All (well at least some of) the Danes

Back after a trip away so not much time for hobby but I did manage to get to Halfords while I was away.

A roll of a D6 resulted in a 3 so it is Bondi with Spears, MBV121; the Hirdmen seem to be being held in reserve – most out of character.  Clean up was much better then the last lot as the casting was much crisper.  One chap seems to have an overly long neck but who am I to judge, all hands seem to have gone back to the standard size for these figures.

A single coat of Black Halford primer and we have, from left to right: Stoick, Vidar, Suni and Olaf.  I have a template of colours from the first set of Bondi with Spears so I will be at it tomorrow.

Remembering how Peachy did his Infinity model I washed all four of the band with Strong Tone (Army painter) and then started redefining using the original base coat colours, I did not do this for all parts of the model – just the more prominent bits.

Over all I think it gives a “muddy” feel to the model as I suspect my skill on the “touch up” is a bit lacking.  I think I will give this one more try on another set to see how I go.

Then it is a couple of coats of Golden Brown on the bases, Fast Drying Basing Glue with Scrub Lands and then 50:50 Matt Scenic Sealant and isopropanol.  As an aside I was a bit more cack-handed then I normal am and let some of this mixture run off on to the base and plastic sheet… not a good idea.  The base swelled up and started to separate into laminate parts.  A few more coats of Golden Brown covered this up.

I am away for three days now so looking forward to see what I am painting next, just three bags left of this batch.

Using the same basic colours as I did for the rest of the Bondi I got on with the job in hand.  I am not sure if I was not in the right mind set or a couple of miss casts had upset me but this was not as fun as the others.  Perhaps I did not use enough water or the weather was against me but this was a bit of a grind. Three one-hour phases, tiring to be neat and “paint in the lines” but I had lost the lines and was questioning the fact there ever where any lines in the first place.

This mug shot does not express the frustration but base coats down…

Not much time today; four bags left – rolled a D4 and got a 2 so it is Bondi with Bows – MBV119.  I will try to use much the same colours as I did for the other gang (MBV110).

Clean up was not fun at all; I know the sculpts must be spot on so it could have been in the casting but one seems to have almost no face, I can work out little definition around the items  at their front (belts/pouches/scabbards) and their hands seems a little different then the others…

Once based they got two coats of Mechanics Standard Grey, hand painting black primer last time was okay but I did have the time and I have the feeling it does not have the same properties as then applied via can – no evidence just a feeling.   Neighbor has stated asking if I am working on my car or bike in the garage – I suspect he can hear the rattling of the can in the morning.

From left to right as have Halfdan (who does not have as many facial expressions as most…), Orvar, Sten and Viggo.  And that was my time done.

Magnar (and the rest of the gang) got the metallic treatment; all swords, axe heads and shield trims for Gun Metal then the axe and swords edges got Bright Silver and any trim on helms got Greedy Gold (all from Army Painter) and then the helms got washed with Contrast Guilliman Flesh.  Any tassels got Deep Yellow (AK) while Magnar’s beard got a Burnt Orange as a base and then this was worked up but adding Pale Sand (70.837) from Vallejo to form some sort of highlight.

A couple of coats of Golden Brown (Pro Acryl) and they are as done as I have the energy to do them.  Added the suppled decals, tried to be mindful about the basing material and sealed it down the 50:50 mix as before.

Magnar is still a bit camera shy, or just wants to get into battle from for the rest… hence he is out of focus.

Oddbjorn’s axe haft was painted Light Umber (Pro Acryl) while his pantaloons/shorts (?) got Grey Blue (70.743).  Sheath of his sword was painted Burnt Sienna (Pro Acryl) and the inside of this bear pent got Tan Flesh (Pro Acryl).  Leggings where painted Buff (79.976) from Vallejo and his boots for covered on Cork (Pro Acryl) – a break from tradition I know.

Tormod got the same treatment but his hair was painted Deep Yellow (AK) as it made me happy.

Magnar seems to be a bit camera shy or I might just need to think about lighting more.  His skin got a different recipe: Two coats to Violet Red (70.812) then I covered all of the skin with  Beige Red (70.804) but did not stress about getting into all the fiddly bits; then a number of coats of watered down Dark Flesh (70.927) and a final highlight of watered down of Basic Skin Tone (70.815) all from Vallejo.  Multiple lays of diluted paint, it all took a bit of time and I am not sure my skill level is at the right point to benefit from this time sink… but I will learn.  All finished off with trousers getting base of Dark Grey Blue (Pro Acryl).

Haakon got mostly the same base collars applied although his trousers got a coat of German Fieldgrey (70.830) from Vallejo.  His skin was Flat Fresh (70.955) from Vallejo and then I tried out two coats of 50:50 Peachy Flesh and Army Painter Speed Paint Medium – looks okay in real life but a bit red with the white paper.

I do not think the white bit of paper is adding much to the pictures, if anything everything is coming out more reddish then it looks to my eye.

Rolled a D10 and got a 10, Berserkers – MBV 503. Heart sank, lots of flesh to cover and no skills to do it with, off the watch Peachy (when he was with the Painting Phase) so his relaxing voice to could do its magic.

Out of the bag one of them had lost its arm, this would have been my fault in not treating them with enough care while bagging them up. The contact point was small for the arm so I drilled a deepish hole in the body and a 1 mm hole in the arm, scored the two surfaces to make a better attachment surface and glued them together with a pin (well flexible 0.6mm wire).

I hand painted Black primer (73.602) from Vallejo to see how it would work, it took three coasts but came out okay (must go to Halfords). From left to right we have: Tormod who looks like a Gaul from the Asterix books; Haakon also looking like a Gaul from the same books; Magnar who had lost his arm and Oddbjorn with a fantastic bear pelt.

Tormod got a Peachy skin recipe, based coated Cork (AK) and then a 50:50 Aged Hide and Army Painter Speed Paint Medium. I tried out a white paper background for taking their pictures but it seems to have turned everything more red then it is in real life… I will not be learning how to do white balance); he then got a highlight of Cork – this was diluted down about 10:1 with water as an initial glazing attempt.

Oddbjorn got a different recipe: base coat Dark Flesh (70.927) and then a 50:50 Contrast Guilliman Flesh with Contrast Medium (Citadel) and a highlight/glaze with Basic Flesh (70.815).  It was now time to watch YouTube and find out about glazes (I expect I mean layering but it is all learning…).

I have just over a hour today, and with a break halfway to do “real stuff”.  New bit of paper in the wet palette and fought it down as it tried to curl up (I suspect this happens to everyone and I seem to remember some YouTube person having custom weights for the corners).

Aleksander was first up with red’ish hair courtesy of Amarantha Red (70.829) as a base followed by a 50:50 mix of said red and Deep Yellow (AK) and a further highlight of 50:50 Deep Yellow and Pale Sand (70.837) – just trying different approaches to see what I like the most.  His helmet and flesh then got a coat of Contrast Guilliman Flesh (Citadel) – his shield rim also got a coat of Guilliman Flesh, just later when I remember to do it. His fur pelt got a base of Light Umber then high light of 50:50 Light Umber and Pale Sand (70.837) and finally a wash of Bony Matter SpeedPaint (Army Painter), along with his horn.

Eyvindr hair got a new experiment: base coated Deep Yellow (AK); then Ice Yellow (AK) mixed in and  I tried to paint the major blocks and then mixed in Pale Sand (70.837) as a final highlight.  It looked better in real life.  Then his helmet and flesh then got a coat of Contrast Guilliman Flesh (Citadel); same deal with his shield rim as for Aleksander… later.  I washed this fur pelt with Bony Matter to see what it looked like, seems okay.

Eyvindr’s cloak then got the three blue treatment, I think I need to start to learn to blend and/or glaze but it is starting to look better than before.

I tried a little red on the hem of this tunic (Bold Pyrrole Red from Pro Acryl) – as with everything in life, your first go is always a disappointment.  Both the boys got a Nuln oil wash on their axes (but not the edge) and a tasteful Golden Brown (Pro Acryl) on the base.  That night I applied my normal basing approach, no tufts this time, once I know what I am doing with the shields I will relook at the tufts.

They are done for now, 10 models in 14 days – I think I might have improved a little bit but not much, I am more thoughtful and less in a rush but I have yet to learn to love this enough on spend 3 hours on a face.