Skeleton Guardians - Old Boney Bones (77237, 77238, 77239, 77240, 77241, and 77018 and WotC)

[MoonglowMinis]

Alright.  So I want to share some old skeletons with you to both show off some of my older paintjobs, and to reflect on my growth over the past two and a half years.  An what better way to show off my growth in Bones, than with bones?
 

 

More Below Spoiler:

Spoiler

Skeleton Archer (77018)

 

Alright.  Let's start by diving all the way back to November 2018.  I had been collecting unpainted minis, in particular Bones, for about a year and a half.  I finally worked up the nerve to try painting them and like many of you, I started with the Learn to Paint Kit.  I followed the book and painted this guy as best as I could.  My first mini.

He's rough.  Over reliance on washes and drybrushing.  Some muddy colors.  And I hadn't figured out how to photograph minis yet.  I have since rebased him on to a proper round base, and the grass got painted over to look like stone, but other than that he's remain unchanged.  A reminder of where I started.

 

Castle Ravenloft Skeletons

Shortly after painting up the first skeleton I dug into my collection and found a few more skeletons, eager to practice the skills I had just learned.  These guys came on plain plastic bases so I tried out basing for the first time.  Some super glue sprinkled in baking soda to add a rough texture.  This would become my go-to basing method that has lasted me until today.  Though I have improved on my methods.

 

These skeletons suffer from the same rookie mistakes as the archer.  Though I'm still proud of myself for overcoming that initial fear and putting paint on plastic.

 

Skeleton Guardians (77237, 77238, 77239, 77240, 77241)

I am not quite sure when I painted these.  They were some time in 2019.  Maybe late summer.  So a little less than a year had gone by.

 

 

This was the most ambitious project I had undertaken at the time.  15 minis at once.  I don't recommend it.  Batch painting has continued to be something I struggle with, though when it comes to hordes like this, I don't think I could get through them without tackling them all at once.

 

 

These guys are a bit more colorful than the first skeletons.  But their bones are noticeably cleaner and brighter.  I believe I went in and highlighted individual bones instead of relying purely on drybrushing.  Those shields are just begging to have something painted on them, but I try not to go back to old minis - I'd rather look forward and work harder on the next.

 

These guys also got some fancy 2-tone tabards.  One of the earliest "free hand" attempts.

 

I did my best to make the bases look varied.  I think I did alright.  They got sort of a rugged mountain base.  I figured it was neutral enough to blend in to most environments.

 

They also got painted in three different colors just to help identify them on the table. In all, I was really proud of these at the time, even if they are also a bit rough.  Dark washes over white just doesn't quite work the way you expect.  It wasn't long after this that I started to abandon washes in favor of layering.

 

Bog Skeletons (44115)

We finally come to the Bog Skeletons.  These guys were painted in February of 2021.  About a year and a half after the Skeleton Guardians.  I have a lot more to say about these guys so consider this a preview.  You can check out my full breakdown of these minis on the Show-Off thread HERE.

 

I am not a fan of repainting old models or painting another copy of something I've already painted.  I have so many minis in my collection that I'd rather keep moving forward.

That said, I love painting similar things.  It's a great opportunity to reflect on your past projects and to compare where you started to where you've come.

I'd love to see some before and after photos of some of your works!

Edited May 1, 2021 by MoonglowMinis

[Glitterwolf]

You definitely improved!

Great job!

[Fencig]

the bog skeletons are excellent, love the depth of color and shading you learned to apply to them

Edited May 1, 2021 by Fencig

[Chaoswolf]

I think it's pretty cool seeing stuff like this. You can see the progression of your skills over time. Good work!

[dks]

Very nice!  It must be rewarding to see your progress like this. 

Now your skills allow you to use neat layering & lining, or a rougher-looking technique, where each is appropriate.

I like the color-coding.  And even though the Bog Skeletons don't have those colors, they're still RGB = Really Good Bones!

Thanks for sharing.

Derek

[MoonglowMinis]

Thanks everyone.  One of my favorite things about this hobby is how visible progress is.  It's very reassuring to put an older model next to a newer one and see where the growth has been.  It's a great motivator.  And rather than feel embarrassed by older models, I can look back fondly at where I started.  They may not be my greatest works, but I'm still proud of putting the paint to plastic, and they're still good enough to see some table time.