Slithak, Clal-Chk Scavenger

 

This is one of my favorite sculpts that I have ever made! It was done for the game Shadowsea, on commission, many years ago. It took me much longer to make than it should have, but it is one of the pieces I am most happy with after all these years. Slithak is still available today and is now sold by Dark Sword Miniatures. 

I went with a very vibrant paint job here, in my favorite color palate. While I love lush green and bright colorful environments, they aren't something I often paint. It took, YEARS to finish it, but to be fair it sat 95% complete for most of that time on the shelf o' shame. I find that I have a really hard time finishing models that I sculpted - I have some self imposed pressure to make the models as "good" as possible, which ironically makes them underrepresented in my collection. This year I am actively trying to complete my sculpted WIPs. Slithak was finished in a single session after I picked it up again - after seeing things with fresh eyes it wasn't such a challenge. 

The only remaining images I have of the original sculpture are below - I apologize for their poor quality, but they are what they are!

The sculpt was based on this excellent concept art (below), though I adjusted the pose significantly so that casting would be less complex (at least, in my opinion!). I wish I knew who to credit  for the art - I think it was an Olley? I'll have to find out, because I really enjoy the style. Obviously my own paint job is very different from this one, but I really appreciate the mood it sets. These Shadowsea bug folk are very different from virtually every other representation I have seen - they're wearing clothes and using unusual, but clearly advanced equipment. It gives them a definite personality that other insect folk don't usually have.

 

 Just for fun, here is an additional photo set with a slightly different angle. I couldn't decide which I preferred, so why not both!

Giant Mushrooms (3) #2

 

A bonus Thanksgiving post! What else could it be, but more giant mushrooms. It is just so fitting for the season. 

The models belong to the Shadowsea Fungal Pack set, along with my other giant mushrooms. These ones got a little more attention than the first two I posted, and even feature some quick highlighting on the cap to make them "pop."  I have included a group shot of the whole completed set below. I think they make a great, and colorful, core to my growing mushroom forest.  

It occurred to me that LMoP has a small "fungi cavern" so this set is perfect for that project, too. Check out the "Lost Mine of Phandelver" label tag to see other models in that module. At some point I'll get around to making a dedicated page for that collection. 

Feast well and with good company. 

The complete set:

 

Giant Mushrooms (2)

 

Mushrooms are one of my favorite Fall features. They are also a staple of fantasy exploration tropes, even appearing on the cover of the first B series module "In Search of the Unknown." the concept has been revisited in many iconic scenes since, and I am always a fan. In Antimatter games' Shadowsea, vast fungal forests are a staple feature of the underdark ecosystem. These giant mushrooms, the size of small trees, were made for that game system, and are now sold by Darksword Minitaures. They are formally titled " Thin Stalk Mushroom," and "Death’s Crown Mushroom," and are part of a larger Fungal Pack set, all of which I painted many years ago. Despite being such a specific and fantastical environmental feature they are one of the best represented types of terrain in my entire collection.  The idea of swords and sorcery amongst the stalks of huge fungal trees tickles the right part of my brain. 

Fortune Hunters Dr. Heinrich Cornelius / Steampunk Occultist Diver

 

I wasn't able to finish my paint goal for the week, but it was productive and fun none-the-less. Instead of something new, Ill share another piece from my collection that is on-theme. This is a model from my DeepWars Fortune Hunters warband, rounding it out with a specialist role. This model is on the small size, but loaded with details. I stuck to the paint scheme established with my earlier models, but took the opportunity to add some unique pops of color to help the Dr stand out a bit. In a vacuum I would've gone in a different direction. bit it meshes really well on the game table as it is. I only have a few more Fortune Hunters to post, which means it's time to paint more!

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.

Fortune Hunters Big Game Hunter / Steampunk Hunter Diver

Continuing the Deepwars Fortune Hunters theme, we have an elite soldier: the big game hunter. Given the number of big nasty creatures in the game, this guy seems like must have, and fills the classic archetype of the obsessed hunter. All very good. From a painting perspective the trophies adorning the dive suit add a lot of visual interest, making the hunter one of the more engaging designs in the line. Nothing fancy though - I stuck to the established palate for my Fortune Hunters and I feel it translated to this piece well.

Happy Holidays!

Edit: I really disliked the series of photos I took around this date, so I retook them and replaced the original pics.

Fortune Hunters Heavy Support Trooper / Steampunk Heavy Diver

Making it a theme following last month, here is another Fortune Hunter from the game DeepWars. Normally I'm not a huge fan of the steampunk genre with my painting, but DeepWars definitely scratches that itch when I have it. 

This is one of the first models I completed for the Fortune Hunters and occupies a rare position: the basic trooper. I tend to be lured by the flashy models for special characters so my collection over-represents characters vs. support models. Because of that, this lucky guy is on the battlefield in nearly every game I play. Sometimes its good to be the grunt, I guess. 

My goal with the paint-jobs for the entire faction was gritty and easy to paint metallics with a few spots of OSL or gem techniques for visual interest. This keeps them easy paint quickly, and that choice has allowed me to grow my collection faster than other genres. More divers to post next time.
 

Fortune Hunters Recon Trooper / Steampunk Scout Diver

 

I have a large collection of painted DeepWars miniatures that have never surfaced. This steampunk diver is a scout for the fortune hunters, a faction that is well represented in my collection. This model supports the mech and scientist I posted last year, and shares their same industrial paint pallet. I occasionally go overboard with undersea themed minis and I am feeling that current now. While workbench is flooded with undersea critters I may as well post some too! Over the next few weeks I'll look to catch up on my undersea life. 

For this faction I always enjoy juxtaposing the gritty industrial feel of the dive-suits with vibrant sea life on the base. 

Not much commentary in the tank today, so I'll finish with another, nearly identical photo - Bonus!

Heavy Combat Biomech

 

I finished this piece last year (2022) after it languished on my shelf-o'-shame for a few. It is an excellent, and formidable, addition to my Dark Mariners warband. This fellow is big, so a group shot may be in order to convey the threat. I had quite a bit of difficulty with focus in the photos because of the size. These pics aren't great, but they were the best I could manage.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Olley is a boss. I'm happy to add any sculpt by him to my painted collection.

Exoform Salvage Mech Construct / Crab mech

 This was my first addition to my Ancients of Atalan warband. I went a little wild shading with colored metals and I had a lot of fun free-styling with them as I went.  One of the reasons I like my DeepWars pieces so much is because they are so fun to work on. The different genres in the system let me to feel free to try crazy ideas and usual bold color palates I shy away from in other parts of my collection. It s a testing ground in many ways, and I learned a lot! Only down side to this model is that it was tough to photograph - I had a sea-devil of a time getting a good angle.

Fortune Hunters ( Marie du Chatelet, Breaching Mech Construct)

 I was hoping to post some pieces I completed this year today but I lost the light by the time I had finished the days tasks. Ah well, I have plenty of old stuff to share (in this case, a decade old! photo dated 2012). While this picture is practically ancient by modern standards, I do think it needed to be included in my gallery here if it is supposed to be representative of my collection. 

These were the first members of my now rather large Fortune Hunters warband, which surprisingly hasn't been featured here at all so far. I was initially pretty indifferent about that faction in the game, as I am  not a huge steampunk fan (ghasp!), but they are just so darn easy on the brush for me. Shaded metallics are my jam! 

I'll have to take some pictures of the rest of the crew so that all the core factions have some representation. That'll give me an opportunity to revisit the photographic style of these models. The Black background with harsh lighting seems to be very popular these days for dramatic effect, but I really don't favor the trend.

Cephalid Animist

 The ranks of my Dark Mariners continue to grow! I completed this piece in 2019 and it is one of my favorite Bob Olley DM sculpts I have completed to date. I continue to enjoy the unique character each of them has; they are an opportunity to try wild colors and combinations that would be out of place elsewhere. In particular, unusual metallic paints work well on their bizarre marine features, and rarely see use otherwise. Despite the unusual palate I have taken great care to ensure he fits seamlessly with older models in my collection. I have several others I painted recently I am eager to share, including the animist's fearsome creation! At some point I'll have to post an updated group image.

Fanatical Acolyte

The classic robed cultist! I love the simplicity of this piece. I went with as generic a scheme as I could manage so he would be versatile.  It was a great opportunity to practice painting blacks - these are based on the dark elf triad of purple blacks. I think the little details like the scratched feet really sell the disturbed nature of this fellow.

 I'm on the hunt for compatible models to fill out a full cult -  they are universally useful in gaming as generic bad guys.

Completed and published in April of 2018

 

Dagathonan Salvager

More DeepWars!
This Dagathonan Salvager from Antimatter games was completed in early 2015. I'm a huge fan of most of what AMG does, and their fishmen are unique and no exception. This guy was done with an unusually bright palate for me, which was really fun. I discovered I actually enjoyed painting yellows on this project - a color I had trouble with for a long time. I used a "pointilism" style on the skin; It is a bit jarring but I think it really works as scales for a fish man. I enjoyed this model so much that I ended up picking all of the dagathonans, so more of these guys are in the queue. They will make for a really catchy group on the table.

Cephalid Biomancer & Deepspawn Reaver

Cross posting for the win!
Fresh from the painting table these are two really fun and colorful minis  minis: a Frankenstein style human-robot-fish monster and its demented creator, a horrific mutated being that is more tentacle than humanoid. Just in time for Halloween ;). The Biomancer is a standout sculpt in a line of wonderful Olley pieces for the range. I had a lot of fun experimenting with color combinations I had never even considered before.
please take a look at Antimatter Games' Deepwars and Shadowsea lines for more characterful and unique miniatures from some legendary sculptors.

Ridgeback Lizardmen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the archive!
These are my favorite lizardmen miniatures on the market. They are  imposing models (40mm base) from the Antimatter Games Dragonblood line. AMG was fortunate enough to re-acquire the line from Cavalcade Wargames before they close down. I am missing a few of the lizardmen so I am really happy that I can now pick them up from the Shadowsea Kickstarter for a bargain.

I wanted something different stylistically for these unique lizardmen so I intentionally avoided classic greens and instead went with colors consistent with some lesser known iguana species. Sometimes I love the choice to paint them in warm colors, some times I don't. right now I am happy with it, which is a good thing because I have another set of warriors and the very impressive lord on my paint table (rescued from the shelf of shame). expect to see them soon, as well as a lot more of my Shadowsea/Deepwars stuff, both new and old.

Temple of the Ancients

The Temple of the Ancients was definitely my most ambitious terrain projects to date - it is HUGE. It took many months of working and reworking the temple to finally get it to a place where I was content. This is the first instance where I really toyed with interference paints. while nearly impossible to photograph, they give the model an eye-catching shimmery look in person that shifts between teals, golds and purples.
The statue was a bit of an experiment. The scheme was a risky deviation from the classic bronze used by the studio chosen in part to differentiate it from that paint job and to tie the model in with my Dark Mariners miniatures that have rusted metal equipment. The end result was decent but not as impressive as i would have liked. I hope to sculpt up a few alternative statue models for the dais so that the temple itself can be used in multiple situations.
I'll post some WIP photos to detail the construction of this monstrous piece at a later date.

small Ancients of Atalan warband

I've been splashing this pic around the web today. these are my Ancients of Atalan for Deepwars. It's no secret that I am a big antimatter games fanboy, and these beautiful models are no exception. I've given them a simple TT paint job, but the end effect was much nicer than i had anticipated.