Monday 14 March 2016

Getting back on the painting wagon

The last month or so of my life has been largely consumed with moving house and renovations. The process is still not complete, but at least it's getting close. This also means that I have finally located most of my modelling stuff, and am actually able to sit down at my painting table and do something productive from a toy soldier perspective.

I've jumped on board a less-than-ambitious thread on the Warhammer Empire forums where people are committing to paint an Empire model a month (or maybe a fortnight for the more ambitious among us). It's not a high level of output to sign up for, but I figure it might be enough to get me moving again and give a bit of purpose to my painting efforts. I think it will take me a while to build up some momentum and make real modelling progress anyway, so this sort of fits the bill.

My choice of model was largely dictated by what I could find that was ready to paint. I undercoated a Kislev Boyar years ago, and this was apparently the opportunity he had been waiting for as he surfaced in a bits bag.
One Kislev Boyar, dredged from the piles of models waiting for paint.
I really didn't know where I was going with this model colour-wise. I think I've done just enough to ensure he'll work with my other Kislev models whilst standing out as a character.
He comes prepared with many weapons.
He has a fair few gems too.
His face is a bit of a mess. I really couldn't find his eyes. I don't know if it's the model with his beetling brows or a problem with my new light setup. Anyway, he'll do. As usual the camera shows things the naked eye has trouble picking up.
In other news, we now have a cat in the family. She is very cute and friendly, but seems to think that any lap is specifically designed for cuddles. This makes it hard to move around and be productive. I have already been ambushed at the painting table a couple of times. I will have to work out a system where this sort of thing doesn't stop me from painting. 
My model waits patiently for paint whilst the ambush takes place.
We are also going to have to have some discussions around how inedible my models are. The painted ones stored safely behind glass were no doubt watching in horror as battles raged over the fate of some of the less painted (and less protected) comrades. Models are friends, not food.

7 comments:

  1. Great to see you back in the mood for painting Greg. Cats are hilarious, but have a knack for timing jumps, pounces and lap cuddles at the most inopportune moments (case in point, I have one clambering over me as I type!!)

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    1. Yeah, I am gradually rebuilding some enthusiasm for painting.

      The cat is very cute. I'm not sure she's very helpful.

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  2. Fie sirrah, but one model a month? Must I visit Gregotpia and insert fondue forks into sensitive parts of your anatomy to increase productivity? I fear that the ownership of an cat will cripple your efforts. Look what happened when I got one...

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    1. The one model per month is just some way of committing to ensuring I will at least produce something on a regular basis. I would hope to do a lot more in between.

      I had not noticed the relationship between your drop in productivity and your suddenly being under feline rule. But I guess that makes sense.

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  3. Hey, love the blog! I see you've had some Kislev stuff in the works for a while and was wondering if you'd heard of the up-coming series of medieval Russian miniatures from Fire Forge Games? Looks like they could be useful :)

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    1. I hadn't seen them, no. I've seen a few Fire Forge kits that look pretty promising, but I have never seen any in real life. Do they stack up well with GW models in terms of scale?

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  4. Not sure, to be honest :( They look nice though and there aren't many options for Kislev-like stuff out there so I thought I'd just give you a heads up!

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