In Progress: Imperial Regulars Sergeant

Today's entry is an in progess shot of my Imperial Regulars Sgt. He is a plastic model that Target Games/Heartbreaker put out in 1998 for the second edition of Warzone. At the time it was one of my favorite games and it still holds a special place in my heart.

My plan for this model is simple in that I am just basing the color scheme on the "factory version". True, I am taking some liberty with it, but it is still the same color scheme the old studio models would have had. Thus far I have only really gotten his "tunic" painted and while you cannot see it in the photo I took with my phone, there is some nice shading going on. When I take the nicer photos with the real camera, it should show up more.

I will probably end up using this model as the example of my "Level Two Command" paintjob for the non GW plastic pricing guide. Honestly, you have to do that sort of thing now as GWs plastic kits are just as good as the Finecast models now. I'll do a comparison of a couple of different manufacturers side by side this weekend to demonstrate what I'm talking about. Trust me, the difference is massive.

Well, that wraps up tonight's update. Check back this weekend for more in depth updates.

Good Night,

Mike

I'm sorry I've neglected you blog.

One of my few resolutions for the New Year has already sort of fizzled. Daily updating for my blog was going fine until Day 3 hit and I had nothing to post. Sad thing is I've actually started several miniatures in the last seven days, but each one seems to hit a point where I notice a gigantic flaw in the color scheme that just seems to bring the whole process to a screeching halt.

I hate to say it but I may have hit some sort of "painter's block" or something along those lines. And while it is a minor setback, it isn't my first "painter's block" and I can guarantee it won't be the last. With that in mind I am going back to something a little more basic to get my painting mojo flowing once more.

I've decided to break out one of my Warzone models from one of the "storage bins of no return" and paint him up in the factory color scheme. Why? With the color scheme pretty much set by the manufacturer, it frees me up to focus on technique. Much like anything else in life, when you take extended breaks from painting like I have you get a little rusty. Granted, my Photoshop-fu is back to what it used to be and my Graphic Design mojo has returned but my painting skills have suffered for it.

This warzone model is what my old boss called an "easy kill" or "low hanging fruit". It is a model that I should be able to knock out quickly and get my confidence on the rise (thanks Rich). I will then paint another model a little more complicated on the next pass and continue this approach until I'm once again at top form (and hopefully that's pretty quick as I have a commission coming in next week).

Once I have some in progress shots, I'll post them here on the blog. In addition, I am planning to start posting some of my in progress shots of my Killing Floor level that I am constructing (and perhaps once the video game version is done I'll construct a 28mm scale version for zombie apocalypse wargaming).

Good night everyone. I apologize for not having any exciting content updates this time out, but bear with me and I promise you won't be disappointed when I do post the finished shots.

Mike

A joyous Boxing Day to all....

Imagine my surprise when I found out that didn't mean a day long marathon of fisticuffs.

Rather than make updating my blog daily a New Year's Resolution, I decided to start a week earlier. It sort of makes sense when you think about it as I love to talk about the miniature painting hobby. Honestly, I could go on for hours about the hobby and all of its "goings on". Today's post is a quick one, mainly a "workbench" update.

As you can see I finally finished assembling 10 of the viking huscars from Wargames Factory and have even textured the bases of five of them. I can only paint models at one time as I only have one wooden paint stirrer to mount them to. (FYI, you can go to Home Depot and they will give you a handful for free and they are so great for holding squads of troops for painting.) I have also assembled and primered three Germanians from Wargames Factory along with an Askari from Wargames Foundry. The Germanians are for my miniature painting price guide for the three levels of painting I'll be offering for historical plastics (the levels will be similar for plastics except for the level 3 models). The two barechested fellows will be the level 1 and 2 models while the fellow with the horn and fancy staff will be the level 3 model. Trust me, it will all make sense when I show you the painted versions later on in the week.

But in case you are wondering, some painters used a tiered pricing system based upon the paint job's level of detail. Example: A level 1 may consist of blocked out colors and a dip in brown wash. A level 2 may consist of everything level 1 consisted of, but with some additions such as drybrushing and blacking out the eyes. Level 3 is the usual level I paint my personal troop models...eyes dotted, clean highlights and washes, all the little details painted, and possibly a little bit of freehand here and there. Some even go a level beyond 3 for command models and personality models for what they might call a "showcase" level. I myself paint all my RPG models to that level (see any of the photos I've posted for examples).

You should keep one thing in mind when thinking about "paint job levels" is that not all miniatures are the same.

• Plastics up until recently did not have the detail that metal or resin had (and there are some plastics this is still true of).
• Not all metal miniatures are made the same and you will find varying degrees of quality in sculpting and casting.
• There are some models out there a level 3 paint job just can't fix (I'm looking at you Hero Clix).

Let me assure I speak from experience on these points. Personally, I try to steer a customer away from trying to get a substandard model painted up to more than a level 2 because to go much higher isn't really worth the money and more than likely they have another model in their collection that would benefit from a level 3 or higher. In this economy, it is all about getting your customer the most bang for their buck.

Well, that is all for tonight's post. I hope you guys have found it informative and possibly educational. Personally, I'm going to slap a coat of my custom fleshtone base on the Germanians and then crank up Saint's Row 3 and cause some mayhem.

Mike

Happy Holidays to All!

Diane and I are keeping the festivities sort of low key at the homestead this year. With some of the unforseen changes that 2011 brought, we've opted to spend Christmas at home this year with the boys. Monty is asleep on the couch while Bruno sleeps on his dog bed beneath the Christmas tree all while a Firefly (bleh) marathon plays on TV. Diane is cooking up our holiday feast of ham and a variety of other delicious foods while I assemble little plastic vikings at my desk.

If you don't recognize these fine plastic fellows, they are from Wargames Factory's Hammer of the Gods line (at least I think it is a line). I am currently assembling 10 of these guys as a viking raiding party hence their varied weapons and other equipment. I'm still not sold on the spears at the moment as I find them awkward and unwieldly. Not to mention they make ranking up the models a nightmare. True, I could have based them on 40mm square bases but then it would make using the regiment as skirmishers impossible. So with that in mind, I think those spears will get replaced with swords and axes.

As far as the painting for these guys goes I don't know really exactly what my color scheme will be. I do know that I am going to use earthtones and I'm fairly sure that the colors green and red will be used a great deal on the tunics. What I do know with absolute certainty is that I really need to sit down and plan out my color scheme thoroughly as I am painting 10 models rather than just 1 or 2 and they need to look good as a unit as well as individually.

But that sort of brings me to the point of today's post and that is planning your project. I have always been the kind of painter that loves to jump in head first and just start painting. Sounds great, but that route often leads to minis getting thrown in the Pinesol jar because the color scheme didn't work. Just the simple act of putting thought into your color scheme and possibly a little backstory to your models can mean the difference between a nicely painted model and one that will knock your friends' socks off.

An example of a model where I planned out the color scheme and came up with a little bit of back story is my Goblin Boss from GW:

The plan was that I was going to use a classic goblin color scheme with various greens and reds. Furthermore, my plan was also to use a muted palette for this model as to play down the "Christmas Color Scheme" that I so hate about GW's paintjobs. The last bit of my plan was to come up with a little backstory for the models since he is a character model and backstory always seems to make me feel a little more invested in the paint job. For this Goblin Boss, I decided that he was a veteran of many conflicts in the north and had survived a battle with a massive force of Nurgle tainted Marauders but not without becoming slightly tainted. That little tid bit at the end is the main reason why I used very desaturated tones for highlighting his flesh. Just that little something special to make the model unique and personalized.

So for the upcoming new year, I challenge you all to make a resolution to just take five to ten minutes and put some thought into your new projects. Trust me, it will add a little bit of spice to your work and will help you paint something exceptional.

That is all from me this afternoon. Hopefully I'll have some in progress painting photos later this week as well as some in progress shots of the refitted Paintshop of Horrors site that has been absent for the last three years.

Mike

The Workbench...or what I am painting this week

On the workbench this week I have:

Goliath Ganger with Shotgun.

Originally, I was working on an Escher with a las-rifle but after careful consideration I decided to strip the less that stellar primer job and globbed on paint off of her. Hint: Just because someone gives you a mini with primer and paint on it does not mean you have to work with it. I strip everything and reprimer it myself to avoid any problems such as bad coverage or just bad primer color choice.

As for Mr Biceps here, he was primered with Krylon Gray Primer. It is cheaper than GW primer and it comes in three colors rather than two. I the last couple of years, I have really come to enjoy painting over the gray and white primers from Krylon.

The fleshtone you see here is my special blend that I make from three different fleshtones from various manufacturers: Delta Ceramcoat, Folk Art, and Americana. I used to use only Ceramcoat, but they changed their paints formula (and not for the better) so I had to make some alterations in my mixture. But, besides those three colors, I add Charcoal Gray and Spice Brown to the mix in small quantities. The end result is a more realistic fleshtone (or at least that's how I think it looks). Far too many companies make their fleshtones to orange or too pink. However, everyone has to find a fleshtone that they like whether it is straight from the bottle or a mixture.

As far as the rest of his color scheme, I am probably going to stick close to the Necromunda rule book color scheme but with some more elaborate patterning on the trousers and possibly tattoos. Very iffy on tattoos as if you go to elaborate it muddies the figure, but if you don't go elaborate enough it looks cartoony and crappy. I do know that I am going with a solid color for the hair and NOT the snowcone look I have seen on some Necromunda Goliaths.

Next up is the Illyrian Scout from Reaper.

He is still in what I consider a brainstorming phase. I know I want to use a bright color for his flesh, hence the white primer. However I don't know what color yet. I am leaning towards an orange rust color...sort of like Jar Jar Binks or something. His base is a standard gravel base as I sort of see him as a member of some rag tag interplanetary group of adventurers.

Well, that is it for tonight. Check back again in a few days or so and I should have some serious progress on the Goliath. Haven't decided if he will be auction material or not. I do have extras of certain models for the Goliaths, I just have to check and see if he is one of the extras.

Good Night and Good Painting!

Mike

Gretchin Mekaniak and Sneak Preview!

First up tonight is the Gretchin/Grot Mek!

This one is a flashback to about 1992-1994...or for me about 1995. I think he was one of the Gretchin Assistants for the Shock Attack Gun....or maybe the Scorcha. Whatever it was, I don't have the model he went with anymore...that I know.

But I didn't get to seal him with Dullcote tonight as it was sprinkling outside and the last thing I need is extra moisture....don't want a "frosted' Gretchin.

I went with an Evil Suns meets the Orks from the Space Marine video game. I really like this mini as he isn't as feral as all the new grotz models are....just so many loinclosths and revolvers a man can paint before he hits his limit.

And tonight's sneak preview!

The next project I'm going to be working on is and Escher ganger for Necromunda. I will be auctioning her off as soon as I complete her...I play Goliaths and Redemptionists.

Her base is a custom one off I made with some plasticard and some tiny plastic bits for rivets. I think I'll go with my classic yellow and black hazard lines and rust for the base treatment. I have no idea what her color scheme will end up being...probably go text book with it.

So if you are in the market for some painted Necromunda stuff, stay tuned. Remember, painted minis make a great Christmas present for that wargamer or roleplayer in your life.

So check back later, I'll be painting some Spinespur models for a commission and I'll also be chugging along on more figs for auctions....probably a safe bet some more classic GW stuff will be amongst them...possibly some of the older Devestators (from the 90s) and Genestealer Cultists.

And if you have some spare time, why not follow the Paintshop of Horrors on the Twittah!

My Twitter name...thing...whatever is Chaney_Insaney.

A new photo, a better photo, and a combination of both....

First up is SWAT Officer Dell.

She's part of my Modern/Zombie Apocalypse collection and brings the count on those models up to a breathtaking 3 models. Yes, I really need to focus on that particular collection as it isn't exactly growing like a weed. Seriously, 3 models in 3 years is not a great ratio.

So for the particulars of the model...she is part of a 6 pack of SWAT officers from Foundry. I actually bought that pack about 10 years ago....and that should give you an indication of my painting backlog. She was base coated with Testor's Flat Black and then highlighted with a mixture of Ceramcoat Charcoal Gray and Ceramcoat Wedgewood Blue. I built up the highlights by simply adding white to the mixture...I think I used Vallejo white simply for the dropper.

The gas mask and the other areas that would have more of a "slick" or "latex" look were highlighted with a mixture of Ceramcoat Payne's Gray and Ceramcoat Wedgewood Blue...which I built up by simply adding more Wedgewood Blue. I never went full on Wedgewood Blue, but that is a matter of personal preference as I prefer a more subtle final highlight.

The green pouches were basecoated with a mixture of Catachan Green and Ceramcoat Charcoal Gray...and the highlight was built up by adding Ceramcoat Quaker Gray which let me achieve a faded color effect.

The lens of her mask was first basecoated with Tausept Ochre and then I shaded (or I think it's degraded) the color with Reaper Saffron Sunset. I added more and more Saffron Sunset to the mixture until I had an almost pure Saffron Sunset.

The base is a standard 30mm lipped base from Privateer Press. I have Reaper lipped bases as well, but the didn't have enough room for all the details I wanted to add on. The recessed area of the base was filled with Milliput and sculpted to resemble a concrete slab with a seam down the middle. I then added some various plastic bits to give a ruined urban look.

Next one up is my Night Goblin Archer from the Battle For Skull Pass box set.

I've posted a couple of photos of him over the summer, but I finally had a chance to take a nice photo of him only recently. For the record, he is a prototype for the rest of my collection....I needed to try out the color scheme and see how it looked before I committed the rest of my army to this particular look.

For the particulars of the model...he was first base coated with Krylon Gray Spray Primer. I didn't want to use black right off the bat as I didn't want to restrict my palette to dark colors only. Yes, we all know those are the colors I'd go back to, but I didn't want to have to go back to them.

The flesh was base coated with a mixture of Gnarloc Green (yes that is a green, don't believe GW's swatches for that one) and Ceramcoat Charcoal Gray. The flesh was then highlighted with pure Gnarloc Green and built up with Ceramcoat Sandstone. This allowed the flesh to not go too yellow or jaundiced. Once the highlighting was complete, I layered on a thin glaze of Privateer Khardic Flesh to the nose and lip areas. I built up the Khardic Flesh gradually until the tip of the nose was completely Khardic Flesh.

The cloak was base coated with Vallejo Black and then highlighted with Charcoal Gray and built it up by adding small amounts of Quaker Gray. I applied many glazes of black to tone down the highlights and help it blend better. Once dry, I freehanded on some red triangles...which was inspired by Jackob Nielsen's Goblin Army.

The bow and leather was base coated with Calthan Brown and then highlighted by adding small amounts of Ceramcoat Sandstone to the mixture. The reds were highlighted by adding Saffron Sunset to Ceramcoat Bright Red.

And finally, Rosie the Chronotech from Reaper Miniatures.

This particular mini was painted waaaaaay back in 2007 and honestly, I couldn't tell you what particular colors were used. I do know that one day I'd like to take another crack at painting her....if nothing else just so I can fix the flesh blends.

And so ends another photo update from me.

Please feel free to go and vote on my models in my Coolminiornot.com gallery. And if you feel up to it, why not leave a comment or two.

I am available for commissions both private or commercial. If that peaks your interest, feel free to message me on Coolminiornot or leave a message in the comments section on the blog....I'd put my email address up but I just finally got all the spam back under control.