Sometimes it does work!

As you might recall, the grand experiment with the crackle medium didn't exactly go as planned.  Undeterred, the experimentation would continue... this time with a medium from Vallejo.

It is called Mica flakes, and that's precisely what it is.  Tiny flakes of mica suspended in the gel medium.

I noticed Scott using this for lava effects while at the big Screaming Heretic hobby fest.  As I looked at it, it made me think of piles of leaves, a very interesting forest ground cover!

He was kind enough to lend me some to test.  Here is a close up shot...

It is very interesting how you can manipulate and control it.  You have to use enough water to isolate the mica flakes, but not so much that you make the gel disintegrate completely.  That's what binds the whole thing together after all!

I used a few of the cork bases which I created during a mini basing demo the previous day.  Right off the bat, I was very happy with the effect.

Here's a secret project that could really benefit if the overall effect did what I thought it would.  Don't tell anyone about it yet! ;-)

Nothing helps the mind focus and calm the nerves during an experiment like Canadian Maple Whiskey, eh?

Now for the big show!  Would I be able to paint the leaves.  Here are my initial layers...

Even at this early stage, I could see that things were working according to plan.  I will, however, prime the mica flakes in the future prior to painting.

With all the light colors laid out across the leaves, it was time to begin working in some darker shades.

Once I did that, I was even happier.  It was really looking like leaves!

Here's an image showing the painted bases next to the original mica and cork bases.

Success!!! Yes!  This is what was envisioned in my addled brain when I first saw the mica flakes.  Vindication is mine!

Many thanks to Jen and Joe and all the good folks at Screaming Heretic for hosting me, and letting me participate in some of their podcasting.  That was a ton of fun, and a lot was learned all around.  Be sure to check them out at Screaming Heretic.com!!!

Earth and water...

The experimentation continues!  Among other things, I need to begin making desert terrain tiles for our Mediterranean campaigns in Memoir '44.

I also wanted to see what kinds of things I could do with the new jar of water effects.

These tiles will be turned into two separate items.  One a river, the other a wadi.  The wadi's. or dry riverbeds, are the most important, and unique, feature of the Mediterranean scenarios.  Your troops MUST follow the direction of the riverbed, as each side constitutes a ravine.

I am using the Earth Vallejo effects to make the sand and silt piled up against the edges of the riverbed.  I need to keep enough space for 4 of the infantry miniatures to pass.

I felt like I had to add some boulders and rocks in there.  In my future tiles, I will stick to smaller, finer gravel.

As I did that, I wanted to prep this base for using the water effects.  My goal was to see what would happen if I put paint into the water effects medium.  What would happen with more opaque paint, for instance.

Would I need to use a more transparent paint instead, like one of the Secret Weapon washes, for instance?

As all that was drying, I made one more city terrain tile.  In our last campaign, we really needed more of them.  I will also need to make more hedgerows!

Just as I did with the other city tiles, I used a few scrap pieces of pink foam, making sure that there would be enough room for the 4 figures, and a place for sandbag emplacements!  It's very important to remember that!

I wanted to see how much structure the water effects had, so I brushed this out quickly.  Also, it was necessary to see how this would dry... and how long it would take.

In the future, would I be better off with several thin layers, building it up, or could I jump the gun and do it all in one step.

The base is set.  I tried to get some color in the water, so that the water effects could allow that to show through.

This is where I started to experiment with mixing in paints.  I was very surprised to see how little of the opaque paint was required to overtake and overpower the water effects!

Here it is added to the base.  In the future, I think I will stick to tinting the medium with super translucent colors like glazes, and only use the more opaque colors to create seafoam and water splash.

I wanted to get a handle on how all this worked in advance of my one special project that I want to create for Adepticon next year.  That is, a waterline display of the French battleship Richelieu.

It comes in pints?

All right!  Another busy day with Screaming Heretic!  The first order of business was to head to Games Plus in an attempt to pick up certain critical supplies that seem to be perpetually out of stock in online markets.

Also, I wanted to test out some other items which Joe had pointed out to me.

Among these was the Black Lava.  I was replacing my old Oxide Paste, as well as my Water Effects.

I have been waiting on my Sepia Shade to show up for a while.  When I looked for it on the shelf, I saw a host of other shades!  Huzzah and glory be!  There were all these additional shades too!!!

I was also happy to find a replacement to my Woodland Scenics ivy kit.  Fantastic!!!!

I took some of the regular cork bases that were waiting for some black lava!

Some quick application of the black lava.  It has a slightly different texture from the oxide paste, although not as much as I had expected.

I tried to experiment with one of my flat sculpting tools to see if I could make the same slate texture that you can sculpt with the oxide paste.  Once again, it works a bit differently...

After that dried, I put a few layers of paint on them.

Here they are prior to the glazes.

Glazes applied!  Stay tuned for more experimentation!

They march again!!!!

Here's some stuff that has been stashed in boxes for so long!

The last time the whole shebang has been out on the table was before Adepticon 2013.

It was nice, but also sad, to see the Tomb Kings out on the table again.

It suddenly reminded me of why they ended up languishing in the box for so long.  So unplayable.  Bummer!!!

Then we get to a game that is still very playable... Lord of the Rings!

Here's me new spider unit, that is waiting to team up with my Easterling cavalry.

Itsy bitsy spiders... and Saurumon!!!  With an orb... and sad lonely hankey boy.

Easterlings!  My guys!  Always ready to kick some Gondor ass.

And the Angriest Elves in Middle Earth.  They ain't leavin'.  Screw the Grey Havens.

Someday... these guys will be good again.  Someday.

Life among Heretics

I suppose that it was appropriate for me to be a guest of the kind folks at Screaming Heretic this weekend.  Since my painting philosophies are considered heretical and blasphemous! :-)

I had been burning disks the previous 16 hours.  All during out latest Memoir '44 "paint and play" session, files were prepared, disks were burned, more files prepped... rinse and repeat.

I was still burning the last of the 100 disk stack when it was time to do the final packing and get ready to be whisked away!

This is a very unorthodox setup, but it certainly kept the line moving.  With so many people switching to disks, I had to get cranking on burning new versions!

Time to meet the pets!!!  First, the doggie!

Then I was surprised to find myself wearing a set of earphones and sitting in on the 64th podcast by Screaming Heretic.  A wide variety of topics were discussed.

The discussion covered interesting kickstarters, what people were working on, a report from ACEN, Girls on Gaming, how to keep campaigns fun but challenging, and much more!

My Little Pony likes it hard...

Podcast finished... time for some 40K

  The full soundstage!  

Shelves of miniatures everywhere!!!!

And gaming tables.  A few of the blog readers will know exactly where these came from.

Setting up for some paint work and some demos.

Just about ready...

Time for a basing demo!!!  Tools, sculpey, cork, and samples!!

Later that night, it was time to meet the denizens of the above world...  the kitties!!!