Hells_Clown

Oh! I'd also like to see some archers with bows that don't have horns or other added things on them. Just nice simple long bows. Perhaps some minis with weapons ya don't normally see. Like dwarfs with bows and swords instead of axes and crossbows. Elves with spears or pole arms. A 1/2ling theif with a blow gun, etc...

I've not had spray primer melt anything before, though I've not used it on plastic minis, but plastic bases. I used to use Krylon gray primer all the time, as well as white occasionally. I stopped when I kept getting grainy results no matter how long I shook the can or where or when I sprayed. Recently I tried using gesso. Gesso is a brush on primer used by painters to prime their canvases. I got an 8 ounce bottle at an art supply store for only a few dollars. I haven't had any problems with it. It thins down nicely, I can add paint so I have any color primer I want and if it's too thin, I can put on multiple coats. If it's too thick, wipe it away. Best of all, no noxious fumes! It can be used indoor, and not cause anyone to pass out. Nice bonus. Cleans us easily too. Give it a try, I think you'll like it.

Having a high dex increases one's AC and with the 3rd edition of D&D, stats go up every 4 levels. So if you're an elf with a +2 dex bonus, put an 18 in that slot, boom, 20 dex at 1st level. That gives you a 15 AC. Throw in some leather (or studded leather, it's cheaper than chain) and it goes up to around 17 or so. In previous editions, that's a three AC. Not bad for 1st level eh? Shields only give a +1 to AC so aren't worth the weight. In 3Ed using two weapons causes you to suffer huge penaltys unless you are ambi and have two weapon style and use a smaller weapon in the off hand. So as a fighter, take two weapon fighting and ambi as starting skills and bob's yer uncle. OR be an archer. That uses your dex skill instead of strenght for rolling to hit so you're better off. As for two weapons not being realistic....we're talkin D&D here. Ain't none of it real. It's called "fantasy" for a reason, see? Never looked into bucklers before. Might do that next time I get a chance to play.

GW's Uruk-Hai are REALLY nice looking orcs. Mean and evil looking, like they're supposed to be. $20 for 20 (plastic) orcs sounds like a good deal to me. As for what I'd like: I have a personal dislike for all these heros running around wearing helmets with horns or wings on them. Especialy dwarfs. They live underground. Why would they want something on them that would scrape the ceiling? Vikings didn't put horns on their hemls either. That comes from Wagner's operas. Also, how about some fighter types armed like players would arm them. Does anyone play a D&D character that uses a shield? Just about everyone I know plays two weapon weilding death masters. Also, leather or no armor. That takes away from the 20 dex. When you've got stats like that, armor is more a hinderance than anything. Finally (for the moment anyway) I'd like an evil fighter (or mage or anything for that matter) that doesn't have skulls all over everything. Not all evil doers stomp around announcing their intentions to commit evil upon the land. Lord Soth from the DrangonLance setting was the Knight of the Black Rose, not the Knight of the Burnt Skull. I suppose that's enough ranting for the nonce.

Here's an update (cuz I know you're all on the edge o yer seats waiting to read this :p ) I have to Reaper Templars that I'm trying to paint in a fairly realistic fashion, ie with white tabards. On one of them I base coated with a mixture of ivory and beige red (mostly ivory, just a drop of beige red to give a slight reddish tint). The other I base coated ivory and field blue (a nice blue/gray color - all colors are Vallejo model colors). I painted up the reddish tinted one first. I was a bit too heavy handed with it and covered nearly all the red tint but do have a nice pale yellow in the nooks and crannies. The only problem is I don't think it's dark enough, as the shading isn't very noticable from a distance. I'll try the blue tinted one tomorrow and see how that works. Thanks for the tips so far.

I'm working on learning how to paint white clothes and it's hard going. How do I get those nifty shadows without making the entire thing look muddy? I can always highlight the raised parts back to white, but when I try using an ink wash for example, it gets too dark (even when thinned) or looks uneven, etc. Anyone have any tried n true techniques?

an AOL CD for starters. cbs Gee, ya mean there's actually a good use for AOL CDs? Wonders nevah cease... :p

I knew I could count on the the folks on this page to come up with the info. That give me a starting point at least. The lasher is gonna be tough to paint methinks, due to all the bumps and spikes and the like. It was somewhat tough to paint on the primer anyway. I remembered Orcus was prince of the undead but the last time I tried painting him a pale blue it didn't look right. I'll have to experiment with some different colors and find one that looks right. I'll have to get a digi cam and post a pic of my gnoll lord, I think he came out rather nicely. One more thing: the base of the lasher is HUGE. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I might base him on for better balance and over all looks?

I don't have a 1st ed Monster Manual or the Book of Vile Darkness handy so can some one remind me how Demagorgon is colored? I'd like to paint mine up as close to the "original" as possible. Never mind I painted the Gnoll Lord the way I wanted... Also, if anyone knows the colors for Orcus, that'd be much appreciated as well (since he's in the green bath at the moment anyway). Thanks!

Ahh mould lines. The enemy. I hate these things. No matter how hard I try I cannot get rid of them. I file and file and file, sometimes loosing detail and still they remain. I could saw completely through a mini and the mould line would still be there, mocking me. I've learned to live with them. I do what I can, but they always come back to taunt me. Ah well... I wash my minis (usually). I dunk em in Simple Green and scrub em with a (non-electric) toothbrush. For priming I've started using artist's gesso. Got a big bottle from an art supply store recently. That way I don't have to worry about fumes or the super high humidity messing up the process. I can mix in any color I want to create colored primer, it doesn't obscure detail or if it does I see it and can wipe it away. An 8 ounce bottle only cost a couple dollars and since I dilute it so it will flow into the nooks and crannies better it should last a long time. Oh and it helps those mould lines stand out nice n obvious, so they can let me know I did not get them.

It's no big deal for me either. I was just curious as to wether it was an across the board change or not. I'll still buy the figures if I like em. I don't buy em for the bases anyway. :p

I just bought a Crimson Guard mini and was surprised when I saw it came with a plasct base instead of the usual metal. Is this a change in how the figures will be packaged or a packing error or something else?

I guess that's so simple it was difficult to think of. I've turned into a basing fool these days. I spend almost as much time on them as I do the figure. :p I was beginning to worry about you Anne. I thought you ran away screaming from all of us asking so many questions and what not. Glad you're still around to help out. :cool:

I havent tried Hancock or other fabric places specificially but they usually only have the pillow foam. It's typically not very sturdy and doesn't have the support we require. But I'll take a look when I get a chance.

I have this problem as well. Cases are easy to find, they're all over the place. It's the foam that's hard to find. I don't like the egg crate style foam, I prefere the "pick-n-pluck" stuff that comes in the Army Transport or Battle Hive. I've found places online that sell it but ya gotta buy it in bulk, esp if you want it pre-cut. If anyone finds a place that has it for cheap that sells to the public LET ME KNOW! :O

Yeah that's what I'm gonna do. It's not like I don't have anything else to paint in the mean time.

ROUS? I didn't think they existed... :oops:

Been doing that too. Got some good pics, but as I said this one doesn't seem to take the paint as easily as the others did. Might be I'm getting too worked up over it. Too bad, he's a neat one...

My typical basing goes like this: I paint the base a ground color (usually a brown). While the paint it still wet I put on a layer of dirt (Talus or something like that, looks like course dirt) then I use Woodland Scenic Modeling glue (basically Elmer's that's been watered down) and add the grass flock. Then more glue and the static grass. I do wait a while for the layers to dry, sometimes a day between each layer. Maybe it's a trick of the camera, but my bases don't have that realistic look that some of the ones I see here do. I was wondering what they do differently.

This is for anyone who's painted this guy. I am having the durndest time painting him! I have given him a simple green bath 3 times now. The other two lupines didn't give me this much trouble. For some reason I find him hard to paint. Then again I'm trying to find a unique color scheme as well. I've painted the Rager brown/black and the Leader gray/white. This is as much a rant to blow off steam as a cry for help, but if anyone's got any good advice, I wouldn't mind reading it!

I was wondering for those of you who use static grass on your bases (Anne :p ): do you paint it? I got some burnt grass (or is it dead grass?) from Woodland Scenic and started using it on my bases but it still looks glossy and fake. What's the secret? On a similiar note, would anyone else like a How-To article on making nice scenery for bases besides me?

You might try mixing some silver paint with blue to create a gun metal blue color and use that on the weapon. Then highlight with silver. Might look nice. Might not. :p

Don't mean to hype a competitor's product, but GW just released a how-to paint minis book called something clever like "How-to Paint Minis". I had a chance to look through it the other day and it's excelent. Lots of tips, including pics, of everything from priming, to color theory, shading, blending, layering, dry brushing, using ink, etc. And only $20 US. Not a bad deal methinks.

This gets harder with an uneven surface, like the loin cloth of the Lupine Shaman. I was considering making an attempt at stripes or something (cuz I'm totally deranged :oo: ) but couldn't figger out where to begin or nuttin. So it'll prolly end up plain ole black with gray highlights (at least I'll get practice highlighting black). It sucks being mediocre...

Reaper has a blue-black eh? Does anyone know if there is a Vallejo equivallent? I have their Red-Black and Green-Black, both great colors but they don't have a Blue-Black. It looks as if Dark Prussian Blue from the Model colors line or Stormy Blue from their Game color line are good matches. Anyone else have some advice?