Blog Joshua's Paint Blog - Back from the dead!

Amazing work on those skinks, I like the little red stripes on the tails

Here are Wappel's Armies on Parade pictures from back in 2011.


... in fact, @strewart has a post in the same thread detailing many of the magnificent projects of @wappellious!

 

Update! EoTG 95% complete! I hope you like it! A batch of Skinks are next. Then 2 Basties and a Slann.

 

This was also my first time making a jungle base. WIP.

 

Nice work!

 

I need to finish the skulls, paint the rim and I think I might add another layer or two of flock to give some more variance. I want to get some darker moss as well to break up the bright colors for future bases.

 

Update on a batch of Skinks i'm painting. I'm trying to improve/expand on my current painting method. I'm doing a lot of quick layering'prehighlights then Ill go back in with washes and glazes to tone it down. If you notice any "fuzzy" stuff on the Skinks, i had a ton of issues with Priming them. It has been so fing humid and I ruined a lot skinks....I'm going to try and soak them in cleaner and scrub it off, but it's primer so I might be in trouble.

Anyways take a look! i'll post more as I continue to work on them! (i see some mold lines... grrrrr)

 

Thanks! You would be amazed at how fast you can lay down some meaningful layers with a wet pallet and the right sized brush. It only took me an hour to do 3-4 fast layers on all 10. I think what helps is mixing colors. GW range & is great, but I would encourage people to use other colors to brighten and darker their colors.I used 2-3 GW greens, I think Warboss green, Snarsnik and Caliban. Then I would mix some yellow and flesh tones into it my mix to lighten it.

I almost have all of the base colors complete on these guys. I can't wait for the wash/glaze part. It's my favorite. It really brings them to life. It also takes very little skill but makes you look like a pro

 

Beautiful work good sir, from the stegadon, to the skinks, to the howdah itself.

Well done, thanks for the glorious inspiration

 

Teaser for new unit!!

 

They look really great!
What do you use for the rocks on their bases? Looks like pine bark...

 

It might be haha. Its bark from a tree. I cleaned off all the growth on it and then baked in the sun for multiple days to dry it out. I hope it lasts! I literally have no idea how it will work. I just went for it.

Do you have any experience with it?

 

As a landscape gardener I can say that it lasts long... under the right conditions... as a hobbyist I say: depending on the kind of tree it is from it might be a bit brittle when dry... but so you can break it into shape easier... and when soaked with white glue and painted it lasts forever... unpainted and without white glue it's possible that the main part gets loose while one layer (or 2-3-4) stays glued on... also depends on the kind of tree it is from... you work look quite solid... if it was to loosen you would have seen it when putting the minis in place...

 

I love the little red dots detail on the crests. Its such a simple and clean detail that really goes that extra little step to look great. Well done.

 

Thank you for the info! It is pretty hard and when I pin the minis it holds up really well. Are you saying before using it soaking it in mixture of water and PVA can help? Or just apply some things layers of PVA on it? I hope the spray paint and paint sort of locks it in for awhile. I threw out all the pieces I collected that had moss and we're soft. I only use the harder , 100% dry ones.

 

All good! Just some layers of glue when applying stuff to the base should do the job... also paint has a stabilising effect so don't worry!

 

I use the Pine Bark like you did there too. I think that is probably the best material (outside of actual rocks) that can simulate stone on miniatures.

One thing to watch out for; if you pull it off a tree, you need to allow it plenty of drying time (like you said you did) so that you don't have any sap residue that can bleed through to your paint and flocking. (I discovered this the hard way.) I usually keep several pieces on my paint desk at all times, so that I can pull them whenever I need them and I don't have to wait days for them to dry out. Whenever I use some, I replace it and keep the stock turning over like that.

As for using the glue, I use PVA Glue with a drop or two of Super Glue on top. That combo will never come off (given a good connection). I'm an architect and have built hundreds of models and that combination has never failed me. (If you want an even stronger bond, try Rubber Cement + Super Glue - but that's not necessary with these models, FYI.) If you are using something really small, like wood chips, then a PVA Glue + water 50/50 mixture in a cheap spray bottle will permeate them nicely and keep them in place. If there is a strong smell to the flocking you want to get rid of, first spray with an Alcohol + Water mixture (50/50), let dry then use the watered down PVA spray. Works well.

 

Thanks for all the tips! I was worried about the long-term viability so I will definitely use some more glue and super glue to make it last.

I went in pretty blind. I saw online some people using bark so I just ripped some off a tree and went for it. I appreciate a more though out method haha.