Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Apologies for the delayed vote, but better late than never! It's time to pick the winners from the June round, which asked entrants to pick out their most unlikely heroes (or villains) for the theme 'Underdogs'.

As always, you're free to hand out as many votes as you like, and for any entry you feel deserves recognition, based on anything from technical proficiency ro model choice, a neat conversion or a cool take on the theme, or anything else! You're also very welcome to leave some feedback here for the entrants, and many of the images click through to the Dakka gallery if you'd like to give out a vote or two there as well.

(if I've missed your entry, please drop me a PM ASAP and I'll sort it! Think I got everyone, but the heatwave has made my brain all kinds of melty over the last couple of days! )

Daia T'Nara Syren, aspiring Noise Marine


Mothsniper: Tyranid Termagants and Rippers



Captain Brown: Necromunda gangers


Nevelon: Tyranid Hormagaunts


Geifer: Stormtroopers


Lovejoy : Grots


theCrowe: Mouse Warriors



Viterbi: Sgt. Colon and Cpl. Nobbs, Ankh Morpork City Watch


Snail22: Skaven Warband


inmygravenimage: Fantasy Townsfolk



Reavsie: Ultramarine Intercessor


DV8: Awlrach the Drowner


Freya: Jack Hugeman, Worgen Bard


Arakasi: Ork Slugga Boy


KidCthulhu "Verrückte" Hilda von Talabheim, Des Rattenfängers Tochter



Turaxa : Empire Militia


Vejut: Crossbow Levy


JoshInJapan: Deadzone Rebs


Jadenim: Orgyn Servitors:


Pariah Press: Orcs


Maharg wood elf lineman



Midget Gems : Tanith First and Only



Midget Gems Jr - Gryph-Hound


CancelledApocalypse: Escher Gang


Boringstuff: Survivor

Thanks for getting this up Para

I haven't done a full set of comments in a while so thought I'd try this month.

Daia T'Nara - Very nice set of vivid colours with good details and highlights.
Mothsniper - Rather cool colour transition on the carapace and tail.
Captain Brown - very cool modes with great skin tone, well done.
Nevelon - Good work Nev, I always like your colour combination on your nids, very effective.
Geifer - I find white difficult to paint, well done
Lovejoy - Wonderful green to purple contrast on the skin and you have really captured the expressions on their little faces
theCrowe - Cool little models, hard to get detail on something that size but you have made them all look unique.
Viterbi - Love these models, brings back lots of fun memories
Snail22 - well painted models and I like the green detail on the base.
inmygravenimage - nice to see some normal townsfolk getting the spotlight, all look very well painted.
Reavsie - good solid painting, well done.
DV8 - awesome combination of colours from the cool blue/green/white to the warm leaves on the base, really very well thought out and painted.
Freya - very atmospheric piece and photo, nice colour change on the guitar.
Arakasi - very nice details for your standard Ork boy, just 29 more to go
KidCthulhu - very nice execution of an idea and drawing.
Turaxa - Brings back nostalgia of Mordheim so you are getting a vote just for that.
Vejut - cool combination of colours that give a rag tag looks but you can still tell they are a unit of models.
JoshInJapan - lots of nice colour changes and highlights on these guys, big monkey is my fav.
Jadenim - I've not seen models like that before, nice idea and good try at Yellow which is always hard to paint.
Pariah Press - hard to see from the photos but looks like a nice unit
Maharg - Really nice bright colours and the line on the base is a great idea.
Midget Gems - Rushed job lacking attention to detail and highlights but at least I got something done.
Midget Gems Jr - She was very happy with the leopard spots, I enjoyed sitting with her.
CancelledApocalypse - awesome choice of model, the colour on them really pops against the dark background.
Boringstuff - Nice shading on the model and an intriguing base.

Voted DV8.

 Shadow Walker wrote:
Voted DV8.

DV8 is always a worthy choice but don't feel you just have to do one, you can vote for as many as you like for whatever reasons you want

There's not been much discussion on this round, so I'll chip in some comments:

Daia T'Nara: Suitably colourful. The multicoloured pleat is especially well done.

Mothsniper: Nice and bright, but still looking 'natural'.

Captain Brown: An interesting group of miniatures with a good cohesive colour scheme.

Nevelon: A solid rank-and-file squad.

Geifer: Really good work on the white. The mud splatter is a nice touch too.

Lovejoy: Some of the best-painted gretchin I've ever seen. The puple shading on the faces in particular.

theCrowe: They're cute. I like the one with the black axe. Are they self-sculpted?

Viterbi: They look colourful, despite not having many colours. I like the beady eyes on the smaller one.

Snail22: I like their eyes, and the green effect coming through the stones on the bases.

inmygravenimage: A strange and colourful bunch. I like the bases also.

Reavsie: A neat paint job.

DV8: Excellent. I like the ghostly bits. Is the metalwork TMM or NMM?

Freya: Good work. The purple/magenta guitar is cool.

Arakasi: The checks on the chainsaw are good.

KidCthulhu: A very characterful, old-school conversion. I love the 'concept art' as well.

Turaxa: These were a bit of a rushed job, but the all-over payne's grey wash I used worked well to speed up the process.

Vejut: I think the bases would look better either fully snow-covered or with the base rims clear. Everything else is good though.

JoshInJapan: The hazard stripes on the bases are really crisp. I also like the uniform on the big guy, it's stylish.

Jadenim: That's a nice weathered yellow, and the 'flat' silver is good too.

Pariah Press: The simple colour scheme suits these minis (are they really almost half a century old, or are these more modern casts?)

Maharg: A bold colour scheme. I like the swishy green on the tabard.

Midget Gems: I like the bases, though they're quite quaint for the grim darkness Good camo cloaks too.

Midget Gems Jr: That's a good gryph-hound. I looked at your gryph-hounds from last year, too. This gryph-hound is painted more neatly. You have improved, well done!

CancelledApocalypse: Nice. Their faces are excellent and I like the sense of texture on the leader's coat.

Boringstuff: Nice shading on the cloth.

Daia T'Nara - great colour choices. Bold and striking. The plaited pony-tail in particular is some fine detail coming out really sharp. The purple flock is a fun element.

Mothsniper - love this colour scheme with the acid yellows against the blue. Really great authentically alien stuff.

Captain Brown - a nice little grab-bag
Of underhivers for us this month. And it looks like the cherubs have found their way out of the illustrations in the books too. Great work as ever.

Nevelon - great looking Leviathan scheme on these gaunts. Looks a bit darker and more sinister than the Originals but maybe it’s the photos.

Geifer - fantastic storm troopers! You got the shading in the white just right so we can see the definition and the detail in the armour plates without it looking dirty or all black lines in the white.

Lovejoy- great to see you jumping in here and what an introduction! Having seen what you’re capable of before the quality on display here is no surprise to me but grots too! Seeing these little fellas getting some seriously excellent treatment will always make me smile. Top pick from me for the win this round.

theCrowe - if you’re a fan of these littlea guys look up the Mouse Guard graphic novels by David Petersen. Inspirational art. And if you want to know what sort of game you might play with miniatures like these look no further than Lovejoy’s own Burrows and Badgers.
@turaxa-yes they’re my own putty-work. I think there way be other 3D prints of these characters available from some unofficial sources.

Viterbi - from one inspirational guards story to another. Pratchet’s Guards series was one of his best and these guys are bringing it all back to me. Great job on the faces and the general colour pallet. Nicely muted and not too cartoonish.

Snail22 - these Skaven have some really strong character. I don’t know my verminous rodentry kits too well but these seem like you’ve put together something unique. The bases are really nice too. The glowing green ooze and the red rims are really supporting your earthy filthy scheme.

inmygravenimage - these are a very characterful collection of villagers. Not your average dwarf blacksmith, halfling cook, granny with a broom etc. This must be some kinda crazy village. You’ve managed to keep the colours subdued so that from a distance they almost appear like normal people.

Reavsie - that’s one nice clean Smurf. The missing icons on the shoulders might have just been a time thing but then again if you don’t want to try them freehand or you don’t want to use transfers then you can just leave them out and leave it clean. Nothing wrong with that. Not exactly an underdog though.

DV8 -a really nice mini, though it’s maybe more of an under tha sea-dog. I’m enjoying the spooky aqua-blues. Very appropriate and working well with the graveyard earth woodwork.

Freya - an interestingly light-on-detail approach from you this time. Is this 100% airbrush maybe? The colour on the guitar is a particularly striking fade but there’s some really nice shading work going on in the trousers and the fur too. I think maybe the overall impression is likely better in RL than the photos get across.
Arakasi - there’s something to be said for doing the basics well on a basic trooper and I’d say there’s maybe a step or two beyond that on display here. I imagine a whole squad of these would look the business. Nicely done.

KidCthulhu - great character work and nicely bashed. She finished model fits the original character sketch well. And well done to the postie for getting that pooch in on time. Great ideas on a unique concept nicely executed. What more could we want?

Turaxa - the old empire militia are one the most versatile kits ever made. I hope you had as much fun on these as I did when I put mine together. They are deceptively tricky to colour scheme though. Lots of high boots and flouncy shirt sleeves. Love the beardy guy with the feathered hat and the white trousers. He’s a real style icon.

Vejut- these are some bad squido minis aren’t they? Nice to see what looks to be some traditional production in the mix with all these plastics and 3D prints. You’ve done well with the purple/yellow/green to keep them uniformed in their own individual ways. And the snow is a nice touch too if a bit messy round the rims.

I’m going to leave it there and wrap up the last few entries later as its stupid o’clock and I need to sleep.

Another month of stellar entries. I couldn't narrow my favorites down, so everyone gets a vote.

Daia T'Nara: I like the vibrant-and-at-the-ame-time pastel colors. The design on the back of the vest (is that a cannabis leaf? I can't tell from the angle) and the wavy stripe on the red boot are both delightful little details.

Mothsniper: I seem to remember your saying that the pattern on the carapace was not-entirely intentional. If so, that was a great save.

Captain Brown: You seem to have a never-ending supply of old Necromunda minis. I particularly like how you highlighted the musculature, and the plasma coil looks great as well.

Nevelon: Good, solid work on the 'gaunts. Your attention to detail is superlative, especially considering these guys will most likely disappear into a block of 20 mostly identical models.

Geifer: The white armor is remarkably crisp-- I'm not sure I could have done it nearly as well. The dusty lower legs are a subtle detail that really brings the models to life.

Lovejoy: Wow, you put a lot of effort into models that would normally be used as ablative armor for a unit of Orks. I like the repeated checks motif.

theCrowe: Your use of slightly-different colors for the fur gives the models a real sense of individuality.

Viterbi: I'm not familiar with these characters, so I can't speak to the accuracy of your painting, but your work on the faces really imbues the models with personality.

Snail22: The green slime(?) between the stones on the bases stands out nicely against the more staid colors of the models.

inmygravenimage: All the little splashes of color add a lot of visual interest to some already interesting models.

Reavsie: A clean and simple, Codex-approved color scheme. Were you planning to add something to the shoulder pads?

DV8: The ghostly greens and drab browns are lovely, but I can't stop looking at the lantern. I struggle with fire and/or smoke effects, so your work always gives me something to think about in my own painting.

Freya: The overall darkness of the model really makes the guitar(?) pop.

Arakasi: Another great Ork. I like the checks, especially against the dark red of the chainsword.

KidCthulhu: The drab, workmanlike clothes really sell the idea that she works for a living. I'm glad the dog arrived in time.

Turaxa: I like your choice of drab, basic colors-- these guys really look like militiamen rather than the usual gaudy Empire troops.

Vejut: It's always a delight to see Bad Squiddo models in the wild. Your three-color palette gives the unit both cohesion as a whole while allowing quite a bit of individuality.

me: Working on these guys reminded me what a pain in the butt it is to work with restic of this vintage. It was fun to compare these to the versions I painted when Deadzone first came out.

Jadenim: These are some amazing kitbashes (they are kitbashes, right). All the parts go together seamlessly.

Pariah Press: pigface orc FTW! Your work on them makes the models seem like they stepped right out of the AD&D Monster Manual.

Maharg: The white really stands out against the bold purple of the bodysuit. Also, I just now noticed the white line in the grass-- a great little detail!

Midget Gems: I really like the camo on the cloaks.

Midget Gems Jr: I like the bold color choices on this model. As an adult, I don't have the guts to do that.

CancelledApocalypse: The eyes on these models came out great. I like the blue lighting effect on the sword, as well.

Boringstuff: The eyes were a little jarring against the subtlety of the skin, but the more I look, the cooler they seem-- almost like an anime character.

Let's all keep pushing ourselves!

@Josh in Japan, sadly, no I can’t take credit for the sculpt; it’s the standard Necromunda Ogryn servitors (they are awesome though )

 Turaxa wrote:
Pariah Press: The simple colour scheme suits these minis (are they really almost half a century old, or are these more modern casts?)

The pig-faced orcs are modern castings; they're still in production from Miniature Figurines: http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Catalogue.aspx?ScaleID=3&CategoryID=35&SubCategoryID=202

Thanks for the comments, everyone

 JoshInJapan wrote:
The design on the back of the vest (is that a cannabis leaf? I can't tell from the angle)

It was actually just a random bit of pattern to fill in the blank space, but I like the idea, so now it's definitely a cannabis leaf (of whatever variety they grow on daemonworlds).

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

A great bunch of minis this month! Well done everyone!

I'd like to do the whole list of individual responses thing, but I'd like to give a bit more constructively critical feedback with suggestions I think might improve models. Do people think there's any appetite for that, or would that just end up ruffling too many feathers? I know I'm very far from the best painter myself...

I can't speak for anyone else, but I value constructive feedback very highly!

Same here. I don't mind criticism. There's no guarantee that I'll act on it because there may be overriding concerns, but there's no harm in reading opinions on potential improvements.

Of course, and I know how real life gets in the way of painting time, especially when you're painting to a deadline. That's why I always seem to be rushing at the end of the month!

Okay, I'll probably write up my feedback and post it tomorrow, then. Thanks guys

Thanks for the feedback Midget Gems, Turaxa, theCrowe & JoshInJapan!

Also feeling a bit bad, because I'm always to lazy to comment

And JoshInJapan, I can recommend reading the Ankh-Morpork City Watch novels from the Discworld. Feet of Clay is a good starting point for this group of characters (the first two ones are a bit weaker and everything after that just gets stronger).

CancelledApocalypse wrote:Of course, and I know how real life gets in the way of painting time, especially when you're painting to a deadline. That's why I always seem to be rushing at the end of the month!

Okay, I'll probably write up my feedback and post it tomorrow, then. Thanks guys

Don't feel forced to offer detailed critiques of everyone's models. Even a simple "That XXX is cool, how did you do it?" Keeps the discussion going.

Viterbi wrote:Thanks for the feedback Midget Gems, Turaxa, theCrowe & JoshInJapan!

Also feeling a bit bad, because I'm always to lazy to comment

And JoshInJapan, I can recommend reading the Ankh-Morpork City Watch novels from the Discworld. Feet of Clay is a good starting point for this group of characters (the first two ones are a bit weaker and everything after that just gets stronger).

Thanks, I'll look into those books. I'm always looking for something new to read.

On the note of feedback, I just vote for the models that I "like" - I don't feel qualified to comment on improving paint jobs. But I do appreciate people pointing out things that I could improve on, because let's be honest the painter is normally their own worst critic anyway.

My survivor was the 2nd model I ever tried to paint "properly" and the first I'd ever done any skin on. I wasn't happy with it when I finished it and I noticed even more issues when I uploaded the images, but I didn't want to start the model from scratch again which it felt like was required to "fix" it.

 Viterbi wrote:
Thanks for the feedback Midget Gems, Turaxa, theCrowe & JoshInJapan!

Also feeling a bit bad, because I'm always to lazy to comment

And JoshInJapan, I can recommend reading the Ankh-Morpork City Watch novels from the Discworld. Feet of Clay is a good starting point for this group of characters (the first two ones are a bit weaker and everything after that just gets stronger).

Completely off topic, but I think the Vimes books get worse the more along the series you go - as do the rest of the books (including the Moist books).

I think there's a definite drop-off towards the end, presumably as his illness started to bite. They're just not as sharply written, sometimes feels like you've missed a page or something.

I still haven't got round to reading the last book, the thought of it is just too sad

A single round of ammunition weighed in.

Pariah Press Pig Orcs, oh no, imagine them jumping out of a bush D: so cool haha.

- - - - -

The Underworlds bases are a blessing!
Very nice to simply stick the models on (with a bit of cutting!)

I love the few warbands I have sitting, waiting for primer.

Semi-directly-related, could just melt with drop + rhino melta in the meantime, but would be cool just running Ravenwing Outriders for a bare minimum 500pts!

JoshInJapan - never played Deadzone but it looks like there are some great characters to play with. That silverback is excellent. The blues in his costume have come out a treat. He looks properly intelligent enough to smash my face in. I wouldn’t have guessed the power cable was a replacement for a missing ammo belt. Great job.

Jadenim - these are pretty great. the weathering in the yellows has come out well with the underhive grime giving it some depth without losing the pop of the bright colour. The tattoo on the shoulder has come out really well too. Great touch.

Pariah Press - wow, ancient pig-faced orcs. And still in production! That must be a record of some sort. They look almost as if I you sculpted them yourself. Or whatever dark god is responsible for the unspeakable art of producing orcs has got out his greenstuff and sculpting tools. I can see a nice green skin tone and some earthy reds but I think the white background is pushing the settings and the photo could use an exposure bump to get some more light on those dark minis.
Maharg - that’s a pretty wild colour pallet. Really strong colours for a team and i’m sure your wood elves were happy that you managed to buck the trend of natural earthy tones to reflect their woodishness. The whites really set it off too. Great job. I’m sure the whole team looks great on the board.

Midget Gems - I think the bases are out-doing the minis here but the camo cloaks are the best bits. I always wondered about medics in 40k. The imperium doesn’t strike me as the kind of regime that would be a Geneva Conventions signatory, though I too like to imagine the Red Cross survives in some respect.

Midget Gems Jr - nice work on the spots. Not so sure about the metallics but if it’s cyborg-eagle faced-space puppy you’re going for then you nailed it 100%

CancelledApocalypse - holy smokes but these are super cool! Deserving of a few more votes i’d say and they certainly got mine. The leader especially has a good amount of gravitas. Seriously cool though it’s a shame you didn’t have time for basing. Or maybe you just prefer them blank?

Boringstuff - WILSON! NOoOoO!!!
Creepy face base. I almost didn’t notice that. It’s like they’re the ones that didn’t survive and he’s the only one. Nice work.

Thanks all + Thanks Paradigm

And from the crowd of underdogs, a handful of winniers rise up!

Sharing 3rd place, we have Captain Brown's motely assortment of gangers







and Geifer's Stormtrooper squad



Out ahead in second, DV8 with Awlrach the Drowner




And taking the win, perhaps the greatest underdogs of the 41st millenium, Grot by lovejoy













Well done all, stay tuned for next month's vote (hopefully a little earlier in the month, if life cooperates!)

Congrats, everyone! There's some really amazing work this month.

Thanks to Midget Gems, Turaxa, theCrowe, and JoshInJapan for leaving feedback on each entry!

Congrats to everyone, and especially the plucky Grots.

That's got to be the first time grots have ever won anything!

Congrats to all, and thanks! There's some really cool looking stuff in this month - I love seeing what people come up with.

Congratulations to the other winners and good job everyone getting something painted this month.

I dedicate this unexpected and unprecedented shared third place to all the Stormtroopers who gave their lives protecting us from murderous criminal scum. You made the Empire a safer place!

Thank you Paradigm for hosting and doing all the heavy lifting.

Thanks to the commentators.

Congrats to everyone who has something more painted and out of their pile of shame.

Pre-emptive thanks to Midget Gems for the league tables.

Cheers,

CB

Okay, I tried writing useful critiques of all the entries from last month, but it ended up turning into pages and pages of A4, so I've given up on that idea. Instead, I'll just give a few general pointers I think would be helpful to the most people:

-Make your base rims neat! - this is a bit of a bugbear of mine. Some really nice paintjobs are often spoiled (at least for me) by scrappy base rims, where the paint is lumpy or chipped, or the basing materials have spilled over the sides, or they're dusty, or covered with bits of static grass. A nice neat base rim can really elevate a paintjob and, conversely, a messy base rim can likewise make a paintjob feel messy - even when it isn't. There are obviously exceptions to this rule, but on the whole, you should clean your base rim after finishing adding any basing materials, then paint it a flat, matte colour that complements your overall colour scheme. Then clean them again before taking photos! xD

-Photograph minis from as low an angle as possible - There's nothing more frustrating than seeing what appears to be a nice paintjob, only to have to fill in details with your own imagination, because the shots taken were too high angle and obscured most of the miniature's features. Again, there are exceptions to this, depending on the pose and orientation of your model, but on the whole, you want to be taking photos at or around 10 degrees of elevation.

-Don't use flash when photographing minis - if you don't have access to sophisticated photography equipment where things like exposure, highlights and lowlights and such can be tweaked in post, taking photographs of minis with a flash is a good way to wash out any highlighting and shading you might have done, making surfaces and colours seem flat and featureless. It can also paint stark and distracting shadows behind your minis. And semi-related:

-Don't take photographs outdoors and/or under bright sunlight - I've learnt this the hard way myself. The same as taking photos with flash, it's a good way to lose any of the subtlety you've put into your paintjob. Also, it leads to harsh shadows and jarring levels of contrast that are hard on the eye.

-Paint edge highlights as thinly as possible and keep the paint thin - not always easy, this one, but highlighting edges is done best by running the flat of the brush along an edge at a perpendicular angle, or using the very tip of a pointed brush to carefully draw the line of a highlight. And thin your paint! I realise this is a tricky skill to master at the best of times, but there's nothing quite so paintjob spoiling as a fat, squiggly, edge highlight.

That's probably enough for now. Please take this in the spirit it's given - from someone who has learned a lot of these lessons the hard way. I understand, of course, that time constraints and general life pressure can affect how much work people can put into their paint jobs, and I'm always impressed each month how everyone is able to come up with such great stuff, no matter the skill level. And please don't think I'm not still guilty of some or all of the above on occasions. My bases this time round, for example, were nowhere near good enough (though I have a sort of excuse for that...). I also took my photographs with flash (after promising myself I wouldn't) because I was struggling with lighting on a heavily overcast day... which I now regret, even though I was able to fix some of the over-exposure in post. Being able to take photos in RAW format is extremely useful, btw.

@Midget Gems @Turaxa @theCrowe @JoshinJapan thanks for all the effort you put into your feedback and thanks for the kind words, too! I'll try to follow your example this month and do the same.

 theCrowe wrote:
CancelledApocalypse - holy smokes but these are super cool! Deserving of a few more votes i’d say and they certainly got mine. The leader especially has a good amount of gravitas. Seriously cool though it’s a shame you didn’t have time for basing. Or maybe you just prefer them blank?

Thanks! The bases are down to the fact that I have other, ready-painted bases to put them on (really cool ones with graffiti and stuff on them), but they weren't painted by me, so I didn't want to enter them as my own. I probably should have done a bit more with the slotta bases (making the rims neat would have been a start, especially as I went on about that in the tips section above! xD ), but in all honesty, I ran out of time, just as you said. It would also have felt like wasted work, as I was just going to break them off the minis anyway...

Anyway, great work everyone! Thanks to you all for making this such a fun competition every month, and thanks to Para for all the work you always put in. It's very much appreciated.