Green Dragon and Maiden / "Cat and Mouse"

 

I'm taking the lazy way out this week with a straight re-post of a previous miniature. Is quite old, though, so risks being lost to the dusty corners of the internet otherwise. It is one of my personal favorite pieces in my collection, so it definitely deserves a blog post. This mini diorama / miniature set dates back to 2013 and is probably the last true "competition" miniatures that I ever attempted to paint. It was done for an annual paint competition on the reaper forums: "There Be Dragons." To my recollection it won the category it was in, but the old forums are long gone so I'm not positive what the details of the contest were. In any case, I was pleased with the outcome. I do remember being time constrained on this project, but I definitely had inspiration and I worked fanatically on it up until the deadline. I must admit I am a bit curious how well I could do on a piece like this now - I consider myself a much better ( and far more efficient) painter. The time commitment for this type of thing is brutal, though, and these days my hobby focus is far more on the completion of "sets" of miniatures in the context of my whole collection rather than single showstopper pieces. 

Other than gratuitous use of gem effects, I really love the mini diorama aspect of this miniature. It can either be a vignette, or the maiden can be removed to act as a playable piece; It makes for a nice game play encounter. The bases were hand sculpted in an era before the rise of 3D printing, the dragon model is from Reapers Pathfinder line and the maiden is modified from an old Privateer Press miniature.

 

Animated Armor

This is a single session speed-paint I just completed as a rainy weekend project. It is Printed Encounters monthly paint club model and was a perfect casual subject. Low pressure painting exercises keep the hobby fun and light, not work. This suit also fills a useful spot in my collection; I plan to use it for the module Death House.

Living Icicle / Iceheart Lamproid (5)

BRRRRRRRR!

with the cold snap I decided to shake off my painting slump of the new year with a speed-paint. not one, but five models in a single evening session! these little fellows (from PrintYourMonsters) are definitely fitting for the deep chill outside. they are notable for a few reasons, not least of which is that they are possibly the fastest time-per-model I have achieved, ever.

 This is the first time I have worked with transparent models. while I typically use clear resin, I have never once tried the painting techniques for clear pieces that have become popular these days. The method is very fast, relying on clear inks and, in this case, a light drybrush. I have some alcohol based inks I received as a gift awhile back, and have never touched them until now. Now, I'm glad I have 'em because it was fun to try new techniques and materials. A word of caution, though: transparent models and paints are unforgiving! I think I went a little too blue here, but there is no way back once that pigment is down. I think it still works, though - I have seen some pretty blue icefalls, and maybe the magic that makes them tints their color. While it isn't super realistic, it is definitely visually striking. Definitely a technique I'll try again.

Also worth mentioning is that these are an example of prints I have been making lately where I print the model already attached to the base. The supports are a little more tricky, but darned if it isn't fast, and it seamlessly integrates the model with the setting. Well worth the upfront effort, so it is something I plan on doing quite a lot moving forward. These were slightly reduced in size (80%), so the bases here are 20mm.

Finally, I should mention my true motivation with these models: they are for an adventure! An aspect of my gaming hobby I don't often discuss is that I enjoy collecting adventure modules (the old school ones, mostly), and I enjoy tying in my painting efforts to them. In this case, they aren't for an old school module, but the new free "Peril in Pinebrook" introductory adventure, which I thought was cute (& perfect for my kiddos). These Living Icicles are one of three or so encounters I want to prepare for that mini-adventure over the next few weeks. 

Stay toasty!

 

Small Shark / Shark Familiar

 

This little guy is a slight change of pace, but on theme. It is from the aquatic familiar pack VII, by Reaper Miniatures, one of my favorite collections of small models. Sharks are a super popular topic with my kids, so this simple piece is much loved. It is a nice addition to my collection of animals and, though it is not representative of some specific species, I did my best to base the paint on real world images of sharks.  After a long hiatus it is nice to get back to a non-fantasy creature.

Fortune Hunters Tactical Dive Soldier / Steampunk Soldier Diver

 

Unfortunately, I was not happy with an entire photography session I had which was to cover my next several posts. As a consequence, I am running late with my posts; Better late than never, though! I am working towards having a better lighting rig so that I am not so limited by the weather and long stretch of dark months we get up north. Enough with that.

 I'm still a little unsure about these photos though - the size of the pics are significantly larger than the model itself, which I think undersells it a bit. Sculptors often include a scale reference to provide the viewers with a sense of the size of the piece, and I think that could be especially important (maybe more important) for paint where the size of the model has a meaningful effect on the perceived quality of the work. something to think about.

The real post: This model continues the series of my DeepWars Fortune Hunters and it might actually be one of the first models from that faction I painted. In fact, it predates my records of such things, which were started in 2013! That makes it one of the older things I have ever shared here. Still pretty solid, I think.

This fellow has a classic steampunk design and the model is pretty timeless. As a basic trooper I only wish there were more poses available. Fortunately, with the continuation of the line into the modern era, digital sculpting has ensured that some new equivalent pieces are available for my printer. I'm working on some of his buddies now to give my warband more (expendable) muscle.