Challenge Day 46 - WIPs and Goodies

OMG - I haven't posted since Sunday night! About time to update you all then.

On Monday night I painted the leg and face markings on all the horses, and went over the washed ivory base of the white horse with Off White. I then painted the figure bases with Khaki Grey. I wasn't feeling up to doing much that night.

Last night I didn't do a whole lot either. I decided to separate out the three sticks of figures for command stands to paint separately next week, leaving just the figures for the "irregular cavalry". I painted the faces and hands, and then did the horse tack. I also painted the wood of the bows and spear/halberd shafts.

Pic taken before I painted the bows and spear/halberd shafts

This evening I've been feeling much more up to painting and have made excellent progress:
Hair (including beards)
Hats
Black undercoat on blades
Main colour of outer robes

They're looking pretty good. Later on I'll be painting the trim colour on the outer robes and doing the saddle cloths. If I have time before bed, I'll do a Sky Grey undercoat on the sleeves and trousers of their paji suits.

That just leaves painting the paji suits white, doing the cloaks boots, leather parts (belts, scabbards, quivers), shafts and flights of the arrows and the blades of weapons. Oh, and the eyes of the horses. It should just about be possible to finish them tomorrow.


Two of the orders I placed on Sunday have come in. These from Arcane Scenics yesterday:

And these paints from SnM Stuff today:

The three on the left are replacement stock for colours that I'm running low on. As is always the way, I noticed I was running low of another colour the day after I placed the order. Oh, well, such is life.

Challenge Day 43 - Sunday WIP

I haven't done a great deal on the painting front today. Last night I applied the horse colour basecoats for the Korean irregular cavalry and commanders.

This afternoon I painted manes, tails and points where these wouldn't be the base colour (ie, for bays, duns, blacks and some chestnuts). Once that was done, I applied my usual washes. And that's where I left them. I'll do the face and leg markings on the horses tomorrow night and maybe the tack if I have time. The riders (other than the commanders and their guards) should be a fairly quick paint.

I also re-primed the drunken pirate with black. I'll be working on him over the next four weeks whenever I have an appropriate gap in my schedule.

This evening, while taking things reasonably easy, I have been on a bit of a spending spree - some paints from SnM Stuff; some posable metal skeletons from Ebob Miniatures; some DeeZee beasties from Arcane Scenics; and some more Aztecs plus loose shields, weapons and banners from The Assault Group.

If I get time this week, I might also paint up a few more Aztecs - some of the warrior priests this time which should be fun.

Challenge Day 42 - Lots Going On

It's been busy, busy, busy at my paint desk the last few days. I finished off the basing on the 6mm Reb artillery, finished painting and based the wolves and got a few other things done as well.

The Aztec Jaguar warriors and pumas have been posted

So have the 6mm Reb artillery

As have the wolves.

With all of these submissions in, I looked toward my next project. I've decided to paint up some "irregular cavalry" for my Koreans and decided that if I was going to be doing horses, I might as well do some mounted commanders as well. Early this afternoon I primed the figures that hadn't been done. After this post, I'll be doing the base colour for the horses.

While the primer was drying, I decided to do some small bits of work. I fancied doing a quick paint of a single figure before commencing with the mass of cavalry and a quick root around in my project drawers unearthed a couple of Mordheim figures that I'd won in a blog prize draw a couple of years back. I had prepped and primed them at some point.

I also picked out a figure I will be submitting for the Nautical bonus theme round. This was another freebie, this time from Anne. I decided to extend the deck planking effect from the figure's base to cover the whole base as it would look better. I made up some Milliput and squidged it onto the base. Possibly a bit too thickly, but it will do. Since taking the pic above (ie once the Millput had cured) I have lightly sanded the Milliput and carved in the planking effect. Although the figure had previously been primed white, I will be spray priming it black tomorrow.

I've also painted and submitted one of the Mordheim figures, but it isn't up at the time of writing. You'll have to wait and see which one it was.


Edit: My fourth submission of the week is up!

Challenge Day 40 - WIPs and Goodies

I've had today off work. I was waiting in for the redelivery attempt of a parcel, which arrived at lunchtime. this is what was in it:

I bought these so that I can take them to work to display some of my painted figures in the office. Or at home.


I finished off the basing on the Aztec jaguar warriors and the pumas. Photos were taken and I've submitted the draft post for Saturday.

I also finished off painting the 6mm Reb artillery crews, varnished them, snipped them apart from each other, glued them to bases and added the basing gunk:

They'll be drybrushed and flocked tomorrow.

As I had some time, I've started work on another entry for this weekend. I wanted something quick and easy, so I picked out the 6 wolves I'd based and primed a few weeks ago. After giving them a mix of basecoat colours and a black wash, I've started the process of alternating drybrush and wash steps. I should be bale to finish that tonight which leaves the bases, eyes and mouths to paint tomorrow.

That's it for today. My points haul this weekend won't be that big, but points are points as they say.

Challenge Day 38 - WIPs

I've managed to finish the Aztec jaguar warriors this evening, apart from adding the herb scatter on the bases. So, no pics of them for now.

This evening I've made a good start on the 6mm Reb artillery crews. I should quite easily finish painting them tomorrow evening and get them glued onto bases. I'll then be able to add the basing gunk on Thursday evening and do the dry-brushing and flocking on Friday.

I'll obviously need to get something else out to work on. I haven't decided what yet.

Challenge Day 37 - I Tought I Taw A...

...puddy cat!

Well, the two pumas (or cougars - lock up your sons!) are finished apart from adding basing texture. I've also made good progress on the Jaguar warriors.

I'm currently working on the shield designs - base coats for the designs have been painted, although I seem to have made a bit of a mess of one and need to go back and redo it (or do a simpler design). Then the rims and designs will get highlighted. That just leaves adding spots to the helmets, dotting black into the helmet eyes and painting the obsidian blades on the clubs.

After work today I popped down to Orcs Nest to pick up some 40mm round bases and see what they had in the Reaper Bones racks that I could use for Mexicagrave or for a bonus theme round.

I ended up leaving the store with this lot:

Whoops!

The figure on top of "En Garde!"  is the promo figure for the rules. The sculpt itself looks very nice, but the casting leaves a lot to be desired. There's a lot of flash, mould lines and vent stubs that need to be cleaned. Not a big problem really.

However, the big problem is with the figure's sword. There is a huge lump of flash between the blade and his left leg. And it's not thin flash which can be poked out with a needle file. I'll probably have to drill through the flash in a few places to create space to get needle files in. I'm not sure it's worth the effort though.

Challenge Day 36 - Sunday Workbench

The Aztecs did make it in before the deadline - you can see them here.

These have taken my tally to 790 points, which is over halfway to my target of 1500 points. With eight weeks left to go, I can take things a little bit easier if I want to.

However, I haven't been idle today. First of all I undercoated some 6mm Reb artillery crews with Light Grey. I'll paint them up later in the week. As there are just 44 figures, they should only take an evening to finish.

In his comments on my Aztec post, Curt asked whether I'd be adding any geographically appropriate beasties to my collection. He mentioned jaguars - well, I don't actually have a jaguar miniature, but next in my Aztec crew for painting are four Jaguar Warriors. I've made a start on them and should only need an evening or two to finish them off.

I also took the opportunity to paint up two pumas (the big cats which aren't "big cats" - they don't qualify as they can't roar). They're just about finished - the bases need dry-brushing then it's varnish time and adding the herbal scatter.