26 March 2017

End of Marsh '17


This may be the conclusion of my part in the Month of Marsh Challenge '17. I may still be able to get a little something else done before the end of the month... we'll see.






I also based up that oldschool Ral Partha warrior I used for my rust painting tutorial. Too wide a stance to fit on a smaller base, so he's on a 40x40.


24 March 2017

Marsh & Big April

Month of Marsh

Unfortunately, I've been sort of sputtering out on the Month of Marsh.

I cleaned, assembled, primed and started painting the four classic lead Citadel Fianna/nobles, converted a Reaper orc for a Fomorian hero, and then (barely) work on a second, larger, hero. What I've painted so far has been a bit less than my usual quality, and I think these figures deserve better. I'm (crazy...) thinking about re-stripping the one in the back because the flesh is so drybrushed and grainy. The guy in the front-left is in better shape, but I'm still not happy with the color(s). I seem to have lost my Fomorian Flesh Mojo. I really love the way I did the earlier figures... I'm just having problems reproducing it.

Such is the risk of not having "formulae" for painting. On the other hand, I did want them to have varied skin tones.


I'm still happy with the way the way the Citadel plastic savage orc conversions turned out, at least.


Big April Challenge

But these other figures are frustrating enough that I'm already looking forward to the Big April Challenge -- which will be my second annual giant challenge. I'm sure the sudden arrival of...


...doesn't have anything to do with it. 😉 Got my Otherworld Giant today. I wasn't expecting all three heads (I specified A, the one with the long beard, as instructed with my order.) So now I'm wondering if I should magnetize, or find other homes (on new models) for the two heads that will go unused.

Also the three Drew Williams trolls arrived a few days ago -- to add to the first three that were awaiting this second set of three before getting painted. Very cool figures, once again. I'm anxious to start painting them.

My recent shopping spree doesn't end here. Still waiting on two smaller things to arrive. Now I'm shopped out for a while. I figure all of the extra work, overtime, etc. the past few months justifies my buying some new stuff. ;)

In the meantime, I need to get painting some more!



19 March 2017

L, Xl, 2XL



Comparison shot of one of my completed Reaper orc-to-Fomorian conversions, the champion I just started on, and the Reaper ogre (?) figure that I'm converting next for a big brute or major hero Fomorian. I'm going to sculpt an all new head just for him.

18 March 2017

In the Marsh - St. Patrick's Day?


Does it count as a St. Patrick's day thing to work on miniatures inspired by Irish myth? 

I finished the the Troll Outpost swamp mercenary/Fomorian/Fimir.





I've finished the sculpting work on the Reaper orc conversion. I happened to have one of my (very) few resin cast tails available, so I used that. The foot looks big in the photo, but I swear, it's not that far out of proportion IRL! Also prepped the four classic Citadel Fimir Fianna/Nobles. The guy on the left was originally mine back in the day, but had been converted to a champion of Slaanesh in the 3rd ed. RoC days, and had wings and a bright paintjob. At some point I gave it to a friend who was collecting Fimir because I figured that was a better use for it, and eventually it (along with the rest of his small but almost complete Fimir collection) made it's way back to me last year.


So that's what I will probably be working on next for the Month of Marsh!




16 March 2017

Fomorian Heroes WIP



Got a little bit of time to work on a couple of Fomorian heroes! Both in varying stages of completion. The one on the left (former Troll Outpost figure) is about 80% painted, and still needs a base. Just started converting the one on the right. Still need to clean up the neck joint, sculpt feet and a tail before I can start painting.


I have decided that I am completely on board with the idea that Fimir reproduce by burying sacrificial victims alive in the swamp and engaging in some sort of spooky voodoo to raise them back up as new members of the clan. I figure all of those variables can account for the subtle differences in in morphology of some of the figures (number of digits, digitigrade vs. plantigrade, etc.) and also relates to a few different fantasy sources I dig.

Still working out what to do about further conversions (still waiting on Reaper Bones 3 Kickstarter delivery...) Also thinking about allied or mercenary troops. Thinking about half-orcs, undead, or....?





12 March 2017

Late to the Marsh

Been busy with other things, so just finally squeezed in a little time this weekend to finish up these eight figures I had started last summer. Converted from Citadel plastic savage orcs, using my resin Fomorian heads.




They will serve as lesser Fomorian warriors, or regular Fimm for WFB.

11 March 2017

Mad Cows



Minotaurs, painted for the same person for whom I previously painted a few beastmen. Although I loved the beastmen, I'm not terribly fond of these plastic minotaur figures.

Probably won't be painting much more commission work for the foreseeable future.


07 March 2017

March and April

Last year I partipated in Fimm McCool's "Month of Marsh" March painting challenge, which is sort of like Orctober, Deadcember, etc. for those of us who are partial to Fomorians, Fimir, and other marsh dwelling creeps.

I love these painting challenges, so that's my plan again. Theoretically. March is starting off a bit busy, but my plan is to finish up the 8 converted plastic Citadel orcs I started last summer, and, if possible, maybe paint the oldschool lead Citadel Fimir nobles/fianna (one each, four figures) that are still waiting in the bin.

After that I am looking forward to my own April Fool's errand, repeating my mostly one-man Big April Giant Challenge.

On the table this year is:


  • The Warploque Giant, which I never got to last year. 
  • The oldschool Tom Meier giant I recently acquired.
  • The Citadel C28 giant that I apparently neglected to post photos of -- I got him minus a weapon, so I sculpted a club for him. Actually five clubs, because I had some scale problems.
  • The Otherworld Giant. The last of my "priority" giants. I just finished a large/overdue commission, so I splurged and used some of the proceeds to buying one. I'm assuming it gets here in time.
  • The last of the metal giants produced by Citadel before they switched to plastic & resin.
  • Reaper's Svetlana, Frost Giant. (I was going to get this figure in metal eventually, but got a cheap Bones version for the moment.)

At least that's the pool from which I will paint. I only got 3 done last year, so completing all of those would be a bit over-optimistic. But, hey, I can dream.

That's it for now. Been writing up some more backstory for my campaign ideas.