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Got some foam core today, was messing around and threw this thing together with a cotton bud container I've been saving:


Think I'll try some salt and hairspray type weathering after I've filtered it tomorrow. I've not done a lot with foam core before, but it seems like it'll be fun to work with! I've watched a few youtube tutorials, but has anyone got any top tips for building with it?

Nice little building.

I'm just as new to foamcore as you. I've yet to find a satisfactory way to finish the edges.

Thanks Dr. H! I'm experimenting with spackle as a covering but I'm not too sold just yet.

Quick paintjob later, and here we are:




Won't win any prizes, but the graffiti was a lot of fun! I'd love some suggestions for markings on the next one. What do you think?

And a couple of shots of a new quick wastelander here:




Slowly getting through the painting pile!

I've been selling a bunch of things on eBay lately to save money before Christmas, but there are a few things I haven't been able to sell. Rather than chuck them out or give to a charity shop, would anyone like these? PM me if you're interested. I'll send em out for free to an address in the UK, or I'd be happy to go international if you paypal me something for the postage.

Burning through that Em4 pile of minis I see, I painter her once myself in some god awful bright colours in my early painting days (the 80s), then she hit the stripping pile and joined the pile of shame

But I like the militant look you have gone for with her, quite subdued for your normal palette.

You should convert that old catachan into something else with your skills I am surprised to see you ain't already

Nice job on the shelter and on the lady.

@LDD - I didn't realise the sculpt was from that far back! Would it make you feel old to know that that was probably sculpted before I was born?
Cheers for the kind words, I'm trying out some more muted tones, so really appreciate that.
I'm just not a fan of the Rambo look on the Catachans, it's a shame really! I'm hoping someone else could show him some love, as it's not a bad sculpt.

@Dr. H - Thanks!

The detail on your terrain, especially the graffiti and posters is great. Really adds a layer of belief to your setting.

Thanks mate for making me feel old but it was the very end of the 80s almost the 90s if that is almost your decade

They did kind of push the Rambo theme a bit with the range but I still have a soft spot for the old unloved range.
Plus I have seen a couple of simple conversions, one that stood out for me was the one with the cowboy hat which really changed the look of the model.

I noticed that the colour pallette was a change from your norm but worked well.

@Reanimator - Thank you! Weathering and those kind of details are my favourite part of making terrain, I'm glad you like them!

@LDD - Aye, 1989 for me, so might just have existed I think I might have seen the model you're talking about, will have to see if I can dig out the picture. Maybe when bebopdrums was doing catachan stuff? He made the range beautiful... Thanks again for the kind words

Happy belated Christmas all!

Just a quick update, first model I've managed to paint whilst my newborn son is napping!



Original model is part of a group of yakuza type robots I received in an indiegogo bid - I never really had a use for them, but the guy was £20 off hitting his target with about two hours to go and I really wanted to help out. I filed off a little detail, added the stowage and weaponry, and sculpted his facemask. The paintjob wasn't quite what I hoped it would be, but I'm happy with him overall.

He'll be part of a group I'm playing with creating at the moment, a sort of anti-slavery group freeing AI. Partly inspired by the new Star Wars films, I'm hoping to give the robot characters a little personality whilst they are clearly still automatons. This chap, though you can't see it in the pic, has a wooden robot model on the back of his belt, childishly painted in the same colours as himself. Humans in the group (Moss, the previous model with the bionic arm will likely be the first) will all have some form of augment. Hope you like, and please let me know what you think!

Like the model and the paint job, also loving the fluff gives more character to your design.

I was dissapointed that this wasn't an actual miniature it looks really cool, the work you did to face section really pulls it together.
Could do with a picture of the back to see the toy robot though ha ha

Also don't know if it is intentional but is that a C3PO reference from the force awakens ?

Thanks LDD! I don't know if the guy ever did release retail models, but his original KS is here, and his greens of the automata are on the page. Maybe if you get in touch he'd have a few extras? Really glad you like my changes though

"You probably didn't recognise me because of the red arm" - it definitely went through my head!

I did have a shot of the back, but it came out blurry. Will try to get a better one in the day time.

I like your automata scarper, it is very corroded looking - please for picture of the back?

Also congratulations on parenthood! I'm sticking to cats myself.

Ha I thought you was trying to be subtle

Thanks for the link I will check it out, you never know he might be helpful.

Looking forward to the back shot, waiting to see the wooden bot on his belt.

Have you noticed the Scratch built or low tech toy dolls references in the new Star Wars movies, you think with all the tech they could build some quality mass produced empire endorsed toys, think of the propaganda potential ha ha

@weety - Cats certainly seem to sleep more than this little guy does... I;m glad you like the corrosion! It's mostly stippling of browns, but there's a oil wash and a little weathering powder in there too. My main problem seems to be knowing when to stop!

@LDD - I really liked the wooden storm trooper doll at the start, that was partly what inspired me! Apologies, I'll get a shot next time I post. It's really just a bunch of rods, not that impressive and I feel like it's built up now...

Been messing around with some foamboard for a bit of new terrain! Just needs a blast of texture spray, which as you can see from the little spurt on the model I've run out of. Then some plastic details (doors, windows, supports etc.) and painting!


What do you reckon? I'm still enjoying foamboard, really easy and fun material to work with. I've heard good things about insulation board too though - anyone had more fun experience with that?

Finished up the terrain, and a bit more graffiti stuff to go with it. I was trying to create a garage with an attached shop / outlet, and tried to add a few touches to make it look a little more lived-in.



A few more shots under the cut:

And a shot with the other building I made already:


I loosely based the shape of the building off a design I found online, though the dimensions are different as I built it around a box and some foam from Christmas gifts!


The wind generator is plasticard, cotton buds and parts from an empty pen. I was pretty pleased with how it came out, though not sure it'll survive too long when it starts getting bashed around during games!


What do you think? I'm really enjoying making these buildings, but I feel like my concrete paintjob is lacking something, and I'd love any tips. Also send me any fun graffiti images you have!

Loving the wind generator, as to the exterior of your buildings ( which is looking very good btw) how about a run of bullet holes or minir cracking, would break up the surface area, nothing drastic mind

Over all I like it the only thing I can suggest is the following :

1 Some kind of shop sign above the shutters.

2 Add a few posters here and there, maybe with relevance to the shop and its use.

3 Security wire around the edge of the roof perhaps barbed wire.

4 Maybe add a security gate half way up the stairs.

Hope these might be of some use mate.

Thanks very much guys, for the kind words and the suggestions. I particularly like the idea of the signs and posters - will have to try and find something suitable

Quick early WIP of a block of small hab quarters.



I was hoping I could pick Dakka's collective brain, if anyone could help me out. I've tried to print tiny posters and signs before, but they always come out blurred when I shrink them down. I've followed some guides that should keep the images high quality, but they're still basically unreadable. I've got an HP inkjet printer - do you think it's likely the printer that's more of a problem? I'd love any tips on how to do this right. Would be much appreciated

I would love to help you mate but I am crap with things like this, maybe add a post to general questions section somebody might reply there.

Nice looking buildings. Ruin's coming on well.

Printing. Can't help specifically, but can you adjust the quality of the print (on the printer or through the software)? Look for raising the resolution (dots per inch = dpi on printers) and maybe trying with differing quality settings; such as "for text" or "for photo".

It all depends on the printer and the software as to what you can try. And as I have an Epsom (still an inkjet), I can't comment on what HP's use.

Scarper! Good to see you active on here. Getting many games in? :-)

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll see what I can do.

@Roddy - Hey man! Hope you're doing well down South. I've not had a chance to play much lately, but I'm actually seeing P tomorrow for a game of zombicide! We'll have to open an extra beer for you.


So who knew having a kid takes up so much free time?! Finished up the building I was working on, and all in all I'm pleased with how it's come out. Needs a wee bit of stencilling of a hab block number and maybe a few posters here and there, but I'll do those at the same time for all my buildings.

The idea is that it's a 'hot bunk' type dorm system for workers, now left abandoned. Gameplay wise it allows for hard cover on one level, two-directional cover on the second, and a flexible third level which can have varying scatter terrain. Should sync up well with connections to the other buildings too!




I'm quite proud of some of the smaller details - the doors are mostly card, and the pillars are made of tubing a paintbrush arrived in.

These stairs are card with press moulded grey stuff detailing, pinned into the wall


Some of the graffiti round the back


And finally a shot of all the buildings so far together. Coming together into a nice little outpost!


Next on the list is probably some scatter terrain or makeshift bridges, just to break things up a bit. Please let me know what you think though - I'd really like any tips or comments.

I love the graffiti on these! You've got a great theme going on with these. I like the varying levels on your buildings and the little details like the dumpster or generator thing in the back of your newest piece. Might I suggest, perhaps for your next piece, a few simple blocks or squat cynlinders on the roof to represent air conditioners and also provide limited cover up there? You could even make the units separately as a sort of "roof scatter".

Hey those look great. Nice job on the stairs. Yep, I like the Idea of the rooftop scatter. Vents, AC units, pipes, etc. Thanks for sharing!

Nice work on the hab bloc. The plate steps look great!

EDC

I have some ideas for adding detail to your pieces without a whole lot of work. In see you have an overhanging lip on the roof of your latest piece. Perhaps you could tuck a small rectangle of cardstock or plasticard up under there as a fuse box, junction box, or vent? It doesn't even have to be huge, just as long it's painted like it's metal. It's a tiny, tiny detail that adds so much to a piece. You could run really thin plasticard rods from the ground to the "box" and make them look like wires. Maybe bend a few into a window or a drill hole in the exterior wall like it's a cable feed?

If you add "rust" streaks from your metal details and splotchy black washes on your exteriors it goes a long way towards adding the look of age.

And if you're not already, I recommend doing image searches for abandoned buildings. If you look up "sandy hook shore battery" or just follow this link, because I already did, it should give you a treasure trove of reference photos for the stuff you're making. Hope this helps!

Wow, lots of comments! Thanks guys!

@warboss waaazag - Thanks a lot for the kind words, and particularly for the suggestions. I like the idea of the air con units, particularly for the flatter roofs without wall edges. I've been trying to think of some roof clutter that would provide small areas of cover without looking too jarring and they may well be right on the money! I'll have a go at your other suggestions too - breaking up flat spaces with something like a junction box should work a treat.

@Cleatus - thank you! I'm thinking of some big ventilation fan type things on the bigger storage type buildings too, will see what I can do!

@drcheese - thanks a lot! They were surprisingly easy to do, and I've been looking to spend as little money as possible on these

I'm on late shifts all week this week (typing this from the staff room on my break!), so progress may be a wee bit slow. Hopefully something new to show you soon.