Orktober...getting kind of tired of painting green...

Headline says it all. Getting burned out on Orks, Goblins, and whatever. I think part of the problem is 2014 Mike painting models 2000 Mike prepped. I keep running into some really horrible mold lines and painting fully assembled models doesn't really lend itself to my style of painting. 

Strongly thinking about killing the theme thing early and just setting a goal of a certain amount painted per month or something. Nothing wrong with theme months... but doing what I do for a living with dealing with multiple projects with multiple themes on multiple deadlines... need a little break from that. Maybe I'll give it another whirl when things settle down.

Enough of me whining, let's move onto the painting stuff.

I finished the first Night Goblin. While I'm not 100% thrilled with the end result, I still think he looks pretty badass for a rank and file model. Opted to go with an old mid 90s shield as they are bigger, but not nearly as thick as the 2000s shields. It's a personal preference and I will eventually mix and match the shields as Goblins are supposed to be sort of ramshackle in appearance.

Again, not 100% satisified...but I'm at about 90%. Not what I'd want for a command or personality model, but fantastic for rank and file.

There is a zombie beside him. Nothing new...I just rebased her on a metal washer base.

Now I'm off to ponder what to paint next as my enthusiasm for painting green flesh has gone kaput. Maybe a barbarian or something like that.

Orktober... it keeps on keeping on.

Continuing the fine tradition of painting greenskins this week with a quick update. Still looks like I can hit my 4 models for the month goal, although work has been kicking my ass lately.

Night Goblin is coming along nicely. His tunic is almost done...just needs another two passes for highlights. Once that's done, shoes and skin will be quick. Debating on what to do wht the spear now... mainly as it's a little bent. I'm thinking of doing woodgrain to give the impression the spears are made from tree limbs and saplings...so a degree of "bending" would occur naturally. Still, really having fun with that model (and very happy with how the nose and lips turned out).

Space Ork...I think he's about where he was last update. I did a little more work on his jerkin and blacklined around his leather straps and the jerkin. Well, I don't call it black lining, but I do use very dilute black paint to create a shadow. Years ago, I did the full on black line... but after reading through the Rackham painting guide a few years back, this seemed like a logical progresssion. 

I've also started thinking about what to paint for November as a theme. The obvious choices are something like Norsevember or Nobvember... but don't think I want to paint vikings or orks as I've spent the last couple of months on those. Thinking now about No Plastics November...or Nudevember... 

Could just go with no theme at all for November... I dunno.

Orktoberfest continueth!

The Orktoberfest celebrations continue (and by celebrations, I mean me sitting in my little hobby room painting little plastic army men).

The bulk of the work on Saturday and today has been on the Space Ork's torso (although by bulk, I mean a couple of hours). Instead of painting yesterday, I put in about three or four hours working on some books and between that and errands, time kinda got a way from me.

Thus far I'm happy with the overall color scheme as I wanted to go Goffs but still work in some the earth tones that were used with Grimskull's Waagh in the Space Marine video game. I opted to shuffle some things around to get it more "Goffy". I used the reddish brown on his trousers rather than his jerkin. I also swapped out the leather colors and used brown for leather and black for his jerkin and the base for his armor plates. His shoulder pad will get the standard Goff check pattern (with a lot of rust and chipping) and I may opt for a Goff glyph on his back plate.

I took a big shortcut on his jerkin. I basecoated it with Ceramcoat Charcoal and then washed it with Nuln Oil. I built up the gray by adding small amounts of Vallejo Gray to the Charcoal. I'd then glaze between each highlight to blend the previous layer. I don't think extreme highlighting would work with Ork clothing as that seems to suggest a pristine surface (and Orks don't do pristine).

The fellow beside the Ork is a Night Goblin from the early 2000s box set. I think I have two or three of these. I've not really done anything with the since skull pass came out as the size difference between the models is very noticeable (like hobgoblins vs goblins). Thus far, I have only basecoated him and did the first wash. The green I'm using is basically Ceramcoat Kelly Green mixed with a bit of Ceramcoat Antique Gold. It's similar to Gnarloc Green but has a little more yellow to it. I had to do my own color as I hate the bluish green all the GW orks seem to have these days.

Now, I'm off to a pet halloween thing in Suwanee. Bella is wearing her mummy sweater and tutu... no idea what costume that is, but that's what she's wearing.

Orktoberfest continues!

Finished the goblin finally. Got sidetracked by mysterious leg pains and sinus attacks (been a rough week thus far). 

While he isn't the greatest model GW ever produced (as there is no detail on his left hand or foot), he was still a lot of fun to paint. Did a lot of blending and glazing on him, especially around his face.

The Space Ork head next to him is also done. Photo doesn't really show it, but I opted for the baleful yellow eyes rather than the cartoonier red ones. Did a little bit of texturing on the teeth... but I didn't go too far as it just wasn't showing up as well.

I'll be tackling the body next and then I'll tackle a fantasy Orc or a Night Goblin.

Orktober!

After finishing the two Viking Huscarls, I decided it was time to take a step back from my usual routine and shake things up a little. 

For Orktober, I've opted to:

a. paint only GW Orcs and Goblins (or Space Orks and Grots)

b. go all out on them... blending, freehand, the whole nine yards (but no NMM).

Why? Easy, I was in a rut and I needed to remind myself that I could still do the "fancy" painting. I really haven't done any or attempted to do any for close on to a year... possibly longer. It isn't the first time this has happened. Something happens and you lose your mojo for a while. After all the stuff that's happened t me over the last couple of years, I'm surprised I hadn't lost it sooner. However, slowly but surely I've been regaining my confidence and hopefully I'll get it back to where it was before 2010.

Anyway... as you can see the first model I've worked on is a goblin from Warhammer Quest. I'd almost say he was a snotling, but he's too big and he's about the same size as the goblin models from the mid 90s. I believe this little guy is also an extra on the early 2000s Night Goblin sprue (either that or the Orcs). But I figured he was a fun model to start with. I'm using Gnarloc Green (Loren Green) and adding Vallejo Undead Flesh to create the highlights. His nose and lower lip were painted with Army Painter Tanned Flesh (how the hell that is considered fleshtone is beyond me). He's about 90% done...just need to paint his feet, claws, spike, and loin cloth. He's affixed to his base using Loctite Silicone Adhesive. I use the same thing to attach Zombicide models to the clear acrylic bases. It's got a bit of flex to it and you don't get any sort of "frosting" on your paint (or clear bases). Yes, it goes on white but cures clear.

Space Ork beside him I started while the Loctite on the goblin was drying. He has had the same colors applied. His teeth have been painted with Ceramcoat Old Parchment mixed with Ceramcoat Charcoal. I'll wash over this with a yellowish brown and then go back over it with Old Parchment. Still debating yellow or red eyes (I hate the red eyes on orks...don't look quite right).

Huscarls prefer Hákarl 2 to 1

Every I think of Vikings, I think of Hákarl (not to be confused with Hot Carl)...which is basically Icelandic Pee Shark.

Tonight's post is all about the two Huscarls that I have completed over the last week and a half. Actually, I think I've spent maybe about 12 hours combined on both of them (I only get a couple of hours a night if I'm lucky during the week...and sometimes that's how it is on the weekends as well...busy, busy, busy). As my time is short at the moment, I have opted to use a layered painting style as the bulk of Foundry's models really don't warrant the usual blending and glazing I usually use.

Let me say right off the bat, Foundry have some of the best historical models on the market. Howver, a lot of their models suffer from the fact they are from the mid to late 90s. I think I saw these guys in a copy of Wargames Illustrated I bought back in 98 (the one with the Barbarian Army Rules for Warhammer). I bought most of these guys back in 2000 and 2001 while I was in my "I'm Going to Build a Viking Army for Warhammer Ancients" phase. Looking back now, I can say that was a stupid idea especially as now I want to collect a Roman army for Warhammer Ancients (or a nice British Army for Napoleonics). 

Both were underocated black with Wal Mart Flat Black paint. For the money, you really can't beat it for priming metal models. Both were painted with a combination of Citadel and Ceramcoat paints. As I mentioned I used a layered painting style, although I use washes rather than basecoating dark and building up. I do this mainly so I get some smooth transitions. Both models are based on 1 inch metal fender washers as I want my models to look as cool as Kevin Dallimore or Steve Dean's models (both a major inspiration for historical painting).

Still haven't decided on what I'm doing with these guys once they are done. Strongly thinking about putting them on Ebay... but then I change my mind as I regret selling a lot of my painted stuff over the years. Sold some really nice Confrontation models off for some good money back in the day, but I'd much rather have the Wolfen Grave Guardian or Griffon Hunter of Darkness that a few extra bucks to spend on Warhammer.