Let the Army Painting begin!!

I have been very excited about the new pledge levels on the Patreon page... especially the "Army Painting" series of instructional videos.

This course takes you through the process of planning out the painting of units and therefore armies, starting with the bases, moving on to the color scheme, followed by the best way to approach that color scheme. 

These are usually 3-5 episodes, and cover all the aspects of army painting that I have developed over the years.  The idea is to get the most out of the appearance of the figures, but in a reasonable amount of time.

The first series has now been created for the backers of this new pledge level, and many topics came up during the process... fluorescent paints, object source lighting, non metallic metals, and so on.  My goal is to tackle different genres with each set, and different materials.

For instance, I want to show how to use oils, do weathering techniques, etc. on future units.  I'll be covering 40k, Bolt Action, more fantasy units, steampunk, etc.

As some of you who are already familiar with the Painting Pyramid know, I start out with the Shaded Basecoat, which was initially developed as I painted my armies.

Here's a blast from the past!!

http://wappellious.blogspot.com/p/using-shaded-basecoat-technique-to.html

Back in 2013-14, I did a kickstarter campaign in which I created 53 different videos, each one about 100 minutes long.  Many topics were covered, including 12 videos on basing techniques and 5 on terrain!

I have been adding to that collection with all new videos, which are available to the patrons.  The new Painting Pyramid videos are designed to incorporate my newest techniques and materials with the methods that I developed in previous years.

Since the original Pyramid days, I have gotten a host of new materials, and they have made life much easier, and opened up so many new options!

There are a lot of things planned for the army painting pledges!  I even have an option to get "hard copy" versions of the videos on a USB drive.  These are higher resolution versions, and you can watch them anytime you want.

Here's a link to the page"

www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Painting Dark Sword: Episode 1

This was the first month of the new Pledge Levels on my patreon page, and there was little doubt that I would have to include painting videos on Dark Sword miniatures!  They are perfect for these instructional videos due to the fine sculpting and casting.

Working on this figure was a joy, as always, and it was the subject of the first instructional video.  It's already been posted to the backers who pledged at the level.

If the Page can reach the $1000 goal, I will add a second Dark Sword tutorial for that month.  There is a nice stockpile of prepped Dark Sword figures here, so I am ready and waiting for that to happen.  

The faces in particular, as well as the hair and hands are so much easier to work on at this level of zoom for the camera.  Most miniatures begin to look a little clunky when you get this close, but I was grateful to see how the tiny face on this figure could be so large on screen!

Each video begins with a discussion on the brushes, palette, and paints.

Just like the original Painting Pyramid videos, I take you through the Shaded Basecoat stage, Glazing, Midtones, Final highlights, Details and so on.

The new Dark Sword tutorial painting episodes are not the only instructional videos on the Patreon Page.  I have the Army Painting series, large creatures and Black Heart models busts as well!  Additional levels will be added in August and September.

You can check that out here:

www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Photo Booth in a Hurry!

Sometimes you just have to take some pictures of your stuff in a hurry, or on the go, or both!

Using one of the TableWar photo mats and a few of my portable LED lights, I was able to set something up to snap images before I had to pack up a number of large critters.

You just saw the Wereshark in a recent post, using the Reaper Pearl White for the first time.  He looked pretty interesting on this backdrop!  I just pointed my phone at the setup and snapped a few images.

These mats are made from the same material as the game mats, which means they are very durable and much more immune to the potential damage from rough handling.

Here's my original post that shows the other mats and the rest of the setup that comes with the kit:

http://wappellious.blogspot.com/2017/09/big-time-backdrops.html

You might recognize these beasties from Cathy's live Twitch streams of late!

They really looked different on this backdrop... more of an undersea setting.

The mat was actually big enough to get all four of these rather large critters in one frame!

Here's a link to the store entry:

http://www.tablewar.com/macromats-full-backdrop-set/

Woad there...

This figure goes back a ways... the early days of the Confrontation line.

Unlike most of the other figures from this batch (done partially or completely with oils), this guy was done entirely in acrylics.

I know there were a few occasions when people ask if the minis painted with oils look any different.  I know which ones were and were not, and I can't tell.  I say this because some folks insisted that I was trying to get a different look, etc. with the oils.

That is definitely not the case, as the goal is to work on more of the figures all at once, and be able to blend, etc.

Flame and Ash

I have been very lucky to have had the chance to work on some of the nifty demons from Creature Caster!  When I saw this guy, I knew that I had to try my internal "Balrog" effect on it!

Here's a Facebook Live session where I was working on him:

https://www.facebook.com/james.wappel/videos/vb.1056181987/10213076676925683/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab

This was one more example of how handy the Vallejo Fluorescent paints can be!  There is an extra intensity to them which you just don't find in any orange or yellow paint.

I extended the base a little bit once I placed it on the wooden plaque, using a few chunks of sculpey for additional rocks, and a few Secret Weapon skulls to continue the pile.

The Lord of Slaughter is only one of several amazing figures:

https://www.creaturecaster.com/collections/complete-catalog/products/lord-of-slaughter

I will be doing a number of other demons, trying out new techniques and mediums.  In addition, I am creating multi episode painting videos for each of these beasts!  For example, the video for the Lord of Slaughter has episodes which cover the wings, the head and weapons, the torso and finally the base.

Since each miniature comes in pretty defined parts along those lines, it made it much easier to paint those elements separately.  By doing so, it meant that I could get more or the finer details on camera.

Also, making them individual episodes means it is easier to locate the section which you may want to see again, and not have to search through several hours of video!

I will have versions available to the Patreon Patrons once we return from GenCon, where I am going to be painting some of these in the Badger Airbrush booth!  Come and see me there.

Here's a link to the Patreon Page, where the latest new video link was sent to the $5 subscribers earlier today:

www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Finding a Pearl

As I was gathering up my paints to take to Adepticon this year, I noticed a virtually unused jar or "white".  That is in quotation marks as this "white" was in fact called 'Pearl White'.  It was subsequently set aside, as I didn't think I would really have much use for it.

After using the Vallejo Metal Medium a few times (which is mixed in with regular paint to make it a metallic color) I thought I should revisit this.

I used it on a few resin headlights on my Bolt Action vehicles, which are not provided with the same kind of transparent plastic pieces as a 1/48 scale kit.

Once I saw this big old Wereshark, I thought I might have another possible use!

So I gathered up my usual Reaper Liner paints and Secret Weapon Weathering paints, and started mixing away!  The results were more than I could have expected!

The sheen that is provided is different than that of the Metal Medium... slightly less obvious, but you really notice it when you move the figure around or look at it from various angles.

Even the darkest colors take on a very different look when you mix this Pearl White with them.  The more of the Pearl White you mix, the lighter the color becomes.  Glazing over the top of it can reduce the effect somewhat, but if you put a touch of the Pearl White into that glaze, it won't do so.

It had as much an effect on the darker areas as it did on the 'whites'.  This paint was so effective, I will definitely use this on the other sea creatures that I have.  There are a few Reaper BONES aquatic beasts, and those should be excellent subjects to demonstrate at Reapercon, which is not that far away...

I recorded the painting session in which I painted this, and it has since been turned into a video tutorial.  Earlier today I posted the link to the Patrons on my Patreon page (at the $5 pledge level and above).

You can get in on the experimentation and fun here:

www.patreon.com/JamesWappel

Making a Splash

I absolutely love the RN Estudio Blood Bowl miniatures (there are also non Blood Bowl figures as well!), and this is another great example.

This was painted during a few recent hangouts, and it was very fun.  All of the miniatures from the team are very well sculpted and cast with excellent quality resin... minimal mould lines too!

I have a few other blog posts showing other members of the team:

http://wappellious.blogspot.com/2016/03/jurassic-park.html

The purple to turquoise transition is also a favorite.  With all the muscles sculpted into it, there were even more opportunities for those transitions.  All of the details are very sharp, which is very handy!  They are also very "compact" and sturdy for resin figures, which means they are reasonably viable to a rough and tumble game like Blood Bowl!!

The water effects were quite simple, using the Liquitex Heavy Gloss Gel.  It was built up in multiple layers, which allowed me to "extend" the splashes a bit more with each layer applied.

I have done this on a number of figures, and on bases as waterfalls, etc.

Crushing Glass

I have demonstrated the Secret Weapon Miniatures crushed glass technique a number of times, and it is one that always fascinates me.  Unlike most other snow materials, this is extremely sturdy once it is in place, and it also allows you to do a wide variety of textures.

Depending on your ratio of water effects to crushed glass, you can have a snow that is quite melted to something more fluffy and white.

I have used this on my vehicles as well, which is very handy, as snow will melt in areas that have heat, such as exhaust fans, etc.

I have also combined it with other materials, as I did in this live session:

https://www.facebook.com/james.wappel/videos/vb.1056181987/10212572308356784/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab

Ghost Division: The new PZ 38T Zug

The new Tank Platoon box sets from Warlord Games have been really handy, especially some of the Early War kits like the Panzer 38T Zug.  Since I like to emphasize just how many of the Czech designs were used, this box is perfect!

I was able to make one of the 38T's for our Barbarossa campaign, and another for my France '40 battle reports.  This was done in the markings of the 7th Panzer division... the "Ghost Division".

Here's a link to a live session where this was painted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Z-eAAb1lI

It was featured in my latest battle report, which I am editing now!

http://wappellious.blogspot.com/2018/07/cutting-off-retreat.html

Here's a look at what comes in the box... a number of well marked sprues...

Packed into a nifty box!

The sprues in the kit will allow you to make a few different variants, which you will see later.

These were definitely easier to assemble the older metal and resin versions which this set replaces.  The turret was very easy for a plastic kit in fact!

There's a nice little instruction set that is included, with a number of decent color plates as well.

The instructions were straightforward...

And for my favorite parts... the color plates and the decals!  These quick color guides are a nice start to your color scheme research.  Like some of the 1/48 scale kits I have done recently, there is even a decal guide which is very helpful.

You also get a hefty helping of decals!  I am very happy about this, because I needed several Hungarian markings for other vehicles that I already have put together.  Now I have some Bulgarian and Romanian decals handy to put on wrecked vehicles around Stalingrad and the push into the Balkans

The other new tank platoon boxes have similar sets of decals.  The Char Bis box is the same way, with generous helpings of French and German insignia that will be of great help!