Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Adventures in the Far East => Topic started by: Juxt on May 28, 2017, 12:30:43 PM
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Deep in the Northern mountains of Honshu, there is a village known as Yokainoyama. Unremarkable in many ways, it is inhabited by a small number of subsistence farmers struggling to survive week to week, unsustainably large amounts of their crops are taken by the men of the Daimyo, Tsugaru Nobuhira in return for protection from the Tsuchigumo- gangs of bandits who are the scourge of Mutsu Province.
Unable to defend themselves from the bandits, and unwilling to keep paying the daimyo's men, the villagers of Yokainoyama have started turning to the many creatures that call the mountain home for assistance. Creatures that are already aggrieved by the expansion of Nobuhira's clan encroaching on their woodlands and the countless acts of destruction caused by the bandits. Tricky creatures, perhaps ones you should not try to bargain with...
Unhappy with the miniatures available for kappa (except for the amazing ones from Tengu miniatures, which have vanished into thin air) I set about making my own kappa- a kappa wielding a shakujo stolen from the village's shrine, and a recently removed shirikodama, possibly wrenched from deep within the priest that the staff was taken from.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa1_zpsydfqtukj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa1_zpsydfqtukj.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa2_zpsnabhfcoa.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa2_zpsnabhfcoa.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa3_zpsmllwkebx.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa3_zpsmllwkebx.jpg.html)
please forgive the quality of the images, they have seriously washed out the brightness and colour from this guy, I need to sort out a better photography set up I think. The kappa started off life as a monopose Games Workshop goblin from the Hobbit game, a bit of green stuff for a beak and shell, then a shakujo made from styrene and florist's wire. I made a quick mould of the shell before painting the kappa so I can reproduce more quickly and easily.
Hope you guys like my first yokai.
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Splendid work and a great conversion from such a simple base figure :)
cheers
James
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Models and pictures look great!
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thanks guys :-)
Here are a trio of Hitodama for use in the same games. Hitodama are the visible souls of humans which have detached from their host's bodies, they are completely harmless yokai that illuminate graveyards at night... unless of course you've misidentified them and you're actually dealing with a trio of onibi, who are a type of blue vampiric demon fire that drains the life energy from anyone who strays too close. I guess you'll just have to guess which ones they are and take a chance.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/hitodama_zps6nhlljuf.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/hitodama_zps6nhlljuf.jpg.html)
the models themselves are made from some Plascraft Japanese gravestones and some flaming skulls from a Games Workshop undead kit, no conversions here, but I'm pleased with the glow they give off- almost too bright to look at under the right conditions :-)
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Splendid :)
cheers
James
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That is some awesome work you are doing and is a great source of inspiration. I aim for a similar setting (yokai and yurei).
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thanks guys :-)
Here are a trio of Hitodama for use in the same games. Hitodama are the visible souls of humans which have detached from their host's bodies, they are completely harmless yokai that illuminate graveyards at night... unless of course you've misidentified them and you're actually dealing with a trio of onibi, who are a type of blue vampiric demon fire that drains the life energy from anyone who strays too close. I guess you'll just have to guess which ones they are and take a chance.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/hitodama_zps6nhlljuf.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/hitodama_zps6nhlljuf.jpg.html)
the models themselves are made from some Plascraft Japanese gravestones and some flaming skulls from a Games Workshop undead kit, no conversions here, but I'm pleased with the glow they give off- almost too bright to look at under the right conditions :-)
Nifty. lol
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Tsurube Otoshi- a giant disembodied head that waits in the top of the tallest cedars in the forests that stretch along the boundaries of Yokainoyama. The locals all know not to venture near these trees, too many of their friends and relatives have been squashed by the tsurube otoshi, some of them eaten, others just squashed for fun. The men of local daimyo Tsugaru Nobuhira however have not heard of the legends, meaning that the occasional spy might mysteriously vanish while out on a scouting mission deep in the woods.
Acting as a sort of trap/dangerous terrain in my games, I've finally finished painting him up. He's made from an old Alan Perry sculpted head from the 1980s, and a more recent samurai casualty from the same hand. They blend together stylistically very well I think, and they only took a bit of putty work to build the neck and mould them into one another. The photos don't really capture it that well, but there's a string of drool coming from the giant head's mouth, hopefully adding to the big dumb brute feel that the sculpt has.
(buddhist manji on the sashimono has been blurred out)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/tsurube_zpsosfddxa6.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/tsurube_zpsosfddxa6.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/tsurube3_zpst3uuvjsm.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/tsurube3_zpst3uuvjsm.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/tsurube2_zpsgy47fv9e.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/tsurube2_zpsgy47fv9e.jpg.html)
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These are all brilliant, The kappa is an excellent conversion, and I totally agree it's a shame the Tengu once were never rereleased, last I heard was that Kurasan had picked them up, but they've never done anything with them afaik. But the conversion is great, might have to try to do something similar, although I would be tempted to cut of the ears, it's a shame I just finished painting my TMNT or I could have pressmoulded their shield.
They're all great conversion, with excellent painjobs to match, looking forward to what you come up with next. I really like your approach, are you planning on converting everything or will you also use the few Yokai that are available as is?
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Wow, really cool stuff. I was not familiar with most of these creatures, but I'd say you've done them justice! 8)
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thanks guys :-)
I really like your approach, are you planning on converting everything or will you also use the few Yokai that are available as is?
I've got a few of the commercially available yokai, it mostly depends on whether they meet the classical descriptions or not, a lot of the sculptors/designers have taken some artistic licence and deviated from tradition. I have a couple of sets of tsukumogami from cp miniatures, an oni, genbu and misuchi from kensei (actually have my eye on a few of their other creatures too) and I'm on the lookout for a very old kitsunegami made by citadel in the 80s. Some of the Malifaux range are quite tempting too. Anything that isn't properly represented I'll convert if possible- on the workbench I've got a raiju, tesso, a tsukumogami of a taiko drum, a nukekubi and a few others, but they're all in the very early stages at the mo'.
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All top notch work! I love the dripping blood....
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What a wonderful collection of creatures! I'm impressed by our creativity and skills!
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Amazing!
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thanks guys, you're all too kind :-)
Next on the field guide to the creatures of Yokainoyama is the mighty Daidarabotchi. Late at night, deep in the forest you might hear a sequence of earth shaking thudds, perhaps the tearing of tree limbs or the creeping of vines, this is the Daidarabotchi. An elemental creature embodying the kami of the forest, so powerful that it is said to have lifted the rocks and dirt to shape the very mountain that it resides upon. A great boulder strewn with shimenawa at the center of the forest marks the whereabouts of the Daidarabotchi during the day, only the profoundly ignorant would be foolish enough to interfere with such a sacred stone, and those who have in the past have all met a terrible fate at the hands of this enormous beast.
Miniatures this big are always a bit of a nightmare to photograph, even more so than regular infantry :-P This mini, if it can be called such, started off as a Mierce bog beast (an excellent range if you want some interesting, realistic monsters) I removed a bunch of minor elements and added the rock with shimenawa, a few trophy elements taken from some samurai, and a few extra vines and skulls, nothing too major. Again, a Perry miniatures casualty on the base- I love that line of injured guys. The strings of goo on the black hand are made by mixing black ink into UHU glue, then stretching it between the tentacles. Once the glue is dry, I applied a few layers of gloss varnish over the strings to toughen them up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/daidarabotchi_zpsfjnuara2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/daidarabotchi_zpsfjnuara2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/daidarabotchiback_zpsr6g81tqn.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/daidarabotchiback_zpsr6g81tqn.jpg.html)
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Loving every bit of this :-* :-* :-*
cheers
James
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Excellent stuff, I always intended trying to incorporate Japanese mythology into some games but never got around to doing the research.
Looks like you might be doing it for me ;D thanks :) ;)
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Brilliant! Great ideas, conversions and beautiful painting. :-*
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Thanks for keeping me motivated guys :-)
Excellent stuff, I always intended trying to incorporate Japanese mythology into some games but never got around to doing the research.
Looks like you might be doing it for me ;D thanks :) ;)
Mythology, religion and folklore make up such a large part of everyday life in Japan, and always have done- it used to be known as the land of a million gods, so there's absolutely no reason why we shouldn't all be trying to squeeze some of it into our wargames. I hope I've inspired you to make something fantastical :D
On which note, today's addition to the inhabitants of Yokainoyama is a pair of Tsukumogami. Once an object or tool reaches one hundred years old, it is believed that it obtains sentience, become self aware and alive. This can happen to nearly any object and has led to a modern practice of throwing away objects just before they reach their hundredth birthday (or having them blessed). Although completely harmless in most cases, tsukumogami are mischievous in nature, they love to move objects around your house when you're asleep so you either can't find them or you trip over them unexpectedly. In game these will act as GM controlled annoyances for moving objectives, locking doors etc.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/bakezori_zpsdwr8qg7a.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/bakezori_zpsdwr8qg7a.jpg.html)
The first mini is a named tsukumogami called a Bakezori- known for chanting songs and mocking its upperclass relatives, the more sophisticated shoes of nobles. The model itself is completely stock and made by CP miniatures.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/tsukumogami_zpsjtkbo4if.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/tsukumogami_zpsjtkbo4if.jpg.html)
The second is a generic one that I put together from a resin barrel I found in a model shop bargain bin and a pair of Games Workshop snotling legs. I drilled out a hole in the barrel before putting in a ball of greenstuff for the eye.
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Brill :D
cheers
James
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Some other fantastic additions! I really like all your creations, and last two Yokai are wonderful. I'm amazed by the pace you manage to create them.
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Although completely harmless in most cases, tsukumogami are mischievous in nature, they love to move objects around your house when you're asleep so you either can't find them or you trip over them unexpectedly.
I must have these buggers in my house - they are constantly moving my glasses and phone. How do you get rid of them. ???
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Some other fantastic additions! I really like all your creations, and last two Yokai are wonderful. I'm amazed by the pace you manage to create them.
haha if only I was making them this quickly, I'm just working through my backlog of yokai and photographing them. I make them at a much much slower pace ;)
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Love the painting in this thread - beautiful!
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Nice!
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That's some mental stuff you've got in this thread!.......good but mental! :-* That bog monster is stupendous! :-*
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Absolutely fantastic. The detail and attention to lore is amazing. Keep up the good work!
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The fields of battle often lay untended for years, maybe even decades after the bloody feuding has finished; weapons rusts, corpses rot, the ground poisoned by the evil that occurred there. Spoiled land such as this, like all things in Japan, eventually takes on a life of its own. Trees become homes to malicious spirits, vengeful ghosts roam the boundaries in search of those who wronged them, and sometimes, very rarely, the bones of dead soldiers rise to their feet to finish the task that led to their death.
Undead warriors don't appear that often in Japanese mythology, and when they do I've never seen them referred to as anything other than their original living names. So while not being a particularly prevalent yokai, they do fit the bill nicely as a typical monster type entity to trouble my mountain village. The minis are a mixture of bits and pieces really- the base skeletons are from Games Workshop, helmets are from Max-Mini, weapons are scratch built from styrene and random bits box scraps, and the sode is from a Kensei miniature.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/skelfront_zpsuwtoxddo.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/skelfront_zpsuwtoxddo.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/skelback_zpsd3twzqgq.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/skelback_zpsd3twzqgq.jpg.html)
I'd love to eventually have ten or fifteen of these guys, but I'm far more interested in assembling a wider range of yokai to begin with
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While sleeping in old stables and barns, travelers passing through Yokainoyama have been known to experience playful, child-like spirits, interfering with their belongings or leaving them presents (probably stolen from others in the group). The patter of little footsteps in the night, giggling noises, footprints left behind in flour on the floor, the clanking of wooden toys and the faint sound of children's songs. These Zashiki Warashi are generally invisible to everyday folk, but children, priests and others who are generally closer to god will occasionally see them as the spirit of a five or six year old child. These yokai love looking through other people's bags and belongings, playing with the items that they find until boredom sets in and they leave the items scattered randomly, sometimes putting them back in the wrong person's bag or just hiding them. Zashiki Warashi are completely harmless, but the misunderstandings that they unintentionally cause can lead to intense animosity between traveling companions, sometimes resulting in bloodshed.
This was a perfect excuse to paint up the Perry brother's child miniature that comes in the samurai villagers pack. The mini itself is pretty crude, poorly defined and with a pitted, almost granular surface in places, but it is so full of character that I don't mind. No converting or modelling was done on this little guy, just a couple of laid back hours of really basic painting and he was done.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/zashiki%20warashi_zpspu0hqkr1.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/zashiki%20warashi_zpspu0hqkr1.jpg.html)
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This is really excellent work you are doing!
Just out of curiosity, which ruleset are you planning to use for your minis?
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Thank you :)
I'm using a corruption of the Ronin ruleset. Nearly all my games feature either one or two buntai, then an additional homebrew mythical element, played by a GM. Every game has been mission based so far, rather than just a beat 'em up style game.
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Lovely additions.
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Thank you :)
I'm using a corruption of the Ronin ruleset. Nearly all my games feature either one or two buntai, then an additional homebrew mythical element, played by a GM. Every game has been mission based so far, rather than just a beat 'em up style game.
Not sure if you'd looked at them, but the Ronin mythical pdf supplements are a pretty good place to start with things.
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Not sure if you'd looked at them, but the Ronin mythical pdf supplements are a pretty good place to start with things.
Thank you, I had seen them a while ago but I couldn't them recently with an online search. I've got them saved and printed out now, no chance of me losing them again :)
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We also use Ronin (unfortunately without the luxury of a GM), for a VERY similar setting that is (but hey, thinking about mythical Japan, it always comes down to villages in the mountains ;)
We tried Daisho (which somehow feels too generic), Frostgrave (which I really like, but battling onmyoji is not the taste of my mate), even Mordheim, but finally we settled for Ronin. We try to spice it up with Dragon Rampant now and then for bigger engagements.
I am eager to see pictures of your gaming table .. if it looks even remotely like your minis we are in for a treat ;)
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Have you ever tried Of Gods and Mortals? I've not looked into it yet, but it looks like it might be worth a go, hopefully being Osprey it might be vaguely compatible.
I'll try to get a few snaps of my village next time I have a game ;)
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Actually I thought about that as well, for one reason only:
(https://i.redditmedia.com/aHv-H3D0P1VZbOzXWV8A5ZfIAVSag4Zmr5XbQp2GFHU.jpg?w=600&s=34ec4ca716678d73eeb9beab6715da54)
But as it is a collectors item I never had the guts nor funds myself to buy him ;)
And it is not at all related to Ronin, but for inspiration purposes it does work (Daisho has a lot of nice ideas, I just do not like the game engine)
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Thank you, I had seen them a while ago but I couldn't them recently with an online search. I've got them saved and printed out now, no chance of me losing them again :)
I had worked out a few extra things of my own as well that I posted HERE (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=67303.msg820033#msg820033) that you might find useful as well.
Unfortunately, the Ronin boards are gone, there were some interesting things there that would help as well.
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Actually I thought about that as well, for one reason only:
But as it is a collectors item I never had the guts nor funds myself to buy him ;)
And it is not at all related to Ronin, but for inspiration purposes it does work (Daisho has a lot of nice ideas, I just do not like the game engine)
I've had my eyes on a similar collectible to use as a gashadokuro, but I just couldn't justify the price- £55 for an action figure skeleton that would need SO much modelling work to get perfect, the articulation points would always annoy me if I didn't fill them in with putty and resculpt parts.
I had worked out a few extra things of my own as well that I posted HERE (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=67303.msg820033#msg820033) that you might find useful as well.
Unfortunately, the Ronin boards are gone, there were some interesting things there that would help as well.
oooh, you've got some great ideas there- the dogs are especially interesting to me as I've seen working on a couple of Akitas since they come from the next prefecture over from where my games are set :)
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I managed to get a little game in yesterday and snapped off a few photos for you, so here's your first real peek at the lives of the poor villagers who live in Yokainoyama...
A small group of bandits have been tracking a pair of masterless samurai and their apprentice through the mountains, intending to murder them in their sleep as they spend the night at a small settlement. Unfortunately for the bandits, a storm is brewing overhead and Raijin the thunder god has sent his pet Raiju to wreak havoc among both sides of the feud, spitting lightning bolts and running them down with his supernatural speed and burning rage.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/yokainoyama_zpsijkbj0cy.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/yokainoyama_zpsijkbj0cy.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/yokainoyama4_zpsmgds7kxp.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/yokainoyama4_zpsmgds7kxp.jpg.html)
Kyuzo, the older of the samurai is the first to try his luck against the mighty enemy, causing a few minor wounds to Raiju but nothing deciding enough to finish the creature. In return, the thunder beast batted the warrior down with a swipe of its paw, killing the fighter instantly.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/yokainoyama3_zpsvl41wzz4.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/yokainoyama3_zpsvl41wzz4.jpg.html)
Rushing through the village, Raiju takes on the second of the samurai, Kambei, and a lone bandit who puts his intentions to one side, deciding to assist in felling the monster.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/yokainoyama2_zpsplh0d0hr.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/yokainoyama2_zpsplh0d0hr.jpg.html)
As the fight nears its conclusion, the young apprentice attempts to aid his senpai, but is held up by a kasedori bandit. It makes little difference however, Raiju slaughters the bandit before being run through by Kambei's katana and masterful kenjutsu.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/yokainoyama1_zpstwirxb8h.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/yokainoyama1_zpstwirxb8h.jpg.html)
All that's left to take care of now is for the leader of the bandits and Kambei to face each other. Injured earlier by the thunder beast, Kambei is slow to react, and too sluggish to dodge the unstoppable swing of the bandit's nodachi. In an all too quick combat between the two heroes, the fight was decided with just one well timed strike.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/yokainoyama5_zpsqquh6qyu.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/yokainoyama5_zpsqquh6qyu.jpg.html)
The bandits, or rather the one remaining bandit, left the village unhurt, carrying with him a few days of provisions and a cocky strut that says "I survived the claws of the Raiju, no mortal man can ever kill me"...
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Lovely looking table 8)
cheers
James
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Wow! Absolutely beautiful looking set up. :-*
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thanks guys
James- obviously I drew a lot of inspiration from your buildings :)
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Fantastic table and minis!
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thanks guys
James- obviously I drew a lot of inspiration from your buildings :)
No worries, glad to be an inspiration :)
cheers
James
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Very nice!
By the way, you need some Shinsengumi. :D
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Nice wee game and table! 8)
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Beautiful work
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Thanks guys :)
Very nice!
By the way, you need some Shinsengumi. :D
I have been eyeing up your Shinsengumi and trying to justify them to myself since I saw the standard bearer- what a beaut! Is there any sculpted detail That would stop them working as unarmoured samurai in the 1600s?
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Thanks guys :)
I have been eyeing up your Shinsengumi and trying to justify them to myself since I saw the standard bearer- what a beaut! Is there any sculpted detail That would stop them working as unarmoured samurai in the 1600s?
They can work very well as unarmored samurai in 1600s, the only think is a small fabric slip on the upper left sleeve.
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The side bit files off easily and once they have a different colour scheme they fit rather nicely for sengoku.
cheers
James
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Again, excellent work! I really like the Raiju! The bandit conversion is top-notch!
And the battle report is quite inspirational!
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Again, excellent work! I really like the Raiju! The bandit conversion is top-notch!
thank you :)
the kasedori bandit was my first model for this project, I'm hoping to do a few more similar ones so there's a better balance of country folklore and mythology
Email sent to you rokurota, I have to get some of your shinsengumi. I'm wondering if I can convert the banner bearer into a shinto priest. hmm
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Email sent to you rokurota, I have to get some of your shinsengumi. I'm wondering if I can convert the banner bearer into a shinto priest. hmm
Thank you, email replied. Shinto priest, great idea!
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Just caught up on this thread, outstanding work,
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Top notch. Enjoyed the game report, please post more of these.
The figures and terrain are just excellent. I recognise some of the figures but who makes the wolf and the guy in the straw cape and hat?
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I recognise some of the figures but who makes the wolf and the guy in the straw cape and hat?
the Raiju is a very slightly converted Mierce Miniatures RĒOC, FRĒAWULF, I just added the whiskery bits from piano wire and that was about it. The Mierce models are really nice to work with, incredible detail and poses and generally pretty well cast. They do tend to feel a bit light though due to the resin they're cast in.
The guy in the straw outfit (it's a kasedori) is a conversion of a Perry peasant from the SAM31 set- please excuse the quick photo, this shows how he started off (the rice thresher is included with the original figure) I basically shaved off the jingasa hat leaving the face intact and sculpted the straw up over his head. The shide streamers obscuring the face were added after painting from tiny bits of styrene sheet.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kasedori_zpsg55cpqlx.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kasedori_zpsg55cpqlx.jpg.html)
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An excellent conversion, who would have thought that you could improve on a Perry sculpt.
Don't forget the game reports :)
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That's great :)
cheers
James
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Great conversion and painting, but this bit:
The shide streamers obscuring the face were added after painting from tiny bits of styrene sheet.
is just Kurējī.
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I love the Kasedori bandit! The conversion is well executed, but the idea is even more a blast!
Did I mention that our setting is also in the area of Yamagata? ;)
"Ka-ka-ka"
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thanks for all the kind words guys :)
Did I mention that our setting is also in the area of Yamagata? ;)
close enough that our yokai can duke it out one day :)
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what's that? another ugly little river goblin?
I decided that one kappa wasn't enough (infact, I've started talking to some sculptors about commissioning a range of kappas, but that's way off for now) so made myself another of the little cucumber loving, anus defiling half monkeys. Again, made from GW hobbit goblins, this time with an arm swap and a leg swap, as well as the sculpted shell and reprofiled face.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa4_zpsijcphqqw.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa4_zpsijcphqqw.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa5_zpsqlpnezuj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa5_zpsqlpnezuj.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa6_zpsmfkbqy8a.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa6_zpsmfkbqy8a.jpg.html)
I like my kappa to be ugly and slightly goofy looking, yokai from period woodblock prints are never particularly scary or realistic, so I'm trying to replicate this in my miniatures rather than have them being ultra slick and life-like. As you may have noticed with most of the other yokai so far, I use a lot of dots when painting, this is something new that I'm trying for this project, I'm still getting used to it as a technique but I think it adds a nice texture and a bit of interest to flat areas of my miniatures, what do you guys think?
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As you may have noticed with most of the other yokai so far, I use a lot of dots when painting, this is something new that I'm trying for this project, I'm still getting used to it as a technique but I think it adds a nice texture and a bit of interest to flat areas of my miniatures, what do you guys think?
I'm not sure as a general principle, but I do like where you've used it thus far. For wood grain or reptilian goblin skin, I think it works great! :D
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Villagers have recently been complaining of a disgusting, putrid aroma coming from the old shrine in Yokainoyama, a mixture of stale sweat, fetid excrement, wild animal and rotting seafood, enough to make even the strongest of constitutions wince at the slightest whiff. Until now, local salt-peter merchant Yokunai had been mocked for his diminished sense of smell, ravaged by years of handling volatile chemicals, but all of a sudden he found those who had previously shunned him at his knees, begging him to solve the mystery of the stink.
That night he made his way through the vermilion torii that demarked the transition from the profane to the sacred, and searched the shrine grounds to try and work out what was causing the smell. After almost an hour of walking around he caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure. A hideously miss-shapen, naked, sweaty, vaguely human shaped mass of fat and flesh. Upon noticing that it had been spotted, the creature dashed away at supernatural speed, leaving Yokunai shaken and disgusted, but unharmed.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/nuppeppo_zpsgdspviqx.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/nuppeppo_zpsgdspviqx.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/nuppeppo2_zps70ubpe4i.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/nuppeppo2_zps70ubpe4i.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/nuppeppo3_zpsnnrcmqoy.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/nuppeppo3_zpsnnrcmqoy.jpg.html)
Weeks passed since Yokunai's sighting, the smell hadn't gone away and word eventually reached Daimyo Nobuhira that a Nuppeppō had been spotted in one of his mountain villages. His medical advisers reminded the noble that consuming the flesh of the beast (if he could stomach it) was said to provide you with immortality, and would almost certainly cure him of the illness that was slowly taking over his body. At that he sent a small force, led by one of his finest men, to capture the Nuppeppō, and return with the cure...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/battle1_zpsmb96djht.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/battle1_zpsmb96djht.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/battle2_zpsqy8gzusu.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/battle2_zpsqy8gzusu.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/battle3_zpsq48cylyw.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/battle3_zpsq48cylyw.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/battle4_zpsa0qq6ini.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/battle4_zpsa0qq6ini.jpg.html)
The model for the nuppeppō is mostly scratch built from putty, sculpted over the remnants of a demon miniature of some sort, I wanted to make him a bit more humanoid than traditional- he is normally depicted with no arms at all. The small shrine is a laser cut paper 1:150 scale railway accessory from Japan, the simplistic quality of the model made it suitable for representing a much smaller shrine building- a hokora, a place to leave offerings of sake and rice to appease the resident kami. The rest of the base is made from slabs of textured putty, broken up once cured and shaped into stone slabs.
(The samurai were not painted by me, I got Maz from Winterdyne modelling to do them for me, since I work at such a glacial pace ;) )
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Great work, like always.
Waiting to see those Shinsengumi painted. ;)
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Great work, like always.
Waiting to see those Shinsengumi painted. ;)
Haha, thanks mate :)
I've started demilitarising the banner bearer and converting it into an Onmyoji, such a great sculpt
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Lovely stuff - the dots work for the subject matter really well. I really like the look you've created.
Also - thanks for sharing the pictures (which had to be censored) they are absolute eye candy.
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what's that? another ugly little river goblin?
I decided that one kappa wasn't enough (infact, I've started talking to some sculptors about commissioning a range of kappas, but that's way off for now) so made myself another of the little cucumber loving, anus defiling half monkeys. Again, made from GW hobbit goblins, this time with an arm swap and a leg swap, as well as the sculpted shell and reprofiled face.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa4_zpsijcphqqw.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa4_zpsijcphqqw.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa5_zpsqlpnezuj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa5_zpsqlpnezuj.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/kappa6_zpsmfkbqy8a.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/kappa6_zpsmfkbqy8a.jpg.html)
I like my kappa to be ugly and slightly goofy looking, yokai from period woodblock prints are never particularly scary or realistic, so I'm trying to replicate this in my miniatures rather than have them being ultra slick and life-like. As you may have noticed with most of the other yokai so far, I use a lot of dots when painting, this is something new that I'm trying for this project, I'm still getting used to it as a technique but I think it adds a nice texture and a bit of interest to flat areas of my miniatures, what do you guys think?
Only thing that seems to be missing is the bowl in the head...
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Lovely stuff. Your painting style and figure conversion work is very inspiring.
Look forward to the next instalment
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Lovely additions and the game looks superb :-*
infact, I've started talking to some sculptors about commissioning a range of kappas, but that's way off for now
Do please post here if you do :D
cheers
James
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yes please, these are the best kappas I've seen since the old tengu ones, they're almost perfect, but like SotF pointed out they don't have the bowl of water on their head, if they did they'd be perfect, but I'd buy these either way with or without the bowl :D
Also love the nupeppo, might have to steal the idea, think that's a conversion I just might be able to do myself
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Thanks guys :)
You know, I was intending to put the bowls into the kappa heads but both times I forgot, got too excited, and painted them up before I remembered :'(. Part of me wants to go back and drill them in, but I know I'll never match the paint colour correctly. Hopefully I'll remember the bowl on the next one
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Amazing work all around for these, I love the paint job on your Samurai in particular! Tempted make a personal attempt at a kappa since I too have a bunch of those GW Hobbit figures that need put to use, such a cool use of one of those miniatures.
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Amazing stuff! Really nice painting and converting!
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I love this thread!
:-* :-*
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Lovely stuff.
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That board and those miniatures are beautiful! I may have missed it but what system are you playing with? Are those houses scratch built? :)
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Thanks everyone, I love how supportive this board is :)
That board and those miniatures are beautiful! I may have missed it but what system are you playing with? Are those houses scratch built? :)
The buildings are scratch built, I made one basic building without a roof, then moulded and cast them. All variations were then added to the casts to stop them being too uniform.
The rules? Basically just a variation on Ronin. I tend to GM the yokai, while 1 or 2 other players control the humans- sometimes the yokai are random/environmental effects, other times they're full on enemy forces. I like the yokai to remain pretty unknown- some are only dangerous if attacked, others are naturally malicious, some might try to help you etc, I'd rather the players not know too much about the temperament of the monsters until they interact with them, hence me needing to GM them.
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I love the way you handle the monsters, could you give a little more detail on how you rate the monsters in Ronin, number of action points, wounds etc.
William
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Long time no yokai, don't worry though, I've been making a few Japanese creatures over the past couple of weeks and I'm here to share them with you :-)
As with all old objects that haven't been used for over a hundred years, crockery too can develop a spirit and personality of its own- it normally starts with an old teapot, a chipped spout leads to it being retired from use and a new one is bought. A sake bottle that isn't quite pouring right gets replaced with another, plates too cracked to be used that never get repaired. They all get put into storage and forgotten about, until their feelings of abandonment and anger build and materialise in the form of the Seto Taisho, or Crockery General. A tiny suit of samurai armour made from discarded cups, saucers, bowls and spoons, bent on revenge, waging its own miniature war against the people who stopped using his constituent parts.
Seto Taisho is an aggressive yokai, normally seen in and around residential buildings, he will viciously attack anyone who comes close by with his chosen weapon, a rusty kitchen knife. Don't think that just because he's small he'll be easy to kill- once defeated his shattered form slowly reconstructs until he is ready to start fighting again.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/P1090278_zpszdzatd4y.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/P1090278_zpszdzatd4y.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/P1090279_zpsz6bzymvz.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/P1090279_zpsz6bzymvz.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/P1090281_zpsitasbxi3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/P1090281_zpsitasbxi3.jpg.html)
The miniature for Seto Taisho was made from various plasticard offcuts and a set of miniart 1:35 scale household crockery- it's a really useful kit, one of those things that nearly everyone will eventually find a use for.
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What an awesome thread !!!!
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Fantastic. :D
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Yet another fantastic addition to the thread!
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Great! Can't wait to see that you make with Bac Ninh Shinsengumi. ;)
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The Crockery General is amazing.
:-* :-*
Your wonderfully crazy and inventive mind is really going strong.
Please dont end this project.
Ever!
:D
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Just had the pleasure of reading through this thread and admiring all your amazing work! Can't wait for more! :)
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My camera (and or battery) have bitten the proverbial, so I'm without a way of showing you guys what I've been upto recently, but here're a couple of poor phone snaps of a recent game I played...
River bandits (along with a new recruit of diminutive stature) attack a village defended by a band of scrappy locals and a mysterious Inugami fox priest.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/fight_zpszphuwflx.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/fight_zpszphuwflx.jpg.html)
As the battle goes on however, the Inugami reveals his true intentions summoning a whole army of yokai, forcing the villagers and bandits to join forces or be swept under the tide of the oncoming supernatural creatures.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/fight2_zpsvyouizhk.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/fight2_zpsvyouizhk.jpg.html)
The game consisted of two players and myself as GM- each player fought as normal in a fight to the death type scenario until roughly turn 4, when I pulled my surprise and spawned a whole slew of yokai onto the board and took control of the Inugami. The players instinctively joined together and tried to save their hides, picking off the minor creatures and running away from the larger ones. Finally a lucky blow against the Tsuchigumo giant spider (the real commander of the yokai forces) caused all of the remaining spirits to vanish into thin air as quickly as they had appeared.
(new models to look for in the bad photos are: the fox priest, a halfling oni, a halfling ashigaru, a tsuchigumo giant spider and a river boat- a resin cast of a wooden master I made)
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I have now read the weirdest sentence ever twice in one day!
o_o o_o
Love the eye candy.
:-* :-*
(new models to look for in the bad photos are: the fox priest, a halfling oni, a halfling ashigaru, a tsuchigumo giant spider and a river boat- a resin cast of a wooden master I made)
Really looking forward to when the camera issues are sorted.
:D
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thanks Mason :)
I managed to get a few more acceptable phone snaps when the game was over-
First up is my little boat- probably suitable for 5-6 men in game, but the model can hold 3-4 25mm slotta bases depending on how flat you want them to be. The model was made from wood veneer strips, then moulded in silicone and cast in resin. To be completely honest, I'm not sure why I moulded it as I have no use for more than one boat, but I guess I just wanted practice in making a two part mould and I prefer painting resin to wood :)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1105_zpsszlzdtcd.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1105_zpsszlzdtcd.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1108_zpsb5fz3u52.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1108_zpsb5fz3u52.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1109_zpseibj4pqt.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1109_zpseibj4pqt.jpg.html)
Next up we have three very old Citadel miniatures- the Inugami is a foxpriest from the Runequest range, circa 1984 I think. A lovely, graceful sculpt, but a bit crude in a few areas, it was a joy to paint though. The blue Amanojaku is a solid base Citadel Halfling oni sculpted by Aly Morrison I believe in about 85(?). For some reason this figure was later reworked and released as a Halfling ashigaru- the horns were removed, an extra pouch was sculpted on the belt and it was converted from solid base to slotta base. Whatever the reasoning behind these weird niche sculpts, I love them, and if anyone can point me towards the other halfling oni and ashigaru I'd be eternally grateful. For some reason, I painted all three of these models with sore heels, something I've never done before but it felt right.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1111_zpsfm3anmn2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1111_zpsfm3anmn2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1117_zpsytdvrnwl.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1117_zpsytdvrnwl.jpg.html)
Incidentally, in game I treat the amanojaku like a concealed ninja- he starts the game as the diminutive ashigaru, and at any point during the game the controlling player can reveal his true identity as a face-stealing amanojaku.
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Very nice! Shinsengumi please... ;)
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Thanks for digging out the other pictures, they are some truly wonderful additions to the project.
Well thought out and finished with great brushwork.
:-* :-*
That boat is very well done too*.
8) 8)
*I am sure you could sell a few castings if you wanted to.
;)
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I only saw this thanks to the image on the "post an image of your last game" thread. When Mason commented that it was a great thread I thought I needed to check it out. I'm very glad I did, this has been a brilliantly entertaining read with amazing ideas very well executed. Thank you for sharing it.
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One of the best projects on that board! :-*
Very inventive conversions and really nice painting on all of these miniatures and scenery.
It would be interesting to see the pictures of the whole village at once someday.
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Lovely photos - the colours are wonderful.
What do you mean with "I painted all three of these models with sore heels"?
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Thank you so much guys :)
What do you mean with "I painted all three of these models with sore heels"?
it's not that visible in the photos, except maybe on the Inugami, but the feet of the three characters all have a change in tone at the back of the heel, hopefully this reads as being sore spots on their heels. If not, it's just a nice little colour change :P
Rokurota: Here's a little sneak peak of my Onmyoji conversion from your Shinsengumi standard bearer
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1127_zpssakicrms.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1127_zpssakicrms.jpg.html)
so far the fabric sleeve badge and the saya that would be under his left arm have been removed meaning that I had to resculpt the side of the jacket and most of his arm, the hat has been added above his headband, his katana has been filed down into a tanto and a kansugi branch added to his hand. I need to smooth out a few areas of sculpting and rework the front of his jacket but he's nearly ready for paint. I can't decide if he's just a random onmyoji or perhaps he might even be Abe no Seimei (or maybe his ghost?)
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Love this stuff. I get so inspired to get home and paint more samurai and now alsorts of "extras".
One question could you share with us some of the details on how you rate the figures for Ronin?
Thanks
William
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Thank you so much guys :)
it's not that visible in the photos, except maybe on the Inugami, but the feet of the three characters all have a change in tone at the back of the heel, hopefully this reads as being sore spots on their heels. If not, it's just a nice little colour change :P
Rokurota: Here's a little sneak peak of my Onmyoji conversion from your Shinsengumi standard bearer
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1127_zpssakicrms.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1127_zpssakicrms.jpg.html)
so far the fabric sleeve badge and the saya that would be under his left arm have been removed meaning that I had to resculpt the side of the jacket and most of his arm, the hat has been added above his headband, his katana has been filed down into a tanto and a kansugi branch added to his hand. I need to smooth out a few areas of sculpting and rework the front of his jacket but he's nearly ready for paint. I can't decide if he's just a random onmyoji or perhaps he might even be Abe no Seimei (or maybe his ghost?)
Thank you mate, the Onmyoji conversion looking good!
Love your work, maybe you could make some conversions for me. ;)
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Since it is a mountain setting there are a few 28mm monkey figures that might make good yamachichi. Maybe some Eureka Fantacide monkeys minus the wings and fez? Or even with the wings for added monstrousness. A scenario with them breaking in to houses to steal villagers' breath could be good?
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I just discovered this amazing blog.
Can we get some photos of your different yokai and warriors?
That is if its not to much trouble.
Also where did you get all of the info about the different Yokai, demons, ghost and gods from? Or is it some thing you have researched over many years?
Ether way I love all that I have seen so far.
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I just discovered this amazing blog.
Me too, and it's amazing ! :-*
Wonderful minis and gaming table. It must be a joy to play.
I will keep an eye here for now...
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Here's a little more progress on the Onmyoji, he's coming along alright but man do I hate painting white cloth >:(
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1134_zpsnbdpzmyb.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1134_zpsnbdpzmyb.jpg.html)
Elk101- nice idea mate, I hadn't thought of yamachichi, I've got an old jokaero figure that I was planning to yokai-ize at some point.
Commissarmoody- decades of being obsessed with folklore and monsters, and ten years of travelling in Japan have just combined into what I know I guess. Loads of books on the subject exist, but mostly in Japanese which I'm not particularly adept at reading, luckily they're packed with illustrations that're generally worth the entrance fee by themselves. There's also a very good website called yokai.com that's a great introduction to many of the more and less common yokai. I went to a Yokai museum in Shikoku last month, which was sweet in a quaint folksy way, but not very helpful ;)
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WOW, would love to get my hands on this mini
The white looks amazing
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WOW, would love to get my hands on this mini
maybe Rokurota has some of the base miniatures left? I know I wish I had more than one ;)
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Beautiful job on those white robes.
Yokai.com is brilliant, you can spend hours reading on it.
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Awesome!
maybe Rokurota has some of the base miniatures left? I know I wish I had more than one ;)
Yes, I have some masters, if you want...
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I have already painted up two of them, and don't have your skills at converting, but very tempted to get some yokai stuff
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That guy turned out great, and I just found out about Yokai.com trying to look up some of the critters you posted up. lol
I think I am going to put The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yokai and The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits: An Encyclopedia of Mononoke and Magic (Yokai) onto my Christmas list.
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That guy turned out great, and I just found out about Yokai.com trying to look up some of the critters you posted up. lol
I think I am going to put The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yokai and The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits: An Encyclopedia of Mononoke and Magic (Yokai) onto my Christmas list.
Thank you :)
those books are well worth the investment, even though all the info is available online for free it's nice to be able to reward the guy making them with a purchase here and there
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Recently a mysterious stranger has been seen in the fields and copses surrounding Yokainoyama. Dressed in the robes of a Shinto Kannushi, but something about his demeanour has lead to the villagers suspecting something more sinister. Effigies and talismans have been found nailed to cedar trees, areas once fenced off by shide have been opened and a large number of unearthly floating lights have been spotted at night. After consulting with village elders, the inhabitants are certain that this lone figure is a sorcerer and learned in the ways of Onmydo, the Wara Ningyo straw doll that accompanies him reinforced their belief, he must be an Onmyoji! Whilst not being a physical threat to the peace of the village, he almost certainly has magical powers, and the voodoo-doll like straw doll will no doubt be put to ill-use
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1137_zpsbtxxs0xj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1137_zpsbtxxs0xj.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1139_zpsqwnfla0w.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1139_zpsqwnfla0w.jpg.html)
The figure, as you already know is a conversion of the excellent Bac Ninh Miniatures shinsengumi banner bearer- his robes were resculpted as was his hat, his sword was cut down into a tanto, the staff and amulets in his left hand were scratch built with polystyrene and armature wire. The Wara Ningyo was a first for me, completely sculpted from greenstuff over a wire armature. Not bad for my first sculpted miniature, I'm glad I picked something easy to start with.
In terms of in game use for Ronin? I intend to run him as a Rank 4, CP 4, Initiative 4, Fight 1, Shoot 1. Medium armour, Tanto. Fearless, Intuition and Tough to represent some of his magic abilities.
The Wara Ningyo is Rank 0, CP 0, Initiative 0, Fight 0, Shoot 0. He can't be attacked while the Onmyoji is alive, and any model he is in base contact with counts as having a grievous wound to represent the attention of the Onmyoji being focussed on the model.
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That sorcerer fella* has been taken to a lovely finish, both conversion and painting and the little fella is so full of character.
Bravo, sir.
:-* :-*
*He looks like he either has a cold or overimbibes of the remedy for such, going by the shade of his beak.
lol ;)
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That sorcerer fella* has been taken to a lovely finish, both conversion and painting and the little fella is so full of character.
Bravo, sir.
:-* :-*
*He looks like he either has a cold or overimbibes of the remedy for such, going by the shade of his beak.
lol ;)
He's a BIG fan of the local sake, perhaps his knowledge of the occult comes from his imbibing, or perhaps he's just a confused drunk convinced of his own power? Or maybe I went a little heavy handed with the red glaze ;)
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Love this thread! That's a cracking little sculpt for your first effort.
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He's a BIG fan of the local sake, perhaps his knowledge of the occult comes from his imbibing, or perhaps he's just a confused drunk convinced of his own power? Or maybe I went a little heavy handed with the red glaze ;)
Whichever it is, he looks great.
:)
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Love this thread! That's a cracking little sculpt for your first effort.
Totally agree - the texture you've created is impressive.
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Amazing work!
With your permission I will put it on my blog and twitter account.
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Thanks guy :-*
Rokurota- by all means, share away, I'm just glad you like what I've done with your figure. Btw, expect an email later today from me asking for a second banner bearer ;)
Next in the works is the floating head of a Daitengu, based on the mikoshi from Beppu
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Thank you mate, I’m waiting your mail. ;)
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Thank you mate, I’m waiting your mail. ;)
Email sent :)
It is well known among the inhabitants of Yokainoyama that a powerful yamabushi lives at the summit of the mountain, near the spring that feeds the river so vital to daily life in the village. A mystical ascetic hermit who is so perfectly in tune with the natural world surrounding him that he can control the weather, rumour has it that he is also a powerful Daitengu. A demi-god of great wisdom and pride, but also capable of unpredictably malicious acts and almost certainly the cause of each and every natural disaster to befall the mountain. Whenever the natural order of the forests is altered by human hands, the Daitengu's head drifts from his meditating body to investigate whether his intervention is necessary- an eerily silent floating head with bright red skin, a bushy beard of white feathers (betraying his identity as the leader of all the winged long-nosed tengu) and an enormous, phallic nose which waves back and forth in the wind. Any on-lookers who see the floating head would be well advised to stay away, though amiable in appearance the slightest insult will send the Daitengu into an unimaginable rage which could well cause the destruction of Yokainoyama.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1149_zpshnyx53hk.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1149_zpshnyx53hk.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1153_zpswtwt6khx.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1153_zpswtwt6khx.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1146_zpsn4w02oqr.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1146_zpsn4w02oqr.jpg.html)
A really quick build and paint for this guy as I want to use him this weekend. The head started off as an old Citadel LOTR Treebeard miniature from the mid 1980s, his leafy beard worked great as a feathery beard so needed little altering- just the sculpting of a long nose and a pillbox-cap made from plasticard and wire. I love finding an often forgotten miniature than can be quickly turned into something else with minimal effort. The Lantern on the base is I think from an Okko miniature, but I'm not 100% certain of that (any pointers on that would be greatly received as I'd love to find a couple more of these).
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Lovely painting and conversion.
:-* :-*
I simply love this thread.
As I have no idea at all about the subject, it always surprises me with what you produce.
And I am always delighted with whatever wonderful creation I find.
:D
Oh, and I will never be able to see Treebeard in quite the same way again!
:D ;)
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I find myself wanting to see more of this too, it's a very original thread. I've even started looking at minis to see what they could be turned into!
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Lovely conversion and painting. The mood you create (even just two dimensionally) is great!
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Simply a delight - excellent composition and painting.
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Marvelous.
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What you are able to do with different miniature ranges to create each of these is continuously inspiring. Absolutely love the Daitengu! :o
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thanks guys, you're all so supportive here :)
Here's a little WIP shot for you of what I'm working on today- a Rokurokubi. She started off life as a Perry Miniatures villager with a ponytail that went down to her bum, the head had to go as did the hair and most of her back, so nearly all of her back has been resculpted. Her head is from a Malifaux Shikome miniature that I originally bought for the clawed feet until I realised how tiny they were. Neck is a length of styrene rod heated over a candle and bent into shape, hair ornament is a length of harpsichord wire and a tiny piece of plasticard. New feet and a pair of wooden geta shoes are in the works, and the head/neck join will get some refining before I start to paint her on Thursday :)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1155_zpsw9w8qi67.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1155_zpsw9w8qi67.jpg.html)
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Excellent conversion. You could potentially make a Nukekubi using similar methods with the head detaching followed by a 'spirit' trail connecting it to the body. Totally love this thread!
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Excellent conversion. You could potentially make a Nukekubi using similar methods with the head detaching followed by a 'spirit' trail connecting it to the body.
my plan exactly! :D
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Lovely conversion work.
I look forward to seeing her/it progress.
8) 8)
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Nice!
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The village normally gets through minimal amounts of lamp oil, lighting the grounds of the local samurai's house and the festivals that happen in the shrine, and being so overrun with yokai, the residents rarely set foot outside after dark so there is little call for lanterns. Recently however, when the merchant was taking stock in his kura, he noticed a lot less oil than he should have, he definitely hadn't been selling any more than usual, and his records showed a completely different amount to what he had on hand. The only explanation was a thief! But with only one tiny window high up the wall and him being the only person with a key, a human burglar couldn't possibly have got in.
Suspecting that this could be the work of the trickster tanukis that were known to live in the forests, the merchant decided to camp out overnight and watch the kura to see what was happening. By the hour of the pig all natural light had faded from the hillside and he saw nothing. By the hour of the rat he was bitterly cold, but still saw nothing. As the hour of the ox approached he could barely keep his eyes open, and just as he was nodding off a faint light in the distance caught his attention. The glow drew nearer and nearer to the storehouse, until the merchant could make out the figure of a beautiful lady, almost certainly a prostitute from the city further down the hill. The woman stood at the foundation of the building and tilted her head backwards, looking high up at the miniature window set into the thick stone walls. As she stared intently, her neck stretched out long and thin like a serpent until it reached five jo in length and her head worked its way through the open window and right into the barrel of oil. Amazed at what he witnessed, the merchant slipped and fell backwards into a pile of leaves, the crumpling noise disturbing the creature who bolted back into the woods faster than a normal woman could run, with her neck retracting back like a snapping turtle's as she ran, and a slick of oil dribbling from her mouth and down her chin onto the floor.
At the break of dawn the merchant gathered a group of the villagers together by the storehouse and set off to follow the trail of oil left by the fleeing Rokurokubi...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1167_zpsbvb3gohq.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1167_zpsbvb3gohq.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1170_zpsz2luigsa.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1170_zpsz2luigsa.jpg.html)
I'm pretty happy with the finished miniature, not being a fan of painting skin or fabrics this was a bit of a tough one for me, but it turned out pretty well- I wish I had resculpted the hands on the miniature though, they really are a bit clunky and ugly and one of the places where the Perrys' models often fail in my eyes. It's nice to get such a classic of Japanese folklore finished though, and I've got another classic coming up next ;)
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I think that's f'ing brilliant! It's a well conceived, well painted little masterpiece.
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I think that's f'ing brilliant! It's a well conceived, well painted little masterpiece.
Wot he said!
:-* :-*
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That is pretty badass! :o
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:-* That looks great, the face is just amazing, great conversion too
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Simply wonderful (and vaguely disturbing). Loved your narrative too.
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Well done mate!
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Simply wonderful (and vaguely disturbing). Loved your narrative too.
What he said!
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Painting of the kimono and skin has been beautifully done.
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An excellent choice of colors for kimono and great conversion work!
It is interesting to read background stories about all of these creatures too.
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So, being new in having interest in this particular neck of the woods of the forum, I'm blown away by the first thead I happen to open on a whim.
So many characterfull mini's and such amazing paintjob.
an absolute joy to see
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Thank you guys :) Now, what says Christmas eve more than a visit from a big red guy with some white fur on his boots, and erm... a big iron club?
Large, brutish, quick to anger and invariably wicked, Oni are Japan's answer to the ogres that appear in nearly every country's mythology, and the oni that inhabit the mountains of Yokainoyama are no different. Born from the most evil of humans, when a murderer or particularly brutal bandit flees into the hills and hides out for a long time evading capture or justice, their bodies and minds slowly change into the hulking, dim-witted form of the oni. The rage, fear and guilt build up inside until they are too great for a mortal body to withstand, and the longer they go unpunished, the more bestial the end result. The cruellest oni- created from the worst of humanity- are often armed with great iron tetsubo and recruited into the service of Great Lord Enma, the ruler of hell, while the lesser oni are left in the mortal realms to roam around aimlessly, pillaging villages and destroying anything that gets in their way.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1192_zpsrbrzpmgp.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1192_zpsrbrzpmgp.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1189_zpsfcm79ghj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1189_zpsfcm79ghj.jpg.html)
The oni miniature is from the Zenit Kensei range, a lovely sculpt with great details, but a slightly annoying cast with some large gaps between pieces and some shoddy mould lines. Rarely for me, this model is 100% unconverted which makes a nice change. With oni being the most well known yokai and well represented by many manufacturers I was able to pick and chose my perfect oni with no need to alter it ;)
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Lovely painting. What colours did you use for the red skin tones?
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The Zenit Kensei range is pretty cool. I have been eyeing some of there figs for awhile now. Just don't know how well they size up with the Perry Bros figs.
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Lovely brushwork, especially on that flesh, that is a great choice of colour.
:-* :-*
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Thanks guys 👍🏻
The flesh is all GW paints- Mournfang brown with a dab of black and a dab of green, blended up to mephiston red and a final highlight of evil suns scarlet mixed with a touch of light skin colour to knock back the brightness a touch. Glazed with druchii violet and nuln oil in selected places.
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Green? Intersting - something I'm going to experiment with when I get the chance. Thanks agsin for these lovely photos and back stories.
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Amazing work!
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Amazing work mate, can´t believe I missed this for so long.
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As the ruthless leader of the local bushi started to grow old, his attitude towards the past and his military conquests soured. No longer was he proud of the hundreds of people that he had slaughtered, both in war and in the quest for recognition by his lord Nobuhira, rather, feelings of guilt and shame grew in his aging mind. The unnecessary deaths of countless people, all lesser warriors than himself, started to haunt him day and night- wherever he looked he saw the skulls of his victims, stones in his garden taunted him with grinning teeth, flowers no-longer bloomed for his pleasure, instead taking on the appearance of dead children. Eventually the souls of all he had vanquished coalesced into a physical form, a giant rotting head which followed him everywhere, impossible to escape from no matter how hard he ran. Growing weary of the spirit, the once noble warrior turned to fight it, finding it a greater foe than any he had ever faced, the Mekurabe struck him down with one swift blow, ending his life and bringing justice to the families of those he had slain.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1178_zps0n9wip9n.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1178_zps0n9wip9n.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1180_zpsyk0czcir.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1180_zpsyk0czcir.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1181_zpshmyyjxsz.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1181_zpshmyyjxsz.jpg.html)
One of my regular gamers has a habit of bringing overly powerful characters to games where they don't belong- a rank 5 character has no place in a battle between rank 0-2 warriors and tends to dominate. The mekurabe is my equaliser, a hard counter to this annoyance lol. If I feel one particular model is unbalancing a game and causing too many deaths then I might summon this beasty and place him in combat with the culpret. I tend to make the mekurabe an exact copy statwise and weaponwise for its opponant so that it's a fair fight at least, but if the overly powerful character already has a light wound from a previous combat then his chances might be a tad lower...
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Stunning brushwork, brilliant blending and superb colour choices.
:-* :-*
And I like your plan.
:D :D
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Yeah, great work and an excellent idea for balancing a game, particularly if the 'mighty' warrior is warned by the local peasants in advance; there can be no one excuses!
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Double post after some glitching
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That is awesome.
Truelly love the atmosphere of the piece. Brilliant
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Lovely stuff. What parts did you use for the conversion?
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I like all your creatures, but the Mekurabe is exceptionally good.
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Thanks guys :)
The Mekurabe itself is actually unconverted, being a Zenit miniatures Kickstarter exclusive. The shrine is a 1:150 papercraft temple from a Japanese model railway shop, skulls are GW (from their recent boxed set of 350 assorted skulls), and the flower bases are from the Busch HO scale wildflower set.
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Chiming in to say this is an amazing thread. I'm starting a Sengoku Jidai skirmish project with a friend and seriously considering something like this for some solo games. Just fantastic minis
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Great!
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Not entirely sure how I missed this topic until now, amazing work!
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The floating skull and the written description are wonderful.
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Wow, what great work and stories!
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Wow!! Just stumbled on this extremely creative thread!! Superb painting mixed with original concept modeling. Absolutely Fantastic! :-* :-*
Christopher
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The woods and forests that surround Yokainoyama are mystical places, full of confusing sights and misleading signs. A traveller walking through the light dappled groves would be wise not to trust the things they think they see, take advice with caution and plan their route carefully. A playful, mischievous creature lives in the woods, on the outskirts of the village, spanning both the world of mankind and the world of the spirits, this creature is the Tanuki. Perched atop his swollen testicles like a furry beanbag, the tanuki has the power to transform into any shape he wishes, from a giant spider, to a fearsome oni, a statue or a wise old man. His favourite form though is that of a teapot. Many a time he will swap places with a teapot within someone's home, placing himself in the perfect situation to eavesdrop on important discussions, making him an excellent spy. But, since the often inebriated raccoon-like creature is fond of playing tricks, can you ever really trust the information that he gives you?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1202_zpsonwk23a5.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1202_zpsonwk23a5.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1203_zpsjds4fyid.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1203_zpsjds4fyid.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1206_zpsdgy3s10o.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1206_zpsdgy3s10o.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1208_zpskwba55ky.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1208_zpskwba55ky.jpg.html)
The miniature is based upon a plastic Malifaux Tanuki, with a few minor conversions- since the model lacked any form of genitalia, which is the source of the creature's power, I had to sculpt the scrotum entirely out of greenstuff. I rolled a large ball of putty and depressed a groove along it, placed it on my base and then pressed the model into it, squashing the putty into a more relaxed form. I then had to clean up the shape a bit and add some hair texture over the surface. The sake cup in his hand was removed and replaced with a teapot from a 1:35 miniarts crockery set. The daruma ema panel on the base was just cut from plasticard and a bit of twisted wire added, simple stuff. I'm pretty pleased with the fella, and kinda want to make a few more, but standing upright so the all-important testes are more prominant.
(North Wind samurai is painted by Winterdyne and included for scale)
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Wow, that's fantastic 8)
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That has really made me chuckle.
Beautifully painted.
That REALLY is the 'NUTS'
:-* :-*
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Brilliant stuff! That Tanuki looks as mischievous as he is adorable... :)
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Bizarrely brilliant!
You've probably already seen this image:
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Thanks guys :)
Elk101- that's one of my favourite woodblocks, along with the 'fart scrolls' and the ones of people luring kappas by hanging their naked rears over rivers 😂
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lol I think there is an ACDC song that applies to this fella.
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It's always a delight to discover your latest Japanese mythological creature!
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Your miniatures are "fantastic" (in both senses of the word !)
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Very nice!! :o :-*
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Superb!
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thanks for your ongoing support guys :)
Although incredibly poor, barely able to grow enough food to feed themselves, and constantly tormented by the Imperial soldiers garrisoned nearby, the villagers of Yokainoyama and especially the town elder have remained honest, fair and kind. Never have they been tempted by an unattended sack of grain nor made jealous by the possessions of the resident samurai and his family. It is this pureness of spirit that has attracted a new creature to the woods surrounding the village- a Kirin. A divine creature, calm and benevolent, so gentle that it won't even tread on a blade of grass or an insect, instead its footprints sprouting new life and filling the pathways with vines and flowers. This most regal of creatures rewards virtuous humans with its heavenly protection, a peaceful mind will never fear assault whilst a kirin is present- the swift retribution brought down by this yokai on the violent is both fiery and final. He is not a beast to be crossed.
A great tactician however, one who is sly and exceptionally skilled in the feudal arts may be able to best a kirin in combat. Its skin is so imbued with magical powers that it can be crafted into the finest armour, able to deflect even the strongest of blows, meaning that a very high bounty is set on the body of a genuine kirin, Lord Nobuhira desperately wants to be the first warrior to possess such a suit...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1217_zpsn2m8dbpx.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1217_zpsn2m8dbpx.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1215_zpsqtummkst.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1215_zpsqtummkst.jpg.html)
Another plastic Malifaux miniature, this time a converted Yasunori. His wings and rider were removed, with the gaps being filled and sanded smooth, then antlers were built up with putty over a wire armature. A bunch of leaves from various Busch model railway accessories were added to the base to suggest the fresh life sprouting from his hoof prints. A really simple build, and a lovely model to paint up too. He should be hitting the battlefield this week, leading some other woodland spirits against an oni force
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Another great addition, with a stunning paintjob!
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A lovely conversion and a beautiful paintjob.
Those colours are so subtle. taking it to a wonderful finish.
:-* :-*
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thanks guys :D I'm really pleased with the colours on this one, and especially the dappling on his back. I made myself a little stencil by poking a pin through a sheet of paper multiple times, held it a few mm above the model, then airbrushed a really thinned down off-white colour through it. I want to paint a dappled horse now with spots all over it :)
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The latest additions are all amazing :-*
I have to take a better look at the malifaux range, I've never considered them, but it looks like they have some decent minis
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The latest additions are all amazing :-*
I have to take a better look at the malifaux range, I've never considered them, but it looks like they have some decent minis
thank you :)
I hadn't really considered the malifaux range either until recently. The human/oid models don't really do anything for me, but a lot of the creatures have great potential. The models themselves being computer sculpted do have a few things that bug me: some exceptionally thin joints/parts that won't hold up to much handling, some very strange splits between components, lots of very plain surfaces and lots of very finely detailed surfaces where even the thinnest paints obscure the sculpt. They're pretty expensive too, and I often only like/want one model from a box of three. But they are lovely models with some great concepts and they fill a lot of gaps in other ranges too (they've got so many tempting pig models for instance and some lovely oriental dragons)
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Both Tanuki and Kirin are magnificent to behold! :) :-*
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:o
Not much else to say really 8)
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I would never have considered this mixture of pastel shades but they work so well together :-* :-* The dappling is stunning :-*
LB
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That's a lovely paint job.
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Really enjoying all your work. Such creativity and inventiveness, but that Kirin is on another level. Oh wow! :o. Such an effective paint job too. Your technique for the dappling works brilliantly. Going to have to try that out too. Keep up the fantastic work!
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Top-drawer stuff. That Kirin has really taken an already wonderful thread to the next level.
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You're all too kind guys :) thank you all.
For all you yokai fans, I'm working on a jubokko next, a vampiric tree that sprouts from the blood soaked ground of battlefields :o
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As you walk through the woods perhaps being less careful than you should, you graze your face on a sharp twig sticking out from a low branch. You flinch as the scratch stings deep and feel the warm blood trickle down your cheek. Purely an accident right? But what if it wasn't?
A Jubokko is a vampiric tree, malicious and always thirsty for human blood. Born from the tear soaked grounds of ancient battlefields, it waits, silently until a passerby strays too close. A quick scratch for a few drops of blood might be all it wants, but if it hasn't fed for a long time it grabs its unsuspecting prey with its gnarled old limbs, squeezing and crushing until all of the victim's fluids have moistened the tree's roots. Empty husks of former victims litter the ground around the jubokko, attracting all manner of evil creatures with a taste for flesh...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1233_zpshcszd5p3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1233_zpshcszd5p3.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1235_zpspf5u1bev.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1235_zpspf5u1bev.jpg.html)
A nice quick build and paint for this one- starting with a GW plastic tree with minimal retexturing and resculpting, and a bunch of plastic skulls and bones. Hopefully a useful bit as background/scenery as well as a fierce monster :)
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Splendid 8)
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Superbly executed and as creepy as hell!
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Great! ;)
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Just found this thread. AWESOME!
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Lovely!
:-*
I love those GW trees.Very quirky and work well in a few settings, and you have just added another to the list.
8)
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Another wonderful addition!
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I love that tree.
I mean, it's not a hamster using his own nutsack as a skippyball, but it's still rather awesome.
Beautifull stuff on this thread.
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This has been be one of the most interesting threads on this forum.
Words fail me in my wonderment in the creatures you have created.
So a thank you for letting all of us to enjoy what you have done.
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As you walk through the woods perhaps being less careful than you should, you graze your face on a sharp twig sticking out from a low branch. You flinch as the scratch stings deep and feel the warm blood trickle down your cheek. Purely an accident right? But what if it wasn't?
A Jubokko is a vampiric tree, malicious and always thirsty for human blood. Born from the tear soaked grounds of ancient battlefields, it waits, silently until a passerby strays too close. A quick scratch for a few drops of blood might be all it wants, but if it hasn't fed for a long time it grabs its unsuspecting prey with its gnarled old limbs, squeezing and crushing until all of the victim's fluids have moistened the tree's roots. Empty husks of former victims litter the ground around the jubokko, attracting all manner of evil creatures with a taste for flesh...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1233_zpshcszd5p3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1233_zpshcszd5p3.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/juxtimon/IMG_1235_zpspf5u1bev.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/juxtimon/media/IMG_1235_zpspf5u1bev.jpg.html)
A nice quick build and paint for this one- starting with a GW plastic tree with minimal retexturing and resculpting, and a bunch of plastic skulls and bones. Hopefully a useful bit as background/scenery as well as a fierce monster :)
This kind of tempts me to attempt at an Aokigahara themed board using a mix of reality and some of what I remember from Samurai Deeper...
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That's a great looking vampire tree. And makes decent use of the ever present skulls in Warhammer terrain.
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Your work is beautiful, and at times quite terrifying!
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Fantastic stuff!