Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: Captain Blood on 22 October 2017, 07:04:17 PM
-
Well I've been fending these delectable little creations off for years.
Phil Robinson tried to get me hooked on them about five years ago - I resisted!
Dr De'Ath finally succeeded, with his new mission to play Matakishi's 'Crom!' rules in 15mm...
They are tiny, but truly lovely. I don't know how Copplestone did it, I really don't.
These are the first 15mm figures I've painted in about 25 years, and I can report that they really aren't that much quicker to paint than 28mm - which surprised me.
Here are the first batch... I do have more... Whether I actually paint more - we shall see... ::)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_22_10_17_7_54_42_0.JPG)
The Cimmerians
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_22_10_17_7_54_42_1.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_22_10_17_7_54_42_2.JPG)
The Aesir (or whatever they called the lot from Asgard to the north of Cimmeria - it's been a VERY long time since I read the books!)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_22_10_17_7_54_42_3.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_22_10_17_7_54_42_4.JPG)
And, just by way of comparison, 15mm Copplestone barbarians, next to some similar kind of 28mm Copplestone sculpted figures...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_22_10_17_7_55_39.JPG)
Oh my poor eyes... ;D
-
Absolutely fantastic, great attention to detail!
-
Amazing :o
-
really lovely! Now you need to build another table for them.... :D
-
Captain Blood, oh why do you do this! Your 15mm painting makes mine just look shabby!!!
Thank you for posting these amazing gems of miniature sculpting. If you finally get hooked, which I hope, you do, then the old Werner Klocke Demonworl range is nearly en par with Copplestone!
-
Superb!
The Copplestone barbarians overcome all my deeply entrenched antipathy towards "loincloth" barbarians (rather than, say, decently dressed Visgoth or Lombard types). And these spectacular paintjobs really help.
-
Bloody hell, they are good!
:-* :-*
I am sure that you have this wrong, though...
Are you not supposed to move to bigger scales as your peepers get a bit older?
;D ;D
-
Fantastic. You should definitely paint the rest :)
-
Cracking Richard, knew you would succumb eventually :)
Just wish Mr. C would get his finger out and get the fantasy Romans done.
-
Stunning :o And as for taking just as long to paint, a nipple is a nipple in 28mm or 15mm Richard lol
-
Absolutely lovely job - glad it's not just me that finds 15mm not that much quicker (even if if it's my fav scale). Skin tones are excellent.
-
By Crom! they are lovely Richard. Well brushed and look lovely next to their larger counterparts.
-
Wow! Those are excellent Capt! :-*
So your Dino-Cave Wars board just became the equivalent of double its size? ;)
-
Fantastic. :)
-
Great skin tones and I always enjoy the "brightness" of your painting :-* :-* A tiny triumph!
Lon
-
STUNNING WORK :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
You put us mere mortals to shame
-
Beautifully done!
It was painting these that encouraged me to use magnification :)
-
Lovely work :-*
-
These are sweet!
-
Clean beautiful work as always Cap'n. Those small scales are just scary to me now. I gave my wife all my Red Box minis, because they hurt my eyes, and those are 28mm! I am amazed you make the 15s look like larger minis!
-
Superb mate.
-
These are unbelievably good.
-
Conan, whats best in life?
Austrian accent mode on
Krrash yur ennemis, zee sem drrriven bavor yu and hearr ze lemontashon of ze women!
-
stunningly good.
people comment on the brightness of your style - to me it evokes Bill Brewers work whom I used to bother in his shop (ie. not buy much) in the dim and distant ... never got close to that quality myself.
Great stuff.
-
....whom I used to bother in his shop (ie. not buy much) in the dim and distant ...
You and me both.
::)
-
Thanks all :)
Stunning :o And as for taking just as long to paint, a nipple is a nipple in 28mm or 15mm Richard lol
lol - thanks for that Jeff...
Wow! Those are excellent Capt! So your Dino-Cave Wars board just became the equivalent of double its size? ;)
That thought had occurred to me Andy :D (And my Lucid Eye Simians, which stand around 20mm tall, will now act as giant apes to the teeny tiny barbarian populace!)
people comment on the brightness of your style - to me it evokes Bill Brewers work whom I used to bother in his shop (ie. not buy much) in the dim and distant ...
Thanks Bloggard. That is high praise indeed. I too used to regularly go and pester Bill Brewer in the Rye Stamp & Hobby Shop...
Ah, the 12A bus from South Croydon bus garage, all the way to Peckham... Used to take me well over an hour, and I'd make the trip every couple of weeks - just to gawp, when I didn't have any money to spend. I'd like to say Bill was always happy to see us young 'uns, but truth be told, he could be an irascible old curmudgeon at times... ;)
Generally not though, and he did always answer my questions about his painting...
I really think he is the true originator of the 'Dallimore method' that's pretty much de rigeur in the painting of wargames figures to a high quality these days. Those guys all learned at Bill's knee, at SELWG and the Warlords...
As far as the brightness of my painting goes, that's mainly down to lighting and camera. I do favour bold, saturated colours. But they don't look quite that bright with the naked eye. There again, with the naked eye, they're only a fraction of the size you see here on screen, so it's swings and roundabouts as I always point out :)
-
Amazing work. I wish I could get this good at any scale.
-
Your Little Folk are as WONDERFULLY painted & based as their larger Brethren. VERY WELL DONE!
Admiring them is worth the sympathetic eye strain.
-
lol Thank you Al
-
Fleshy.
-
Yikes! Those are a joy to behold indeed.
Lovely fleshtones and vibrant colours, very much looking forward to seeing more.
-
Luv'um!
-
Spectacular. I keep meaning to get into 15mm, but you know how it goes.
-
Those are absolutely stunning - I've tried painting those figures myself and it beats me how you managed to achieve such a brilliant effect :o
-
Beautiful!
-
Thank you gents...
I fear I may now be infected with the bug... I have 10 more on the workbench and am looking at acquiring a few of the rank and file packs... Goddammit! lol
-
Thank you gents...
I fear I may now be infected with the bug... I have 10 more on the workbench and am looking at acquiring a few of the rank and file packs... Goddammit! lol
You may as well put that optivisor on your christmas list right now, mate.
;)
-
Fantastic! Thank god you aren't painting their eyes ;)
-
One of us... One of us....
Thank you gents...
I fear I may now be infected with the bug... I have 10 more on the workbench and am looking at acquiring a few of the rank and file packs... Goddammit! lol
-
Seven more packs ordered... Sheesh... I am so weak-willed... ::)
I think I need to resurrect the 'What's happening to Copplestone's Barbarica' thread, because I am wondering why no Pict command or characters have ever appeared, and I seem to recall that these along with 'fantasy Romans' were promised when North Star took over Copplestone Castings about a year ago, and the great man himself was planning to make a return to sculpting... Clearly it didn't happen... :(
-
Seven more packs ordered... Sheesh... I am so weak-willed... ::)
I think I need to resurrect the 'What's happening to Copplestone's Barbarica' thread, because I am wondering why no Pict command or characters have ever appeared, and I seem to recall that these along with 'fantasy Romans' were promised when North Star took over Copplestone Castings about a year ago, and the great man himself was planning to make a return to sculpting... Clearly it didn't happen... :(
Yep. That's true, and they were promised even longer. It's such a pity that Mr Copplestone never finished the picts!
-
Fantastic work as always, Richard. Reminds me to finish my own 15 mil barbarian cavalry at least ...
-
Wow, brilliant stuff Rich. I second your views on them, I really liked painting them as well. Wish I had time to do more.
-
Amazing work. Even in 28mm the minis would be outstanding. :o :-*
-
Thank you guys.
Inspired by your enthusiasm, I have destroyed my poor old eyes a little more... Here's the next batch...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_32_41_2.JPG)
Three more Northern types - yes, I know the shamaness is skew-whiff. Not sure if this is the casting or how I stuck her onto the base. Anyway, in this miniscule scale it'll never actually notice on the tabletop. Irritating though >:(
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_32_41_0.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_32_41_1.JPG)
Five more Cimmerians. Essentially, in Robert E Howard, the Cimmerians are proto-Celts. Kind of Welsh-Irish as far as I can recall. So I figured tartan was okay...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_32_41_3.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_32_41_4.JPG)
This is the Cimmerian tribe so far...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_33_52_0.JPG)
And these are the Vanir / Aesir / whatever you call them - more barbarous hairy Northern types...
(Although, I actually think the figure 4th from the right, is meant to be an older, grizzled Conan... He reminds me of one of the Frazetta paintings of Conan in his later years... )
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_33_52_2.JPG)
And the whole bally lot so far...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_33_52_1.JPG)
I now have the next dozen - including the first batch of Picts - primed and ready for painting, 20 more beyond that cleaned up...
Oh dear.
I think that'll be enough, no? :)
-
Lordy!
-
Damn good paintwork. :-*
-
Excellent work Richard, love 'em :-*
-
Damaging your eyes to paint these?......worth it!
What’s your overall plan with this? Are you doing a couple of rival tribes? Or is there a big barbarian tribe gaming scene in London?
-
Thanks gents :)
What’s your overall plan with this? Are you doing a couple of rival tribes? Or is there a big barbarian tribe gaming scene in London?
I don’t know. Mark (Dr De’Ath’) suckered me into it. He’s got a mini project going using Matakishi’s ‘Crom!’ Rules, and he persuaded me to paint a few samples. I’ve actually been looking at these figures for several years, ever since they first appeared, but kept telling myself I didn’t want to start painting 15mm again at my age!
But truthfully, they are so delightful, I’m now hooked on painting the bastard tiny things... ::)
I figure I’ll end up doing about 60 figures - 20 each of Cimmerians, Picts and Northmen - and see where that takes me. I’m sure I can devise a nice little skirmish of my own, using (as you suggested, Andy) my 28mm Cave Wars boards, which should suit well for this...
We’ll see. At the moment I’m just enjoying painting the figures :)
-
top draw.
-
They look great :)
I found them amazingly detailed and pretty fun to paint.
-
Thank you guys.
Inspired by your enthusiasm
You're inspired by us?
Absolutely draw-dropping stuff. That 15mm-28mm comparison picture boggles the minds of us lesser painters, and this latest batch is equally sensational. A treat for the eyes!
-
Thanks :)
Today, I have been mainly painting 15mm Picts. They really are delectable little creations, and fun to paint...
I've noticed, alas though, that thanks to the 'random figure mix' in each pack policy (hate that. Hate it), I have many duplicates, but am completely missing several figures from each of the rank and file packs I bought. This includes two of the more interesting Pict figures... :(
If anyone happens to have spares of the two stone-axe-wielding figures arrowed, I'd love to hear from you.
I can send you a clutch of my duplicates from various packs in return...
Drop me a PM if you're up for a swap 8)
Thanks!
(https://i.imgur.com/DXm2qrA.jpg)
-
They are all BEAUTIFULLY painted & based creations. I do get sympathetic eyestrain from them, but it is a small sacrifice to make. VERY WELL DONE!
-
Now this is just getting silly....I mean, stripes and tartan on something that I wouldn't even be able to see!
:o :o
Bloody brilliant, ya mad squinting fool, Riccardo!
:-* :-* ;)
-
Jaw droppingly good Richard :-*
-
Thanks guys.
Picts to follow soon... :)
-
Brilliant!
Destroying your eyes on these is not wasted.
-
That is some superb brushwork on those barbarians. Can't wait to see the Picts! I'm not a 15mm gamer but share your pain regarding figure pack with random assortments of poses - it never fails that the ones I most want are the ones not included in the pack. I think a chap named Murphy had a thing or two to say about this.
At any rate, keep up the great work!
-
Absolutely lovely job - looking forward to seeing your pics, they're my favourite of the range. I might be able to help you out with the poses, I'll take a look this evening.
-
Thank you Arundel. And thanks too, Rory, that’s kind of you. I did get an offer of help from Divismal in Germany, but if you’re able help from within the UK that would be easier I’m sure. Happy to send you a few swapsies and / or PayPal you for cost and postage. Cheers.
Richard
-
Sorry - only just had the chance to peak at my spares and don't have those poses. Boooo!
-
No problem. Thanks for looking Rory. Hopefully Florian will be able to find the missing links in his lead mountain :)
Meanwhile... Here are my first Picts.
Interesting these, for someone like me who spent his teenage years engrossed in Hyboria...
Robert E Howard’s ‘Picts’ – the denizens of the Hyborian ‘Pictish Wilderness’ have very little to do with the Dark Age inhabitants of Scotland, and a lot to do with native Americans.
In the stories like ‘Wolves beyond the border’, the 'Picts' wear war-paint, eagle feathers in their hair, moccasins, live in tribes called things like ‘Beaver’ and ‘Hornbill’, and are pretty clearly primitive Woodland Indians.
Copplestone, interestingly, has pushed them in a slightly different direction.
Although Howard’s Picts are described as dark-skinned, short and stocky, and are stone tool / weapon users, Copplestone has turned them into mini-Neanderthals. Perhaps he was inspired by the Frank Frazetta paintings of Conan beset by teeming, squat and muscular minions and ‘apemen’ (not the same as Picts in Howard’s Hyboria, but never mind… ).
These little miniatures seem to be a cross between the two. (With a bit of ‘Lurz’ style Uruk-Hai thrown in). Anyway, whatever they are, I like them.
I’ve given them a more coppery skin tone than the Cimmerians / Northmen, liberally splodged them with blue clay war-paint, and with clay-washed dreadlocks… Well, it’s a look…
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_14_11_17_7_17_07_0.JPG)
Pictish bottoms...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_14_11_17_7_17_07_1.JPG)
And against foes...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_14_11_17_7_17_07_2.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_14_11_17_7_17_07_3.JPG)
And here, with a 28mm plastic Fireforge figure, just to show the scale... ;)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_14_11_17_7_17_07_4.JPG)
And in case you missed them earlier on page 3, the assembled Cimmerian / Aesir so far - with a sprinkling of Hyperborean evil wizardry and witchery in the mix...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_11_11_17_1_33_52_1.JPG)
-
Lovely work Richard :-*
-
Bleedin' gorgous!
Loving the 'clay' idea.
:-* :-*
-
Brilliant - you've absolutely flown through those. That lot would take me at least a month.
-
Very nice! What do you use for your bases?
-
Very nice indeed. I kinda regret selling my Barbarica stuff when I see work of this calibre - it really is a great range, which Mr. Copplestone shall hopefully get around to completing one of these days!
-
Beautifully done. The way you've handled the stone on the spears and adzes is inspirational.
As for the Picts, doesn't the word originally mean simply "painted one"? So in that sense its being applied to American Indian types works pretty well, I think. I've always thought East Coast Indians, Iroquis, Mohican types, would probably be the best figures to represent Howard's Picts, though I must admit to being partial to Monolith's sculpts, steroided up as they are. They look like some mean fellers.
Keep up the great work! Any chance we'll see them in a game setting?
-
Keep up the great work! Any chance we'll see them in a game setting?
That’s the plan, eventually!
Thanks for the comments :)
-
These are absolutely stunning paintjobs on beautiful copplestone sculpts! So gorgeous, love the warpaint effect and colour palette you used.
You might be interested in a couple of sculpt comissions I did for Crom's Anvil. They were designed to fit right in with the copplestones and are a shaman and cheiften. I'm not as good as Mr C but hope I did a fair tribute to his minis. Here's the link:
http://cromsanvil.co.uk/
-
Nice one Richard! :-*
-
Thanks Andy.
That shaman is great, ShortscaleDave. Will you do any more?
Very nice! What do you use for your bases?
15mm washers :)
-
Gorgeous, Richard!
-
Lovely stuff! I never thought to go with darker skin for some reason I went for very pale as if they had been living underground.
-
Lovely work!
-
Thanks. The next batch of barbarians and Northmen are well underway :)
I nearly succumbed to the Forged In Battle Iron Age farmstead when I was at Warfare in Reading this morning. It looks like it would do very nicely as a Cimmerian village. But they don’t have display models - only the product in brown boxes tightly wrapped up under about 10 layers of selloptape. I wish retailers wouldn’t do that. I don’t want to spend 30 quid on a resin piece that I can’t look at first. Just a grainy black and white photocopy picture on the box lid... Anyone happen to have a painted example of this piece? :)
-
I've not seen a painted one, but the images of some of their other buildings on this blog look very tasty
http://leadandempire.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm a huge fan of the Forged in Battle range, they're fantastic to paint, can't imagine the buildings being anything other than brill too.
-
These are fabulous Cap'n!
-
Agree - lovely painting in this thread.
While not painted examples, here are some pictures of the iron age farm:
http://www.westwindproductions-forum.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=162&product_id=730
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/832150598/war-and-empire-ii-legions-of-rome/posts/1534082
-
Wow, those are very Pict-uresque :D
Superb, better than my 28 mm stuff. 8) 8) 8)
-
Thanks :)
And thanks, Von Lucky, for the Iron Age farm pics in the Kickstarter. Those are useful :)
I think, actually, what I will do is just buy some of the individual huts and then build my own Cimmerian village.
Meanwhile, here is the next lot of figures.
These are from the rank and file Barbarian and Northmen packs. Not quite as good overall as the character packs. Some of the figures are a bit flat and two-dimensional. Still very good though...
Barbarian reinforcements...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_03_12_17_10_34_33_0.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_03_12_17_10_34_34_1.JPG)
Northmen reinforcements...
There is no bow-armed pack for the Northmen for some reason. The archer is one of the barbarian bowmen with a Green Stuff fur waistcoat added...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_03_12_17_10_34_34_2.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_03_12_17_10_34_34_3.JPG)
The new recruits line up...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_03_12_17_10_34_34_4.JPG)
I'm up to 30+ of these figures finished now... The next batch of Picts are now on the paint table...
;D
-
Epic stuff. :)
-
Lovely brushwork as ever, I don`t think my eyes could manage this and certainly couldn`t do them justice like you have :-*
-
Looks great!
Of course, this thread eroded my last willpower and made me order the character packs ::)
-
Your trademark use of vibrant tones really suits this scale. I bet these guys really pop on the table, despite their diminutiveness.
-
Another lovely set - great colour pops, they look grand.
-
Nice bright and not at all stereotypical beards.
-
Just awesome! These are so splendidly painted I lack the words to praise them like they deserve.
-
Thanks lads :)
Of course, this thread eroded my last willpower and made me order the character packs ::)
Yay, Another one bites the dust... ;)
-
very nice indeed :-*
-
Thanks Tom.
Last painting of 2017!
I've finished some more teeny tiny 'picts'...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_31_12_17_2_14_00_0.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_31_12_17_2_14_00_4.JPG)
The inhabitants of Pictland so far...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_31_12_17_2_14_00_1.JPG)
Cimmerian heroes beset by the brutish Picts...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_31_12_17_2_14_00_3.JPG)
Close-up...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/30/577_31_12_17_2_14_00_2.JPG)
-
I like your take on those Richard,shame there's no command pack for them though don't you think?
-
Very nice! Do you have plans for the dwarfs?
-
Ooooh!
They are just lovely, Mr Blood, sir.
Bloody lovely.
:-* :-* :-*
I like your take on those Richard,shame there's no command pack for them though don't you think?
Dont need one, do they?
The fella with the biggest axe is obviously in charge, aint he?
:D
-
Thanks lads :)
Killshot - no, I probably won't do the dwarves - they don't really fit the Hyborian vibe for me. Much more Tolkienesque. Don't quite get why they've appeared in this range... Delightful little figures though they are.
Keith - yes, despite what Paul says ( lol ) it's a shame Copplestone didn't get round to making a command and / or character pack for the Picts :(
Still, maybe he'll pick it up again one day... He's back sculpting for North Star more regularly now it seems, and he has dipped in and out of this 15mm 'Barbarica' range every couple of years with a few more - generally unexpected - releases.
One can but hope... ::)
-
Nice additions Richard! :-*
-
very cool
-
Very pretty cool!
-
Thanks lads :)
-
Ooh, nice. :-*
You know, I think maybe your style suits these little guys even better than it does the 28mm stuff.
-
You know, I think maybe your style suits these little guys even better than it does the 28mm stuff.
Godammit!
;)
-
They look terrific - and the woad works really well, which strikes me as a real triumph in 15mm.
-
Brilliant.
Ever felt like having a go at the Demon World figures? ::) Ral Parha Europe carries them now.
(Fantastic figures. I intend to do some for HOTT in 2018.)
-
Lovely job chief - look great, and they 'read' really well. Any joy in the errant Pict? If not I'll send another tomorrow and a couple more Forged in Battle poses for you to compare.
-
Ooh, nice. :-*
You know, I think maybe your style suits these little guys even better than it does the 28mm stuff.
Just what I was thinking. Richard you really make them ‘pop’.
-
very nice additions indeed
-
Thanks lads.
Brilliant.
Ever felt like having a go at the Demon World figures? ::) Ral Parha Europe carries them now.
(Fantastic figures. I intend to do some for HOTT in 2018.)
Thanks Malcolm :)
No, never tried those. It's really the awesome combination of Copplestone and Conan that grabs me with these. Must sadly confess, I'm not overly interested in fantasy or 15mm beyond that. But interested to take a look at what you come up with on the Demon World figures.
Lovely job chief - look great, and they 'read' really well. Any joy in the errant Pict? If not I'll send another tomorrow and a couple more Forged in Battle poses for you to compare.
Thanks Rory. No, I am afraid your kind donation of one of the missing Picts never arrived. A victim of the Christmas post maelstrom I suppose... The poor little scraps are probably down the back of a seat in a Royal Mail van somewhere... ::)
Cheers.
Richard
-
No probs - easy to replace for you. My own fault I reckon, it was a pretty titchy parcel, which was probably asking for trouble...
-
Thanks lads.
Thanks Malcolm :)
No, never tried those. It's really the awesome combination of Copplestone and Conan that grabs me with these. Must sadly confess, I'm not overly interested in fantasy or 15mm beyond that. But interested to take a look at what you come up with on the Demon World figures.
Demonworld has the Isthak and the Thain series that can be used for a conanesque setting apart from a few orc and empire minis and of course the excellent dark elves - with a samurai flair.
-
Been following this for some time now, and would like to add to the praise. i almost bought these minis just because of your painting. :)
-
Those Picts look a bit fantastic.
-
That’s very kind of you. Thanks guys.
-
Oh dear, six month hiatus...
Finally back to it.
Cataract surgery and copious quantities of real life have rather got in the way for the last several months. Plus a bit of terrain building :D
Now back on the brushes...
So, having finally tracked down the elusive 15mm Copplestone Barbarica Pict variants that had eluded me to this point (thanks to Nick Northstar for hand picking them out for me!) here are the latest primitive additions to the Pictish Wilderness...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/33/577-240618213642-33987639.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/33/577-240618213642-339882301.jpeg)
And the Pict tribe so far... 15 variants!
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/33/577-240618213643-33989242.jpeg)
Now I just need Mr. Copplestone to reconnect with his 15mm mojo, and churn out a Pict command / character pack or two... :)
-
Hooray :D
They look lovely indeed 8)
-
Great looking guys.
-
Truly excellent, I really like the color of the warpaint.
-
Wonderful! Pallette is really nice.
-
Fantastic wee collection! :-*
-
nice
-
They look great!
-
I love the Barbarica figures and am gutted that we won't be getting any more.
-
Wow, those are really cool!
-
What lovely looking wee fellas! Your vibrant painting style is ideal for bringing out the flavour in these little dudes.
-
Thanks lads :)
I love the Barbarica figures and am gutted that we won't be getting any more.
Never say never. We know the great man is working again, and he’s made a couple of previous unexpected returns to this range after hiatuses. So maybe, just maybe, one day we’ll get a few more packs of something or other :)
-
Wonderful work on those little fellas, sir.
:-* :-*
Good to see that you have made acquaintance with the ultimate 'Pict Dealer' as well.
:D
-
Thanks lads :)
Never say never. We know the great man is working again, and he’s made a couple of previous unexpected returns to this range after hiatuses. So maybe, just maybe, one day we’ll get a few more packs of something or other :)
Yeah....that would be totally awesome! Meanwhile Angel Barracks and Splintered Lights have released some suitable additions, which might work in the Hyborian Age!
https://s.yimg.com/aah/yhst-133546587642587/dungeon-delvers-3.gif
https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-133546587642587/non-human-adventurers-3.gif
http://www.splinteredlightminis.com/menofeainco.html
http://cromsanvil.co.uk/
Thanks for posting the final picture. Your style works really, really well on 15mm!
-
Thanks Florian, and thanks Paul :)
-
Brilliant. The painting and to know you are back with the brushes. :)
-
Well, after a hiatus of over a year, I'm returning to Hyboria in 15mm, spurred on by the advent of the new Pictish character / command pack by the excellent Mr Copplestone (facilitated through the good offices of Nicknorthstar - thanks Nick :)).
I'm planning to create a wargame using these exquisite little figures - a self-contained adventure 'Beyond the Thunder River', where competing warbands of Cimmerians, Aesir and Vanir, led by their diminutive heroes and heroines, venture on a quest beyond the eponymous frontier into the benighted Pictish Wilderness, where all sorts of hostile Hyborian horrors await - not least the savage and remorseless Picts themselves :o
The game will use simple playing card driven rule mechanics (rather like my Cave Wars game https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=76576.480).
It will be fun but flavoursome - full of tasty Conan the Barbarian goodness :)
For this game, I'm going to create a new 1m x 1.2m table, fully landscaped with integral terrain...
To start with I'm going to repurpose one of my existing solid foam base terrain boards, and then add a second new board to create the required playing arena.
I've used several packs of these 1200mm x 500mm Knauf Insulation 'Space Boards' to make various terrain layouts - they were cheap, chunky and widely available in the UK for a while: a perfect base for creating solid but lightweight terrain. Unfortunately Knauf stopped making them a few years ago. Very unsporting of them :-[
Luckily though, I had one virgin slab saved for a rainy day, and I've decided this is what it's finally getting used for!
Long-time LAFers may remember these boards which I made 8 or 9 years ago for a F&IW set-up (although they've since been used for a wide variety of other settings and genres - change the trees, buildings and figures, and it's actually a pretty versatile temperate set-up, suitable for anything and everything from medieval to WW2).
There are four boards, and by cunning arrangement of the roads and the rivers, they can fit together in several different configurations.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019232348-421241738.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019232349-42125599.jpeg)
So to start with, I am going to be using the board with a built-in palisade and ditch in one corner, as one half of my table for 'Beyond the Thunder River'. That's this one...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019232350-421261588.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019232352-421272065.jpeg)
For the purposes of this new undertaking, the empty palisaded area will house the Cimmerian village, which will be the jump-off point for the game...
Thusly...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233055-421292433.jpeg)
I thought about completely scratchbuilding the village, having decided to go for a pseudo-Iron Age walled settlement: somewhat Chysauster or Carn Euny-like.
But then I decided to invest in a set of Dark Age turf-roofed stone beehive huts from Forged In Battle. These are very neat little model buildings, cleanly cast in pleasingly solid resin. What's more the set only costs 20 quid (ah, the joys of 15mm!) It's supposed to include one large chieftain's hut and four smaller (identical - boo!) huts. Actually, my box contained 2 large huts and 4 small - bonus!
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019232353-42128832.jpeg)
The huts will be encircled and conjoined by a series of defensive walls, which I plan to sculpt out of Green Stuff.
I might also add one or two non-beehive hut shaped lean-to outbuildings just for a bit of variety...
I'm mounting the whole lot on a piece of plastic card, which will fit neatly just inside the palisaded area as a single intact terrain piece. Thusly:
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233059-421331631.jpeg)
It would be nice to keep the huts separate to use in different arrangements in future scenarios, but I won't get the striking visual effect I'm after by doing that. So I'm going to sacrifice future flexibility by making a fixed, dioramic model village...
One of the reasons is because I want the huts to be at different heights, as if on undulating ground. To effect this, I'm fixing some of the huts onto kind of low plinths at assorted heights, cut from foam scraps using a hot wire cutter. These are glued to the plastic card baseboard (and then the huts glued onto the foam) using a hot glue gun. Trust me, nothing shifts that stuff - it's basically molten plastic that sets rock hard and like, well, plastic...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233056-421301627.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233057-421312367.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233058-421321854.jpeg)
From here on, the process will be pretty familiar to anyone who has read any of my previous terrain-building threads. It's a tried and tested formula, which is basically:
1. Foam skeleton of underlying terrain
2. 'Iced' with lightweight, aereated wall filler to round out the basic topography, applied with a knife
3. Surfaced with gloop (sand/paint/PVA mix) applied with a brush, which, (once dry) provides surface texture, rigidity, and a hard, sealed, plasticised surface
4. Fine detailing on top
Here then, the 'icing' layer, to give shape to the lie of the land... It doesn't matter too much about making this smooth since it's going to be covered later by the gloop.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233320-42134575.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233321-421351386.jpeg)
Leaving that to dry, it's time to consider the other (new) terrain board.
This new half of the tabletop, which is almost all 'Pictish Wilderness' beyond the Thunder River, will be wild and hilly, dark and foreboding, with crags and stone circles, dolmen and crevasses...
For the basis of this desolate and dangerous land, I'm going to use an offcut of a piece of vac-formed 1:1 scale rock-face designed for stage / TV set construction / decor... This stuff is 0.5mm thick abs plastic. It's fairly rigid, not flimsy like the Amera Mouldings or old Bellona Battlefield products.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233322-421362264.jpeg)
If you want to know how this works, you can see how I've used other pieces of this material on my WW2 Western Desert terrain boards, here: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=52964.975
As you can see, it's going to take a fair amount of cutting and filling to create the basic shape of the terrain, but I think this will make for a suitably daunting terrain for the Barbarian Pict-hunters... In 15mm scale, that's going to be one hell of an escarpment lol
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233324-42137708.jpeg)
More updates to follow... :)
-
Will be cool to follow! The old boards look great, and the beehive village will look amazing I'm sure.
-
Nice. I'll be interested to see what you do with the river upstream,rapids,swirling water etc.
Rivers,streams and trout,being about the only subject I'm truly confident in,haha.
-
Great looking project already :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
This is mega.
I have those same huts, intended for a similar purpose!
-
Everything you show here is breathtaking. I cannot decide if I'm more in awe about your skills as a miniature painter or terrain builder! :o :o :o
-
Just discovered this thread :o :o
Stunningly good PJs Richard, and a cracking board as well
-
That is an awesome looking setup!
I can already see herds of mammoths and sabre tooth tigers roaming accros it :-* :-* :-*
Looking forward to seeing the village and escarpment when they're finished.
Cheers,
Stroezie.
-
Just noticed the Hyborian terrain update. One to come back to and savour!!
-
Great looking boards / terrain :-*
the picts sure did get a bad press in ol' R.E's imaginary settings ... sometimes wonder why I like all that stuff lol
-
That already looks like a cracker of a build.
Shall be following with much interest*.
8) :D 8)
*Whilst seeing far too many possibilities from that fella Mr Evans' stuff.
You are a bad man, sir.
>:D ;)
-
Wicked cool :D
-
Thanks lads :)
the picts sure did get a bad press in ol' R.E's imaginary settings ... sometimes wonder why I like all that stuff lol
Yeah, Howard’s ‘picts’ are kind of stone age, pre-conquest Woodland Indians, a la ‘Flint and feather’, with barely a nod to the historical Picts of Dark Age Scotland.
Copplestone’s picts are kind of Neanderthal troglodytes, so neither one thing nor the other. I do very much like them though. They do shout ‘savage wilderness’!
That is an awesome looking setup!
I can already see herds of mammoths and sabre tooth tigers roaming accros it :-* :-* :-*
This is a very good point, I will definitely need some sabretooth cats and a few woolly mammoth :)
I know Primeval Designs do some in 15mm, but not sure if they have a UK stockist... Magister Militum are meant to be, but don’t seem to have any stock... Any suggestions, please let me know.
Meanwhile, importantly, I have ordered a deck of Frank Frazetta art playing cards... That will help set the mood :)
-
Hmm, outstanding modularosity!
-
Thanks lads :)
Yeah, Howard’s ‘picts’ are kind of stone age, pre-conquest Woodland Indians, a la ‘Flint and feather’, with barely a nod to the historical Picts of Dark Age Scotland.
which was my point really (in as much as there was one), as Howard had certain views, and given the state of things in 2019, there's not much point saying they were of their time ...
Meanwhile, importantly, I have ordered a deck of Frank Frazetta art playing cards... That will help set the mood :)
every home should have one!
-
Outstanding stuff.
This is a very good point, I will definitely need some sabretooth cats and a few woolly mammoth :)
I know Primeval Designs do some in 15mm, but not sure if they have a UK stockist... Magister Militum are meant to be, but don’t seem to have any stock... Any suggestions, please let me know.
There are some Ice Age beasts by Mick Yarrow, see http://www.spanglefish.com/mickyarrowminiatures/index.asp?pageid=192885
I have a few of his mammoths, sabre tooths, reindeer &c bought a few years ago to go with my 15mm Copplestones. I think they work well enough together. Fairly old school in style but OK (the website pics aren't very helpful). I'd post some pics of mine but we're about to move house so all my stuff is currently packed away...
-
Thanks. I’d never heard of them. I shall take a look!
-
Love copplestone figs, love your painting style, so it’s a good match, well done.
-
Thank you :)
Onto part two of the terrain board build...
Okay, so as far as the mountainous area goes, from the offcut of theatrical plastic moulding...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233324-42137708.jpeg)
I have cut out these usable / interesting pieces...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124316-421721221.jpeg)
...and then fixed them down to the baseboard using the hot glue gun...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124317-421782259.jpeg)
As you can see, the hot glue is liberally applied both under the plastic moulding (where it abuts the styrofoam base), and over the join in order to seal the plastic moulding down and in place onto the baseboard.
Where I have gaps, I have shaped some offcuts of foam and glued them in place to provide an approximate base for plastering...
The hot glue also acts as an excellent filler. This stuff is dirt cheap and amazing. It sets clear and rock-hard - like solid plastic.
It doesn't matter what it looks like at this point because all those joins and infilled areas are going to be completely concealed by wall filler at a subsequent step...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124317-421791863.jpeg)
So that gives me the basic layout I'm going to be working to... Looks a bit weird at the moment, but will look like a cohesive whole by the time I'm finished 8)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124317-42180321.jpeg)
Meanwhile, back in the Cimmerian village...
Once the 'icing' layer of wall filler has hardened, I've then applied the concealing top coat of gloop (sand/PVA/paint mix)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124538-42182882.jpeg)
I've also started adding a few embedded features, like a set of stone steps leading up to the chieftain's hut, and flanked by a pair of standing stones. (These are just chips of slate scavenged from decorative plant pot surfacing... :))
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124317-421812384.jpeg)
The next step with the village will be to create some walls, outhouses and enclosures, to get that semi-fortified Iron Age settlement look... I'll probably just use foam and Green Stuff to do this...
I've also sanded out the river bed on the new section... As you can tell, I fannied about with two or three different routes for the river, but what you are after is a natural, gradual sweep, so once my plastic uplands were fixed in place I could see where the river had to run...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124538-421831132.jpeg)
I bought a new cheap and cheerful multi-tool to do this - 30 quid from my local builders' merchants, and a dead useful addition to my terrain-making armoury. Took a fraction of the time it usually does to channel out a nice 3mm deep river bed...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119125009-421872450.jpeg)
I also acquired this lightweight resin stone circle from Copplestone/North Star, which I'm going to incorporate as a fixture - probably round about here on the new half of the terrain board - providing the mysterious and eldritch portal to the benighted Pictish Wilderness...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124541-421851067.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124542-421861779.jpeg)
And finally for now, I've applied the icing layer of wall filler to blend the plastic vac-formed 'mountains' into the styrofoam baseboard. Also to build up the river banks...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119125010-42188866.jpeg)
There are a few things to note about this...
1. It's important to roughly stab / score the styrofoam board all over, where the wall filler is going to be applied in order to provide a decent key for the filler to grip onto.
2. The aim here is to conceal the join (including all that hardened hot glue), cover up any bodged infill, and to provide a natural looking blend between the raised areas and the baseboard.
3. Once the basic filler is applied with a palette knife, I then used a very wet, large, soft paintbrush to smooth out the filler so that it follows and blends with the line of the rock formations as far as possible... You can slap as much water onto the filler as you like - once it evaporates the whole thing dries out and it doesn't seem to affect the adhesion, nor the hardness of the final set contours.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119125010-42189361.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119125010-42190818.jpeg)
Once again, it doesn't matter too much about the join being a little bit messy here or there, because the whole area will be further covered with a top layer of concealing gloop anyway (except for those areas which are going to be left as bare rock, which do need to be smooth).
Here endeth the second lesson :D ;)
-
Amazing. This is just amazing.
Makes me want to build larger boards!
-
Interesting and informative :-*
As an aside, I have previously had an issue with hot glue softening in high summer heat then cooling and hardening with a freshly introduced warp. I can’t see that happening with your boards as the component parts are either substantive or layered. 8)
-
I like this, I like this a lot.
-
A great project. Yeah, 15mm allows for terrain goodness like that. Imagine all that on a 28mm table. It just wouldn't work as convincingly. Very nice job, and thanks for sharing the process with us!
-
Very impressive terrain work. The use of the theatre off casts is quite inspired.
-
Very nice terrain you are building!
-
'Tis shaping up nicely, sir.
:)
-
Thanks lads :)
Hope to get some more done today...
-
Looking great :-* :-* :-*
The stone circle is a lovely touch just need to make sure no sexy English woman travel through it :D
-
Good work, sir. Good work.
-
Thanks Jaye :)
Looking great :-* :-* :-*
The stone circle is a lovely touch just need to make sure no sexy English woman travel through it :D
lol Thanks Colin.
She's amazing isn't she? Considering she's actually Irish, her English accent is so lovely...
Mind you, I couldn't get on with the second and subsequent seasons.
-
She is still cracking in all the other series as well, is it season 4 now?
-
Cool stuff!
-
That stone circle is one of the few terrain pieces I've actually finished. I look forward to seeing your take on it.
-
Thank you :)
I've now completed the build of my 15mm Cimmerian village.
This has ended up being a bit of a compromise between form (I wanted a Chysauster-style enclosed settlement) and function / playability (where you need to allow some ways in and out!) Hopefully the end result achieves the look of the former whilst also facilitating the latter...
Having started with the turf-roofed, stone beehive huts from Forged in Battle (mounted at various levels, per the preceding post) thus...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124538-42182882.jpeg)
I then infilled between some of the huts with outbuildings and walls made from small pieces of styrofoam, to create the kind of clusters that are characteristic of Iron Age (and earlier) settlements. I inscribed stone patterning with a sharp point, and roofed the new parts with turf made from Green Stuff. These were then given a good slap of PVA to seal them - because spray primer melts styrofoam!
I'll be honest, this was a tricky job because of the small scale. It's hard to cut such small pieces of foam to the shape you want using a hot wire cutter, especially when aiming for rough, organic forms. It's also hard to inscribe such small marks on the porous surface of the foam and keep them looking right.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163701-422372186.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163700-42233577.jpeg)
Having decided not to surround the whole thing (as originally planned) with stone walls and enclosures, I thought it looked a bit under-defended, so I then started adding palisades and gates cut from cocktail sticks and bamboo barbecue skewers (to give different girth stakes for a less uniform look - these are barbarians after all, not civil engineers... )
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163701-42238472.jpeg)
Then onto the detailing... Quite a lot of this is focused on the chieftain's hut, because hey - every scene needs a focal point.
First up, I sculpted a trophy bear pelt out of Green Stuff to adorn his roof.
I also added a couple of metal shields and a reindeer skull standard, cut from duplicates of various of the 15mm Copplestone figures.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163700-42235599.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163700-42236372.jpeg)
I was going to carry on and add all sorts of other detailing... Dung heap! Pots and jars! Spear rack! Drying animal skins on stretching frames! I've seen Conan The Barbarian. I know what they have in Cimmerian villages...
Then I decided that in this titchy scale, there's going to be precious little room left for figures if I chuck in so much set dressing, so decided to quit while I was ahead instead.
I think it'll do...
Of course it looks decidedly messy when you can see all the different materials used to bodge the thing together.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163926-422391547.jpeg)
But Lo!
Observe how it all comes together under a nice unifying coat of grey primer :D
All of a sudden, it starts to look more like a proper model, right? ;)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163926-42240840.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163926-42241254.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163926-42242936.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163926-422431141.jpeg)
And here it is in situ on the original terrain board, sat behind its ditch, bank and outer palisade...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119174332.jpeg)
-
Coming together nicely. :-*
-
I'm really impressed with that, it's going to be a cracking bit of scenery / terrain.
-
That's really neat. Reminds me of the old Citadel orcish town terrain.
-
Looks very good. Works really well with the board. 8)
-
Very nice :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
The wee extra bits and walls really bring it all together
-
Wonderful stuff as usual :-*
-
Watching with great excitement! Well done as always sir.
-
What an amazing build!
-
I’m really enjoying seeing this come together. You’re right about set dressing in 15mm, I’ve made that mistake a few times and ended up with pretty, but not very useable, minis.
-
That's just stunning work :-*
-
Thanks gents :)
More to come over the weekend I hope.
-
Oh, wow... that looks great. A nice paint job always brings things together. Even priming often makes me sit back and think "oh, that is better than I thought it would be!"
-
Wonderful!
It is really looking the part now.
8) 8)
-
Thanks :)
Next update...
I've now applied the surfacing texture coat of gloop (paint, sand, PVA mix) to the new board, and (once dry) all the top dressing and detailing.
As you can see, it pretty well blends in all the joins so that once painted and 'greened' it will appear a single cohesive terrain board.
It's looking rather shiny at this stage because everything loose (plus the 'mountains') has received a drenching coat of neat PVA, to fix everything immovably in place beneath a plasticised skin. And to provide a key for the primer coat of paint.
If I had one piece of advice for budding terrain builders, it is to slather your creations in PVA once you have made them - it will fix everything rigidly in place and help prevent all that unsightly chipping where the surface paint layers flake off. Ain't nothing flaking off this baby... :D
I've used a mixture of bits and pieces of slate dressing for potted plants, aquarium gravel, model railway talus and grit in various grades to form scree and rock detritus. The trick is to gather this in places where it would naturally fall and accumulate...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192415-423272242.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192008-423231904.jpeg)
I've created a nifty Cirith Ungol style stair climbing the escarpment, using assorted sized pieces of slate (all cunningly arranged to fit 15mm round bases) bedded in place with Green Stuff. It seemed a bit unfair to present the venturing barbarians with a completely unassailable rockface ;)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192008-42322659.jpeg)
And a similar route up onto the low plateau section on the Cimmerian side of the river...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192008-42324184.jpeg)
Plus a clapper bridge...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192415-423261099.jpeg)
And the Copplestone resin stone circle, attached with a hot glue gun shot, and blended into the terrain...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192415-423251923.jpeg)
Here's how the old and new boards will look together...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192007-42320566.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192008-423211309.jpeg)
The view of the Pictish Wilderness from the Cimmerian village...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192416-42328279.jpeg)
And the Cimmerian village (a tasty reiving morsel!) viewed from the Pictish Wilderness...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192416-42329785.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192610-423301659.jpeg)
Finally, the whole thing gets a primer coat of Halfords matt black spray primer, dusted with Halfords matt dark camo brown - further fixing everything down. (Nothing is going to shift off this board I promise you lol)
It looks weirdly shiny because of the daylight - the surface is actually fairly flat matt.
Not that it really matters, as I'm going to be overspraying the lot with layers of emulsion paint using a decorator's spraygun and air compressor...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192611-42332977.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192610-423312060.jpeg)
-
Lush :-* :-* :-*
Makes me want to start a project in 15mm...but then I remember your 15mm painting is better than my 28mm...damn you ;)
Ain't nothing flaking off this baby...
lol
-
Looking great :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Looking forward to playing a game on it
-
Exciting stuff ;D
-
This is fantastic, that scenery looks really fantastical.
-
Bloody awesome thread, Capt‘n! I love how everything fits together, and looks right out of a pulp novel. Beautiful landscapes...yet everything’s playable.
What a joy it will be to play the first game!
-
Amazing stuff Richard 8) 8) 8)
-
Looks great!
-
Thanks lads :)
Small update... Using a decorator's spraygun, I sprayed the new board with three layers of earth-coloured emulsion - each coat slightly lighter than the one before, to build up a kind of depth effect...
Next step will be colouring in the rocky areas, then onto weathering and greening, then finally painting in and varnishing the river (important to do this AFTER the application of flock and suchlike, otherwise you get bits sticking to the river surface... Also, once I've added flock, bushes, tufts etc, I will drench the whole lot in a couple of spraycoats of very thinned PVA - like 5% glue, 95% water - to fix everything in place. Obviously don't want to do that over the top of the yacht varnish on the river... )
Anyway, that is to come. For now we have...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-141119173411-423722268.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-141119173412-42374647.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-141119173412-42375124.jpeg)
-
Sweet Jesus, that looks great! :-* :-* :-*
-
REALLY COMING TOGETHER :-* :-* :-*
-
I only just discovered this thread. As I don't often venture into the realms of fantasy.
But blimey! This is good.
-
This is great - fantastic terrain boards are one of the reasons I love smaller scales, there’s such a scope for sweeping terrain.
-
Looking good thus far!
-
Brilliant stuff. I'm always hugely jealous of anyone who has the space and time to build gorgeous terrain boards like this.
-
This is all very cool.
-
Wow. This will make a fantastic addition to the existing board. Can't wait to see it finished!
-
Thanks :)
Meanwhile, I've finished my 15mm Cimmerian village...
From this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019233057-421312367.jpeg)
To this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163700-42235599.jpeg)
To this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-071119163926-422431141.jpeg)
To this!
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160246-423951973.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160246-423942227.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160246-42393983.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160450-42398381.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160246-42396370.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160449-423971133.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160450-42399766.jpeg)
Here's the settlement sitting in its corner, behind ditch and palisade...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119160245-42392662.jpeg)
With some of the local populace...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119155852-423911494.jpeg)
By Crom!
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-161119155851-423902148.jpeg)
-
:-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Topus notchus
The bearskin in the roof, and the shields by the door if the Chiefs hut are nice touchs
-
Utterly, utterly amazing!! :-* :-* :-*
-
Damn good !!! 8) :-*
-
Just discovered this - looks fantastic
Would you be interested in another knauf board? I have one spare in the shed....the cost = an invite to play on this table
-
Looks fantastic
-
Loving it :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
The last photo with your amazing figures is stunning
-
That looks stunning Richard. The board has a real natural look that's very hard to achieve.
-
Thanks :)
Just discovered this - looks fantastic
Would you be interested in another knauf board? I have one spare in the shed....the cost = an invite to play on this table
I will take you up on that kind offer Giles - I was wondering if you still had one or two tucked away somewhere lol
-
Very nice. Do the runes have a particularly meaning?
-
I’m sure they do, but TBH, I just picked ones that looked nice :)
-
Thanks :)
I will take you up on that kind offer Giles - I was wondering if you still had one or two tucked away somewhere lol
i have several but you can only have one :D
-
That looks cracking, sir.
Loving the green thatching/turf.
All the details really make it pop.
:-* :-*
Now onto the goblins, eh?
;D ;)
-
Very smart indeed. :o
-
Thanks chaps :)
Right then... Next phase on the new 'Pictish Wilderness' board is painting in all the stone, rock, etc
So we were at this stage...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-141119173412-42375124.jpeg)
And now we're at this stage... :)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161312-424691156.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161312-42470337.jpeg)
Probably most helpful to describe the process in steps:
1. Paint all rock and stone areas in a basecoat of mixed black and white emulsion to make a medium grey, cut with a splosh of khaki VMC - because rock is never really true grey.
2. Once dry, sponge over with a couple of lighter shades of the same mix (gradually adding small amounts of white), to pick up on the raised areas.
3. Drybrush features like the cliff stair, clapper bridge, standing stones, scree etc with a slightly paler mix still to pick up the edges
4. To then tone it all together and knock back the starkness of the drybrushing / sponge stippling, using a big soft brush, drench the entire board in white spirit, and then drop in VERY thinned amounts of a mix of Payne's Grey / Burnt Umber oil paint, allowing it to pool around the scree and in crevices etc.
5. Once the white spirit has evaporated, leaving the shading behind, go over the whole thing with a small paintbrush and in a lighter stone grey colour, pick out all the little bits and pieces of stone / boulders etc. Sounds tedious, but actually you can do it really quickly. Just a quick dab on every one to make it pop out from the background and lend definition...
6. Finally, using a very thin wash of greeny-yellow-khaki, (like 95%water, 5% paint) just go over the areas of the rock where it should appear weathered - more so near where the rock joins the ground, and closer to water: so the rock near to the river has a distinctly greeny tinge, whereas the rocky areas furthest from the river are almost bone dry and have very little...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161313-424732430.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161313-424721281.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161738-42475116.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161738-42474663.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-211119161312-42471493.jpeg)
Next step - greening with grass and vegetation... :)
-
Lovely work, friend!
-
We're building better worlds!
-
It's really starting to take shape now. ;D
-
Love the tonal variations!
:-*
-
Tidy :D
-
Bloody marvellous mate
8)
-
Wow, epic terrain! :-*
-
Currently I only have time to look every couple of days into LAF, but one thing I really look forward to is seeing the progress on your tabletop, Richard. Bloody fantastic!
-
Thank you Florian, and friends :)
Hopefully, today I will get the grass onto the board, and can then start adding bushes, tufts, foliage etc...
-
I’d have thought you would have finished it by now.... ;)
-
That looks brilliant Richard.
-
Looking good :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
How much space on the mountains is there for figures?
-
Wow...
-
Thanks :)
Looking good :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
How much space on the mountains is there for figures?
Plenty of standing room for 15mm figures on 15mm round bases, Colin :)
Once it’s done, I’ll see how many I can cram onto the mountain tops lol
-
Are the mountains pretty robust or will you have to pad the boards for storage/transporting?
Any chance of some wider angle photos so we can see your games room?
:)
-
Are the mountains pretty robust or will you have to pad the boards for storage/transporting?
Any chance of some wider angle photos so we can see your games room?
:)
Ooops. Sorry Matt, I missed your question.
The mountains are pretty robust. It's ABS plastic moulding, so quite hard.
Ah, the games room lol
I shall do some other pics for that. Just sorting out the pics for the finished 'Pictish Wilderness' board, which I'll post shortly...
-
Okay, so here's the finished product - the Pictish Wilderness in 15mm :)
It started life like this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-311019232350-421261588.jpeg)
Then went through several stages like this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-041119124317-42180321.jpeg)
This...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-111119192008-423211309.jpeg)
And this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/42/577-141119173412-42375124.jpeg)
And now, with all the 'greening' completed, it's ended up like this...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219150815-43060538.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219150815-430611559.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219150815-43062430.jpeg)
A few close-ups... You can see I've used quite a mix of different flock, scatter, tufts, scrub and bushy materials...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219150816-430631030.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219150816-430641199.jpeg)
With a few Copplestone Barbarica figures for scale / practicality purposes...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151023-430651607.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151023-430661039.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151024-430681200.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151024-430671042.jpeg)
It starts to take on a slightly different character once you add trees... These are just spiked in...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151024-43069713.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151256-430701175.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151256-430711192.jpeg)
And although it's scaled for 15mm by design, it will still work with all my other boards in my more usual 28mm scale... Might finally get round to my long-planned 'Lorna Doone' game... Could be Exmoor, right? ;)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151256-43072250.jpeg)
Or even (slightly ridiculously)...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-271219151256-430732178.jpeg)
lol
Now all I need to do is paint about another 60 weeny figures plus assorted primeval wildlife (:o :o :o), finalise the rules, and then I can start running games on it :)
-
Lovely. :-*
Lorna Doone sounds great - I have a few minis painted for such a project 8)
-
Wow, so realistic. :-*
-
Byou.Tee. Full.
-
Job well done sir... when can we come play??
-
Man, that is just a really phenomenal outcome. I know you said you spiked the trees in, but are they fixed in place or removable? I've been kicking around a system which would allow me to put trees in place with just some blue tack. Basically a tube in the board that the tree would spike into so that they could be remove if I desired. Or moved around at least. Curious how this was done.
-
Man, that is just a really phenomenal outcome. I know you said you spiked the trees in, but are they fixed in place or removable? I've been kicking around a system which would allow me to put trees in place with just some blue tack. Basically a tube in the board that the tree would spike into so that they could be remove if I desired. Or moved around at least. Curious how this was done.
Thank you :)
Please forgive me for quoting from my explanation in response to the same question on one of my other threads a couple of weeks back...
Thanks :)
No, they're just spiked in.
Drill the tree trunk out by a couple of cm, insert (and superglue in place) a length of 'spear' wire (or even just a decapitated pin for small trees), and hey presto - jab them into the styrofoam terrain boards wherever you want them. This works perfectly with Woodland Scenics plastic trees - of which I have lots. As long as you can get a fine drill up through the tree trunk, you're away. But this wouldn't work with wire bottle brush type trees. Or not easily at any rate.
To answer your next question (:)) yes, you do eventually end up with a squillion tiny holes all over your terrain, but a/ I tend to reuse the same holes repeatedly, b/ they're almost invisible anyway (unless you're looking for them), and c/ if a hole gets too 'loose' or visually obtrusive, I just fill it in with a tiny dab of groundwork paste and retouch the paintwork, or stick a bit of foliage over it.
The slight disbenefits of having tiny pinholes in parts of the terrain (obviously this technique doesn't work on the hillsides where I've built them up with a substrata of rock-hard wall filler) are greatly outweighed by the benefits of being able to plant a forest, copse, orchard or a lone tree wherever you want to. And have them look like they're growing, rather than on ugly bases.
Clearly this technique is only any good on foam terrain boards, not MDF etc! ;)
-
Cracking photos Richard ... very jealous
:)
-
Top job 8)
-
Cracking job :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
That’s a lovely miniature wilderness. Fantastic.
-
Bleedin' gorgeous!
:-* :-*
All the different types of flock and scatter really make a difference and add even more realism.
Superb!
:)
-
I love beautiful terrain boards in general, but a meandering river makes me happy, and a brown water meandering river makes me really happy, and a brown water meandering river with a pebbly ford makes me really really happy.
-
Totesamazeballs :-* :-* :-*
-
How do you do the water effect on your rivers?
Some fancy pour-on product, or just gloss varnish?
-
Brilliant stuff 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
-
Clearly this technique is only any good on foam terrain boards, not MDF etc! ;)
After a fashion. You could always pre-drill locations for the tree pins to be inserted. It’s not as flexible, it would work. You could even do that on your wall-filler hills.
-
Amazing table, friend!
Love your work!
-
Thanks lads :)
-
wonderful work.
second the use of insulation boards for tree-sticking, although I found I had to put two spikes into the bottom of each tree, to stop them 'turning' too easily.
-
second the use of insulation boards for tree-sticking, although I found I had to put two spikes into the bottom of each tree, to stop them 'turning' too easily.
Ah! An interesting enhancement - hadn't thought of that. Thank you :) Will have to give that a try on the larger trees.
a brown water meandering river makes me really happy, and a brown water meandering river with a pebbly ford makes me really really happy.
lol
Modelled on the River Usk in flood, Cubs bach ;)
How do you do the water effect on your rivers?
Some fancy pour-on product, or just gloss varnish?
This is five layers of yacht varnish over matt emulsion paint.
All the rivers on these boards (except for the new '15mm mountain' board) were previously done, several years ago, using Woodland Scenics 'Realistic Water'. It was shite. Never went off properly, even though carefully poured only to a depth a 1mm-2mm.
Over subsequent hot summers, the whole thing bubbled up horrendously, then set hard. Then in subsequent years, melted again, bubbled up again even more, and set harder still. Might have been great for a gas-infested Martian swamp, but completely ridiculous for a running river. So a couple of months ago I literally scoured off the whole lot from all the boards, chipped off all the fecking bubbles, re-sanded out the river bed along its entire length, filled any dinks and dents, sanded it again, repainted (brown this time, not green!) and then proceeded with multiple layers of yacht varnish. Which hopefully won't bubble up when my wargames room gets hot in the height of summer. So far, so good, and looks greatly improved.
So my advice, for what it's worth, would be to keep it simple, use super-shiny-and-tough yacht varnish applied in multiple thin layers, and do not touch fancy-schmanzy 'water modelling' products with a bargepole...
:)
-
I have come very late to this one - but this is fantastic! If anyone is going to get me to collect 15mm it’s Mark Copplestone and this thread!!!
-
I appreciate the reply about the trees. It makes sense, particularly with the board as you have it set up. I'll give it a think (as well as the two pin enhancement) and see what I come up with.
-
What a feast!
-
very nice indeed
-
Here's a sorcerer / necromancer, possibly Stygian, from Crom's Anvil.
Quite what he's doing in the Pictish Wilderness, who knows? You can never tell with sorcerers. But he'll be up to no good, certainly.
He's a very nice little figure, although very slightly 'flat', and considerably more diminutive than the Copplestone Barbarica figures as you can see.
I guess he's 'true 15mm' whereas they are pretty much 18mm if not a little bigger.
Anyway, he's a nice little character to add to the mix.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-070220153412-438661456.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-070220153412-43867437.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-070220153412-43868664.jpeg)
'See - I conjure wealth from the desert sand!' (Just to give an idea of scale... )
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/43/577-070220153412-43869683.jpeg)
-
Another fine addition to a brilliant thread Richard. 8)
He's a very nice little figure, although very slightly 'flat', and considerably more diminutive than the Copplestone Barbarica figures as you can see.
Nick the Necromantic Numismatist? :D
-
Lovely brushwork Richard :-*
-
Looks great - maybe he needs to be conjuring up a ride on mower
-
Lovely :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
Very nice sir.
-
Indeed, very nice. An excellent addition I would say. And as for the model being a bit on the small side.
Puny civilized men are even smaller than Cimmerian women!
I’ll laugh for Conan, because he cannot. Ha!
-
Sweet paintjobs!
-
Lovely :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Indeed!
:-*
Nick the Necromantic Numismatist? :D
lol
Do NOT say his name three times or he WILL appear!
(Although you may not notice for a while....)
;D
-
Well, moving back off the English Civil War for a moment... lol
I've also been pushing on with my 15mm Copplestone Hyborian project...
A couple more Cimmerians, together with a couple of Picts from the recent Pictish characters pack, and one of the mounted Northlander chieftains...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173333-45480898.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173333-454812404.jpeg)
I've also added some primeval wildlife to the Pictish Wilderness... They will certainly make the game more interesting >:D
First up, woolly mammoths from the excellent Acheson Creations, who do a small but perfectly formed 15mm prehistoric range... Shipped uber fast, inexpensively, and with a delightful helping of friendly New World charm from the USA. Thank you Craig :)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173333-45482197.jpeg)
Interestingly, I don't really recall too many woolly mammoths in Howard's stories when I read them, like 40 years ago. But the Conan tribute fan art is full of pics of the raven haired Cimmerian warlord riding woolly mammoths, so who am I to argue...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173334-454831435.jpeg)
Sabre-tooth cats definitely ARE in the stories - terrifying denizens of the deep wilds of Pictish Wilderness in 'Beyond The Black River...' Again, Acheson Creations...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173952-45488100.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173952-45489760.jpeg)
Next up, terror birds! This magnificent pair of specimens are 'Gandowana' from Crom's Anvil. Once again, not sure they're really 'canon', but they look the part.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173951-454852026.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173951-45486952.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420173952-454872335.jpeg)
And finally, some woolly rhinoceroses. Again, Acheson Creations.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420174217-454902453.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420174217-454911432.jpeg)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420174217-454922326.jpeg)
The herd...
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420174217-454931938.jpeg)
The mammalian herd with interlopers... Do you think they'll be noticed, being so inconspicuous lol
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/45/577-110420174218-45494117.jpeg)
-
Jolly nice indeed 8)
-
Wow, these are really nice :-* :-* :-*
-
Those are bloody brilliant, Capt'n. :o
-
Some cracking beasties, well and truly tarted to perfection!
:-* :-*
I feel I need a couple of those terror birds for Palaeo Diet* now.
:D
*Ya know, that game that you still have not played?
Gonna have to sort that out as soon as we are all allowed out to play again.
;)
BTW: do you want a set of Noif to add to your herd?
http://www.blindbeggarminiatures.co.uk/shop/products/61c00567-5927-49bd-9ec9-461a6f99be1f
They should work pretty well in 15mm.
???
-
Well, I think yo know me and my love for miniature wildlife. These are great!
-
superb, and at 15mm! :o
-
Wicked paintjob, could his smaller stature be due to being on a lower base?
If you put his feet at the same level of the female:
(https://www.thewargameswebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/height.jpg)
But also this>>>
Puny civilized men are even smaller than Cimmerian women!
However, this topic is amazeballs good.
I will be back later to drool some more!!
-
Also, can I come and play at your house!?
:D
:-*
-
Those terror birds might just be the cutest things you've ever painted. Prove me wrong ;)
-
Well, moving back off the English Civil War for a moment... lol
Oh! Thank God ;)
Awesome work Cap'n :-* :-* :-*
-
Oh! Thank God ;)
Awesome work Cap'n :-* :-* :-*
lol Now what have you got against the ECW young Chris? ;)
Those terror birds might just be the cutest things you've ever painted. Prove me wrong ;)
Haha! Thanks Matt. I still have the big terror bird that you kindly sent me, that I need to paint. I was going to do him (or her?) along with Angel Barracks’s lovely specimens, but he/she would have been huge alongside these - a veritable tyrannosaur.
Also, I think that model demands different, even more special plumage ;)
That particular model is destined for my 28mm cave wars collection.
(Although interestingly, with these large 15mm scale beasties, most of them would probably do for small specimens in 28mm. I’ll take some pictures and see how they compare).
Also, can I come and play at your house!?
:D
:-*
Any time you’re passing. 5 mins south of Junction 6 of the M25. Bit of a schlepp from Bristol under the present circumstances though ;)
Wicked paintjob, could his smaller stature be due to being on a lower base?
If you put his feet at the same level of the female:
Yep. Fair point. I’m not sure why she’s on such a high base TBH. (Come on, it was three years ago ;))
I think the truth is, the Copplestone figures are also rather more like 18mm than 15mm.
Some cracking beasties, well and truly tarted to perfection!
:-* :-*
I feel I need a couple of those terror birds for Palaeo Diet* now.
:D
*Ya know, that game that you still have not played?
Gonna have to sort that out as soon as we are all allowed out to play again.
;)
BTW: do you want a set of Noif to add to your herd?
http://www.blindbeggarminiatures.co.uk/shop/products/61c00567-5927-49bd-9ec9-461a6f99be1f
I’d love some Noif, thank you Pablo :)
And yes, I’m still itching for that game of Palaeo Diet. Once the current emergency has abated, we shall make it so, my friend!
Thanks everyone for the comments 8)
-
I’d love some Noif, thank you Pablo :)
And yes, I’m still itching for that game of Palaeo Diet. Once the current emergency has abated, we shall make it so, my friend!
We definitely will!
It is about time, after all...
I shall herd some Noif towards Sang de Château during the week.
Oh, and I ordered some of those Terror Birds earlier after seeing yours.
Thanks for the tip-off, they should work great as Pack Predators in 28mm.
:)
-
Superb painting Captain. A real pleasure to look at.
-
It's threads like this that keep bringing me back to LAF.
-
Oh my! Those terror bird eyes are startling!
Well done - the smallest things but really evocative.
-
Very cool - I hadn't caught up on this thread for a while! I need some of those terror birds!
-
Those terror birds are brilliant! Quite apart from the gorgeous colours, it's the expression on the more upright one's face: slightly inscrutable, somewhat menacing and disconcertingly gleeful!
-
Yes, they're very nice models indeed.
Thank you fellows :)
-
Absolutely blown away. Terrain and Figs. You are a master. As 15mm is my favorite fantasy scale, this makes my heart race. The Copplestone pieces are just so well done. If only he had done the Aquilonians/Romans. Jaye Wiley showed me this thread this morning. Great way to start the day.
-
I’d missed the menagerie somehow....top work Richard as always, and yes those terror birds are quite cute.
-
Absolutely blown away. Terrain and Figs. You are a master. As 15mm is my favorite fantasy scale, this makes my heart race. The Copplestone pieces are just so well done. If only he had done the Aquilonians/Romans. Jaye Wiley showed me this thread this morning. Great way to start the day.
Thanks kenohhkc. Yes, Aquilonians would have been nice. Say hello to Jaye for me ;)
I’d missed the menagerie somehow....top work Richard as always, and yes those terror birds are quite cute.
Cheers Matt 8)
-
Splendid stuff Richard - will the Barbarian horde be at BLAM this year?
-
That’s the plan Giles :)
Let’s hope we’re not still in lockdown by October!
-
Absolutely blown away. Terrain and Figs. You are a master. As 15mm is my favorite fantasy scale, this makes my heart race. The Copplestone pieces are just so well done. If only he had done the Aquilonians/Romans. Jaye Wiley showed me this thread this morning. Great way to start the day.
Jon from Khurasan teased us in this very forum with heroic scale 15mm Imperial Romans. That might be great....but it will be a KS iirc.
Back to the real topic: Absolutely magnificent, Cap! I love those terror birds and the whole tabletop.
-
Those terror birds are the best thing I've seen since the lockdown started. :-*
-
Those terror birds are the best thing I've seen since the lockdown started. :-*
Awwww Roy... Be off with you lol
-
Awwww Roy... Be off with you lol
They are quite eye catching. Speaking of which the eyes seem to follow you..
-
Jeez! I've just noticed this Richard.... The brushwork on those 15 mil chaps is amazing :-* :-* :-*
-
Fair to say anything with the Captain’s handle on is worth a butchers...guaranteed eye candy...these are exceptional!
-
Having just discovered this thread , um:
What, the mighty Captain Blood working in 15 mm!? :o To a stupendous quality, too. lol
Now, sirrah, may I direct you to Khurasan Miniatures, explore beyond the link if not already familiar with their ranges - including the historicals: http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/adventure.html (http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/adventure.html)
And, more importantly, to Splintered Light Miniatures, ditto on the exploring: http://www.splinteredlightminis.com/vimohuset.html (http://www.splinteredlightminis.com/vimohuset.html)
The latter should lead to what you must be dying to do, The Thirteenth Warrior. Your terrain just cries out for it. And your paint work, at least three times better than the best I could manage, would be a joy to behold.
-
Gorgeous colours, so glad I got you hooked lol suppose I better paint some more of mine now ;)
-
Yes, you did, you bugger. Suckered me in. Now I have about 200 more of the little devils to paint :-[ lol
Thank you gents, for the votes of confidence :)
-
Wow. Like some others, I somehow missed this.
Lovely work Captain as usual!
-
Now I have about 200 more of the little devils to paint :-[ lol
Yikes! :o
Looking forward to see them painted! :)
-
Well, sad to say, a pandemic, a new miniatures business, and a new set of WOTR rules (which got me going again on that whole thing), interrupted my progress on this long-running project, and have kept my attentions and time firmly elsewhere for a horrifying four years :o
But I'm finally back onto a few of my old schemes, and hereby resurrect this thread with a (finally) completed set of the Pict characters.
I do feel bad, because I hassled and lobbied the great Mark Copplestone - via Nick Northstar - to produce these (although I'm sure I wasn't alone), and then it's taken me fully five years to get round to painting them!
But hey, here they are... and amazingly, wonderfully hideous little homunculi they are too. So much character and dynamism crammed into such tiny little scraps of metal. The man's a genius, there's no doubt about it.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/577-240624171246-629052024.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/577-240624171246-62907143.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/577-240624171246-62908753.jpeg)
And here, for scale, with a 28mm Frostgrave barbarian...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/577-240624171246-629062489.jpeg)
I also painted a Kushite witch doctor from Crom's Anvil as an extra Pict shaman. You can never have too many of those. He's a little diminutive by comparison to the delightfully chunky Copplestone figures, but a reasonable fit.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/577-240624171246-62904920.jpeg)
The Picts, so far...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/62/577-240624171334.jpeg)
Next up, the first of the Ice Tribe figures...
I'm also mulling getting some of the Wiglaf Miniatures, which also being by Copplestone, ought to fit well enough with the Barbarica figures, and will serve for another Hyborian race. Brythunians maybe...
(http://)
-
Very nice and inspiring.
-
I’m very happy to see this project back in action, I drew on it for inspiration when I got rolling on my own project using Copplestone's barbarians and I keep coming back to it! The Picts look amazing!
-
Wonderful!
Seeing them next to that 28mm barbarian, I'm reminded of the Scottish folktales about the Picts/Pechts as a diminutive underground race (which Howard drew on, of course) and also of a kids' book - perhaps a Robin Hood novel by Rosemary Sutcliffe or Molly Hunter or Penelope Lively or someone like that - in which the hero was helped by such Picts. You could almost use the 15mm Picts as "Little People" in 28mm.
-
Excellent! Love that blue
-
Wonderfully painted Picts.
-
Superb work!
-
Wonderful paintwork on those figures.
-
They look fantastic, Richard. Coppestones are a delight to paint.
-
Huzzah! More of the great Copplestone 15s! I love them and your painting!!
Wonderful!
Seeing them next to that 28mm barbarian, I'm reminded of the Scottish folktales about the Picts/Pechts as a diminutive underground race (which Howard drew on, of course) and also of a kids' book - perhaps a Robin Hood novel by Rosemary Sutcliffe or Molly Hunter or Penelope Lively or someone like that - in which the hero was helped by such Picts. You could almost use the 15mm Picts as "Little People" in 28mm.
That’s actually a brilliant idea. They’re spot on for a Machen-style Silver Bayonet!
-
Brilliant painting. Well worth the wait. :)
-
Wonderful painting! I wonder if I could paint some as pygmies in 1/72.
-
cripes, those are small.
wonderful figures and painting.
-
Fantastic pjs - glad to see you back on the project 8)
-
Thanks all :)
I’m now working on the first of the ice tribe, and I’m remembering that painting 15mm (actually they’re a statuesque 18mm at least) is just as time consuming as painting 28mm figures! ::)
-
Really love the Picts! Very characterful minis, and you’ve certainly done justice to them :)
-
Thanks :)
Now here are the first of the 15mm Ice Tribe, who appear to be a cross between cave people and vikings. Rather natty though...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-160724182613-630962172.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-160724182613-631261299.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-160724182613-63127247.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-160724182613-631281761.jpeg)
And in a dangerous level of close-up for 15mm... lol
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-160724182613-63129540.jpeg)
-
I like those a lot, the colour palette works very well!
-
great paintwork - I thought they must be 28mm at first glance
-
Stunning job on those :-* :-* :-*
-
very nice indeed :-*
-
Stunning, Richard! :-*
I just hope Mr Copplestone sees them and decides he absolutely needs to sculpt many more sets in 15mm! :D ;)
-
And in a dangerous level of close-up for 15mm... lol
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-160724182613-63129540.jpeg)
Still better than I paint 28mms :-P
-
They look absolutely brilliant, very well done!
-
Very nice.
I especially like the turquiose on the picts.
-
Thanks all :)
-
Wonderful!
Seeing them next to that 28mm barbarian, I'm reminded of the Scottish folktales about the Picts/Pechts as a diminutive underground race (which Howard drew on, of course) and also of a kids' book - perhaps a Robin Hood novel by Rosemary Sutcliffe or Molly Hunter or Penelope Lively or someone like that - in which the hero was helped by such Picts. You could almost use the 15mm Picts as "Little People" in 28mm.
Not the Nac Mac Feegle?
-
The Ice Tribe look very good.
-
Very inspirational! I'm back on my Barbarica kick right now too. I'm thinking the Wiglaf as Aquilonians? Remember when Mr C said he was doing Barbarica Romans? Well, these fit well enough, imho!
-
Excellent painting, I like your colour palette.
-
Such a great project! I always return to have a look through these pages.
Barbarica is such a fun range.
-
Stunning work as always Richard 8)
-
Great looking Ice Tribe
-
Jolly Nice - colours work great.
-
Thank you :)
-
Finally finished the Northlander mounted warchiefs... The fellow on the pony was done about 4 years ago, but the others are newly painted ::)
The foot figure is simply a standard bearer whose standard had broken - so now he carries the ceremonial stone axe of destiny... ;)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-637462197.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-637481360.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-637491456.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-63750480.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-63751909.jpeg)
-
Excellent! Your painting on these is beautiful, I’m alway inspired when I see new updates.
-
Wow, this level of painting would be impressive at any scale, but at 15mm it's incredible! Nice work!
-
totally agree @ Frugalmax.
-
Very nice.
-
Finally finished the Northlander mounted warchiefs... The fellow on the pony was done about 4 years ago, but the others are newly painted ::)
The foot figure is simply a standard bearer whose standard had broken - so now he carries the ceremonial stone axe of destiny... ;)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-637462197.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-637481360.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-637491456.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-63750480.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-100924161858-63751909.jpeg)
Lovely work as usual. I quite like that rescued Axeman, could even do a few conversions to make a unit of them!
Really love how colourful your project is, the light fur really pops too!
-
They look fantastic, quite how you do it at that scale is mystifying?!
-
Here are some of the exquisite new figures by Hornblower Miniatures, in the style of the Copplestone Barbarica range and designed to fit exactly with those.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135039-638861754.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135039-639112178.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135039-639121769.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135039-639132130.jpeg)
Size comparison with a 28mm Frostgrave barbarian... As you can see, they're probably closer to 20mm than 15mm, but still dinky.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135039-639141413.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135302-63918906.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135302-639171732.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/63/577-061024135302-639161049.jpeg)
-
Beautiful work! The bright colour palette you used works well.
-
Wow! That’s some killer painting.
-
Soooo jealous. Your 15 minis are so much better than my 28s. Very nice work.
-
Outstanding! Those look really top notch.
-
Splendid, Richard! Mine arrived on Saturday, but I had no time to start unpacking them, yet.
Concerning the size: I have made the experience that most 20mm are still quite bulkier and that modern 20mm scale had the same size creep as other scales and in reality is rather 22-23mm eye level. I’ve used some 20mm Fantasy sets as smaller types of Frost Giants. It works pretty well.
-
Thanks guys :)
Concerning the size: I have made the experience that most 20mm are still quite bulkier and that modern 20mm scale had the same size creep as other scales and in reality is rather 22-23mm eye level. I’ve used some 20mm Fantasy sets as smaller types of Frost Giants. It works pretty well.
Thanks Florian. Yes, I agree. Every mm-based 'scale' has crept steadily upwards over the years.
These Hornblower figures are certainly not 'true 15mm' (which used to be tiny, if, like me, you're old enough to remember the Peter Laing 15mm figures of the late 1970s). But they are still relatively fine and diminutive in stature. Very very nice at any rate :)
-
:-* marvellous.
and yes, I can remember peter laing! Bought 100s of his ECW.
they'd probably look like 6mm to me now.
-
Look fabulous.
-
It seems that no matter how tiny the miniature, your finished pieces are GLORIOUSLY alive!
As always I am TRULY impressed by your work.
-
Thanks :)
-
Really looking forward to what you do next, my favorite thread for sure!
Although every Captain Blood thread is a favorite :-p
-
Superb work.
-
I know it showed up earlier with its build recorded, but I love that village. Just looks cool with the figures in it in the recent photos. And now I have to go explore a new 15 mm provider I didn't know about...
-
Damn! They look amazing!!
-
Superb job on the Hornblower shieldmaidens! Between you and Steve Dean, I think you have these nailed.
-
Thanks chaps :)
Got the next ten in the queue.
-
Veryyyy keen to see those :-)
-
Veryyyy keen to see those :-)
Nearly there. Couple more sessions… Busy week this week though, so will do my best lol
-
Here's the second lift of Hornblower shield maidens. Little beauties...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/64/577-311024163715-64100432.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/64/577-311024163715-641021030.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/64/577-311024163715-641031485.jpeg)
Here they are together, that's 20 down, about 20 more to go! lol
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/64/577-311024163715-64104252.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/64/577-311024163715-641051894.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/64/577-311024164016.jpeg)
-
lovely figures and painting.
-
Such great work Captain! I really enjoy the scenic shots too
-
They’re really a colorful bunch, Ruchard. And I like that. Brings back nice memories from a time when Glam Rock was still a thing and bases were painted goblin green.
Btw, I ll send you a pm about something completely different!
-
After another hiatus for painting and handling the latest Bloody Miniatures release, I've painted a few more reinforcements for this collection. First up, some more of the Copplestone Barbarica 'Ice Tribe' - kind of Viking / Cavemen types. Not quite sure where they fit into 'Not Hyboria', as we already have Vanir / Aesir types in the Barbarica range. I guess these fellows come from further north still, on the margins of Hyperborea perhaps...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-651012026.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-651021219.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-651032473.jpeg)
And then a few more assorted Picts, Cimmerians, and Hornblower shieldmaidens to make up the numbers in various units...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-65094652.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-65100251.jpeg)
And believe it or not, I think after about 8 years, I have now actually painted enough of these little buggers to have a game with them ;D lol
-
Those are just beautiful! I have quite a few of the same figures near the top of my painting queue, seeing yours is inspiring.
-
And believe it or not, I think after about 8 years, I have now actually painted enough of these little buggers to have a game with them ;D lol
Well done, one day I might have painted sufficient for a game.
-
Fantastic stuff. It's genuinely hard to believe how small they are since they're so well painted.
-
They are incredible. I don’t know how your eyes do it, let alone your hand controlling the brush
-
Thanks 8)
-
After another hiatus for painting and handling the latest Bloody Miniatures release, I've painted a few more reinforcements for this collection. First up, some more of the Copplestone Barbarica 'Ice Tribe' - kind of Viking / Cavemen types. Not quite sure where they fit into 'Not Hyboria', as we already have Vanir / Aesir types in the Barbarica range. I guess these fellows come from further north still, on the margins of Hyperborea perhaps...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-651012026.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-651021219.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-651032473.jpeg)
And then a few more assorted Picts, Cimmerians, and Hornblower shieldmaidens to make up the numbers in various units...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-65094652.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-170225130347-65100251.jpeg)
And believe it or not, I think after about 8 years, I have now actually painted enough of these little buggers to have a game with them ;D lol
Such beautiful work mate! Soooo keen to see what these forces look like in their battle formations too!
Will you be using trays for Rampant?
-
Such beautiful work mate! Soooo keen to see what these forces look like in their battle formations too!
Will you be using trays for Rampant?
Thanks Mathias.
Yes, I’ve had some super thin acrylic trays made up by OSHIRO Models.
Once I’ve got everything in order, I’ll post some photos of the whole finished (for now) collection.
-
Na….that’s not 15mm! It can’t be! Who manages to do stripes on a 15mm figure! lol lol
Great work Richard!
-
lol Cheers Andy
-
Beautiful work as always :)
-
Na….that’s not 15mm! It can’t be! Who manages to do stripes on a 15mm figure
Yeah. This is just showing off now lol
-
Little beauties. :)
-
Thanks lads :)
-
Fantastic work. Looking forward to the army pictures.
-
Fantastic work. Looking forward to the army pictures.
Thanks. Here they are...
First up, have painted a few more Cimmerians and another red haired barbarian Vanir, just to make up the numbers...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225163706-65196784.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225163706-651991768.jpeg)
Not including some of the mounted command figures, wild animals, and individual wizards, witches necromancers etc (pictured waaaay up above in this thread) we then have most of the 'formed' units here, in 12's and 6's for what will be a variant of Dragon Rampant.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225163706-65200918.jpeg)
In a bit more detail, these include:
Cimmerian warriors
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164520-652031743.jpeg)
Cimmerian heroes
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225163706-65201257.jpeg)
Conan and friends (frankly, all the Cimmerian figures look like Conan, but this one seems closest to one of the Frazetta paintings, to me)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225163706-65202671.jpeg)
Cimmerian shaman and witch
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164520-652042467.jpeg)
Vanir
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164520-65205561.jpeg)
Brythunian warriors
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164520-652062394.jpeg)
Brythunian archers
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164800-652081128.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164520-652071169.jpeg)
Aesir shieldmaidens (not exactly Hyborian canon, but you know, they fit ;))
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164800-652092354.jpeg)
Aesir shieldmaiden heroines
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164800-65210671.jpeg)
Aesir shieldmaiden archers
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164800-6521192.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225164800-652121490.jpeg)
Pict hordes
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225165025-652132146.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225165025-652141257.jpeg)
Pict archers
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/65/577-260225165025-65215682.jpeg)
All of which, plus the many and various extras not pictured, is quite enough to be going on with and for the game I am planning :)
-
Crom! That's a great collection of Hyborian figures. Of course, Conan is the best of the lot... :D
What game will you be using these for, Captain?
Mike Demana
-
Super cool Captain!
-
Great stuff, I do like those shield maidens
-
That’s brilliant! I have a goofy smile on my face every time there’s an update in this thread - such fun figure and great painting (and scratch building and boards and…)
-
That’s brilliant! I have a goofy smile on my face every time there’s an update in this thread - such fun figure and great painting (and scratch building and boards and…)
I feel the same way, Captain brings the joy with all of his amazing threads.
-
Brilliant Richard, exceptional.
-
Now that is a stunning collection of figures.
-
Thanks very much :)
I shall feel better once I’ve actually played a game with them lol
Crom! That's a great collection of Hyborian figures. Of course, Conan is the best of the lot... :D
What game will you be using these for, Captain?
Dragon Rampant with variations :)
-
Dragon Rampant with variations :)
Awesome! We already play Lion Rampant, Xenos Rampant, and Rebels and Patriots. It is only a matter of time before we give Dragon a go. Did someone say they're working on a hardcover 2nd Edition of the rules?
Thanks again!
Mike Demana
-
There is a 2nd edition coming. North Star sent some pictures to Dan Mersey for inclusion.
-
That’s good news! I think Lion Rampant V2 did a pretty good job updating and tweaking the original rules, and a similar update to Dragon Rampant would definitely get my money.
I vote that Captain Blood also submit some pictures to Mr Mersey, to showcase what’s possible with the smaller sized figures!
-
We should work up some new rampant lists for Hornblower / Barbarica when the book releases, as a download (with some nice captain blood pics ofcourse ;-)
-
Yes - absolutely this.
Mind you, if DR2 is anything like LR2 or XR, then the authors may already have split the sample lists into 'eras' or 'settings' which may include something approximately in this area.
-
So good, if I didn't know otherwise I'd think they were 28mm.
-
So good, if I didn't know otherwise I'd think they were 28mm.
Yep - these and the Hornblower miniatures are just great, so much detail and character that you can paint. The current wave of computer design coupled with traditional casting techniques have really made 15mm's a proper viable alternative to 28mm's even for small skirmish games.
-
What a fantastic force. Amazing work in any scale.
-
Thanks gents :)
-
Excellent!!