Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pulp => Topic started by: Idle Doodler on August 22, 2017, 10:50:22 PM
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Greetings, one and all! A long, long-time lurker here emerging from the shadows. I've spent the last year or so casually flicking through various rulesets, and in particular have enjoyed perusing the various Pulp Alley releases. These miniatures are my first foray into modern pulp and, idle painter that I am, have taken far too long to finish!
The Anthropologist
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/0a63fcd4e55c72f0028f3c7efb076587/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg)
The Sociologist
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/885ca8dd8fd93fb20085fd2505741e7c/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo3_640.jpg)
The Historian
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/4bad0679f7b3dc04089d117a3895fdf5/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo4_1280.jpg)
Comments and criticism most welcome, including in the area of photography. As you can see, I'm particularly struggling with eliminating the shininess from the minis - slapping on matt varnish doesn't seem to be helping, so maybe I'm missing something in the photo set-up process, or in the post-photo edit?
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Nice brush work! And I like your clear bases. Well done.
I am sure someone will share some tips about the shine, but I wouldn't let it concern you. They are ready for action! ;)
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Nice job!
As far as the shine goes, do they look shiny in person? It may just be the camera mucking you about.
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Nice brush work! And I like your clear bases. Well done.
I am sure someone will share some tips about the shine, but I wouldn't let it concern you. They are ready for action! ;)
Thanks Mr Phipps! I'm still not entirely sure they'll remain stuck to their bases for a great length of time, but I'm holding off pinning them for now!
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Nice job!
As far as the shine goes, do they look shiny in person? It may just be the camera mucking you about.
Thank you, Neotacha. To my inexpert eye, they're not glossily shiny, but they do seem to have more of a sheen after using the matt varnish. That said, I do think the camera highlights the shine. I am currently munching on many cornflakes and knocking back the tea with the aim of finishing off the milk in the fridge - I hear the empty bottles make for passable light diffusers!
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Nice minis, but a bit shiny indeed.
I finish my minis with a light spray of Tamiya Flat Clear, which is a mat as can be, before re-highlighting with GW Ardcoat the lips, eyes, glasses, gems or whatever else I want to be glossy. Though, you would have to carefully mask the clear bases before spraying, or remove the minis from the bases before gluing them back on.
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Thanks Mr Phipps! I'm still not entirely sure they'll remain stuck to their bases for a great length of time, but I'm holding off pinning them for now!
We have been using clear bases for years, on hundred of figures, and only two bases have popped off so far.
In my experience, the bond is surprisingly strong. ;)
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Nice minis, but a bit shiny indeed.
I finish my minis with a light spray of Tamiya Flat Clear, which is a mat as can be, before re-highlighting with GW Ardcoat the lips, eyes, glasses, gems or whatever else I want to be glossy. Though, you would have to carefully mask the clear bases before spraying, or remove the minis from the bases before gluing them back on.
Thanks!
I've just briefly glanced at its entry on Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Outlet/Tamiya-Acrylic-Colour-Clear-Mat-TS-80/B000ZVO3YS (https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Outlet/Tamiya-Acrylic-Colour-Clear-Mat-TS-80/B000ZVO3YS)). It talks a lot about being geared for plastics - presumably it works for metal figures too? Also, will it react with the varnish already on the models - I've had bad experiences with cloudy finishes in the past, which is what originally sent me down the paint-on varnish route.
We have been using clear bases for years, on hundred of figures, and only two bases have popped off so far.
In my experience, the bond is surprisingly strong. ;)
Here's hoping! Now it's a question of whether I can bring myself to replace all my other models' bases...
I'm certainly finding myself more aware of the feet when painting - no more hiding laziness with long grass or rocks!
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Thanks!
I've just briefly glanced at its entry on Amazon (https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Outlet/Tamiya-Acrylic-Colour-Clear-Mat-TS-80/B000ZVO3YS (https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Outlet/Tamiya-Acrylic-Colour-Clear-Mat-TS-80/B000ZVO3YS)). It talks a lot about being geared for plastics - presumably it works for metal figures too? Also, will it react with the varnish already on the models - I've had bad experiences with cloudy finishes in the past, which is what originally sent me down the paint-on varnish route.
If you spray a painted mini, it won't matter what the mini under the paint is made of. Tamiya sprays are the least aggressive sprays I know. They are among the few that do not melt plastics such as extruded polystyrene. As such, you can use Tamiya Flat Clear as a primer on any plastic. Though, a proper primer and a coloured one would seem preferable in this context. Its primary use is as a mat finishing lack. It removes any gloss and I never encountered frosting problems with it. The only downside I can cite is that it's a bit expensive.
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I shall add it to the wishlist and start browsing for deals. Thanks for the tip - better to work these things out while the completed miniature line up is still a manageable length!
That said, finished these off a earlier this morning:
The Journalist
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/81d76aa7758ed608c1d34cbeda206c6d/tumblr_ov6xjhIeTN1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
The Guide
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/bd5da1392f41b998ad5ac2d74a55a104/tumblr_ov6xjhIeTN1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
The Prodigy
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/c256f0c853c3bf86e5415f4ef699b05d/tumblr_ov6xjhIeTN1wz3e6jo3_1280.jpg)
Well, the shine's gone, but the lighting isn't as good. This is the plastic milk bottle effect. I shall have to experiment further...
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Okay, I'm practicing a bit more with the photography, so here are the first six miniatures again, hopefully more presentable:
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/52dce460fb8676ce9da4faf741b7564b/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo5_1280.jpg)(https://68.media.tumblr.com/abf6b069c63c194113db44b4d2fc4fc4/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)(https://68.media.tumblr.com/410f661e9e4731ca0d1a5509a6339761/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/4bad0679f7b3dc04089d117a3895fdf5/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo4_1280.jpg)(https://68.media.tumblr.com/885ca8dd8fd93fb20085fd2505741e7c/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo3_1280.jpg)(https://68.media.tumblr.com/0a63fcd4e55c72f0028f3c7efb076587/tumblr_ov73yvYsNF1wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg)
And a new addition, a wealthy employer's Secretary. Typing is but one of his many useful skills.
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/4973f7f5ceec315ee3bd5fa65400ee51/tumblr_ovitq99MX31wz3e6jo1_540.jpg)
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i use testors spray dull coat to remove any shine from washes/varnish. nice paint job on all of them - keep up the good work.
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A GREAT collection of MULP characters - from the choice of minis to the clear bases and brushwork - CONGRATULATIONS! :-*
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Very nice work! :D
What manufacturer makes the "Prodigy" figure?
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A GREAT collection of MULP characters - from the choice of minis to the clear bases and brushwork - CONGRATULATIONS! :-*
Thanks!
Very nice work! :D
What manufacturer makes the "Prodigy" figure?
Thank you! I'm afraid it's an OOP miniature from Crooked Dice. I think it's a Doctor Who lookalike, so got taken down for IP reasons, which is a real shame - there were a couple of really good modern civilians like him who, were it not for the link to Doctor Who, would make perfectly generic models.
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Nice painting on some nice figures, I don't recognise any of them but I particularly like the Journalist and the Secretary!!!, do you remember who makes them?
Cheers
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Secretary is from hasslefree i think http://www.hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=leonard~hfa155&category=modern-%26%0D%0Apost%252dapoc~modern-adventurers
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shaping up to be a nice collection there
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Thanks all!
Yes, two from Hasslefree - the Anthropologist (http://hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=clint~hfa127&category=modern-%26%0D%0Apost%252dapoc~modern-adventurers) (plus a hat from a Perry American Civil War set) and the Secretary (http://hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=leonard~hfa155&category=modern-%26%0D%0Apost%252dapoc~modern-adventurers).
The Journalist is from Studio Miniatures (http://www.studiominiatures.com/media/k2/items/cache/af2ef6a0e2c9c528b09655df79f3b312_XL.jpg).
The Prodigy is, alas, out of production but came from Crooked Dice (http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/).
The Historian and the Sociologist are from the Warlord Games Project Z male (https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/project-z/products/project-z-male-survivors) and female (https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/project-z/products/project-z-female-survivors) survivor sets (with an arm from the Perry box again).
The Guide is a conversion of one of Offensive Miniatures' (http://www.offensiveminiatures.com/catalogue.asp?RID=44&CID=b37c6426-f193-439a-bcc4-00de4cbf70d2) rioting mob.
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Appreciate the response! I had a feeling that the Prodigy was the Crooked Dice oop figure but didn't realize that he came with a weapon and that's what threw me :?
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Ah, no, you're quite right, he didn't. That was an addition from one of the survivor boxes.
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The wealthy employer who employs a personal secretary with the skillset of the chap above, given the nature of their work, is mighty likely to have need of a personal Security Advisor.
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/8239974c79ccb928ad6da1aebf8a9a5f/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo5_400.jpg)
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Very cool! THANKS for sharing.
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Thanks Dave!
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If you're not born to great wealth, then for any expedition anywhere you will need to find someone else born to great wealth to fund your activities. Enter the Bankroller, often a relative and / or relative with murky motives...
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/77d267b4a581960a179459c33460c55f/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg)
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Nice work!
I also like that you're using clear bases. ;)
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Nice work!
I also like that you're using clear bases. ;)
+1 !!! :D
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Thanks!
Yeah, the clear bases save a fair amount of work, which might be why I'm getting miniatures done more quickly than normal. They do require a degree of care which I struggle to muster when doing minions and crowds. My recently re-based zombies have some puddles of dried superglue oozing from their feet from where I struggled to find purchase on the surface. I'm a bit more careful with the characters!
Now I just need to lose the habit of dropping miniatures, because these bases do not like fighting gravity...
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YAY! Cat lady! lol lol lol
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She's a very useful figure, that one!
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And handily comes with many more cats - just have to work out the best use for them...
From off-camera support to more hands-on support, what expedition would be complete without a well-armed Gunner? Professionalism optional.
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/ef84bc49a35a5ffb37d6e141819fffc8/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo4_540.jpg)
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Nice take on that Evil Mastermind (aka The Hideous Cat Lady). What about her group of Cat-fu fighters henchkittens? ;)
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I've the full set of them, though I think the 25mm bases I've got at the moment might be slightly over the top for them. I'm pondering an Aristocats-inspired scenario to try and entice my other half into a game ("It's a tabletop game, darling, not a wargame - utterly different!").
I'm looking for one of my leagues to be quite gadget-heavy, so I've roughly painted up a couple of Boombots to accompany them and (hopefully) wreak havoc:
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/2dfd660d5e62e1c97fcfac4d08044bfc/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo8_1280.jpg)
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I like your boombots, even if I don't know what a boombot is.
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I like your boombots, even if I don't know what a boombot is.
Probably a robot loaded with enough C4 to BOOM! an entire block! ;)
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Pretty much! It's a Pulp Alley follower which (usually) detonates when it's taken out of action. I'm hoping to charge them into the middle of some low-level characters and cause some mayhem.
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Pretty much! It's a Pulp Alley follower which (usually) detonates when it's taken out of action. I'm hoping to charge them into the middle of some low-level characters and cause some mayhem.
Got to love those Boombots! Always get a laugh out of them - boom or no-boom. lol lol
We have had amazing luck with ladies playing and enjoying Pulp Alley. The freedom to tell a story may appeal to her.
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And handily comes with many more cats - just have to work out the best use for them...
So... BOOMCATS?! ;)
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So... BOOMCATS?! ;)
Oooh. Oooh! OOOH!!!
Totally going to do that!
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Oooh. Oooh! OOOH!!!
Totally going to do that!
Looking forward to see how it develops! lol
For my game group, the Reaper Cat Lady is the ultimate villain: we once had an absurdly fun game with the players as kids trying to retrieve a ball throw in the lady's courtyard and confiscated by her! :D (and yes, the kittens were all "henchmen" and masters of Cat-Fu!)
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I've got some school kid miniatures which could be re-based and used for such a game...
We have had amazing luck with ladies playing and enjoying Pulp Alley. The freedom to tell a story may appeal to her.
Yeah, I first tried with Games Workshop's LotR rules. That was an error; you're right, I think she just wanted a story.
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I've got some school kid miniatures which could be re-based and used for such a game...
We had lots of kids minis for the players to choose from: from Horroclix (Monster Patrol duo) to Reaper (Townsfolk: Modern Children) and Hasslefree (all children miniatures, including the Medieval kids). Every part of the house was the setting of an "imagination" mini-adventure, featuring Pirates, Orcs, WW1 Dogfights, a modern Heist (dodging red laser beams to prevent the alarm from going on)... oh, and the Wild Kids-Eating Mushroom From the Wicked Forest (in the Lady's garden). A VERY FUN game! :D
The idea of the game was heavily inspired by the movie SUCKER PUNCH EXTENDED VERSION! :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucker_Punch_(2011_film) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucker_Punch_(2011_film))
Yeah, I first tried with Games Workshop's LotR rules. That was an error; you're right, I think she just wanted a story.
Story is everything, IMHO! ;)
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Story is everything, IMHO! ;)
Our goal with Pulp Alley was to give players the encouragement and freedom to tell their own stories. But players who really just want action won't be disappointed in the least. ;)
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And I love reading through everyone's AARs for that reason - there's usually so much more invested in each character and what they do than in other games systems I follow. I love the LotR SBG ruleset, but the focus is largely on the heroes and monsters. In Pulp Alley everyone gets their moment in (or being comically knocked out of) the limelight.
I can't come up with a decent title for the next miniature, chiefly because I haven't worked out whether she's a mere underling or assistant or else a hideously wicked mastermind. Still pondering...
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/b865c16be1a78789917a6a454554a10b/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
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Our goal with Pulp Alley was to give players the encouragement and freedom to tell their own stories. But players who really just want action won't be disappointed in the least. ;)
And you know you've succeeded in both goals, right?! :D
Just keep doing that GREAT job or yours! (and by "yours" I mean all the members and associates of the Phipps Cartel) ;)
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I can't come up with a decent title for the next miniature, chiefly because I haven't worked out whether she's a mere underling or assistant or else a hideously wicked mastermind. Still pondering...
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/b865c16be1a78789917a6a454554a10b/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
She's lovely anyway! :-*
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She's lovely anyway! :-*
Ayup, excellent work!
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Starting to put together some obviously bad baddies, a megalomaniac's private army, for anyone who wants to game with some nasty pieces of work.
First up, the 'gent' who actually runs the show: the Sergeant. He'll be the league Leader, whilst the nominal leader (little 'l') will be a lowly Follower.
The rest of the army will just be quickly Quickshaded over a basecoat, because I find painting uniforms just so boring, but I thought I'd put a little more effort into this fellow.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/7eaeff6327c029893994db974ff9e43a/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
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I like him; where is he from?
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He's Sgt. Spanner (http://hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=sgt.-spanner~hfa092&category=modern-%26%0D%0Apost%252dapoc~modern-adventurers) from that fine company, Hasslefree Miniatures.
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Thanks, I thought he could be a Haslefree mini, but for some reason I never registered him, despite the time I spent on their website.
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Excellent work!
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GREAT brushwork! :-*
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Very cool! Hasslefree make some great minis.
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Agreed! Like Duke Donald, I fear I have spent far too much time on their website...
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While I slog through these uniformed minions, here's one of the leagues I'm looking to roll out in a solo campaign, cards all set to print these off on custom business card sheets - just waiting to finish off a few more models to fill the template out:
A wealthy teenage genius, Cedric Athelhaerd finds mainstream life ever so dull. He thus occupies his time with schemes and plots to further enhance his own wealth. Aided by both his security advisor and his personal secretary, the challenge of unearthing organisations' deepest secrets combined with needing to maintain a low profile (for his grandmother, his only living relative and head of the Athelhaerd estate, is a lady of society, and very mindful of the need to keep the family name clean) is so far proving enough to hold his interest, but surely it is only a matter of time before he looks for a bigger venture...
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/f5de504c022715f4d3cb15a72ddb72b6/tumblr_oxazwbE0u81wz3e6jo4_400.png)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/ca865fc8bb63eccf3cb8d4b1dfb3ad51/tumblr_oxazwbE0u81wz3e6jo1_400.png)
I'm hoping that Cedric is going to still be standing at the end of any scenario - surely he'll be able to dodge most harm! - and skilled enough in most areas to be of use in claiming plot points. He'll also be churning out gadget after gadget to arm his assistants.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/7ad8c5af1e1130018467ea99f3012ef9/tumblr_oxazwbE0u81wz3e6jo2_400.png)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/94cca4c1e6f7eaf078ee8a6f6c691f47/tumblr_oxazwbE0u81wz3e6jo3_400.png)
Ivy and Secernere are there to deal with Brawling and Shooting threats respectively. They will also, dice permitting, be armed with enough equipment to attempt most plot points.
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Very cool Pulp Ally league!
THANKS for posting.
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Another minor conversion, this time swapping his right hand's crowbar for a shotgun.
Not the best photo - still have to get used to the Macro setting!
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/1e1b81aafab7f297c6eb66deb5ba7168/tumblr_oxceitzbH61wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
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(https://68.media.tumblr.com/b865c16be1a78789917a6a454554a10b/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg) Maybe she is the granddaughter or great granddaughter of the Bankroller. Just there to get in everybody's way.
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Aye, therein lies the joy of unarmed miniatures. They could be deceptively deadly beneath their harmless appearance or, y'know, they could actually be harmless. Great potential plot points for Pulp Alley too, though my wife would roll her eyes at the idea of another damsel in distress!
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Aye, therein lies the joy of unarmed miniatures. They could be deceptively deadly beneath their harmless appearance or, y'know, they could actually be harmless. Great potential plot points for Pulp Alley too, though my wife would roll her eyes at the idea of another damsel in distress!
Couldn't have said it better! Right on the money.
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Couldn't agree more. I've lost track of the number of figures I've actually disarmed for just that reason.
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And from the unarmed to the very-armed - the rest of the army unit.
Not a lot of effort has gone into painting these minis well. I cannot abide uniforms, especially in groups of more than four. I far preferred converting some of them to hold more modern weapons. Otherwise they've been basecoated and then washed down with Quickshade.
They're holding the fort until I can produce some more memorable villains, which I don't see happening for a while. Hopefully these will get me gaming a bit before then.
The Corporal:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/ef7834e84702ba0f57a4c88186e27363/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo3_1280.jpg)
The Lieutenant:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/8d8cc0f31fe8b6613b6ce4ae4d3a84aa/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo7_1280.jpg)
The Privates:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/a38f3de058ce8c85fdd118b045741c87/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo9_1280.jpg)
The New Recruits:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/f798c327547599e00e6154cde322c6cb/tumblr_ow86h5oINr1wz3e6jo10_1280.jpg)
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Back to the action academics now. Running out of relatively (read: barely) plausible social science disciplines, here's a miniature I picked up from Bad Squiddo Games - my Archaeologist. She's to be the Elaine Darrow for my (hopefully) up and coming Perilous Island campaign.
An APEX investigator from Fenris Games, I believe, this miniature was great fun to paint - enough detail to keep the painter in me interested, but not enough to bore the gamer.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/355daec1c8463d9beade77271dfd75e1/tumblr_oxceitzbH61wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
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Back to the action academics now. Running out of relatively (read: barely) plausible social science disciplines, here's a miniature I picked up from Bad Squiddo Games - my Archaeologist. She's to be the Elaine Darrow for my (hopefully) up and coming Perilous Island campaign.
An APEX investigator from Fenris Games, I believe, this miniature was great fun to paint - enough detail to keep the painter in me interested, but not enough to bore the gamer.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/355daec1c8463d9beade77271dfd75e1/tumblr_oxceitzbH61wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
PERFECT choice of miniature and great brushwork as usual! :-*
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Very cool! Great looking miniature. :D
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This is kinda pulp-ish, I think?
Well, the first Pulp Alley game with the Mrs went well, pitting the wiles of Cedric Wyrtgeorn and chums against a band of academic adventurers, and to all intents and purposes she (and I) enjoyed the occasion.
The Artemis Fowl / Indiana Jones-esque theme didn't really grab her, though, and I've been giving some thought as to what I could add to my small but growing collection of miniatures which might spark her imagination into full gear.
Of course, my mind wandered, so inspiration came from the lady herself: she quite likes Harry Potter - do I have anything along those lines?
I did not, and try as I might, I could not find much throughout the web on 28mm Hogwarting, other than an upcoming game from Knight Models, and they look to like they're going to be bigger and more expensive miniatures, and far too detailed for my liking. I also am not inclined to just use film characters (aside from the fact that I did not enjoy the films, so very much preferring the books) - I prefer to game within a world, rather than follow a set script with a pre-written cast, so clearly I will have to produce my own miniatures.
I like converting figures so there is no issue on that score; I have a fair few models which will suit as civilian wizards and witches (muggle-clothed to start with) since pretty much any lightly armed or unarmed appearance will do. The main difficulty arises in sourcing wand-holding hands; I just couldn't find anything more suitable than spears cut short, and those didn't feel right.
So I am having to make my own.
My experience with Green Stuff until now has been largely filling gaps and wild hair styles, with the odd reworking of a sleeve here and there - nothing so intricate as hands and fingers, so this is a learning curve.
So, attempt #1:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/98f85a08069464597a94e231412b1d85/tumblr_oxxn41FyuX1wz3e6jo4_1280.jpg)(https://78.media.tumblr.com/ab5ed997c5638672352c0a3f1bdfa924/tumblr_oxxn41FyuX1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
I figured the best way to reduce the risk of the wand breaking off at some point in the future was to extend the paper clip I was using for her arm and model the hand around the bend.
The fingers weren't actually all that hard - I just had to remind myself to be patient and let the first parts dry before attempting the next.
As you can see, I rather oversized her wand hand, so I've enlarged her left fist so as to hopefully minimise the discrepancy. Hopefully the difference (and indeed the size of the hands relative to the rest of her) will be a bite less noticeable under a paint job.
Attempt #2:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/66330fd341171a224d41207ee76ba781/tumblr_oxxn41FyuX1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)(https://78.media.tumblr.com/cab302b0c3c9cd1ad00ad668a82690cd/tumblr_oxxn41FyuX1wz3e6jo3_1280.jpg)
The hand is at least approaching the right scale, though looking at it now I feel the forefinger is a tad too long. The wand is also a bit longer than the other, but seeing as "each wand is unique", I reckon I am allowed to get away with not being too fussy on that front.
Now to get some paint on them, and work on some male wand wavers. These two women came from Offensive Miniatures and only needed to have their hands snipped off and replaced - unfortunately the male rioters all generally have their faces covered or hold their arms in unsuitable positions. I'll have to look elsewhere, and probably have to reconstruct entire arms. Here goes nothing...
Larger pictures are available on my blog (https://idledoodler.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/oh-she-got-letter-just-like-that-and.html).
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Not even factoring you say they're your first attempt, the conversions are pretty good.
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Edit: the link at the end of your post is to a picture, not the blog post.
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Thanks! I suspect the effect, particularly at the wrists of attempt #1, will be akin to Pixar's Andy fixing Woody's ripped shoulder - namely a bit too bulky for the job. It seems long sleeves might be the way to go.
Over - wrong link fixed. Ta!
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Agree with von Lucky, pretty darn good if this is your first go. I have used green stuff a few times, but never to put on a new hand. I'll be interested to follow your progress and results.
What was the original source of you muggle wizards?
Matt
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Cheers! They both came from World Rioters Set C at Offensive Miniatures (http://www.offensiveminiatures.com/catalogue.asp?RID=44&CID=b37c6426-f193-439a-bcc4-00de4cbf70d2).
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I've never been particularly good at sticking with a painting project long enough to see it through to anything approaching a completed state, and that inability reaches out to include many other aspects of miniature hobbying.
Terrain especially has suffered from my short attention span - it would feel odd making terrain for a miniature range I hadn't painted, so I just wouldn't make any. Then, once I had painted some models up, I would feel dispirited at the lack of terrain to allow for a game (alas, book-hills and sponge-trees just didn't do it for me).
Having spent most of my hobby career dabbling in fantasy worlds, I had nothing in the way of modern scenery, and after the first, wilderness-based scenario for Pulp Alley's Perilous Island campaign the action moves to more urban settings.
I felt the similar irritation at my lack of terrain rising, so I've tried to clamp down on my inner snob and look to less aesthetically pleasing but practical (and cheap & easy) techniques for making modern buildings. Given the choice, I'd much rather have beautifully crafted houses, complete with individual brickwork and varnished interior woodwork, but needs must. It would seem I haven't the patience to wait until I've developed the skills needed to construct (miniature) buildings, so to keep the hobby momentum going I've turned to papercraft models to flesh out the tabletop.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/c09770262c4ff90a19b48b638b53eeef/tumblr_oyu9wc3aV31wz3e6jo5_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/5520e698efa879287c7e9bc509aedc6c/tumblr_oyu9wc3aV31wz3e6jo7_1280.jpg)
Germy has a good little collection of shoe box-like units - ideal for a beginner like myself to get an idea on how to go about putting paper buildings together - with the added benefit of having interior decor. I've found scenery to be much more fun in a tabletop game if you can interact with it in some way.
The inner snob emerged briefly to complain about all the white bits still showing, but I've shut him away again - this is about brick bums on seats.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/f069917963c25a56eb3738e15be62b61/tumblr_oyu9wc3aV31wz3e6jo3_1280.jpg)
I'm a scavenger by nature (my wife would say hoarder) and over the last year or so I have brought back some surplus flyers from work for a few events, and at last A6 bits of 350gsm card have come in handy! Some of the walls, roofs and floors aren't structurally sound as they could be, being split over two or more bits of card, but they do well enough for now.
I still found these to be a bit of a faff, cutting and measuring card not being my top choice of activity, so I wondered about resizing the box building templates so that for most of the sides I could just stick in an unmodified card.
I started with a couple of Stoelzel walls, doors and windows. I don't have any specialist programmes for this sort of thing (my computer baulks at the idea of anything much more complicated than paint, otherwise I'd be using GIMP), so over a lunch break or two I put together my templates on Powerpoint. Rather than use the A6 flyers, I started small with some defunct business cards (put aside for safe keeping, because you never know when inaccurate contact details might come in handy).
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/38ac974e7bb7152d7085064d6dca7bab/tumblr_oyu9wc3aV31wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/e495378b9c53dd6983a1121239e06940/tumblr_oyu9wc3aV31wz3e6jo4_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/f997bc1dc19318c814885f709d0e0493/tumblr_oyu9wc3aV31wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg)
They won't win any design awards, and I think even the British property market would think twice before producing homes to these specifications, but they're a breeze to put together. A business card each for the walls, and one and a third business card each for the roof and floor. Definitely going for impression on these rather than realism!
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Nice buildings.
I'm also a fan of card stock buildings. Rather easy to build and you can fill a whole table without busting the bank.
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Boy, yes. I like the look of some of the MDF buildings available, but just can't commit £100+ on half a street of houses.
That said, I've a number of TTCombat models on my Christmas list...
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I've got several miniatures lying around with varying numbers of layers of paint, but this is the only one I've managed to work up enough enthusiasm to paint. Relatively straightforward with no nasty hard-to-reach areas which I'm finding with the others. A bit cartoon-y compared to some of the other modern pulp miniatures I've done up over the last few months, but that just made the face more fun to paint. I won't complain at more caricature-lite minis on the market!
I think he's from Black Tree Designs who have a selection of unarmed miniatures, which I'm finding to be a bit of a rarity, or at least not as common as I'd like. I would love to hear folks' recommendations on ranges / companies with modern-ish male and female non(obvious)combatants.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/57ea41f36c22cffadeda4bc3ae47f082/tumblr_ozrqj88AVK1wz3e6jo1_500.jpg)
Polo-neck jumpers are surely due their day in the sun again sometime soon, at which point this chap will once again be very sharply dressed. As things and fashions stand, he just looks like he's trying too hard.
Maybe that's what he wants me to think...
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Nice work Idle & as I remember very well when polonecks were in fashion thanks for making me feel old lol
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Oh, woe to us who mark our passing of years according to the whims of fashion! Ten years ago skinny jeans looked weird. Five years ago it was hideously not-hip to have a beard. Last year, it -- whom am I kidding, I haven't the foggiest idea what's fashionable now compared to a year ago!
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Oh I gave up on fashion along way back Idle :) but on to more important things, actors check you a great set of them as seen over these pages, sets check a little tip on white lines on card buildings get some felt tip markers & just run a long the line with whatever colour suits best, so all that's left now is lights camera quite on the set & action :)
Looking forward to you giving us an ARR with you fab models :)
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Spectre Miniatures do MENA civilians which would work for you mate
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a little tip on white lines on card buildings get some felt tip markers
I've started doing that (felt tips unearthed from their dark, dusty corner under the more-loved art supplies) but always find I've left one or two edges un- or insufficiently-lined. I'll just have to cover the whole underside appropriately! At least with my homemade houses I can extend the brickwork pattern across the sticking tab.
Spectre Miniatures do MENA civilians which would work for you mate
I've not got any Spectre minis yet, but have been very tempted - they look beautiful on their store pages. I wish they had more female models, particularly civilians, but I suppose Spectre doesn't really focus on warzones with a great number of women combatants. Alas, the one or the other packs of female operatives have alway been out of stock whenever I've looked with money jangling in my online wallet.
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First of the two muggle-dressed witches painted up.
I struggled to enjoy painting this one, and I'm not altogether sure why. It's not the sculpting style, because I've enjoyed painting Offensive Miniatures products before and she's not dissimilar to the male rioters. There were tricky areas to get a brush into - particularly the neck - but I found myself losing momentum before I reached those stages. I liked working on the miniature with green stuff, and she should tick all my 'fun to paint' boxes - not overly detailed, a limited palette of colours, expressive face...
I dunno.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/ca1cdd95bee9f8c2a5c7dc930d069bb7/tumblr_p0eoduU3wk1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
I'm happy with how the hands turned out, anyway - don't think they stand out too much from the rest of her.
I'm struggling with painting her companion too, so it may be a while before I start gaming regularly in Potter Alley!
Aside from them, I'm hurrying through some 'plot points' for the next Pulp Alley game - hopefully I should get another game in before the week is out.
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That happends to me too and I am not sure why. Sometimes I am underwhelmed painting a mini that before I started I was very keen to paint. Perhaps we know by the time we are half way through that the finished product, depsite our best efforts, is not going to turn out quite as smashing as we thought when we began.
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Same here - but you finished her, and she looks good.
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Cheers, von Lucky.
I think you're right, Codsticker - it all went wrong after the undercoating. I dithered over t-shirt and hair colours. I re-did the t-shirt from the original plan of warm yellow (which is now going on her companion's hoodie), shifting to something that would contrast the brightness of her flesh and trousers. I hadn't realised how much of a scowl she had, which would have seemed incongruous with the original sunny outfit. I do think the simple shirt switch just jarred my mental image of the end product enough to derail the momentum. The faltering approach turned into a labourious paintjob - not what I want in a hobby!
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That's a fab paint job Idle so much character in the face, I couldn't paint that well even when I'm in the mood :)
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You're very kind, Panama - that's pretty much how I feel when I see the excellent set-ups during your photoshoots. I'm very envious of your terrain!
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Some speedy jobs (as in, they only took days rather than weeks...) to cover some plot points in future Pulp Alley games. The middle gent is a Hasslfree miniature I did a year ago or so when I was putting together a zompocalypse collection, and I felt he was generic enough to transfer across. He just needed a new base.
The chaps flanking him are a mix of Studio Miniatures zombies, Wargames Factory survivors and an arm from the Wargames Factory Russian Infantry sprue. The arm in question has had its grenade trimmed down to form a torch-ish shape. Other than greenstuffing the arm joints, that was about as much effort as I was willing to commit to this pair. Painting-wise I did no more than a hurried basecoat, wash and highlight with the basecoat colour, with a further highlight on the skin. Certainly not my most creative of miniatures, but hopefully they're vague enough to pass for security guards or police officers (or even just general thugs) according to requirements.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/3beb5cbc5864a530c765d6118cae9920/tumblr_p0e3rbvObq1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
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Very nice :) (I'm also old enough to be hoping to be able to break the glass on the emergency polo-neck box again).
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Excellent! Looks like they are ready for action. :D
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Thanks guys!
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First update of the new year!
I'm aiming for 2018 to be my Year of the Scene(ry), so here are some pictures of the first month's efforts.
More description on the various pieces on my blog (https://idledoodler.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/building-towards-future.html).
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/302742ea06d5defd49259baf6535f0d3/tumblr_p3besbRcS31wz3e6jo5_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/4a9f7a1321f6ec1afe75a6380962db4a/tumblr_p3besbRcS31wz3e6jo7_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/4df7e0270de1af988a994017059586d0/tumblr_p3besbRcS31wz3e6jo3_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/2406b73d3e53ebc2566750c4b65acd59/tumblr_p3besbRcS31wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/dd3a8d6cee20e3c9933fbb5d9cf83adf/tumblr_p3besbRcS31wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/26c50ec914699e00ba8323383da3e837/tumblr_p3besbRcS31wz3e6jo4_1280.jpg)
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Looks like you are off to a great start!
HAVE FUN
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Oof, it has been a while! D&D-related distractions have kept me away from my paint brushes for the last couple of months. I shall do penance.
However, with one D&D campaign recently coming to an end, I have an extra slot after work free to return to tabletop affairs!
I have started rebasing (again) my collection, opting for very economical plastic binding sheets. The tests I ran them through indicated their flexibility might result in fewer occasions to glue a figure back to its stand. It has also held better to miniatures with a smaller foot surface area.
Thus, I am now working through my old zombie apocalypse minis, touching up the various knocks and scrapes they have accumulated over time as well. There are a couple of paint jobs which have not stood the test of time particularly well, but they will do for now. They were originally made at a time when I was far more interested in trying alternative combinations of plastic survivor parts, avoiding the plethora of gun options in favour of more British-like homemade weapons.
The Administrator
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/030d1ed48b030a7f183268be984e964c/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
The Sports Psychologist
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/127d27dfb2d35ef6ba0de5e61b24509c/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo8_400.jpg)
The Executive
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/64f17bb6260255dc3323ad3a78f1b065/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
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I have found that constructing terrain is still a slog - I do not have the same degree of patience for it as with painting. I have a TTCombat suburban house in progress, and a set of apartments still in their wrapping, and I am hit by a wave of lethargy whenever I sit down at my desk, wood glue in hand. I am a child of my generation - I need terrain quickly and easily.
So, still faced with a surplus of business cards, I tried to design some more basic terrain.
The previous efforts have sufficed for the last few months, but they are a little too abstract for my liking, and having had our watertank burst above us and flooded us out of our bedroom at the beginning of the new year, I have a newfound dislike of flat roofs.
Hence, this time around, I have experimented with a design more commonly seen on British streets:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/3a3ccb410a5d8f440db6b87a9076664d/tumblr_pcae67Zkqz1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
Please excuse the poor photography distortion - they are the same size!
These two terraced houses are my prototypes. I used the same doors, windows and brickwork as before, and flipped the business cards to vertical, adding a bit more of a presence on the tabletop and allowing the impression of an extra floor. The roofs overlap and in theory just sit comfortably on top, pattern taken from what I believe was a free stock picture online.
A key design choice this time round was to do away with the interior, which I judged to be a luxury I could do without. I have so very seldom used the insides because the original business card houses were just too small to even abstractly portray an intern scuffle between minis, and I figured that abandoning one design feature would allow me to try another one:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/5f5d79963246314e3758df13c87367cb/tumblr_pcae67Zkqz1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
As fortunate as I am to have a hobby space to myself, it has very quickly filled up, and therefore I am on an economy drive. Fold-flat buildings are therefore a Good Thing.
These took me about an hour and a half to put together, the second much quicker than the first. Now that's a time commitment I can cope with.
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Looking good - this new found energy also seems to be a Good Thing (TM).
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Thanks! Alas, this Good Thing is being somewhat undermined by this Ruddy Weather - a top-floor flat with three walls and a flat roof facing the sun throughout the day do not a happy hobby room make...
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Sleeping, database management, travelling on public transport - all these things are made more unpleasant with this heat (honest, Great Western Railways, where are your trains with functioning air conditioning?). To this list I add painting. No matter how wet my palette, the paint dries on the brush and the miniature before I can spread it across. I have spent half my painting time scraping off lumpy layers of paint with my fingernail over and over again.
Progress is therefore even slower than usual on the painting front.
So, back to rebasing the back catalogue of zombie hunters with a view to utilising them in some modern pulp games:
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/26543e65a395f7fd9a9f4718fd5b3624/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo4_1280.jpg) (https://78.media.tumblr.com/4d7967e103f5f8d196f73e2e6b7d2fb9/tumblr_pc23kw9R4Z1wz3e6jo1_400.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/9a5a31a05e0ce97e26cf4600805b6db0/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo3_400.jpg) (https://78.media.tumblr.com/0ab293fba3db7c2b5410367892377b6f/tumblr_pc23kw9R4Z1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/5d0fa45fba178dbdb6399c4f91a87ee1/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo5_1280.jpg) (https://78.media.tumblr.com/1af5c32ac8520a9d75088bb809387041/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/57e5b8fc59f0f2f4d14f3a59bc09ab86/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo7_1280.jpg) (https://78.media.tumblr.com/b426a8a66436d95cc9d12ba15e408ebe/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo9_1280.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/8c9abea561c56136ce241a8423eb4669/tumblr_pc23mjQWFu1wz3e6jo10_1280.jpg) (https://78.media.tumblr.com/44abbb802ebd587b516dcdab4026c0c5/tumblr_pc23kw9R4Z1wz3e6jo4_400.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/f50e607bf67f6870011cb407f93e682f/tumblr_pc23kw9R4Z1wz3e6jo6_1280.jpg) (https://78.media.tumblr.com/c2911cecf0e1b822f28d33e5c850c6c3/tumblr_pc23kw9R4Z1wz3e6jo5_1280.jpg)
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I have had this chap sitting in my to-do pile for a good while now - he was part of my first order from Hasslefree Miniatures, all the way back in October 2013.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/fe7f5d76ccf49a02ccf8530c4d1d82b3/tumblr_pc3w2pBngc1wz3e6jo1_1280.jpg)
He has been given a range of different right arms, from his original pistol to cricket bats, before I finally settled upon configuring him as a character of indeterminate battle-readiness. His new arm comes from the Studio Miniatures zombie sprue - one of the few unarmed right hands I could find.
I'm still not particularly happy with the glasses, though I feel these fleshtone lenses work better than the white ones I've given some of the earlier miniatures.
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Another long-owned-but-never-painted figure, this one was either a birthday or Christmas present and has sat untouched for a long time.
I had intended for him to be an Indiana Jones-esque academic, so obviously he needed a hat. The selection on the Perry Civil War soldier sprue proved to be close enough in scale - I snipped one off and crammed it on the scalped head.
I experimented with a more wash-based approach on this fellow's clothes, which I don't think have been captured particularly well by my phone's camera. Perhaps the trousers need another layer of highlights. In person, however, I'm satisfied that they look sufficiently 'posh professor' for my purposes, if perhaps a tad bright. It was another use for the sepia wash, of which I am becoming particularly fond.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/6d690cd1fffb70399c81ff2270a1ee52/tumblr_pc3w2pBngc1wz3e6jo2_1280.jpg)
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Excellent work! ;)