the next couplea days!
Till then, take care, guys!
Oooh I love the really strong contrast blending on the cloak! mixing colour like that is always a really brilliant visual hammer to the face! great stuff and the IF's are coming along nicely too, I kinda miss my own that I did but they just took me too long to paint, hence I love seeing them come back to life throughout other artists fingers!
@nerd: Hehe! Thanks!! Her cloak was really the only thing I was sure how to paint. Everything else was guesswork and experimenting. I like the end result, though... Was really nice to do a mini for myself! Good to stoke a bit of the IF nostalgia, too...
@graven: Thank ya!! Base detailing is something I've been trying to work on. I've so many supplies these days (Too many?) that I really ought to put them to work!!
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So WOW are there a lot of minis! Everything has the yellow done, so its time to break them into smaller groups and do the details... I am rather happy that I gave everything a wash with the sepia. It really makes the yellow richer. Gives it more life. Touches up the areas where the blends might not have been particularly smooth, too, so win-win!
(This one is a comparison of with wash (left) and without (right))
As much as I hated them when they were first released, I think the Centurions have really grown on me. The kit really is well designed and the concept of the models isnt so ridiculous, I suppose...
Man, I gotta get moving on this army... I still have to get marines ready for Adepticon!!!
I always used sepia with my yellows for exactly the same reason. Actually I didn't use sepia with my latest ork model just because sepia made it too rich looking and didn't work well with the metal tone of the rest of the model.
Excellent work as always Ramos. Lovely start to the project.
Fists are coming along nicely, Ramos, and that archer maiden model turned out great. I agree that skin is tough to make look good, which is why I don't spend a lot of time on it. Eventually I'll get it figured out, and you will too (it didn't turn out too bad on your model TBH).
@wyfox- Nope! Wash was applied just with a big brush and constant vigilance for pooling. I tended to thin the wash as I went, adding more water or more paint directly onto the mini.
I haven't found a good way to spray washes. The airbrush has good coverage, but it doesnt pool the right way before drying. Ends up looking kinda funky... It's a great way to get an overall tint to a model, though. Like dirt and smoke and whatnot.
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Slow progress, but still progress! Hopefully I can pick up the pace soon!
Scouts are getting color- Its kind of funny how little actual armor they have on them. Surprisingly small amounts of yellow. Plan is to have the camo cloaks be in a gray urban camo scheme.
I can't decide on the camo for my cloaks. I was thinking urban, but I've been looking at my army's bases and think something muddier might be in order.
Gah! more nice work! not happy with that! you can make a scout look cool even without a head! I can make a scout look good only with a head and here you go making awesomeness without a head! without a HEAD people! are you even listening? this guy is GOOD! goos I tells ya! get him to paint your models and you'll be the best dressed at any game. frickin love you man!
@Valhalla: Yus! Scouts for the Scout Company! (Cause a scout throne is ridiculous and lacks proper lumbar support)
Yeah, you know I actually think urban would work on your guys- For the "muddiness", you could do like I'm planning and dirty up a base urban camo, eh?
@Nerd: Hahaha! Thank you!! Dullahan Marines are one of my favorite chapters- And ya know... No need to paint in heads!! (I should hire nerdo to do my advertising xD )
@Knightley: Haaaaah! Can't stop, wont stop!! I mean I gotta find somewhere to make up for my lack of squigglies, right? Thanks!
@Alb: Thanks!! Heh... you know, I think that the scouts have more detail to them than the regular marines do? All the "soft" areas on them that arent bright yellow... Really makes painting them a different experience.
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Got almost all the colors on the scouts now. heads and the cloak have since been base coated. Imagine Ill have these guys done in the next couple of days!
Decided to take a brief break from the marines last night (feels like Ive been working on the scouts forever!! ), and threw on some color to a mini for one of my players in my DnD game. Red Dragonborn Fighter with a big ol sword!
AAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!! Month and a half to go till Adepticon, and I've still so much to do!
SO to explain where Ive been.... Work has somehow been more insane than usual.... Had water pipes burst, flooding the office (fun), then people keep quitting, giving us more workload.... guuuuh So in short, work has been my life.
I have been getting little snippets of painting going here and there, though. Not as much as Id like to, but well.... when all you have is a hammer...
Dragonborn guy is done (final pics to come "eventually (tm)" ). This was a nice stress relief...
On the Imperial Fist front, the scouts are complete, including a camo scheme on the cloaks! (again, finished pics "soon")
I also blacked out the details on the Levi Dreads. this pic is about halfway through the process. Already it starts to come together!
Hopefully I can pull it all off.... LOTS OF WORK!! D:
Still to do: Build "Big Dumb Stompy Robot" -- Knight Porhyryryryryon Build (and try to get color on!) new Marines Errant army Build/Paint a dozen or so Buffs (the lil red cars) for client's KS backers.... The first two NEED to be done by Adepticon... Then I have to learn how to play 8th edition! Buffs and the Fists, I hope Ill get to very soon...
If you'll excuse me, I'll be over here weeping not be sleeping for a thousand years....
You and me both Ramos! can't buy models and paint if we don't have work, can't paint models because we do have work! Gah! but everything you'e been chipping away at looks great! love the Levi dread, I just impulse bought a Deredeo for my Mino's so anything Dread is getting my vote!
@Valhalla- hey thanks!! Its a simple enough one, and uses straight colors- Base VMC Neutral Gray, then large, irregular blobs of AP Ash Gray. Next, some smaller blobs of pure white (a little ash gray mixed in can help make it less stark, if needed). I dotted small teardrops of VMC Black Gray in a roughly even grid pattern, then washed the whole thing with AP Dark Tone in order to shade it.
I may yet go back and throw some dust on the bottoms of the cloaks and feet- give them that "lived-in" look... Might just wait until after the rest of the army is done to save time!
@nerd: As my dad is keen to say, "A Cobbler's kids have no shoes." Oh to have more hours in the day!! Good to hear on the Dorito dread!!! They're a fun kit- Very much looking forward to seeing your battle-worn bronzes on one
@Knightly: Thank you!! Yeah the colors I chose could easily do a NMM gold with a few tweaks here and there. Its really apparent on the Dreads, but you definitely need the grand sweeping gradients on the flat armor panels. Just looks "right"!
@Gits: Thanks!! Hopefully I'll have some more for you to look at come next month- Im relying on you to teach me how to play this "War Hams" game I keep hearing about... Everything is new!!!!
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The dnd mini has had his final glamour shots, and is now safely in the hands of his (very excited) owner. Should look a treat on the tabletop during the game
Behold! Vordrek, Dragonborn fighter!
I took a bit of inspiration from Nerdy on this one- Glazed the pauldrons with green ink mixed with my bronze/gold color, then glossed it for some of that sweet, sweet candy coat! The other areas of green armor (i imagined it to be some sort of crystal or jade) was a simple blend then gloss. This particular player has a couple other minis that he wants me to paint for him, so we'll be getting a few of thos in the near future. Wizards and Warlocks!!
I got some more work done on the Fists, too. Biggest change is that I got the metals on and washed. May yet do some extra washing on it to give it a bit more of a worn and greasy look to it. Again, another page from nerd's book in the chipped and damaged metals- LOVE this effect!!
Really does make things look more complete.
From here, all the metals will get edge highlighted, including chips and scrapes, particularly on the massive CCWs this guy has.
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And thats todays update- Plenty more work to do, and I need to really get cracking... I think what I want to do now is impose some sort of schedule on myself... Maybe thatd be handy?
So lets start with weekly updates- Every Sunday (as thats my guaranteed day off), I want to do a post like this and get everyone up to date on progress.
We'll need to think up some kinda penalty for when I inevitably miss a week.....
That dragonborn guy looks amazing, Ramos! He must have been a ton of fun to paint. The Fists are coming together nicely as well. Good luck getting ready for Adepticon (I'm beavering away trying to get ready for it as well)!
@Zerg: Yes! He was absolutely one of my favorite miniatures... Everything just came out perfectly on him... the colors, the metals, the skin... And the player is super super happy with him, too, so thats always awesome
@nerd: Thank ya thank ya!! Its a lot of work, but its gonna be a beaut once its all complete!!
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Welcome, welcome to the very first part of what I'm calling Sun-depticon- Sunday updates on the Road to Adepticon in the end of March! Slowly but surely getting there!
Quick palette-cleanser to lead off the week- this is for the same guy who plays the Dragonborn. I dont know his story other than hes a Warlock!
The Dreads continue, and a majority of the metalwork is done! Not much left on these, save miscellaneous little details and splashes of color. Bases, too!
I also started the assembly of my Big Damn Stompy Robot (tm)! Wow, what a kit!!!
@Cam: Thanks, man! And geez, do I wish there were more hours in the day... I need to be even MORE productive!!!
@WM: I still need to clarify this with the client, but I rather like the red. Brings some much needed bright colors to them. I will agree with you that they are indeed a little McMarine-y...
@Knightley: Thank ya! Hopefully they'll be solid centerpieces of the army!
@aku: Thanks! That was probably the most important thing the Client wanted me to do on the mini. Drew me a quick sketch and everything! Needless to say, I think hes rather pleased
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Sun-Depticon, Part Deux!
This week saw one of the busiest times at work, with most of the week spent making calls and catching up on other people's work (ugh)
It also saw the Dreads completed and ready to purge the unclean!!!
I do really love these minis... really neat model and an absolute DREAM to magnetize! All weapon options are swappable and interchangeable-
The client requested that they be named Kircheis and Reinhard.
Other misc updates!
-Random projects for DnD (a few crazy campaign ideas and "props" to make) Suffice to say, Im having fun with different trick inks!
-Big Dumb Stompy Knight- She stands tall and the guns are curing. Really fun kit to build, if a bit tricky in some regards. Overall, though, its reminding me a lot of the Warlord.
-Marines Errant (YES I'M STILL TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OF MY OWN DONE D: ) - Currently messing with assembly- Got a number of different bitz in from Kromlech that I think fit my aesthetic. Hopefully should get at least a bit of color on them before the event.
Stunning is the same word that came to my mind Ramos. Paint some little black leaf patterns on them and they'd be perfect for my Mantis Warriors... just sayin.
@Cam: Haaah! Hey thanks Its almost a damn shame that I paint on commission these days... Nothing of mine ever gets done!! D: One day, one day...
@Gits: Thanks, man! Hehe, I think my client might have a word or two for me if I was to put some Tranquility camo on these two
@Knightley: HEY! You watch your darn mouth with those epithets! Thanks a ton for the compliments. Very glad you like!
@Zerg: Alas! These aren't mine!! These guys are destined for another person's army. Still totally on board to running into you at AC- Hopefully gonna get a couple games in with the Wardens, so should have a lot of minis hanging out!
@Graven: Thanks! I'm really happy I changed the shoulders to black... Really does balance nicely with the big curving plates on the upper "shoulders". Very happy with how they all turned out. Should make for some perfect centerpieces to the final army!
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So er.... Not terribly much of an update this week...
Too much garbage going on at work lately. Keeping me so darn busy :/
Biggest bit of noticeable progress is on the Knight Porphyryonyonyonyonyonyon
Just about all built up and ready to paint. I think I'm only going to be able to do a quick metal coat, though. I want this to be a competition entry in the future, so big murals on all the armor. At the very least, it'll be playable for the Knight Fight!!
This week should be considerably quieter. hoping to nail down a few projects, including a rebasing mini-project for a good friend that has been legendarily patient with my screwed up schedule!
Looking forward to seeing this particular miniature come together.... and I expect Tranquility Pattern camo on it as recompense for not putting it on those other miniatures.
@Nerd: Mmmmm.... Cream Puff Knight..... =D
No real idea what colors to paint him... All I know for sure is that he'll get a number of murals on him... I would really love to enter him in a few painting contests... Perhaps even next year's Crystal Brush? *optimism*
Any ideas, I'd be more than happy to listen to. Maybe a big mural of the fighting on Badab for the main carapace?? That could be pretty wicked! (and would get Gits his Tranquility camo, eh?)
@Gits: Taking bribes now for whether or not you guys are "winning" or "losing" on the Knight mural... History is written by the authors, after all~ <3
@SL: Yes indeed! Main body is the only thing glued. Arms are pinned/magneted and the "lid" comes on and off easily. I regret to say that only a little of my stuff will have color on it (Probably only a couple of the marines D: ), but I just ran out of time... I way way overloaded myself between this and normal work! Hope that it's still ok to play with you guys!
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Welcome to Sun-depticon number 4, the GRAY UPDATE!
Late, but never missed!
As Adepticon draws closer, I do my best to have some new stuff to play with. I need to learn 8th edition as well as participate in the Knight Fight!
So this week has been a TON of assembly, including a bunch of Mk 4 marines with some Kromlech bitz. Mostly some cybernetic legs and heavy flamers. I also got some sweet looking jump-packs!
Bashed together a new Captain from the Calth box set (wow is this box COOL!!! So much nicer than black Reach!)
Close-up of the two Vanguard Vet squads:
The guy on the front far right is my favorite accidental pose... Very much a "Come oooooon? What is this crap!?" Egging on the enemy, etc
After years in storage, my Mk2 Breacher squad is assembled- Still have to sculpt up their left arms to have the right bracers. A little detail, but one I definitely want to take care of!!
And lastly, while I was cleaning the Kromlech stuff I prepped an eventual diorama I want to paint up... These two minis just go together, eh?
And thats the news!
Next time on Sun-depticon... ZERO HOUR!
My IF client uses them for his army, and wouldnt ya know it, the guy also had them for my weird chapter! They're actually really nice. No 3d print marks, nice and smooth, and they fit right onto the shoulders of regular marines with little issue.
Adds a nice bit of detail without overpowering the model.
And then there are of course several marines with a Deathwatch pad. As to the lore, the Marines Errant are said to have an unusually high number of marines returned from the deathwatch.
Its so much easier to get these things now, its crazy!
Nice, I was wondering if thats what it was. Talked with the designer at A-con last year, super nice dude. He had to pull a ton of things off the site though, they were to GW-y. Glad your icon made it.
Are you painting all that for Adepticon? That should be an interesting project to get all those guys painted that fast. I do like the custom parts and the poses are very cool! Looking forward to seeing you there in person!
Sun-depticon V : Or, How I Learned to Stop Painting and Enjoy the Build!
Army is built! Mostly...
Unfortunately this past week at work was a COMPLETE bastard, and as such I got next to nothing done. I had at least planned to paint up a little bit Sadly this is all I was able to manage. Small steps I guess? :/
Here is a shot of everything I'm bringing to Adepticon. Should be able to manage up to 1850- maybe 2k if I play the fliers and Devastators. I know that a couple of the Sternguard need bases, but thats something Im going to take care of this year at Secret Weapon. Going Desert Bases on these guys!
The Titan is a project all of its own, and really needs special attentions.
On the Imperial Fists front, I have made more progress on the Character minis, a Librarian and a Tech Marine:
And I do have some final shots on the scouts I had finished previously-
And so I bid you adeiu! See everyone at Adepticon!!
Scouts are beautiful Ramos, well done. Also nice to see your marines get some love, even if they aren't all painted yet. Be great to see you again! Hope we get a game in.
PS: I love the fact that all your marines are headless... reminds me of a Dr. Who episode.
@Cam: Gracias!! Expect the usual smattering of pics during/after the event.
@Gits: Hah, yeah... I just had too much on the plate this past few months.... shoot the whole last year really D: Next year's goal is to get myself a totally painted army!! And you bet we're gonna get a game in- I'm looking forward to it. I have to learn how to play 8th, after all!
As to the headless marines... Hah! Yeah... A side effect of painting in sub assemblies! This way I can get the split to look right on their faces and backpacks, which are otherwise rather blocked off. All a work in progress!!
Ill have to pop in later to post my own limited pics. I just have a few this year!
2) FOOD!
Crikey, this could be an updatye in itself... so much good food, including the mammoth Doom Feaster from Kuma's Corner- an AMAZING metal-themed burger bar... I didnt even mind shelling out 17 bucks for the thing... it was that good <3
3) MORE PROJECTS!
Needless to say, I got some focus on some personal projects as well as an update to a couple others down the pipe... Tzeentchian Creature Caster mini is in the queue and looks sooooo nice!!
4) ADEPTICON SWAG BAG!
Geez was there a lot of stuff this year. I sprung for a VIG bag this year (just meant more stuff, so why not), and boy does it seem worth it! A metric ton of minis and games... And impressively almost no junk (papers and the like). I really like some of the random miniatures they gave out... maybe something to play with in the future
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Almost as soon as I got back Monday night, I set to work on my next project- A couple months ago I was commissioned to paint up a bunch of Buffs (the little red cars) for Kickstarter backers. This was put on hold in order to prep for Adepticon and the Fists army, but now that the event is over I gotta get cracking on these.
Compared to the 40k minis, these are considerably easier to paint, so even doing a dozen of them (!), it shouldnt take terribly long.
Also in this shot are a number of resin bases I got for my Marines Errant. I'm going to be rebasing them all on Desert bases, with windswept dust and everything. Should give a nice contrast with the white and blue!
Was great gaming with you again. We had a blast with Xwing. Looking forward to updating Knight Fight for the masses next year as well as the new Modcubes to use with it.
Alright, so IM not dead, lets get that out of the way first!
Cripes, been a long while since I poked my head in here... Sorry about that, guys!
Long story made short, Work has been killer. More than that, though, is getting into Monster Hunter on my PS4... Whoops
I have been keeping busy painting, though... Just slacked off updating you guys here.
For example, I completed the miniatures I was hired to paint for the Riding Bean kickstarter. Was interesting painting so many at once...
And the final group! (Now sent out to their new homes)
On the Imperial Fists front, I shipped off the first batch to the client and he's all happy (always good to hear!)
Currently, I'm working on a bunch of the characters: A Librarian, A Techmarine, and the special edition Chaplain. Cream is a pain in the butt to paint ><
Still a fair bit to go, but starting to make decent progress again!
Thanks for checking back, guys! More progress soon
The cars are beautiful. The IFs look fantastic as well. Nice handling of the gold and black. The job you've done on those cloaks for the characters is just amazing.
Glad to see you back alive and kicking. I have to echo the praise for the new models particularly the cloak of the librarian and the vellum. Love the look so far and can’t wait to see how the completed models come out.
@Archer: I agree with you completely! Much bigger fan of the matte finish (though that picture sure doesnt do the actual finish any favors)
I had to put something on them, though. It was a bit of a panic moment though... Turns out the primer I used didnt key in, so when I put my matte spray (a rattlecan) on the test mini, the paint just started to peel away!!! The gloss was the only thing I had readily available that I could send through my airbrush and that wouldnt curdle the paint.
@Gits: I think you missed a few But seriously, thanks. Good to be back and posting again
@Alb: Hey thanks man! YEah the parchment bits were actually a bit of an experiment. Just messing with feathering colors out, getting them just the right consistency... Moreover than that, a big part was going back to the darker color to touch up the blends.
@Theo: Oh the wallpaper's bark is worse than its bite... Its a big softy really
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Last night's progress (today was the late shift at work D: )
And I actually forgot to show off this during the last post-
I threw down for some dungeon tiles from Secret Weapon Miniatures during a kickstarter. Neat stuff- hopefully I can break these out one of these days for 5e
And Thursday while I had the day off, I finished a project that I had been meaning to take care of for years... MORE SHELF SPACE!
Very simple affair of a pair of 4' long 1x10's set atop fence posts screwed into the cabinets. End result is a beautifully massive storage space.
@graven: You know.... Thats just crazy enough to work I betcha I could get something workable out of the colors.... Hmmm.... Food for thought,... AND IT SHALL BE BEAUTIFUL~~~
Tasty work! I saw them on FB and the libby looks wicked good! and it's great to see the Chaplain done as well, probably one of my favorite of the newer releases.
Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend... I ended up not being home for -ANY- of it! In addition to visiting some good friends (including breaking INTO and then OUT OF an escape room), the weekend culminated in a 10 mile canoe trip. mistakes were made.... 10 miles is a LONG WAY TO PADDLE!!! D:
All in all it was fun, even if it proved to me how poorly in shape I am... Summer project to be sure!
But in the mean time, Im back to work. Fists are getting details blacked out and are finally starting to look like something.
In short, I had a bit of burnout. Too much of one thing at once, too many irons in the fire, work being a pain... I dunno. Things just took way longer than I expected/wanted them to take.
Still working things out, but I think Im getting back to somewhat normal operations.
While I was gone, I did get some work done. Particularly, I finished the huge Imperial Fists army.
Lysander:
Terminator Assault Squad:
Tactical Squads:
Devastators:
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I also painted up a quick character for a friend for his DND game. Nifty little Dark Sword miniature...
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So yeah! All caught up now. Im hoping that Ill get back to more regular updates. Got a couple interesting little projects in the pipeline... But thats for another update!
@theo: Fortunately my months of training on Monster Hunter World came in handy, and I was able to subdue the beast. Even made some of it into a new shirt :O
But thank ya kindly!
@mt: Haha! Well thanks all the same for your (heretical) praise!
Please accept this totally-not-a-vortex-missile token of our reciprocal appreciation!
@Nerd: Damn, deep praise from you!! I know the yellow marines have a special place in your heart. Happy to meet some pretty lofty expectations
@insaniak: Thank you!! My only regret is that it's not mine to keep! Heh, one day~~ Glad you like.
@Lorek: Cheers, boss. And I know. Self-care is important.
@Gits: Why, Gits, Im flattered you noticed Hehe, but really, thanks. She was a learning experience as far as skintone went. First mini I painted using what I learned at Adepticon. Base with a dark dark brown, and glaze up from there all smooth like.
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First project after the fists is a simple one. Bunch of bases for my own marines!
If you remember, my chosen scheme is split white/turquoise, so lots of cold colors. What better counterpoint to this than some yellow desert! These are all Secret Weapon Miniatures bases. The "lava" ones I picked up to add visual interest to the group. I was trying for a Yellowstone-esque bubbling mud look, but may have gone just a little too yellow... The colors are actually much more towards the earthy side than these pictures make them seem...
Almost done with them, just need to ring them (im thinking black), then dusting them with SWM pigments to give them that added level of dryness.
Hell yeah i've a soft spot for those yellow bastards! and you've done them justice for sure! it's great to see your blog getting some love again! we've missed you but totally understand the behind the scenes feelings too, i'm in a similar boat myself but have kind of subdued my lust for painting yellow and then red by painting a red and yellow army :-)
Welcome back Ramos! And what an amazing job you did on those Imperial Fists. Honestly, anyone who can paint that much yellow well deserves some serious kudos! Looking forward to your next big thing.
Had the day off on Wednesday and knocked out a single mini commission for one of my dnd players (yep! The very same one as the Dragon and Rogue xD). This one is a Dark Sword miniature, and I believe the character is going to be an Elven Ranger:
I also started a pair of other new projects- one business (of course), and one personal ( What!?! ).
For business, we have something from Creature Caster- The Lady of Arcana. This one goes to Solar Lion:
And on the personal front, I started to lay down some colors on my own Marines Errant! Nothing extreme at the moment, just the initial layers of white, but hey! Progress is progress
Crikey its been hot lately...
I mean dang! I live in the basement with fans going, and lately its been so hot and humid that I just cant sit down to focus on painting!
Marines Errant did get a little more done. Just the Turquoise with a black wash to shade it... plenty still to do.
Bit of an interesting development the past week. Privateer is looking for a painter again, so why not toss my hat in the ring... Maybe send in another mini like I did the first time I applied, haha.
This is a convention exclusive mini called "Druids Gone Wilder!"
Im really enjoying how it paints up.
Hopefully I can get this out to them for consideration sometime early next week... Lots to do!!
The last few months have been pretty crappy all told... Work was really busy with a number of new directives for the holiday season (many conflicting, naturally!), so have had very little time to do anything. The past tense here is important, for you see a week before Thanksgiving Sears saw fit to lay off half of my team... And you see where this is going. Bonus, though, I have more spare time now...
Add that "fun" to the usual holiday stuff and you have the makings of not much getting done over November and December. Honestly didn't have the drive to do a lot what with everything going on, but have been trying. Slowly getting into the swing.
On the painting front, things have progressed, albeit slowly. Got a few things done, started a few more...
One project I completed was the Hordes convention mini from a few years back. Fun mini, and good skin practice. Still could do with some work, but all is a learning experience...
I also completed a commander and assault squad for my Marines Errant. The resin bitz for the robot legs and the jump packs were a bit rough, unfortunately. Didn't notice with the raw resin, but man these casts are rough... It looks like the masters were 3D prints, and there's a fair bit of stepping visible that wasn't cleaned up. Unfortunate, but hopefully it doesn't show too much.
Shoulder iconography is another 3D printed product, though from Pop Goes the Monkey via Shapeways. Really sharp prints, and they fit on to the shoulder pads perfectly. Sure beats freehanding the symbols.
And naturally, the white is a pain in the ass to paint! Hah.
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In other news, Im back to full-time commissions (or attempting to, at least).
Working on a number of other projects including several single character minis and an Imperial Fist army for a previous client. As it stands now, everything save for a Venator is painted with a yellow gradient. (Side note, when I get to painting the Venator, I've a small story to share... It was an adventure and a half getting a replacement part....)
Subassemblies primed:
And then sprayed yellow. This is the second stage, an Ochre Yellow that is applied over a dark tan color.
The process on a Contemptor-
Primed
Then the Ochre over dark tan:
And then some highlights with a mix of Palamino Gold from Reaper and Vallejo Ivory. After this, everything gets a wash of soft tone.
And a few other shots of other parts of the army:
So yeah. Thats the first update of the new year. Hope to be around a little more in the future.
Ah I remember being laid off just before Christmas a number of years ago, really, really stinks. Onwards and upwards though and I hope you and yours can bounce back quickly.
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Better luck next time! In the mean time, I can only build up my skill sets and make myself more attractive in the future!
, but that might be a case of just me being inexperienced with playstyles. In theory, every guild has its own playstyle, as well as ways to counter certain playstyles.
he obviously takes good car of his locks and likes to maintain his dishy good looks and model persona!
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