neshenti

If you have choose between coming back safe and sound, I'll be happy with safe. :-) ("Sound" is a a tad overrated, right?) Take care and return home soon, -Tom

I think the word I'm looking for is "gobsmacked". Wow. Love the robe hems and the red hair in particular. Jolie also suggests that color theory is your friend. :-) Happy Birthday, indeed. -Tom

Just got her. :-D You. Guys. Rock. Rock, I tell you. Many, many thanks for making her available. (Er, that didn't come out quite right, but never mind) ;-) -Happy Tom

Friendly ditto. -Tom

I was wondering the same thing. -Tom

I too am put off by the unrivaled smoothness, coverage, and rich pigmentation. What on *earth* was Reaper thinking when they set out to create this line of paints? Good grief. -Tom

You're lucky. My "big boned" cat, Pandora, couldn't even squeeze her porky rear-end into that fort, much less the whole (hull?) of her body. Oh, but she would try. She. Would. Try. -Tom

I'm particularly partial to Nakhti's facial expression. :-) The metallics have the "gleaming in the searing sun" look to them. I like. -Tom

Clear case of when metallics work, and work well. Sharp color scheme too. I suspect you're raising the painting bar for your regular Warlord opponents. ;-) -Tom

@Tom - The Warstore is offering a discount over MSRP on that caddy. Oh, I am *so* there. Thanks for the head's up. :-) -Tom

You could just use water, sure. Unless I'm much mistaken, Anne Foerster, alchemist of Reaper's MSP line of paints frequently does so. You could also incorporate some Flow Improver and/or Extender (i.e. drying retarder), like the article mentions. (I believe there's already a bit of Flow Improver in the MSP paints, which certainly helps) Again, experiment and observe what gives you the best results. Happy Painting. :-) -Tom

Personally? I'd simply wait for next year's Sophie, and make it a point to be more attentive/pro-active about purchasing it. -Tom

Agreed; I recall that too. Hence the addage: "There's a sucker born every minute." :-) -Tom

Not sure about the second or third LTP kit, but the first one made no mention (that I can recall) of the advantages of thinning your paint, as opposed to painting straight out of the bottle. I *highly* recommend you start thinning your paints now rather than having to re-learn your technique all over again. Granted, with MSPs, you *could* get away with painting straight out of the bottle, and with better results than the older Pro Paints line (thanks to various additives contained within the former). But why lesson your output, even for tabletop quality? Personally I've found it *much* easier and more enjoyable to paint using thinned layers than not. Sure, you'll have to work harder on your brush control technique at first, but you'll thank yourself for it later. There's a fantastic article on the Reaper site that gives you some basic guidelines for experimenting with different thinning techniques/ratios, etc. You will have to pick up a few extra supplies, but the cost is fairly nominal. http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/15 These are just guidelines, of course. You'll hear folks say again and again: "practice and experiment to see what works best for you." Follow that advice, using the Craft articles and archived posts here (use the search feature; go nuts) as a working foundation, and even your tabletop pieces will shine. Oh, and have fun with it. :-) -Tom (who just crossed the threshold of "Rabble Rousing") ;-)

I almost pity the guy who shelled out $40-ish for a Sophie online since he: a) missed out on one of the most enjoyable gathering of gamers and artists ever b) didn't have at least one friend who, while attending the gathering, thought of enough of him to grab one (or two, or four) Con treasures to bring back and share Thankfully there are those who couldn't make it this time around who have such friends. Everyone else is forced to skulk around eBay. -Neshenti