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Well I finally got some painting done again. 3 Bones Zombies 1 of Tre Manor's Zombies from his first KS Tre's Zombie beside the Reaper ones

Finally put the finishing touches on this Ral Partha Shadowrun Satyr. WIP Thread

Welcome to my WIP thread for all things... mainly Reaper, of course. As usual, my goal is not only to display in-progress pics (although, of course, that works beautifully as a motivator to keep on painting), but also to share ideas, tips, and whatever comes. I will reserve my Infinity minis to their thread, which can be found here. I got my 12-days-of-Reaper box last week (a surprise, actually, since my mail/customs is doing a hard job of holding on packages coming from abroad), and got to open and "ooh-aahh!" at the minis. I also got LPTK 3 and 4, and some Bones from a quick trip to Europe, so I have quite a bit of material to work with. First, Mouslings. I intend my daughter to get interested into painting with them, so ordered the basic three (archer, wizard, fighter) looking forward some cute-RPG action with them as well. My wife at first was like "yeah, mice, ok.." then I unpacked them and she held them on her hand and was overwhelmed by the CUTENESS. Seriously, now I understand what all the fuss is about. Gene is a genius :) My kid is coming back home from the beach this Monday, so I cleaned them up, removed flash (very little, actually), and then did my usual Dremel polish. What is that? Well, to ensure a good nice surface I give the minis (metal minis) a nice polish with a Dremel brass brush. It will not remove detail nor texture if you use it with a careful touch. Of course, when doing this kind of things on metal, always wear some breath protection (hi there!): And this is a before / after comparison: All three adventurers polished up and ready for a soapy bath, which followed: I also find this polish useful to reveal features; sometimes the odd matt buildup (release powder?) clogs some fine details. I also did this to a mini to practice NMM (LTPK3), and a target / agent mini I plan to use with Infinity: This guy also got ready for painting, I want to try some Bones: Cleaning mould lines on the material was not fun. Scrapping with the blade does not work, filing was only marginally, cutting is impossible to get smooth large areas... so I am on the fence. I could not get him as smooth as I would have wanted. Wife is out of the city for the weekend; all minis have been washed and are drying, so after lunch it is... PAINT TIME!! Wiiii!!!

I woke up at 5:30am on a Saturday so that I can get to school on time to drive 14 middle school students an hour and a half across town to compete in science events. This is an opportunity that my students don't see in their typical day to day. Not like the other students that are at this event. My students aren't so lucky. That is what drives me to volunteer to wake up at 5:30 on a Saturday. Plus, they are great kids. You all should be envious.

I know it's been a long time, but I finally had a chance to get back to Reaper Bones #77047, "Goldar the Barbarian," to paint him up as a post-apocalyptic warrior. I have been printing off various tiny rusty signs as decoration for post-apocalyptic terrain, and I decided to experiment with cutting off bits of "signs" and using them to make some "junk armor." It's cheesy, and I can make out the dots in the print job, but it gets the idea across (and was kind of fun to put together once I got around to it).

OK, so I couldn't think of a good title. I wanted something more unusual than "Klarg1's WIP Thread". I recently embarked on a new painting project, and thought it would be a good chance to start up my own ongoing WIP thread. I'm starting it partly because I want to share, partly because I want tips and advice, and partly because I am using public shame and attention to keep me at the painting desk. In many cases, more pictures, or at least more rambling text, will be available on the painting blog linked in my signature, and right here: http://blindmetalminis.blogspot.com Quite right! On with the show: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ For my innaugural 2014 WIP, I am posting a commission, of sorts. In December, I agreed to take on a painting project for a friend and his son. Based on a big boss fight in a Pathfinder game, one of the son's characters had slain an ettin and claimed it's body as a trophy. His dad had bought him a Bones ettin for Christmas, and, together, they asked me to paint it up as a "stuffed" ettin for triumphant display. I quickly test fitted and constructed a plinth for mounting the trophy. Using two bases was fast and easy, and it gave me a near-instant raised platform. I also sliced off the mini's integral base, so I could mount it directly to the floor. I wasn't sure how far to go with things, but I suspected that "over the top" was the right direction. I sculpted a couple of very grisly seams along the ettin's belly and left neck, as if he had been hastily stitched together in the field, rather than meticulously restored. I may try to paint in one or two smaller seams later - I haven't decided. I primed the green stuff and base with brush-on primer, and laid down a coat of brown liner across the whole mini. An astute observer might notice a whole lot of green stuff on the base too. I'll get back to the time spent (wasted?) on that in a later post, when it has some paint to make it easier to see. I'm hoping to start in on the ettin's skin this weekend. Pathfinder describes them as brown or grey, and covered with grime. I figure the taxidermist might have cleaned him up a bit, but I doubt getting stuffed will have improved his color any. We'll see what works.

I remembered I have a sea-serpent project sitting in a drawer so I pulled him out and did some two brush blending on his fins and I think it came out pretty darn good, definitely still needs a little work could be smoother but off to a good start now.

I'm excited to be painting again! After getting into the hobby with the first Bones Kickstarter, I went on a hiatus due to various interruptions and distractions and I was concerned I had forgotten the little I had learned a year ago, but when I finally got my pledge goodies from the Demons and Devils Kickstarter I couldn't wait to paint up Orcus. I am thinking about painting some OSL from the lava on his legs and on the skulls, but I painted up the base he came with as a lava base as a last minute experiment and I'm still deciding whether I want to keep him on it or rebase him.

Here are a couple more pictures of Orcus.

Hi. steam dwarf â„–1. scale 22mm polymer clay material ( to be continued )

so now that I have uploaded my entry for Wamped IV I can reveal this project that has been ongoing for some time now.... Here she is in all her painstaking glory. I call the piece: The Enchanted Forest. I would love to hear what anyone has to say about this. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Hi Reaper gang; I just became a " great grandfather "...My granddaughter gave birth to her son at 1:10 AM (Las Vegas time)...his name is Emmett and weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces! (Now I'm going to try and post his photo...I hope I can do it correctly)...

I received my package all the way from the frigid north (Canada)! I'll post pics soon- but thank you. I will have to figure out which forum member sent me some nice bones, and a few other models, along with a bottle of Peacock green- which I'm definitely going to put to use soon.

I had a really bizarre dream a while back. In the dream, someone was very angry with me, and was suing me. I found out about it when the process server served me the summons, and I went to go ask what the problem was. My angry friend, whom I will call Joe Doe, because I don't remember his name in the dream and because he doesn't correspond to any real people I know, detailed the event in question. I don't remember exactly what it was, because it was a dream, you know. But I remember... that I had dreamed that I HAD DONE this thing, whatever it was. "But ... it was a dream, Joe," I said. "You can't hold me accountable for something that happened in a DREAM!" "The hell I can't!" he cried. "I've got a lawyer and I'm going to sue! You won't have a pot to pee in when I'm done with you!" "How the hell are you going to sue me for something that happened in a DREAM?" "Simple!" he cried, triumphantly. "I'm going to sue you in THIS dream! Dream event, dream court, dream judge, dream jury! Victory is MINE!" That was the point in the dream at which I realized I was dreaming. I ceased to be afraid. I have learned that things in dreams simply go away when you wake up, no consequences. If he wanted to sue me, peachy. At this point, to avoid boring the reader, I will fast forward to the lawsuit and trial. It had occurred to me simply to not show up, but I was curious as to what would happen, and one shouldn't ignore a legal summons, you know. Luckily, I dreamed myself up an attorney, so I really didn't have much to do except sit there and watch the show. I do remember that I went so far as to wear shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, as I dislike suits, and what were they going to DO? It was a DREAM! My attorney called for dismissal of the case on the grounds that the whole thing had happened in a dream. His attorney objected, stating that the events had happened, and that the dream state was irrelevant, and that his client was entitled to a settlement. My attorney countered that the events had happened in a PREVIOUS dream, occurring the Thursday night before the CURRENT dream, and therefore any lawsuit TONIGHT was invalid. His attorney countered that there was no statute of limitations on dreams. The judge agreed with him. "Proceed," he said. At this point, it became like a real court case... that is to say, non-dramatic, lots of yammering, and rather dull. I will spare you the details I remember, which isn't many, because I wasn't really paying attention. I was wondering exactly what I HAD dreamed on Thursday. Did I dream I did something to Joe Doe? Or was I dreaming, in THIS dream, that I had dreamed I had done something to Joe Doe during a dream I had last Thursday night? Had I actually had the dream in question at all? Or was I simply DREAMING that I had had a certain dream? It was dreadfully confusing. I do remember that at some point during the trial, Joe's attorney had vanished and Joe was making his arguments himself. My lawyer would object occasionally. Sometimes he'd be overruled, sometimes not. Towards the end of the trial, though, Joe began having a problem with the judge's attitude. "Your honor, at the risk of causing contempt, I notice that you seem less than interested in the case at hand. Is there a problem?" "What's the point?" said the judge. "First of all, the events in question happened in a dream. Secondly, this dream has been going on for a while. Sooner or later, the defendant is going to wake up, rendering these proceedings moot." "Your HONOR!" shouted Joe, angrily. "First of all, you yourself have agreed to the validity of these proceedings! Secondly, if it is proven that the events occurred as I claim that they did, I am entitled to a settlement, by LAW!" "Again, what's the point?" said the bored judge. "He's going to wake up long before you can make it to the bank and cash the check. And even if he doesn't, I am quite certain that your dream check will make no impact whatseover on his accounts and properties in the real world. Furthermore, I can see by the look on the defendant's face that he knows this, which completely renders any punishment element in these proceedings pointless. I move for a recess." "OBJECTION, your honor!" Joe screamed in outrage. He paused, and then hit a thunderous realization! "Your honor, I MUST DEMAND THAT YOU RECUSE YOURSELF!" The judge glanced up sharply, surprised. "What? On what grounds?" "This is HIS DREAM, your honor!" cried Joe. "Therefore, as a resident of his dream, YOU ARE HIS CREATION, and therefore INHERENTLY BIASED TOWARDS THE DEFENDANT! You cannot possibly render any kind of fair verdict! I demand that you recuse yourself from this case!" The judge grabbed the gavel angrily, pointed at Joe, and.... stopped cold. His features registered confusion. Joe actually had a point. WAS he unconsciously biased? The judge looked at me, nervously. I didn't know what to tell him. I thought about objecting on the grounds that I wasn't sure if I'd dreamed I'd wronged Joe in some way, or that I had dreamed in THIS dream that I had wronged Joe, and therefore the incident in question was totally screwed up... And then I woke up. I was not afraid, or anxious, but I sure was confused. Plainly, I need to quit watching "Law And Order" reruns before I go to bed...

That Reaper released Sophie riding a war elephant. It was only available at illicit space observatories in Pennsylvania. I was sorely disappointed when I woke up and realized it had only been a cheap press-mold thing anyway.

I agree. Gaming is pretty much a niche hobby. The greatest games and gaming phenomena have been generally brought about by grassroots efforts. And one by one, they tend to get co-opted as creators try to grow their companies, and then things go banana shaped as the businessmen and bean counters take control of something they don't really understand, but feel competent to change around. I could name several examples...

I've come to the conclusion that any hobby related business is probably best served by being a private company (in any form of legal structure). When it becomes publicly traded it then become beholden to the desires of the board, which is interested in keeping investors happy, which most likely runs counter to the desire of the hobbyist customers which then become displeased with the company and stop buying product or buy less product. This doesn't sound familiar at all.

Cash; Thank you for your comments, and the INVALUABLE information. I placed the Miniatures to the side that require a lot of fiddy'ing and re-read your post. I then decided that the cloak on Malek HAD to be red (so I chose a Violet Red Paint from Reaper). I took your recommendation to heart, and I mixed it a tad over 50/50 with water, selected a brush that looked capable of being maneuvered in the tight spots and proceeded to TAKE MY TIME, and feel the brush, feel the flow (Luke.. feel the force..ROFL). Much to my amazement, the paint flowed smoothly, going exactly where I wanted it to go. I have never painted with so much control before. It "felt" Right. THANK YOU ! You gave me a gift there, and one I shall concentrate on. Attached is a front and back of Malek Necromancer.

Woot! I organised a painting day and 3 of us got some painting done. I managed to finish 4 zombies and make some progress on some other models. Just noticed the pic didn't focus the best but here are the minis with progress; Anyone got some ideas on how to paint desicated flesh for the mummies?

The best I've seen for two-brush (which, as you say vulture, s basically the name we give to your method, even when you are quick enough to do it with one ) is Hand Cannon Online: http://handcannononline.com These are some cool reads: http://handcannononline.com/blog/2013/10/31/misadventures-two-brush-blending/ http://handcannononline.com/blog/2011/04/18/tutorial-basics-%E2%80%93-smooth-it-over-two-brush-blending/ http://handcannononline.com/blog/2012/02/24/video-tutorial-two-brush-blending-basic-principles/ http://handcannononline.com/blog/2012/02/27/video-tutorial-two-brush-blending-using-it-on-the-miniature/ The videos are good, in HD, and even thou I think he uses the paint quite thickly, I still remember them as useful.

I was over thinking this whole thing, worried about putting up really cool music and such. Then I got over it and decided to have fun. Hence, I just slammed three entries in. There will be another one next week and probably loads more after that. This is fun!!!!!!

Now here's another one from me. Another Reaper BONES figure, 77132: Barnabus Frost, Pirate Captain , sculpted by Bobby Jackson. I decided to paint this figure as Bluebeard the Pirate. The music I chose is "A Pirates Life for Me' Sung by Jolly Roger. This one has lyrics as I thought that was very important in understanding what pirates get up to. Jolly Rogers Singing "A Pirates Life for Me"

This is a Reaper BONES figure 50031: Ape-X, Super Villain and was sculpted by Jason Wiebe. The music I chose to represent this figure is Jack Blacks 'King Kong" King Kong by Jack Black

This vignette consists of two figures. From Reaper BONES 77150 Ragnaros Evil Warrior sculpted by Bobby Jackson and the kitten is a sidekick from Bombshell Babes and was sculpted by Patrick Keith. For this vignette I chose the theme song from "Jaws" the movie. The music conveys a sense of dread and danger from a predator larger than ones self. Music from "Jaws", composer John Williams

Got mine this morning! Thank you VERY VERY MUCH to my Secret Sophie!

I was going through my media library for ideas last night for Girot's Song Contest and happened upon "Flood" by Jars of Clay. MP3: http://markshire.com/playerimages/flood/flood_by_jars_of_clay.mp3 And after listening to it for a while (repeatedly) I came up with this concept from it. "Ezren, having given a good fight against the sea monster, calls upon the Dark Maiden to collect his soul before drowning and being locked in servitude under the water again." Scale might be off from pic to pic of the minis but I wanted to pick up the Dark Maiden anyway and figured Ezren makes a nice addition to her base. Obviously, this is subject to change at this point. But there's the core of it. Should be interesting. Feel free to offer up ideas, options, opinions and such. Special thanks to Girot for previewing this idea and offering his insights. They are under consideration as well.

I ran a Works-in-Progress thread for this figure here: link. The abridged version: Enjoy, Derek

Here is another of my finished mini's. Alias from the Ral Partha Forgotten Realms D&D Set. I though the hair came out rather nicely. I changed the cloak from red to blue so she could match my guardsman. I read on another thread the preference is for separate thread for mini's to make for easier searching. I guess my question is since these aren't Reaper mini's would it be better to make a separate thread for each. Or one thread for the group? Comments welcome on either this question or my mini.

Golden Retarder + Liquitex flow aid is working great!

and because Pingo is not here to remind people not to stick their brushes in their mouth. My reading on the subject has pointed that a mix of water and blending medium also works in place of saliva

Did this Wizard survive this quote? To atone for my part in sending this thread to the dogs I have started attempts to sketch a Gonturzaps...

Three kobolds with spears facing the storm giantess Yephima, who is looking down at them, amused.

I made some changes, I changed the armor to gray and tried to do some two brush blended highlights and shadows, it worked out well but it's hard to see in the photos because of the reflections from my light setup. I redid the cape also using two brush blending and I think the difference is pretty visible there. And I added some brush to the base with what I could find laying around and did some dry brushing to make it look not so flat.

There's a rumour that a Tim Hortons will be opening later in the year in the building where I work. I forsee a future of breaks filled with doughnuts and hot chocolate.

Last photo for this evening. The Ironmonger is almost done, I just need to put the finishing touches on his base (seen here basecoated and washed).

I did get Expansion 2...my husband wanted it =P So I'll be getting them *happy happy* I am SO excited about all the minis we'll be getting =D

Wow! Another great resource! I have never learned so much about blending in such a short period of time. That first link is almost exactly what I do, with less spit & paint. I'm going to try out the "two brush" tonight.

I got into a vegetable gardening class at the local county extension office. This is my 3rd time trying to get into this class, they alway fill up within 12 hours, so it's not easy getting in.

Eiryss, Mage Hunter Commander:

Since she's done, here's my Single Mini entry as well. I give you: Wild, Wild West - The Escape Club https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ES3iNPcPL8 I couldn't pass this one up. I had Wild West Sophie, and the song just popped into my head. Again, turnip for a camera. I hope I did Sophie justice here, and I apologize to her for the sunburn on her little nose (but I'm not sure it could have been avoided).

Well, I guess I'll go first with my vignette (since it's done). I present you with: Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIB9Y4OFPs Rated the #1 stripper song of all time by Spike. (I had to look that up, I don't actually watch that channel.) Admittedly, the photos aren't very good (but then again I'm working with a turnip for a camera, here).

http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6948313/these-creatures-are-living-proof-aliens-exist-and-this-planet-is-terrifying Pretty awesome stuff here.

DarkHunter Grand-master Kirk Kail, Dog of Temple

Raluk Moorclaw, The Ironmonger:

You have a nice way of sharing and teaching this will be a nice thread to follow

Well, some of the weirdness from my point of view doesn't come from what the investors are doing or what the company is doing for the investors. In its own bubble that makes sense. Most times. Sort of. Where it goes off the rails is with the other side of it, where a company which depends on customers and business also has shareholders and the interests of A might not be the same as B. That's where logic breaks down and the map gets lost. Pan Am is a good example of self-cannibalization and corporate hara-kiri for that, restructuring itself to the point of no return. It divested assets to stay afloat, but then had no assets to continue business. I've certainly simplified it to fit it into two sentences, but the salient point is that the interests of the three participatory parties in a business (shareholder, company, customers) may not always align - and when they do not weird things begin to happen. A company may restructure in order to hold onto investors but risk losing customers - or the alternative of trying to hold onto customers during lean profit times but risk losing investors. This shifting set of priorities is responsible for many weird, even obtuse, decisions. This is particularly true of businesses which exist as an ecosystem - like eBay. eBay pursued the more profitable path of courting China and big stores into it model, but in order to do this it had to sacrifice its initial mandate (world's flea market). The problem they ran headlong into was that its ecosystem was more complicated than they realized and they have been hemmorhaging users while artificially boosting "lead stats" (i.e. increasing listings). If they hadn't bought out Paypal (a company they initially resented) they'd already be declared DOA. They poisoned the pond and they've been scrambling for a while trying to figure out how to bring the fish back to life. One rough knock and the whole house of cards will come crashing down.

it's texas, doesn't everyone have guns anyway?

If you didn't want to read the whole thread I linked, here's Ali's first two-brush video, click on the user for more videos.

More Partha. Interesting note; the girl in all black is by Brom