Squiggoth Body Complete

He's Ready to Rumble!

     In just over a week, I was able to take this guy from raw resin to painted!  That's pretty good for a typically slow painter like myself.  I airbrushed the skin, only adding a moderate amount of dry brushing at the very end to highlight the scales.  The armor plating was base coated a dark brown, then I added salt to be removed later for realistic paint chipping.  I then coated over the salt and the dark brown with my typical orange base.  Then, with some water and a big brush, I removed the salt.

     The salt technique is great, but it really shines when you do multiple layers with different shades representing different stages of rust and even fresh chips with bright metal.  I feel like I actually could have applied more salt, but I chickened out a bit.  That's silly because I could have always just applied my top coat to cover up the chips I didn't want.

     Another "technique" I got to use for the first time on this model was the blood effects from the Citadel Technical Paints line called "Blood for the Blood God."  This paint applies simply, dries glossy, and isn't opaque.  It so quickly helped bring this model to life, telling a story of the wounds recently suffered in battle.

     I've begun work on the platform, and I've included some photos of that below as well.  Here are some glamour shots:

Completed Ork Mek

Fixed 'im up real nice, Boss!

     Another model done and I'm trying to keep the momentum going.  This was a fun model and actually will be the first Kustom Blasta in my Ork army.  I genuinely hope that the very first time I use it, it blows up in his face.  Just get that over and done right up front.

     Next up is the Squiggoth.  I did some repairs on that model but there's a few touch ups left before I can start painting.  If I push it, I might be able to prime it tomorrow night.  I'll have a WIP update on that.

     Here are some more close-ups of the Mek:

Ork Mek Work in Progress

Hit it with a wrench

     I assembled this Mek (or as I can't stop calling him "Mek Boy" from codices past) as part of my Burna Boys that I completed just recently.  I've always really enjoyed the concept of the Ork mechanic, hitting broken things with bigger heavier things in order to hopefully get them to work.  The idea that Ork technology is impossible, meaning it couldn't work were it not that the Orks are actually all psykers and their sheer force of will makes their inventions work is just enchanting to me.  I just wish I had that ability.

     I would also like to point out that this model represents something that sets Games Workshop apart from their competitors.  This Mek is an optional model that can be found as a part of a multi-unit build box.  The Burnas/Lootas box allows you to build your own Mek with a good number of options.  Essentially a custom character and he's just part of a multi-unit box.  Who else does that this well?

     This model should be finished in the next couple of days.  I'm really loving it and I hope it stands out in my army.

     Enough rambling, here's another shot:

Assembled Squiggoth

Beats an Uber, I can tell you that...

     I recently received this beast.  I was so taken with it that I rushed to assemble it.  Now I must admit that I've got a lot more clean-up ahead of me, but I'm excited to paint something this large that has a combination of flesh and metal.  I'm expecting that this model will offer some excellent practice with my airbrush.  Here are some more close-ups:

Marine and Burna Boy for scale. That marine is nearly 10 years old and part of the first squad I ever painted.

Completed Ork Burna Boys

Ork Burna Boys

     I've managed to complete my squad of Burna Boys.  I still have a Mek Boy to add to the group but he'll be coming shortly.  Certainly has been a long time since I've posted anything on here, and I hope to remedy that.  Look for more updates as to my expanding Ork army along with several other 40K projects.  Here are some close-ups of those pyromaniacs:

Order Sergeant Oh So Fancy

Another One Down
     Progress! As yet another week passes, I have another figure done. While I took the week (not solid) to complete this figure, I did show him some extra love.  With his slick and dynamic pose, cool and unique helmet,  and bad ass looking rifle, how could I not?  I am beginning to get my eye in on these Infinity models.  The fine details are and conventions are all foreign to me, but after three models completed, I think I understand what I'm looking at and how I want to paint the different bits of the model.

What's Next?
     Still four models remain from my Infinity stuff.  Once these are complete it will be time to return to the Sisters of Battle.  I must admit that my time away from the hobby is at least partially because of the Sisters.  Painting those old metal models in bulk is like a long roam across a parched featureless desert with endless dunes seeming to repeat forever off beyond the horizon.  I must charge on and find the end to the sands, perhaps these Infinity models were just the oasis I needed.

Here are some additional pictures of the completed Order Sergeant:

All My Paints Are Dry!

Back in the Saddle - Hobby Pledge

     It has been ages (approximately two years) since anything has been posted up here.  It's a shame.  I really enjoyed blogging my hobby through the years and I feel it's time for a return to form.  There came a time where I thought to myself "if I died tomorrow, who would paint all these stupid miniatures?  Not my three year old, that's for sure.  Besides I've seen him color... I can't let that happen to my beloved minis."

     With the image of my child's seemingly fever dream inspired scribblings being applied to my most precious resin figures, I made a vow then and there:  I will paint something.  More than that, really, as I've decided to make steady progress, blocking out time and keeping myself honest.

Canoness from a Sisters of Battle army I'm working on (Warhammer 40k)

Realistic Goals

     Now I'm certainly no stranger to the hobby game.  I've painted my fair share of the minis so I've learned a thing or two.  Like the Sun Tzu of painting (hyperbole fully engaged here) I arise from the wreckage of projects past, wisen and worn by time and countless samey metal models.  I know the taste of sweet victory but more importantly I have supped enormously at the table of defeat.  I've got to tone this down. A bit.

     Returning to Sun Tzu (briefly, I promise), and his oft quoted statement of knowing thy enemy, the same holds true when trying to establish a hobby pledge or goal or what-have-you.  The enemy, as in most goals you might have in life, is typically yourself.  Know your weaknesses and play to your strengths.  Here are the elements of my plan:

• Mix it up - For me this means a variety of models to break the chain of monotony.  I have a breadth of models in my inventory now, and not being afraid to shift gears completely will keep me mentally engaged.  Getting bored of painting usually has more to do with the process than it ever is about the outcome.  We all typically revel in the product of the process, sometimes obsessively so.  When you're batch painting Orks though, the light at the end of that tunnel can seem very dim indeed.  Variety  will correct this and it also neatly brings me to my next point.

• Small Batch - I used to paint batches of ten.  I then reduced that to five.  I might even further reduce that (at least temporarily) yet further still.  What small batch or single model painting loses me in efficiency it gains back in focus.  It's easy to be excited about the next model when it's only a single night's session away.  It's almost like (and I hate to use this analogy) chain smoking.  I'll be "riding the buzz" of completed models, pressing me onward to initially completing squads to eventually completing armies.

• Scheduled Sessions - Model painting certainly isn't my only hobby.  Primarily I'm a PC gamer at heart.  Often times in the past I would choose spending time in a video game over painting quite readily.  Who can blame me, really?  Video games offer typically instant satisfaction.  Painting is no doubt a hobby that requires more patience but does not only offer a healthy dose of satisfaction and accomplishment at the end of a model, but also the physical manifestation of your dedication.  To ensure that I'm not placing my hobbies in competition with each other, I've decided to dedicate portions of a few nights a week to hobby progress.  That means those times not scheduled as such can be turned over to video games, the odd video program, or more hobby (should I choose).  Don't force yourself to constantly have multiple hobbies duke it out for attention during your free time.

War Jacks from a Cryx starter set (Warmachine)

Going Forward

     I hope that I can use this blog to keep myself honest, post what progress I've made on a weekly basis, and perhaps spark some conversation with people stopping by.  I'll be streaming on Twitch from time to time, I'll be sure to post that here when I do.  I sincerely enjoy sharing my knowledge of the miniatures painting hobby with newcomers so feel free to ask me any questions concerning the hobby you'd like.  I'll try my best to answer in a timely manner, pointing you in the right direction.

Pictures of my Progress

     I've babbled on at length, time to get to the point and show what I've achieved in the last week.  I've completed two models from the table top game called Infinity (think Xcom + Ghost in the Shell) by the company Corvus Belli.  I've had these models assembled and primed for about 4 years now so it was about time I put paint on them.  I hope you enjoy them.

More to come...