Caedrus

@Athiko: That fabric is gorgeous. Wonderful colours, nice colour contrast, beautiful shadowing.

February Beastman Complete!

(well, except for the base)

So, gentle reader, here's what it looks like now!

There's a little frosting on the dullcote, most visible on the halberd.

This is basecoats, dip, dullcote - and that's it.

For the incredibly little time spent on this miniature, I'd call it a great result. By my eyes, it's totally acceptable tabletop quality.

With the exception of their somewhat-inconsistent dullcote, I'm a fan of Army Painter's products (though interestingly, I haven't used their actual paints!).

So, if you have been scared to try the dip technique, this is what you can achieve in very little time. Give it a go!

I'll have a mess with the base in a while, but until then, have an awesome February, and keep putting pigment to plastic!

Caedrus.

@bedjy: 10SS, by my reckoning. They're lovely.

Greetings, All!

Well, February is here! It's the shortest month, so I thought I'd use the fastest possible painting technique for the February Beastman.

Strap yourselves in, because we're about to use one of the most derided, unpopular, polarising techniques in all of painting. We're going to be using ... a dip.

For those unfamiliar with dipping techniques, a quick Google of 'Army Painter Quickshade', or 'Quickshade vs. Minwax' will tell you everything you need to know. In short, you do your basecoat, and then dip / coat your miniature in this pigmented varnish. You wait 24 hours, and then you dullcoat it. Miniature done.

Now, many folks don't like it. You don't need to develop skills in shading, highlighting, glazing ... and some people love it for the very same reason.

Me? I think that a technique that you enjoy doing, and a miniature that you're happy to play with is the ultimate end goal. Having said that, I am proud of what small painting skill I have, so my theory is this: It's called Army Painter for a reason. If you're painting a whole bunch of zombies (like Sorastro is, here), then it's perfect. I use it for the bulk troops and monsters that I want painted, but don't want to spend too much time on.

If you want to try a dipping technique, there are five things I'd suggest:

1. If in doubt, buy a cheap can of furniture stain, and try an experiment like this one.

2. Don't dip it; put the dip on with a big, cheap brush. Do not use a brush that is so cheap that it will shed hairs all over your miniature.

3. Spend at least twice as long mopping extra varnish off your miniature as you do putting it on. Trust me: the more you mop off, the better.

4. Consider hanging your drying miniature upside down, for the reasons given in January.

5. This one is important: Basecoat your miniature in a substantially lighter colour than you think, because the varnish will darken everything.

So, with no further ado, here's my basecoated Beastman for February. As you can see compared to my January 'standard' basecoat, I've essentially used the 'highlight' colours as my basecoat.

 ... and then, an immediate dip into the Quickshade! After the inital, quick mopping, it looks like this:

...let's see how it dries!

Caedrus.

Greetings All!

Well, January has been just magnificent. So many just wonderful painting efforts. Very, very impressive.

Because January is such a hectic month, I have decided to make the first week of February into honorary January. So, if you are below points by just a few, you've got until 23:59 GMT on Thursday, February 7th to get those pledges in. I won't be so kind next month, so get painting!

There are some paintjobs I need to recognise for their particular wonderfulness, but in the meantime, the spreadsheet has been updated. Please have a look, and let me know if I've got anything wrong.

Now, a few gentle reminders:
@Gertz: How’d you go with your Ma Tucket?

@Mooseyfaux: How did your Lynch end up?

@lusciousmccabe: I have 5 for the Insidious, and 6 for Lelu, totalling 11. Is that correct?

@Kimberly: How did your Cassandra go?

@Stranglelove: I’ve got you down for 1SS, but only because I don’t know your total. Any guesses?

@Pierzasty: How did you go with your mountain of Arcanists models? Oh, and we’re using M2E costing until M3E is officially released.

@salisterro: That’s a beautiful Old Major. Beautiful flesh tones. You’ve got 9 of your pledge off 11 this month. Would you like to drop down to Enforcer level (6SS per month)? If not, then January would be a mulligan for you.

@Chou: Gorgeous models! You pledged for Emissary (which is now Tyrant). You’ve got 25 of your pledge off 31 this month. Would you like to drop down to Master level (16SS per month)? If not, then January would be a mulligan for you.

@wobbly_goggy: @Hawkoon: Any news on the painting front?

Have a great February!

Caedrus.

Caedrus, checking in!

For February, I'll be pledging to finish Anna Lovelace, which I started in January:

Stretch goals include: A Pathfinder, Three December Acolytes, and a metal Peacekeeper!

Wish me luck!

Caedrus.

Another month begins!

This is the thread for the February 2019 Monthly Painting Challenge. I’m Caedrus, and I’ll be your host for 2019. February: the shortest month. The pressure is on!

If you’d like to be part of this challenge, please introduce yourself below, and post what level you’ll be painting at! The painters who have already signed up have their details put into the spreadsheet here.

The 2019 Wyrd Monthly Painting Challenge is all about:

1. Having fun painting!
2. Motivating yourself, and encouraging others.
3. Being part of a great, friendly community.
4. Giving and receiving constructive advice. And, finally:
5. Getting some pigment onto plastic!

This is not a competition in any way.

The pledge categories are the following:

• Minion: you paint at least 1 soulstone worth of Malifaux miniatures each month
• Enforcer: you paint at least 6 soulstones worth of Malifaux miniatures each month
• Henchman: you paint at least 11 soulstones worth of Malifaux miniatures each month
• Master: you paint at least 16 soulstones worth of Malifaux miniatures each month
• Tyrant: you paint at least 31 soulstones worth of Malifaux miniatures each month

The rules:

• The challenge started on January 1st, 2019. 
• Models count for the month in which you finish them. You can finish painting a model that you started before the beginning of the month.
• Everyone may fail to make their monthly goal twice and stay in the challenge. This is using a mulligan.
• You can choose to go down a pledge level during the year, but you cannot move up.
• You may choose to sign up during a later month for the challenge but this means that you'll have to use one or two of the aforementioned mulligans: e.g. if you start in February, one mulligan will automatically be used because you missed January; if you start in March, two mulligans will already be used; you can’t start in April.
• A model is considered painted if it is (1) based (even glued onto a black base counts); (2) tournament legal. That means that if it's a translucent, based model, it counts automatically. If it is any opaque material, then the standard is: Every part of the miniature painted, and three colours minimum.

Miniature Values:

Malifaux

• Almost all models count as their Soulstone value;
• Masters count for 15 soulstones.
• Zero cost models count for 5 soulstones.
• Proxies (constructed from Wyrd models) count for their proxy value.

The Other Side

• Almost all models count as their Scrip cost in soulstones;
• Commanders count for 15 soulstones.
• Adjunct models count for 5 soulstones.
• Titans are worth triple their scrip cost in soulstones.

Terrain

• Terrain is worth 5 soulstones per 50mm base.
• Custom tokens are worth 5 soulstones per 50mm base
• A terrain board is worth 100 Soulstones.

3rd Edition?

If Malifaux 3rd Edition hits in 2019, then the month that the PDF version is available, we will begin using the new values if they differ from M2E.

How to upload images?

1. Go to imgur.com, and create an account.
2. Click on your account, click on 'images', and then 'add images'.
3. Click on your uploaded image. You'll see a whole bunch of link options.
4. Click on the 'copy' button next to 'direct link'.
5. Go to your Wyrd Forum thread.
6. Paste (CTRL-V) at the appropriate spot.
7. The image should appear, resized appropriately to the page.

My very best for February!

Caedrus.

@Aa7, and anyone else looking for brushes: Rosemary and Co. do a "Workbench Warriors" set for £36 (about $70NZD). Add in a few spare Series 33 Kolinsky Size 0's, and you'd have an excellent set of brushes. I love my W&N's, but Rosemary and Co. do make wonderful brushes for a very competitive price!

@Nikodemus: A Challenger appears!

It's time to back my words up! My (extra, other) painting project for the year will be to try to match Nikodemus as he powers through the Painting Achievement list!

I'll be defending the glory of Australia 🇦🇺 against Finland🇫🇮! The two painting superpower nations, head to head! 😉

Expect an update soon!

Caedrus

@Chou: I'm struggling through a NMM project myself. Normally, NMM is all about contrast, but your metal technique would make an awesome leaden metal. It's also quite close to an iron effect. Kudos!

@Stranglelove, @Diddick: Diddick is absolutely correct. I use a slightly different method, which I have now added to the first post of the thread, and will do so in future.

Thanks!

Caedrus.

On 1/18/2019 at 6:27 PM, lusciousmccabe said:

Don't know whether the plates and rivets are going to help with the NMM illusion or make it more annoying, but either way I'll be thinking patient thoughts for you. 😉

I'm hoping that I can use something other than a brush for the NMM effects on the rivets! I'm considering using a pencil dipped in paint!

@Diddick: Hiya! The broken-earth base of the A&D fits perfectly. Kudos! There are so many great painters here!

@misterfinn: My airbrush problems are the opposite! It was 104 degrees Fahrenheit here today. I cant help with the cold, other than to envy you! That Freikrops green is absolutely gorgeous, and the Engineer looks great, but I haaaaate that saw-thing. I'll be converting mine with a sawblade made from watch cogs. Super cohesive with The rest of the Freikorps.

@bedjy: That Hanging Tree is gorgeous. I just got one of those, still intimidated by it...

@Athiko, @misterfinn is right on the money with the fire advice ... but only you can decide if your effects act like fire! P3 Turquoise Ink is wonderful for saturating the turquoise flames. I have yet to touch my Marshals... I think I'll chicken out and use traditional red fire. 

@Purple Mist: I really, really want to try those Colourshift paints. James Wappel used them recently, I've been inspired since. The NMM was done with black, white, and Reaper's Winter Blue. And some beta blockers 😆

@Viruk: I'm blown away. That entire group is magnificent. How'd you do the flames? Putty or sculpting gel, or something else? Also, is just everyone in Poland a wizard with paintbrushes? 😉

I'm on the home stretch with metal Lady J and The Judge. I'm not sure why The Judge is wearing cat's eye glasses, but who am I to judge The Judge?🤨

Keep putting pigment to plastic!

Caedrus.

Wow, there is so much beautiful painting going on here! I've been madly busy, but thought I'd take a moment to say: I'm blown away. I think the best thing about the Challenge is how much inspiration I get from everyone's efforts.

@emiba: The cold flesh on Killjoy is fantastic.

@Nikodemus: The saturated red on the Oni is awesome. I wish, I wish I could get reds to look like that!

@Thedeadclaw: The green/yellow colours on your Beckoner is something I hadn't even considered - Pandora-esque. I like it a lot.

@bedjy: I'll be stealing the 'purple shadowing for the flesh tones' technique. I read an article recently that said "Use purple more!" as one of their commandments. I can see why!

@Franchute: Lovely mini, but the gradient on the base is superb.

@Mooseyfaux: I love my Lynch mini, but yours is characterful. The spectre lurking behind and the turned head is a really nice framing of the minis.

@Polar43: Can you remember the blue of the jeans for Santiago? It's exactly what I want to emulate.

@lusciousmccabe: I'm with Burnin' Coal; the purple/blue on the Madness is awesome, and so much braver than anything I'd try!

@Burnin' Coal: Yeah, I'm with the rest of them. Gorgeous fleshwork.

@Spanky: That executioner is some neat painting. Kudos.

@Athiko: Your painting style reminds me a little of this Gracie. That's a hard mini, done really well.

@salisterro: Welcome, and thanks! Did you wet-blend Major? It's gorgeous!

I can't wait to see how January turns out!

Caedrus.

@Spanky

@Primate

I have added you to the spreadsheet, but I couldn't see your pledge level. I have added you as a Minion, but let me know if you want to go up in pledge!

Caedrus.

@Nikodemus: Yeah, zoomed up, the highlighting (on the flesh, particularly) looks awful. It's totally tabletop standard, but (and I'm about to sound like a princess) I have to do more with a mini nowadays. In terms of lighting, I tend to go with the "If it's not OSL, then it's universal lighting, with stronger intensity over the left shoulder" standard. It's easy, consistent, and it works.

Caedrus.

January Beastman complete!

I found this a hard style to do, nowadays. The very harsh highlighting, and the highlighting being in the wrong place, lighting-wise, didn't quite gel for me.

On the other hand, it was quick, only taking a few hours. Doing batch-work like this (as GW is often all about) would of course be quite efficient!

The colours were very bright.

In short, I'm glad I painted like this, and now I'm glad my style has changed.

See you in February!

Caedrus.

Greetings, All!

I have a list of things that could be improved, in my opinion.

Genre & Aesthetics

However, the thing which got me into Malifaux was the breadth of genres. The characters were delightful amalgams, or twisted variations of figures historical or fictional. Seamus, an amalgam of the Mad Hatter and Jack the Ripper. McCabe, a twisted Indiana Jones. There were, and are, homages to imagery in our history and popular culture, but twisted. That's what I'd like to see. Twisted.

Not too silly, unless silly is the theme (90% of Bayou, and not much else). Dark is ok, but I prefer to avoid the desolation and hopelessness of some games. You know the ones I mean. I even think Nightmare editions shouldn't go too dark. I think Nightmare Editions should be genre-variants (Steampunk McCabe) or at-the-threshold-of-weird (Dark Carnival) or thematic homages (both).

I love the aesthetics of early M2E. I love the little nods to our culture, contorted in a funhouse mirror. 

Models that need a resculpt.

• Hungering Darkness (both the Manic Tadpole and the Hippo Squid - awful)
• Copycat Killer (why the multiple hats?)
• Nino Ortega (a gatling sniper?)
• Metal Gamin (no cohesion, bad sculpts)
• Scion of Black Blood (so adynamic)
• Tara (why the arm? Why the idiotic sword?)
• Abominations (they look like they were scratchbuilt, but not in a good way)
• Nekima (that sword looks like a 12 year old designed it)

However...

I'm ok with slightly disturbing. I'm ok with respectful cultural stereotypes (Sidir, Kudra, Jake). I'm ok with revealing outfits (but I think Emeline is Wyrd's prettiest miniature in ages). I'm ok with a little silly (Bob Ross Gremlin).

Don't get too silly, too correct, or too dark. I think early M2E sculpts, in general, were just right. Except their scale. Those were nothing remotely like they should have been. 

My 2 cents.

Caedrus.

@bedjy and all,

I've asked the Wyrd folk if they would support a forum badge, and Kimberley is looking into it, and seemed supportive of the idea. @Kimberly hasn't joined the 2019 competition, I note, nudging with a subtle hint of welcome.

Honestly, I'd like to be more inclusive, so if the forum badges become a reality, I'd be inclined to ditch the mulligans in favour of 'if you paint to your pledge level every month, you get the forum badge at the end' sort of thing.

Caedrus.
 

@Polar43: When you upload an image to imgur, there should be a direct link URL to the right of the image. If you copy and paste that into your post, that should create a (from memory) 500-pixel-wide image embedded in the post. I hope this helps!

Caedrus.

@Nikodemus: Beautiful, saturated green, contrasting beautifully with the browns. A very pretty miniature indeed. Kudos on a 'hand of six' miniature!

(You also have a pair of sixes! Nice!)

Caedrus.

Caedrus,  checking in with a very brief update.

I've started the washes, going with GW's own 'painting mastery in a bottle', Agrax Earthshade.

While I'm here, I thought I'd mention a tip I picked up years ago.:

When you do a wash, hang your miniature upside down to dry.

If you assume that most miniatures are lit from above, it makes sense that the darkest shadows will occur directly below overhangs (noses, chins, breasts, brows). Hanging a mini upside-down makes the wash collect under those overhangs. Have a look at the image below (the left image shows it hanging, the right image is the left image, rotated for better understanding).

Right, time to bath this beastman in more colours.

Caedrus.