Hooray for Summer Vacation!

School's Out For Summer!

I am so thankful that school is out for the summer.  You see, I teach 6 and 7 year olds and with the "Rona" on the loose, we were teaching from home.  You might think that this would give me more time to indulge my painting, but the opposite was true.  What would have taken me 2 hours to plan and execute in my classroom ended up taking twice as long.  There is a lot of detail that goes into making one 20 minute video: the takes, the uploading, the downloading, the captioning, the linking, the posting, and last but not least the actual lesson.  This is by no means a complaint, just a statement of fact.  I love my job- in school or at home- and I love my kids.  But now that school is on break, I am looking forward to getting back to my painting.

Monday was my first chance to work on some Brimstone minis, to wit: the magma fiends.  Yes, 8 weeks in the making and layer upon layer of yellow and they are finally done!!!!  Here they are minus basing.  I am not sure if they even need a base.  If I do give them a base, I want it to be lava-esque.  Enjoy the pics.  Next up is either some solo characters or possibly the swamp raptors of Jargano.

A Slight Detour

Today I finished the Depth Tracker for Shadows.  In the main game, this is the timer for the game.  It's a countdown clock to keep the heroes moving forward.  A few years back, I got a resin version of the tracker and it has sat in it's bubble wrap since.

While working on my Magma Giant and Magma Fiends, I needed a break from the oceans of red, yellow, orange, and constant thin coats.  So, I began to work on the tracker.  I designed a color scheme and tested out my colors on some leftover sprues.  Yes I know it's not the same material as resin, but it helped me see the colors together.  I am really proud of the results.

Without further ado, here is the tracker and a little video clip to create some atmosphere!

This tracker was discovered in the mines just south of Brimstone.  No one knows where it came from or who made it.  It was constructed out of mahogany, bullets, and what appears to be layers of human flesh- three different shades - tanned and nailed to the wood with brass fittings.

The numbers were carved out of wood and glued to the bullets.  All the numbers and letters were etched in gold leaf.  There is a mysterious red viscera around some of the bullets and they glow with an unearthly ember. 

The other strange markings on the piece are the letters GD which many have taken to mean growing dread.  What that dread may be, who knows?  For now, it will be housed in the Brimstone Museum of Curiosities.

Well, next up are the Magma Fiends.  I will be sharing how I went from overwhelmed with choices to keeping it simple.  See, I did find an easier way!

Album Of The Week - Tribute to Adam Schlesinger

Rest In Peace Adam Schlesinger.  Adam Schlesinger died yesterday due to complications from Covid-19.   Adam was one of the co-founders of the band Fountains of Wayne.  I discovered this band later in their career, well after Stacy's Mom had come and gone.  I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert a few years ago and was wowed by their energy, sound, and the tightness of their sets.  They are in my top ten.  I will miss his talent. 

This disease is so unpredictable.  Adam was 2 years younger than me.  That tends to put a little fear in you.  It is a sobering reminder that the precautions that are being put in place truly have a purpose.  Stay in - keep your distance - wash your hands.

Fountains of Wayne have been on my constant play rotation on Spotify for about 10 years.  I was always eagerly awaiting their next album hoping they would fix whatever wasn't working and reunite.  The thing I love most about the band is the way they craft everyday stories- many centered on the east coast - about lives that you and I live.  His songs mad a difference in my life.  And that seems a pretty good legacy for a songwriter to leave.

So here's to you, Adam! 

There Was An Easier Way

What's up social distanced virus fighters?  Here is the update on what I have been doing for a week and a half.....

I started my Magma Giant and I was 80% done when I looked at it and went.... naaaah.  This is awful.  Truth be told, it wasn't, but in the process of painting it, I learned so much that the earlier work didn't stand up to the later work.  So I put the mini in a tub of soylent green, er I mean simple green, and voila!  I can start over.  I put about 20 hours into it, but this next time around I know it will be much quicker and it will look more like the vision I had in my head.  I found several easier ways to make the lava effects without as much paint or hassle.  So- to be continued.

After my debacle, I was a bit demoralized.  I decided to pep myself up and watch a few painting videos on youtube.  I really connected with two youtubers and they got me off my ass and back to painting quick.  If you get a chance, you should check them out.  They are Squidmar Miniatures and Miniac. 

On that note I am adding a new section to the bottom of my posts called, "The Thing I Learned This Week".  This week's lesson came from watching some of the videos on youtube.

I did complete three sets of miniatures on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The first is a sculpt from Reaper miniatures.  It came in a wild west set that I purchased a few years ago.  The thing I like most about my work was how the jacket and vest look.  I like the detail on the pocket chain as well. I am not happy that I missed an obvious mold line on the back of the hat.  grrr

Next up is the Gate to Another World.  I have six of them, and this was the practice model.  The stones came out fantastic, but I still want to work on the mystical lettering.  I want it to shimmer even more.  I have used some different paints, and will keep on trying until I get the right effect.  In the photo, I put some models which I completed a few years back. One is from the wild west set- the Bandida- and the others are two stranglers from Shadows of Brimstone. 

Last up are three gun turrets from the Brimstone set Derelict Ship.  I used glow effects and some minimal highlighting.  I went around and around on the red "eye" in the sensor.  I tried all different colors, but red was the most striking.  It is hard to tell, but it sparkles when the light hits it.  I wanted a cylon feel to the whole thing.

And there you have it.  Today I will be picking up my airbrush and attempting again to tackle the beast that is the Magma Giant. 

THE THING I LEARNED THIS WEEK-  Don't paint everything as if it was display quality.  I really have to take that to heart.  I second guess myself all the time and then end up giving up because I am tired of spending so much time on each miniature.  Tabletop quality is fine for most minis I paint.  period.  rob are you listening?  put the brush down and step away from the table.

 Until next post- stay safe and healthy!
Rob

New Project - Magma Giant

I started building and painting the Magma Giant for Shadows of Brimstone.  The model was easy enough to build.  The pieces fit well, with only a few gaps.  But due to the lava nature of the model, it wasn't necessary to fill all of them.  They will just become pools where magma coalesces.  The painting is a challenge.  I primed it using my air brush in red primer.  This made it easier, on one hand, to get that lava feel.  But there will be a ton of dry brushing with black to make the parts where the magma has turned to rock.  I've completed one hand and the three plates that cover parts of the body.  Now to paint the main model and then assemble all of it.  The white lines are white primer where yellow will go to flesh out the rivers of hot molten magma.  I like the sound of that.  I am sure I could have used my airbrush to do the whole model.  That was my first thought, but I need more brush work and air brush skills (especially in thinning paint so as to not clog up the airbrush).  It is taking a long time, but I really am enjoying it.  I'm sure I will repaint parts of it once it is all together.  I know there had to be an easier way!

Album Of The Week and Black Fang Done!

 Up this week for the album of the week (ish) is a classic from Clannad.  Clannad is an Irish group that gained fame and popularity in the 80's.  They started as a traditional Irish music group.  Their name means "family" in Gaelic.  They are the brothers and sisters of another Irish superstar - Enya.  While not the first album to integrate their traditional celtic sound with modern popular music, that would be Magical Ring with the mega hit "Harry's Game", it was the first to gain my attention.  Check out the duet with Bono on "In A Lifetime".  I love this album.


BLACK FANG COMPLETED

Also, the Black Fang Tribe are finally done.  The Black Fang Tribe live in the canyons of Brimstone and in the Blasted Wastes.  They consume darkstone for mystical powers and this has mutated them and driven them mad.  Their tell-tale characteristics are white eyes full of void energy and darkstone stained lips.  I am really happy with the cohesion of the unit as a whole.  I worked hard on the feathers and the darkstone feel of the amulets, axes, and mouths.  They still look like little boys who ate too much blueberry pie, but I am happy overall.  I added a few details to the bases with skulls and rocks.  Next up is a character miniature and the Magma Giant.  It had been so long since I painted, my skills got rusty but with the shutdown of schools I have at least two straight weeks to practice.  There has to be an easier way...

Prezcon and Shadows

I went to a convention this past weekend called Prezcon.  Prezcon is a boardgaming convention that has the Winter National Tournaments for several well known games including Settlers of Catan.  I just go for the open gaming.  My buddies AJ, Dan, and Alan went also.  We played a ton of games and I did get to put Shadows of Brimstone on the table.
So here's the problem... there is so much stuff with Shadows that it is easy to get overwhelmed in detail.  I just brought some of the miniatures and sets, but I see now that I still brought too much.  I think the game just does not lend itself to travel.  We had fun, but it was not the "Wow!" experience I was hoping to convey.  The mini's did look kickin', so I was happy with that.
I am almost finished with the Black Fang Tribe and I will get some pics up soon of them.  I am experimenting with some custom bases using Green Stuff World's Textured Rolling Pins.  I am really jazzed to try them out.
On the right, I am playing some of my favorite albums from Spotify.  I like a variety of genres so check it out. You might find a hidden gem to add to your collection!  Last week was a concept Album by Ayreon.  It tells of a doomed world and the rebirth of an entire race.  Ayreon is the brain child of Arjen Lucassen.  He is an incredibly talented musician and well respected in the metal/progressive rock community.  This week features Mandalla by Kitaro.  This is classified as New Age- but it is so much more than that.  Kitaro is from Japan, and his music has won awards for the past thirty years.  I hope you enjoy!
Rob