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I've painted many the uplifted chimpanzee and gorilla over the years, some in spacesuits, some in boiler suits. But none in a double-breasted business suit, for such minis are not easy to find! This has been on the back burner for a while now. I had a Raogru, Charau-Ka Shaman sculpt (pic is Reaper's) for a while. Well, time passed and I got a jet-pack wearing space chimp from Cold War Miniatures. This came with an extra grinning chimpanzee head. I decapitated the shaman, readjusted the arms, trimmed off some of the vambraces, and slapped on some Green Stuff. Since then, I've done a bit of trimming and polishing. I want the suit to be shoulder-padded and broad of lapel. It still needs some smoothing in some places and wrinkles in others. Gotta get rid of that fingerprint, for instance. I need to smooth out the wad on the back of the jacket (due to the shaman's posture I had to fill in a divot on the side) Thinking of giving the pants cuffs and making a shirtsleeve on the extended left arm (his right hand will be holding a tiny briefcase.) Here's the concept with the head--it's a big head, but the shoulders and chest are also big. What do you all think? How can I get the suit to wrinkle and hang properly? What do I need to trim or smooth? And what would Mister Bongo here have to do to get you to sign off on one of these handsome life insurance policies that would give you and your loved ones the peace of mind you deserve?

Having just started a 45 figure batch paint of guardsmen, I decided a side project may be in order. Just a little something I could fiddle with off and on to disrupt the monotony and I knew just the project. About a year ago, after I finished my first commissar, I thought it would be a good idea to paint all my commissars differently. That way I could tell all of my HQs or elites apart, but wouldn't you know it after a couple games I realized it was completely unnecessary. Having already started down that path however I decided to press on. Within about the first week of pondering different color schemes I had a great idea. Unfortunately I lacked the skills and hobby confidence to attempt it. This past year I've managed to learn quite a bit though, especially about sculpting/working with greenstuff. So I think it's time to attempt a Hulk Hogan commissar. First up was locating a good reference photo for both his moustache and boa (see above). As the moustache was the trickier of the two I decided to start there. In a twist of fate getting a good texture was the easy part, but getting the proper size wasn't. After some back and forth I finally got the size correct. Then it was just a simple matter of using a pin and a toothpick to achieve a hair like texture. This is what you get zooming in, but at a regular viewing distance I think it looks good. Next came the boa. Try as I might I couldn't get a good feathery texture going. I could get a good amorphous blob/coral like texture though. Much like the moustache it'll fail upon close inspection but I think with a good paintjob it'll hold up just fine. See I told you that moustache is passable with some distance. Now it's just a matter of letting everything dry before priming. I guess it's a good thing we have holiday commitments for the next couple days. As with any greenstuff project you always end up with some leftovers. After adding a skull to the Hulkster's base I thought I'd share the wealth with a few random models from my desk.

How do you make an octopus laugh? You give him ten tickles! Wanted to show off this little octopus that I sculpted from some leftover green stuff. I don't have much experience with sculpting other than a few simple embellishments on minis and a couple of snake swarms I made once. Wanted to try something relatively simple and figured an octopus would be pretty forgiving. You can see more about how I made this guy and more of my nautical minis in my Dark Tide WIP thread HERE. I sculpted and painted this guy in two evenings and am happy with hos cute it turned out. It's not the most accurate, but I'm proud of it. It definitely has given me greater confidence in my ability to make something out of nothing. More Photos Beneath the Spoiler:

Karla, Anime Heroine https://www.reapermini.com/search/anime/latest/50232 is a beautiful sculpt, but the miniskirt would raise eyebrows in my pulp/midcentury settings, so I gave her a bit of a hemline extension with GreenStuff. I'm also planning to use some eyelets and pins to turn at least one gun into a syringe. Will post more as progress continues. Stay safe and healthy!

Not sure if this belongs here or under conversions but since I need help/feedback on the sculpting, I figured here was better. I am adding puffy sleeves to a figure and I am very much a novice when it comes to sculpting. I have been working on one and while it looks good to me, I need a second opinion. What do you guys think?

Hi everyone, Now that the contest is over, here are more pictures of my converted 77038, Hell Hound. The original sculpt is by Ben Siens. This was my entry in Reaper's Facebook Convert and Paint contest. Khan is my elf riding dog in our D&D campaign. The contest was the perfect pretexte to make this conversion. I first removed all the spikes and flames on the hound's back. I then built the armor and saddle using green stuff and a paperclip. The chest is from Reaper's 02638, adventuring accessories. There were amazing entries in the contest and I managed to get an honorable mention. Thanks to Reaper miniatures and Matthew Clark for organizing this contest.

I started a D&D campaign for my son and some of his friends, and using it as an excuse to acquire and paint some new minis. Here is my son's Tiefling sorcerer (sorceress?)The plan: We don't really like the "combat bikini" on this one, so I am going to attempt to add, well something to it. It won't be great, probably wont even look good, but hey I'm only trying to get better, so please comment, critique, advise, instruct, and what not. Going with a light purple skin because its for a Tiefling character, and I think purple is an interesting color to paint. Turquoise colored garments as a complimentary color, and some yellow gold metal for some contrast. And some color after the nip tuck. I went with blue for a base cause I'm guessing it will work better with the purple skin. We decided to chop the staff and try for a glass orb for the arcane focus. Any recommendations are appreciated. Finally to end the night with some Green stuff. I started with a "sheet" of it for the Front and Back panels. I'm going to try to add some detail tomorrow after this dries. Overall I don't think the cloth is laying quite right, or the size is off. Either way I hope I can fix it in the next session.

The clay golem. So overmuscled! So cantankerous-looking! So versatile for conversions! It's probably cliche at this point, thinking this guy would make a great Edward Hyde. But that doesn't make it wrong! Some green stuff tatters, a grommet, and a pin, and here we are. Look at that savage hairy-knuckled brute! For my Western game, set in the 1870s-ish, I made a spinoff cleric-like class, the Sawbones, for healers that prefer Mad Science to religion; people like Dr. Moreau, or Dr. Jekyll, or Dr. Frankenstein, or Dr. Herbert West. The 59009 lady scientist is the mini my Sawbones player uses for her character, and Hyde Formula is absolutely something she would concoct and abuse. So here's the pair of them. I am actually proud of the Hyde conversion!

I have been planning a few ore photo stages. The Trio of Trees will be movable props, & character actors in the cast. They will eventually appear in somewhat fancier surroundings, but for their first presentation, they are seen here on my work table: The Philosopher or Idiot...take your pick: The Conversation, Monk & Tree: AND the Group Portrait: ...if you go out in the Woods today, you're in for a big surprise.

This years Halloween Treat to myself was a Skeletal Plastic Mouse from World Market. I couldn't resist; re, it was Oh-So-Cool, whimsically cute, & inexpensive enough not to cause guilt tripping. It was only when I got it home that the ears & nose registered as being singularly unskeleton like. SO I decided to Zombie it up with some patches of rotting flesh & hair. Here is the results: This is The Mouse at an early stage of development with Leo Sizechek for an idea of just how big the Little Fellow is: There you have it...so to speak.

.."whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouse, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos gets such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then I account it high time"...to make some more Mushrooms....Ismail & I approach the problem differently A few days ago, the symptoms began to appear. Now I that the end in is in sight, I'll post what I have been up to. These Fellow already had their blanks made. SO it was just a matter of adding beads & green stuffing : ... ...that wasn't enough to snap the black mood; three larger ones were needed. First the Blanks: ...then the eyes (beads), & arms...somewhat more eye & arms then usual: ...the marvels of Mushroom dentistry: ...Stage I Green Stuffing: ...with Leo "Legs-don't-fail-me-now" Sizechek for a size check: ...AND Stage II Green Stuffing, capping of the sculpts: . ...once I figure how they will be used, they will be painted...stay tuned.

See this post... I just tried something new, but have talked about it here and there, about using Greenstuff to sculpt stuff that you want to paint, but before assembly.... It seems to work! Can't seem to get it to quote across threads....

SO, SisterMaryNapalm came across some Beastes to stick into flower pots: AND thought my Mushrooms would be just the thing to enliven his Mom's flower pots. Here's where they stood as of Tuesday: He wanted them to be somewhere between 10" to a foot. The BBQ skewers were just the thing: The stems & eyes were done by Tuesday evening: Losing a day to World Series Game 7, the green stuffing started earlier today: More later...later being a nebulous term.

The crunch of heavy feet, a terrified scream, & a hardy "Hi Neighbor!", it's the Mutatant Mushroom (I'd like to add from HELL! here, but he's just ambling out of The Spooky Woods). SO yet-another Mushroom to brighten your day & disturb your sleep; seen here with the source of the terrified screams strolling through the woods ...from a couple of different yet similar angles: ...watching from above: ...AND being watched right back: ..."if you go out in the Woods today"...I love theme music.

There is something strange afoot at the Cemetery of St. Lascivious...stranger than normal if that is possible. "Did you hear something?" "NO! And I didn't see it either!": ...over there something moved: ...It is coming to get us!: There now that wasn't SO bad; now was it? With the story told here is a better look at the Reaper: AND with The Ritual: ...for continuity & size comparison. Sweet Dreams!

I was in the process of painting up a small horde of my Mushroom Folk when a group of them suggested a possible vignette...they didn't actually offer a suggestion; it was their appearance that did it...I think. SO I did a few haunted tombstones, grabbed a Tree Beasty, made a base, AND took a LOT of photos which I will inflict on you momentarily. The vignette brings to my mind the "stop the ritual" scenario from Mordheim, here is The Ritual that needs stopping: ...there now, that wasn't SO bad now was it?

My box of figures from DSM for their Stephanie Law kickstarter came in. They're gorgeous. Many of them are in multiple pieces and need assemble. These are too pretty for me to half-donkey assembly. I have classic super glue. I have green stuff. What are your preferred methods to attach arms and whatnot so there aren't gaps and whatnot? How do you avoid slopping the superglue around swiftly before it hardens? Toothpicks perhaps? Some of these joints are very fine, so I don't think I can really pin them. They aren't heavy, so that has to help, and they do have knobs/sockets in most cases. I'd really like to make sure that gaps are sealed, and things like that, so they appear smooth. If they're fragile, that's not the end of the world, since these are unlikely to be used for tabletop purposes. This pack is all pewter, although I have a Kraken of Bones material that will need some guidance too. I generally have stayed away from assembly type figures in the past. Time to branch out! Help, pretty please?

This is an idea that has been festering in a particularly fertile & equally peculiar corner of my mind. AND now it comes forth as something REALLY SILLY; i.e., my latest kit-bashing creation. the Infamous Goblin Faerie: ...he will probably wind up hovering over some suitably annoyed Mushroom.

Take it easy on me, this is just my seventh mini to paint with three of them being a set of identical orcs. First time trying green stuff any tips for improvements or things you think I did well would be much appreciated. Trying to figure out what worked and what didn't. This is Archon the Aasimar Warlock and his familiar (which has yet to be named). He was taken as a youth by a fiend for his celestial blood. On the brink of corruption he was rescued by a paladin of the Raven Queen. The Raven Queen then took over his pact and he now serves her hunting those who would defy the natural process of death.

One of the Fellow from the Lead Adventure Forum gave me a link to Bog's Miniatures on FaceBook. Their ambulatory Mushrooms were so like my stationary ones that I had to give them a try. This is the result: Emerging from the depths of Heep's Caverns, The Meandering Mushroom Mob: The Lantern: The Wizard: The Flunky: ANDThe Muscle: ...Than Gang with a shot of the setting at Heep's: ...they may not see any games, but the boards are splendid puppet stages for photos. The Fellow seen exercising the better part of valor is a plastic miniature that is part of G.W's plastic Giant boxed kit. He is my surrogate for Sir Forscale. From the bottom of his shoes to the top of his hat, he is 32 mm. I feel he shows the proper appreciation of the situation my World offers.

SO I had these two twigs mounted & primed for ages...well awhile at any rate. Since I did up a Tree with Attitude for a Fellow D.M. Craft Forumite, I thought I'd give the twigs the treatment: Seen here on my Work Table, a once around The Trees: ...now to the closeups: ...the Hermit (Dark Hold Minion), all 10 mm of him: ...AND a couple of photos by the Witches' Shanty Town: The Twins will probably be used as foreground pieces in a Spooky Woodland photo background thingy I'm planning. Hopefully, you'll be seeing more of the Lads/Whatever.

The combination of Gnoblar & Night Goblin produces a miniature perfectly suited for the downtrodden life style. I usually give them names like Beastly Burden. In this instance, it was pointed out to me that the Little Sufferer had quit an attitude AND a Big Club to back it up. The theme from The Marat/Sade started playing through my head; ergo, he became Robespierre. To showcase him, he is seen hear on his journey to Heep's Place, renowned for it's mushroom distilled beverage, caverns, & bat poop farm...it's like a pilgrimage to the Jack Daniel's Distillery: ...I swear I heard something: ...from various angles: ...AND wandering off into the sunset: For those unfamiliar with it, this is Heep's Mushroom Distillery, Bar & Grill. & Bat Poop Caves: ...there you have it...so to speak.

Here is my entries for the Valentines / Love theme Contest. I couldn't think up a nice, sweet entry.....so went with a theme....Playing with Your Heart. I was in luck that Fangaud, included in my Secret Sophie gift the Familiar Pack XI. Which had two perfect minis to customize a little for the contest. I love all the Familiar Packs, they have such cute lil figures, with so much detail, in tiny lil packages. First One.....Lil Demon, Playing Heart Hopscotch.... Second One....Cute Demoness, With her Heart Yoyo....the ups and downs of love... This lil Lady needed a dress sculpted, as she was a little indecent for the theme. Then I green stuff-sculpted the anatomical hearts. Didn't get the yoyo one quite a small as I wanted, but not sure if it would have "read" as a heart if I had done it smaller. C&C always appreciated !

Alright. So, I decided I was going to play too. Why not? It's fun, and Mr. Bold is not large. Very relaxing, after Khanjira. >.> Anyway. We all know what the original looks like, so... on to the modification! My GS-fu is still pretty weak, but I pulled some out and mushed it about and began sculpting a credible pepper over Mr. Bold's sword. Because, really, why cut it off if it provides a functional armature?! After some wrapping and squishing and delicate tool use (I suspect one of said tools is visible there in the background), I had the start of a functional sort of pepper. And not even too long. Although I realized that I was going to have to add some more to the base... So, I did. And then I glued Mr. Bold to a handle (I use soda bottle lids, myself), and tweaked his pepper a little bit. Thickened the end, trimmed some bits off his sword so that it better approximates a stem, that sort of thing. Ready to paint! Just need to get some primer on the green stuff, because I sort of had it in my head that to be properly seasoned, the pepper has to be red. >.>

SO I started on the Village. It's not so much a try at juggling as a break from the Garden tedium...also something to do as washes dry. All that aside, here's the first of the Village Hovel's. Scary Mary's very much W.I.P. place: ...AND Scary Mary, Herself: ...the day is still young; so there may be more...or not; re, I am still old.