[Aussie's Ongoing Miniatures Conversions!]

Hi all,

 

I figured it was about time I start one a topic for my non-painting WIPs. So, here we are! I picked up some used GW beastmen gors, and did what I could to easily disassemble them so I could repose/do some conversions. I don't play WHFB or AoS, so I'll use these in games like Frostgrave or D&D. I think that, aside from one model, all of them have at least a weapon swap, if not a repose and sculpt. Definitely the most work I've done across a whole group of figs! I'm not quite done, but I made a lot of progress today, so I figured I'd share.

 

Some of the arms snapped off at the bicep/shoulder joint, which was a bit irksome, but ultimately not a huge deal. I spent a good bit of time working on the reposing, and here are the results. I still have to finish sculpting and gap filling, but everything is locked into place now.

 

Here are a few two-weapon 'berserker' style beastie-boys. One of the heads (left) had the horns cut off and filed down, so I found some from a helmet, and pillaged those. The legs on the one in the center somehow became stretched into a strange, wider stance, so it took me a while to figure out what to do about it. I settled on this kind of leaping/bounding pose, and I think it turned out pretty well.

 

Several guys with one handed weapons and shields. I really like the one on the far right; I got some great movement out of that pose. I still have to finish sculpting the shield on the leftmost one.

 

Some archers. I'm pretty happy with them, though, the pose on the rightmost guy wasn't sitting well with me, so I removed the bow so I could make him a lefty. A pretty easy fix to what could have been a bigger problem. I still have to finish that.

 

Some spear and shield guys. The one on the left had some kind of weird pose that I couldn't change (they did a good job with the plastic glue on that one), so I found a way to make it look like he's bracing for impact. Turned out pretty ok.

 

A couple guys with two-handers, and a musician. The club/mace was made from a ballista RPG I had leftover from some necromunda bits. I cut off the top, and painstakingly added some spikes. Really pretty please with that one.

 

And last, but definitely not least, a 'beastlord' kind of character. He's on a 32mm base, and at least a head taller than the others. I cut off the legs, and used the arms and torso from a Kings of War orc. I've used some poster-tack just to temporarily bulk him out and make sure the silhouette works. And boy, am I pleased with him. He still has the most work ahead of him, and that should be pretty fun.

 

I'm looking forward to showing y'all them after I get some more work done. Thanks for looking!!

[Fjyrrulm Awaits: Aussie's Ongoing Fantasy Mini Extravaganza]

On 4/9/2021 at 12:23 AM, Glitterwolf said:

Nice conversions on those Chaos Warriors!

That warhammer you made looks pretty cool!

Thanks, Glitter! They're some big models, about twice as tall as a normal chaos warrior.

 

I've really wanted to being posting more, and consistently, but depression has really been kicking my butt for the last few months. I've had some improvement there, and have gotten myself to do some work on the hobby. I'll post more on that later (HA!).

 

I come to you today with a request, and that is for some opinions regarding color schemes. I've made some mock-ups of a few, and would really appreciate any feedback, ideas, and your preferences.

 

I'm pretty set on having a gold/brassy color for the trim and the color of the sword; it's the main color giving me a headache.

 

Here's a basic black, with no tinting. Probably my least favorite.

 

Here's either a bluish black. I think it's a little too blue, but I think it's pretty good. Definitely an improvement on the first.

 

This one is a little more in the Space-Wolves territory, or maybe a mid-tone steel. I think it looks pretty good, but not sure where I land on it.

 

And lastly, The one I think I like the most. A bit more of a coppery/bronzy kinda color. Some differentiation, but overall in a very similar kind of palete.

 

So what do you think? Are there any other cool options I'm overlooking? I'm doing this mostly for aesthetics, and am not making an army or anything, so I don't need to take that into consideration.

 

Thanks for looking, as always!!

[lexomatic's Bones V WIPs]

Everything is looking swell! I especially like the stonework on Ravenhome.

[Siri's Bones 5 sea critters]

That is one very pretty eel!

[Siri's Bones 5 Greek critters]

Looking great! I'm also very happy to see that you finally received your order

[Dan's Build Journal #5 - Abandoned Cabin (COMPLETE)]

Great project! I'm looking forward to seeing that base come along.

[Reaper Bones 5: Enthusiasm and Commentary thread]

1 minute ago, Sirithiliel said:

i don't want to come off as if i'm begging for miniatures, you guys are kind to offer care packages

You don't come off that way, at all. I am fortunate enough to be able to offer some kind help, and am happy to do so. It's been a rough year for me, too, so I can relate with that kind of frustration.

[Reaper Bones 5: Enthusiasm and Commentary thread]

19 minutes ago, Sirithiliel said:

sorry. This kickstarter and these new minis was going to be the one bright happy point in a otherwise incredibly crappy and depressing year. But of course the universe decided that even that is not for me.

 

3 minutes ago, Inarah said:

No need to apologize. It HAS been a crap year.  Don't let your anxiety get the better of you. You can do that. [HUGZ]  PM me if you need to vent, or want a care package. 

Getting frustrated because frustrating things are happening is valid, and I'd argue healthy (I think my therapist would, too). I'm willing to contribute to a care package, as well. I've inherited a lot of figures that I'll likely never paint, so I'd be more than happy to send them to someone who will. @Sirithiliel Feel free to send me a PM, too, and I'd be happy to talk about what I have to offer.

[Reaper Bones 5: Enthusiasm and Commentary thread]

@R2EDThanks! And yeah, the dragons are such a treat. As soon as I saw a preview of Valfuryx, I knew I was backing this kickstarter. It's one of the coolest designed dragon minis I've ever seen. And yeah, the moldlines inside the grate for Gallowgard will be troublesome. I'm wondering if I can get away with hiding them with some foliage...at least some of them I agree, everything I have has nice details with nice and sharp features. And I'm surprised at how much I like the bars; I bought a couple sets of bases to replace everyone's, but seeing them next to my other minis, they're not out of place enough to bother me. Which is a double win, because I recently got some minis that DO need those bases!

 

I do want to clarify re/ moldlines in general: on all of the human sized figures I received, they're much better than I'm used to the various Bones lines being, except for maybe the skeletons. The bigger kits are made with a somewhat softer plastic (definitely not nearly as soft as original Bones), and the skeletons were done in that same plastic, contrary to the sets of people. I haven't yet started removing any moldlines, but when I do, I'll post a comment with what I find works best.

 

@ksbsnowowlThank you! And yes, 1cm squares, that's correct. I also used Goldar as a goliath, and he's superb. The sword is from the Reaper Fantasy Weapons Pack, SKU: 03560. It doesn't have a very long handle, but since I wasn't replacing the hand, it was long enough to work for a two-handed sword.

 

I kinda wish I had gotten another mammoth, now that you've said that  I am planning on making both a howdah for med/ lrg humanoids, and a saddle for huge ones. That way I can get some versatility out of the beast.

[Reaper Bones 5: Enthusiasm and Commentary thread]

I may be a day late, but I won't be a dollar short! Here are pics of everything I ordered, with minimal commentary:

 

Townsfolk

I tried to show how minimal the moldlines are with that last pic.

 

Hench-Women

If you got this set, don't make the mistake I did and assume the beg on the cart's wheel is leftover sprue: it's actually so it can slot into the base. I cut mine off before I realized that.

 

Here's one with two of the hench-women, one of the townsfolk, and one of the skeletons from Gallowgard for size reference. The green archer is from Warlord games , and the blueish barbarian is Goldar, an older Bones figure.

 

Encounter at Gallowgard

Most of the skeletons were multi-piece, which surprised me. In a few places, the 'mortise and tenons' were fairly shallow and troublesome to secure. Still, there's some really great design in this set, and I'm glad I got it.

 

Here they are next to some Games Workshop skeletons.

 

War Mammoth

Dat's a biggun.

 

Farflinger Trebuchet

When assembling this, do yourself a favor and attach the two pieces that make up the arm of the trebuchet before sandwiching it between the supports; the key-slot connecting the arm pieces only works in one orientation, so I had to remove it and flip it around. Luckily I wasn't using superglue and insta-set, like I normally do.

 

Shavynra the Slayer

Be aware that Shavynra has a small tongue piece, and I can see it being lost easily. You might want to glue it in as soon as you get it, just so you don't lose it.

 

Valfuryx the Vile

Probably my favorite piece of the whole Kickstarter. I love the design, and the pose and face just ooze personality.

 

Ildraedis the Devourer

 

To all of those who are waiting on their orders, especially those who have delayed items: I feel your pain, and I'm sorry you have to live with that uncertainty. I do think you'll be very happy with everything; these are some of the nicest figures Reaper has produced, IMO.

 

Cheers!!!

[Reaper Bones 5: Enthusiasm and Commentary thread]

Wave here 5 in Colorado, and I received my 4+ lbs of plastic a couple of hours ago. No missing pieces. I am very, very pleased with everything I got. All of the pieces fit together easily, and the details are all very crisp, with very minimal moldlines! There's some slight warpage here and there that seems to be fixed after some heating with a hair-dryer, repositioning, and running some cold tap water over it. Now I'm tempted to get some other things when they open the pledge manager back up!

 

I'll take some pictures to share once I finish my breakfast; I was too excited to be able to eat before dinner time

[Reaper Bones 5: Enthusiasm and Commentary thread]

6 minutes ago, Sirithiliel said:

we have no idea where the container is, right? or am i wrong?

I'm pretty sure that in one of the more recent update videos, they said that it has been sitting in the port, awaiting inspection. Though, given that my shipment isn't one being delayed, I didn't pay as close attention during that part of the update.

[Shifting Sands Glitterwolf paints Egyptian Undead]

14 hours ago, Glitterwolf said:

And only now do I realise this Dino is six-legged.

Oh man, I know that feeling! Kind of like getting home from the store only to realize you've grabbed the wrong kind of...whatever it was you were going there for in the first place

 

I think it's looking great! I haven't thought about Dinotopia in many years, so it's especially exciting to see your project to take inspiration from it! Looking forward to seeing more! 

[Fjyrrulm Awaits: Aussie's Ongoing Fantasy Mini Extravaganza]

On 4/6/2021 at 12:20 AM, Glitterwolf said:

I always like me some Undead!

Looking good!

Great Dragon, that will be an awesome centrepiece!

 

14 hours ago, Samedi said:

Those plus sized zombies are really cool sculpts! Who makes them?

Thanks, Glitter and Samedi! Those bigger zombies are all Reaper Bones figures. The hunched over one is a ghast, SKU #77159, and the others are a pair of lemures, SKU #77326. All of the weapons were bitz from my collection, I just drilled some holes or cut out small wedges with my hobby knife before gluing them in place.

 

I have some pictures of a couple guys I've been getting ready for paint:

I got this guy from MOM Miniatures, a Spanish company. I stumbled upon their site one day, like ya do, and love their stuff. This figure originally had an axe in each hand, so I got rid of those. I made the sword blade from some plasticard, the handle came from a Reaper bit from my collection, and then I used some wire as a base for the crossguard, before sculpting in some details with greenstuff.

 

The decaptitated head in his hand was a little tricky, but totally worth it. The base head is from the GW Crypt Ghouls, and I added some wire to attach it to the hand. I added the hair, recently-cleaved neck, and a nose. I had a tongue flopping out of his mouth, but that has disappeared, and I don't care enough to make a new one. I'm rather pleased with how it turned out, and look forward to using those skills on another project.

 

This one is also from MOM miniatures. He's HUGE! That's a 25mm base he's on. Almost as tall as the Reaper ogres. The other guy is actually the same size, but his pose hides that some. The figure came with an axe, but I wasn't a fan of the sculpt. I removed the blades, and found this matching pair of 'gargoyle' heads that are from an old GW Chaos vehicle accessory sprue. I'm excited with how cool it looks.

 

I love how much simple conversions can really change a model. It's so satisfying to feel like you've transformed a piece, just with one or two minor adjustments.

 

Now, they go to sit in Purgatory with all the other figures that are ready to be painted!

[Miniature Monday - Feb 2020 - Finally finished]

48 minutes ago, Rignes said:

Better late than never right? 🙂

Definitely!

 

This is a good looking group. I especially like the ice effect on the golem, it really sells!

[Fjyrrulm Awaits: Aussie's Ongoing Fantasy Mini Extravaganza]

On 4/1/2021 at 6:40 AM, Samedi said:

That dragon is absolutely amazing!

Thanks, Samedi! I keep pushing to make it better, because the sculpt is so inspiring.

 

On 4/1/2021 at 12:03 PM, Glitterwolf said:

Super!

Thanks, Glitter!

 

I got around to taking some pictures of the undead I recently worked on, as well as getting some more work done on the dragon.

 

Here are some skeletons I threw together from the GW skeleton warriors kit. I needed some archers, so I cut off some weapons and added some various bow and quiver bits, so they could play the part. Next time, I'll remember to at least paint in the appearance of negative space, where the weapons were cut and the hands filed.

I really like how all the colors go together, specifically on the warriors proper. The red, with the brass and the bit of verdigris just really does it for me, and was really straightforward to accomplish. The colors are a little muted in the photos, which may be due to them being on my colorful painting mat. This was a nice, simple project to get me back in the swing of things.

 

 

Next I did some zombies. I did all of the smaller ones, before moving on to the big guys, who I'd impaled with some weapons. I wanted to play around with using different color combinations to make up all the skin tones. I had a lot more fun on the bigger guys than the smaller, and on the center guy impaled by a spear, in particular. Another relatively fun and rewarding project, without a huge amount of effort.

 

 

And finally, some progress on the dragon. I'm still refining all the blends and volumes, while starting to do some detail work on the face. I figure if I work one part up to a high standard, that will motivate me to do so on the rest of the figure, so it's (at least mostly) consistent. I took advantage of some clouds to go outside and get some pictures in some soft daylight. I took one under my normal painting light, for comparison. The main difference I've noticed is just how much brighter the throat looks in the daylight, compared to my work light. My light is slightly on the warm side, so it makes sense that it would effectively dull that brightness.
 

The more I work on this, the more I love it, which is both great, and a somewhat novel experience for me And, I'm really seeing the end is in sight, and I can make this thing look as great as I think it deserves.

 

Thanks, as always, for looking!

[The Bug Thief, the Swamp Girl and the Dogpole Mother]

Looking good so far! That skin tone is really nice, and the purple goes with it really well.

[Painting the Underworlds.]

Great job painting these figs! A lot of fun variety and models in here, too. I especially like the skaven assassin, and the wight champion.

[Anything but a wiz]

Great looking wizard! And that's a good pile of wins, way to push yourself! I think the reason the staff blends in, is that it's a very similar value to the robe, as well as having some yellow in it. The reds and yellow are really nice, and that hair is really nice and defined!

[Fjyrrulm Awaits: Aussie's Ongoing Fantasy Mini Extravaganza]

On 3/24/2021 at 7:26 PM, Darcstaar said:

Love that dragon!

Some really cool work in here.

Thanks, Darcstaar! It's been gratifying to get some color on all of this grey.

 

I've gotten some more work done on the dragon over the last couple days, still refining those volumes. Got the face much brighter, so it's starting to command the attention it deserves. I also did some work on the back, both the body and the wing, to get them more in line with the rest of the beast. The wing is still incredibly rough, but at least it's not as colorless as it was.

 

I'll make sure to get some pictures of the skeletons and zombies I recently did for the next time I post an update. Oh, and the various scatter terrain I did... It feels good to be productive!

[The Last Hurrah Project..Photo Heavy]

Quote

Thanks for the reply, Loim. I am happy you enjoy the stuff, AND took the time to say so...the morale boost is appreciated.

At this stage of my life I tend to only those things that are a joy to do. The Craft is my main love.

Your love for the craft shows, Mal. In fact, I'd wager it even radiates! Your work is always inspiring, so extra thanks for posting as much as you do.

 

 

[Darcstaar vs. Kobolds]

Using blue as an undercoat for TMM steel....that's cool. I'm going to have to give that a shot, I imagine it looks great.
Great job on those cold, white skin tones! I think they have some nice depth in them.

[Lost World Project Glitterwolf Paints Coldblooded Creatures and Conquistadores]

That pyramid is going to look so cool painted up!

[Juliana, Herbalist]

This is coming along great. The blue shading of the green skirt looks just superb!

[Fjyrrulm Awaits: Aussie's Ongoing Fantasy Mini Extravaganza]

It's been far, far too long since I've posted! I hadn't done any hobbying after my last post, until about mid-February. Since, then, I've been working somewhat consistently on various projects. I need to get some decent photos before I show any of the new things, but I did finally do some more work on my dragon!
 

I continued work of getting the overall skin tones and transitions where I want them, with a lot of emphasis on the shadows. Those purples are pulling some major weight, and I just love them. I also added several more layers of glazing with reds and oranges across the skin. I think I'm very, very close to being satisfied enough to start the pin-lining/washing between the scaly-skin, and then the highlights. I also did some filtering with black on the shadows of the wings, to work on boosting that contrast.

Thanks for looking! I'll be better about posting, now that I have things to post.