BloodFather's Axis of Chaos

[Wyrmypops]

These ones? http://wyrd-games.net/shop/M2e-Ronin.html With that note they have under the blurb it sounds like you could have some early dodgy casts, if 32mm minis appear 25mm.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

These ones? http://wyrd-games.net/shop/M2e-Ronin.html With that note they have under the blurb it sounds like you could have some early dodgy casts, if 32mm minis appear 25mm.

Actually, I researched this awhile ago and the issue with the Ronin was that they were OVER sized. They were way too tall to go with their line of 1st edition minis. So the minis I have ARE the correct size, but I must say, 32mm heroic they are NOT. They are much smaller than GW. And being female, of course they are exceptionally lithe. Maybe...maybe you could call them 32mm historic, but even then they just seem smaller than that. I'm not the only one to notice their tiny size and reflect that this just doesn't seem like 32mm. There seems to be a lot if confusion on the web. If anyone can speak more about these scale inconsistencies, I'd like to know more just out of curiosity.

 

[Zab]

I wonder if it's because some sculptors measure from the eye and others from the top of the head of the figures? I had that same issue with Alice from tale of war, the box said 32, but she was a very petite 32 more like 28. Damn near went blind squinting my way through her

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Yeah, I'm not sure entirely but I think Wyrd claims it is to the eye on their site. It's not so much their height as just their skinniness in general. Maybe it's that I am used to painting burly, barrel chested men in the 28 mm heroic scale. But these ladies just don't seen 32mm, and they definitely don't have heroic proportions.

 

[Humanitarian]

She's just a very, very, short lady in 32 mm scale? :smile-big:

 

[Dragonsreach]

Yeah, I'm not sure entirely but I think Wyrd claims it is to the eye on their site. It's not so much their height as just their skinniness in general. Maybe it's that I am used to painting burly, barrel chested men in the 28 mm heroic scale. But these ladies just don't seen 32mm, and they definitely don't have heroic proportions.

That's cos they ain't, GW has had serious "Scale creep" with their figures for years, Wyrd are more accurate physical representations of the human form.
OK not all human form, but the more media driven female image.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

That's cos they ain't, GW has had serious "Scale creep" with their figures for years, Wyrd are more accurate physical representations of the human form.
OK not all human form, but the more media driven female image.

Yeah I actually have heard this before. GW has been been really pushing the heroic scale. So it's probably fair to say that Wyrd IS 32mm, but more of a true scale. I did a side by side between the Ronin and a slight of frame, very elvish built male from GW. The latter was surely larger, but to be fair I guess the sizes weren't as conflicting as I thought. I will say though that I don't believe Wyrd is 32mm Heroic Scale-at least in comparison to the market as a whole.

The true frustration is fitting the tiny pieces together for this mini. I waited til the end to affix her arms to her body, and it didn't come out well at all. Not sure how to fix this at this stage of the game. Almost everything is painted. Is it too late for me
to use some liquid GS to fix the horrible looking cracks and otherwise lumpy area where I attached her arms? It looks horrible here and quite frankly has ruined the whole model/experience for me.

Other tutorials concerning these miniatures often include the same problems. Removing the parts from the sprue properly and fitting pieces together is a real challenge, and many painters think that it could be a miscast.

Happy Painting

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Just a couple of things I painted over the weekend. First, the base to my Ronin:

http://s1329.photobucket.com/user/benjibaird/media/Mobile Uploads/image_zpscebab6e6.jpg.html

Next, if you remember I was working on a Sigvald mini awhile back. I was told he looked over painted, which is true, but decided to carry on anyway, doing what I can to salvage him. Well, here is his shield done up in sky earth. It's still a WIP, especially the gold. What do you think? I have another copy of the same shield, this was really just a practice run. Sound off...

http://s1329.photobucket.com/user/benjibaird/media/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsc6d215c1.jpg.html

 

[Zab]

I like your wood... base So what did you use to polish the shield with

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I like your wood... base So what did you use to polish the shield with

Thanks bro. And I still plan in lichen-ing it up, per the tutorial you provided. I also have some real moss, as this stuff grows EVERYWHERE out here in Western Washington. Two types-a minty green color and a darker green. I'm going to cut it up into tiny pieces and then selectively place some on the rocks and edges of the dock. Then, I'm going to paint the floor of the water area an aqua green. After that dries, I'll apply some Vallejo water effect above it. It's a blue color though, so just hoping the green shows up below. I don't have any experience with the stuff. It's just supposed to look like a pond.

Are you saying the shield looks highly polished? Is this a good thing? I'm just not sold on it dude. I don't know....

 

[Zab]

I think it works quite well for something that is just a WIP. Keep at it and see how far you can push it!

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I think it works quite well for something that is just a WIP. Keep at it and see how far you can push it!

Thanks. The only thing I really plan on doing to the actual SE part is to add a white hot spot in the upper right portion of the shield. And then finish shading/HLing the gold. Maybe a little bit of white edge HLing towards the top of the shield, but it's mostly trimmed in gold up there, preventing this. So basically, it won't look much different. Thanks as always for the words of encouragement and advise tho. Very helpful every time.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Also, I should ask a question I've been having. I got some 'ardcoat. Basically a gloss varnish from GW. Thought about applying this to the shield, but I have heard that to gloss your NMM is a bad idea, as it takes away all of your HLing and shading work. I just feel like the shield would look better or more metallic if it was shiney. Never using any varnish, though, I'm not sure how it'll come out. Anyone?

 

[Wyrmypops]

You can always got over 'Ard Coat or any gloss varnish with a another coat of a matt varnish if that turns out to be more desirable. Lots of folk do that, with gloss granting stronger protection but matt looking generally yummier.

 

[bebopdrums2424]

Hey man, so im caught up I love that you're really going for it with all kinds of techniques, and i agree whole heartedly, that just jumping in a tackling things out of your comfort zone is the best way to get better. It works with drumming anyways As per the gloss coat, honestly, i can say that most of the time, for me, at best, it only marginally helps. Thats not to say that it cant be used to great affect, it just, i guess, takes away your control. Anyways, i think the shield so far looks great. Its a really stylized SEMM and quite like it. Id rather not see an ardcoat, because then when i turn the shield in my hand, a different light source will flash and make your painted highlights irrelevant. What do you think about it?
Cheers
BB

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

You can always got over 'Ard Coat or any gloss varnish with a another coat of a matt varnish if that turns out to be more desirable. Lots of folk do that, with gloss granting stronger protection but matt looking generally yummier.

Right. Yeah I've heard of doing this, but frankly I wanted to gloss it simply for aesthetics. I'm not concerned with protecting it for play. Basically, I wish there was something out there that provided a clear layer without messing with the lighting. Just to give certain armies a polished look. But I guess this is what NMM is for.

What if I selectively applied the gloss to only highlighted points? Hmmmm....need to do some experimenting.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Hi and welcome Bebop!!! Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I think the consensus is to avoid any glossing. Since I have two copies if the same shield, I am going to do it again. Just not sure yet if I am going to freehand some craziness on it or stick to the same design with some small improvements.

Working in 3 models now in various stages of completion, two are nearly complete. Just need to be happy with what Ive produced and post it for voting. I've got some catching up to match your skills though Bebop.

 

[Humanitarian]

I think your stuff looks great so far. I'd say just go for it on the second shield.

FWIW, selective gloss can be a very interesting feature (at least in commercial prints), although you will have to be careful if using a brush, as brush strokes can ruin a glossy finish.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I think your stuff looks great so far. I'd say just go for it on the second shield.

FWIW, selective gloss can be a very interesting feature (at least in commercial prints), although you will have to be careful if using a brush, as brush strokes can ruin a glossy finish.

Thanks Humanitarian. Always appreciative of your knowledge of acrylics and mediums. It would be interesting to see an example of selectively glossed highlights on a miniature. I don't think this is a very standard practice. If anyone reading this has ever seen this and can provide an example, that would be great. Meantime, I REALLY need to get ahold of some styrene so I can practice things like this...

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

Interestingly enough, I was just going over SkeletetteS WIP, out to about a year ago, when I found this little darling being referenced:

http://www.coolminiornot.com/325980?browseid=4705767

Apparently it is clear lacquer. I have PMed the artist to see how he pulled this off. I am not merely asking for this shield either. At one point I considered doing all of Sigvald's armor with some clear coat. It's all gold NMM for those that haven't seen my pic above.

Part two of this post is actually a little bit if a different question. My wife cares for the elderly, and recently a former painter gave her a set, for me of course, of some paint. It's actually called Indoor Outdoor Gloss. It comes with 31 colors and the description reads:

"Waterbase, enamel tough durability makes Indoor Outdoor Gloss the perfect choice for any surface! Brighten glassware, furniture, or most surfaces with this super glossy, acrylic enamel"

Acrylic enamel? Never heard of anything like it. Have I just discovered the next step in miniature painting???