Citadel Wolf Riders ...it begins. ...again! WIP shots

Hi all,

Stopping by with a quick post to update you on the progress of the next large batch of wolf riders I've been working on.

I've made progress, but working on a grouping this large means that the pace is glacial.  I often only work on one highlight color a day...when you are applying it to 29 models it takes awhile!

Wood Grain Technique

Howdy all,

Yes...I am alive...I've just fought through a week long flu which has had me completely debilitated (boo hoo...poor me).  I'm finally getting back on my feet and actually did some painting last night for the first time in many days.

Anyway, after I posted pictures of the Dragon Bait Miniatures Executioner set that I painted up recently I received a couple of requests for information about how I did the wood graining on the chopping block.

Luckily I took a series of pictures of this figure while I was painting it in hopes writing up a longer "how-to" post.  That post never materialized...but now I can use some of those pics for this quick demo.

My technique for wood graining is all about contrasting colors and texture...and applying these colors with short quick motions....and this is true for large surfaces like this block as well as narrow spaces like along a bow stave or weapon haft.

Here we go.  I started with coating the entire block with Vallejo Model Color 872 Chocolate Brown.  Nothing fancy here...just lay it on thick enough to cover the Dark Gray primer.

My Brushes...a changing of the guard part II

Howdy all!

As stated in an earlier blog post from more than a year ago I've been using a batch of Rosemary and Co. Sable/synthetic blend brushes for the bulk of my painting.  To my mind these brushes offer a lot and ask a little.  They hold their point fairly well and have decent longevity....longer than my Windson and Newton series 7 pure K. Sable ones ever had....and best of all the price is crazy low...particularly if you live in the UK where shipping is quite cheap.  When I ordered my first batch of brushes from R&Co I ended up paying as much for shipping to the US as I did for the brushes...and still felt it was a good deal...but this time I wanted to avoid that.  

So...as many of you know I sent a figure over to the Bring Out Your Lead Oldhammer event in Nottingham  at the end if August... that scholar and gentleman Thantsants agreed to receive and guide my figure to and from the event...as I knew he would be sending my figure back I thought I would take advantage of his kindness and also ask him to send along a new order of brushes for me as well...thereby saving the rather stiff shipping fees.   

....With the reduced costs of shipping I might have gone a little nutty...but rationalized that this way I wouldn't have to place another brush order for a couple of years.  I purchased no less than 13 brushes....

As you can see I got a range of sizes from 3 to 2/0...and then I got three flat brushes of two sizes as well.  I rarely need a brush smaller than 2/0...and if I do I still have a perfectly serviceable W&N 3/0 for that.  Of these the size 1 will probably get the most use (which is why I bought 3 of them!) with the size 2 and 3 being used for fast base coating and use on larger models and horses.  The flats are great for drybrushing...particularly on large areas of fur...I haven't tried these ones yet but as soon as I get around to working on some wolf and/or boar riders they will get a workout.

This whole batch of brushes cost me £20!  Not bad at all....you couldn't get 3 W&N Series 7 brushes for that much.

...now I just need to find the time to use them!

Cheers,

Blue