The Final Push – Lawnor approaches 100% painted

This week I’ve been working towards finishing off the 5 remaining models that have been on hold since Christmas.  I’ve finished one, and have been picking out colours on the others.  What’s slowing me down here is making decisions about which colour to use.  Committing to a starting colour is helping get me moving.

I’ve also been doing prep work on the models for after.  I’ve built, based, and primed the Warpath minis I have: 10 Plague and 10 Asterians.  I already have a Plague force and these guys will be based with GW Astrogranite once they’re painted to match the others.  The Asterians wanted a new base scheme that worked for Sci-fi and didn’t just feel like generic, fantasy applicable “In a field” basing.  I didn’t want to buy anything new, or get any resin for my printer, so I pulled out my old Basius Imperial pad and went with bombed and broken concrete.

By next week I hope to finish 1-2 more models, and get a base colour applied on these new 20 models while the airbrush is already out to varnish the finished pieces.

Slathos’s Base

Base Vallejo 70.340 Panzer Aces Highlight Afrika Tank Korps
Wash P3 beast hide
Drybrush P3 Menoth White Base
Drybrush P3 Menoth White Highlight

Slathos’s Armour

Base Vallejo 70.309 Panzer Aces Periscopes mixed with a little Black
Wash GW Nuln Oil
Highlight with base
Highlight 2 is base with more Periscopes
Highlight 3 is as above but with added VMC 70.966 Turquoise
Highlight 4 is as above but more Turquoise
Highlight 5 is as above but with a little VMC 70.918 Ivory

It’s odd that this was painted with black and shades of turquoise, and yet it just looks blue.  Not what I was aiming for, but I’ll go with it.

Slathos’s Cloak

Base Miniature Paints MRP 13 Deep Bronze Green mixed with MRP 17 Aquamarine, mixed 1:3ish.  The green dominates at 1:1
Shade with heavier green mixes and pure green
Reclaim with base
Highlight 1 with almost pure Aquamarine
Highlight 2 with Aquamarine
Highlight 3 Aquamarine mixed with increasing amounts of Miniature Paints MRP 21 Arctic Blue
Highlight 4 As above, but add a little VMC 70.918 Ivory

Lets play some games with those number as 113 is a lot of models, and it’s not the whole truth as to what my goal here is, and we all know the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  So what do I have?

KoW Skeletons x20
Busts and display pieces x8
3D printed regular models x7
Ronaldo the Bard
Loka Fire set x8
KD:M Modular warriors etc x29
Stargrave Troops x20
Asterians x10
Plague x10
Masons (Not arrived yet) x6
Aeon Trespass Odyssey Wave 1 (Not arrived yet) x27
Aeon Trespass Odyssey Wave 2 (Not arrived yet) x??

They can be broken down in to categories, based on when and how I want to paint them:

Batch Paintables to be rushed: 
KoW Skeletons x20
Asterians x10
Plague x10

Regular Paintables, worth putting  regular effort in to:
3D printed regular models x7
Ronaldo the Bard
Loka Fire set x8

Luxury Paint jobs to be savoured: 
Busts and display pieces x8

Modular stuff, not to be built until I’m ready to be put on the table: 
KD:M Modular warriors etc x29
Stargrave Troops x20

Not arrived yet: 
Masons (Not arrived yet) x6
Aeon Trespass Odyssey Wave 1 (Not arrived yet) x27
Aeon Trespass Odyssey Wave 2 (Not arrived yet) x??

This gives me:

Batch: 40, Normal: 16, Luxury: 8, Modular: 49, To Ship: 33+

My real goal is to clear out Batch and Normal (56) so I can enjoy Luxury (8), and handle everything else (82) at my own pace when it needs attention.  I’m already not counting the To Ships in my Models To Go total.

If anyone is interested, I have gone back to the first post in this project and added an index, complete with links.  It should make it easier for me to find things later, even if no one else cares.

Since I last updated here I’ve gone in the the Box of undesireables (The stuff I’ve been pretending doesn’t exist) and pulled out all my Dreadball and gotten it painted up for the spring cleaning challenge.  I’ve also built an Optimus Prime model kit.  With that lot out of the way I may as well bring the remaining models in to the fold and admit I’m going to paint them too.  I also won a box of 20 Stargrave models and the books.  That means my To Go total has just risen by 53 models!  I’m still ignoring stuff that’s yet to be delivered.

So what do I think I have left?

KoW Skeletons x20
Busts and display pieces x8
3D printed regualr models x8
Ronaldo the Bard
Loka Fire set x8
KD:M Modular warriors etc x29
Stargrave Troops x20
Asterians x10
Plague x10
Masons (Not arrived yet) x6
Aeon Tresspass Odyssey Wave 1 (Not arrived yet) x27
Aeon Tresspass Odyssey Wave 2 (Not arrived yet) x??

I think there may be one or two other bits not accounted for here, too, like an oooold WHFB Goblin Chariot.  No idea what that could be used for these days.

It seems that when Kingdom Death turned up I was already part way through painting 6 models, and I have a challenge model to paint up for MonkeysWithFire.  More progress was made over the weekend.

I was trying to match GW’s Martian Ironearth/Ironcrust above, but just using regular basing material and paint.  It’s not quite there.

Base: P3 Bloodstone mixed with Army painter Mars Red
Wash: GW Agrax Earthshade
Drybrush: Mars Red
Drybrush 2: Apparently, I didn’t take notes.  Perhaps P3 Khardic Flesh, possibly mixed with a little Mars Red?

Ruins Base: 

Base: VMC 70.884 Stone Grey
Wash with this Ultimate Weathering Wash Light Dirt (www.umpretail.com)
Clean up with a wet brush as needed
Drybrush GW Screaming Skull

I’ve finally finished all the core models from the base game.  I won’t be touching all the optional armour sets, at least until after my first playthrough.  That’s another 29 models to go that I’ll be ignoring for a looooong time.  I took these pics late last night and I’ve a busy weekend ahead of me.

I plan on coming back here with a group shot of everything when I have time.

The Spring Clean Challenge starts this weekend and I’ll be focusing on models not included in the ubertotal for a while so I’ll be ignoring this project.  I’ll be working on my Dreadball minis from my Box of Undesirables.  The stuff I didn’t care about and was thinking of selling and generally ignoring.  Most of them I’ve been ignoring for 5-6 years.  They’re long overdue some attention.  A bulk airbrush priming and base coating begins this weekend.

I found out a work colleague has his own lathe and enjoys mucking about in his new woodworking workshop.  He’s also a nerd so I explained what I do and that if he’s got some suitable offcuts heading to the bin I’d love a hew plinths for some upcoming busts.  He’s made me these as some test pieces and they’re great.

Right now they’re raw wood.  I’ve never had real plinths before.  What should I be looking to treat them with on a budget (I don’t want to buy 20l of high end wood stain and then only use 20ml of the stuff!).  Should I be doing any kind of treatment before or after?  I assume priming and painting them black with acrylics, varnishing and then polishing isn’t right?  I don’t know the first thing about woodwork or care.

I’m UK based.  I assume that’ll affect what products and brands are available, and where I can get them from

I’ve finished the Phoenix, which just leaves The Hand and The Kings Man to do, ideally before the Spring Clean Hobby Challenge starts in two weeks on Sunday 20th March.  it should be doable.  I’ve done the metal on both of them and begun work on other colours already.

The Phoenix was sadly too big to fit in my light box.

Update 05/09/2022

So how did I paint him?  Apparently I didn’t write it down.  I’ve just painted the matching armour sets and I’ve had to recreate it from memory and some photos of paint pots.  Lets make notes for future me.  The flesh was painted using the Forces of Warmachine: Cryx recipe for Pallid Flesh.

Phoenix Feathers
Darker Base: 50/50 VMC 70.966 Turquoise / VMC 70.808 Blue Green
Middle Base: Blue Green
Lighter Base: Blue Green mixed with Scalecolor SC-49 Caribbean Blue
(All washes were either applied as a pin was along recesses, or targeted to darker areas to bring the tone down.  Don’t just slap all over without thinking)
Shade wash with Reaper 29813 Bright turquoise
Darker wash with above with added VMC 70.309Panzer Aces Periscopes
Darkest wash with just Periscopes
Highlight each area with the base tone from the next lightest area.  Blur this between regions
Higher highlights were done using just Caribbean Blue, and eventually Caribbean Blue mixed with VMC 70.918 Ivory (On armour kits because I forgot what I’d used before), or P3 Sickly Skin (on the bird)

This week I finished off the watcher.  I’ve also made good progress on the Phoenix.  His feathers and main flesh colour are done already.  Tonight I start work painting all the little hands to look like human flesh, while the birds flesh is much more pallid.

There were lots of washes involved, so lots of down time while they dried.  I spent that time doing some prep work for my Spring Cleaning Hobby Challenge: All the Dreadball in my Box of Undesirables I’ve been pretending don’t exist.  This appears to be about 92 models, but there’s some duplicates in there.  Pretty sure I’ll be getting rid of at least 12 of them.

I’ve a question about Dreadball bases, as I’ve more models than bases.  Do any models other than players actually need a base?  Does anyone else have a facing that matters?  Refs, coaches, cheerleaders, medibots?  Do prone players have a facing or need a base?  Do you even need them, or are you better off laying down the model or using a token?  Anyone other than players?  I don’t want to spend £5 delivery on £3 of bases from Mantic and I don’t think my FLGS will have any.

I finished the Gold Smoke Knight this week, and laid down some base colours for the Phoenix.  At time of typing I’m mostly done on The Watcher too.

Following the narrative of the world, I’ve painted him to be wearing a White lion pelt.

Here’s the recipe I used on the gold, mostly through an airbrush:
Zenithal preshade

Base with Darkstar Bronze, allowing the preshade to do it’s think.

Enhance the preshade with an upside down zenithal coat of Darkstar Aged Copper.

Restore the base coat, leaving the Aged Copper in the shaded parts.

Side and top down spray of Darkstar Royal Gold

Diagonal and top down spray of Darkstar Braid Gold

Top down only spray of Darkstar Pale Gold

Pin / targeted wash of GW Seraphim Sepia

Drybrush and edge highlight of Pale Gold

A while back I heard about a place that not only sells dice, but does cheap blind buy packs of dice and I’ve been tempted ever since.  They do 3 ranges of acrylic dice priced from £7-£10, which seem to come in a tin.  They also do a blind buy tinless pack for £5 which could come from any of the ranges.  I’ve been tempted ever since.  It was my Birthday last Friday so I thought I’d treat myself to a couple of sets.  When I found a 10% discount code I upped it to three sets.  Postage is free, too.

I got a free sweetie (Nothing unusual there these days, but still nice) and they threw in a metal D8 too, which I was not expecting.  They also do a range of metal dice and a similar blind buy bag for them, it’s just more expensive (£30-£35, or £20 for blind buy)

If you’re tempted please use this link: http://dndice.co.uk/?ReferralCode=a99A1F192AVK2S

If you sign up and buy using this link we both get £1.00 store credit back after your first order.  I used the discount code PENANCERPG and got 10% off.  Dunno how many times each of us can use it, or how long it’ll stay valid for.

Yes, I’m shilling, but who doesn’t love fancy dice, and who doesn’t love cheap or even free fancy dice?