monkeyboy30672

Nice to see you again, Wings! How about some more painting work from you? Did you finish the marble area for your concubine on the Turkish rug? Thanks for the kudos on the wood! I hope I can remember how I did it. I didn't take my models and paints on vacation with me! Good point about the earth not seeming so dusty... Maybe a bit of light drybrushing around on the wood to show it being blown around by the breeze...? Will pigments achieve that for me? I have never used them before, and I am not even sure how. I am sure I can get some of them here at work. Glad you like the Purifying Flame! He was fun to do, though I don't think he's some of my best work. Sonnia isn't either. But they are good enough to game with, and that's all that matters, really. I'm painting the Guild crew more because I want to have 2 crews in case I apply to become a Henchman. Pandora's crew is much closer to my heart (as evidenced with Teddy... heehee).

Lastest musings: Finished Purifying Flame (yes, that's a piece of paper used as a bounce card.... I'm too lazy to retake the photo) Sonnia... I'd especially like to know how the dusty dirt and the weathered wood seem: Alternate view: I know they're not the best photos. But at least the ironing board looks nice and gets some use.

So there I was... down at my coffee table, in front of the TV, putting my models back in my transport case after a session of painting, tidying up before going to Spain for a week of vacation... when some unseen force pushes my arms a little too low with the foam tray I am carrying... just barely low enough to touch a larger model... possibly a Poltergeist... and pushing him off the table to plummet. There was a snap... an instant of searing heart pain... a flash of utter panic... I bent down to pick up the Poltergeist and inspect him. He was missing a hand. The model apparently dropped at just the EXACT angle to fall directly on his wrist, snapping it off. What are the odds??? There are dark forces afoot, I tell you! He landed on berber carpet, for crissake!! I was devastated, and I looked EVERY WHERE for the severed hand, but to no avail. Bad things truly happen. So that brings me to my question: Where can I find a 2E plastic Poltergeist outside of the Pandora boxed set?? I don't mind painting him again (though I do dread it a bit... he takes me a while...), but I just don't know where to find one separate. Does anyone have any ideas? Or, even better, does anyone have one that they're willing to part with???

I still use a couple GW paints, but not many. I have tried out a few P3 paints, and I like them, for the most part. I find their color range a bit limiting, though, and it's hard to match up their colors to some older models I have painted with GW or Vallejo paints. Vallejo are the best around, in my opnion, but I haven't used Army Painter or Reaper paints. Army Painter Primer is the best, in my opinion, just the matte black and matte white. I haven't used the colored primers. I do use the Citadel Shades (or Inks, or whatever they're calling them now). I haven't tried any others, just because I have a lot of the GW stuff and haven't run out of any of it yet. As far as buying any of this stuff, if you can't find it locally, then The Warstore should have all of it. And they ship worldwide.

Pandora - Stana Katic (but with long, red hair) She's got incredibly sultry eyes, and she can give GREAT performances of both cold ruthlessness and bag-of-hammers crazy. Teddy - John Goodman

Yeah, I'm definitely in the "scultping flames" camp on this one. I know you'll make them look absolutely amazing, and I would love to see that!

That was a great read! But, being a Pandora player, I was a bit underwhelmed by the entry for her that they placed. Pandora is about synergy and finesse. She doesn't go up and knock the bejeezus out of anyone (though Teddy or Baby Kade are decent at that), she and her crew are all about Wp duels and controlling the other opponent's choices. Muck around with the opponent's reality so they get a monkey wrench in their plans, in order for you to accomplish yours. Make them use a lot of cards to stop your shenanigans so that they don't have enough cards to do theirs. She takes some getting used to, as I am finding out, but she is definitely a lot of fun. Combos and positioning and synergy are key. And I chose her specifically because I love the models. They're fun to paint!

Thanks, Rage! It's interesting to hear what people thought of my painting in the past and where it's journeyed up until now. It's been a long and winding road, lemme tell ya... Knowing Golden Demon winners and pestering them for critiques definitely helps! Like most things in life, "it's all about who you know"... Yeah, I really SHOULD set up my painting area differently. I paint from the sofa, leaning into a coffee table that is just about knee-height when sitting. Yes, yes, I know... Worst. Set up. Ever. But I can't paint without some sort of bits in the background, be it a movie playing, programs on cable TV going on, friends chatting, etc... And since I don't have a station to play my iPod (I just use it in the car to practice songs for the band while I drive), I need to sit in front of the TV so I don't go mad with the silence. I get distracted by silence, but some noise in the background helps be concentrate... Hahaha! I suppose it's similar to people from NYC who move suddenly to the rural areas of Montana... they can't sleep without the bustle of the nightlife on the streets pushing through their window. So, as a result, I hunch over a coffee table from my sofa, and my back hates me. I paint on a whim... I don't plan on when to paint nor set aside time to do it. I just get the itch and I go to it. That's why I don't always paint with friends or go somewhere to a better place with a better set-up. I have painted at the FLGS a few times, and I really like it there. It's just a it far and closed by 9pm. I usually paint for a few minutes somewhere between 8 and 10 at night during the week, when I can. On the good side, I am thinking of finding a new apartment/house/abandoned alleyway in which to live, and when I settle on something, I will DEFINITELY make sure I have a more proper space for hobbying. As for now... for avoiding spinal terror... to damage. Sigh. Oh, the sacrifices I make for my art. Heehee I also have bad eyes, and my opthamologist keeps begging me on her knees to get a jeweler's lupe to paint with. It's a great idea, though I am so used to just taking my glasses off to paint that it feels weird when I use a lupe. I have never bought one, but i've tried them out. She is just glad my eyes don't have any signs of diabetic retinopathy. That keeps her from yelling at me too much. The idea of being a henchman in MD still tugs at me a bit. I would love to do it. I'm just not sure if I have the time to dedicate to it yet. We'll see after I move house and have a more settled life. Lots of things are up in the air right now, hence, why I haven't posted much in the way of painted models recently... Sorry, guys. God... I feel like I'm hijacking and rambling on my own thread...!

I know I am biased on my suggestion for your next crew starter box, Praetoriian, but I would suggest Pandora for your next crew. I have a Guild crew, as well (Sonnia), and they are definitely two completely different playing styles. Speaking of Guild... I have been spending hours on my Purifying Flame model, and it's not nearly as good as your 30 minute one!!!! You are absolutely amazing!!!

I don't know how I missed this thread before, but have been drooling for the last hour as I get caught up... INSANELY brilliant bases!!!! And I love your painting style, too! It really suits the sculpting style perfectly. Have to say... I LOVE the Ice Gamin on the doghouse... Well done, all around!! I am an instant fan!

Also, you can hang out in the Miniature Showcase forum here, where there are some of the best painters in the world (and some of the nicest people in the world, too!) who would be more than happy to help you along right from the very start!

Ah, you're right. Thanks! Also, is it not rules legal to use the cache of SS that the Leader brings in order to chose more Minions or Upgrades? Or does that cache have to remain as a SS pool?

Those look really nice, Urion! Very cool alternate color scheme! Staticvortex, I painted the eyes for Candy very similar, going with the Trollblood Highlight grey from P3 and just adding a bit of white to it to lighten it up a bit. I like that they make her eyes look flat, rather than iridescent, as it adds to the "unliving" effect, I think. But that's just me. And they aren't as difficult to paint as they seem. You just need a small brush. Arkhala, I can't wait to see your models ip here and see how you've painted them!

Always beautiful work. I have seen this figure painted many times but never as well as yours, Mako. This is not a surprise.

My uncle, who lives near Chicago, paints model trains for commission work. He uses very similar weathering effects, and they make the subject VERY realistic!! You have done the same here! Incredibly impressive!

Congratulations on your win! It is certainly well-deserved! You have a beautiful painting style and master craftsmanship!

I LOVE that's she's standing in a Zen Garden!!!

Well, I warned you he's just a mess of paint currently, but you wanted to see him... Not sure I'll go back to him after revisiting the purple rug textures (*grumblegrumblepengrumble*), since I'm all jazzed about painting Malifaux currently. My Trollbloods were pushed to the back burner. And I think you're right about the wood, Wings. I did something last night I should have done earlier... I googled for images of "wild west towns". The vast majority of images I saw have greyish bleached wood, though also very dusty and light-colored soil. So I will try that (maybe a little darker earth tone, though, just to give contrast) and see how it goes. I also thought Tiktaalik's idea of scorching the wood was pretty ingenious, too! I hadn't thought of that! Thanks, everyone!

I am a huge proponent of Pandora, specifically because of the models. But I also like her subtleties in gameplay, too. Wp duels instead of Df usually throws a wrench in your opponent's plans, and having a Baby as an Enforcer is just wrong... but in such a sadistically GOOD way!! There are TONS of things you can do to control movement, both on your crew and your opponent's, and you can really warp your opponent's sense of reality, too. Want to activate your Enforcer now, opponent? Nope, sorry... you have to activate your Peon now.... It's fun to see them a bit frustrated and watch them retool their strategies in their heads on the spot.

I think they came out splendidly, and I am impressed! I am not one to cast stones at the Quickshade from Army Painter. I think it really works well! It's just not something I do. I have painted the same way for over a decade, and it's difficult to get out of one's routine after that long. But I think your models are painted VERY well! I can't wait to see some of the character models!!

Just for the record... I blame Wings. She makes me do stuff... (no, I haven't bought the pen for the purple rug yet... bite me) Okay... so she has this INCREDIBLY painted Persian effing rug on the base of her concubine model (which, if you haven't seen, you've been living under a rock, but go here and look at it. No, really, go... I'll wait...). I know, right???? INSANE!!! So she says, and I gotta laugh about this... and I quote, "Any tips on improving this would be hugely appreciated." Like DaVinci casually saying, "Hmmm. I don't know about this smile on Mona here... I could use some input... Anybody...? Bueller...?" She says she needs to fix the marble on the base (currently what the Persian rug would be laying on). So, down the thread I mention that I painted some marble on a Trollblood Caber Thrower and gave some links to see it how the P3 Studio painted it. She comes back to me and says, "I want to see this unpainted Trollblood Caber Thrower of yours!" Sigh... Me and my big damn mouth... Sonofa.... Okay, Wings... you asked for it. Damn you. Yes, he's unpainted and crappy-looking right now. I mean, like REALLY crappy-looking. But at least the marble is painted. That was the fun part. Honestly, I am rather proud of it, though I know it doesn't look so much like marble as much as just hard, heavy stone. But it looks like something that would hurt if you were hit in the face with it, which is kinda the point of the model, so I'm satisfied with that. Here's a closer look at the caber: Okay... not THAT much closer, but the iPhone doesn't have a great Macro... That's as good as I could get with it. At least my blue ironing board still looks pretty. The cracks in the stone are sculpted into the model, and it makes highlighting and shading them VERY easy. So now let's all forget we just saw this half-nakedly primed blue guy and move along... So I haven't posted in a while. Why, you say? I'm glad you asked! Life keeps creeping in on my precious painting time!! I had a gig with my band 3 hours away, at the beach (in March???), so that took up all of last weekend... And I've spent most of my evenings last week trying to go to bed earlier and earlier, so I can get some decent sleep (not going really well) after long days at work... Sigh... And tonight? I was going to go to bed at 9pm, I swear! I just HAD to come look at the Wyrd Forums before going to sleep... I'm such a sucker... So I mentioned that I was taking a hiatus from Pandora's Woes and going back to my Guild for the time being. Painting all that swirly glowy green stuff is getting wearisome, and I wanted something new. Fire! Yellow and orange swirly glowy stuff!! (wait... I sense a pattern here...) Here's what I've done in the few moments of joy I've had lately: I think I need more blending with the colors of the fire. Okay, I know I do... What's really ruffling my feathers is the base, however. It's one of the 30mm Ghost Town base inserts from Wyrd. It's basically planks of wood (as on a boardwalk) half-buried amongst a lot of dirt and rocks. Well... since the planks of wood will be a medium brown (they are just dark basecoated and washed so far), what color should the dusty dirt be, in order to not blend in too much with the wood? Which should be the darker color? These wood and dirt colors will be echoed across my entire Guild crew to tie them together, so I really need to settle on a combo I like, and I'm just not getting inspired with anything yet. Any thoughts? Wings...? I could use some help here, dearest... Mako? Sybarite? Connor? Jen? Anyone...? Bueller...?

Glad to see you back and painting again! We were very concerned! Tears welled up in our eyes... it was awful... Precious little time? Had it been me painting that GORGEOUS Persian rug, I'd have been MIA for about 2 months!!! Where on Earth did you find the inspiration for that design, and how the hell did you pull it off in miniature??? I think that rug is in my Mom's condo!!! Just when I think you're one of the best miniature painters I've seen, you amaze me even further, just around the next bend. Marble is tough... One piece I started had marble in it that came out rather well (for me) was a Trollblood Caber Thrower from Privateer Press. Take a look at the P3 Studio's version here for a look. Mine is not finished, nor is the marble half as good... You can see in the P3 version the subtle tinted areas, the veins of color, the cracks... it all really pulls together well. And that's a bit subdued from what actual marble is like. It's a bit more busy that that, usually. But for minis, usually "less is more" for marbling. Your work is stunning, as always, Wings.

Umm... can you give me his list...? Just kidding! How about everyone makes whatever list they want, and then, SURPRISE, everyone has to give that list to someone else. If one makes a "cheese-list", maybe it's a good tactician that can out-wit it. That could be really fun, and the next time lists are made, maybe they will think twice about how much of a steamroller they make... It could teach both the list maker AND the opponent about tactics, both on the gaming table and in the Army Composition. I have said many times in my gaming career that "I lose most of my games in the Army Composition phase"...

I completely understand. The point of any game is to win, be it through competition or cooperation (as in some board games). Where "cheese-lists" and "power gaming" comes in is more on the unethical side, and it usually involves finding loopholes and other obvious oversights that can take advantage of the rules in ways that were obviously unintended by the designers. That happened a LOT with GW tournaments, which is why I never played in them. Because I strictly got into miniature gaming because of the collecting and painting aspect of it, I am admittedly a TERRIBLE player! Especially when it comes to maximizing the synergy one needs in their army/warband/crew. I have never been able to get a grip on that facet of wargaming, and it really hurts my tactical planning (what little of it there is). But because I tend to build crew/faction/army lists based on a theme, and based on what models I like painting, I often miss out on things which would work especially well together. For example.. my Neverborn list is purely based on Woes and the Orphanage. I could easily take puppets, demons, showgirls, Illuminated, etc... But I don't. I like the thought of JUST the creepy orphanage led by Pandora, the Mistress of Woe. But it also means I don't have as much tactical flexibility as I could have. I am fine with that. I know I'll probably lose to certain crews, no matter what I do. But I still enjoy playing. SURE, I enjoy winning! But for me, it's such a rare occasion, that I REALLY enjoy winning!! Hahaha! But it's not the sole enjoyment for me. If you have a thought that maybe something is taking the rules a bit far, then just try something else. If you're a good tactician, and because the rules are better balanced than I have seen in any other miniatures game, you should be able to win, regardless.

I agree and disagree on points in the video, and also in the supporting video, by Corvus Miniatures. An airbrush does take skill to learn and use. One has to kind of "unlearn" how to draw and paint with a pen or brush, and then "relearn" how to achieve the same results with an airbrush. And airbrush has a very sensitive trigger, and it can be very touchy and difficult to master. That being said, it can achieve some AMAZING results! I owned an airbrush while I was growing up and produced a lot of very detailed and skilled artwork, but I never used it on miniatures. The thought never even occurred to me. What I definitely agree with is that I think an airbrush is brilliant for basecoating, though a bit rubbish for fine detail work. I just don't like the style it creates. Maybe I'm just a "brush purist"... I don't get jealous of painters who create stunningly beautiful models... I just don't particularly care for the style that the application of the paint creates. Purely just a matter of opinion. But when a person can create smoother blending with a brush, I think that's more highly commendable that when one creates a smooth blend with an airbrush. Again, just my 2 pesos. Besides... for me, the cost of an airbrush is too high for just basecoating. I can always buy some Army Painter Coloured Primer and start from that. And like Ikvar, I think one needs to learn the basics, all the traditional ways, before jumping straight into the advanced stuff. It's like learning to drive a car with a standard transmission before driving an automatic. It gives a sense of respect for the traditions, and a better base from which to learn and grow.