Thursday 26 December 2013

Seasons Greetings



Seasons greetings! Hope everyone had a great day with friends and family. This year seems to have flown by and Christmas came around all to quickly! Feeling for doing a review of the year style post but see how it goes.


Anyhoo yesterday was a fine day for hobbying.....No mini's in the haul as basically i get me own stuff anyway and the pile is big enough! But got some nice tools and such.


But as is a special day thought i'd tackle bigger projects yesterday. So was a hobby day Heavy Eldar vehicle style.... Mainly worked on the Lynx and broke out the wraithknight as a tester for this.....

... i only gone and done it.........a Revenant...... again ebay has proved my bane....and was just a cheeky bid to see what it would go for.. alas.....twas the winning bid. Was a bargain though as came pre prepped. Missing the head i would have preferred but i knew what i was getting..... But i really think i have a problem ..... oh wells... hopefully should be slowing down this year on the purchases :D


But this is the Sonic lances version as prefer the look. Now searching for poses for this beast but firstly need a base. Am thinking of a landing pose but heavy landing so thudding into something, make it a bit of a diorama.. something like this on Torg's blog cos this is an awesome version...Not sure i will be ale to replicate and will probably be a while before i start him.


Anyway back to the Wraithknight - Had a spare falcon crewman and reading the fluff thought i'd pop in the Emo steersman and he actually fits there without affecting the head fitting. Added a bit of wiring to his head to signify the psychic links. Then will be going for the bone scheme as with all my other wraith constructs.

Also need to decide on the base, again will have to be built up a bit.


As you can see have been working on this as sub assemblies again. Think this does slow down the building process as tend to pre-paint each bit but a bit helps reach those little details that are out of reach once built. But will work on the legs as don't like the stock pose and the little tabs that come pre-molded look to be purposely removable to allow reposing.


Weapon wise will see how to go about magnetising. But see how it goes, in some senses it was simpler in the old days when there wasn't so much choice... so many options now. But can't really complain as helps make everything a bit more unique


Anyhow to other works, also has been working on the Crimson hunter. A bit of an accident with masking but will be a red white and black scheme on the hunter. Again base needs to be worked upon. but will try and get the scheme right first.












Also work progresses on the Mymearan contingent with some ebay rescue Jetbikes. Aiming for a faded blue grey on the canopies and that's generally the theme i'm going for on all the vehicles, while all the infantry will be white.

Vehicles wise the Warp hunter was the trial scheme and worked on the Lynx yesterday. Coming together now and quicker than i though. Had been putting it off as to date it had been my most expensive miniature purchase. Pictures not really illustrating what have been doing with the divergence scheme though as a bit washed out. The pic of the Lynx doesn't really show off the blue-ish tinge.


But army as is below consisting of:

Farseer
Irrilyth
Shadow spectres
Jetbikes
Wasp walkers
Warp hunter


To come:


wave serpents
Wraithguard
Rangers
Dire avengers
Lynx
Hawks




Speaking of which to the other ulthwe work include the ebay rscue Wave serpents with another new addition from from afore mentioned auction site. Turret being worked on as didn't like the FW turret it came with, but need to knock up a turret base from something. But anyhoo busy busy. No pics of other dire avengers that had been completed for the strike force but will eventually once get the characters done too.



Tuesday 22 October 2013

The blog that time forgot

Another post and no excuse for no show, life happens and well... time is finite. A precious commodity that i've dedicated to painting & modelling me figs instead... that's not strictly true, have recently been deriving much enjoyment from blue table painting's bat reps on Youtube, in between starting studies again that is...
woo futures markets and hedging... thrilling... But has made me think about trying a game down either at the local store or dark sphere near work sometime... but will see.


Anyway in hobby life, have been flitting in between projects again while still buying way too much. Eldar still remain very much the focus, but having two flavours on the go is probably not a good idea. Add in Tale of painters Garfy's ultramarines being featured in white dwarf, got a bit of a hankering to getting around to finishing the terminator element of my own first company. What a palavar...and finally with some sad looking sanguinary guard languishing on the workshop table, they needed some love too... So all in all lots going on but no finished products.... nuts. However, thought i'd post up some quick shots of what progress has been made so here goes.

On the right is sang guard sqd leader. Wanted to try something different with his helmet and liking the way Iron man's mask opens up, i went for that kind of look, but with the deathmask as the face plate. Think his flesh face needs to be recessed a bit more but quite happy with it and coupled with the reposed legs(don't like the stock poses) should be quite dynamic when finished


Below are pic of me Eldar. In there you still have the unfinished spectres, with Irilyth and the farseer. A Wasp walker in progress, some dire avengers. A second wasp will be added shortly







From the other flavour you have my completed wraithlord from a few years back and new wraithblades. They are being joined by a newly acquired Wraithseer. Now was originally going to try and achieve a two handed pose with his spear but its proing fiddlly and liking the spear to the back hand outstretched look, may need to knock up some sort of psychic manifestation.


But there you have it, the photos that i have managed to get. What hasn't been captured is work on FW avatar, a crimson hunter and a load of black guardians. So haven't been completely been idle!


Till the next post.

Sunday 1 September 2013

Autumnal Liberty

So, free from another stint of exam prep.... I really wish i passed these first time, alas my old brain is not as it was...actually that's a lie, it's never been that good with exams, always missing by a few marks..sigh, but a few weeks til results so no need to think about that now. In addition taking a hiatus from them...well giving myself more time for the next lot as they have to be taken in one go and 3 new subjects is a bit heavy going on top of work.

Lynx undercoated & base shaded!
Anyhoo that should mean more time to do stuff i enjoy (yey!). Having said that have recently been contemplating when is it deemed to much? My burgeoning unfinished pile continues to grow, fueled by the ever present temptations of ebay and a life free from other vices and social obligations owing to afore mentioned studies. This has allowed "shiny new things" syndrome and a lack of self discipline to run riot as i see things i like the idea and look of but having then bought them realise i don't actually have the time do much with them. This coupled with my titular impatience leaves a stream of unfinished projects which do nothing to sate the need for more as the unfinishedness disappoints somewhat but doesn't spur me enough to finish them as i move on to something else... an endless vicious cycle. However, looking at recent buys, have just realised how much i've got so is it enough....? the answer is yes but then if i enjoy it then whats the harm? Hmmm i haven't decided yet but i do need to slow down. But ebay bargains are still my bane. Need to keep the watch list down.


Spray day of recent ebay rescue... ahem
Anyway will continue to redouble efforts to finish things. So this post is dedicated to progress! But sitting down to hobby, you then realise just how much time is needed to be dedicated to building the darn things in the first place and all the prep work involved, so have been alternating between "build" and "paint" days to help this along. But at the moment focus is still on the Eldar. Mymeara is currently gaining a dominance to what i am trying to complete thanks to the spectres. But am working on several units of guardians, jet bikes, a crimson hunter and some characters. Should keep me busy. Mymeara will still be a variant of the FW scheme, Back story for my force that i'm going with is they are a remnant force of Irilyth the phoenix lord when he took a load of the Mymearans to destroy some unknown future threat. Therefore it's a small force. Minimal guardians and everything fast moving/mounted but hard hitting. Should consist of :
Spirit seer in pieces, converted the
spearas not fond of the original

1 Irilyth

1 spirit seer
1 Warlock
10 shadow spectres
5 wraith blades
10 guardians
10 Dire avengers
2 wave serpents
2 falcons
1 warp hunter
1 Lynx
1 Crimson Hunter
5 Hawks
3 Jetbikes


With some paint in progress





Please note that i don't really game so this list may not be legal or that competitive but its of models i like and think will fit in to the theme of fast moving force. Anyhoo below are pics of painting progress. Spectres still taking lots of time to complete. Lots of details and unsmoothness i'm trying to sort out!


Irilyth with his spectre body guard










Illic sans top knot PiP



Just to finish up here are some avengers. They were actually another ebay rescue and realised they were from a warseer member Aryllon. 2 of them were already done and as they were painted quite nice seemed a shame to strip them so painted up the remaining 3 including the exarch in the same manner (albeit changer the head on the exarch). Can you spot which ones are mine (apart from the exarch as have said that's mine already)




Sunday 4 August 2013

30 gone flirty...


A little break from the norm, but still hobby related. So today i reached a new milestone... the big fat 30. Old in body but still young at heart! Otherwise don't feel much different but have been a bit contemplative. Nevertheless one thing is for certain still love me toys! Has been a fun weekend with bbq yesterday at a friends celebration, but today the focus has been very much on me! nice! Haul wise as always have been spoilt by friends and family, some nice stuff. Hobby related items include Wraithfighter and knight, but also a new photo studio so hopefully better photos incoming! Still got to work out camera settings to suit but exciting times as have been looking at ways to improve things. 
However, the most surprising reinforcement came when the cake was revealed. Made by my 2nd sister who obviously should be baking for a living. Maybe one day can convince her. But anyway behold the newest tank to the armoury.....Cakerium!!! This mighty tank dwarfed even the super heavys of the imperial guard! Forces of the imperium quickly rallied around the new arrival to try and tackle the Titans of battlegroup Xepherificus. Alas even with their new back up they were no match and Cakerium was destroyed in the ensuing battle fueling the battle group to even more wanton destruction leaving the defeat armies to scatter and regroup at another time. 
Before its demise, a picture recording was captured and honoured Cakerium can be remembered with fond memories to raise the spirits and ensure that its sacrifice was not in vain! It was however delicious. Lets hope more role off the manufactorium floor soon! Though not too soon as may supersized the titan battlegroup!!
Forces rally around the new arrival

A Crimson fist takes courage from the mighty beast


Even the baneblade is dwarfed!!




Note how even the thick Iced armour failed to save it

The shattered wreakage

Anyway to cap off just a few pics of the other birthday treat, the Lego delorean!! Being a child of the 80s that grew up with this film this was an awesome gift from me eldest sis. So spending part of the afternoon building it, it was only fair it got some time in the spot light of the new studio...

Things are looking up!!



Sunday 28 July 2013

The Spectre of progress

Yup a lame title, Ho hum... But here i am again, another week and another post! Wow,what is going on?
Nevertheless progress has indeed been made. Focus this week has been on the Shadow spectres.
Now whilst these are beautiful sculpts they don't half take a lot of time to prep as lots of mould lines keep popping up dure to the flowing robes and such, also on the actual carapace bit, removal from the its flash channel piece is also a bit problematic as is near a targeter detail. Think these are models that would benefit from some liquid greenstuff on hand. Alas i did not have any and being as impatient as the blog name just got stuck in. and touched up as i went along. As for storage, have no idea how that will happen as their billowy streamers will be very fragile. Anyhoo still, they are lovely dynamic looking models with a certain gundam-esque styling to them

Colour scheme wise, For Irrilyth i decide to follow Rant in E Minor's author Sorrowshard's scheme. My take has nothing on the original, but reasonably happy with him. Base just needs a bit more work.

Head on a stick- with added OSLeffect 
For the spectres wanted a clean looking ethereal look so went with white and tried to make them appear a bit glowy, with a light ice blue on armour panel lines and gaps to make it appear like their armour was glowing and powering the robes. For the holo robes went with a dark turquoise. If my skill were better i would have tried to do a transition from white to the darker colour to try and suggest the holographic nature. Alas, still looks ok. Anyway will let the pics do the talking. Originally this was only goin to be a 5 man squad but after winning some more on ebay they are now 10 strong to accompany their lord in to battle and will be the core of the Mymearan detachment





 And finally the test fig to make sure was happy with the scheme i was so now the rest are underway. Still lots more work to do.

I would put these photos together but for some reason blogger won't let me but apologies for the gaps and weird formatting




Sunday 21 July 2013

Sunday segway


So hot weather has been lovely and had relatively busy weekends so far in July. Despite that have tired to squeeze in some hobby time in between wedding planning thoughts and contemplation that i'm actually becoming a proper adult... scary stuff.

Anyway last weekend's time was mainly spent working on bases and adding markings and transfers, both processes which i often neglect, leading models to look unfinished and added to my demotivation. Not sure why i do that... probably short attention span and get distracted with other projects and new things. However, Trying to complete projects now so am taking the time to rectify this. As such, spent lots of time on the Avatar's base and wraithblades. Only pics of avatar's base though which was inspired by old Mark Gibbons artwork, instead of an imperial though had a chaos marine as the victim of his rage. He was made using a variety of bits including the old khorne 2 piece beserkers. This one the much abused freebie from a white dwarf back in my youth. But during this process discovered what fun cutting up marines are and then using respective off cuts for separate bases. so the back half of this marine went onto a dreadnought base. Think this might be my new fad. Anyway other than that it was tank markings to my armoured company. Having one the FW sheet of white guard transfers on ebay, decided to make use of them and start affixing them to me tanks. They are looking good but need sealing and then  weathering can commence. But being an impatient so and so that has also already partially begun anyway

They are coming together so will update once they are in the final glorious finished state (hopefully at some point soon)

Anyway this weekends work was mainly spent on Irrilyth and the shadow spectres of my Mymeara contingent. Quite happy with how they are turning out but will post an update in the next post.... famous last words....