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Brilliant stuff especially on Heimdall.

Gitsplitta wrote:Good Lord graven... you are getting GOOD!

Wowza.

Well, I am lucky enough to have the support of some very long standing dakkanauts... Practically a dakkasaurus

Camkierhi wrote:
That is top tier work there buddy. Truly excellent

Praise from a master builder many thanks

Llamahead wrote:Brilliant stuff especially on Heimdall.

Thanks man, NMM on the sword is a bit rough but pretty happy overall.

I've been blown over by the response online to these, particularly to Malekith; he seems to have really taken off (as it were) on insta. I've also changed my insta name to games_with_graven in an attempt to play the algorithm and it seems to have had an immediate positive impact, which is nice.

On a whim, I painted some Sigmarites:

For what was, fundamentally, an incredibly quick scheme to do, I think they've turned out really well.


A nice palette cleanser. I planned to start the new Hellboy figs but got hit with primer shock despite my best efforts so they'll need stripped and redone. I had only done one side of them, luckily, so won't be horrendous, but still bloody annoying. Might do my remaining Enforcers, though I'll need to kitbash not-lightning claws for the Peacekeepers as they inexplicably don't come with them despite being part of the standard loadout. Ffs.

Hey ho
Graven

Lovely work. Really like the sheen on the armor and skirts.

The coloring you did for Heimdall is cool but Bifrost is mindblowing. I thought it was a translucent plastic prefab part for the model.

I like your other stuff as well but man that one really took my attention. You've been busy.

Nice work, nice sheen effect. Bummer on the primer. Sure you will work it out.

For the Emperor! Erm, I mean Sigmar!

Nice

Gitsplitta wrote:Lovely work. Really like the sheen on the armor and skirts.

Cheers! Fun to do something a bit different.

Skalk Bloodaxe wrote:The coloring you did for Heimdall is cool but Bifrost is mindblowing. I thought it was a translucent plastic prefab part for the model.

I like your other stuff as well but man that one really took my attention. You've been busy.

Thanks old son, and lovely to see you again!

Camkierhi wrote:Nice work, nice sheen effect. Bummer on the primer. Sure you will work it out.

Thanks man. It occured to me that there might be a separate issue: because my garage workbench is full, I was priming on the floor, so it was possibly an airflow issue - cold air hitting the primer as it dries. Sure enough, Street stripping and starting over it was all fine

Slinky wrote:For the Emperor! Erm, I mean Sigmar!
Nice

Cheers mate lol.

Painting has definitely slowed down this month, September isn't usually this quiet but there's been a lot more boardgaming and I think that in many ways that's the wind is blowing. Not that I'm going off painting - I really enjoy the marvel stuff - but I'm definitely moving away from powering through hordes. I think as well it's evolving therapy: painting is solo therapy, board games more communal (or at least mean I spend time with the kids).

But, that being said, a few bits and pieces to finish up the month. Firstly, some long overdue Aeronautica!

Fire Raptors to finish off my Raven Guard air corps.

I still have a set of Avenger strike fighters (to be done as Raven Guard PDF) and Aeldari ground assets to attend to but it's nice to get through some wings regardless.


And as we are in the air, more Mantic jetbikes.

The one on the left has the replacement fin that I built from plasticard. Very pleased.

And indeed, more Enforcer, more glow.

Resin direct order Captain with claws. Only way to get this cc tank. I've got some Tartarus termie claws so I can build a full unit, as there's no other official sculpt for them.

Wee group shot.
I've got 2 pathfinder monocycles left to do and then onto kitbash the clawed Peacekeeper team, plus I'm partway through a Tunnel Runnel (monowheel of death) for my Veer-Myn - that, at least, should be finished this month, though I'm not going to stress.
Into October, maybe some more Core Space, but then it'll be Hellboy pretty much all the way. Well. Tis the season
Graven

Not powering through hordes of models is a good thing, IMO. Up until two years ago or so, I managed to average on model a day (365+ for the year, in other words). Then I noticed that a) I was running out of places to put them, and b) I had more than enough painted models for any game I wanted to play. Now I just paint what I feel like, when I feel like it, and the quality of my work is much, much better.

I thought my Enforcers collection was pretty much complete, but then you posted the Phase Claw captain. Who, by the way, looks ace. I really like the glow effect, especially the reflected light on his legs. I'll have to pick up that model sometime soon.

That plasticard bike is amazeballs. Wow.

JoshInJapan wrote:Not powering through hordes of models is a good thing, IMO. Up until two years ago or so, I managed to average on model a day (365+ for the year, in other words). Then I noticed that a) I was running out of places to put them, and b) I had more than enough painted models for any game I wanted to play. Now I just paint what I feel like, when I feel like it, and the quality of my work is much, much better.

I thought my Enforcers collection was pretty much complete, but then you posted the Phase Claw captain. Who, by the way, looks ace. I really like the glow effect, especially the reflected light on his legs. I'll have to pick up that model sometime soon.

This seems very sound advice. I think I am definitely heading that way. I've noticed the quality even of this month's marvel minis is better, I think.

Gitsplitta wrote:That plasticard bike is amazeballs. Wow.

Well it's not entirely plasticard, just half reconstructed but thanks.

All that being said, a wee bit more Mantic to finish up the month.

Monowheel! Tunnel Runners are really good in Deadzone (and in Firefight, though I don't really play Veer-Myn in the latter because I can't be bothered horde painting) so when I saw on fleabay for less than half it was a snap.

It DOES mean I have a full 1000 PT force

Even spent a bit longer on this than usual, lenses and everything.


Also, on the subjects of monowheels AND finishing Enforcers:

Pathfinder Monocycles. These have been out of print for ages and now rereleased as two-pack. Picked them up whilst we were at Mantic, absolute crackers, they're complete swines to play against - high speed, long range snipers to make other peoples' lives a misery

Good times .

Entirely on a whim, painted up a little medical servitor from... Necromunda maybe?

Ok it's creepy and 40k ish but there's no skulls or eagles so it's fairly serviceable in any future setting, I reckon.


And finally, spurred on by others here, gave my desk a very thorough tidy

So, next? Well, if you look closely the bases for the 4 melee Peacekeepers are lurking on there, so I'm going to get them chopped and built - which really WILL mean all my Enforcers are done. But as mentioned, October is likely to be spooky shiz, mostly
Graven

Oh man I LOVE that medical servitor!

Gitsplitta wrote:Oh man I LOVE that medical servitor!

cracking wee sculpt innit? I think we got it free with some terrain from Conquest.

I have raised that 4th Oct is the 1 year blog-a-versary! Post migration from decade-long, rollover-prone previous dakka plog. So might do a wee recap.

Whilst this month will be Hellboy heavy (I've started planning paint schemes and everything), I've got my Enforcers finished off first.

Squad Leader for the regulars first. I'd forgotten to do one, and don't leaders always go helmetless, after all?

And the Peacekeepers with Phase Claws.

I found 3 sets of tartarus claws cheap on eBay, cut one off each, and used gs to build up circuitry etc.

Right hands all had to have guns chopped off too. Lots of gs work

Group shot of push. In amongst them I can't help but feel I should've given him a hammer

Finishing these is significant for a number of reasons, not least of which being I now have two fully painted Mantic armies. Always better on the table Turns out my general hobby ADHD is actual ADHD, too, so completing a task feels like an extra special achievement.

It's actually been a pretty tough weekend, as the Father in law is now in hospital with COVID. He's not in a great state, but it's almost more mental than anything else - he's let himself age twenty years in the last two. He's a decade younger than my own folks and looks at least a decade older. We'll see what the coming weeks bring.

Hey ho
Graven

Good job on the claws graven... they're really striking too.

Hope the FiL pulls through OK. It's been a tough time for a lot of folks. Some handle it better than others...

Excellent work all round. Actually jealous of your VeerMin , I have the army box to paint somewhere.

Painting more for yourself than painting the necessary, is always better. The only trouble being there are so many things I want for myself!

Love and hugs bud, best wishes to the FiL. Difficult times. We are in very difficult times. Our time of life is full of loss and the world is much more difficult these days with Covid and such.

Gitsplitta wrote:Good job on the claws graven... they're really striking too.
Hope the FiL pulls through OK. It's been a tough time for a lot of folks. Some handle it better than others...

Thanks man. On both counts. Yeah, it's a bit grim.

Camkierhi wrote:Excellent work all round. Actually jealous of your VeerMin , I have the army box to paint somewhere.
Painting more for yourself than painting the necessary, is always better. The only trouble being there are so many things I want for myself!
Love and hugs bud, best wishes to the FiL. Difficult times. We are in very difficult times. Our time of life is full of loss and the world is much more difficult these days with Covid and such.

Veer-Myn are proper fun to play but I have no time for army painting and squillions more rats don't appeal. And thanks for the kind words.

Meanwhile, spooky season begins!

Early days on Nimue / Dragon form, Lord Balam, and Gruagach. The Black Flame is nearly done, I reckon. My plan for Nimue was to have her robes all in red, but the preshading fade is quite appealing, so I might explore that further. The original art doesn't settle on any particular colour for her dragon form - it's all sunsets and backlighting - so I intend, I think, to take the colour scheme from her clothing etc into it. Not rushing, just enjoying.

And, finally, many thanks over the last year! That's how long this iteration of my blog has been going. Thanks for your continued support, comments and feedback, it's always good to have dakka to turn to
Graven

Love spooky season. I think you've made the right call on the red.

Ok, so, spooky gak!

They don't come much spookier than the Black Flame. Whilst black 🔥 is obviously... Challenging, I'm pretty happy with the results.

Hopefully, the electric blue pops enough.

Continuing with our demonic overlords, Lord Balam, in all his glory.

It's a cool sculpt, I just wish he were bigger...

I feel like he should've been 40mm + base size, like the giant monsters, more Kriegaffe sized (with whom he shares an almost identical pose).

Gruagach, the twisted daoine sidhe

I was lucky enough to have a bit of input on this fig in game.

I'm eternally grateful that they based the sculpt on my favourite panel from the comic.

And Nimuë, Queen of Blood.

Damn, what a sculpt. I wasn't initially sure but I loved painting her. The hair colour was a bit out of left field, but I've tried to lean into a bit into Mignola aesthetic, and it's how he highlights her hair, so who am I to argue?

Aiming to replicate the colours on her dragon form...

Yeah.

I'm down with that.

The wing membranes stressed me out.

Side by side

And, all together.

I really love the Hellboy Board Game. We pretty much exhausted the possibilities during lockdown, playing every scenario, some randomly generated ones and our own customs. So having new content is a big bonus.

Finally, a promo! The resin token for Johann Krauss when he's out of his suit. I managed to lose mine It's a limited edition, out of production - so they 3D printed me one on one of the studio printers. Very blessed.

More Hellboy to follow. Got a monster groove going on
Graven

Happy blog-versary!

Nice work on the Hellboy stuff, my favourite is Black Flame.

All looking good, but Black Flame especially. Seems like a tricky effect to get right, but you've pulled it off very neatly! Dragon also looks badass, love the almost dinosaur-y head on the sculpt.

A wonderful offering for the Halloween season my friend! They look great!

Great stuff , fairly motoring through them.

Loved the Asgardian Marvel stuff and the Hellboy minis came out great too. They should do well in the painting comp!

aku-chan wrote:Happy blog-versary!

Nice work on the Hellboy stuff, my favourite is Black Flame.

Cheers mate. And thanks man.

Paradigm wrote:All looking good, but Black Flame especially. Seems like a tricky effect to get right, but you've pulled it off very neatly! Dragon also looks badass, love the almost dinosaur-y head on the sculpt.

Thanks man for high praise. I realise, retrospectively, dragon is a bit Cubone (dinosaur Pokémon) but I was trying to mirror Nimuë's helm. Nevertheless, kind words

Gitsplitta wrote:A wonderful offering for the Halloween season my friend! They look great!

Well, you're king of the season after all, so I'll take that

Camkierhi wrote:Great stuff , fairly motoring through them.

I know, so much for taking my time eh? However, I'm keen to get the game to the table, so... Onward!

Viterbi wrote:Loved the Asgardian Marvel stuff and the Hellboy minis came out great too. They should do well in the painting comp!

Thanks bud! Hopefully a couple will be up to scratch

So, moving on: Crickets!

Nasty jumpy wee horde mutants. Horrid things

Varvara. Yes, scary evil girl demon.

Fun to do, though many, many layers.

Hammerhead. He's a really nasty big bad, with a great classic mythos vibe. Not the formless, nameless kind, but rather the ancient, unknowable monster.

And the Wendigo!

He is actually an infected agent, so has great mechanics in game - you really don't want to kill him, despite the fact he'll try to rip you apart and eat you. Jolly nice.

And a quick group shot.

All in all, satisfactory progress. And that's me past 365 for the year... not that I'm still counting
Graven

Crickets are definitely horrid - In a good way

Great work! That hammerhead is a really cool fig.

Slinky wrote:Crickets are definitely horrid - In a good way

Yeah. Nasty little buggers. Ta!

Gitsplitta wrote:Great work! That hammerhead is a really cool fig.

Thanks bud. Yeah, he's a real favourite.
More baddies, entirely unexpected I'm sure

The Crooked Man. Very challenging to paint as he is a figure entirely in drawn and inked in black in the comics.

I actually used a lot of khaki and tan to try to achieve the shading.

Demonic Servants

And Demonic Underlings

These might replace imps as my new least-favourite enemy

And Ogdru-hem mutants, which I'm rather pleased with.

These guys remind me of something out of a Bosch painting so I tried a different strategy with the highlights.

I also approached the flesh in a very different way, using Vallejo dark fleshtone as a starting point. Definitely something I'm going to think about for character models in future.

So I'm surprisingly on track with painting the Big Box of Doom in a month. I've got the Queen's Champion left from the enemies and then it's onto the heroes! There's also Drinking with Skeletons, the display piece, to tackle, but that's a big beast.

It's our half term break this week. Kids have got a fair number of activities on, I'm hoping for a longer game of some sort with eldest though he's away camping up north just now. Generally just keeping things quiet. Money is definitely starting to bite, though at least these days my hobby expenses are mostly just glue, paint and brushes. The shelf, just now, is more core space (bounty hunters, drones and another crew), moonstone (killer bunnies) and more marvel, including the Doc Ock Vs Spider-Man display which I'm really looking forward to

I suppose might need another display stand as well
Graven

Excellent effort. I think my absolute favorite is the crooked man. Spectacular job using a very restricted palate.

I'm with Gits, crooked man is awesome. Like the lot mind you. They all look good.

Gitsplitta wrote:Excellent effort. I think my absolute favorite is the crooked man. Spectacular job using a very restricted palate.

Thanks so much my dude. I actually enjoyed him quite a lot more than I expected.

Camkierhi wrote:I'm with Gits, crooked man is awesome. Like the lot mind you. They all look good.

Cheers mate.
I turned the model upside down to do the drybrushing, to create the sense of uplighting - tbh I think I could've done even more. I also wonder if his beard could be lighter.

Lots more Hellboy, as it's the school break - powering through the set. First, a Hero!

Sledgehammer, from the Hellboy '44 comic (eventually used by Johann Krauss)

He is so retro it hurts.

Queen's Champion. Big boss version of the huntsmen from The Wild Hunt.

These buggers turn up alarmingly often so I'm glad they did a special version for this KS.

Also, to push myself, working on the Drinking with Skeletons diorama.

This was an opportunity to play about with washes and shadows, which was very enjoyable.

Figuring out the light and shadow, especially on Big Red, was particularly challenging.

But... Time for a rant. Why. Why in the name of all things sacred would you put a mold line down the face of a model, never mind a RESIN PROMO?!

Really shoddy work there Mantic. Had to rebuild Hellboy's nose with gs as well as other facial details. I'm usually a big mantic fanboy but this was very poor.

I am sick of resin; I really, really hate working with it. It's brittle, temperamental and in this day and age I'll take plastic or even metal. Life's too short.

It's even holding me back from printing right now: I've just made a classic Captain America 🛡️ from plasticard despite having a decent STL.
Nevertheless, rather proud of him.

So, back to more Plastic; more Big Red!

Nice not to have to rebuild this face.

Playing about with NMM... ish for the sword

Comparison shot. They were done together to ensure consistency of palette.


Lots more light and 🔥 nonsense, starting with the new version of Liz Sherman, Liz Aflame.

Fun to do. Painted her as normal and then layered up the flames. Dodgy pic, sorry.

And Ashley Strode, another KS exclusive.

Applying the same logic to the shadows as on display HB.

Another KS agent, Ted Howards, with his magic Hyperborean blade.

I'm actually not a huge fan of the charter or indeed Hell on Earth as a storyline, but rather enjoyed doing the fig.


And finally, Abe Evolved.

Lovely to break out the turquoises again.

Amazed they were still liquid, tbh.

And all the agents together!

So with that, Big Box of Doom is done!

Just need to pick favourites for the dakka painting contest.


For the sake of variety, and my sanity (no comment, thanks) I also decided to mix it up with a bit of Moonstone. So... Murder Bunnies!

And you've got to have a big bunny 🐰, right?

Jackalope. The biggest huggiest killiest bunniest bunny of them all. I will love him and hug him and call him George.

Modelled, naturally, on the beast of Caernobog. Now, someone mentioned an Enchanter?

Boris, not Tim. No confusion here.

And as a set. Boris and his bunnies.

So, a productive month, more so than I expected. I may or may not hit 400 by year end, but not going to stress over it. Weirdly, I don't even have a huge amount to paint on the old shelf just now, just some more MCP and core space, so we'll see. Whilst the latter tend to be pretty quick the Marvel minis deserve more care and attention.
Graven

So many outstanding models this time graven! (but... the big bunny... )