Here she's learning by observing.
And now she's helping! She's helping, everyone run, too much help!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Help!
All real artists have assistants, so I figured I'd hire one. All I could afford was my cat, Chicken.
Here she's learning by observing.
Here she's learning by observing.
Salamanders
Salamanders are fire-breathing lizards. These are, again, older models that are no longer available, which is a shame -- the new models look like a cat had a baby with a fish and it learned to look absolutely hideous.
I don't plan on using these guys, which are sort of the war machines for lizardmen, in my smaller armies -- they serve a purpose, but terradon riders seem like a better overall unit when huge sets of infantry won't be around. They'll show up in my 2,250-point forces.
The two I have have been minorly modified. Both got heavy bronze piercings in their dorsal fins -- something I'm kinda meh on now, and may remove -- and both had heavy chains added to their necks. This one got the really heavy chain; it looks ridiculous, but I love it!
I don't plan on using these guys, which are sort of the war machines for lizardmen, in my smaller armies -- they serve a purpose, but terradon riders seem like a better overall unit when huge sets of infantry won't be around. They'll show up in my 2,250-point forces.
The two I have have been minorly modified. Both got heavy bronze piercings in their dorsal fins -- something I'm kinda meh on now, and may remove -- and both had heavy chains added to their necks. This one got the really heavy chain; it looks ridiculous, but I love it!
They both have been hit with a base of paint; this one got the bright red, the other got the brick red. I'm still learning how to use the new washes; sharp-eyed viewers may notice that some of this model is washed, but the midsection isn't. That's because I watered this wash down too much, and it ran to the lower parts of the model. ("New washes?" those in the know may ask. Games Workshop hasn't released a new wash in years! ... aaand I was still using those old washes. I really stocked up!)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The actual armies
While working on individual miniatures is all well and good, it's ridiculous to simply put together miniatures without a goal in mind.
I've put together two lists to represent my 1,000-point Lizardman armies. There's a few rules I have to relate for my 1,000-point lists before I can post them, though:
1) Skinks will always be in units of 10. Why? Simple -- I only have 30 skinks, 20 with javelins and shields and 10 with blowguns. I'm not in a position to blow $35 at the moment on more skinks, and the minimum unit size is 10. While blowguns are great, they only come on the skirmishing skink units, a group I'm not comfortable taking at 1,000 points. There's also strategic uses to having several smaller units of skinks, but the primary reason was economic.
2) Saurus will always use spears. This was a fortuitous dovetail between "useful" and "cool." Blocks of saurus, the lizardmen's primary foot soldiers, are tough and mean. Spears mean the second rank can also attack, meaning double the tough meanness. They're also a steal at one point a model. Also, a unit bristling with spears just looks at least 42 percent more awesome than one with swords or clubs, and that's a scientific fact.
3) Because I'm going for flash, these lists are a little awkward. 'Nuff said.
So, my standard 1,000-point list:
Saurus Scar-Veteran w/ light armor, shield and Scimitar of the Resplendent Sun; riding a Cold One mount (163 points)
Saurus Scar-Veteran w/ light armor, shield and Sacred Stegadon Helm (143 points)
Skink Priest, level 2, w/ a Dispel Scroll and Cloak of Feathers (150 points)
Skinks x10 (50 points)
Skinks x10 (50 points)
Saurus x15, w/ spears (180 points)
Terradon Riders x3 (90 points)
Cold One Cavalry x5 (165 points)
That leaves 9 flex points, which will probably be blank for the time being. If anything gets changed in this list, it will be the Sacred Stegadon Helm for more saurus models. (It really is a cool helmet, but it's really, really bad!) The 59 points together make the Scar-Vet easier to kill, but translates into four more saurus and enough points to upgrade one to a command position.
And my Tetto'Eko army is even more awkward, but it'll be much faster than the typical Lizardman list. And it has a dinosaur!
Tetto'Eko (255 points)
Skink Priest, level 2, w/ Dispel Scroll; riding an Ancient Stegadon with an Engine of the Gods (415 points!)
Skinks x10, w/ a Kroxigor (105 points)
Skinks x10, w/ a Kroxigor (105 points)
Terradon Riders x4 (120 points)
That's 1,000 points spot-on. Really, this is a glass hammer list -- it's all about zipping about the board and forcing the ancient stegadon down my opponent's throat. Tetto'Eko is contractually obligated to smash comets into the enemy once or twice a game (they're magic comets, so that's scarier than it sounds).
I added kroxigors (think bigger, stupider saurus) to the skink units for some extra punch, but I may just turn those units into skink skirmishers later. They'll lose some killy power, but they'll be harder to kill and more effective in limiting my opponent's movement since they can move through terrain. (The kroxigors also serve the vital role of adding more big units to the army, making it look nicer when deployed.)
If they do get dropped, that'll buy me 70 points; in turn, I'll drop a terradon rider (30 points), buy a salamander (75 points) and probably put a Blood Statuette of Spite or a Diadem of Power (either is 25 points) on the Skink Priest.
My biggest beef are those damned terradon riders. The models are awesome, their in-game states are cool, but they're expensive. They go for $20 a pop at MSRP. I own one from the ancient days, leaving three for these lists, but they feature heavily in larger armies, meaning I'll need to have six to eight total one day! That's a lot of cash. I'm not entirely sure I want to actually buy them -- at least not now -- but I'll need to do it someday if I ever want to play this list in any sort of organized tourney.
In the short term, I'm going to make them. They'll be my next project once Tetto'Eko is done.
I've put together two lists to represent my 1,000-point Lizardman armies. There's a few rules I have to relate for my 1,000-point lists before I can post them, though:
1) Skinks will always be in units of 10. Why? Simple -- I only have 30 skinks, 20 with javelins and shields and 10 with blowguns. I'm not in a position to blow $35 at the moment on more skinks, and the minimum unit size is 10. While blowguns are great, they only come on the skirmishing skink units, a group I'm not comfortable taking at 1,000 points. There's also strategic uses to having several smaller units of skinks, but the primary reason was economic.
2) Saurus will always use spears. This was a fortuitous dovetail between "useful" and "cool." Blocks of saurus, the lizardmen's primary foot soldiers, are tough and mean. Spears mean the second rank can also attack, meaning double the tough meanness. They're also a steal at one point a model. Also, a unit bristling with spears just looks at least 42 percent more awesome than one with swords or clubs, and that's a scientific fact.
3) Because I'm going for flash, these lists are a little awkward. 'Nuff said.
So, my standard 1,000-point list:
Saurus Scar-Veteran w/ light armor, shield and Scimitar of the Resplendent Sun; riding a Cold One mount (163 points)
Saurus Scar-Veteran w/ light armor, shield and Sacred Stegadon Helm (143 points)
Skink Priest, level 2, w/ a Dispel Scroll and Cloak of Feathers (150 points)
Skinks x10 (50 points)
Skinks x10 (50 points)
Saurus x15, w/ spears (180 points)
Terradon Riders x3 (90 points)
Cold One Cavalry x5 (165 points)
That leaves 9 flex points, which will probably be blank for the time being. If anything gets changed in this list, it will be the Sacred Stegadon Helm for more saurus models. (It really is a cool helmet, but it's really, really bad!) The 59 points together make the Scar-Vet easier to kill, but translates into four more saurus and enough points to upgrade one to a command position.
And my Tetto'Eko army is even more awkward, but it'll be much faster than the typical Lizardman list. And it has a dinosaur!
Tetto'Eko (255 points)
Skink Priest, level 2, w/ Dispel Scroll; riding an Ancient Stegadon with an Engine of the Gods (415 points!)
Skinks x10, w/ a Kroxigor (105 points)
Skinks x10, w/ a Kroxigor (105 points)
Terradon Riders x4 (120 points)
That's 1,000 points spot-on. Really, this is a glass hammer list -- it's all about zipping about the board and forcing the ancient stegadon down my opponent's throat. Tetto'Eko is contractually obligated to smash comets into the enemy once or twice a game (they're magic comets, so that's scarier than it sounds).
I added kroxigors (think bigger, stupider saurus) to the skink units for some extra punch, but I may just turn those units into skink skirmishers later. They'll lose some killy power, but they'll be harder to kill and more effective in limiting my opponent's movement since they can move through terrain. (The kroxigors also serve the vital role of adding more big units to the army, making it look nicer when deployed.)
If they do get dropped, that'll buy me 70 points; in turn, I'll drop a terradon rider (30 points), buy a salamander (75 points) and probably put a Blood Statuette of Spite or a Diadem of Power (either is 25 points) on the Skink Priest.
My biggest beef are those damned terradon riders. The models are awesome, their in-game states are cool, but they're expensive. They go for $20 a pop at MSRP. I own one from the ancient days, leaving three for these lists, but they feature heavily in larger armies, meaning I'll need to have six to eight total one day! That's a lot of cash. I'm not entirely sure I want to actually buy them -- at least not now -- but I'll need to do it someday if I ever want to play this list in any sort of organized tourney.
In the short term, I'm going to make them. They'll be my next project once Tetto'Eko is done.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tetto'Eko, part II
Tetto'Eko is coming right along.
Here you can see his crossed legs, little upturned feet, arms and face. This was all done on top of the Milliput base using green stuff; the Milliput was rock-hard by now, so it was quite easy to modify. I really like the stuff!
You might notice that his face is much longer now. I had to extend it with the green stuff, but I'm glad I had molded it too short with the Milliput -- it made making his snout much easier. I would have had to sanded back otherwise. It's nice when one learns a lesson without making a mistake.
And there are his hands. They look like they're different sizes, but they're not -- just differently positioned. However, the disparity, illusion or not, is pretty large, and it annoys me. If I do end up remaking this guy, his hands will get the most attention -- they were really difficult! I'll definitely be making them both at the same time; this time, I just made one, put it on, then started on the other.
And here you can see his scales. The dorsal line down his back is uneven; I later trimmed and sanded it, so it doesn't look like an afterthought. It's still hard to tell from this angle, but his right hand is in lotus position, with thumb and forefinger touching. That pose is a large part of why his hands ended up being so challenging -- I'm going to have to wait for the green stuff to harden next time before trying to mold it. That'll make keeping it in shape much less annoying.
Overall, I'm very pleased with my first scratch-built piece. However, I'm really annoyed at those hands!
Here you can see his crossed legs, little upturned feet, arms and face. This was all done on top of the Milliput base using green stuff; the Milliput was rock-hard by now, so it was quite easy to modify. I really like the stuff!
You might notice that his face is much longer now. I had to extend it with the green stuff, but I'm glad I had molded it too short with the Milliput -- it made making his snout much easier. I would have had to sanded back otherwise. It's nice when one learns a lesson without making a mistake.
And there are his hands. They look like they're different sizes, but they're not -- just differently positioned. However, the disparity, illusion or not, is pretty large, and it annoys me. If I do end up remaking this guy, his hands will get the most attention -- they were really difficult! I'll definitely be making them both at the same time; this time, I just made one, put it on, then started on the other.
And here you can see his scales. The dorsal line down his back is uneven; I later trimmed and sanded it, so it doesn't look like an afterthought. It's still hard to tell from this angle, but his right hand is in lotus position, with thumb and forefinger touching. That pose is a large part of why his hands ended up being so challenging -- I'm going to have to wait for the green stuff to harden next time before trying to mold it. That'll make keeping it in shape much less annoying.
Overall, I'm very pleased with my first scratch-built piece. However, I'm really annoyed at those hands!
Remember that base Tetto'Eko will sit on? Here it is, all sanded down. You can still see some divets and such; that's OK, it's supposed to be old and worn. Still, I'll have to tighten down on other pieces -- those weren't intentional flaws, ha ha.
This is a size comparison between Tetto'Eko, his palanquin, and the snake that'll be on the base. I said there'd be a significant size difference! Oh, and that's not mustard on the table -- it's half of the green stuff epoxy. Mixing that with its blue partner results in a green putty that's tacky, elastic and moldable; it hardens to unworkability in an hour or two. It's great for detail work, but it's so soft that it's constantly drooping.
Here's the palanquin with the glyphs added. Yes, the cornices are crooked! This was before sanding. I trimmed, sanded and repaired an area I'd smushed while working. (I keep smushing areas and leaving fingerprints everywhere, it's maddening. I imagine at least 15% of what separates amateurs from pros is knowing how to hold a work in progress.)
And here's a taste of what the floating palanquin will look like. Although the same-sized black bases were used to make the floating bit, it's now quite a bit wider than the base, so the whole piece looks a little top heavy; I'm not sure if I like that or not. I may switch over to a larger square base for aesthetic reasons. It'll make playing a game with ol' Tetto a little problematic, but them's the breaks.
There's no way I was going to leave that boring base alone. This got the same treatment as my slann base, but less detailed; I have a lot of snakes that will go on this one, so there was no reason to go overboard on the cracks and pores of the stones. When this is dry, I'll trim up the sides -- right now, it's really messy and green stuff is spilling over the edges -- then paint it. These bases are so quick to get color on that it's pointless to leave them bare. Oh, and that blue stuff is the other half of the green stuff epoxy.
Here's the second tier of the palanquin. It's hard to tell from this angle, but there's a lot of gaps and seams that need to be corrected before I can go forward from here. See how much cleaner the cornices are, though?
And here's the work so far! that palanquin base looks terribly uneven, but I think it's just the photo. It is a little uneven in real life, but not to this degree. The shadows make it worse, I swear! In any case, the next step -- adding backing to the palanquin and handlebars -- should offset it. I still need to add a few little toys to the piece; it'll be rather bare if I just stopped after making the chair. I'm going to have to put Tetto'Eko's staff on the chair somewhere, but I'm also thinking a bowl of ixti grubs for him to snack on. Can't fight chaos on an empty stomach!
Slann Mage-Priest
The Slann's a longterm project (read: he's almost dead last on my list of things to finish), but he does have some work done. It's the original model; I really, really dislike the new slann, so I'm glad I had this one.
There he is, in his fat, active glory. The new model fits the fluff better, but it lacks any motion and looks grumpy. This guy looks jolly and malicious, which I imagine is how real-life frogs feel most of the time.
This model didn't get much added -- it's already very detailed! -- but I did have to hide some ugly pins that kept the chariot together. That's where this little emblem, feathers and cloth come in. Also note that I completely missed a stud on the hand of the palanquin bearer on the right. It's a glaring mistake that I'll have to clip out before I can get painting. (That stud would normally hold a shield, but I'm not going to put one on him -- he's too busy carrying King Frog.)
This is the Vegas-style feathers I added to the back; there's a chain holding up the emblem above the right bearer's shoulder. This will need some additional work before I get to painting, too -- the feathers are only textured on one side, ha ha. Talk about oversights! I was in a rush to get them on the model because those were the first pieces I'd actually made myself.
That base isn't glued on, but it is done. The little snake needs an extra coat of paint and some silver or gold dabbed into his eyes, though.
Yes, I sculpted the grass; yes, I'm aware of static grass (it's green material that stands up when glued on the base). I don't like the way static grass looks at all. It's fuzzy, and models are never fuzzy -- they're always sculpted. The vegetation on a model should reflect it! Now, if I ever decorate a piece in felt, I'll pull out the old bag of static grass, but until then, it's a nonstarter.
There he is, in his fat, active glory. The new model fits the fluff better, but it lacks any motion and looks grumpy. This guy looks jolly and malicious, which I imagine is how real-life frogs feel most of the time.
This model didn't get much added -- it's already very detailed! -- but I did have to hide some ugly pins that kept the chariot together. That's where this little emblem, feathers and cloth come in. Also note that I completely missed a stud on the hand of the palanquin bearer on the right. It's a glaring mistake that I'll have to clip out before I can get painting. (That stud would normally hold a shield, but I'm not going to put one on him -- he's too busy carrying King Frog.)
This is the Vegas-style feathers I added to the back; there's a chain holding up the emblem above the right bearer's shoulder. This will need some additional work before I get to painting, too -- the feathers are only textured on one side, ha ha. Talk about oversights! I was in a rush to get them on the model because those were the first pieces I'd actually made myself.
That base isn't glued on, but it is done. The little snake needs an extra coat of paint and some silver or gold dabbed into his eyes, though.
Yes, I sculpted the grass; yes, I'm aware of static grass (it's green material that stands up when glued on the base). I don't like the way static grass looks at all. It's fuzzy, and models are never fuzzy -- they're always sculpted. The vegetation on a model should reflect it! Now, if I ever decorate a piece in felt, I'll pull out the old bag of static grass, but until then, it's a nonstarter.
Skinks
I do have one completed part of my army -- a unit of skinks! Skinks are why I love lizardmen, and I absolutely adore the old models. They don't have any scales, so I imagine them as giant salamanders, rather than as lizards. (The new models are OK, but I'm not crazy nostalgic for them.)
I went for the classic orange-with-black-spots newt color scheme. I like how they look, all lined up; I'm going to have to go for something more engaging on the units that run around spread out, though. I'm thinking blue and green with stripes.
The camera's kind to these guys -- they look much less clean in real life. The gold eyes are a failed experiment; I'm not steady enough to get a classic amphibian eye in, so I tried to mimic it by putting a solid gold dot on a mix of black and gold. They just look like shiny orbs, which isn't what I wanted at all -- I'm going to try a yellow eye with gold highlights against black on my next batch.
These guys don't have much color other than their bright orange skin, but it works. They pop really well against their green bases and their red crests really stand out, which I like. Overall, I'm pleased with this unit.
I went for the classic orange-with-black-spots newt color scheme. I like how they look, all lined up; I'm going to have to go for something more engaging on the units that run around spread out, though. I'm thinking blue and green with stripes.
The camera's kind to these guys -- they look much less clean in real life. The gold eyes are a failed experiment; I'm not steady enough to get a classic amphibian eye in, so I tried to mimic it by putting a solid gold dot on a mix of black and gold. They just look like shiny orbs, which isn't what I wanted at all -- I'm going to try a yellow eye with gold highlights against black on my next batch.
These guys don't have much color other than their bright orange skin, but it works. They pop really well against their green bases and their red crests really stand out, which I like. Overall, I'm pleased with this unit.
Saurus Scar-Veteran
This is one of my unit leaders. He's a tougher foot soldier -- our basic units are called saurus -- and he gets to wear a mystical, shiny helmet that protects him and lets him better lead his troops.
A few notes: He's primed and inked. (Primer is a neutral, thick basecoat that gets added first. I've heard a lot of reasons on why to prime; the reason I do it is that thin coats of paint don't cover plastic well, but thick coats of paint generally look terrible. Solution: put a thick undercoat down, and paint on that. Ink is a watered-down paint that runs into all the nooks and crevices; I don't see many painters put ink down first, but I learned to paint on my own, through trial and error, and this method works for me.)
Also: I made the helmet and about five other things you can't see in this photo (I'll load more pictures when this guy's in a more advanced state). There's a necklace, a loincloth and a belt. This is a perfect example of doing what looks cool rather than what's strategically best for the army -- this item's not that great, but I wanted to craft it!
The next few steps are: Painting, removing the base and crafting it, then assembling the final model. This guy needs to be taller than other saurus; since he's wielding a hand weapon, and not a spear like the rest of his unit, he's already going to get lost in the crowd somewhat. He's also getting a separate paint job -- like all my character saurus, he'll have white with blue scales and light brown skin. (I've finally settled on bronze skin and turquoise scales for my normal saurus.)
A few notes: He's primed and inked. (Primer is a neutral, thick basecoat that gets added first. I've heard a lot of reasons on why to prime; the reason I do it is that thin coats of paint don't cover plastic well, but thick coats of paint generally look terrible. Solution: put a thick undercoat down, and paint on that. Ink is a watered-down paint that runs into all the nooks and crevices; I don't see many painters put ink down first, but I learned to paint on my own, through trial and error, and this method works for me.)
Also: I made the helmet and about five other things you can't see in this photo (I'll load more pictures when this guy's in a more advanced state). There's a necklace, a loincloth and a belt. This is a perfect example of doing what looks cool rather than what's strategically best for the army -- this item's not that great, but I wanted to craft it!
The next few steps are: Painting, removing the base and crafting it, then assembling the final model. This guy needs to be taller than other saurus; since he's wielding a hand weapon, and not a spear like the rest of his unit, he's already going to get lost in the crowd somewhat. He's also getting a separate paint job -- like all my character saurus, he'll have white with blue scales and light brown skin. (I've finally settled on bronze skin and turquoise scales for my normal saurus.)
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