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Not much more to report this week, but did get almost done with the challenge models. Just need a bit of basing, and possibly the witch's skirt redone. Again. Posting them, they're...kinda washed out pictures, or at least the large format ones are. I'll try to take better pictures once the basing is done. Not really happy with any of the skins, but feeling like I might be starting to get glazing. Cat lady's robe isn't professional or even display level work by any means, but I think it's at least beginning to get the idea across? Also kinda wondering how to do those recessed heiroglyphs better--kinda did a very thin wash mix of the blue, and just touched brush tip to them, let it capillary action in, but it left a bit of haloing around it (a lot of haloing when I got the mix too thick), probably a bit more than could even be passed off as OSL, and cleanup is a bit difficult to get the brush in.



and a goofy bit of the two Asar trying to send the Basti off, because I thought it kinda looked amusing:

I love those Dino models! Might pick up a few myself, they might be big enough to proxy for Kroxigor.

Nice skin tone on the Priest of Anubis, also!

Good like finding the dino's shield, although he is looking cool already (and kinda has a shield on his head )

Challenge models look cool, last pic is funny, especially the pose of the Basti "What have I done?"

Thanks Don Qui Hotep. I keep going back on forth on the skin--in person it feels a bit splotchy, but the pics at phone zoom levels don't look bad, I don't think. Also, krox sizes vs Reaper dino sizes:


Thank you Viterbi. I do find the "who, me?" expression on there amusing, if accidental!

Finished them just now too! Needs some better pics (and looking at the photos, maybe a bit more work on the edges and some more glazes on the Basti), but I've got a couple weeks on that.

Vejut wrote:
Thanks Don Qui Hotep. I keep going back on forth on the skin--in person it feels a bit splotchy, but the pics at phone zoom levels don't look bad, I don't think. Also, krox sizes vs Reaper dino sizes:

Thanks for the size comparison! Dollar for dollar, looks like a much better investment! I think I'll pick some up.

You're a brave soul for attempting sheer clothing on that Basti. I would have no idea where to even begin.

JoshinJapan: I feel you, but I was running mostly from a googled tutorial, and its actually not that bad if you accept that the end result isn't going to look as good as you want. Basically, "anywhere the fabric is going to touch skin gets skin color, paint the fabric color where it doesn't touch the skin like folds, and then blend as appropriate, possibly with a bit of fabric color blended in to skin where its close but not touching." Granted, I'm guessing from the poor result I got I'm missing some, but that's what practice is for.

The croc minis hit my model goal for the year, so kinda basking in that for the week, and also dealing with a little bit of lockup or burnout? Threw some paint at some Khusuran alien soldiers I'd disliked the casting quality on, because if I screwed it up, its not like I was losing anything:


Figuring some green and black shades for gear and pads, if I ever do more colors on them. That helped, and I put a little more color on a gnoll that's been sitting on my desk for...a while. Fur should be done, need to do his everything else cleaned up:


Over the weekend, I've kinda gone an assembling binge though, not really painting much. Got some Northstar miniatures tribals, have them mostly built for use as Asar for WarGods. I'm figuring they'll march out with my Sebeki, if I ever get either of them painted, to give some needed missile support, and faster objective grabbers. I may also get another box or some Warlord Sea Peoples to have a nice deep anvil unit, but for right now, more desk clutter.


...and then because I'm bad at trying to be a people pleaser, and I've been staring at their fellows long enough...

There's a lot on your table right now and nearly ready gnoll looks cool, has kind of a furry mad max vibe going on.

Thanks Viterbi!

Another slow and distracted week here--Put a bit more paint on the gnoll, just needs a base now:


Was going to try to do some work on the titans and human warriors, but kinda got distracted. They are primed now though! May try to do more with them over the next couple weeks.


Also started in on this Oathsworn trollkin adventurer just to get something painted. Mostly needs detail highlights and the like, may also put some color shift paint on the blade, not sure there though.


And just remembered in time to take pictures of my challenge models:




I mostly like how the Priest of Anubis came out, though the washes ended up a little heavy on the base of the staff, and he's already chipping on the ear. Other two...eh, there was an attempt? When not zoomed in on my 17" monitor, I can almost convince myself the witch looks decent, but she needed much less purple and more cleanup and blending with the flesh when I look at the zoomed picture, and the Basti has one good angle with the eyes, and any other they just kinda look cross eyed, at the minimum. Hopefully do better next time.

Another slow week. Almost through base colors on the orcs. Actually trying to pre-shade the bronze before dropping metallic paint on it. Probably a mistake. Still need eyes, and then to really do some cleanup.


Also finally got around to touching the rats with some blacks. Needs more reds and their pinks, but one layer at a time...

One layer at a time is a good mantra! Orc skin looks very cool, really bright green.

Thanks Viterbi. Plan to push it up a bit more once I start shading.

Status of the desk for the week, minimal progress:


Gonna kinda sqeak in these models for the challenge, and sadly probably not getting the Basti or rats done before the new year. Annoying, but its a hobby, not a job, and I made my 144 I wanted for the year already.

I know the feeling of "having" to get stuff finished, but triple digits is always impressive enough and it's important to keep the joy of the hobby. And on the other hand you will start the new counter with some minis that are already far along and will have quick results

Viterbi--Yeah, I'm hoping that if I don't get them done in the next two weeks, it'll at least give me a flying start for next year's likely lower goals. Starting to feel more like doing them, but not there yet.

What I actually did:
Almost entirely finish my challenge models for the month. Just need to figure out what I'm doing basing wise, and take some pictures.




I think I'll likely fill in the bits around the bones with mixed sand, and then paint everything in a red similar to the primer coat on the spear orc. Feeling mixed about the sheild freehand--I feel it kinda blows what I thought was a pretty nice for me blend gradient on the sheilds with a much crappier art peice, but I also felt the blend itself was just a little too plain. I'd be willing to hear opinions on other ways to punch 'em up!

Also mostly finished these two adventurers I'd had running along side those two. Sadly, you'd think with as much gee-wiz tech as samsung puts on their phones, they'd get better depth of feild, but alas, they don't, and I didn't notice how blurred out the troll lady was until after they were uploaded. Not happy with how the human's face came out, I need to work on my human skin style. Still, just need some paint on the bases for these two, and then into the cabinet with them:


And lastly, been working on this guy off and on a bit, finally decided to take some pictures. Inspired by theCrowe's stuff, going to be some kind of Badgers and Burrows mini, not sure what yet, may pattern him off my sister's great dane mix for the head (and may need to restart the head from scratch, but hey, that's why its separate:


We'll see what we get done this week, especially as its a short one and I'm off from christmas to the end of the year.

Nicely done on the shields! I really like the Argo.

Good luck on scratch-sculpting! That is one thing I have never quite dared.

Hey that's exciting that you've been inspired by my stuff. Thanks for the shout out and I'm really looking forward to seeing your dog warrior coming together.

Greenstuff body off to a good start, look forward to seeing the progress

Hey mate, some more lovely work in here as usual - you've been productive!

Great colours all around - I love the slight pink/more human skin tone around the mouth of the orcs, particular the one with her mouth shut.

Armature looks good! Really looking forward to seeing that one come out. Good luck with it!

Great update and I like the freehand on your shields, especially the ship. Maybe if you do some battle damage on the shields with some light stipling it might tie the freehand and the shield better together?

I look forward to seeing where your sculpting goes. Nice pose to begin with.

So, lot of comments on this one...

Don Qui Hotep: Thanks! Kinda cribbing off pictures of LBM sheild decals, still not entirely happy with the shaping. The sculpting I'm still not sure on, but a little bit at a time...

the Crowe: Thanks for doing such interesting work, and making it look so doable!

darkkt: I expect there'll be short little bursts of progress widely separated, but I'll try to keep on it.

tzurk: thanks! Not sure about productive as much as just kinda slow building up of work until it finally looks like something changed, but I'll take it either way.

Viterbi: I'm actually kinda afraid to do more to them in fear of screwing them up. I am considering that if I do another one though. Do kinda want to get back on that Basti harbinger, and I did want to give her a sheild...

Fifty: thanks! hoping the rest keeps up with it.

Did have a short session with the scuplt yesterday:


Liking the massing on the muscles, but gotta figure out how to smooth that surface down a good bit without changing the size too much, and figure out hands and feet (also the head, which I dread starting.) Also pictured with some Konflict 47 doggos from Warlord I'm thinking of trying to knock out quickly.

Then the finished stuff:
Troll lady from Oathsworn and Julie Guthrie adventurer sculpt from the Grenadier era:



Still getting wonky lighting off shots on my desk--both of them actually do have the eyes at least white and dotted, but can't tell from the pics. Really not happy with the two sworder's flesh tone, but trying to keep moving forward, hopefully the next one comes out better.

And finally, finished orc pics. Probably try for better ones with the D60 for the challenge finals, but that'll wait til after Christmas




That dirt fought me so hard--strong tone dried gloss, matte varnish was determined to frost where it built up in the cracks (and I couldn't seem to get it on thin enough given I'm using a hairy stick), gloss varnish just made the issue worse, and a final midtone wash just kinda made it look muddy. Ah well. Next time, just start with a water thinned paint wash instead.

Very nice work. Love the freehand on the shields. I think we are often too hard with our own criticism. Another thing to keep in mind is the arm’s length rule. Minis need to look good on the table. The ultra-zoom of close up pics is not their native space

Goals are good for motivating you, but don’t become their slave. I know last year I was close to making one of mine, but recognized that if I pushed to get there, I would not enjoy it, and my quality would suffer. So I just accepted the “almost made it” and went on my way, happier with the fail then the victory.

Really love the armour on troll lady, so nice, shiny and turquoise!

Nice work on the orcs. I really like your bases-- lots of interesting texture without distracting from the models.

Nevelon: Thanks! A lot of annoyance on this is partially trying to improve for the painting challenge (and just in general, because being able to produce good looking things is nice!), and also the feeling that I was doing better under the camera, but backslid and am not sure where I'm missing. I've made the real goal for the year, anything more is a nice to have (but still a little disappointing when I don't make it!)

Viterbi: Thank you! Its IIRC Vallejo Gunmetal Blue, TurboDork (I think Curcao?) as a highlight, and a purple wash for the shading. Glad it came out OK!

JoshInJapan: Thanks. Glad the effort that went into the fixes ended up paying off in the end.

Not much since the last batch, but did keep on working on the dogs :


The casts were...not the worst, but could have been a good bit better. They all had a prominent mold line right across the face--you can probably still see it in the picture. I also just decided to try to roll with it and get them done, so my cleanup isn't the best either. Still, base coating is done, just gotta wash and highlight them. I did put some more layers on the rats (mostly cleanup and eye whites, so not much worth photographing) , so these might not be the last models of the year, but they probably will be, and they're not a terrible way to finish.

Thanks for the paint info. I had eyed the Turbodorks colors when I started my marines, but because of the shipping costs decided to use washes and then Contrast hit and I hadn't thought about them since then.

Still one day left, and I've got no real plans for tomorrow, but these will likely be my last models finished for 2020:


Kinda crap, in "just get them done" mode, though I do like how the white fur on the one came out. Grouping them with the two old Bolt action models of the LMG gunner and his dog ammo bearer I did several years ago for the painting challenge--figure if I play a skirmish game like This is Not a Test or the like, it'll give me a a goofy little gang to run with.

That'll make my total 156 for the year, and the goal was 144, so not a bad year, especially given there's a dragon, 5 (AT scale) titans, and a chariot in there with all the more normal sized figures.

Figuring next year I'll aim for 72, which sadly breaks my last few years streak of doubling the number of models I get done each year--144 was already feeling bit much and discouraging me from doing 'larger' peices like tanks, 288 would probably kill me, or at least my motivation. I do kinda want to try finishing up more of the tanks for my old IG army though, but we'll see what happens.

Thank you for everybody who leaves comments--its motivating to have that feeling that somebody noticed your work, even if only for a minute.

What was your recipe for the white dog? I'm painting some horses soon and for a white horse (which really are grey according to Terry Pratchett's characters) and currently am just contemplating grey seer base and some contrast white.

And congrats on reaching your goal and to realizing to cut back because you feel it will bring you more joy hobbying. Excited to see what you will do in 2021, your plog is always full with sculpts one doesn't see elsewhere.

Thanks Viterbi. Mostly use Vallejo paints, but the white dog was just polyurethane primer white over the bare metal, a thinned down french mirage blue (dark blue grey) wash in the crevices, and then re-highlighting with (IIRC) white-grey and then cold white.

One thing for counting goals is a trick I used to use to make my numbers, but have stopped doing. Use “model equivalents”. So a mounted calvary guy counts as two (rider + horse is basically painting two models) and things like giant monsters and vehicles count as 4 (lots of area to cover, more details, etc). This lets you tackle big things and not feel you are just shooting your goals.

Doubling your goal every year is not sustainable. There is no way that math works out in the long run. It’s good to push yourself, but let’s not go crazy here...