Too much to clean? A big Spring Cleaning Challenge!

A few progress pictures as I’ve picked him back up. Started adding some colour and details. I’ve done a light dry brush of wraithbone in a few areas so I can start knocking in more colours and toning things together.

i know the drybrushing looks a bit rough in patches, but I’m hoping that will tone down.

Not my finest work, but finished is better than grey plastic.

I’m pleased with the metal and woodgrain, but think the glow effects are quite clumsy and they don’t have quite the depth or realism some of my other wood and brass machines have.

Really pleased with the finished model, finally after 3 years.

i re-edged the base in black, glued the finish brothers onto their large sibling and then Matt varnished the whole thing. Afterwards, I appplied clear nail polish on the tentacles and eyeballs to gloss them up again, and glitter nail polish on the magical flames.

it feels good to finish things!

These are 2 miniatures by Hasslefree that I bought years ago. I found them in a box of metal miniatures and realised how I could paint them as my own kids – Ernie and Rosie.

I’ve painted them in their favourite colours, and tried to get a good match for hair colour etc.

as each model is so small, I’ve added barrels for them to lurk near so they have a bit more impact on the bases.

This didn’t need much doing to it – just the base and then being stuck to the base. So why didn’t I finish it for 2 years!

Purple interference paint over black and white gives the whole thing an eerie sheen.

So I’ve kinda snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on this as the rust powders on the guns and platform are very heavy and scrappy looking 🙁

not sure what happened, but I’m calling it done.

Finished the washes and drybrushing on the main ship parts. I also applied a number of transfers.

I then glued all the parts together before applying a spray varnish.

with that done, I used the sponge chipping technique to add considerable wear to the model. I’ve not used this technique before. It’s fast, but I’m not 100% sure I like it. Perhaps practice will improve it

Finally, I then went in with weathering powders of rust and black soot to dirty it up more.

I want it to look quite old and beaten up – like older Star Wars tech.

a second spray of Matt to seal the powders, and all I now need to do is add a glow effect around the blue plasma and complete the big gun platform.

I’ve added more to this spring cleaning challenge.

I backed Warpath on Kickstarter 4-5 years ago. The idea was the Asterians would augment my Tau army. They’ve never been so much as taken out of their bags.

my son saw the models and pleaded with me that an army of robots, with a cool spaceship would be brilliant for us.

so, here I am, like a fool, building Asterians.

Fortunately, the Chroma Force platform is perfect for painting sub assemblies…

This! This! This old school Alarielle model must be completed as part of my spring clean. The wings were done a looong time ago when I was a better painter than I am now (my eyes don’t work as well anymore). I made the scenic base a couple of years back, last time I was going to get it completed.

Staff, hair and hands are all that’s left to get this finished – so into the project it goes!

With weathering powders and the little spiderlings done, time for some photos.

I like the finished result very much, but I will say I’m not convinced that an Aeldari miniature is “right” for my steampunk look. Be interested to know any of your thoughts!

With the bases finished, I next needed to tackle the puppets themselves. With such bright bases, I wanted a contrast so they wouldn’t clash. I toyed with the idea of sackcloth, but thought it could look too dull.

looking at the models and seeing their ruffs I knew there was only one option – Pierrot!

These were easy to paint also.

1 – basecoat wraithbone primer

2 – contrast Apothecary White

3 – highlight with white

4 – buttons, cap and brows contrast Black Templar

5 – ruff Magos Pink 1:4 with contrast medium.

6 – hair neat Magos Pink then highlighted.

I’m really pleased with the end result.

They are tiny models so I’m happy with the detail I was able to add (with my bad eyes).

I think they look different enough from their bases but still work thematically as clowns.

Been a bit quiet on painting this last fortnight. I’ve left my job of 20 years and am starting a new job on Monday – eep! Haven’t had too much spare time.

I have though made great progress on my Voodoo puppets. I think these are from Malifaux Neverborn? Someone correct me if I’m wrong!

button bases are literally buttons glued together. These were super easy to paint. Here’s how I did it:

1 – Basecoat with Wraithbone primer.

2 – 50:50 mix of contrast skeleton horde and contrast medium. Slap all over.

3 – light dry brush of wraithbone to bring up the edges.

4 – pick out buttons with contrast Iyanden Yellow, Magistrate Pink and Aethermatic Blue. One or two buttons in wood grain as described previously.

Done! They look great (to my eyes) and I’m really pleased with them.

With the bulk of the painting done, I’m just gluing it all together.

simce I’ve become allergic to superglue, I have to use some really slow-setting awful stuff – so this stage takes ages and is really frustrating.

once set, I’ll go back in to tidy up some messy bits, finish the little metal spiders and add some weathering powders here and there.

Making great progress on the Centaur and have finished and assembled the whole top-half.

lower half and base to do before one of my goals is complete!

While waiting for chance to take some updated pictures, here’s a photo of a completed miniature using the woodgrain technique of base, grain and stain.

Even by my standards , these photos are poor. But trying to show progress, I’ve highlighted the metals and then darkened the tentacles down – trying to show different types of steel/iron work. I’ve also brassed up a few areas.

Woodgrain to do still on this one.

Here I’ve basecoated all the metal areas with Leadbelcher and then given them a thinned wash of Contrast Black Templar with medium. It sits a little darker than Nuln Oil which I want for this model. I know some people would think that painting an Eldar model in metals is sacrilege, but for me I’d rather have a finished model than a perfect unfinished model.

In the gallery below are 3 images showing the application of a wood “base” to the Wraithlord head. I’ll add woodgrain and stain again, but this shows the stages to start getting a wood effect.

Quick guide to woodgrain effect.

I’ve already basecoated Wraithbone and applied two coats of Contrast Snakebite Leather.

24 hours in Isopropyl Alcohol and a scrub with a toothbrush, and I’ve got most of the paint off the old centaur. I decided I was happy with the old sword I’d finished so I’m going to simply overpaint the arm on that piece.

It’s not perfect, but I think is good enough to repaint in a dark and moody vibe.