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Man, you fired that guy off quick! I really cool model and nice paint to boot. The pale blue wrap I would not have come up with and it really works.

So, with all that dropping during the week, not as much to report over the weekend, kinda light on the painting, but did do a little modeling.
Decided to do the weapon swaps and reposes on the 5 Basti I'd armored up. Also gave them some bows and arrows so they can hang back and use their better shooting skill, and so I can use them as upgrades to a basic bow unit if I ever play higher points or a campaign game. Fireforge glaives, warlord Celtic bows and arrows Also decided to start in green stuffing armor on the other 5 while I was at it. May have to find where I put my Fireforge Rus sprues to loot them to the remaining bows and arrows for the remaining 5.


Also started in on cutting off swords for the second spear unit while waiting for green stuff to cure, and used the leftover putty to base up a Bronze Age minis were I may paint this month. Standing next to it is another possible project, one of Reaper's dino barbarians, both primed up this week, and a couple skitarii-skaven conversions I did a few months back (and probably seen in the random debris on my desk in some previous pictures) and just glued to bases for priming.



Closer veiw of the rats, dino, and were, from before I based up the were:



Also threw a bit more paint on to the ork nob conversion thats been sitting around for probably a good year or two. Probably need to do up some glyph plates for the sword, but about ready to start highlighting everything else on him. (Spoilered for basti chest photobombs)



We'll see how the week goes and what gets done.

Hah, that ork nob is great. You certainly have an interesting collection of projects, it'll be fun to see what you do with them!

Thanks for the cabinet shots!

Rhinotaur is looking good, but the eyes are getting a little lost (maybe just in the picture). Maybe yellow would draw more focus to them? And I love his skin and the wood color on the axe handle, it looks great!

 Viterbi wrote:
Thanks for the cabinet shots!

Rhinotaur is looking good, but the eyes are getting a little lost (maybe just in the picture). Maybe yellow would draw more focus to them? And I love his skin and the wood color on the axe handle, it looks great!

But then, on a real rhino eyes are also not much of an eye-catcher. Looks great in any case, even though shadows could be deeper in some places.

Thanks again everybody, I'm thinking I'll probably edit the model a bit more to take those ideas into consideration, probably another pass with black in the deep cracks and/or grey across the skin to try to push the contrast. Not sure what to do about the eyes--the bright blue was to try to deal with that originally--as Wirecat notes, real rhino eyes are black and pretty hard to see, but I think the blue-grey I used for the skin blended them back in again--not sure what to use there, possibly thinking some yellow-brown egyptian style kohl markings or something.

A little early for the usual weekly update, but got a good bit done so I figured I'd show it, at least partially to get a bit more input.

Did a few bits of modeling, actually have the modeling on the polearm girls almost done:



Just need to grab some more bows from somewhere, and then green stuff up some hand repairs and possibly some straps for hanging the bows and quivers. Not really liking the look of the Rus bits, I think they look a bit off, so may need to order some more Warlord Celt weapon/sheild sprues, which'd let me use the same sheilds for the 2nd spear unit.

Got 5 of those just needing arms and surface cleanup before I can start painting (the sheilds are post painting, so I can get everywhere easy):


And the main reason I'm posting, I decided to do more with the Ork Nob--just need to choose and fit him with a hand gun (was planning to possibly just leave the hand empty, but the old sword handle is too obvious), a glyph plate on the sword, and then fit a base--and that I'm actually kinda stumped on. Don't want to use a pre-made, as his current one is magnetic, but kinda want to do something different than my others (also doesn't help that it'll set the base for the rest of the admittedly small and disused Ork army I've got). I'll think on it more over the next few weeks, it can wait, though suggestions are definitely welcome.



Really would like the blend to be better on the blue, but having trouble getting thin enough for a good glaze. Also feel like the sword blade needs a bit more, but not sure where to take it. Do like how the horns came out though.

Anyways, will try to have a bit more over the weekend, and thanks again for the comments!

A little more progress.
Started prepping up a gun for my ork nob, and some glyph plates. Not really happy with the wear job I did on the plastic itself for the plates, but having trouble finding better techniques. Honestly, not sure I'm even heading in the right direction with them, color feels wrong, just not sure what a better one would be. Gun is also a bit overlong looking at it now, will have to chop the barrel shorter, probably just direct mount the blue flare to the red box to get something more pistol sized--one oversized weapon I think is enough.

Have the fox next to him that I've also made a small start in onto. Not sure where that one's going either, but really only internal pressue on that one to be done, and have til the end of the month even then.

Basti spears are fully armed and operational, actually put some primer on them not seen here. Foreground are the modified bows I made by chopping the limbs off some Rus bowman, whose arms you can see above next to the ork. Think they'll come out okay.


And some better views of the bows and stock quivers. Started mounting them, but not sure how the bows will go on, and need to do some greenstuff work before I can start priming that unit.


Until next week.

I am finding it is more and more entertaining to look into the scatter on Your table and try to guess various bits and pieces.

I believe I've read a quite simple (as in straightforward step-by-step, not a "wash and go") recipe for worn painted armor, but do not remember, where, here on Dakka or on some other modelling site. I will try to remember to look for it, I think it was quite recent...

Maybe try a little chipping with a sponge on the edges of the orc? Because he is already looking good, love the oversized sword and really wouldn't feel it amiss, if his other weapon was as big. Have you "tried it on" with some blue tac? Maybe it works.

More did the "hold everything together with your hand" kinda thingy, but it basically looked too much like a full shoota, not a pistol. Ended up cutting it down.




Base was an attempt at crackle medium--not sure if the existing base texture was too much, or if I just used too much paint vs medium, but didn't turn out, so just went to sand, as you can see in the last picture. Will seal it up and paint in the morning. I am tempted to try a bit of sponging, but really kinda afraid to ruin him--sadly, one of my better efforts recently I think. Also did a little more with the fox, and started base coating the basti spearwomen.


And threw some more paint at some Megaminis/demonblade rat gangers for my old Imperial Guard army--polished bone for a khaki base color.

Just a quicky update for the ork nob being done:



Really need to start closing out some projects, even with the ork done, I've got four I'm rotating through actively painting and several more partially done, starting to run out of desk space...

So, usual weekend update time. Actually ran in a bit more stuff. Wasn't feeling mass production, so did some odds and sods I had lying around on the pile, specifically the rat skitarii and werevixen from the start of the month, and actually got them finished. Well, or at least good enough to call them finished, and haven't really gone back to re-do one like that yet, so...




If I was going to keep working them, I think I need a little more contrast on both of their red parts, probably take it up to an orange red like VMC Amaranth red, and possibly if anything a bit less light when photographing--they're kinda a bit blown out, both heads and jackets actually have some shading and highlight work that I can see by eye, but that's just gotten flattened into one color, though you can kinda see it comparing the side shots to the head ons how they go from blue to white. Also needed to do a bit more to differentiate the boots and the gaiters on the fox. Granted, my painting does NOT hold up to veiwing on a 17" monitor either.

That said, I did do a little forward progress on the basti--both groups are actually started now, and the spear group actually just needs a bit of base color cleanup and a few missed colors to go on to shade and highlight:


The glaive group needs a few more color passes, mostly blue and eyeballs, and then its own cleanup:


Especially given if it isn't already postponed to next year, it probably will be, but its looking disturbingly likely I'll get this army project done before Historicon. Doubt I'd have the day free to USE it if it does go off, given its always Saturday night at 7 for the Wargods game, and I work that evening, but still, may actually get it done on time--just needs 10 more spear ladies assembled and painted, and then grinding out two units of 10 archers. We'll see where we get to by next week.

I really like these rat sharpshooters. You did well with the white fur and red dress. Mad and dangerous look.

It might not be a ąų" monitor fault but also how sharp is the photo. We are dealing with a lot of finite things - brush tip is not at pixel level, neither is the sharpness of the photograph taken through multipurpose lens under usual room light.

Good luck continuing these basti!

Thanks wirecat, I will admit I usually have a lot of fun when I get the mood to dash off some rats. Maybe someday that army may even get fully painted...

Kinda stalled out this week--one arms's weapon is cut off the final 10 basti spearwomen, but assembly is going poorly and kinda slow--nothing to really show. Also didn't really get the motivation for doing up the units already started, granted because I was working on IRL stuff.

That said, dashed off this guy over the last day or two--zevezda KV-2. Been assembled for a while, but just got around to paint. Not happy with it, too dark a green, and really patchy, especially on the abortive weathering on the tracks. Plus side, the big gap at the bottom is because its actually a (poorly working) bobblehead--kinda buzzes more than bobbles, but still enough to tempt me with googly eyes...resisting so far, but those big flat sides need something to break them up...



Maybe there'll be more next week, got some time off coming up.

Nice hardhead, Vejut.

Just a few points. First, in small scale there are two things that can't go wrong - Victorian yellow and Russian green. There cannot be a too dark or to plain green on Russian armor. They are still as mottled as they come, it depends on factory, repair shop, crew, time spent on open air... who knows on what else? One would think they become more standard now - not a chance.
So, Yours is just weeks after being repainted locally, by its own crew, possibly for inspection, some time in early 1941.

Next, tracks - they are important like a spigots on submarines. Make some marks on the edge of a track with a sharp knife to separate at least some links from their neighbors. Not every one, about 10 should be enough to make the track not look like a belt. Zvezda makes a nice texture, but not this nice. If You want light weathering, spray light brown on the chassis from afar. If You want heavy weathering - use powders. But in 1:72 powders are worse than washes. :(

Beyond that - very nice little tank, a definite thumb up!

Tank is looking good, but I'm not accustomed to see something without fur (or scales) on this plog

Wirecat: may try that with the tracks next time. Paintwise, I was just looking for more contrast I think.

Sadly Viterbi, not a lot of additional furred or scaled things this week either, though I did make some progress.

got the rest of the Basti spears assembled up. Still need mold line and sprue removal, but that'll come over the next weeks. Also did a little painting on the first set. Axe ladies didn't even get touched really. They look much better with greasy-lens-blur than they do in person. Feeling like another splash or two of red on the cloth, and then the sheilds and bases to finish them. Tried a little salvage work on the skin, and its just not coming. Enthusiasm for the project is hitting a bit of a low ebb, probably hop projects again and slow walk them in over the next month or three.



I did get a bonus bit of the project done--did up a catapult, one of Warlord game's war engines for Hail Caesar parthians, IIRC. Plan is to give it some Basti crew based separate (particularly a nice little basti scribe/gamer model croc sent along with my order with them) and have it available if I ever run them as a Kings of War or Warlords of Erehwon (or similar) army.



Just needs some basing, waiting on the first five spears to be done so I can just pull out and mix the plaster once.

Finally, got in my monthly recommended allowance of GW stuff by tossing off a bit of Areonautica Imperialis:




May do some more like it to get a full 7 dakkajet and 1 bomma set, reasonably fun (even if 35 years experience is apparently not enough for me to be able to write the number 1 the right way round...). VGC scrulfulous brown undercarriage with some red and mid brown washes and a little yellow highlight, and Prussian blue upper with deep sky blue highlights and a black pinwash.

Also going to have to figure out what I'm going to do for the painting challenge, probably something with fur there. Supporting Role won, IIRC, so may start in on the bunny Lieutenant from Old Gamer's Workshop I got lying around, or may just go with a banner bearer.

Surprisingly, I actually got some things done this week!

Finally finished the back five ranks of the 2nd Basti spearwoman unit, and the ballista:

Kinda getting an annoying dust or crust of white mineral on top from the cleanup, but maybe that'll go away as it dries over the next day or two, or at least hardens enough I can wipe it away.

Also used the fact that I had the spackle out to base up the remaining melee Basti:


We'll see if this is any cleaner on the paintjob of a method than doing it after.

also started this month's challenge models for "In a Supporting Role", a Rabbit captain/lieutenant/leader guy, and a Guinea Pig pilot, from the Old Gamers Workshop kickstarter.


Lets see how much progress I make by Saturday...

Those painting comp minis look very interesting, excited to see you tackle them!

Thanks! Already started in on 'em, they're kinda...squishy sculpts. Still have to figure a few colors out, and trying to keep them somewhat linked.

A little late, but a little more done since Friday.
A little more on the Peeg and Rabbit:


Needs a bit of pink and some eyes, and then cleanup and start actually making it look less flat.

Also decided I really wanted to do more rats, so:


A little more color on the old set of 4, and dug out some more of the old Ratlings with Gatlings IG army. Been weirdly feeling a hankering to start digging them all out and getting the army fully painted and based, even if I've really got no desire whatsoever to actually play the new (or old) editions. As an army, they've been waiting since regimental doctrines were a thing (though the front 7 have only been waiting since the 5th ed leafblower codex), be nice to have them displayable. Probably going to start trying to cycle small groups of them through.
We'll see what happens over the next few weeks.

Another slow week with pretty minimal progress:

The challenge models:


Looking very...rough, and kinda flat, not sure what to do about that though. Slightly better in person--they mostly pass the 5 foot test.

And the rat swarm:


Almost done there, just some wash and highlight work, plus edge highlights on the guns really, and then the admittedly fairly major job of 11 scenic bases...
may actually bring them to finished next week...

The challenge models are looking great, that look on the bunnies face, I don't want to know, what he spotted through his binoculars Rats are looking great too!

Thanks Viterbi. Oddly, that look is actually sculpted into him. Got a little done more on them, but not much. Kinda dove down a side alley:

Got these used from Mindtaker Miniatures here on dakka, decided to paint them up for that hobby bingo thing that's rolling around, paint something up within 48hrs of getting it:


So with about two hours to spare, kinda dropped the Escher, though her base colors are done, but the bear is finished:

You are getting bolder with colors, don't You? Loving it! That bear rider is rocking along very well. Steady hand - and good luck in competition.

Think I'm staying about the same on colors, but am doing more things that crazy colors work well for. Called the bear rider done at that picture, but tempted to go back and push the highlights more, especially on the mail.

Slowed down even more this week, only really put paint on these three, and that on saturday. Got time off this week though, should have more coming., if nothing else finishing off the rats and challenge entry.

Quick mid week yay-I-got-something-finished update. Kept moving on the Escher, and finally got her done last night:






Not really more than a 5 footer job, but happy enough with it as long as it stays at arms length. Working on getting the rats done--just down to bases there, sadly didn't take pictures, and of course, sometime in the next 4 days I really need to finish off that pig and rabbit...

Finally put the rats and the challenge models to done last night, just gotta take better pics of the challenge models in the morning.
Still in the bleah zone for quality, especially on the pig and bunny who don't have the speed painting excuse, but finished models are finished models (weird as that feels for a game I have no intention of playing anytime soon, or possibly ever again--but hey, they were fun enough to paint, and isn't that the point of this?)

Challenge models--


And then the rats, including the demonblade ones I started a while back:




(Cleaned up the double post)

Quick update with slightly less cluttered, if darker pics of the pig and rabbit since I just took 'em:



Didn't notice I'd put the pig back in the same position until I was already uploading, got off when I was trying to find a good angle for the side shot. Ah well...

Dude, your P&m blog is delightfully eclectic.