Village Games' Blog - Painting Projects

A SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:41:00 -0700

While we were looking at some miniatures at the shop recently, one of the staff pointed a large prepainted miniature for D&D and proclaimed that this was the “…friendliest looking monster, ever…” and that nothing could be done for the miniature to make it otherwise, due to the “…strange, very ‘smiley’…” sculpt.

Well this sounded like a challenge to me, so I took it up. Here are some ‘before’ pictures of the miniature as it came out of the box:

Now after a little airbrushing, some simple washes and a little detailing here is the final result:

It still isn’t the most ferocious creature you ever did see, but it looks a lot better. One of my other goals for this was not to spend a lot of time on the model (as I have a lot of other projects going on right now). I am pleased to say that in this regard I was successful – it only took a little more than two hours total (not including drying times) to complete!

It is always satisfying when you can challenge yourself and rise to the occasion. J

Until next time…

Cheers!

Dan

AN UPDATE...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Recently I posted pictures of some 1/72 modern Americans I was working on. I am very intrigued by the 1/72 (i.e. 20mm) scale as there is a plethora of figures and vehicles available in just about every genre and period, the miniatures are very reasonably priced (e.g. often you can get 45-50 figures for around $10) and, because of the size, the battlefields look quite impressive.

In prepping the army I had been forced to figure out a new way of basing the figures so they could be used in an ‘army’ type battle, rather than the more customary ‘skirmish’ type game. I wasn’t sure if the method would turn out, so I promised some pictures when they were finished.

Well, here they are:

Unfortunately it is hard to see the 'digitized' camo scheme on the figures in the photos - it is fairly subtle - but it shows up pretty good in person. Coming up with a way to paint the army's current camo pattern was probably the hardest part of painting the figures. I have also included pictures of one of the M1126 Strykers that I have based up for action as well, although I must admit they did come assembled and prepainted. I did add some washes, highlighting and weathering though, which really helped them turn out great!

Overall I am fairly pleased with the results. The 1/72’s are really no more difficult to paint than 15mm miniatures, and now with a satisfactory way of basing them, I have visions of all sorts of forces to build and paint after I complete these modern ones.

Until next time…

Cheers!

Dan

QUICK & DIRTY SUCCESS...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:04:00 -0600

Lately I have started a bunch of projects that I would deem “long term” as they will eventually get done and be spectacular, but they will take quite a bit of time in between to complete all of the steps needed. Occasionally having too many of these types of projects going at once can be a little demoralizing – you are constantly working on things, but there are long stretches where nothing ever seems to be finished.

To combat this, I mix in some of what I call “Quick & Dirty” projects – projects that, with just a little effort, can be complete fairly quickly and yet will still produce great results. One of my recent ones was to take some pre-painted D&D minis that didn’t really look the greatest, and give them a quick make-over with a new base, some washes & quick highlights. I don’t want to spend too much time on these as I have plenty of other projects that need time and attention as well, but to be able to start and finish something quickly does a lot to keep my head in the game, and my excitement level high.

The mini I tackled recently was a large troll warrior from the newest D&D set. Out of the box, it really lacked detail and character – the skin was a pasty, pale green with little shadow or highlight, the weapons were bland, and of course the base was nothing more than a black disk. So I mounted the mini on a new base and added some textures. I then applied a variety of washes via my “magic dip” formula (green, brown/black, etc.) and applied a few highlights.

Based up & ready to go...

After the green washes...

After the shadow washes & the base started...

I now need to fish the base and add a few final details, but otherwise the figure is pretty much done and looks great (I think). I will post another update when everything on it is done!

Until then…

Here’s to the joy of washes!

Dan

WORKS IN PROGRESS...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:28:00 -0600

Just a couple of shots of some WWII 15mm stuff I have working on. I have really become a big fan of airbrushing tanks and such – especially since I got myself a nice, but affordable, working airbrush! In addition to the T34’s I was airbrushing that day there are some Russian infantry and LMG teams.

If you keep an eye to future Combat Card Campaign shots you’ll get to see them in action in all of their completed glory!

Until next time…

Cheers!

Dan

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T PLAY AROUND WITH AIRBRUSHES...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:05:00 -0600

Around the shop people have really started to get into using airbrushes for painting. To start with it was mostly for priming and base coating, but lately it has starting moving to a whole new level. One of our regulars (Ben R.) is a perfect example of this.

He recently started a new army for Warhammer 40K – Eldar – but wanted to do something different with it, so he broke out his fancy new airbrush and got to work. His idea was for a series of troop carrying tanks that are painted to match the squads they carry – in particular a squad of ‘air’ troops, a squad of ‘fire’ troops, etc. Now, while I don’t have any pictures of the troops I do have some pictures of the tanks in progress.

Ben decided to use a family of colors to paint them and, in the case of the vehicles, to softly blend those colors into each other. The results are pretty amazing. The unfortunate thing is that he is raising the bar for everyone else. How can you field a plain old one color army when armies like this are showing up?

Fortunately for everybody, there is a really good flow of information going on. On our paint nights (and just about any other night of the week) you can hear the quiet hum of airbrushes and compressors running throughout the shop. Almost everybody is willing to share their secrets when they stumble on a good technique, and people aren’t afraid to ask questions or for help when they want to improve their skills. It is definitely a good time to be a modeler in the Village.

Well, until next time…

Please try not to raise the bar too high!

Dan

THE REST OF THE ARMY...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:38:30 -0600

A while back I posted some shots of a converted Tyranid Carnifex that one of our regulars (Ben R.) had done. Well I found that I had a few shots of his completed army as well, so here they are. The army is really impressive, especially the basing. The whole army has a swamp theme to it, which is reflected both on the models with hanging greenery and foliage on the creatures, and the bases with swampy water puddles, broken branches and more greenery.

I try and emphasize to folks to not underestimate the effect good basing can have on a model/army. Here is an excellent example – the models are painted very well, but they really pop with the whole themed ground effect and such. I recommend to anyone who is considering a themed force (be it 40K, historicals, or whatever…) to give consideration to the basing as well as how to actually paint the army. You don’t have to go crazy, just keep it simple, but a well thought out and executed plan can really make your army look great.

And a great looking army inspires not only the general, but also anyone who happens to walk by and is looking for a new game to try. Whether we like it or not, visual coolness definitely plays a big part in whether someone decides to try out a new game.

So the next time you are starting a new force, give some thought as to the basing theme as well as the painting scheme of your force. I don’t think you’ll regret it!

Until next time…

Avoid the swamps!

Dan

CONVERSION HEAVEN...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:14:00 -0600

Just a couple of quick shots of some great model conversions our regulars have done. Both are from the Games Workshop 40K line. The first is a pretty clever addition of a Necron Warrior emerging from the energy field on a Monolith. Trent N. (yes, the same one that works at the shop) was the mastermind behind this one.

The other figure is a winged Carnifex made by Ben R. Ben is an art student, as you can probably tell from the great basing and colors used (please excuse the rather poor quality of the pictures, it ain’t easy taking shots in the middle of a game J). The wings are stunning, and really make the figure a dominant part of his army.

Congratulations guys on jobs well done!

Until next time…

Thought for the day: Just Play!

Dan

WASH PROMINENCE…

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:04:00 -0600

A lot of the folks around the shop have really fallen in love with using a variety of washes on their models to get speedy results that look excellent. Sometimes they base coating in different colors, other times it is just a single color base coats and then layers of washes that they use – however they are using it the results are hard to argue with.

The most popular right now are the washes from Games Workshop, but we have also added the clear colors from Tamiya and the new washes from Vallejo as well. I am also hoping to start bringing in more “filters” as well from companies like Lifecolor and Mig Productions as well. The filters are designed to give base colors a more realistic weathered and faded appearance. Very helpful if you are looking for that gritty, battle weary look.

This is an example of a work in progress from one of our regulars (Robb S.). It is an undead catapult for a fantasy army he is working on; at this point I believe he has only applied a base coat and his washes. I don’t know what else he had planned, but you can see the tremendous results so far. And his total time invested in painting to this point: about 15 minutes (not including the basing)!

Hopefully I will be able to get a shot of the finished product in the near future. In the meantime, give a thought to trying some of these techniques.

Until next time…

Why worry, just slather it on!

Dan

TEACHING THE ART...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:06:14 -0600

Just a quick entry about everybody’s efforts to share the artistic side of the hobby. A few months ago we kicked-off a “Paint Night” every Tuesday at the shop with the goal being to encourage, and make it easier for, people to be more artistic with their miniatures. At first attendance was lean, but slowly it has grown. Now we have had as many as a dozen or more painters working on a given night.

And “painters” probably isn’t a fair description as there are often people working on terrain projects model construction and other related activities as well. Most of the folks there are more than willing to show their own works, share the techniques they used to achieve it and even help walk others through the steps to re-create them. From speed painting for mass armies to delicate layer painting and airbrushing techniques, there is always something to learn.

I would strongly encourage everyone to partake in the artistic side of our hobby as much as possible. It is not as hard to learn as you might think, and the rewards of pride in your miniatures, a sense of accomplishment and the excitement of the possibilities for the next project are well worth it!

And, if you ever find yourself in our neighborhood on a Tuesday stop by and join in.

Until next time…

May all of your brushes hold their points!

Dan

PAINTING SHOWCASE

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:20:02 -0600

SOME MORE NICE FIGURES…

One of our regulars [Robb S.], who is an excellent painter, recently brought up some great new figures he had finished so I grab some shots of them. Most of the figures are of Warmachine figures [Robb has gotten into that game quite heavily over the last few weeks, along with a lot of other people…] but there is a 40K figure [Eldar] in there as well.

Robb has been moving heavily in to layering the colors on his models, although he still uses washes and drybrushes where best for the desired effect. With how speedy he is getting with the blended layering, it makes sense to make more use of that technique though.

Robb loves to talk colors, techniques and tools so if you want to know more about how he did these particular models, stop by late night [during Member’s Hours] on Thursdays or Fridays, or anytime on Sundays and you’ll have a pretty good chance of catching him.

Now I feel more pressure to step up my painting…oh well, the struggle for perfection never ends…

Until next time – Happy Gaming!

Dan

Even the Small Can Look Great

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:48:30 -0600

AMAZING RESULTS

One of our regulars (Terry) recently brought up some of the Oddzial Osmy (“O8”) 3mm miniatures he got from us all finished - painted, based, etc. The results were absolutely amazing!

Bear in mind these miniatures average only about a ½” in length. The obvious sculpting detail is brought out even more by Terry’s realistic paint job and basing. The details really add to them as well - notice the telephone poles on the helicopters’ bases. He really did a great job, and he said it wasn’t too hard to do.

One of the real perks of these 3mm is the ability to place an entire unit on a single reasonably sized base; especially useful if you play a rule set that uses a one stand equals one platoon or company. It gives a real sense of the scope of your forces if you can still see a one-to-one vehicle representation (albeit grouped on stands) on the table top.

The O8 line is growing rapidly, and we are planning to expand our selection as it grows. The only problem for me now is what units should I paint up first – early war WWII or a massive Cold War force? Maybe even an ultra-modern force?

Ah decisions, decisions….

Until next time – may all of your commands be productive!

Dan

The Beauty Can Come Through

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:35:00 -0600

NEW CAMERA

We just got a new camera for the store – one that can take great zoom and close-up shots as well as a host of other neat features. I need to get some special lighting equipment to take the best shots, but here are a couple of pictures just to test it out.

The first is a close-up of one of the 1/72 scale British paratroopers I painted a while back (see the previous post on painting these). The shots I had of the fig’s then left a lot to be desired. While this one still needs some lighting work, you can get a much better idea of how they turned out. He is Sten gunner from the Red Devils:

The other shot is of some 15mm WWII German paratroopers that I just finished up. They were painted in the camo smocks that were issued in North Africa, and more importantly for my purposes, in the Italian/Monte Cassino campaign. Again, the lighting isn’t the best but you can see a lot of the detail. (Note: These guys were base coated with my airbrush and then speed painted in the same fashion as the paratrooper above using the “Magic Dip” method):

I have thrown out a challenge in the shop for someone to paint up a matching New Zealander, Indian or Polish force to take on the Germans in a Cassino mini-campaign, but so far no one has risen to the occasion. I still have hope though…

Until next time…

Happy Gaming!

Dan

1/72 Scale Growing...

nospam@example.com (Dan Hobot) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:15:00 -0600

ANOTHER FOLLOWS SUIT

After my going on about the success of my experiment with 1/72 scale figures, one of our regulars – Mike Z. – decided to give it a try with some Imperial Romans. Now bear in mind, Mike hates painting figures – he will only play games with vehicles or prepainted figures. After his efforts though, he is sold on the idea of the 1/72 scale figures!

Mike’s Romans are from Caesar Miniatures which have a nice mix of poses for skirmish armies (Mike’s goal with this first batch). Mike painted 22 of the figures intermittently over a couple of nights at the shop. He used the same techniques I outlined in my blog entry about the British Paratroopers I painted. Unfortunately my camera can’t do justice to his paint job, but suffice it to say that given the little time and effort it took Mike the results were spectacular! Mike is very proud of how they turned out, and rightly so for his first foray into figure painting:

You will notice in the background are some German WWII Infantry that I painted up using the same techniques. I now have someone to skirmish with my Brits! Now onto the next group…

Until next time – Happy Gaming!

Dan