Kobold Archers (2)

In the interests of keeping things moving along, here are two more diminutive representatives of my kobold warband (see the "kobold" label for more). Despite being some of my oldest pieces, they still hold up pretty well. In fact,  I am considering adding to them in the near future to round out the force and make sure I have enough to run "The Sinless Citadel" module.  

 

These archers tend to be just behind the magic-users in terms of the threat they pose within the warband. Small, crafty, and fast, with the ability to pump out damage at impressive range, they are far more dangerous than they might seem at first. The kobolds are a unique and fun gaming option  because of how differently they play from other warbands; they are individually weak, but coordinated attacks and sacrificial plays can draw the opponent into an overwhelming kill-box. More often than not, it is these archers who end up playing a key role in those tactics.

 

 

 

Giant Four-Armed Gargoyle

 

Gargoyles are a fantasy staple; if you don't have gargoyles, you're doing it wrong! While standard gargoyles are a recognizable classic, this mountain of living, flying, rock with four arms and loads of animosity isn't what most people picture. It is a classic for the lich Acererak, though, and his opinion holds some weight around here. This model will make a nice leader / centerpiece for a clan of gargoyles I have been working on at the same time, but are just a little behind this fellow in terms of progress.

This very nice model is made by Threat Factory, who have earned an increasing share of my time at the paint table.  Their sculpts really appeal to me because of sheer paintability. This model was completed just in time for TF's paint contest. I don't expect to place, but I love to participate for the brief moments of community the events foster. I am a fussy painter, and models tend to slow down the closer they are to being done. I always want to touch up this-bit or that-bit, and I take twice as long to finish the last 10% as the preceding 90%. A paint contest and its deadline give me a good reason to just say "it's done" and just move it to the display cabinet. Heck, I should do more contests for that reason alone - a similar outcome for a fraction of the effort by forcefully bypassing my own indecision and procrastination. 

 While I personally love painting heaps of rock, I imagine it isn't super thrilling for others. The pop of orange eye-glow gives it that little bit of visual interest / focal point the model needs.  Normally I avoid the glowing eye trope, but it really fits for a gargoyle mauler. 

 

Dretch Demon Horde! (20)

 Demons! The perfect seasonal post.

Even dretch can be a threat in numbers, and any demon invasion needs its front-line minions. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find enough unique models to really fill out a big horde of weaker creatures. To compensate for that, I have gotten in the habit of rigging models and reposing them. This set of models was my test case for that approach. I started with Schlossbauer's excellent dretch model (center above, top left below), which had a nice neutral pose and rigged it up in Blender to practice all sorts of poses. I ended up having to do some sculpting opening the mouth so I could get a better variety of facial positions; It was a hack job, but at scale it works. I gave several of the dretch dog like poses, as I thought that would fit their personality well. Once I had made that many, well, it'd be a shame not to print and paint them all!

With so many models, I broke these paint jobs up over ...years, lol. They went through many iterations, and the current paint is nothing like the quick dip I had been planning on originally. I am not much of an army painter, so this was a big batch for me to take on all at once. They were fairly simple, so that helped, but painting the spots on the back ended up being a a much harder exercise in persistence than I had expected.  Still, I really like the end result.

These are an awesome addition to my AD&D MMII collection. Lots more demons to come. Maybe even more dretch, of a different sort. 

Ghouls (3)

 

 

These are the first of my sizeable ghoul pack. They are sculpted by the ghoul master himself, Paul Muller. This pack was originally produced by Otherworld miniatures, but now appears to be sold by Crooked Dice games. The nice sinewy texture Paul puts on these makes them a snap to paint with a few light washes and highlights. The primary painting goal with these guys was to keep them simple. I have a large number of them, which is often called for with ghoul encounters, and I wanted to be able to reproduce the paint scheme easily as I added more members. I kept them gritty, somewhat mirroring a painter I knew from many years ago that did everything in this palate.

Because ghouls are so common in published adventures, these guys are an important addition to my collection. Ill follow with more of the pack in coming months.

Will-O'-Wisp /Will-O'-The-Wisp (3)

This "string" of will-o'-wisps is a fun first October post. They are very atmospheric and mysterious creatures and really ratchet up the tension, even if only as a set piece. Their real world story and history is no less intriguing; well worth a read. 

 October is a time-of-plenty in the miniatures world and I am happy to get caught up in the moment and work on spooky projects. I'll make a point of sharing sinister models from years gone by while I paint up some new horrors & delights.

 The 'wisps were printed slightly smaller than normal - they sit on 15mm bases. I got a little creative with the bases and played around with painting over flock to give it a mossy bog-like environment that they needed. It is a sloppy approach, but gives the flock some extra variation and depth that enhances the look significantly. The sculpts were made by Crippled God Foundry, an STL company that I follow. Their catalog has great depth and, despite being finely detailed, print very well. 

I kept the paint theme classic for these tiny spirits - dancing lights in the mist of a swamp. Cloud and smoke effects can be challenging to pull off well, but the added benefit of acting as a flight stand is very convenient and worth the abstraction. I used some neon paints, and even a touch of glow-in-the-dark paint, to really give the orbs some pop when viewed with the naked eye. The green is my go-to "undead energy" color, so it made sense to start there with 'wisps, but Id like to expand into other common colors for them. There are some great wisp models that match up with these well, and I have a handful of neon/black-light/glow color pairings id like to experiment with, so they might be on the short list for speed-paint projects this month.

  

Otyugh

 

This is a heavy metal miniature from WoTCs Chainmail line, long defunct, and painted many years ago. I tried to make the base as trash and waste filled as possible, befitting its reputation. Unfortunately, the idea was better than the execution and the final result is too low contrast. 

Other than that, aberrations are always fun to work on with their bizarre and twisted forms. The central feature, the mouth, came out suitably gross. So, while some aspects of the project were disappointing, others were satisfying.

Kobold Soldier (2)

 

These diminutive hoplites represent the apex of kobold military might. So, not that impressive. still, we are finally getting to the rank-and-file of the kobold warband that I have.

 That these are based on square bases is a clear indicator that this is one of my older projects. I have so many models based this way that I feel obligated to carry it forward, despite my preferred choice being round bases.

These were painted with a simple and fast layering of washes. It falls flat in some parts of the miniatures, but the metals end up looking nice and become the focal point.

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.

 

Zombies (4) #3

 The final installment of human zombies in my current series; whew! Not the best picture, but I'll stick with it for now. They are rotting, after all. These are metal models from Reaper Miniatures and are a nice collection of zombies in different poses. The color palate in this batch is a little too narrow - in retrospect I should've mixed the sets up more for presentation purposes. I still have more zombies to show (and make) - the low level adventures are undead heavy - but I look forward to some different varieties moving forward.

Zombies (4) #2

 

The second installment in my series of human zombies. This time, the models come from a Heresy Miniatures; they have some excellent lines and I particularly enjoy their undead. The sculpting and poses of these zombies have a little more sinister in feel to me relative to others I have done. The weapons are an interesting touch - sometimes zombies are shown as completely thoughtless, and others they retain some spark of their former knowledge - enough to wield tools. Weapons definitely make zombies a more threatening prospect to face!

Of the various batches of zombies I have painted, I think these are near the best - the shading and colors have more contrast and saturation, giving them more un-life.

Zombies (4) #1

 

 Every adventure needs undead, and zombies are endlessly useful.

 Zombies are pretty sloppy monsters, so it was more important that I linked their color palates while giving each some unique elements rather than making each one a masterpiece - The herd is where they make their impact. They were painted at different times over a relatively long interval, so they aren't perfectly consistent, but I think that actually benefits them.  It is much easier to photograph them a few at a time, so I've decided to post small groups over a few weeks. Despite the simple paint jobs, I really appreciate that each is totally unique stylistically.

This first pack of zombies were made by Reaper Miniatures (two of them are plastic bones material, and two are metal). 

As can always be expected with zombies, more to come!

Kobold Adept (2)

 

This pair of kobold casters make nice minions for the sorcerer I posted previously. Despite appearances, even an apprentice kobold can be a serious threat! It seems I have committed to posting my kobold warband; looking forward to the group shot.

Kobold Sorcerer

 

 My kobolds were the first really large warband I did where I completed a large variety of character types, from goons all the way to apex threats like this fellow here. They had seen a ton of use because of that, to the point of overuse, so I have taken an extended break from them. That is, until I received a fresh batch from Reaper! I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new models meshed really well with the Ben Siens classics, so I'll give them some reinforcements over the next year. Between them, and my goblins, I am getting close to completing the models needed for one of my favorite 3.5 edition modules "The Sunless Citadel," so I'll need to make a push for that sooner than later.

Hordling Demon #2 / Sebelex, Devourer of the Dead

This is another old but still great model from the depths of my collection / the pit. Like the previous hordling, it is from the Grenadier Fantasy Lords box set (1984). These sculpts hold up so well I can see myself hunting down the whole lot of 'em. 

The color scheme is the same otherworldly blues and purples with green eyes that I use for most of my other demon models, but he is definitely unique. I like the palate a lot - I'll have to revisit it.

Hordling Demon / Mxomycetes, Duke of the Mire

 

From one Grenadier line to another. I'm feeling that old school charm, I guess. This is another model I dug out of my childhood toybox, stripped, and repainted. That was sometime prior to 2013 when I started keeping records. Once upon a time (ahem 1984), this model was fearsome and imposing enough to be a named demon - a duke no less! These days he is much less threatening and I use him as a lowly (but unique) hordling.  

Despite the age of the model (and the paintjob), I still like it. Being the creature of habit that I am, this piece laid the groundwork for most of the demons I have painted since (at least those who serve a certain lord).

Stone Juggernaut

 

This subject is way off script for any of my paint project goals, but the rule of cool wins! This TPK machine comes from one of my long running 3D sculpting subscriptions: "Roleplaying & Miniatures." This sculptor takes his queue directly from subscriber suggestions which are then voted on monthly. Its a pretty cool system, and sometimes my pitch makes the cut! The stone juggernaut was one such suggestion of mine that gained the favor of the masses, and immediately earned a spot on the printer. 

Now, what possessed me to request one, if I have no real plans for it? It is friggin' cool! Stone juggernauts always struck me as one of those horrible and hopeless encounters for PCs - a giant fantasy steamroller made of solid rock set on squishing the heroes to goo? Seems totally unfair! Some are even magic users, which makes me want to evil-laugh. It makes sense that every piece of artwork I have seen of one portrays people running frantically away. Staring down the business end would definitely make me run.

Hobby-wise it was a straightforward project. The hollow print was easy, and the paint-scheme is simplistic; it's just a rock. I couldn't quite figure out how I wanted to handle the base on this boxy construct and I had a few false starts. Eventually I decided to gore-up a flagstone base I had sculpted to represent the remnants of prior victims. It seemed appropriate enough and I don't often do gore, so it was something different. I created the bone fragments and flesh-pulp with a mix of course spices, eggshells, and shredded toilet paper in Modpodge. I think it works pretty well despite being a crude basing technique.

Gelatinous Cube

 Wellllllll, some posts just don't seem that impressive. looking at you semi-transparent ooze cube! Given that, I really thought making one was going to be easy - HA! how wrong I was.

 This model is from epic miniatures, printed in clear resin. The model is hollow, presumably so it can sit over another model and engulf it. I'm not a huge fan of that type of gimmick, so I elected to fill the cavity with clear epoxy resin. I made some mistakes here - I was in a rush and I didn't do the optional steps to remove bubbles. As a consequence, the cube has loads of tiny bubbles that give it a foggy look. I ultimately hope to make some cubes with items floating in them, so Ill need to work on getting my resin clear moving forward.

 The second pitfall was the frosty nature of the layers of the print. I initially tried using a gloss coat, and it sorta' worked to clear it up but resulted in some paint checking around "drip" features that needed to be carved or sanded away. the layer was a bit on the thin side to prevent checking, which allowed the print layers to remain more visible. So, I ended up painting on print resin as a coating, then coating that with a thin layer of gloss.

The final obstacle was how to attach the cube to the base I had sculpted and painted (a 60mm base, which broke in half at one point - this project did not go smoothly). I settled on welding it to the base with more clear UV resin, but I left a few bubbles in places, and while it worked out it was far from easy, and definitely messy. still, not a bad strategy (especially since the other option was epoxy resin with very long cure times), but an error would've been costly.

The next one will be better! I plan on two more at some point with different details and "floaters." 

I cant promise better photos, though, they are just clear goo, after all.

Bullywug Mutant #2 / Inshon With Extra Eyes

 

Another fresh face belonging to my small collection of bullywugs. I stuck really close to the original color palate, but each does have a unique element. I really like the little fish snacks this fellow carries on its belt; details like that make it seem more like a creature with motivations than strictly a monster.

Wind Dragon, Grenadier

 

I enjoy painting dragons, but this one had a rough journey. I completed this *10 year WIP* this weekend - whiew! I love this model, but it was a struggle from day one and I was never quite able to make it live up to my vision-in-paint. It is an old piece, originally made in 1985, and when I got it it was a rescue piece - caked in paint and missing parts. I do enjoy salvaging the classics, but maybe I should've let this one go because it got me off on the wrong foot. 

 In particular the eye area was a hot mess. I have seen some versions of this piece with beautiful expressive eyes that weren't possible for me. I basically free-handed them in, such was the damage. The other parts were easier - the tail, etc, were simple to re-sculpt. still, a bad foot. I had an idea for the dragon being a brass dragon of sorts, with scales corroded with age to create a pattern. I think I came close to what I wanted, but missed the mark. The claws aren’t right; I tried a few things but none quite stuck. The blue-green is a little too bold, and I think I should've gone with a color palate similar to the hair instead. For the base I wanted an arid theme so the verdigris could remain the focus, but it always felt incomplete despite fussing with the idea for years.

Ah well, not every piece scratches that itch, some I'm just glad to have off the shelf-o-shame. I'm sure in time I will regard it as a labor of love.

Bullywug Mutant / Inshon With Four Arms

 

A model from my collection I have never shared before. I have a handful of  toad-like humanoids I fancy as bullywugs. I actually think the mutant theme works really well with bullywugs, and the lore of different types of tribes with different features plays well in to this idea.

 It is a simple paint scheme with its roots in the early days of my collection. The copper verdigris and golden eyes are my favorite bits, but easy to execute. The result isn't splashy but works to my advantage as it is pretty easy to fill the ranks.  I ultimately hope to have enough to run Dwellers of the Forbidden City, and the lesser known but excellent 4th ed adventure Reavers of Harkenwold. 

Why two very similar views? I dunno <shrug>, it felt right.