Three-headed Pyrohydra / Tryclyde

This three-headed beast was wayyy off script, but it was a really fun way to finish off my painting goal for 2024 - model number 52! I try to average at least one model a week every year, and almost always fail horribly, but in 2024 I squeaked under the deadline with this huge sized monster. I went with it because it was a great opportunity to play with the airbrush I had just gotten for xmas. With big blocks of color I was able to knock out the base coats in no time at all, even with my ham-fisted spidery airbrushing. In retrospect, red was not the best starting point for my first color palate (so tough to highlight well), but it definitely gave me confidence to bring the airbrush into my regular rotation of painting techniques. I'm a little embarrassed it took me this long to try out - it was intimidating at first, but actually pretty easy to do. The paint work isn't perfect, but, dang, it was definitely fast for a model of this size. Of all the different elements in this piece, I really like how the eyes and tongues turned out. The scales need more pop but, hey, I was on a deadline. 

The sculpt itself is great - another gem from Schlossbauer. I really appreciated the Mario-D&D crossover potential. I know a three-headed pyrohydra isn't normally a D&D thing, but that is a missed opportunity (Wizards, take note). I stayed true to the tryclyde color palate, or at least my interpretation of it, and I'm happy I did. In fact, I'd like to make some shooting fireball models so I can really geek out on the Mario style encounter. 

Hydras are a favorite monster of mine, and all too often I find myself "saving" models like that until some magical future time when I am "good enough" or "have enough time to do it justice," but I end up just keeping them in the pile-o'-shame. But, not this time! I committed to try something new, and my first hydra is done! Only like 50 to go.....

Crazed Owlbear

 

This is a really wild model from Reaper Miniatures. It definitely doesn't look like a classical owlbear, instead it is a slim, wild-eyed and berserk mutant. while this isn't what I had in mind for my run-of-the-mill owlbear encounter, I think it works perfectly for the crazed owlbear found in Cragmaw Castle of LMoP, so it found a home in my collection. The end effect with the tiny pupils isn't perfect but it is definitely unsettling. It was nice working with the different shades of brown on this model, but it wasn't an overworked piece so the work is otherwise unremarkable. I tried to play up the crazed angle in the paint by adding details such as a frothy mouth and bloodshot eyes for a "that owlbear isn't right" effect.

Because this model is so specific, I still want to complete a regular one for the random encounter table of LMoP. I'll do another with a very different aesthetic now that I am nearing a complete LMOP set.