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Looks good so far, and hoping your eyes hold out.
Not sure how I'd approach the cyriss models, possibly aim for a "lab" or "industiral floor" feel?

Your path finders look good Wirecat, I agree with your choice of sea sand, it has a really nice look to it. I think you matched the color well on Mecha-dog's paws.

And so it comes again that moment when I have to skip weekly blogging due to "serious reasons and real life". But I have at least finished another wall of sandbags. It's in front of the one I did last year. Tried some more rusting with Vallejo pigments, feels less wrong than the last time around.

Ended up looking very nice. Obviously, real life priorities come first, and hopefully the problems get dealt with.

Thank You, Vejut, but it is not only real life priorities, but also a seriousl lack of gaming that makes me less excited about painting things and posting them here. Nothing even remotely progressing now, so here is a picture for thoughts. Three, actually...

I know this thing is supposed to be some sort of space/landing transport/troop carrier:


But the more I look at the rear part of it, the more it resembles some other sort of stuff - stargate of a kind.



Now, if only I'd settled on one specific configuration for it - and found a way to make a suitably rippled glass for a boundary between worlds...

Both configurations end up looking pretty good. First thought that might work for ripply transparent stuff would be looking at water effects resin, doing two thin sheets with ripples to taste, then cutting to shape and gluing ripply-side out. Probably easier ways though--and I can agree that there's nothing like getting games in, or at least the idea of them to get one motivated.

I like the Stargate idea Wirecat, and Vejut's idea with the resin.
With how pricey GW stuff is, probably not a good idea but If you want to go cheap you can also make the portal out of hot glue on something it can be peeled off of. You can easily build the ripples on top or carve them in with the hot tip of the glue gun. Flip it over to texture the other side, then paint and use a gloss varnish.

And resin it is. However, having played with clear stuff from Pebeo this year I think I've found a middle way. At least it sounds good, I haven't yet produced good results with this method. The idea is as follows. Get a suitably sized pot, fill it with very hot (50-60) water and then drop a good portion of melted candle wax into it. This produces all sorts of ripples and bubbles and since the water is hot You can still shape it with hands and tools. After wax solidifies You make a mold from it with silicon rubber, melt the wax away and fill the empty space with resin. Sounds easy, but so far all my attempts produced too thin layer of wax that does not supports itself well enough to allow making a mold. When I tire of this I promise - I'll make a plaster mold! Unfortunately, this will mean the mold will have to be separated and therefore its back to Vejut suggestion with gluing two parts back to back. But this can wait...

Meanwhile - two last pieces for space dwarf force are done, the forge lord and his bodyguard mastiff.
Typical Mantic metal as of late, 3D modelled and master-printed, You can even see printer layers on some parts. I used the same color scheme as for heavy armored troop, but with a matte varnish from a different manufacturer. Well, it is not that matte. But for armor suit it is OK. Dok was OK too, but with oh so many scars! It also has a very peculiar molding defect on his right side, something of a crescent moon sign, funny,

I have a few PVC dwarf models from Dreadball, these will be "dwarf civilians" and then - then I'll be done with this faction! Woo ho?

Doggo and friend look nice, especially the fur and scars on the dog. Always nice when a project, or at least a decent sub chunk of it, gets within shouting distance of being done.

On the gate idea, if you're messing about with silicone molds, possibly do up the shape you want in green stuff or milliput, then make a single peice mold and cut a side flap with a box cutter or snap blade to allow removal after curing, especially if you're only making a few bits? I think Adam Savage's Tested or one of the other youtube channels in that space has video of the method, though can't find it right now.

Good luck with the wax, I'm sorry it's giving you some trouble. It sounds like you are doing "Lost-wax Casting" like is often done with casting metal?

Exactly, Syro. Except I am planning to do it with silicone resin instead of "earthworks". Making model in plasticine or any kind of sculpting mass is possible, but it ... sort of wastes the whole idea "let physics do it". Anyway, this can wait - weather is bad, temperature low and I have plenty of things to worry about.

But I did got enough free time to finish these dreadball dwarfs. Sure they are supposed to be playing a game but they are unarmed yet angry enough to work as dwarf civilians - or zombies.



Probably I will do some more civvies and/or rebels...

Looking good on the dwarfs. Be interesting to see your take on more rag-tag groups.

Nice work differentiating the dwarves with the spot colors on the cloth. Wouldn't want to go up against them in a ball game

A-and - I'm back. Sort of. Mostly. Very little good new, but I've a sight suspicion that this can be said for most of the world. Anyway, rebels do not falter in the face of overwhelming adversity. They persevere, therefore here are some Mantic rebels.

Average sculpts, made worse by poor early PVC and my painting. I've tried to make them less single-pose, sculpted them a pair of cloaks and turned them browncoats to pay tribute to "Firefly". This craziness won't take the sky from me!



Unfortunately, it has been two years since I've painted the two in the back and the last drops of Menoth White and Menoth White Highlight from Privateer Press Paints I've used on them have dried up. Curse the flip-top paint tanks... So, I had to make do with sand colors from Vallejo and Scale75. Close, but not very close. Still, maybe that will be a return to something regular.

Nice to see you back! Models looking good, hopefully you can get back into the swing of things.

Nice work on those old models. Good on you for trying to individualise two identical models.

It's nice to see you back Wirecat! Sorry to hear about the paints drying out. Nice looking rebels you have there.

Thank You all! I see, the good old Dakka still goes strong. So much inspiration! Next to Your painting, JoshinJapan, my Deadzone does not even shine. But while we live, we learn, don't we?

I have way too much Mantic enforcers, so I think I can waste a few for a stranger cause. Another homage to another old fictional universe. Maybe this is already considered ancient? IF anyone remembers these...




They were "almost painted" for a long time, but now they are done. Good riding!

For the new year, I'd like to (plan to) get nothing but paints and brushes (Roubloff 1010 kolinsky size 2 is my new old love), finish all the remaining Mantic, mostly Deadzone and some Warpath and at least somewhat progress with terrain projects. With this resolution I defect to the festive crowd and wish You all the very happy, healthy and safe New Year!

Welcome back Wirecat!

"I aim to misbehave." Mal

Rock on.

First miniatures of the year 2022. Went from bare plastic to this... in a week.

Can't say I like this peacekeepers kit from Mantic a lot. They are almost monopose, probably enough variety for a 10 man squad but not much more. Plus (that is, minus) they had only four shields per five figures. Enough for the Deadzone or other small skirmishes, I think. Further, the old restic captain/lieutenant in peacekeeper armor looks rather minute next to them...





I've tried new bone colored brush-on primer from Scale75. Works reasonably good. I'd say it is more necrotic flesh colored, but it has good consistency for brush, easily recolored white (which is always a good thing) and does not smell like industrial solvents for hours. Probably will get more of it, in different color.

Next there may be some special character from Deadzone or Infinity... or I may go to something really old.

Nice work cranking those out. Mantic is kinda famous for 'almost' quality, but I think you managed to make them look pretty good.

Echoing earlier comments- nice work and output from the materials you began with.

Looking at the figures, and thinking about your 'mono-pose' observations: would it be possible to make a 'space opera boarding Roman-style testudo out of those jokers without it becoming a massive conversion project? I'm looking at the two guys with shields front, they're just about perfect as is for the front rank. The guys with the shields to the side- can they be swung up to form overhead cover? Do you have enough of these figures to make it worth trying?

Keep knockin' 'em out!

My camera decidedly refuses to fire its internal flash even with fully charged battery. Either battery is near-dead, or there is something with internal wiring. Meanwhile the sunny weather produces very interesting results. Yellowish sunlight and yellow coat...



I continue trying out instant colors line from Scale75. Quite interesting stuff, but mixing them while still wet can produce very unpredictable results. Here I've undercoated everything bone white, generously splashed grizzly brown on the gun, ogre brown on everything else, then repainted head and coat with grey and started highlighting edges with dark sand (AV) and white (Koh-i-noor). The result is actually less golden then on photo, but I am still satisfied with such an easy result.

Regarding the testudo idea, Meer_Cat, it is very impractical. There are only 4 shields per 5 figures, not every body looks equally plausible with shield raised up, so You would need about 40 miniatures to make a tight formation of 25.

I am inclined to say photos come out better without the flash anyway, sir.

Nice to see you back, the latest figure looks really good! I like this combo of colours and application.

I was afraid the juice might not be worth the squeeze for converting figures for a boarding testudo, but thought I'd ask.

These came out very well though- extremely nuanced shading throughout with the extra work you've put in.

Rock on!

The idea was cool, Meer_Cat. It just isn't viable with this particular kit. I personally know people who bought an entire kit for a few bits but, well, I am not one of these, and I doubt that such people can be tempted by Mantic level of coolness. Anyway, big thumbs up for the idea!

Now, I was really, REALLY surprised to find two more heavy forge fathers in my "primed things box". And am I glad that I have found them before the last drops of the green paint I've used on them dried up! So, this week it is two forgotten fathers finished in style with the rest of them (actually, I had to paint the base rim with a different green color because I did run out of the paint) and a single non-human rebel. A little creepy restic creature showing its nasty tongue.





And on a sour note, I can't ignore the politics and stuff, so here is a little terrain piece too. Bought it long time ago, from Kombrig, I think. 1:35 resin base, which makes for grossly oversized barrels, but all in all - almost proper for Infinity or Deadzone. You can hide three troopers behind it and it would not look completely out of scale. Painted and dusted with AV model colors and pigments.



And now it is back to fantasy as I need to assemble a lot of stuff to be ready for a warmer weather.

Forge Fathers look good- the terrain piece looks really good

I've started to mess around with pigments instead of washes et al, but so far my playing hasn't achieved results like this, very realistic.

I've got testudos on the brain now- saw a supplier on Etsy that does riot police in three specific poses to form such a unit. The temptation to buy 'just a few' for 'proof of concept' is almost irresistible.....

Fortunately, I have Make Something March to keep me focused!

Rock on, Wirecat!

Those Forge Fathers look really great, annoying that you don't have the right rim color anymore.

I swear - every time I make sure no more unpainted enforcers are to be found... here are four more! FOUR!!! OK, I will persevere. Here are four PAINTED enforcers!



I've tried to continue with my boarding party theme, but these are definitely dirtier than the ones I've started with. And a special character to go with them, lieutenant sniper. She should have some scatter on her base, but I am still looking for something to fit in. Probably will do a barrel or a canister of some sort.




Her gun is ridiculous beyond the normal Mantic standard. That is closer to GW...

BTW, I was a bit surprised no one either here or elsewhere I've posted my previous trio of enforcers remembered the Saber rider and the Star Sheriffs. I am becoming ancient myself...

Yeah, I know I watched that, but I was so young I don't recall it. Liking the faceplate effect and the hazard stripes!