On the table - Deadeye Walkers Test

Getting ready to start on my Deadeye Walkers and I realize I had no pattern for painting that blue green cloth they have on the box art. I primarily use Citidel paints so I based the skirt area with Rakarth Flesh, washed with Coelia Greenshade then drybrushed with Rakarth Flesh again. It is not prefect but it sure is fast and easy.

Finished - Zombicide Clovis

Star Wars RPG - Homecoming Part 2

Over the last two sessions, the crew of the as yet unnamed vessel has covered a lot of ground.

Riza deftly piloted the speeder carrying Ouca and Toch around the lake of acid to try and catch up to Ottam Shay, the Rebel Operative. In their way was a whole platoon of Storm Troopers on swoop bikes. As they moved up, Toch used his mysterious hand gestures to push speeders into the acid lake while Asha deftly jumped from speeder to speeder. Tikka and Mal showed up after hearing the frantic comms chatter from the crew. Tikka rammed a few speeders off the road and Mal got every MPS out of those engines.

Star Wars - Xen Zorra

Star Wars RPG - Homecoming Part 1

"Transmission Incoming...  Source: encrypted From: Abo Dolfini To: Dead Drop #547 Subject: Extraction  Greetings Rebels,  A mission has come down that seems suited to your group's particular skill set.   A long time operative on Iridonia, Otam Shay, has uncovered some valuable information and has signaled for extractions. This information is reputed to be very sensitive and cannot be transmitted through the holonet.   Attached is the location of a safe house in Vorgaa Station that Shay has used recently. Contact him there and get him and the information he carries off planet.   Additionally, there are rumors of an archeological site in the area dating back thousands of years that may still be undisturbed. If time permits, investigate and see there is anything useful or valuable located there.   May The Force Be with You "

On the as yet unnamed ship on the way to Iridonia, the crew took some time to get to know each other a little better. Ouca and Reeza talked about their similar backgrounds where their families were taken from them at a young age and what they did to survive. Reeza stole when he needed to but always tried to take from bad people if they could. Ouca learned the ways of the warrior to escape but never let the fire of revenge die in his heart. Asha and Toch continued their training and probed the feelings of those on board. With no navi-computer on board, CQ-38 used a module installed in him to calculate the route through hyperspace. 

Editorial - Why Do I Try So Hard

Just spent about 20 hours painting this Vulkan mini and really stressing over the green armor. I need to try weathering powders so I banged out a set of legs to try them on. Rather than stress over painting the armor in a detailed fashion, I just did a quick dry brush and it turned out really well.

And that is the frustrating part. I spend a lot of time putting paint precisely where I want it and to have a very easy technique so closely approximate all my hard work. It is frustrating to know that there is an easy button out there.

Regardless, this mini is pretty much done except for some details and the weathering powders. 

DMed Star Wars Saga - Still Waters

I am DMing an average of once per year at this point. Not to imply that it was ever regular in the first place. Ran one game of Dread at a friend's brewery that was great. Facilitated Fiasco even though I am crap at explaining the very simple rules.

Recently, I have gathered a gaming group closer to home and we have been running the older d20 Star Wars Saga game and I love it. Already painted up a mini for my lightsaber sparring droid and have played a few sessions with the crew which is composed of a Chiss politician, a human pilot, a Zabrak mercenary, a sneaky Ewok, a Duros mechnic and a scholarly human Jedi.

The regular DM let me run a game and I wrote one inspired the The Adventure Zone Amnesty and the water elemental. I loved the idea of an invulnerable and utterly alien creature. I also love the elements of horror and suspense inherent to that arc.

Finished - Jedi Sparring Droid

Even at the role-playing table, I am a miniature person. I painted the Halfling Sheep-Cavalry mini just for fun despite my GM using vertical maps. Spent more on those minis than I have on single minis in a long time.

Star Wars minis fortunately come for a song. Worst part was the shipping. Bought this Juggernaut War Droid after searching through 7 pages of Star Wars minis of droids with lightsabers or those electrostaffs. Eventually, I made myself a lightsaber out of a 40k weapon handle and a Necron replacement acrylic rod. The only other conversion was ripping off the jetpack of this droid.

Backing up a little, the back story for this character is he was discovered by a researched-focused archaeologist/Jedi near the end of the Clone Wars but before Order 66. The droid dates back over 4,000 years to the Old Republic era and the Mandalorian wars. I had CQ-38 discovered in a state of shut down and repair when his Jedi discovered him. Part of his programming was to follow orders from Jedi and kill all Mandos he sees. He obeys the Jedi but has not yet had a chance to kill an Mandalorian.

The Jedi he adopted was not focused on the martial arts, so used this droid following him as a sparing partner. Finding out that this Droid was built to kick butt, the Jedi used the droid as a bodyguard of sorts. 

On The Table - Lord of Change

This mini has been on the the table for years now. This has been the longest running in progress project I think I have ever had. I think the reason is that I did not have the skills to pull off the concept in my head. I had to paint lots of icy blue minis to get my techniques refined and increase my skills to the point of making my ideas manifest.

I changed the robes from dark blue to purple to provide some more contrast. I re-drybrushed Celestra Grey to even things out and then painted on highlights of my new best friend Ulthan Grey. It is basically white that is tinted blue. Over darker colors it looks white but still gives you the option of picking out highlights in pure white later.

Finished - Dragonborn Warlock

Got involved with a second D&D group and no one uses minis there. The DM draws maps on a vertical whiteboard, and white they are good maps, it is a little difficult to place minis on a vertical surface. I painted my Halfling Sheep Cavalry mostly for myself and that got other players interested in minis.

The Fae fighter/theif/druid wanted an "adult Tinkerbell" figure so I painted her one. Never took pics but it turned out ok. Then the Dragonborn Warlock with a Str of 18 and a Great Old One as a patron wanted a mini too.

The Dragonborn minis are, frankly, kind of stupid. There are a limited few especially when compared to humans and there was no good wizard minis. There was a good Tiefling Warlock though but the head and face were wrong. Fortunately my buddy had a WFB Skink that he let me rip apart.

Finished - Ice Hounds

I started work on the Frostgrave warband of Greg from Cranky Old Gamer. MY directives were to make them look icy and blue, fitting the Frostgrave setting. I started with the hounds and used a ghostly white technique that I have been refining for years and using a lot more lately.

I spray the model white and base it Celestra Grey. It then gets a pretty conservative wash of Gulliman Blue. If that was is too think there are these artificial blue looking areas. Then a touch up of Fenrisian Grey, a highlight of Celestra Grey and a final highlight of Ulthuan Grey. Had great depth and still nice a crisp. 

Finished - Alpha Legion Terminators

Deleted the in-progress post about these minis. This is another in the series of of Alpha Legionaries for a Vyndica client. I talked him into the smoother lines of the Tartaros Terminators with the intent of "Chaosing them up" later. Initially, I thought this would be pretty easy, but when it came down to it I was flummoxed on how to make them look more like Chaos Marines.

I had a bunch of spiky bits left over from a CSM Terminator project and in a moment of inspiration, I just glued them to the sides of torso. I could have tried to dremel out channels on the sides to make them fit flush, but that would have been a lot of work with high risk for wrecking the minis.

Finished - DE Wytches

Blowing through these commissions and trying to clear the table. Getting pretty good at this style. I tried to get some more depth out of the skin tones by going heavier on the purple wash but I don't know how effective it was.

Hopefully the client gives me some vehicles next time. I could go for painting a small skimmer.

On the Table - Horrors and Flamers

Working on some Screamers and Horrors for a friend. He pulled the minis before I could finish because there were needed for a game. Learned a lot from these guys already. For example, painting flames. I divide the flames up into zones and then wet/dry blend the zones until I get something close to what I am looking for. All the while leaving deeper layers uncovered. Flames are a menace and challenging. 

Finished - Char’s Zaku

At long last this massive project is finished. I started with the head and things went quickly. I initially approached the project like I would with a mini that was much smaller, but that became quickly untenable as there was just too much surface area to paint and not enough time.

By the time I got to the body, I was thinking of painting in a much larger scope and larger areas.

The weapons and decals went a lot faster than I thought and the mini should arrive to the client today.

Flatteringly, the client wants me to do another Gundam model. 

Finished - D&D Mini Finneas

Ugh, this post got lost when I was almost done with it. Starting over.

Began with a new D&D group and that means a new mini. I picked "halfling sheep cavalry" as a concept. Took Bard as class rather than Fighter for flavor and versatility. 

Long time...

Two months and no update? Unacceptable!

I have been painting but much of it has stalled out. I am just trying to clear the painting table at this point. Working hard to finish the Char's Zaku project. I have both arms, both legs and the head finished but the torso and weapons are languishing. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but it is a pinprick at this point.

Started work on the next installment of Dark Eldar. I had charged the client more than I needed to because I thought that I would do some slick conversions, but his assembly was so good that I just painted what he sent. I feel a little bad about that and for how long it is taking so I am going to cut him some slack on the final payment. I would not have felt good about taking money for it.

Also still need to begin work on Cranky Old Gamer's Frostgrave Warband. I don't even have details on how he wants them painted.

Then there are my projects. I am working on my Frostgrave Warband by painting Zombicide minis and taking minis out of circulation when they die in game. I have three minis on the table right now with 6 in the wings.

I am playing in two D&D games right now which accounts for some of decreased playing time. I am a miniature guy. Well, I mean I am a large person but I love minis. I have a painted mini for one character with two in the works. That character can summon different kinds of creatures and create fire effects, so I have minis for each of the creatures and Reaper walls of fire. I also have two more minis for that character in the works to represent changing gear and style. The character in the other game has a mount so there is a mounted and on foot mini to paint.

So lots to do and reduced time to do it. I don't know that I am going to take any more commissions for the foreseeable future. I have plenty of my own stuff to work on.