Cheetors Graveyard. 29/05/12: Woods Added.

[cheetor]

I have wanted a graveyard terrain set for as long as I have been gaming.  Therefore when GW released the Garden of Morr last year I picked up a couple of sets to go with my Renedra gravestones (just like what about half of the LAF members also did).

I painted them up recently as I have started playing Malifaux and a graveyard seems like ideal terrain for that game, although I hope that it will see use in other settings too.

For those interested I counted 359 skulls on each Garden of Morr kit (244 “human” skulls and
115 skull motifs) for a total of 718 in my graveyard set so far









There are some more photos on my blog for any interested.  I also documented the simple approach that I took painting and assembling the project so far if anybody is interested in how I went about it.

I have a few more things to do before I finish, some creepy looking trees, some paths and maybe a resin crypt or two.  I also want to take a few better photos of the terrain in situ.

I will update here when those things get done.

Comments and criticisms all welcome of course.
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EDIT 13/04/12: More photos added below

[Malamute]

very nice, great painting.

[Mason]

 

Ooooh!
Lovely vivid colours.
Nice!

[DoctorPete]

Very nice.  You made a graveyard sort of...well...cheery looking with the bright colors.  Good show.   

[JollyBob]

Great stuff. I love the way all your figures and terrain have a kind of comic book vibe to them (hope you understand that's a positive thing!). 

I've always wanted a graveyard as well. I lived opposite one for thirty years, so have always fancied a little tabletop version. Since I don't play, it makes it hard to justify the time and expense, but one of these days I'll do it just for kicks. 

[krieghund]

Love the blue tones on the stone work.

[Funghy-Fipps]

Those look really great.  Of course no GW terrain is complete without 'undreds of skulls.

[aggro84]

Very nice Cheetor! 

Great painting. 

Don't take this the wrong way, but when I initially saw the set with all of the pieces close together I thought it looked a little silly.

Spread out on a board the pieces look great. 

[Hawkeye]

Very beautiful graveyard - has the feel of New Orleans Cemetary 7 (I think that's the one). In any case, thanks for the breakdown on how you painted them - they're a real help, as I'd like mine to look something like that - when I get them, that is. The Garden of Morr is listed on the main GW website, but I think there's some issue, as the gaming stores just aren't getting them. A pity, because they're nice, and like you, Cheetor, I'd end up getting two as well. It'll be used for Mordheim, but I also want to use it for a section of my Battlecars circuit, when I get it built (in 28mm, so pedestrians have a fighting chance as well). A nice graveyard speed trap right on a open straight - bound to cause problems.
Good to see you back and producing great terrain - I'm going to try that zenithal hightlighting too. It looks great!
Lovely job, Cheetor.

[cheetor]

Thanks to everyone for the honest feedback.  

Don't take this the wrong way, but when I initially saw the set with all of the pieces close together I thought it looked a little silly.

No problem whatsoever aggro84.  If I didnt want genuine feedback then I wouldnt put up photos, so I appreciate your honest response.


A couple of points:


1) I am a fan of quite high contrast in gaming miniatures, in both colours used and light to dark contrast.  Anything too subtle is lost on a gaming table I reckon.  I think that that attitude contributes to a certain comic book look to my stuff.  It isnt something that I originally set out to achieve, but I am reasonably happy with the majority of my results.

The games that I play tend to involve larger than life characters in larger than life situations rather than historical re-enactments anyway, so a four colour look is appropriate I suppose.

I am in awe of painters who can manage to paint up something like a posse of brown cowboys and have them look realistic, while still working in enough contrast to make them interesting gaming pieces.  It is a skill that I have yet to develop.


2) I am no architectural expert but he cemetery models look to me to be of an style that I associate with cold and damp climates, but I didnt want to paint them like that.  I wanted the graveyard to fit with the rest of my wasteland/desert terrain.  

As a direct result of this I avoided greens and other mossy colours on the brickwork and didnt go for a more damp and dirty look on the models as a whole.  

Additionally the models have a lot of foliage modeled on to them.  I simply painted those elements a similar reddish colour to the reds and browns that exist on the rest of my wastelands terrain set.  Believe it or not this helps the pieces to fit better than they would have if I had painted them green for example, although see "1" above regarding inherent cartooniness of style.

While I realise that the set looks a bit more Hanna Barbera than Hammer Horror, it fits in with the palette of my wasteland terrain better this way.  It is quite Scooby Doo overall though

Very beautiful graveyard - has the feel of New Orleans Cemetary 7 (I think that's the one).

I just Googled New Orleans Cemetery 7 and found some really nice photos that are certainly not a million miles from what I have done, which is cool.  Thanks for the heads up Hawkeye.

The New Orleans cemetery photos just reminded me of a level in Left 4 Dead 2, set in New Orleans.  I imagine that it was influenced by cemetery 7 or similar.

[Anatoli]

Very  nice terrain and painting!

[Hawkeye]

Well, it has a lovely, creepy look to it, which is what you want from a graveyard  board. I love the idea of black primer, grey spray highlight, and then washes to pick out certain stones, provide contrast, and generally finish the look. I'll definitely by borrowing the idea. As always, looking forward to more from you.

[The_Beast]

Also, I think in less than starkly lit conditions, these should come across even more spooky and less comicy, which we still consider complimentary in work this good.

Doug

[aggro84]

Hey cheetor,

For the record, this is the picture I thought looked silly.



Not any of your photos. 

And I love your blog. For some reason I've never checked it out before.

[Marine0846]

Very well done.
Like the colors you used to paint the pieces.
I have almost purchased this set a number of times.
If I do, hope it turns out close to looking a good as yours.