Caedrus

Caedrus, checking in! So, I had a bit of an up-and-down month. I started a bit slow, then had a surge of activity, which those of you would have seen. Then I had my second COVID-vaccine, and my energy levels ... they were a bit fluctuating, shall we say? Anyway, I managed to (just) get a lot of stuff painted! I completed a miniature for the Hot Hot Hot competition, whose points I shall add later. This miniature was also my 'Discomfort' miniature. I'll do some photos very soon, but for the moment, the remaining points are: [15SS] Sandeep Desai [7SS] Banasuva [8SS] Kandara [24SS] Shastar Vidiya Guard [18SS] Kudra x2 [4SS] Essence of Power [15SS] Poison Gamin x3 [5SS] Metal Gamin [6SS] Iggy Making a total of 102 Soulstones for July! Pictures to come tomorrow! Stay well, everyone! Caedrus.

In the month of August, I will be starting on a Kaeris crew, but to participate in the Ahab Challenge, I will be painting either the Arcane Emissary, or Santana Ortega. Yikes. Wish me luck.

Greetings, fellow painters, and welcome to the Monthly Painting Challenge for August! Everything you need to know for the Challenge is right HERE. One thing which I have really, really notice this year is that many of our forum painters have really improved. Maybe it's the temperatures making everyone stay inside, or maybe it's the COVID lockdowns - but I'm stunned at how greatly everyone has improved. So how, I wondered, should I integrate that into a Challenge? The Ahab Challenge! In the month of August, I challenge you to be brave, and to tackle that miniature which you never thought you were good enough to undertake (or maybe complete)! So, Captain Ahab, it's time to get that white whale. Paint that miniature, and overcome your fears! Have a fantastic August, look after yourself and your loved ones, and keep those brushes damp! Caedrus.

Caedrus' Odyssey, Day 5: Time for Turquoise. And some purple. Stay safe, and keep painting! Caedrus.

Late on Thursday night, Caedrus did a little more, after a busy day: ...and notices that he has lost the snake from one of his Kudras. Damn it. Caedrus.

Late on Wednesday night, Caedrus had completed the NMM, done some skin experiments, and was wondering if it was time for the airbrush... Stay tuned... Caedrus.

Late on Tuesday Night, Caedrus had done very little, only completing the base coats for NMM... Stay tuned... (Oh, and in case you were wondering what I'm leading up to with this project, I have no idea)

Late on Monday night, Caedrus had completed the bases, and started on the NMM for the Metal Gamin: Stay tuned...

Late one Sunday night, Caedrus put a stupid idea into motion. Oh boy, here we go.

Caedrus, reporting in! So, this month, I have been working on a model for the Hot Hot Hot! Painting Competition, which has also got something which puts me in my discomfort zone, so I'm being efficient with my challenges. So, while I can't really talk about that at the moment, I can show you what I've been up to! First of all, I wanted a quick win, so I slapped paint on three of my least favourite models ... the Molemen! I had a little fun with some glowing gems on their hides, but these were never going to be a major effort. Then, I made a start on Iggy... He's looking OK so far. It's a tiny model. I think I need some cooler colours to create an effective contrast, and to show the OSL a bit more effectively. Still, he's a bit of fun, and should finish easily into a nice miniature. Next, an Effigy! Now, this guy is mostly in blues, greens and purples. The reason for this is that I will be repeating the colours on the Emissary, hopefully doing some pseudo- iridescence on the wings and robe, similar to this: ...or at least, that's the objective. So, after this, I have some tidying of other models, and then I shall be desperatly trying to get back into the groove of finishing my Hannah. Meantime, everyone has really cranked up the vibrancy this month! @Viruk: Love the Zoraida family. The swamp slime, I can tell, is well done, but it never photographs well! Love the Damned's cold flesh / hot eyes. @Engorn: So, so much to love. The vibrant piggies, the colour-coded skeeter wings, the delightful flame / smoke plume behind Zipp and Merris, the crisp line work on the Porkchop. All superb stuff. For me, however, the green / red First Mate combination. Perfect choice. Brilliant. @Ja9nge: I adore this style. It's vibrant, clear and (this is a compliment) comic-book crisp. I think the squealer is my favourite. The flesh tone is pinker than I would use - and it's brilliant for doing so! @Boomstick: If you'd told me that you were using green and gold for your Urami, I would never have thought it was a winner of an idea. So, I was wrong. It's so strong a presence on the tabletop. Gorgeous. @astapable: At the other end of the spectrum is astapable. Those flesh tones are so subtle and smooth ... I'm so very, very envious. I wish I could do that! @Vessien: That Ototo is looking just delightful. I see a lot of yellow Ototos, but rarely red. I think it's a splendid contrast to the NMM, which is also very nice, by the way! Wow, as always, I am blown away by the skills being shown. I've been a bit lazy of late, but you folk have inspired me to focus again - hopefully I can keep up to your standards! Everyone, stay safe, and keep putting pigment to plastic! Caedrus.

For the month of July, I will put myself out of my comfort zone. I am, at best, a poor hand with Green Stuff. I will finish at least one converted miniature. It might be an Eternal Flame proxy, a heavily converted Hannah, or a Firestarter. I'm not sure yet! Have a fantastic July, and stay cool / warm (as appropriate for your comfort!). Caedrus.

Greetings, fellow painters, and welcome to the Monthly Painting Challenge for July! Everything you need to know for the Challenge is right HERE. After a crazily busy June, I'm back with a vengeance and ready to get some painting done. While the Northern Hemisphere is getting seriously warm, I'm in the cold of the Southern Hemisphere, wondering how to use my spray primers*, and generally freezing. It was that discomfort that made me think of a nice Challenge for the month of July: The Discomfort Challenge! In the month of July, I challenge you to identify the thing that you least like in your painting, and to do exactly that for a miniature. Is it glazing? Face details? NMM? Whatever it is, the gauntlet has been thrown down! Have a fantastic July, look after yourself and your loved ones, and keep those brushes damp! Caedrus. * Honestly, nowadays, I just mainly use the airbrush...

Caedrus, Reporting in! Greeting everyone! First of all, an apology. I’ve been crazily busy over the last few weeks, and had barely enough time to do any of the fun th9ings that make life worth living! However, now that I am over the hump of grown-up responsibilities (for the moment, at least), I can actually do some fun stuff. I’ve been working on a few projects in the last few weeks. Hers goes! First of all, with my Obliteration keyword finally finished, I moved onto another nearly-finished project, being my Witch Hunters. Now, with the Hush box being released, I can get the final members of the team, but in the meantime, I had to get started on my Thalarian Quellers. Here’s where they are at, so far! Next up, I had a couple of Exorcists built, and with the Marshal keyword looking almost complete, it was time to do some work on this dire duo. Here they are! On the topic of nearly-completed keywords, my Freikorps finally got a bit of heavy support. No, it’s not the Hannah (that’s still a work in progress…), but rather, the Alt Lazarus! This guy took forever, but it was worth it in the end. Lots of fun was had on this miniature, and lots of learning. There are still skills to continue to develop – OSL, NMM and airbrushing are the obvious three), but I had fun, and that’s the main thing! Next, my Flowers and Showers entry. I painted an Avatar of Zoraida, and a slew of roses to go along with it. It wasn’t successful in winning anything, but I had fun doing it! The flowers are all 3D printed, which was a bit of a learning curve! So, that’s what I’m up to for the moment. Hopefully I can get the Exorcists and Quellers ready by the end of June. I'll be back soon with some feedback and comments! Caedrus.

Caedrus, reporting in! For the month of June, I will be attempting to finish my long-standing project (Hannah), my NMM experiment (Lazarus Alt), and to finish my Sonnia Crew (looking at you, Thralls!). Of course, I'll also find something interesting to paint in the greatest amount of contrast, for my self-imposed Monthly Challenge! Picture to come! Have a great June, everyone! Caedrus.

Greetings, fellow painters, and welcome to the Monthly Painting Challenge for June! Everything you need to know for the Challenge is right HERE. After May's Base Challenge (and I think I recognise a few of my fellow painter's entries, based on styles!), it's time for a new challenge. You see, for we folks in the Southern Hemisphere, it's the start of Winter! For the Northerners, it's the start of Summer. You couldn't manage a greater contrast. So, for June, welcome to: The Contrast Challenge! There are so many ways to create contrast in miniature painting. Brightness is the obvious one. But what about saturation? Temperature? Value? Texture? For the month of June, I want to see your contrast experiments! Experiment and have fun! Have a fantastic June, look after yourself and your loved ones, and keep those brushes damp! Caedrus.

Caedrus, Checking in! So, this month, I completed 36SS, from three Void Hunters (21SS) and three Witchling Stalkers (15SS). Behold, some awful photography! I'll try to take some better pictures soon! Caedrus.

Yes, and no problem. Have a great May, @Diddick!

For May, I will be pledging to finish my Alt Lazarus, my Hannah Lovelace (and thus, my Freikorps keyword). I haven't yet been inspired for the Spring Painting Challenge, so I might start on my Sandeep crew! Have a great May, everyone! Caedrus.

Greetings, fellow painters, and welcome to the Monthly Painting Challenge for May! Everything you need to know for the Challenge is right HERE. I'll be away for a couple of days, so I shall put this thread up a little early. It looks like last month's Highlander Challenge was a little too easy. Also, since Wyrd are hosting a Spring Painting Challenge, for the Month of May, welcome to: The Base Challenge! (No, it's not a Star-Wars-May-4th reference. Also, yes, I am now singing "It's all about the bass" in my head) For the month of May, I want to see your absolute best base. Tell a story with the setting and basing of your miniature. Water, grass, flowers, stone, ice ... go nuts! Have a fantastic May, look after yourself and your loved ones, and keep those brushes damp! Caedrus.

@vinnyt16: Congrats!

@lusciousmccabe: Thanks so much! I thought about how to do that lighting - I should have thought about the airbrush! I'll try that - thanks for the resource and link!

Caedrus, reporting in! I have some early completions, and I'm pleased to say that my (mostly eBay rescued) Tormented keyword is complete! First, the Drowned I find myself wondering if I should do more colour on these guys, rather than going for a 'submerged' look. But, I do like the way they look (as always, water effects look garbage in photographs). Next, the Hanged! A bit uninteresting, these guys have a halo of colour on their base, which is Caedrus-speak for Incorporeal. Next, the Dead Outlaws! A bit more interesting a sculpt. It was a bit challenging to get the Tormented-thematic-colour-I-chose (pale, saturated blue) into the scheme, but it's close. These guys, however, were a lot of fun to paint. I had some airbrush fun, and some finer NMM on the picks. Quite pleased with these Hollow guys. For the Highlander Challenge, I painted Jaakuna Ubume with my trusty Rosemary and Co, Series 33, Size #1. Here she is: Once again, water effects look terrible, but I can definitely say that I was pleased with the end miniature. I do love this sculpt. It tells a great story. Finally, a long term goal was completed, my Avatar of Entropy, which is now an Outcasts alternate Emissary: The details are a little chunky, but I enjoyed the mini. For those wanting a completed Keyword shot, here it is: ...and, finally, I managed some slightly better shots of last month's Miss Deed. Still not great, but better than it was... Whew! That's a lot of painting! I hope everyone is having a fantastic April, and I'll be back for more updates soon! Caedrus.

@LightningJuice, welcome to the Forum! I feel I can say that we're a pretty informal bunch here. I can definitely say that it is a very supportive and constructive lot of people. You're very welcome to take part in the Challenge (no hassle), and if you want and critiquing of your technique or work, just let people know and they'll happily do so. Welcome! Caedrus.

Caedrus, Reporting in! I’ll be updating my efforts with some photography tomorrow, but I thought I’d take a look at the absolutely inspiring work everyone has been up to. Please take any critiques in a positive light, as they are meant to be constructive! @muraki: Nice development of your NMM. You might want to put a small amount of glazed colours to reflect the surroundings, e.g. a brown at the bottom of (March) Lady J’s coffin. I love your choice of hair colour on Lady J, by the way. Super-fine brush control on the woodgrain of her coffin, too! @Gloomy: I love your subtle tone work. The flesh tones on the (March) Vitagi are delightful, and the cloaks – they’re absolutely superb. @Stranglelove: I reckon your brush control has really kicked up a notch. The fine details on (March) Cooper are super detailed. I think a gentle drybrushing on the hounds would make them really nicely finished. I like your muted tones, too. The whole Von Schtook group is very pretty – I think the primer has given you a bit of a rough texture to work with. You can sometimes overcome this with a light, post-primer toothbrush once-over. I have a love-hate relationship with prime. I hope you overcome your burnout soon, and get your mojo back! @Viruk: That’s a fine print and paint job on the (March) Elvira Succubus. Very smooth textures on the print, and a think your choice of glazes for the skin is just about perfect. The reds you’ve chosen are just right for a demon-like suggestion. @Ja9nge: I often see a miniature as a story in itself, and those (March) pigs are a fantastic example of it. The sculpted pieces are just fabulous. If you pushed the shadows on the pigs just a little more, you’ve have two seriously intimidating, muscular piggies! @Maogrim: Wow, your brush control has improved out of sight! I think if you tried a single-point-lighting technique, you could get some nice, dramatic looking minis with a ton of contrast! I’m loving the skin tones on your Beckoner. @Harlekin: Your (March) Order Initiate has some absolutely stunning colour gradations on the tail. The skin is super high detail. It looks like you’ve chosen a deliberate high-contrast between the raised and shadowed skin. I think if you glazed an intermediate tone in the shadows, it would look great. Great choice of colours. But, I think your Mortimer might be your best work yet (only just pipping that pretty, pretty mourner). The purple and green highlighting on Mortimer is divine. Love it to bits. @Cats Laughing: Those (March) Yokai murder-monkeys are a delight. I think a light drybrush on the fur would make them up even another notch, maybe some lining in their armour vests? They’re very nice, regardless! @Engorn: So many gorgeous models in March and April. I like the almost pitted effect on the Golem’s metalwork. However, that Essence of Power. I would dearly love to know your magenta recipe. The saturation is just delightful. I also love the highlighting on the poison gamin. The shadows to highlights have a massive, beautifully-done contrast. @Boomstick: Your colour choice just keeps getting better and better. The tartan on your (March) False Witness was a delight. The back of the male False Witness looks like the highlighting needs to be blended together a little more. I Iove the temperature shift across the cloak. @SEV: Believe me when I say that I feel your pain in miniature photography. I absolutely agree with your views on that Sonnia: That’s one ugly sword. @bedjy: I love looking at you rmodels. Each one has so much going on. The junker-Envy is chaotic. I love it. Your blues are particularly well chosen, in my opinion. The carapace of the Flame, the fur on the wind gamin … so much to like. @Brushgit: That (March) bloodhound has one of the best colour-mixes I’ve seen. The colour choice and blending of colours on the fur is top-notch. Stunning. Your (April) Papa Loco showed some more of your gentle blends. They’re exquisite. The folds of Papa’s straitjacket is a great example, as is the texture difference between Santiago’s duster and pants. @Woody71: I would dearly love to see all your Nephilim together. That unifying blue would make them look tremendous, I reckon. If you wanted to increase your contrast, by making the flesh shadows even deeper, I think they’ve be truly intimidating models. @Diddick: I’ve just finished my own Emissary, so I loved checking out your (March) mini. You’ve really worked the textures on the model (mule’s head, beaten leather sack). Your choice of colours for Minako are spot-on. @Vessien: No reason to be disappointed with that Terra Cotta Warrior. He’s great. The red tones you’ve worked into the highlights vs. the green shadows make a gorgeous verdigris-copper look. @Rathnard: I want to see your Gibbering Hordes. You’re my favourite TOS painter! Until next time, keep putting pigment on plastic! Caedrus.

@Brushgit: Delightful work on that face. Beautiful skin tones.