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Hi Swordwind! Much respect Thank you for the support!

Edit: I wasnt' too happy with the video or the tutorial, and so have removed it. Don't worry, more stuff below!

Okay, so here we go, the Orcs and Elves are complete!

The Elves Army:



The Orcs Army:



The Gold Elves Spearmen:



The Silver Elves Spearmen:



The Silver Elves Sea Guard:



The Silver Elves Bolt Thrower and crew:



The mighty Orcs Krudger!





His Sneaky Goblin Adviser:



Orclings!



The feared Orcs Morax:



The terrifying Orcs Greatax:



The hordes of Orcs Ax:



Lastly, but not least, the Flagger - keeping the Orcs in line:



...and there we go!

To all who have stopped by and given your support, thank you - it really helped and was much appreciated!

I hope you like them They were fanastic miniatures to paint! If you have anything on your mind, please feel free to drop a comment down below.

Cheers guys

Cosmic.

Edit: I have removed the video, as I am not totally happy with it. I may re-attempt it in the future. Thank you all

A bit of fun for the weekend:



"It's all-out war in the vast MDF* expanses as the Elves ready to receive the inevitable Orcs charge."

That's the "Mantica Desert Farlands"

Not an update as such, but I thought it would be cool

Five painted miniatures a day:



This rule is not unknown to many wargamers. Sometimes it's three or four miniatures a day, although I prefer five much more.

Perhaps it is because I have recently got my first few painted armies out of the way, but I am now into the habbit of painting at least five miniatures to the same stage every day (unless absolutely not possible). If I feel like painting more, I will paint another set of five, and maybe another! I still must paint at least another five the next day, though.

Although I have now learnt that it is possible for me to paint an army of miniatures in the space of under a week, I find that the way mentioned above is much more sustainable and enjoyable in the long-term. (Although the buzz of painting tonnes of minis is quite fun!)

As of now, I am wading through the hordes of the Undead, and hope to share them all with you soon!

Thank you all,

Cosmic.

Nice! I used to have that discipline too, around this time last year, but then everything got all stressful and I dropped out of the habit. But it is an excellent way to maintian momentum.

Hello again, it has been a while!

Thanks for the reply Da Boss. In the end, I finished a horde of skeletons and then put the brushes down for a while.

I have finished this section of Forge Father Steel Warriors:



I hope that you like 'em!

Cosmic.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I have updated the images of the Orcs and Elves.

I like it. I think the Mantic stuff is great, particularly the RnF guys. Their zombies in particular blow GW's away. I think with the undead in particular, both ranges benefit by working together. The parts mix and match pretty well, and supplementing Mantic's fairly limited pose selection with GW bits has made for some very diverse looking stuff.

I'm not overly fond of the elves, but your paint jobs look sharp.

Are you going to do some Corporation stuff? The new big guys look pretty awesome.

Great looking armies!

I especially like the way the orcs turned out, the end result is really good for something that is a simple colour primer, 2 main colours on top (metal and green), followed by picking out teeth and eyes and then dip/wash.

I'll definitely use a similar approach on the 200 or so Orcs that have been lurking in my cupboard for some time, although I'm thinking of going with black leather and a more rusty/jagged metal.

Cheers guys!

wonkobaggins wrote:I like it. I think the Mantic stuff is great, particularly the RnF guys. Their zombies in particular blow GW's away. I think with the undead in particular, both ranges benefit by working together. The parts mix and match pretty well, and supplementing Mantic's fairly limited pose selection with GW bits has made for some very diverse looking stuff.

I'm not overly fond of the elves, but your paint jobs look sharp.

Are you going to do some Corporation stuff? The new big guys look pretty awesome.

I absolutely agree about the mix/match idea, especially using GW miniatures for undead heroes, and Mantic plastics for the ranks of the undead hordes.

Thanks for the compliment! There is much debate about the Elves. I feel that they are perhaps Mantic's most unique-looking army, and a good effort for their first attempt. It really depends on how you see an elf

Ah, The Corporation I really like the hard sci-fi direction that Mantic is going with Warpath, but as for the Enforcers? They are, without question, really awesome! I hope to get some Corporation stuff up soon.

scarletsquig wrote:Great looking armies!

I especially like the way the orcs turned out, the end result is really good for something that is a simple colour primer, 2 main colours on top (metal and green), followed by picking out teeth and eyes and then dip/wash.

I'll definitely use a similar approach on the 200 or so Orcs that have been lurking in my cupboard for some time, although I'm thinking of going with black leather and a more rusty/jagged metal.

Thanks 'squig! I have been taking a simple approach to my painting lately, also to do with the fact that it would take me a very long time to complete such a small amount of models. Don't get me wrong, painting is fun, but I have found painting big blocks of colour to be more fun than lining the edge of armour with the smallest brush possible! I find the dip/wash at the end to be very satisfying, because you never really know how it's going to turn out. Admittedly, I tend to adopt a start-stop approach to my painting, so the more models that I can paint in that space of time, the better.

Best of luck with your Orcs! A good method could be:

1. Prime black.

2. Drybrush grey (this is for the clothing/leather).

3. Paint the skin (I used Gretchin Green, worked a treat).

4. Paint the metal (perhaps silver, and then splodge areas with a rusty brown colour to represent rust. You could use a lighter silver in certain places to represent chipped armour or sharpened blades).

5. Details (bone for teeth/claws/horns, red for eyes).

6. Brown wash all over.

7. ??????

8. Profit!

The brown wash not only shades everything, but also blends together the drybrushing used for the black. You probably had this kind of idea in mind, but I thought it useful to mention.

I almost left this guy out:



Thanks everyone!

Hello again, everyone!

Well, it has been almost two years since we have seen these guys:



Shown above are just over 200 Undead, ready to receive some Army Painter Quickshade. I have not painted the hero models yet, as I'd like to give them some much brighter base coats (it will look much nicer when shaded). I have recently begun to embrace my rather stop-start approach to the hobby. Some days I will paint, paint, paint, and then others I will give it a rest.

I came across this quite recent video about painting Zombies. No matter your skill level, it really deserves a watch:




So, what's been happening? I may not have been extremely active, hobby-wise, myself, although I've been (mostly) keeping up to date with the things going on within it. Mantic-wise, I am very impressed by DreadBall and DeadZone. It seems as though the plastic Men-at-Arms were disappointing, although I am extremely excited by the news of the plastic space-zombies and Enforcers. It reminded me of when the KoW Zombies were first announced. I really think that Mantic can do it.

In other news, I have become increasingly immersed in all that is DROPZONE COMMANDER! Seriously, though, if you haven't already, check this thing out. Hawk Wargames are seriously awesome. I don't know what's not to like: the miniatures are excellent; the rules are excellent; the background is excellent...

So, I think that, instead of starting up another blog, I shall continue to use this one (and make it a general one). You can expect to see DropZone Commander, bucket-loads of space zombies, and more. At least, that is the plan Also, it is great to see all of the old blogs that I followed still going strong!

Next up is getting the Undead finished Plus, I have other bits and pieces that I can be getting on with after (as you know).

Until next time, Dakka!

Good to see you posting, again, Cosmic!

That tutorial was really pretty good- very well explained, with a really clear way of showing techniques and so on- nothing left out.

Hi Da Boss!

Thank you, it's great to be back! Yes, I was very glad to have found the tutorial. By the way, the Undead in your gallery are ace! Good job Expect a small update soon, possibly involving some sc-fi super-soldiers

Okay, here they are!

The Enforcers:



The Corporation (Marines and Rangers):



Really fun to paint, I like the way that they came out! Another update is in the works, should be ready to share soon. In other news, Mantic's Dreadball Extreme Kickstarter is going strong.

Until next time, guys, thanks for dropping by

Thanks for sharing the zombies video. Got most of mine painted but I'll definately give it a watch.

Your Mantic stuff is very pretty. Not a fan of some of the models but the painting is well done.

Glad to see you back Cosmic, although i have been away as well, the absence was less missed by me lol.

The Orange on the visors/helms, is really vibrant. I like it. It stands out so well against the grey of their armor/uniform.

Making Mantic even more tempting for me well played.

@Sigur: Sigur! It is an honour As I'm sure that you know by now, the video mostly covers using dip. I don't know if you would, personally, use the stuff in many situations, but I'm currently fascinated by it! Thanks for the kind words

@M0rdain: Hello sir! Hey, we're both back Excellent progress on your blog, too!

@Llamahead: Hi Llama'! Glad to hear it Lately, I am increasingly liking the art style that Mantic has gone for with their Sci-fi miniatures. More precisely, the armour detailing (such as the Enforcers, Corporation, and Forge Father Iron Ancestor).

Okay, small update! I've colour primed some Mummies and Wraiths with Necrotic Flesh. Also pictured in the middle is Mhorgoth:



What Cosmic, more stuff? Well, err... yes!

I really like these guys. Both the Mummies and Wraiths (yes, and you, Mhorgoth) are very characterful. A word of advice if picking up some Mummies - be careful how you assemble them, as they are quite bulky, and so stand close together when ranked up.

The Wraiths, however, are possibly some of the best minis that I have (to this point) had the pleasure of assembling. The casting is extremely well done. There's four different body sculpts, although one of them has a choice of arms to be given.

I know that many people often call for variety and options when building miniatures, which, don't get me wrong, is a very good thing, but when you're trying to paint loads of guys at the same time, less variation is often a blessing.

I know that this is getting a little too talky now The picture is indeed very work in progress. Okay, so here's what's next. When I come back with this blog, it will be with all of the already painted Undead (the 80 Skeletons, 20 Revenants, 40 Ghouls and 60 Zombies) completely finished. I will use the dipping method as it is implied - literally dunking the guys in the stuff and shaking the excess off.

Thank you very much for the support guys - until next time!

Yesterday, I was at a sort of jumble shop - not exactly an antique shop, just lots of random and mostly second-hand stuff. I was browsing around, and then happened to look down to see a book in an armchair, all on its own. This one:



I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! Well, I doubt that it is exactly rare, but it was in perfect condition for its age (28 years!), and it was like a throw-back to early GW history. I immediately made the purchase. The contents are fascinating. There is a picture of a younger Jes Goodwin and Bob Naismith, and hundreds of pictures of the super "old-school" Citadel miniatures. The book talks about role-playing games and fantasy battle games in general, and then moves on to the creative process of sculpting a miniature. Next, we get to the painting! It really is a fun read, as it is a time when they were figuring everything out. Let me give you a few awesome examples:

- After preparing the miniature, it instructs to undercoat the figure in a neutral color, stating that grey or beige are the best choices.

- If wanting to create a rusty or tarnished appearance on armour, the figure should not be undercoated, and the armour should be painted first, using a brown ink wash over the bare metal. A few applications might be necessary.

- If we assume that the average person is 1.80 meters tall, and a 25mm figure is 72 times smaller than the full size of a human, then all shadows should be 72 times lighter than they are in real life!

In all honesty, some of the figure painting is incredible. It even seems common that they add a small dot of white to the figures' eyes to simulate reflection. Also, there are some super-retro Space Marines! Or should I say, "Deep Space Mercenaries". Essentially, the book is an independent publisher, and GW has provided as much support as possible in its creation. Lastly, I would like to mention an Orc army, featuring no other Margaret Thatcher's face on their banner.

----------

Back to my own hobby news, the other day, like I seem to be doing, after a pause in production I came back and dipped all of the previously mentioned Undead. Next is to base and matte varnish them all.

In current hobby news, 40k 7th edition is just around the corner! Who would have thought? Well, it looks pretty cool, even if Tau are best buddies with Necrons now. Also, the Mantic open day recently came and went. Alas, I did not attend, but thankfully many a picture was taken.

Until next time, guys!

Wow that is quite a find. I would love to see the banner with Maggie on lol.

Hi M0rdain! Ask, and ye shall receive!



I must admit that for some reason I am slightly worried about sharing this one

Hahaha awesome

Update time!



I wanted to share with you the progress that I have made on the Undead. They have now been based with sand, which then received some paint. Next, the painted sand needs to be dry-brushed, and the edge of the bases needs to be painted to a uniform colour. I would like to experiment with using a sponge for the latter step. The result should be the same as with the Enforcers and Corporation.

Almost there now! I'll be back with them when they have been given their final coat of matte varnish.

Until next time,

Cosmic.

Hey, nice blog. Quick and easy yet distinctive and neat paintwork I must say. Got myself a gakload of lotr goblins to paint, so the rule of 5 a day is maybe something I've got to follow this summer ^^ (I only finished the models I tought I needed at that time :p)
Recently I started looking out for cheap skeleton figures, and found out mantic sells sprues of ten skeletons (revenants/tregular/command sprues). I would need just a couple of skeletons, but GW is a tad too pricey for just a couple, and the set of 5 skeletons doesn't provide enough options for my likes :c
Could you maybe make a picture of the skeletons you like most, with maybe showing the difference between the revenants and the regular skeletons?
I'm also looking for a head swap for the WH fantasy chaos sorcerer lord, do you think these skeleton heads would fit a GW miniature?

Hi soulcow, thank you!

Indeed, I thoroughly recommend Mantic's Skeletons, not just because of the price. I will certainly provide you with pictures of my favourite Skellies - I had a lot of fun posing them! (One of them is trying to pull a hatchet out of his head - again, I'll be sure to take a picture.)

I don't see any reason why you can't try to swap the Sorcerer's head for a Skeleton one, the scale is the same. The box comes with lots of heads to choose from, so you should find one that you like.

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be back soon!

THEY ARE FINISHED!

The full army shot:



The First Skeleton Horde:



The Second Skeleton Horde (with spears):



The Revenants:



The Ghouls:



The Zombies:



Hooray, they are done - very happy! I had a lot of fun taking the pictures, I hope you like them

You can probably tell, but much more time was spent painting the skeletons than the Ghouls and Zombies. I think it was really worth spending the time on the them, whereas I think the latter group benefited from a much simpler painting approach. Not pictured is the the crews for the Balefire Catapults, as I had a little trouble trying to get the pictures to come out good.

@soulcow: As just mentioned, because of the difficulty to get some close-up shots, I didn't take the picture of my favourite skeletons... although, they are all my favourites! Hopefully you will be able to have a good look at them all in the pictures.

"Cosmic," you may ask, "but this is not the entire army, and so it is not finished!"

Indeed, you are correct! I still have the Catapults, Heroes, Mummies, and Wraiths to paint, which leads me to my next point...

...I think that this blog has drawn to its natural close! Do not be sad, for I plan to start up a general Painting Showcase, and these guys will certainly be on it! When they are all done, I will start one up, and be sure to swap over the link in my signature. I'm also really looking forward to sharing some DropZone Commander stuff with you

So, in conclusion, I would really like to thank you all for the support on this blog. Even if you haven't commented, or just clicked on it and decided it wasn't for you, it has been a massive motivation, because I've always known it was there, and there was still lots of unfinished stuff to paint!

Please be sure to check out my showcase thread when its up, and...

THANK YOU!