Setting some specific goals for 2015.

I think setting a couple of hobby goals for this year might be in order... otherwise I'll meander around like I've done for the past four years and not really get anything done.

So.. these are my four "basic" painting/hobby/gaming goals of 2015.

• Russians for Bolt Action. 
• Couple of Inquisitors and their Retinues for playing Inquisimuda.
• Sci-Bor Resin Inquisitor kit
• Zombicide Fatties

Gonna try and post some photos tonight... although the bulk of my progress has been "waiting for it to get warm enough to primer".

2015 or Holy Crap I've Been Doing This for Twenty Years...

Another year has passed and my mountain of unpainted stuff is still monstrous. Granted, my efforts at reducing it for the last four or five years have been kinda half assed. But by Crom, 2015 I intend to use all of my ass.

Before I list my "hobby resolutions" I should probably point out that I actually did absolutely nothing I listed last year. However, 2014 wasn't without some hobby accomplishments:

• Managed to paint several historical models in 2014. Vikings, pirates, Victorian Explorers, and even some WWII stuff.
• Painted a few Reaper models after not painting any for about 3 or 4 years.
• Painted a couple of my old Warhammer models. Got around to goblins I purchased fifteen years ago.
• Realized I don't do theme months or self imposed deadlines. Stuff gets done when it gets done and I've made my peace with that.

I'm sure there was more but the rest probably weren't worth mentioning if I can't remember them. So this year, I'm going to keep my hobby resolutions simple:

• One year moratorium on purchasing new models. Not getting anything until 2016... I don't care how cool something is.
• Not buying anymore Bones models. I have enough... time to paint what I have and stick a fork in them. This is a "from now on" and not confined to a year.
• Paint a squad or regiment of something... I don't care what but I'm going to finish something this year.
• Zenithal lighting and blending. I actually used to do that kind of thing but stopped after Otto passed away. Time to start doing it again.
• Clear bases on boardgame and RPG models. They look really friggin' cool.
• Sell some stuff. Unpainted stuff going on Ebay this year. I predict massive casualties to Reaper stuff and maybe some old Warhammer stuff. I don't know why I have Bretonnian Pegasi, but they gotta go.
• Airbrush. Use it. If nothing else just to do mass base coating. 
• Organize. Organize. Organize.
• Set up gaming area in garage and play some Zombicide and Inquisitor.

I think the hardest thing will be the year of not buying new models, but has to be done. Going to be tough to not purchase any new models at Gen Con (although I might let myself buy some then as it's a special occasion, but definitely no more mail order, ebay, or going to stores).

Later taters, I gotta go basecoat Baba Yaga.

The progress... it progresses...

Quick update before I head off to bed. Haven't gotten the new photo set up ready yet, but I plan to before New Year's.

• Scarecrow is progressing along nicely. Finished up the Trousers and did some touch up on his shirt... mainly to clean up some of the shadows. I also gave the base it's initial coat and is now ready for drybrushing. I plan to use gray rather than brown to give the appearance of fallow earth and should work nice with my Wasteland Tufts from Army Painter.
  
• Viktor got some metallic paint added, but not much more than that. His replacement arm showed up Wednesday along with a bunch of 40mm lipped bases.
  
• Far right you will another Wargames Factory Viking. I'm painting him up for use with Saga and will attempt to give him a really nice high end paint job.
  

Going to be prepping a half giant model this weekend.

Pre Holidays Painting Extravaganza...

Only a few more days until my new photography rig shows up. Eager to see how using a proper set up will affect things. Once that is all set up, I'll be posting fancy versions of all the finished stuff from 2014... including Hellakin as I just wrapped him up this evening. He's been on the table for about four months now getting all the left over paint and any time I had while stuff dried... so kind of a momentous occasion.

Pictured above are the Pathfinder Scarecrow who is nearing the half way point, Viktor Pendrak who is eeking into the 65% done zone, and a Bones Rat which is about at 75% (they are pretty easy to paint once you have a process down).

Spent a fair chunk of Saturday on the Scarecrow's shirt as there is about 8 layers and glazes in that thing. I also added a glaze of Bugman's Glow to the stitched areas on the arm to kinda give them an swollen and infected look. Can't really see it in the photo, but it does give them a little more definition.

Viktor has had his armor and flesh finished. I don't paint the eyes on this model as they barely visible behind the glasses. Next up on him is to finish his boots and start on the critter head.

Rat #2 has had the basic dark basecoat and the first round of drybrushing on him. He'll get a couple more rounds of drybrushing, a quick glaze and then I'll pick out the details. Again, gonna say how great Reaper's Bones are for padding out your monsters and encounters, but not so much for Player Characters or any sort of Boss model.

Some progress is better than no progress at all I guess...

Things have sort of slowed down a bit since the Thanksgiving holidays due to a hectic work schedule and a lot of other varying sorts of "time thiefs". Right now, my workbench consists of the Pathfinder Scarecrow Flesh Golem, Viktor Pendrake, and Hellakin Goregutter (kind of an odd name for halfling).

The Scarecrow is in the early stages although I've gotten his arm and torso almost done. Holding off on adding fine details until I get the shirt painted as I'm sure I'll end up doing a touch up or two. Have to admit, I am not a fan of the pose... profile type poses are the worst to paint and to photograph.

Viktor is a little further along than the last time you saw him. The flesh on the face is done as is the black armor. I did notice that I was wrong in assuming is books were in holsters... they are in pockets in his overcoat. So, I will be painting those before I progress any further. ou can also see I've started to undercoat the gold areas with brown. Much happier with this version of Viktor than the previous version.

Hellakin is one of my Bones miniatures I bought on Ebay earlier in the year. The model isn't too far off from the metal version although there is some funkiness with the hair and face. Thus far, Hellakin has been my paint bitch for the last couple of months... he gets painted with left over colors from various other models... the browns are from the Half Orc's leathers, the flesh left over from Viktor, I think the green was from a pirate model I started in October. It's a nice way for paint to not go to waste and for you to get another model painted at the same time. I have to admit I'm rather pleased with him... not something I'd sell on eBay, but definitely a model worthy to be used as a PC or NPC. As always, I advise using a the Foundry Painting Style or "layering" for these as washing and glazing don't always work well with the casting of Bones models.

Half Orc is done and I can't seem to take a decent photo of him...

Gonna set up the fancy photography set-up out this weekend so I can snap a decent photo. The camera on my phone does in a pinch though for WIPs most of the time.

The big difference between this photo and the last is the addition of metallics. I kept it simple, Boltgun Metal was used on the blades while Vallejo Old Gold was used on his "loot". The gold was shaded using Golden Burnt Umber applied in two thin washes while the Boltgun Metal was shaded with Nuln Oil. The gold was higlighted by adding small amounts of Folk Art Pearl White to the Vallejo Gold. I didn't highlight all the way to silver as that would have been too shiny and out of place on the model. The Boltgun Metal was highlighted with Folk Art Silver and then an additional wash of Vallejo Rust gave the blades a weathered look.

You might also notice the crazy amount of leather and hides on this guy. I used five different browns for the various leathers and Rakarth Flesh for the exposed hides. These contrast very nicely with the reddish fleshtone but don't clash with it. My rule of thumb, if it has a sort of warm glow you are on the right track.

Rat Bastard!

Got some more done on the Half Orc (not as much as I'd have liked to) and I also painted a Giant Rat from Reaper's Bones line.

First up, the Half Orc. As you can see he now has his weapon attached and the painting has begun on that new edition. I'm also going in and doing up all the details on his trousers and boots now. As this is a Tre Manor model, there are tons of details. I'm hoping the holidays will give me some time to wrap him up.

Now the rat. Okay, this is one of those models where the problems with all the Bones stuff really show up. Normally, when the detail on one of these is lacking, I'll paint it in myself like the fur on the big ass orc I painted earlier in the year. However, when the model you are painting is covered in fur... that lack of detail can become problematic. On this one, I basecoated dark and then drybrushed the shit out of it. Once I'd finished that, I glazed it with some Agrax Earthshade to cut down on the dusty effect drybrushing creates. At that point, I decided to pick out the details and roll with it. The tail is Rakarth Flesh that was washed with Army Painter Strong Shade as I needed a vivid divider between the tail and the floor. I did add some Nurgle's Rot to the base and paws to give it a little more character. I guess the important thing to remember about the rats is they are a group or horde and not a single model. In that context, it looks pretty good I think.

Time to wrap things up... my mom will be here in two hours for Thanksgiving extravaganza.