Colore Ton Monde: Mars 2014

After putting things to a vote to chose the minis for February's challenge, I only managed to put a base coat on them, as I lost two weeks of an already short month due to a trip to the  UK for family reasons.

Still they don't look so bad as they are. I do plan to finish them off soon, as I am experimenting with the painting of stockings on Amy, and it mostly looks okay.

The other results of  February's challenge, and March's challenge have been posted here.

Au bal, au bal masqué, ohé, ohé

Le printemps se jouant de nous, demeurant caché derrière tout ces flocons et ce froid et ne se pointant pas le bout du nez, nous vous invitons à peindre une figurine masquée ou ayant le visage caché. Pour élargir vos possibilités, vous pouvez y aller vers le thème de la furtivité en général, au lieu de simplement cibler le visage, en peignant un éclaireur ou un infiltrateur.

The Masked Ball

Spring is playing with us, remaining hidden behind these snowflakes and cold and are not pointing the nose, we invite you to paint a figurine hidden or with the hidden face. To expand your possibilities, you can go to the theme of stealth in general, instead of just targeting the face, painting a scout or an infiltrator.

So masked figures it is. Not something there's a shortage of, if you count gas masks or helmets. I have a few Viridian special forces minis  lined up in the paint queue. They're very cool minis, and I already have a colour scheme to use in them.

Colore ton Monde February: A Vote!

Alright you silent masses, I see the page count going up on these posts without comment, and  let it go, as really, what's to say. Well your time as mere spectators is at an end! I require you to speak up and speak your mind. I put before you a set of pictures, and it is up to you dear reader, to pick which of these sets of minis I am to paint for this month's Colore ton Monde painting challenge!

As noted previously, the challenge this month is to paint a pair of minis, with a link between the two, be that as friends or foes. I have had a bit of a rummage, and this is what I have come up with.

1 Ten and the Master

Heresy Miniatures IIRC, and a nice duo. The best of frenemies. The last of the Timelords finds out he is not alone, only to find the other remaining is his greatest nemesis.

2. Amelia Pond and the Raggedy Doctor

I do prefer 10 to 11, but the Amy Pond mini will be a challenge to get right, for me at least. Again Heresy minis.

3. K-9 and 10

What's not to love about these two. Of course K-9 has more of a relationship with 4, or even Sarah-Jane, but I don't have minis for those two. Again Heresy.

4. Khador Kayazy Eliminators

Privateer Press miniatures. Wonderful sculpts, and very dynamic. I think they go very well with the scenic bases I put them on. Of course these two are a matching pair, a unit of two. What beauties!

5. Harold and Val

Another Heresy set. This time as part of a little diorama that has been stuck on hold for the longest of times, mostly just because I have no need for it in game, but it is one that I would like to finish eventually. The base for these two is already made, it just needs painted (like these two).

So there you have it, and surprisingly, no Dystopian Legions. Maybe I need a break from them to get my mojo back. What say you we give it a week, then count up the votes, after all, February is the shortest month, and I do have to paint them in that time.

Get voting!

EDIT.
I have created a poll on another post, so please vote there. For the two votes I have already recieved, I shall add them on to the tally at the end of the week, and thank you again.

Valkyrie I

I get easliy distracted. I am almost finished one project, but a 2 week break from the brushes, a box through the post from Heresy miniatures and oops! Shinybloodyitis is a royal pain in the buttocks.

I went with the 2nd from the left

But when this mini arrived from Heresy, I knew it had to be made into a little vignette. The head on a stick just cries out to be placed on a scenic base. I immediately though of the metal dead trees I bought back in June, and a bunch of little crows I have collected from the Old Witch and my Menoth Wracks. I found a tree that was suitably dead, stuck it on a base and covered it with crows. I had initially though to give the tree some Autumn foliage, and go with an autumnal paint scheme on the Valkyrie, but I don't think I have enough branches on the stump to make this so. I may have to sculpt a small branch or two before going any further. 

Heidi Sigrsdotter, with exrta head

What use is she as a gaming model? That's a good question. To be fair, my actual gaming is so limited recently, an excersise in modelling and painting is enough of an excuse to go with, but let's play the 'what if' game. I have based her on a large (40mm) base, and as such she can be used as a hero/warlord in SAGA. This would of course take my miniature count for SAGA to 2, both of whom are worlords, but I feel this is a moot point, as I think both models are nice little vignettes, and both were a joy to work on. This does mean I will be looking out for some regular viking models to complete the warband to a playable state.

The other day, I posted a bunch of links by accident (I have draft posts of links for various subjects). As this post, sparse as it was, garnered at least 1 comment, I shall repost the links I have collected for my hypothetical viking/Saga force here:

CP models Viking Berserkers

CP models Anglo Danes

CP models Skraelings

Bronze Age Miniatures, have a small but perfectly formed range of Vikings and Picts. Including some nice historical (i.e. not half naked) female Vikings.

Ménage du printemps: Wrap-up

What a month! Certainly the most blog posts per month in my short 6 month run. The first time I have completed a full unit (possibly for any game ever, and that's a long time gaming).

Ok, so Plan A started well, with a simple line-up of 5 figures to be painted over 31 days (29 actually, since the photos were to be posted on the yesterday). 5 figures form various ranges, to help with painting fatigue. Sounds good yes? Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, aft gang agley. I would like to have completed Strakov, as I have bought a whole bunch of Assault Kommandos for his theme force, and I really like the mini for Saxon Orrik, even if he's unlikely to see play (he's one of the few figures for WM/H that I bought just to paint), but I was left with little inspiration as to the colour scheme to use. Particularly for Strakov, as what ever I go with will have to be repeated throughout his theme force. Hence Plan B.

Things I have learned:

• Still Water is clear, like really clear. Unless you put something in the still water before placement, it's completely see-through. If I had to do this again, I would have added some tint to the still water, maybe some Devlan Mud, or Ochre, to make it more bog-like. Bog's don't have water that clear. At least none that I've ever had the pleasure to walk through.
• Perseverance is all it takes to finish a unit. Maybe 10-15 hours work in total was all these guys took, over several evenings. Okay, maybe that is a lot. Perseverance and motivation is all it takes to finish a unit. Perseverance, motivation and inspiration...
  I'm going to stop myself there before this becomes a Monty Python skit.

It would have been nice to have completed the Eliminators, as they are such nice models, and are sure to see the table, but it was not to be. At least I have time to give their scheme proper, unhurried consideration.

So, the final standings, let's start with those that did not get finished.

Kommander Strakov

 I love this miniature. When I'm inspired, he will be finished to the best of my ability. Until then, back to the cupboard. At least the mud and boards got a base coat.

Saxon Orrik

 Another great mini consigned to the shelves till I decide how to finish him.

Mad Scientist

The Savage Worlds miniature almost made it. Base coated and inked, he is nearing completion, but alas, missed out on that final coat when the Bog Trogs made their appearance.

 Sascha DuBois

The first of the completed models. Still not 100% happy with the face, and from what I picked up highlighting the Bog Trogs, very simplistic in its finish, but, we live and learn. I do like the hair colour, and the highlights on the back of the coat.

Dr Malcolm Ecclescake

I like the simplicity of the finish, and subtlety of the highlights. I don't like the eyes. Given time, I may redo these.

Bog Trogs

The eventual stars of the show. Very happy with them, for all the reasons mentioned above. I learned a lot doing these guys.  More of the finished work here.

Onwards and upwards!

Ménage du printemps: III Time travellers

Eyes are hard. I've been lucky in my last few projects not to have to paint eyes. My Napoleonics are not so detailled (not the minis as such, but my choice of finish) so i don't paint eyes. My Viridians are all wearing masks, and the Syntha are mechs, so again, no eyes (even the Biomech is wearing shades). So when it came to finishing these two, I was left with the faces, trying to find the smallest brush I had, or even a pin whith which to do the final black spots. Fopr a distace, these two look good, but the camers reveals a host of blemishes that I will have to go back and redo. I I had to redo the face on Sacsha so many times she looks like she's had too much botox. Hopefully a wash will get rid of most of the blemishes.

Dr Ecclescake is still looking a little shiny, but i have some matt varnish that should get rid of the worst of that. So, first two models, completed. They're unlikely to win any prizes, but they are for the most part done.

Pics after the cut.

Ménage du printemps: II Time travellers

The first two minis for the may challenge were started last night (I may have put a lick or two of paint on some of the others while I had the paints out). I went with the pair of time travellers to begin. For Dr Malcolm Ecclescake, I chose the studio colours. His outfit seems only to vary in the colour of T-shirt he wears. His leather jacket is as far as i can make out, black. I decided that this would be too much, what with the black trousers (that, and black is a real pain in the ass to get right) so I went with a dark brown (P3 ochre), with a black wash. It may not come out too well in the pics, as the black was is too shiny, but it looks the real deal IRL.

Base Coat

Inked

Sacsha Dubois does not suffer from the same monochromatism. I decided she was much more in the vein of Captain Jack, not afraid to add a bit of colour. I'm not yet sure as to what colour I'll settle on for the trousers and top, especially the cog motif, but I'm happy enough with the base. Combat ready, but yet fashionable.

Base Coat

Inked

 

Highlights and detailling to follow. Then I'll have to decide on how I want to paint the rest.

Ménage du printemps: Start

First post in this series (at least the first containing pictures of miniatures). I have put aside these 5 minis as the ones I'll be trying to complete first. A selection of varying minis, all 28mm, but all ones I really like, and feel the need to have painted.

Saxon Orrik and Kommander Strakov

 The first two are Privateer Press Minis. One from Hordes and One from Warmachine. Saxon Orrik is a minion, who will work for just about anyone. I really love the miniature, and the desert feel, but his rules don't fill any gap that I have in any of my armies. Since i am painting for the sake of painting, and not to put anyone on the table, he's in Kommander Strakov, however, should be seeing the table often, if I get my way. I bought a whole pile of Assault Kommandos to field with him, I even scratch built a pile of trenchwork bases for them all. It would never be a competition winning army, but I do like the theme.

Mad Scientist and Sascha Dubois

The next two are Reaper minis. The Mad Scientist, from their Savage Worlds range, and Sascha Dubois, Time Chaser from their Chronoscope range. I may have mentioned before, I have a hankering for the Deadlands background, due to a loooong running campaign I was a part of back in the old ountry. (It still runs now, 6 years later, I just don't play in it any more). The Time chaser was one of the first of the Chronoscope figs, and was very much in the theme of the next guy, which is why I picked her up

Dr Malcolm Ecclescake

The last figure, is Dr Malcolm Ecclescake, otherwise known as "not the ninth Doctor". A love of Doctor Who, the release of the RPG, and finding these very nice minis meant I could not pass. I have "not the Master" and "not the tenth Doctor" as well, but Ten is already partly painted, so doesn't count for this competition, and the Master, well, you don't start with the master, you start with the Doctor, then you paint the Master.

So there you go. The start of this month's challenge. If I get these done, I'll move on to my Kayazy Eliminators, who are not yet built, as I'm waiting for a missing part. After that, if there's still time, we'll see.