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So, another week down, and starting in on the next batch of messes.
Started up another push on the Basti, trying to get the next round of spearwomen done for the month, to give me a nice core for the War Gods warband:

Even managed to put some color on to them so far:


Also tried to start some more guard-rats, trying to get a bit over a 2nd squad worth of veterans with shotguns painted, since they've waited so patiently since 5th edition for it. (Spoiler because the Basti in the background)


done a decent bit with them as well, just need some remedial model work, some pink and missed black spots, and eyes, and then its on to cleanup and shade and highlight. Model work wise, added a new metal cable to one of the meltagunners after this pic was taken to join his energy pack and the hose on his gun, and I still need to greenstuff up the grenadier's open shoulder (really should have done that first, ah well...)



and slapped a little paint on a Hero Forge mini I bought for a D&D kobold. Still a long way to go for that one:




Dunno how much I'll finish for this month, and I doubt I'll be happy with the paint jobs on any of it, but at least its an OK start!

Nice WIP pics, good luck on getting some of it done this month. Really love the guard rats, they look so characterful, always nice to see you make more.

Thanks Viterbi. Most of the work is GW's sculptors, but hopefully I'll at least keep the character when they're painted! And should be seeing more for a while, given I've got probably three platoons worth of backlog of them, even without making any more...

Good progress.

I missed commenting on the last page, the writting on the scroll is very impressive. You do that with a brush or a pen?

There is a free program a few of us use called PhotoScape for image tweaking/combining. It’s free (although you can pay to unlock features) but the basic level lets you do things like white balance, adjust contrast, crop, zoom, and combine images into collages.

Oh, some very nice stuff here. Love how characterful you've been able to keep everything. Inspirational as I set off on a similar journey.

Nevelon: Used micron pens for that. Luckily, unlike last time I tried it, I let them dry fully so they didn't smudge away this time. I've got a copy of GIMP, really should learn to use it eventually.

CTMNine: thanks!

Feeling a bit mixed this week. Moving to day shift after this week and we're coming off COVID induced half shifts, so going to be losing a good bit of hobby time. Was hoping I could get at least the base colors done on both units, so I could run off the shade-and highlight work quickly over the rest of the month, but enthusiasm didn't really cooperate. On the plus side, I did get pretty close.

Rats here mostly just need the guns gone back over, and some gold or copper metallics in a few spots before I start washing:



On the other hand, still need all the metallics, some skin color, and probably another cleanup pass of the reds and blues on the cats:


Still pretty hopeful they'll be done by end of month, but also pretty sure they're going to look like trash--good enough for tabletop distance game peices, but way short of anything to be proud of for the challenge. I think the rats will probably end up looking slightly less so, so I'm tempted to switch to them for this month (or at least two or three with extra effort and that I know where unpainted), but I've gone this far without entering a GW model and I'd kinda like to see how long that streak will stretch, especially as it feels like the odd manufacturers models are the only reason I even pick up votes. Also considering switching to a smaller set of reaper models or something where I could focus more on pushing my quality which I feel's been slipping, but nothing really speaking to me right now, and I'm running out of time. Probably will work on character models or some more animal adventurers after I get this set done, especially with Historicon canceled and a Kill Team's worth of rats already in hand meaning I don't have any particular deadlines.

One can never be sure about rats, but their scrolls should be recipies - and storage inventory. They are good all the way to their name tags on the bases Vejut, a definite thumb up for them!

Hmm, maybe I should adopt that Furry tag too?

Slow progress is still progress. Looking good.

Don’t judge yourself too harshly. You constantly make your entries. I just checked the back league tables. You have not missed an entry since you started. That is a major accomplishment. At the end of every month, a bunch of people are always bowing out, for one reason or another. You are posting your final pics. I’d have to sit down and check after having more coffee, but I think you are 4th for the longest entry streak.

I’ve voted for you not just because you paint fun and unusual things, but because I see you improve. You’ve been at this long enough, and paint distinctive stuff that it catches my eye. So I can look at your entry and see that it’s a lot better then what you did last. I reward that with a vote. I also use improvement as a metric on the top dogs as well. When I notice that the top guys are just coasting, I don’t bother voting for them. If they push the envelope and do something really spectacular, sure. I think saving votes for the little guys who are pushing through and need the encouragement is more important.

If you think you would have more fun going to single minis, go for it. There is a time for banging out blocks of troops, and a time for working up characters. Mix it up.

Just keep painting!

Nice progress and I think the rats could also bag you some votes. They are nice conversions, have a cool background story and look really interesting!

Thanks, all of you. Still probably going to try for the cats, dunno why I get so enthused about them but yet have no motovation to paint them.

Also took a little break to hammer out this little guy this morning:


Oathsworn snake warrior, though don't recall his name.
And today:




Still not getting the blends I want, though I think some of that is I should have thinned that last layer of yellow-green a bit, or at least used a drybrush rather than a straight application. Not sure if even using it was the right call, have some pics in my WIP folder from just before I put that layer on in the gallery (because initially I was figuring I'd do that tommorrow), and I think it might have been better plain, if less nice on the contrast. Also, should probably blow the picture up less, but looks decent to eye, and the answer is always more practice, plus hey, having it done in under a day with decent results isn't bad. Probably try to at least get myself to push some washes onto the rats and cats tommorrow.

Well-met, citizen of Bubastis, fellow follow of the gods. You've got a lot of cool projects on parade. Really cool to see the amount of work you've put into your Basti spearwomen - it's inspired me to do the same for my Anubi warriors. It looks like you used brass rods? What size, and what did you do for speartips?

For what it's worth, I like the serpent warrior - I don't think the edge highlights are too severe. Looks good in his scale mail.

Thanks for both compliments!
The snake I think its less overwhelming and more just messy, I think I may have overworked it, where the neater if lower contrast basic version ended up better:


I did steel wire rods with separate tips once, and it was ugly--mass greenstuff floofs just behind the points to hide joints. Those Basti are actually armed with Northstar wire spears, at full length. They do also make shorter, smaller diameter spears suitable for javelins, heading to bed now, but I can try to remember to take some pictures tomorrow. Mine were bought from their booth at Historicon in Fredricksburg, VA or Lancaster, PA depending on year, but I know they've got a US stockist at Brigade games (might even be whose booth it actually was!) Just drill a hole through the hand and hope it doesn't drift out the back and nobody looks too hard at the front. I like the pikeman look personally, but I'd think it might look a bit more proportionate cut down a tad, and probably catch my arm and fall off the edge of the desk less.

Oh great, thanks for the tips (NPI)! I'll put in an order. The posing for the Anubi Warriors with their hands up might make the pikes a bit difficult but I'll use either the shorter version or just cut them to size. The price is very reasonable as well.

Edit for puns.

So, no progress as I just got home from work, but figured I'd post that picture of the wire spears: skinny ones are the 50mm, one leaned against the left front Basti, one across the bottom next to a full length 100mm. Hope that helps!

Nice progress on the Basti so far. Wire spears sounds like a great idea-- I have far too many models with bendy lead spears.

Josh--I know right? Only issue is they are a bit sharp, and the way I've got them so long I tend to keep knocking them off the desk.

Getting close on both groups. Basti only really need their mid brown wash, final highlights, and blue color cleanup (and their sheilds and bases)


Rats on the other hand need a highlight on the robes, wash, and thier guns done up, before basing:


And already got some planks built from sprue to mix it up so its not just gravel on the bases:



So, hopefully SOON (tm), which is good because I'm back to work every day, and I've only got one weekend left in the month.

Planks are good - don't forget black dots here and there with a bit of metalic silver to simulate nails. Cheers - and yes, SOON (tm)!!!

Nice go on the planks, I love plank bases. I'm aware that's pretty niche, but I think it's really fun when bases simulate a non-battlefield environment (or a non-traditional battlefield). Planks for the plank throne and so on.

Nice texture on the planks, hadn't thought that those are sprues

Wirecat--wasn't planning on being that elaborate this time, but if I do a larger project, possibly be a way to sell it better.

Don Qui Hotep-- probably going to be a bit disappointed, sorry! I was only planning to use them as accents and tie ins with sand--full walkways I 'd have to cut away the rats and re-mount, and that was more work than I was looking for.

Viterbi--surprisingly easy model job, got the idea off someone on this forum (think it might be in the articles? They were making a hut from sprue), just shaved the edges roughly square with the hobby knife, then just start about an inch up a face and make a bunch of pulls down off the edge with the blade without keeping it too straight, and then move up and do it again letting the knife fall into the grooves/overlap. Around the halfway point, or when it feels right, you flip it around and build up the other side until the patterns meet or overlap, and then do the next side. (Obviously, these are so short I just did one set of grooves from each end)

Progress wise, Basti are in the home stretch, a few edge highlights of blue, black touchups because brush on primer is convenient but doesn't hold for nothing on metal, base washes, and doing up 10 sheids with a blend. They're not challenge grade even for me, but they'll probably be done this month. Should have been more careful with the wash, but just really hit the "done looking at them" phase.



Rats came out a bit better-just need base work and the guns done, though possibly a little final highlight pass on the robes wouldn't hurt. Phone battery was running out when I took all three pictures in this post (shut itself off just after I took them), so please excuse the darkness of these-wasn't able to judge the light or rearrange it better.



Until next week!

Love these. I'm a little intimidated of trying to put 40k weapons on traditional Skaven but these look great. They have a classic look to them. One reminds me of an old school noise marine. Terrific stuff!

The shotguns are cut up kroot rifles--can't remember how I did them though, been several years, but I think I mostly cut to length on double-handed polearm poses--bit annoying.On the other hand, the older clanrats (the 'ape arm' guys that come in 5 peices), gutter runners, and plague monks all work pretty easy--you can actually use cadian and catachan parts, though likely you'll need some green stuff or plasticard filler or some sanding to get a really nice looking fit--that grenadier is just cadian arms on a plague monk body, and then a little green stuff filler. Most of my plasma guns are mounted by chopping off a knife or pole arm arm, and the pistol grip from the plasma gun and just positioning it pistol grip style. both are actually pretty forgiving, just dry fit a bit first.

Skaven in Space! Nice use of misc. bits, Kroot rifles in particular fit really well with em. The planks look quite good on the bases. Happy to see the Basti getting close to done, I think their fur looks great. The blue is a bit saturated, although that's probably the camera. Maybe a splash of Nuln Oil on the banner?

Don: I think the blue looks pretty true to life. I kinda like the saturated blue, but I think you may be right that it sticks out with the red and yellow being much less saturated. I kinda like it none-the-less, but I am kinda considering some blue shade on the undersides of the spears (and possibly the banner crevices?)

Also, latest rat squad is done! Quick post before putting them in the cabinet and going to bed:



Now I just gotta get the sheilds and washing the Basti bases done by Friday...

Oh yeah, a blue wash would work - I've had some good success doing thinned-down Contrast paints over their color (e.g., Contrast yellow over Iyanden Yellow, Contrast Blue over Lotheran Blue, etc.). Those rats really came together! Probably best to put them in the cabinet, keep them safe from the cats, who I'm sure are getting hungry at this point.

Congrats on finishing the rat squad, they look lovely... well not lovely, but you know what I mean

Cats are done. Now to just grab some pics of 5 of them for the challenge:



Basing didn't really work, but enh. Mostly just doesn't match the old part.

So, one last quick spam of pictures before starting to work on new things for the weekly update on saturday:
Closeups for the three Basti I picked for the challenge entry:



And the army project as it stands now, with the latest unit all ranked up with their previously finished back rank--flash really makes them look terrible, as opposed to merely bad, but couldn't really get enough light for a good picture without it:

They look nice all ranked up, also I would fear all those little spears when trying to get them out of the cabinet