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*rubs hands* now that sounds wicked... with some nice flintlock musket style guns gone lasgun a perfect alley on any table I think^^

Very nice, clean sculpting. The cloth of the trousers is very good.

Happy New Year. It's looking like it'll be a good one.

@El Vik:
I hope so
They will have Arquebuses (Or Arquelases in that case? ), an earlier version of muskets, but oh well, not a big difference anyway.

@Dr H:
Thanks, pal!
Happy holidays to you as well.


As for the updates... Me lazily polish, sculpt and pait stuff and almost finished the Sewers - only the water effect left to be applied and it takes a lot of drying time =/
So, pics will be few days later.
But here's a little teaser for you guys:

I'm lazily polish...

and there is me thinking the whole time you´re a Russian...silly me...

nice rubberbands ...I see the paintjob has started...looks dark

Yiu've got me, El Vik

I can say even more: the paint job has finished! It's just water which is left.

looking forward then to that bigger update once the water is how it is supposed to be

Well this is an approach I did not see coming will these have a sci-fi aspect to them as well then ?

I think this could be a very cool project with some very alternative miniatures, cant wait to see the next updates not sure on the heads at the moment though

Also what water medium are you using ? Did you add colour to it as it looks quite dark.

Happy new year and lets hope it will be a prosperous one

@LDD:
Well, it's still a very basic sculpt. The details can change the overall feel drastically... And I'm surely aiming for Sci Fi-esque look.
Why, I like this head. It's my favorite one

I'm using Vallejo Still Water 26230, mixed with washes. With Devlan Mud for this particular layer.

Thanks and best wishes to you too, pal

Hey, fellas!

The overall expirience with this Vallejo Still Water 26230 turned into a disaster - this stuff manage to destroy the paint and even the primer.
I believe this happened due to it's super stickiness and the ability to shrink heavily after drying: when you apply a fairly thick layer it sticks to the paint hard and then the shrinkage rips off the paint from the surface.
I've applied it in a very thin layers, but not thin enough as it appeared. So, my friends, do not ever place more then a one millimeter thick per layer of this Water or you risk to end up like me - redoing the whole part of diorama anew!

Here you can see clearly what happened to the paint:


And that's what I've got after cleaning the mess (with a bit of rectifications already):


All this sadness aside, I've finished the sewer plinth for the Turtle, yet I'm still struggling to make some decent shots, so the update on that matter will be a bit later.

But of course I can't leave you here with nothing but my whining, so here goes a little update on The Pillagers project:


The gun is in a very WIP state as well as the guy himself and there are a lot of work to be done, but I guess it's worth showing nonetheless

OOOOOOOooooooo thats nasty although looking at how it pulled the paint of it kind of looks like scum build up falling away, but as you're a bit of a perfectionist I see why you stripped it back which is a real dam shame

Now down to the miniature I like the route this is heading and can see some great conversion potential as well, the legs have some really nice detail especially the feet and lower leg section.

Will the head be wearing some kind of mask or is that just the early form ? Either way looks great so far and cant wait to see it progress and glad your back.

So, lesson learned; test water effects before going full hog on the project!

@LDD:
Aye, the effect of ripped off paint looked kinda nice and suitablee, but the overall result was awful.

The conversion potencial, besides details, comes to the amount of parts of the miniature and that's what bothers me the most:
Right now the body and the legs comes as one piece and I'm still not sure if I'll be able to separate them into interchangeable pieces, though I realy wish to for so many reasons.
I want to make a squad of such marksmen and I would like to release 'em as a multi part kit.

Yeap, the head wears a mask. Something like a hockey masks, close to the one from Army of Two:


There won't be much (or any at all) details on the it - it suppose to be a place for freehands and other forms of people's creativity.
I like the idea of unique paintings on the masks for every unit, like hockey goalkeepers have.
Looks quite appropriate and Sci-Fi-esque with the conquistador's Morion helmet, in my opinion.


@Shasolenzabi:
Lesson learned indeed

I see your point it did seem rather solid one piece, just those legs are so cool and one area I always find lets down models is legs and feet.

I like the mask idea will allow for unique creativity so cool choice, I think it will be awkward to break it down at this point maybe something to consider for future though.

Well keep it coming mate

P.S. I need to PM you later mate

The legs are pretty much in scale with regular IG. It won't be much of a problem to saw the legs off, if I won't manage to make it separate with the torso.
Problem is, if you want the legs and torso to be Interchangeable and rotatable, you want the waist to be circle, barrel-like shaped, which makes it looks rather clumsy, since the human waist is actually oval shaped (though mine is getting closer to barrel-like every day, meh... )
Well, we'll see, we'll see...

I'm thinking about making several mask variations, but the concept should remain the same.

PS:
Okay. I like getting P.Ms. Me be waitin'

Ballistic mask made to protect against bullets and shrapnel, very nice touch!

Don't worry we all get a bit round with age

I would probably just saw the legs and waist apart for my needs no real problem just wondering if you would be making multi pose or one piece miniatures.

Like the idea of head variants different masks would be a interesting addition

Exactly - a ballistic mask.

A more precise shot:

KABOOM!






Also, I've tried out the SmoothOn stuff at last. I'll make a big post with a lot of pictures about my first casting experience a bit later.



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...Ah, and a small update on The Pillagers project: a weapon of Pillager's sharpshooters - the Arquepulsar rifle.

Dona....fellow!

The Tweenage Monster Kung Fu Kappa!

Amazing. The colors used for the sewer look really good and don't draw attention from the turtle, but still stand out on their own. The use of turquoise/teal and orange really help lend some fun to the terrain without just blending into the background. Which is what I feel would've happened if you used more neutral tones. That dio has been a long time coming. It was worth the wait.

The leather trimmings on Donafellow look really well done too. Given the composition, I'm glad that you went with super - green opposed to a darker skin tone.

The Arquepulsar rifle looks to be shaping up well. Some attention to the front end is in progress, I assume.

Amazing work here. Subscribed!

Its like a comic but in 3d so not a comic really……. well it looks dam amazing

the rifle looks pretty good so a far as well

 lone dirty dog wrote:
Its like a comic but in 3d

I had the same thought; A comic brought to life in 3D. Great job Ish.

Oh yeah, and the rifle looks nice too.

Moltar wrote:Dona....fellow!

The Tweenage Monster Kung Fu Kappa!

Cheers, mate!
The goal was to achieve cartoony feel yet a little different with the Nick's show.
Tbh (and surprisingly), the most time consuming process for me was the photo shooting...


@Cleatus:
Thank you and welcome!


@LDD:
Thanks, pal.
That was the plan =)
Too bad I failed with the water effect... But the overall result is fairly nice nevertheless.


@Dr H:
Thanks a lot!

Dude it's the OZZEE not water and it spot on

The other thing I like is the way the brick work reflects the pathway colour nice touch really pulls the diorama together.

Can I just say, i've read through this blog just now from start to finish and you've undergone some MENTAL painting and sculpting improvements. I thought the quality was good at the start but I have literally been blown away by the later pages in this blog.
Great work!

@LDD:
Indeed =)
Though I wanted a transparent water (a bit dirty, of course) with some junk seen through it to be there.

@lipsdapips:
Cheers, pal!
Welcome to the party! =)


Alright... Recently I've felt a great need in copying several sculpts for the further work and the workshop where we order our commercial casts is fairly expensive to make a few small details, so the time has come to try out the SmothOn stuff we've bought some time ago.
I've promised to share my casting experience, so here we go, step by step.
Keep in mind, it's not a guide! Just my thoughts and analysis... A story of fails, more likely
Okay...

- I've started with placing master model and here I've done the first mistake - made the pouring channel too thin and probably in the wrong spots.
I'm sure it shouldn't be much of a problem with a proper vacuum chamber, but in my case (without any vacuum) it affected the casting quality drasticly.


- Molding time! And here goes the second mistake - I've used small glasses to mix the rubber and this mess is nearly impossible to wash without proper solvent afterwards.
So, I say, save yourself some time and nerves and use one-time cheap plastic cups.
Also, as you can see on the photo, there are a lot of small bubbles in the mix.
It didn't affect my casts after all, but I think using the vacuum for the Silicon is heavily recommended.


- Four hours later, it's ready for demolding and here none mistakes were made, I believe
I've carefully cutted the mold so the master model could be removed.
This way it is possible to get a better casting quality with less amount of seams then if using two-part molds, but it's a bit harder to work with, since the cut should be made really gently, if the master model should be removed intact.


- Casting time! Where I screwed up everything
Mixing the plastic isn't as messy as mixing silicone and it's easy to wash it afterwards but pouring itself is a tricky process.
Obviously a funnel needed to pour slowly and carefully with a thin stream.
A lot of bubbles forms while stirring the mix and pouring it, thus some kind of vacuum is recommended for outgassing the compound in the cup and in the mold after pouring.
I didn't had any vacuum so along with other mistakes it resulted in an awful copy


Well, an experience gained nevertheless.
I've made a second attempt with some corrections and the result appeared to be much better. Not ideal anyway...


I'm sure with the vacuum chamber the quality will be appropriate, at least for the "home needs". As soon as I'll make it somehow, I'll try to cast a full model and share the results here

That's the story. Any thoughts?

Having just got back into the hobby after a year off, playing with my Xbox, i started reading my subbed threads. I had to read yours from the beginning again, and its been awesome to watch the years of progress in a few days. Awesome work. True talent inspires those less so to try harder. And i am going to try harder.


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And i just realised i have you quoted in my Sig lol

@M0rdain:
XBox is a respectable reason
I still have a ton of games I want to play on my PC and XBox, but oh well...
Anyway, it's nice to see you back here! And thanks for the kind words.

Did I really said that? o.O


Okay.
The Pillager guy is almost finished. I hope I'll manage to post some pics of him here within next few days. Stay tuned!
Also, I've made a cheap and simple vacuum pump. Haven't tryed it in action yet, but I'll report as soon as I will.
And I've got another bunch of Brother Vinnie's stuff to paint... In fact, I did a lot of painting for him recently, but he asked me not to post the pictures before he will release the product "officially" =/

I know, I know, words are not thrilling enough to keep your entertained
But sorry, pals, no pics today... Still, I have something for you and you can click it


Yes, YES! It's our little WebStore!
Keep in mind: It's not entirely finished - some sections (like "Account". Should be up soon, though...) are still under construction, but all the vital things are functional and you can order something if you wish to.
The reason I share it with you in it's current state is simple: I want to hear your opinion about our site - the intelligibility of the texts ("Order and Delivery" section mainly) and overall interface.
Ideally, I want to test the order-payment system, but obviosly it's up to you whether to order or not
The assortment isn't wide yet but with the time there will be more, of course.
So, click it, check it and share your thoughts with us. Any C&C is highly welcome!
Cheers!

A promised update on The Pillager:



A bit of sanding, fixing and polishing required here and there.
I will add a bunsh of rivets (a screw-bolts more likely) and may be a few more details (like bandolier and pouches).
Also I plan to add a backpack and a chainsword (on the hip).
Other than that he's pretty much finished.
So, I'm eager to hear your thoughts about this particular fella and about the idea of squad in this style.

I love the mask and helm they are my favorite bit, i think the scope on the helm is pretty dam funky too