Thursday, August 31, 2017

Improved sandy bases on Pink Horrors and Screamers of Tzeentch

After finishing the Saxons from Shadows over Camelot, I felt inspired by how well the sandy bases turned out. I decided to facelift my other minis with sandy bases.

Pink Horrors


The Pink Horrors follow the basing tip to the letter. The original bases had the same layers of sand as how the Saxons start out, but they also have red rocky beads added. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but later I realized they look out of place. The retouching of the sand also covered the beads in sandy colors, so all is well in the end :-)

Original bases:


Wash:


Khaki drybrush:


Bonewhite drybrush:


Screamers of Tzeentch


The Screamers also have a scenic tray. I also enhanced that.

The original bases lack the top layer of light sand, and instead have it mixed into the darker sand. This looks better on its own (approaching the colored result of the Saxons), but I still wanted to retouch it due to the red beads.


Wash:


Double drybrush:


Conclusion of the day: the painting tip followed to the letter looks good, but if the base lacks two original layers of sand, the result is a bit bland.

Repainting the Saxons from the Shadows over Camelot boardgame

Before


Mostly just basecoat. I did wash and highlight the shields and axes, although I overdid the highlighting and the wash is barely visible. Another thing is their overcoats. The artwork of the game shows them in chainmail, so that's how I painted them up. However, a closer look at the minis makes it look like a rough woolen coat over the chainmail (visible below, on the thighs).


After




Fixing the basecoat


I initially wanted to leave the basecoats alone. However, without priming, the paintjob is chipped in many places. But first, basecoat the woolen cloth in Bonewhite.


Fix the skintone basecoat. As Elf Skintone is a light color, the original basecoat was uneven, did not cover the plastic everywhere, and I managed to slop over with other colors in several places.


Use Heavy Brown to fix other parts of the minis: axe handles, shields, belts. Also give the fur trim of the boots a distinctive look. Use Gunmetal to fix the axeheads, the metallic decoration on the shields, the helmets and the chain skirts.


On to retouching


Wash the woolen coats in Seraphim Sepia. Also used this on the blonde guy's beard.


Wash the skin areas in Reikland Fleshshade.


Agrax Earthshade goes over the wooden areas (axe handles, shields) and leather (boots, belts, bracers). I originally wanted to shade the recesses of the overcoats, but then I just went with an overall wash. The surface is still more sepia, but the recesses took on a brownish quality. I'm happy with how it looks.


The axeheads and the helmets get black wash.


Highlights


Back to Heavy Brown to highlight the middle of each plank of the shields. Also do highlights on axehandles and the fur trims.


Chainmail Silver highlights on axeheads, helmets as well as the larger metal pieces on the shields.


Soft Bonewhite drybrush on the overcoats.


Highlight the flesh with Elf Skintone. This includes fingers, knees, muscle groups on thighs and arms, as well as faces: brows, cheekbones.


Whip out Leather Brown to highlights the belts, bracers and straps.


Two of these guys have bare arms and legs, while the other two (probably the older guys) are wearing matching overalls (old west style). The base colors is a mix of red and brown (I think), so I just highlighted with Gore Red.


With already a lot of brown-washed Bonewhite on the minis, I did not want to do the horns the way I usually do (using the same color palette). So I based them in Heavy Brown, then started mixing in Bonewhite and painting less and less of the horns...


... until the tips got covered in pure Bonewhite.


Painting their hair and beards in different colors was a stroke of genius. Now I just added a touch here and there.

Black hair and beard got highlighted as per the black cloth painting tip, although with fewer layers.


Brown hair and beard got washed with Agrax Earthshade, then highlighted in Heavy Brown.


I wasn't happy with the lack of shadows, so I re-applied Agrax.


Blonde hair and beard (not sure what the original base color is) got washed in Seraphim Sepia, then highlighted with Sun Yellow.


Finally, grey hair and beard got a white highlight for extra aged look on that old veteran. At this point I filled in the eyeballs. 


Now these minis are not sculpted to an extra high level of detail, so I fussed around quite a bit with the eyes. In the end I did not do the usual process, just white base and a dab of black for each.


New bases


In the boardgame, these guys land with ships and are situated on a sandy beach - so they get sandy bases.

Finished!










Sandy base

Basecoat the base in Khaki.


Spread PVA glue on the surface, then add sand.


Spread thinner PVA glue where ever you want lighter sand; typically, the raised areas.


Seal the sand using ultra-thin PVA glue.


Wash the sand in Seraphim Sepia.


Drybrush Khaki.


Lighter drybrush Bonewhite.


Monday, August 28, 2017

Repainting the Excalibur from the Shadows over Camelot boardgame

Before


The best painted of the three artifacts, I'm actually proud of that water effect.


Enhance


The basecoat did not need fixing, so I just gave some definition to the details by using washes and then highlights.

Coelia Greenshade on the waves.


Drakenhof Nightshade on the hand.


Guilliman Blue (diluted with some Lahmian Medium) gives a magical glow to the blade.


Glorious Gold highlights on the bronze handle.


Magic Blue highlights on the hand.


Electric Blue highlights on the waves.


Finished!