I'm a Dungeon Master, though I prefer to be called a Storyteller, having run home brews for 24 years. This is my first time running 5e though. I was one of those 3.5 holdouts.

I've just started up a campaign recently and decided to paint my own miniatures for it. In addition, I also play in a couple friends' Pathfinder and D&D homebrews and have painted a few miniatures for them as well.

I'll be posting up pictures. My painting style is more for speed and would be considered table top quality. It primarily uses inks, contrast paints, shades and glazes. I guess, I would like to encourage those who are not painters and might be intimidated, on how quick, easy and effective miniature painting can be.


Below is a model for a Western D&D 5e campaign that a friend runs. We had a new player, Eric, join us and I decided to paint him a mini based on his beloved character El Kobong, a bard centaur with a penchant for tossing grenades. The model took me roughly 3 hours to paint. It was also my first use of GW technical crackle paint, which I guess when it comes to crackle paints, more is more .

The Clothing is simply 2 coats of Space Wolves Grey Contrast Paint with a single coat of Iyanden Yellow Contrast for the golden trim.

The gun stocks are Gore-Grunta Fur Contrast followed with a Targor Rageshade wash.

The horse body is a coat of Contrast Aggaros Dunes followed by 2 washes of Targor Rageshade.

The Banjo is Snakebite Leather Contrast with a wash of Agrax Earth Shade.

And here is some photos of a character from a different campaign run by my friend David. We've been playing in his pathfinder 1st edition homebrew since 2016. The picture below is of my 11 year old human child who is an Arcane Trickster sporting an Otherworldly Kimono, a Hat of Greater Disguise, Wizards Mail, Google of See Invisibility, a handy handy haversack, and a Cloak of Invisibility. He is armed with a Cold Iron Rapier of Heart Seeking. I painted this model and another for the same campaign in roughly 3 and a half hours.

Nice, playable pieces- well done! The one ineluctable quality that these have over hundreds of thousands of other figures is: they are, in fact, painted. Even gaming-level painted pieces bring a new dimension to the play; good on you for going the extra lenght, Storyteller!

Thanks and Happy Turkeyday!! I remember in my early years using dice for monsters and a few reaper miniatures for the characters. Actually now that I think of it, my first campaign was all imagination in that I didn't have a play matt or any figures.

Now a days, I have two huge gaming grid matts, hundred or so prepainted D&D models (if you can call them painted ) and will be building up a horde of monsters that I have painted for my current campaign. Plus I was a huge 40K player and have commandeered my gaming terrain for D&D since you can use rulers to move around as long as you treat every 1" as 5 feet of movement.

On a side note, painting for me in therapeutic! Talking of painting, below is another character for Dave's Pathfinder campaign: Josh's Damien Lochton, a human arcanist. Since our characters are both named Dami%n, we go by Little D and Big D instead .

As a side note, the fireball was originally done with a Contrast Iyanden Yellow coat followed by Carroburg Crimson Shade and a final glaze of Lamenters Yellow. This looked surprisingly good...but then I was like MORE PAINT and added a glaze of Bloodletter which sadly dominated all of the yellow and golden colors . So I used orange and yellow paints to roughly layer back the yellows. Oh, well...I enjoy experimenting.

The blue robes are a coat of Contrast Leviadon Blue with a wash of Nuln Oil.

The sleeves and gloves are two coats of contrast Gryph-Charger Grey with a wash of Nuln Oil.

The face is just two washes of Ogryn Flesh.

The hair is Contrast Fire Slayer Flesh with Gryphonne Sepia Wash.

The Backpack is Snakebite Leather Contrast with a wash of Agrax Earthshade.

The books are Gore-Grunta Fur Contrast with a wash of Targor Rageshade.

The Belt and Boots are Contrast Black Templar with a Nuln Oil wash.

The Staff is Battlefield Brown with a wash of Gryphonne Sepia, Agrax Earthshade, and Targor Rageshade.

The Gem is two washes of Berserker Bloodshade followed with a glaze of Bloodletter and a spot of Lamenter Yellow glaze.

Finally the pants are Skeleton Horde Contrast with a wash of Gryphonne Sepia.

This is also a very nice figure- a bit better than 'gaming standard', I think.

You take my memory back- in '79-80's ish timeframe, the original boxed set for D&D came with numbers you cut apart to place in the cups of an egg carton and which represented the most commonly needed dice at that tie (I think 3 sided, 6, 8, 10, maybe 12 and 20)- because it was hard to find all those denominations of dice! I got my first set of dice from Spencer's Gifts at the Arnot Mall in Big Flats, Elmira, NY, my heart pounding the whole time because even though I was 17, Spencer's carried a lot of marijuana culture and risqué 'adult' items- you didn't want your folks to think you'd been shopping there! Walden Books carried the boxed game, but I don't recall them ever carrying the dice you needed.

We also used anything we could find to represent characters, opponents and monsters- figures were probably out there, we just didn't know where to buy them and no on-line shopping for another 20 years.

So I got into the game almost 20 years later when the internet was just ramping up and Ebay was a new thing. By then most cities had stores dedicated to comics, CCG and miniatures (like Reaper, Ral Partha, and Games Workshop). I think I got my first set of dice from The Dug Out, a collectable card shop (AKA Magic & Sports Cards) located in the basement of a building located on State Street in Madison.

I was a player first, and my sensei (DM) was a sadist, who loved horror (D&D's Ravenloft, Dark Conspiracy, & Shadow Run) and wearing his girlfriend's jeans. My first combat was against a mad sailor who we threw overboard only to have him ripping out the bottom of the dingy and begin beating us with the wooden plank he tore out. I think he only had 6 hp but he nearly took out the party of 4 players as we were all 0 level. The mad man was still trying to strangle us even after being disemboweled, in true D&D fashion. Dave was a maverick but man were his sessions intense and entertaining, even if short lived. Thus, my campaigns tend to adopt a horror theme because of his influence.


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 Meer_Cat wrote:
Spencer's carried a lot of marijuana culture and risqué 'adult' items- you didn't want your folks to think you'd been shopping there!

So funny thing, and totally off topic, but my mom bought a glass blowing training session for myself and my girlfriend (now ex) for Christmas about 8 years ago. When we got to the shop which was in the basement of another shop down in Madison, the walls were stocked ceiling to floor with Bongs. The shop assistant who greeted us was fully baked and had even forgotten that we were coming. It was an interesting time making glass jewelry for sure.


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Well last night I worked on a pack of Leucrottas and a Rot Troll, starting around 11pm and ending around 2:15am or so. Below is the workup of the Rot Troll.

Step 1: After priming, I washed the raised boils with a Baal Red Wash. I've found that it works better to apply spot washes for boils, lumps, ect before the main body/skin washes, than vice versus as the colors blend much better.



Step 2: Wash model with Nuln Oil Shade. I tend to wash most of my models with a black shade so I can more easily see what the transitions are as well as create some depth...kinda of like Zenithal highlighting and shading I guess?? Anyways, it makes it easier on my eyes, which are gradually going blind to computer and cellphone screens .



Step 3-Final: Wash skin with 2 layers of Athonian Camoshade, including the hair(I love!! Camoshade)!!. Drybrush with Menoth White Highlight. Loincloth is Contrast Snakebite Leather followed by washes of Agrax Earthshade and Athonian Camoshade. Hair was finished off with 2 layers of Contrast Gryph-Charger Grey followed by a wash of Drakenhof Nightshade.

So here are pictures of the Leucrotta pack I painted up alongside the Troll.

Step 1: Apply a wash of Nuln Oil to the body, Aggaros Dunes Contrast to the tail fur, and a coat of Black Templar Contrast to the hooves and nose.

Step 2: Apply a coat of Gryph-Charger Grey Contrast Paint to the body, Blood Angels Red Contrast to the Tongue, and Flesh Tearers Red to the Inside Mouth.



Step 3: Apply a wash of Athonian Camoshade over the Body and Tail and a wash of Carroburg Crimson to the mouth



Final: Drybrush the model with Menoth White Highlight







Quick and easy Pound Puppies

A bit more grey than the artwork but the skin definitely looks putrid enough:

Those sure are some ugly doggos! Well done.

Thanks Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll.

Below is another quickly painted character in Dave's Pathfinder campaign. Krom the Half-Dragon Draconic Sorcerer.

The wings were Skeleton Horde Contrast with Agrax Earthshade wash.

The flesh was Nuln Oil Wash followed by 2 coats of Pylar Glacier Contrast paint.

Menoth White Highlight was added to the Talons. Armor was Pig Iron with two washes of Agrax Earthshade.

I really liked how the flesh turned out given how simple the formula was. Otherwise, I haven't been too impressed with Pylar Glacier as it covers very poorly compared to other contrasts. Guess I just have to paint up a bunch of silver and white dragons to throw at the party so as to make use of the $8 pot .




By the way, I covered the entire model in Army Builder Matt Varnish Spray (the spray can). While the wings have a matt finish, the lower body ended up with a gloss finish? Anyone know why this is?

So tonight I start work on Rorry, a character in Kenai's Western Campaign for D&D 5e. Rorry is an Irish, free wheeling gun for hire who shot his first man at the age of 16. The son of an Irish immigrant who died working in the coal mines, Rorry ended up walking in on a Judge's son beating his mother. Grabbing the man's pistol from the gun belt laying across the chair, he shot the craven dead before jumping on a west bound train to escape the hangman's noose. His loves are St. Patrick, Whisky, Guns, and Black Powder.

The model was printed from an STL file purchased from Hero Forge. They have had a $5 discount of STL files this past week . Below is the image from the website.




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Having finished him tonight, I give you Rory McNally, the Gunslinger of Obsidian Ridge. I really liked how the jugs and bottles turned out and they were really simple. They were just a coat of Bastion Grey followed by a Darkoath Flesh Contrast. The jug bottom had a further coat of Fyreslayer Flesh Contrast applied.

So found one of my old light boxes in storage and thought I would give it a try. Only problem is it a pop up like so:



But with an even smaller hole in the front, making it hard to take pictures of the model without lifting them up on a box.

Just looked on amazon and wow, lightboxes have majorly upgraded in the last 10 or so years:



I might have to grab one of those!

Anyways, the following are a set of 3 Hill Giants that I painted up along with an Ettin and a Formian that all told took me two evenings. The Hill Giants Hands are magnetized so that I can swap weapon and gear options.

The wood was painted with a coat of Battlefield Brown followed by a Seraphin Sepia wash and then an Agrax Earthshade wash.

The Leathers were painted with a coat of Blood Tracker Brown followed by two washes of Agrax Earthshade.

The metals were a coat of Pig Iron followed by two washes of Agrax Earthshade.

The cotton wrapping was a coat of Hammerfall Khaki followed by 2 washes of Agrax Earthshade.

The Bones were Menoth White Highlight followed by a Seraphin Sepia wash and then an Agrax Earthshade wash.

Flesh was just two washes of Ogre Flesh (One had an additiona wash of Reikland Fleshshade)

The Fomorian Giant featured below used the same paint pallet as the Hill Giants above with the exception of the skin, which was 2 washes of Drakenhof Nightshade which I had purchased many years ago and must have had a different formula than the current, because it has a much darker hue. After painting the skin, I added Liaviathan Purple wash to the boils followed by a glaze of Bloodletter. Like the Troll, I should have tinted the boils before painting the skin as they did not blend well into the skin tone.

That's good work. I just can't make contrast paints work for me... but you seem to have no problems at all! Love the giants... especially the Fomorian.

Hey Gits, so how are the other Wardens? I checked thier old threds but they don't seem active anymore. What, did they grow up and get lives?? Not I!

So the giants didn't use contrast paints. Mostly P3 paints followed by washes. The skins are straight washes.

The contrast paints certainly don't have the even gradients or clean coverages that an airbrush has, which if I recall is your weapon of choice.

So painted up the following models during a campaign session:

Crow Swarm:

Black Templar Contrast with a Vallejo grey drybrush. Beaks and talons were Iyanden Yellow Contrast with a Reikland Fleshshade Wash. Since the models were black I did a crackle base. Normally I don't bother as these models are going to get beat to heck and aren't stored in padded containers.



Fountain: Fountains of Life feature heavy in my campaign, so glad to be able to get my hands on this!

Step 1: Washed model in Nuln Oil



Step 2: Washed Athonian Camoshade in randon splotches and in basins.



Step 3: Applied Contrast Skeleton Horde in Splotches



Step 4: Dry brushed with Vallejo Stonewall Grey



Step 5: Reapplied Athonian Camoshade in splotches and basins



Step 6: Washed with Agrax Earthshade



Final: Dry brushed with Vallejo Stonewall Grey



Lich: These will represent Deathlock Wights in my campaign

WIP 2: After the wash with Nuln Oil, I applied Contrast paints of Skeleton Horde for the bones and pages and Space Wolves Grey (lower), Gryph-Charger Grey (upper), and Magos Purple (neck) to the robes.



WIP 3: Pig Iron was added to the pauldrons. I then applied contrasts of Gore-Grunta Fur to books, Snakebite Leather to Scrolls and Belts, and Flesh Tearers Red to ribbons. After the contrast were applied, I added a wash of Targor Rageshade to Books and Scrolls, and Belts and a wash of Biel-Tan Green to front of held skull.



WIP Final: I washed the entire model with Agrax Earthshade and applied a Nuln Oil wash to blue area of robes and held skull. I then dry brushed Stonewall Grey over entire model. Finally, Way Watcher Green glaze was painted around the eyes of the held skull.

I'll have to try some of those Contrast paints, I got a limited group of them a while back and I am just now getting use out of them.

The fountain looks great

What a great variety of beasties!

@WyFox: Yeah... I think everyone's moved on with life, kids, etc. I haven't been doing much myself either. Lost the 3 remaining grandparents this year so we're just dealing with that. That being said... we're doing OK... but not a lot of energy left for gaming stuff. Solar_lion's still painting at a good clip... just not posting often.

Great works afoot here, love the puppies.

Thanks for sharing.

@Theophony. Thanks, I'm very happy with the fountain too. It's my first terrain piece. Some of my favorite contrasts are Skeleton Horde (Bone), Snakebite Leather (Leather), Black Templar (Black), Flesh Tearers Red (Deep Red), Gore Grunta Fur (Sienna Brown). They have good even coverages. I still apply washes over them.

@Gwyn, a plant theme is coming up as they are venturing into swamps

@Gits, sorry to hear. I lost all of my Grandparents within 2 or so years about 10 years ago. So I understand. Oh, and Alyssa left last year. But painting has been therapeutic .

@Cam, welcome! More to come!

Speaking of which, below is a troop of Vegepygmy Warriors.

Flesh was 2 washes of Biel-Tan Green.

The spore boils were drybrushed with Vallejo Goblin Green

The Spears were Gor-Grunta Fur

Hair was Ogre Flesh Wash followed by a wash of Agrax Earthshade

The Flowers were Iyanden Yellow Contrast and for half I washed with Agrax Earthshade

And a comparison of the official D&D Vegepygmy Chief Model and my own Vegepymies.


Hmmm...I might need to find a new chieftain model as the D&D model is underwhelming.






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Oh, and a picture of my very lazy photo setup:

@Wyfox: Yeah... painting helps... so does sharing your work on dakka. I see you still have your skills. I know of several professional painters who would highly approve of the white background you use for your photos.

Love the little green dudes. Very fun!

Thanks Gits!

So below is 20 Needle Blights, which are part of a larger Blight community that the party will encounter in the bogs.

They were base coated with Snakebite Leather Contrast. I then applied Soulblight Grey Shade wash to the chest and face of the models after which I washed the same areas in Targor Rage Shade. The result was quite pleasing and kind of reminds me of the Greek leather cuirass. Their swoll poses make me laugh as they look like they are flexing while marching forward.



Next are 10 Vine Blights.

They were base coated with Ork Flesh Contrast. I then washed the chest, back, and face with Soulblight Grey Shade followed by Targor Rage Shade, hoping for a cool result. However, it looked awful, so I dry brushed the model with an Vallejo Camoflauge Green paint and then washed it with Biel-Tan Green and Nuln Oil shades and called it a failed experiment.

I'll have to try a couple of those contrasts for browns. I have really enjoyed the Skeleton Horde color so far for a light leather look.

Welcome Theophony! I love Gor-Grunta Fur for anything wood related. It also make a nice color for darker leathers when washed with Agrax or Rageshade. Same with Snakebite Leather. The reds have been real winners as well.

So below you can see a good contrast to a more traditional paint scheme (P3 paints and a wash) vs using Washes and Contrast alone.

Up first is a unit of Goblin Archers and a unit of Crossbows painted with P3 Umbral Umber (wood & belts), Boot Strap Leather (skirts, pouches and quivers), Thamar Black (hair), Pig Iron (metal), Menoth White Base (stockings), Bastion Grey (flesh). This was followed by a wash of Devlan Mud. At this point, you could start adding highlight layers to add depth...but painting these models was already getting time consuming.



Next is a Worg Rider painted in a similar scheme with the worg being based coated in Great Coat Grey, washed in Babad Black, and followed by successive dry brushes of Iron Hull Grey followed by Frost Bite and then Morrow White. The worg was washed then with Devlan Mud.



Lastly, the Goblin Boss and a Goblin Jester. The Goblin Boss was painted like the other Goblins above. However the Jester used only washes and contrast paints.



For the Jestor:

The flesh was 2 washes of Athonian Camoshade.

The robe was a wash of Asurman Blue

The hat, belts, and bands were Contrast Snake Bite Leather with a Agrax Earthshade wash

The Staff was Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur with a Agrax Earthshade wash

The sash and hat balls were 2 washes of Biel-Tan Green

Whereas the archers, boss, and rider took several evenings to paint, the jester took a matter of minutes in between painting other models and in my opinion looks significantly better.

That jester really does look good. Impressive that it was a speed paint!

Hi Gwyn, its amazing how quick it goes. The only thing is waiting for the contrasts and washes to dry. So I place them in front of a space heater underneath my desk and work on several models simultaneously.


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So painted up a pack of goblin wolf riders and a pair of worgs.

The wolfs and worgs were first washed with Drakenhof Nightshade followed by successive dry brushes of P3 Frost Bite and then Morrow White. The noses were picked out with Thamar Black before drybrushing

The goblins were simply two washes of Athonian Camoshade. The loincloths were painted with Umbral Umber and the eyes were picked out with Frost Bite.

Wow, you've been moving along! I'm gone for a few days and there's a whole army's worth of figures to enjoy!

Cause I'm all bout the speed, bout the speed, bout the speed; meh quality.

So on an unrelated note what is a good cleaning solution for removing GW wash stains/droplets and vallejo/P3 paint splotches/specks from wood desks??

So I decided to do an experiment with just GW shades and am very happy with the results.

Up first is a squad of Specters.

For the bodies 1st row right to left: Beil-Tan Green, Asurmen Blue, and Drakenhoff Nightshade

The grave stones, I washed some of the shade onto the areas where the bodies were penetrating the stone and then washed the stones with Nuln Oil

The base was done with Agrax Earthshade

Next is a Scarecrow...in which one of the party members get turned into when captured by a Hag after having his heart transplanted!

Straw was Casandora Yellow

Shirt was Baal Red

Skirt was Beil-Tan Green

Pants were Asurmen Blue

Hands, Feet and Base were Devlan Mud

Model was washed in Devlan Mud before applying Nuln Oil to the Base

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And a quick look at my brushes. All these models painted and they still have a good point to them .

So I use Size 6 for applying the washes and getting base colors down.

Size 1 and 0 for details and getting into crevasse

And the GW Medium Drybrush for...well dry brushing.

That's it

I love me some chickens! So I had my friend print me up 25 chickens which will be an encounter of an entire murder of custom cockatrices that descends on the party. I chose chickens as I don't want to tip my hand. Mostly the result of washes with a few spot colors layered.

Washed in nuln oil

Washed wings and tail feathers in Leviathan Purple

Washed beak and feet with Fuegan Orange

Painted wing and tail end feathers with P3 Frostbite, Head heathers with Morrow White, and Talons with Menoth White Highlight

I think the chickens are my absolute favorite so far. Bravo!

Now Serving a large bucket of Kentucky Fried Cockatrice .

That is an awesome idea .

Thanks Gits and Theophony! Perhaps I should give them vulnerability to Fire .

So below is a pair of advanced Primordial Catoblepas that serve as a narrative tool, rather than a combat encounter.

WIP 1: Applied Nuln Oil Shade to White undercoat. Then applied small blotches of Space Wolves Grey Contrast to areas of flesh for a dappling affect.



WIP 2: Applied 2 coats of Contrast Gryph-Charger Grey to their flesh.



WIP 3: Applied Contrast Gutrippa Flesh to the Hair and Contrast Skeleton Horde to the Mushrooms and Horns.



WIP 4: Applied wash of Athonian Camoshade to entire model



WIP 5-Final: Applied a black wash to the flesh. Dry brushed Vallejo Dead Flesh and then P3 Menoth White Base onto the hair. Drybrushed Menoth White Base onto the horns, top mushrooms, and face. Painted the mushrooms on the legs and talons with a coat of P3 Menoth White Highlight. Applied Gore-Grunta Fur Contrast onto the talons. Applied 2 coats of Darkoath Flesh Contrast on the leg mushrooms. Washed the mushrooms, talons, horns in Agrax Earthshade. Drybrushed Vallejo Khaki onto the leg mushrooms. Washed the horns with Seraphim Sepia.






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So I really like how the moldy hair turned out which was painted with Contrast Gutrippa Flesh, washed with Athonian Camoshade, and Then Drybrushed Vallejo Dead Flesh and then P3 Menoth White Base. This is a formula I plan on repeating.

Moreover, I think I will utilize this overall color pallet when I paint my Ancient Swamp Dragon.

That's a great looking mini! That scheme would look great on a swamp dragon.

Looks good. Glad to see you are at it again (or still at it?)! I've been pondering the quick paint bundle but havent pulled the trigger.

Thanks Gwynn! I got a very nice model I picked up on etsy which is assembled and just needs some gap filling.

Welcome Whalemusic! I did indeed take a 6 or so year hiatus from painting, but suddenly find myself with significant free time so I picked up the brush to accommodate my re-entry to D&D Storytelling.

What is this Quick Paint bundle you speak of?


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So up next is a group of scarab beetles painted in a more iridescent flesh tone to represent rot grub swarms. They were simply washed with Ogre Flesh Shade followed by Leviathan Purple Shade and finally half or so were glazed over with Guilliman Blue. Devlan Mud and Babad Black was washed into the recesses to represent the mud they are skittering over.

Love the mushroom critter. Very nice job planning ahead with your early coats.

Thanks Gits. So when I originally looked up Catoblepas I saw these on Etsy



However they were like $60 each for Huge Size monsters. The ones I got were mere dollars in comparison and also had the cool mushroomy look.

I think you got a much better deal.

Agreed Gits

So up next is a squad of carrion crawlers. I love these models!

Here I did not apply a Nuln Oil wash as a first step. Pretty simple paint scheme and completed these in one evening.

Skin: Contrast Skeleton Horde followed by a wash of Athonian Camoshade

Feet: Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur

Tenticles: 2 washes of Athonian Camoshade

Antennas and Mandibles: 2 washes of Targor Rageshade

Head: Contrast Snakebite Leather followed by a wash of Agrax Earthshade

Mouth: Wash of Targor Rageshade and a wash of Carroburg Crimson shade

Eyes: Contrast Black Templar, Underline of P3 Ironhull Gray and 3 dots of Marrow White

And the artwork that inspired the color scheme:



and the official D&D prepainted minis that sell for $12 on amazon...and kind of look like a mutated turd

They look like real grubs! Excellent work!

I may have thrown up a little in my mouth. Fantastically done!

Yours are by far the superior paint- and so fast you produced them!

They do look very real!

Thanks Gits, Gwyn & Meer_Cat, they are grubby looking buggers !

Up next is a pack of 5 Donkeys loaded for bear or a concert! Wanted representation for the players pack train as well as victims for natural predators in the area. These guys took two evenings due to all the detail.

WIP 1: Washed model in Nuln Oil. 3 Donkeys were fur was painted with Contrast Aggaros Dunes. Manes were painted with Contrast Skeleton Horde. For the 2 Grey Donkeys, the straps and bridles were painted with Contrast Aggaros Dunes. Ropes and strings were painted with Contrast Skeleton Horde. Bedrolls were washed twice with Athonian Camoshade. Sacks were painted with Contrast Snakebite Leather.



WIP 2: Wood items were either painted with P3 Battlefield Brown or Gore-Grunta Fur Contrast. Metals were painted in P3 Pig Iron. Harp, Locks, and Sword Hilt were painted with 2 Coats of Contrast Iyaden Yellow. The straps and bridles on the golden donkeys were painted with Gore-Grunta Fur Contrast. Drum washed with 2 coats of Drakenhof Nightshade. Bottles and waterskins were painted in either 2 coats of Contrast Darkoath Flesh or Contrast Fyreslayer Flesh. Hoofs and Bearskin was painted with Contrast Black Templar and the Bear Claws highlighted in P3 Frostbite. Blankets painted in Contrast Flesh Tearer Red.



WIP 3: Applied final washes. Grey donkeys fur was washed with second coat of Nuln Oil. Golden donkeys fur was washed with Seraphim Sepia. Areas painted with Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur, Contrast Darkoath Flesh, Athonian Camoshade and Contrast Fyreslayer Flesh were washed with Targor Rageshade. Areas painted with Pig Iron, Contrast Snakebite Leather, Contrast Fyreslayer Flesh and Contrast Skeleton Horde were washed with Agrax Earthshade . Iron areas was washed twice. Areas painted with Battlefield Brown were washed with Seraphim Sepia followed by Agrax Earthshade.



Finals:

*insert mandatory "great ass" joke here*

But actually, I especially like the grey donkeys!

Merry Christmas bud

Outstanding work on the donkeys WyFox. You're really hitting it out of the park lately!

(and Merry Christmas!)

Merry Christmas Gits, Cam and Gwyn! The donkey were a lot of fun and hey...Mary road a donkey into Bethlehem, so it's period appropriate .

Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A Pirates Life for Me!

So the characters will encounter a flooded battle field haunted by the spirits fallen in war waged long ago. One of the monsters will be the Drowned from Tome of Beasts 2. So I acquired some pirate zombies even though technically the soldiers would be in medieval period armor and weaponry.

While painting them, I was listening to some appropriate music:




WIP 1: Washed models in nuln oil. Applied Skeleton Horde Contrast over the flesh, bones, organs, socks, and some of the shirts. Applied Snakebite Leather Contrast to belts and boots. Painted the sashes and ascots with Flesh Tearers Red Contrast.



WIP 2: Picked out the shirts and some of the pants with either Contrast Space Wolves Grey or Gryph-Charger Grey Contrast, The remaining pants were painted with Asurmen Blue Contrast. Applied Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur to the hats. Painted the buckles, swords and anchor with P3 Pig Iron. Hair and Beards were washed with Drakenhof Nightshade. Kelp was painted with Contrast Gutrippa Flesh. The shoe and eye patch were painted with Black Templar Contrast.



WIP 3: So for clothes painted with Contrast Space Wolves Grey, Gryph-Charger Grey Contrast, and Asurmen Blue Contrast, I washed those areas with Nuln Oil. The boots, bones and belts were washed with Agrax Earthshade. The hats were washed with Targor Rageshade. The metal areas were washed with 2 coats of Agrax Earthshade. The organs and sashes were washed with Carroburg Crimson. The flesh and kelp were washed with Athonian Camoshade. The shirts and socks that were painted with Skeleton Horde were washed with Seraphim Sepia. Dry brushed Vallejo Dead Flesh and then P3 Menoth White Base onto the kelp. Dry brushed P3 Menoth White Base onto the kelp, bones and stitches.



Final: Applied Ryza Rust Dry Technical Paint to the blades and anchors and then drybrushed edges with P3 Quick Silver. First time using the GW rust effect, but I was very pleased with the results .

Very cool music to go with some fantastic models... great job WyFox. I'm wondering if that piece was written for the movie or if it existed beforehand?

Thanks Gits! It was done this year, over a decade following At World's End. Therefore, I think this was more a result of a Tic-Tok or some other video challenge as there was a large number of short Deep Bass music videos that showed up around the same time.




This is one of my favorite music producers on You-tube. He has a bunch of epic covers on all kinds of soundtracks.

So last night I whipped up some more vegepygmies for the colony the party will soon come across. Not satisfied with the rather lame vegepygmy chief from D&D that I purchased on Ebay, I got a miniaturized Swamp Thing and painted it up in a compatible color scheme as well as painted a unit of Thornies, which are beasts that have succumbed to Russet Mold.

Again, a simple color scheme: The flesh was painted with Contrast Gutrippa Flesh. Then a wash of Athonian Camoshade was applied. Lastly, I dry brushed Vallejo Dead Flesh and then P3 Menoth White Base onto the model.

Unfortunately, the Vallejo Paint Bottle tip got jammed and I applied too much pressure to squeeze it through...causing the bottle to explode all over my shirt, desk, and monitor screen . At least it missed my models .

Thornies WIP:



Thornies Final:



Vegepygmy Chief:

Everyone rates dropper bottles as the best thing ever, my personal experience has been rather more mixed. Exploding is one of the many downsides I find.

Love the swampthing! Great work.

Man I feel you on so many levels(have the Flu here).

The pirates are great, nice execution.

Exploding dropper bottles...been there. Like Cam I am not a fan of dropper bottles. I still paint straight from the GW pots. I’ve knocked one or two over in my time and left the lid open on another, but I know how much paint I have over dropped in anticipation of getting things done and then it drying out or sitting so long on the wet pallet that the sheet goes bad.

Happy healthy new year.

I saw your grubs in the gallery, very well done. If I saw them on the floor I'd squish them!

Great blog, and thanks for the detailed painting guides.

I'll be honest... I've never been a fan of dropper bottles for that reason. Have a lot of them... don't trust them.

@Cam, Theo, and Gits: I went almost exclusively to Vallejo some 20 years ago (and a lot of my remaining 100 some bottles are that old) or so after a number of GW pots dried up or got too thick because I simply painted with the top off and would leave them over night at times, also had a few unfortunate spills where I knocked the pot off. However, the Vallejo dropped bottles came with there own issues: difficulty stirring the bottles when the paint separates and a propensity of having the nozzle plug up leading to the chance to explode if you squeeze too hard. My bottles have been sitting for over 6 years so are in pretty rough shape and I should have taken the cap off and cleaned out the nozzle but I was being lazy and kind of forgot about the fact you can remove the nozzle.

I bought a bunch of P3 paints back in 2015 after being introduced to them by Caleb Wissenback (who painted most of my Tau army) and I mostly use those when I am not using shades and contrasts alone. I just dab them out onto my porcelain pallet and add a drop of diluted flow agent. I really like the how much pigment is in the P3 paints. Of course these days, I mostly just use GW shades and Contrast paints.


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I ended up buying a vortex mixer to try and revitalize my Vallejo paints with mixed results, though I did not add the metal balls...I kind of wonder how that is suppose to work with a dropper bottle as I would think the steal bead would plug up the nozzle?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NSF12LN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1


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@Kid, welcome to the blog and thanks! The grubs are some of my favorite models I have painted so far.

@Theo, sorry to hear about the flu. I ended up getting sick with the flu a few days before Christmas but managed to shake it off in time to head up North to spend Christmas with my Brothers family and parents. I was taking zinc, Emergen C, Sudafed, and Mucinex while downing lots of fluids. I feel I got lucky as some of my friends were sick for over 2 weeks.


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So below is a pack of Hell Hounds I quickly painted up. A fun start to the new year

Real simple work up:

Washed Casandora Yellow shade over the muzzle, throat, and belly

Washed Baal Red shade over the muzzle, throat, and belly

Washed the entire model twice in Nuln Oil

Applied Menoth White Highlight to the exposed spinal collumn running down the back

Drybrushed the mane with Vallejo Stonewall Grey

Lovely job on the hell hounds.

Having done a lot of lab work, I'm quite familiar with vortex mixers. They can work really well, even without a bead, but the fluid needs to be thin enough to get the vortex going, and of course with paint you can't see the vortex like you can in a test tube. I don't imagine the bead would do any harm. I just have a bunch lying around and throw them in my pots/bottles and shake them up manually.

@Gits, thanks! BTW do the beads clog up the Vallejo Dropper Bottles or can you just leave the beads in the bottle?

So up next is a character in Dave's Pathfinder Campaign whose name is Truen, a multiclassed barbarian, fighter, and ranger that I painted in an evening. He wears Titanic Fullplate and a Frog Helm. He wields a Frostbrand. The work up is below:

Frog Helm: Painted with P3 Pig Iron, washed with Seraphia Sepia Shade and then Agrax Earthshade. Horns were painted with Skeleton Horde Contrast followed by Agrax Earthshade Wash.

Cloak: Fur was washed twice with Drakenhoff Nightshade. The red lining was painted with Contrast Blood Angels Red and then washed with Berserker Bloodshade.

Frost Brand: Handle Grip was painted with Gor-Grunta Fur Contrast. Rest of the handle and cross-guard was painted with Contrast Iyanden Yellow. I then washed these with Targor Rageshade. The Blade was painted in P3 Quicksilver. The Ice shards were washed with nuln oil shade. The blade and ice shards were then washed several times with Pylar Glacier Contrast.

Waterskin: Strings were painted in Skeleton Horde Contrast and the jug was painted in two coats of Darkoath Flesh Contrast. It was all then washed twice with Targor Rageshade.

Belts: Painted with Contrast Snakebite Leather followed by a wash of Agrax Earthshade

Armor: Painted with P3 Pig Iron. Washed with Agrax Earthshade. Applied a final wash of Nuln Oil to just the large plates to create some diversity.

Leather Kilt: Painted with Gor-Grunta Fur and washed with Targor Rageshade.

Fire: Wood painted in P3 Battlefield Brown. Fire washed in Casandora Yellow Shade followed by a wash of Baal Red Shade and finally 2 glazes of Lamenters Yellow, allowing the shades and glazes to get onto the wood.

Mini Barrel: Painted in P3 Battlefield Brown followed by washes of Seraphia Sepia Shade and Agrax Earth Shade.

Ground: Washed with Seraphia Sepia Shade and Agrax Earth Shade

 Gitsplitta wrote:
Lovely job on the hell hounds.

Having done a lot of lab work, I'm quite familiar with vortex mixers. They can work really well, even without a bead, but the fluid needs to be thin enough to get the vortex going, and of course with paint you can't see the vortex like you can in a test tube. I don't imagine the bead would do any harm. I just have a bunch lying around and throw them in my pots/bottles and shake them up manually.

Oh, I was going to ask, do you have any thoughts as to what to add to Vallejo paints to thin them up once they have become thick due to age?

 wyomingfox wrote:

 Gitsplitta wrote:
Lovely job on the hell hounds.

Having done a lot of lab work, I'm quite familiar with vortex mixers. They can work really well, even without a bead, but the fluid needs to be thin enough to get the vortex going, and of course with paint you can't see the vortex like you can in a test tube. I don't imagine the bead would do any harm. I just have a bunch lying around and throw them in my pots/bottles and shake them up manually.

Oh, I was going to ask, do you have any thoughts as to what to add to Vallejo paints to thin them up once they have become thick due to age?

I have used Aztek airbrush medium in the past.


The two tall bottles. I got them at Hobby Lobby back when they had the coupons, but still they were only $6-7 each before the coupon if I remember.

Frog Knight looks great

Thanks Theo!! I'll have to grab some bottles of medium.

In regards to the Frog Night, I was especially happy with the fire in comparison to my earlier attempt with the fireball being cast by Damien Lockton painted a while ago (below for ease of reference)



VS



So up next is a beer bottle colored Giant Spider, we will call him Pabst

WIP 1: Painted Head with Aggaros Dune Contrast. The 2 plates closest to the head as well as the leg section closest to the body were painted with Darkoath Flesh Contrast. The tail end of the abdomen and the leg sections farthest from the body were painted Fyreslayer Flesh Contrast.



WIP 2: The mandibles were washed with Agrax Earthshade. The rest of the model was washed with Targor Rageshade.



Final: The model was drybrushed lightly with P3 Menoth White Highlight. Eyes were painted with Black Templar Contrast.

Love the spider. Proper creepy.

Thanks Cam! It's another color scheme that I really like and hope to repeat in the future.

Up next are some shambling mounds painted without contrast paints:

For the bodies I simply applied 3 coats of Biel-Tan Green Shade over the white undercoat followed by a coat of Nuln Oil. The mushrooms were then picked out in either P3 Moldy Ochre or Khador Red Highlight (which is actually orange). Some of the Moldy Ochre shrooms were then layered with Menoth White Highlight before a wash of Agrax Earthshade was applied to all of the shrooms. The plant spikes were washed in Agrax Earthshade and the leaves were glazed with Lamenters Yellow while the lilly pads were washed with Thraka Green. The teeth were picked out with Menoth White Highlight and the eyes with Khador Red Base.

Where are these models coming from by the way? 3d prints I take it?

Welcome llamahead. My friend has a 3d printer, though some are actually Reaper Bones figures and some others are Heroe Forge.

Your creatures look amazing, I especially like the big spider.

Water or airbrush medium seem to work just fine for me.

So two recommendations for Airbrush Medium...looks like I'll be making an amazon purchase! Thanks!

@Flapjack thanks and welcome to the blog!! The spider was a big hit for the party, so I am quite happy.

So tonight I painted up a trio of Viirets from the Tomb of Beasts 2 book from Kobald Press. I was wanting to add some jungle plant monsters that were remenisnce of the Piranha Plant monsters that inhabited the Pipes of Marion Brothers. I was stoked when I found rules for the Viiret in the Tomb of Beast 2 Book and even more stoked when my friend presented me with these 3 models.

I decided to go a bit different route for the inspiration behind the color scheme though!



Get the reference

Unfortunately I didn't take hardly any WIP photos, like I was planning on .

WIP: So I washed the model in Kroak Green Shade except for the head bumbs, thorns, lips, teeth and mouth. I then washed the lips in Targor Rageshade.



Final: I then painted the roof of the mouth with Contrast Flesh Tearers Red and the Tongue with Contrast Blood Angels Red. I then washed both areas with Carroburg Crimson Shade (probably should have washed the tongue in a brighter red shade though). The leaves were painted with Contrast Mantis Warriors Green for a brighter green hue. The stem was washed with Poxwalker Shade, giving it a slight blueish color. The head, stem and leaves were washed with Beil-Tan Green and the stem was given a further wash of Nuln Oil. The teeth, head bumps, and thorns were painted with Skeleton Horde Contrast. The leaves were dry brushed with P3 Necrotite Green. Then the entire model, except for the leaves and the inside of the mouth, was dry brushed with a 50/50 mix of Necrotite Green and Menoth White Base. The teeth, bumps and thorns were then washed in Agrax Earthshade. The Head bumps were lightly dry brushed with Menoth White Base.

Note: In person the greens are less vibrant and a fair bit more muted, but my phone keeps upping the blue/yellow color balance I guess. The top picture is closest to the true colors.

I need to get my printers working again, but that requires a computer strong enough to operate them.....sigh.

The plants look fantastic.

Good stuff WyFox. I get the reference.

"I've given you sun light!"

Brilliant execution and very cool minis.

Thanks guys and +1 nerd points for getting the reference to Little Shop of Horrors!

So up next are is Thorny Reboot Version 2.0: Pumpkin Puppies!

WIP 1: I painted the legs with Contrast Gor-Grunta Fur and applied a different contrast or shade to the bodies of each as a fun experiment allowing the paint to infringe a bit on the head. From Left to Right: Kroak Green Shade, Contrast Karandras Green, Contrast Ork Flesh, Contrast Mantis Warrior Green, and Biel-Tan Green Shade. I then applied a bit of Mantis Warrior Green to the head nearest the neck.



WIP 2: I applied contrast Bad Moon Yellow followed by a wash of Fuegan Orange Shade. The colors underneath still show giving the heads a sort of ripening look.



WIP 3: I applied Athonian Camoshade to the bodies



WIP 4: I dry brushed the entire models with P3 Menoth White Highlight



Final: I washed all but the head and the spines of the backs with Agrax Earthshade. I applied another wash of Fuegan Orange to the head (could have passed on this last head wash as it knocked down the yellow).

Again from From Left to Right the bodies were painted: Kroak Green Shade, Contrast Karandras Green, Contrast Ork Flesh, Contrast Mantis Warrior Green, and Biel-Tan Green Shade.

Which color scheme did you like the most?

Very interesting result WyFox.

I like all of them for different reasons, but the Biel-tan green stands out the winner to me. Have you tried Athonian Camo shade? I really like that as a color especially if you use a yellow drybrush (Hexos Palesun I think under it).

@ Gits. Thanks man!

@ Theo. Those are some nice looking models Theo! So your buildup you posted is for which part of the model? The wood, the honeycomb, or the stumps?

And I am a huge fan of Camoshade!

It makes a wonderful skin shade for goblins straight from the pot.





The wolfriders' and jester's flesh were painted with straight camoshade.

I also used it as a shade over Skeleton Horde for the bug's flesh

Fantastic work. And yes the shades are truly amazing. But you have to be careful ànd you have been. Those bugs look truly brilliant.

Those bugs are great.

The camoshade parts were the bases, the grass.

Thanks Cam and Theo!

@Theo, I really liked your tree stumps, what was the workup?

As for myself, I have just a small update, a super simple paint job for some Vampiric Mists:

The body and head/Face was washed with Nuln Oil. Then Carroburg Crimson Shade was washed over the face and mouth. The tongue was painted in P3 Murderous Magenta and the tongue and mouth was then washed with Carroburg Crimson Shade. The teeth were picked out with P3 Menoth White Highlight. The Body was then given two more consecutive washes with Nuln Oil.



Got a new picture booth and for some reason, the light kept giving the model a pinkish color. There is no pink on the body.

Those vampiric mists are decidedly creepy. Apart from the fact they have mouths they could almost (almost) pass as intellect devourers.

The tree stumps were a couple years back. I think the centers were Zandri Dust, the outside might be mournfang brown, The camoshade wash in some spots, agrax in others, then drybrushed both with zandri dust. That's to the best of my recollection.

Very good WyFox. You are just cranking things out like there's no tomorrow.

@Archer, thanks for stopping by! Oh, I should so have given the models that template! It would have really thrown the players for a loop. Instead of sucking your blood they use their tongues to enter your brain through your ears!

Thank for sharing Theo!! I'll look at trying something like that out with my P3 paints when I eventually make some treants!

Thanks Gits! It help not having a life or a family lol. I'm basically the male version of a crazy cat lady...a crazy model man!






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So played around with the light booth and added one of my old lamps for additional light head on to try and get a better picture of the mists. Also played a bit with the phot0 editor on my phone to tone down the red to get closer to the true colors of the models.



I forgot to say that I hit up the eyes with white and then P3 Khador Red Base.








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And a glimpse of what I am working on now!

This is the Swamp Dragon and my first attempt at Slap Chop.

WIP 1: Black Primer and then tried using a Bone Primer Spray Can to create a bit of a Zenithal Pattern (a first). I didn't want a lot of black showing as in some of the videos I watched, it really muted the Slap Chop. However, I got a bit too Zealous.



WIP 2: Next dry brushed P3 Sickly Skin (a new find at Noble Knight Games in Madison - also a first time visiting the store) heavily over the model before applying a much lighter dry brush of Morrow White.



WIP 3: Applied splotches of Contrast Space Wolves Grey on the skin around the limbs and chest.



WIP 4: Applied Contrast Gryph-Charger Grey to the flesh and the wing's bone ridges, Contrast Aggaros Dunes to the rock, Contrast Gutrippa Flesh to the Underbelly and the fins, Contrast Skeletal Horde to the Horns, Talons, and Teeth, and 2 coats of Contrast Darkoath Flesh to the wing and ear membranes.







At this point, the Slap Chop method is complete and you can call it a day. But I am going to add washes and additional dry brushes and see if I like it better.

Dragon is cool. Are all these models for use now or a “just in case” sort of scenario for your games?

@ Archer. Thanks! So for each region, I create my own random encounter chart with 25 encounters. They won't get to all of them, but I want them in the wings so to speak just in case. Once I create the random encounter chart, I then either have the models 3D printed or purchase models online or in store to fill out the encounter chart. My friend with the 3d printer is in the campaign, so there are some creatures that rely on deception that I therefore have to order online (like the Oblex I sidelined them with). Right now they are in a dark swamp land that is heavily corrupted by demonic and necrotic energy so the models I am painting are for this region. This Dragon is really just a guest appearance to give them some feel for the corrupted region and advance one of the characters stories rather than as a combat encounter.

The next region will be in a dessert wasteland. So pretty soon I will be ordering the models and start painting those. The Dragon is just about the last model for the Swamps!

That’s a cool idea for a campaign. I run a campaign via discord with players all over Australia (most are gaming friends that have moved to other places). Makes for an interesting take on things as with discord it is very easy to run seperate encounters when the party splits up……very entertaining when a player meets an untimely demise but no one else knows that they didn’t make it…

@Archer, definitely a powerful tool in Discord. Harder to do that at a table, though sometimes, I might have some players go upstairs so as to separate them and create some mystique.

Well tonight I finished the Dragon .

WIP 5: On to the Washes!! The skin, belly, and fins were washed with Athonian Camoshade. The wing flesh and ear fins were washed with Targor Rageshade. The horns, teeth, and talons and the stone were washed with Agrax Earthshade.



WIP 6: Then I washed the skin with Nuln Oil. Again, could certainly stop here and be happy.



Final: But I like dry brushes! The horns, talons, and teeth were lightly drybrushed with P3 Menoth White Base and then Menoth White Highlight. The belly and fins were dry brushed with Vallejo Dead Flesh and then Menoth White Highlight. The wing flesh and ear fins were dry brushed with Vallejo Khaki. The rock dry brushed with P3 Hammerfall Khaki and then Sickly Skin.





Overall, I do like the the bit of Zenithal that is still seen on the skin and wings. But applying the washes and dry brushes knocked down any slap chop effects on the belly and fins. So a fun experiment.

That's a wonderful looking dragon, and it's shocking how good it looked just from slap chop. I'm gonna have to try this technique out, eh (I know, I know, late comer).

Love the dragon. Intreged by the slap chop business. Interesting. Certainly you have done a brilliant job on the dragon.

Thanks Cam and Gwyn! I really like how the Dragon turned out and can't wait to see the look on the table when it plops down next to them!






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So up next is my character in Pathfinder's Curse of the Crimson Throne, Toady the Friendly Merc. He started out at level 8, so I was able to generate a a fun little background about this hireling who bounces from organization to organization in quite the unconventional manner. See Toady is highly intellectually impaired Int 8 and Wisdom 6 and has no will of his own, instead being perfectly happy, even joyful to follow the orders unflinching of whoever is commanding...whether friend or foe! Never the less, the character is very skilled in the three falchions strapped to his back (mithril, cold iron, and adamantine) and has terrifying strength, that in battle, those foes that face him either perish in a gory display due to his inability to hold back (always power attack all the time) or flee in horror (intimidate build). Unfortunately for his companions, whatever the troop, they always perished only to have Toady surrounded by enemies and forced to surrender when someone with some courage manages to simply...just...ask. His capabilities, lack of understanding (The Seal Breakers convinced him that he was simply putting people to sleep as the Necromancer would later "wake" them up and not to worry about the screams as its natural for people to try to resist going to bed), and his childlike faith in and desire to please the people around him always leads his captors to adopt him into their organization. Thus he has bounced from the Little Sparrows, The Nightsoil Maruaders, The Magnima City Watch, The Gallowed, The Merchants Guild of Magnima, The Dusters, The Order of the Nail, the Seal Breakers, the Sable Company, and now the party. I really think I have created the first ever True Neutral Character lol.

Because his armor is a patchwork of pieces from his various uniforms cobbled together into a suit of functioning full-plate, I used a variety of P3 metal paints on his armor and swords: Blighted Gold, Brass Balls, Quick Silver, Pig Iron, and Boiler Black as well as a shoulder pad painted in Contrast Black Templar (for the Hell Knights). I then used shades in different combinations to further differentiate the pieces as well as add age and depth: Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, and Seraphim Sepia. Quick Silver was used to add scratches and scuffing to the armor and swords. Then Blood for the Blood God Technical Paint was flicked on to add the usual gore that covers him.










Awe...look at that happy smile as he sneaks through the cemetery humming real loudly to "hide" the sound of his own clunky footsteps!




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Oh, and I actually painted Toady during the campaign session today

You know you're painting faster than I can read... Nice work. Dragon turned out great!

The dragon is most excellent! I have the 'bookworm' dragon from the Reaper V Kickstarter- I want to do it pretty much just like yours came out- only holding a book. I'm printing off this page to tape up on the screen in front of my painting desk.

And very much like the look of your new light box- with its circular ring of led lights overhead and not strips at front and back. May have to look into that. I really need the 26-hour day to get to everything I'd like: long ago a professional photographer told me that the way to get a perfect shot was to take 1000.

Thanks Gits and Meercat! Glad to be of service. I'll be excited to see your rendition of the Bookwyrm. The lightbox was on sale at Amazon for $30 something. And your photographer friend is right. Out of the hundred or so photos taken of myself, only a couple don't make me look likeca Mook . Makes my Eharmony profile look a bit sketchy haha.


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So quick paint up of some reaper bone zombies I aquired some 10 years ago.

WIP 1: Painted the models with Contrast Skelton Horde.



WIP 2: Washed flesh with Athonian Camoshade. Applied Gor-Grunta Fur to the pants.



Final: washed the hair with Drakenshade, and the mouths with Crimsonshade. Drybrushed P3 Menoth Highlight on exposed bones and teeth.



Nice to get these out of my box of unpainted shame.

They're dancin' now that they're painted!

Lol Gits, yeah they do look like they "Dance like an Egyptian" lol


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So quick paint up of some Myconids that work alongside the Venus Flytraps.

WIP 1: Applied Contrast Gutrippa Flesh to the torso and legs and Contrast Skeleton Horde to the head and arms. Applied 2 coats of Darkoath Flesh Contrast to shoulder pads, collar, and hands.



WIP 2: Washed the torso, face, bottom of mushroom & legs with Athonian Camoshade. Washed the top of head and arms with Agrax Earth Shade.



Final: Dry brushed Vallejo Dead Flesh and then P3 Menoth White Base onto the legs and torso. Drybrushed Vallejo Khaki on the hands, shoulder pads and collar. Drybrushed Menoth White Base on the arms and head. Applied Lamentors Yellow Glaze on the eyes.

I really like how your Myconids look like they are wearing overalls.

@Warboss. Om my gosh; now I can't un-see it !!



Those fungi won't farm themselves! Thanks for stopping in!

The three thriller crew look awesome, and love the fungi.

Great work on the mycanids. Love mushroom folk & critters.

Thanks guys!! Yes, the zombies do have a very Thriller vibe to them!




Finally took some pictures of the Ettin I painted up a while back. Same paint scheme as the Hill Giants, but for ease of reference I will post below in the spoiler.

That looks great!

Fantastic work and thanks for the rundown recipe. Great stuff.

Thanks Cam and Gits! Up next is a couple of Choldrith's or mutated spider people. In my world, Choldrith's and Chitine's represent goblins that have been warped by centuries of necrotic energies present within the Delves.

WIP 1: Applied 2 coats of Nuln Oil Shade



WIP 2: Drybrushed P3 Menoth White Base onto the model. Applied splotches of Contrast Space Wolves Grey on the abdomen.



WIP 3: Applied Contrast Gryph-Charger Grey to the model. Washed model with Mortarion Grime and then Athonian Camoshade.



Final: Drybrushed Stone Wall Grey onto the model lightly. Applied a second wash of Mortarion Grime around the joints of spider's legs. Painted P3 Menoth White Base onto stinger and mandibles then painted then on Contrast Skeleton Horde and a final wash of Agrax Earthshade. Painted the eyes with P3 Necrotite Green.

Uugh... creepy.

Agreed! The party ended up bypassing the encounter entirely lol.

Now for some Shadow Mastiffs!

The skin was a build up successive washes of Leviathan Purple and Nuln Oil

I added a glaze of Guiliman Blue to the flames followed by a successive light drybrushes of P3 Frostbite and Morrow White, followed by a final wash of Azurmen Blue.

Eyes were picked out with Frostbite and glazed with Guiliman Blue.

Claws were picked out with Frost Bite and Morrow White.

Base was simply Devlan Mud and Nuln Oil washes.

The mastiffs are VERY cool, I seem to remember a GW special on how they painted the master of the ravenwing which was just hundreds of layers of a black wash.

How many layers did these pups take?

Howdy Archer! I've gotten some neat results with just building up washes on a model. Would loved to have seen that article on the raven wing. For the puppies, 3 washes of leviathan purple and two washes of nuln oil.

Mastiffs are nicely done. And brilliant job on the spider things, creepy as he'll, but good job.

Thanks Cam!

Up next are a couple NPC models, a legendary ranger werewolf and a goblin sorcerer riding a broom. The models were washed with Nuln Oil before heavily dry brushing with P3 Menoth White. Then contrasts and washes were applied. I had the opportunity to try out a few new GW contrast paints I had purchased a couple months ago.

The goblin robes were painted with Contrast Dreadful Visage.





The Werewolf's cloak was painted with Contrast Ratling Grime followed with a light drybrush of Vallejo Stonewall Grey.

Where are you finding these wonderful old sculpts. That goblin is cool. And brilliant paint job.

Hi Cam! So my friend has a 3D printer and I basically go to him with ideas and he makes them happen. According to him, there are a lot of artists who make 3D files and offer them up to the general public for free. He also has a couple paid subscriptions for sites that constantly make content. He can also manipulate files to create interesting concoctions. The gobo on a broom is one. It is actually two different model files that he pieced together!

Up next are some Gelatinous Cubes I purchased from Reaper Bones. I was inspired by the following video from Dr Faust, check him out!




WIP: For the Base, the base colors are as follows: Pig Iron for metals, Contrast Stormfiend for the hat, Contrast Flesh Tearer's Red for Robes, Contrast Skeleton Horde for the bones, Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur for the wood, Nuln Oil Wash for the stone, and Contrast Snake Bite Leather for leathers.





Final: For the cube I used Contrast Bad Moon Yellow and Contrast Karandras Green blending the two while wet in the middle. I did this both inside and out. Then I applied a couple glazes of Lamenters Yellow to the outside.

For the base, Agrax Earth Shade was washed over the entire model (except for the stone). Ryza Rust Technical Paint was dry brushed on the metals. P3 Menoth White Highlight was dry brushed on the bones. Lastly, P3 Moldy Ochre and then Menoth White Base was stippled onto the shields. The stone was further washed with Mortarion Grime and Targor Rageshade. The stone was finally dry brushed with P3 Underbelly Blue.

Love Gelatinous Cubes, brings back the nostalgia of Eye of the Beholder II when you go below the Temple of Darkmoon.....

Thanks Archer, there is an option for the characters to explore the sewers of an ancient fallen city, where they will encounter these cubes. Looking for rules actually for a more powerful cube as the ones from the MM are pretty weak.


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From the swamp you hear a cheeky tune being sung by a high pitched voice echoed by another voice aping the melody...

"I want to know when you're pooping, it's the only thing on my mind" to the tune of ....




As a mud mephit materializes from the fogs happily swaying to and fro on the back of an Otyugh

Yep, I'm going to be single forever lol...

For the Otyugh:

Skin: Contrast Skeleton Horde followed by a wash of Athonian Camoshade and wash of Agrax Earthshade

Feet: Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur

Tentacles & Mouth: Contrast Flesh Tearers Red followed by washes of Carroburg Crimson and Agrax Earth Shade

Tongue: Contrast Blood Angles Red, wash of Berserker Bloodshade

Teeth: Menoth White Highlight followed by a wash of Agrax Earthshade

Eyes: Wash of Biel-Tan Green, followed by dot of P3 Cygnus Yellow, and final wash of Agrax Earthshade

Better lighting on the mouth:



As you can see the washes kind of pooled unevenly and splotchy but for a filthy foul Otyugh, it works.

The mud mephit was Contrast Darkoath Flesh for the body and Contrast Fyreslayer Flesh for the wings. Then the whole model was washed in Agrax Earthshade.

Could you just steal some/all abilities from a different Jelly? Or just have a jelly the size of the cube? Mustard Jelly’s are pretty beefy if I recall. Or a black pudding?

You have a lot of weird, cool monsters. The otyugh is particularly nasty-- I remember not being able to open the Monster Manual to the orcs page because the otyugh was on the facing page. Your model really captures that same feeling (this is a compliment).

I like the two new monsters,and your parody song cracks me up personally.

Yes! The otyugh is an old favourite of mine, I had completely forgotten it existed!

Love the otyugh... the last bit of detail/washes really did the trick.

Fantastic job on the Gelatinous Cubes. The werewolf and mastiff also look great.

@Archer. Oh, that is a good idea. I could just reskin the black pudding.

@JoshInJapan. Welcome to the blogg and thanks for the compliment.

@Syro. Thanks! Indeed, one of the players actually buried his head in his hands and began laughing.

@Gwyn & Gits. Thanks! Glad I could bring back some memories! I think the mouth was my favorite part of the model.

@youwashock. Welcome! The mastiffs were a lot of fun to paint, but I ended up not using them. I think they have a higher CR for a mob so I might utilize them later in the campaign.

Now on to a duo of Warrior Clerics painted during a D&D session. Repent for the MACE is at hand (OK, actually morning stars lol).

The models were first washed with Nuln Oil.

Leather battle skirt: Contrast Garaghak's Sewer. That's it. A first for me and man do I like it.

Metal: P3 Pig Iron and Agrax Earthshade wash.

Pants: Contrast Skeleton Horde and Gryphonne Sepia wash.

Black Leather Jerkin: Contrast Ratling Grime.

Gold: Contrast Iyanden Yellow and Targor Rageshade wash.

Leather Boots: Contrast Snakebite Leather and Agrax Earthshade wash.

Flesh: Speed Paint's Crusader Skin and Ogryn Glesh wash.

Looks awesome.

I really appreciate you taking the time to post your recipe. I find one of the hardest parts of painting is coming up with a scheme and I am unashamedly going to rip off some of your recipes to paint my armies.

Thanks Archer! Before I found Dakka, I use to scour White Dwarf articles for recipes and really enjoyed their step by step guides. I still have a large binder laying about that has a large collection of those painting tutorials. I enjoy how the priest turned out as it has an old Warhammer Imperial feel to it. I think an army in this scheme would be baller.

So up next is a group of werewolves

Again, utilizing an old recipe: The fur was first washed with Drakenhof Nightshade followed by successive dry brushes of P3 Frost Bite and then Morrow White. The mouths were washed with Carroburg Crimson Shade.



Yeah, Magic the Gathering has cut into my painting time by a lot

Owooooooo!

Hahaha...love the cookie crisp reference Gits!

So up next is some seriously creepy cads, a Death Jester and a homebrew called the Dark Prince that counts as an advanced Medusa who can animate statues thanks to his beloved sister...head.

WIP 1: Starting with Slapchop, Robes were painted with Contrast Skeleton Horde. Shirt and Pants were Painted with Contrast Skeleton Horde and Contrast Ratling Grime. Hat was painted with Contrast Skeleton Horde and Contrast Black Templar. Gloves and Boots were painted with either Contrast Snakebite Leather or Contrast Black Templar. Bells and Shirt Collar were painted Contrast Iyanden Yellow. Robe Sashes were painted Contrast Asurmen Blue and Contrast Stormfiend. Jester skin was painted Contrast Guilliman Flesh. Dark Prince and Head washed with Nuln Oil Shade. Jester's and Head's hair painted with Contrast Gore-Grunta Fur. Shirt painted with 2 layers of Contrast Pylar Glacier. Flames washed with Biel-Tan Shade. Rod painted with P3 Blighted Gold.



Final: Skeleton Horde and Iyanden Yellow areas were washed with Seraphim Sepia Shade. Snakebite Leather and the Rod areas were washed with Agrax Earthshade. Nuln Oil Areas (Dark Prince Face and Head) and Ratling Grime areas were washed with Mortarion Grime Shade. Black Templar areas and shirt were washed with Nuln Oil. Blue Sashes were washed with Leviathan Purple Wash. Flames were glazed twice with Lamenters Yellow. Jester Skin washed in Ogryn Flesh. Highlighted the black parts of the Jesters Collar and Bottom of shirt with P3 Bastion Grey. Drybrushed Idrian Flesh on on the Head's hair. Drybrushed P3 Quick Silver onto the Rod to highlight the little Jester. Dry brushed P3 Sickly Skin and Morrow White lightly over the Jesters Face. Washed the jester's teeth in Carroburg Crimson Shade. Used a touch of Black Templar to add a diamond on the jester's left eye.

So the next set of models has some Cthulu vibes

The Gnome Cultist

Robe: Lower painted with Contrast Dreadful Vissage, and the upper portion painted with Contrast Magos Purple

Hood: Contrast Ratling Grime

Fear Smith

Trench Coat: Contrast Black Templar with Nuln Oil Wash

Flesh: Contrast Guilliman Flesh with Ogre Flesh Wash

Mouth: Teeth painted with Skeleton Horde Contrast and Agrax Earthshade wash; Eye was painted with Contrast Blood Moon Yellow and washed with Beil-Tan Green and then the eye slit was painted in Flesh Tearers Contrast; Carroburg Crimsonshade wash washed into the inside of the mouth.

Shirt: Contrast Skeleton Horde with Gryphonne Sepia wash

Pants: Contrast Garaghak's Sewer with Agrax Earthshade wash

Deathlock Wight

Gold: Contrast Iyaden Yellow with Gryphonne Sepia Wash

Breast Plate: Contrast Ratling Grime

Flame: Contrast Iyaden Yellow with Berserker Bloodshade wash and Lamenter's Yellow Glaze

Shirt & Headdress: Contrast Pylar Glacier with Mortarion Grime Shade

Skirt: Contrast Magos Purple with Mortarion Grime Shade

Sash: Contrast Fleshtearers Red with Mortarion Grime Shade

[list]Bones: Contrast Skeleton Horde with Agrax Earthshade

Awesome work.

Love that tall thing in the middle. Very Lovecraftian.

Thanks Cam and Gits! It's actually a model that my friend spliced together using two different files.

Up next, Mr. Feels, a Cambium which will represent a demonically possessed individual in my campaign that is spreading drug addiction throughout the population and which will also highlight the Government's draconian crackdown. He also gives excessive massages without consent! He will be modeled after the skit below!!




WIP: Model was first prepped using the slap chop method.

Flesh, bones, shirt sleeves, cloak's trim, and pants were painted in Contrast Skeleton Horde

Cloak was painted in Contrast Ratling Grime

Trenchcoat was painted in Contrast Space Wolves Grey

Staff was painted with P3 Blighted Gold

Boots and Shirt Paldrons were painted in Contrast Snakebite Leather

Rope was painted with Contrast Aggaros Dunes

Shirt was painted with Contrast Flesh Tearer's Red

Final:

Flesh was washed with Athonian Camoshade

Skull was washed with Targor Rageshade

Shirt sleeves were washed with Gryphonne Sepia

Trenchcoat was washed with Nuln Oil

Cloak was washed with Nuln Oil

Staff was washed with Targor Rageshade

Boots and Shirt Paldrons were washed with Agrax Earthshade

Rope was washed with Targor Rageshade

Shirt was washed with Agrax Earthshade

Buttons were painted with Contrast Iyanden Yellow and washed with Targor Rageshade

OK... I have no idea who those guys are... but that skit was really funny! Especially the hissing bit at the end.

I think you did a great job on that model WyFox. The colors are distinct yet blend together really well. Nice.

@Gits: Thanks man! The group is called Viva La Dirt League and they have a huge number of skits on you-tube. Check out DND Logic.

Painted up an Young Adult Sand Dragon: Starting with the Slap-Chop

Flesh: Contrast Aggaros Dunes followed by Targor Rage Shade Wash

Belly Scales and Spines: Contrast Skeleton Horde followed by Athonian Camoshade and Targor Rage Shade

Wings: Contrast Dark Oath Flesh, then Contrast Fyreslayer Flesh, followed by Targor Rage Shade

Horns and Talons: Contrast Skeleton Horde followed by Agrax Earthshade

Gold Coins: Contrast Iyanden Yellow followed by Targor Rage Shade

That is a wonderfully done piece and thanks for the palette colors!

Wow that came together great. How long did it take all together?

Wow! That looks amazing!

 Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll wrote:
Wow that came together great. How long did it take all together?

Hi Gwyn, I cracked it out with some other models in a single evening. Most of the time is really just waiting for the paint and washes to dry.


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 Meer_Cat wrote:
That is a wonderfully done piece and thanks for the palette colors!

Thanks Meer_Cat, I think this palette would work well for a Seraphon or Tyranid army.


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 makeitorky wrote:
Wow! That looks amazing!

Welcome to the blogg Makeitorky and thank you!!

Seriously nice dragon.

Thanks Cam!

I've been painting but haven't had time to upload pictures:

So as a Christmas Present I painted figures for each of my Nieces and Nephew that represents their personalities and created a placard that described the character.





The Crazy Cat Lady:



The Bar Wenchel



The Emo Adventurer



The Red Queen






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I also wanted to post up my Dungeon Crawl that I created for an epic Ancient City Ruins that the party spent over 3 months exploring.

It was made from Dungeon Tiles and Wargaming Terrain that I repurposed. It had 3 levels: The Street Level, The Upper Stories, and The Sewers. At the end, the City exploded and the characters had a death defying escape. I used Legos tor represent the exploding buildings and purchased special bits to create Lego figures for each party member.









The LEGO EXPLOSION!

That dragon made me stop scrolling and actually say "wow" out loud - great job! The scales in particular were really eye catching and I agree it'd look great across an army of nids or dinosaurs.

That's a cute idea for a Christmas present - the minis and cards are both well executed!

That dungeon crawl looks massive and like an absolute blast. The Lego figures are such a cool touch. Did you manage to get through all three levels?

Thanks Tzurk!!

Lol...yes, the party members are all completionists...pretty sure they are the kinda guys that get 100% on Final Fantasy X.

I made it clear from the begining though that they didn't have to.


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 tzurk wrote:


That's a cute idea for a Christmas present - the minis and cards are both well executed

Just got this message from one of my nieces:

Brandon!!! This is awesome!!! 😆💕 Literally wins coolest gift this year - thank you!!

Great way to use your talents! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year my friend!

Thanks Gits and Happy New Years to you and your family!!