Wolf Pack

This is one of several "predatory animal" Algoryn skimmers that I painted for Gates of Antares.

These just happen to be the perfect shape to allow for the two eyes on either side of the cockpit, and even the pilot himself has those flat armor plates which make it easier to continue the pattern onto him.  The helmet also has a bit of a crest, so that helps as well!

Several critters are planned, including birds of prey, dragons and so on.

This was painted in a live Facebook session, showing all the materials and principles used to paint it!  Here's a link to the painting video:

https://www.facebook.com/james.wappel/videos/vb.1056181987/10209514481873033/?type=2&theater

The wolf pattern was a lot of fun, but the other predators will be also.  I have a few birds of prey, along with dragons and other serpents planned.  Stay tuned!

Base Camp

Here are some finalized images of the bases that you watched live of facebook!

Here's a link:

https://www.facebook.com/james.wappel/videos/vb.1056181987/10209658916083798/?type=2&theater

These are all created for the Algoryn skimmers.  Each of them was created with simple tree bark and branches, with a few added touches from Secret Weapon Miniatures

The more obvious add ons are the barrels, but the shell casings are also from Secret Weapon Miniatures.

This large base is from the C3 transporter.

One more shot of the entire set, and then it's on to showing them with the painted minis... stay tuned!

Oliver, With a Twist

Here's another figure from the Twisted Game range.  And yes, his name is Oliver Twist!  There muct have been something unusual in his gruel though, because he's a little more muscular than we are used to seeing.

The Twisted Game figures are all sculpted by hand, which definitely shows in the elegant flow of the figures.  The mechanical elements are frequently made of actual gears and brass in the sculpting process, so you get a very realistic feel to those parts of the figures.

The base is from Secret Weapon miniatures, which is from a large set of steampunk urban bases.

He's also here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/322473139276?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

Making a Nest

Next up for the winter Americans would be a little fire support in the form of a machine gun nest.

These are the new winter figures from Bolt Action and Warlord Games.  The wall and street textures were created by pressing sculpey into the Happy Seppuku moulds.  More texture was added with Secret Weapon Miniatures weathering powders and crushed glass for the snow.

This article is a review of the basing technique for the winter Americans:

http://wappellious.blogspot.com/2017/02/urban-warfare.html

Creator of the Fall

I had a lot of fun with this Heirophant conversion that was done for my Tomb Kings army.  Using a bunch of chariot bits and green stuff, I was able to make him look more impressive than a standard skeletal cavalry figure.

I couldn't resist giving him a sceptre and a skull too!  Of course, he had to have a number of cartouches as well.

For those who have seen the story of my Tomb Kings, they know that this Heirophant was the source of the "First Fall", playing around with sorcery best left untouched.

I had him on the skeletal horse to make him more mobile, but also allow him to attach to the unit of cavalry for protection.  None of these things really worked out, as Tomb Kings tended to die from a random stiff breeze!

Arena Rex

This Medusa figure from Arena Rex was the first that I have painted from this wonderful line of figures.  She is mounted on a 50mm base, which was created using the Green Stuff World texture rollers.

The transparent cloth effect is always interesting to achieve.  While there are a few basic principles involved in translating the effect, it can be more difficult depending how the figure is sculpted.

If the cloth has a lot of heavy folds, that can make it more difficult to paint the lighter skin colored areas in the 'gaps' where they would show up.  The high points of the folds get the brightest 'cloth' color.  The trickiest part is that darkened zone in the middle, which helps to show those two areas of lighter tones.  One must have dark to show light!

The shield presented a nice opportunity to do some gold NMM.  That was done in my normal way,  including the use of the Vallejo fluorescent yellow to infuse into the burnt sienna and even purples.

Here are a few better images of that mosaic tile base.  Again, the texture was made by rolling a Green Stuff World texture roller into the unbaked Sculpey clay.  This was  broken into shape once it was baked, and placed on a piece of cork.  Sand and gravel were added around the sides to finish off the texture.

One more set of views, which also show the veiled face a little better.  

As a final note, this was entered into the Arena Rex painting contest, winning second prize!  Many thanks to the good folks who create so many fantastic miniatures :-)

An old time Classic

This ancient Hydra is quite old, in more ways than one.

Not only is this a long out of print figure, but I hadn't touched it in several years.  It's interesting how much you learn in that intervening time!  Among all the principles I had learned since then, the notion of having lots of subtle color variations (even in something with a similar value scale),  can make a boring surface texture wise far more interesting! 

He's also here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/322469680626?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

While this seems like one shade of grey from a distance, there are many tints to it.  I used a variety of greens, pinks and purples to achieve that variety.

I even used some slight glazes of burnt sienna in deeper crevices and around the protruding scales.

The view from above shows another new element added since the last time I touched it.  Using the new grass tufts and Green Stuff World texture rollers provided the vines and the rest of the base with much more texture.

The shield with the dragon eye was another fun element to add!

Using the Reaper clear red combined with the realistic water effects also enhance the slimy look of the teeth and tongues :-)

So, I hope you have enjoyed seeing this blast from the past!  I often work on very old figures, and it can be very satisfying to see these ancient pieces treated with "modern" paint jobs and techniques!