Oldhammer-style 'basing with flock' tutorial (featuring a bunch of re-rebased Orcs)

This weekend I decided to go crazy and rebase my old Orcs on new-fangled big 30x30 squares. To be quite honest, I promised myself I would only rebase Ruglud's Ladz, knowing full well I would get carried away doing that. Besides, I figured, rebasing a bunch of Orcs should only take a Saturday morning's worth of time (for me, starting any task requires a complete miscalculation of the time required to actually do it). So a full weekend and a few mid-week evenings later, here's a bunch of rebased Greenskins, ready to take on The Old World in style.

These ancient Orcs have always been based, now they have also been rebased!

We're gonna need a bigger newspaper: there's a Sump Spider on the loose!

These last few weeks I've been having a glorious time picking up random projects taking up space around my paint station. This rather horrifying Sump Spider, a model by Print Minis, is one of those projects. It also marks the first model of a giant spider I did not paint pink. That's a bit of a change for me; I would also say it's nightmare fuel compared to the bubblegum pink Gobbo Spiders in the display case.

The running peasant from the Giant's kit has to rate as one of the top models ever produced by GW. Also there's a humongous zonking Sump Spider on the picture (in case you missed it).

Stargrave Ticket to Ride monorail train (and some models) finished

This week I added more Stargrave scenery to my collection. The monorail train you see behind the models is 3D-printed. This is actually one of the first STL's (3D printable files) I purchased after getting a 3D printer. It thought me what not to do when 3D-printing (I think this is train number six to be honest). Aside from painting the train, I rebased a few older models and finished a few new Die Hard Miniatures and 3D-printed ones. 

Don't worry I'm not moving into model railroading (I'm already out of space as-is). Here's a wonderful blog about crossing over to that hobby though. 

Is this the way to A-a-altdorf? Every night I've been hugging my pet Dwarf

"Dreaming dreams of A-a-a-altdorf, and sweet Marie who waits for me." My apologies, occasionally the result of a slightly extended paint project makes me break out in a ghastly song and dance routing. The Glottkin fits that bill for me. You could say this is one of the last Warhammer Fantasy models ever produced as the Nurgle aligned triplet was in part responsible for the destruction of the Old World. I can't hold it against them. For one: the End Times' source books are just too cool (the novels...that's another story). Second the background on Glottkin is quite interesting, and third they make for extremely entertaining bad guys in the current AoS stories. Anyway let's start with a shot of the model.

"Brother three shall bring low the Empire of Man," you can say that again!

More greenskins: Kruleboyz Swampcalla Shaman and Pot Grot join the horde

To be quite honest, I was planning to save my Kruleboyz until I'd finished a lot of other 'open projects'. This ambition turned out te be on par with 'not buying anything new until I've painted what I've got'. Utterly impossible. As I'd finished a lot of longer term open projects recently (and promptly failed to blog about those) I decided I was allowed to reward myself by cutting apart some shiny new sprues and assembling the new line of Orcs GW introduced with the release of the Age of Sigmar 3.0 Dominion Boxed set. Without further ado: here's my take on a Kruleboyz Swampcala Shaman and Pot Grot.

Hello there, can we tell you all about our lord and saviour Mork (or was that Gork)?

Holy terror batman! You've let yourself go! (Terrorgheist and Zombie Dragon join the horde)

Last year I started painting a proud band of noble Bretonnians to add to my collection of armies. For those of you scratching their heads, these Bretonnians are actually known as Flesh Eater Court ghouls, they just don't know it. As part of their menagerie I wanted a noble pegasus with rider and a unicorn. To this end I got started building a Zombie Dragon and a Terrorgheist. After the build I even airbrushed a few basic colors on them. At that point I felt uninspired and set them aside. These monster are quite big, so they got demoted from the Window Sill of Shame to Doorstops in under a week. This is no way to treat dragons; not even dead ones. So recently I decided to follow two distinct paths towards getting these monsters painted. This is the result.

Getting a Zombie Dragon and a Terrorgheist in frame together is even harder then painting them.

Prince Imrik rides forth again

A while back I found yet another mystery bag in my box of old miniatures. I upended the contents and out rolled an original Prince Imrik. That was a stroke of fortune (well to be honest I was looking for old High Elves to add to my Lumineth, but lets ignore that bit and focus on the sheer surprise ;) ). Long story short (yes I cut and pasted a too long intro that was originally here): Prince Imrik rides forth again. 

"I walk through the Dreaming Halls and I feel change in the wind. In the rhythm of their slumber, I see omens. Minaithnir tells me that he, too, feels his brethren swimming towards consciousness." <- hint hint GW, please make more dragon riding High Elves Lumineth

Nagash arrives (and he is gigantic)

Last Christmas I gave you my heart and the very next day Nagash arrived. Oh dear its February and I'm still stuck with that horrible Christmas earworm. On the plus side, I did actually build and paint Nagash over the Holidays. I just never got around to properly photographing him. The model is absolutely massive. Lets put him at the Flugelhöfen gatehouse and put Krell en Kemmler in frame with him for scale.

Ha! Two maniacal undead monsters in one summoning Kemmler cackled...seconds later Nagash relieved him of command.

How old-school can you go? Drastik Plastik Orcs old maybe? (with old school basing tutorial)

People occasionally wonder why I spent time painting ancient models. After all I could also use it to paint the newer, better looking kits. Most of the time I point out I like Oldhammer's unique style just as much (sometimes even more) than the newer models. Sometimes its just pure nostalgia. The Drastik Plastik Orcs of 'yore fall completely in the nostalgia category.

Never fear, the Drastik Plastik Orcs are here....wait up, that should be: Cower in Fear, the Drastik Plastik Orcs are here!

Finishing my maniple with Warhound titans and Cerastus Knights

Now here's something that almost never happens. After this week I can safely state that I've painted
all models I bought! To be sure for Adeptus Titanicus. But still, quite an (unexpected) accomplishment. The last models I had on sprue were these two Warhound titans and two Cerastus Knights.

Two Warlord Class scout titans march onto the field.

Two Reaver Titans join my expanding maniple

Well there's one thing that really can't be argued: quarantine is an effective lead-/resin-/plastic-pile remedy. This weekend I sat down and finished two Reaver Titans to expand my Legion Ignatum maniple. Only two Warhounds and two Cerastus Knights left and my entire Adeptus Titanicus collection will have been painted (I'm ignoring five Ork flyers from Aeronautica Imperialis). Here's a shot of the two Reaver Titans.

Excuse me was that container yours? 

A second Warlord Titan and six Questoris Knights join Legio Ignatum

Did I ever mention my love of Epic and Adeptus Titanicus? I can't stop painting these models. But I'll have to for a bit as I've finished the contents of the Adeptus Titanicus Grand Master edition (except for a few buildings). A second Warlord Titan has joined my first, extra weapon options have been painted and I've finished the six Questoris knights in the box. I've also added transfers and some extra paint splotches to my first Warlord. All in all, I should get around to reading the rules now...

My two Legio Ignatum Warlords and their Knightly friends.

The earth rumbles as Warlord Titans of Legio Ignatum arrive

When news of the return of Adeptus Titanicus hit, I was overjoyed. I played a lot of Epic way back when the original Adeptus Titanicus and Space Marine boxes were new. And even though the rules were a bit hokey, it was a lot of fun. Then the box actually came out and I took a step back as it was about twice the price I had figured on. Also GW told me at Warhammer Fest no infantry was planned for the next five years. This helped me make my will power save versus buying the box for the next two years. I finally failed last month. And I have to say I've never been so happy to fail a saving throw in my life. Here's a shot of my first titan.

Stomp, stomp, stomp, said the Warlord Titan's feet.

Tutorial: flock basing around buildings and painting rivers for Warhammer and Age of Sigmar

Building the Townscape gives me ample opportunity to make some pictures for tutorials. Let's start off with a double feature: Flock basing around buildings and painting rivers for Warhammer and Age of Sigmar (and any other wargame as well for that matter). Followed up with some bonus content about adding signs to buildings. To follow along you'll need some appropriate bases (I prefer MDF), a few colors of flock, grass tufts, instant filler and (optionally) plaster and molds. Let's get started.

We start with the end result, this is what I'm aiming for here.

In come the other Madboyz

Oh dear, I got so carried away with other things, I actually missed the deadline for the painting competition I entered. A day late I did however finish the other two ancient Ork Madboyz I pledged to paint. A day late, or thirty years late? You decide ;)

Who you tryin' ta mess with ese? Don't you know I'm loco?

First fukushima kami-crazy Madboy finished

Painting a miniature that has suffered a few decades of neglect always feels special. This classic Space Ork Madboy is the first of three I've entered into a competition and I'm quite satisfied with him.

I just had to add a modern oversized Space Ork shoota to this model. In case of Orks bigger is better. 

Painting Ork Madboyz step one: Warhammer 40K style Industrial basing for impatient people

My hobby painting got slightly delayed by a major real-life project. I had to build a 1:1 scale shed after a fire wrecked the previous one. Aside from that activity I've got a lot of half finished projects (including some playing around with contrast paints) crowding my painting station and no real inclination to finish anything. Time to end this lazy attitude! Luckily a painting competition was announced on the Oldhammer Community group on Facebook. The mission: to paint Bob Olley sculpts. In other words a call to start a small project with a tight deadline (for painting purposes). Now that sounds like a lot of fun.

Joining a painting competition on the Old Hammer Community is a bit foolhardy. The best painters not actively working as pro-painters tend to hang out here (in my very humbly opinion).

Making leaves out of leaves

After my previous post on shaking paints with a Nail Lacquer Shaker I thought I'd do another review/tutorial combo. In this case making leaves out of leaves. I'm planning to base a future army on autumn style bases. That would require leaves and these can really cripple your bank account if bought to scale. Luckily you can just press your own with the same tools scrapbookers use.

The pink and purple punches where cheap, the yellow punch works. 

The Mighty Fortress is ready for battle

After the epoxy resin disaster last week I decided to redouble my efforts to complete the Mighty Fortress. It paid off as the old polystyrene model now stands ready for battle. Lets start off with a few pictures of the completed set.

The Mighty Fortress is an epic piece of scenery to put on a gaming table.

Gob-Lobber restored and painted

On New Year's Day I was lucky enough to spot this Gob-Lobber being offered second hand at a reasonable price. Aside from my Mighty Fortress project, I've been working on and off at restoring this war machine to its full glory (or at least as full as I can manage). I like a lot of modern miniatures GW puts out, but as far as Dwarves go, nothing beats their late eighties and (very) early nineties work.

Who knew Dwarves could be that cruel?