Going deeper underground (Warhammer Quest/Generic Dungeoneering project)

[FramFramson]

At the risk of over-analysing this, I think that poor-quality steel would rust unevenly. Also, if you take a rusty blade and grind the edge sharp reasonably frequently, you'd end up with a "clean" edge as above. I cannot see Orcs being great metalworkers, but I can see them keeping their weapons sharp even if they don't look after their weapons otherwise.

Anyway, I might tentatively suggest the following technique for rusty swords:

1) Over a black / very dark brown basecoat, sponge on a dark-ish brown layer. Use a scrap of foam from a model blister, or a cheap sponge, or whatever. This is quick, and gives you the correct texture and appearance.

2) Repeat step 1 with a mid-brown that's a bit orangey. Leave some of the previous layer showing through.

3) Using a brush, carefully wash a little diluted orange around details like rivets and such. Also, stipple a little bit here and there to add to the rusty blemished look. Don't overdo this part.

4) Using a fairly bright silver, *very* lightly drybrush the blade. Then, paint the edge to make it look recently sharpened. Don't take it all the way to the hilt though, and it looks even better if you paint the edge in little stripes at 90 degrees the blade's edge.

It is pretty quick to use the method above, but it does produce a fairly weathered look. If you want it to look really good, you may need to consider oxidising the other metals on the model too (golds with a little green, bronzes with a little turquoise, etc) so that the model is evenly weathered. Not sure if this will fit the style of the other models though, but may be something to consider (perhaps do one model as a test?).

You're correct that poor quality steel would rust unevenly, but once the rust's had a chance to work, it would cover the same flat surface in the end, only in brighter or darker patches. On those swords above, there's a sort of a curious rust pattern on the flat, where the centre is fully rusted over but the outer area close to the blade edge is clean. The only way that would happen is if the centre were a different material rusting at a different rate.

If the rust hasn't fully covered the flat yet then there should be a more blended approach, with little rust spots in any "cleaner" area and a few clean spots in the more fully rusted areas. If it has fully formed, you would still add some variation with little dark spots and maybe a few lighter, brighter ones. The post above with the pictures has a good examples of this.

On a more irregular surface, you would look at the shape to try and figure out where rust will start - seams, crevices or other inward folds, any areas more likely to get dirty, and so forth. Rust will spread outward from those areas.

[Gunbird]

Looking good Erik, nice to see you painting again. I'd better bring over some of my WHQ models and get paint on them as well.  Maybe we need to plan a paint evening soon, ey?

[Modhail]

Hey Johan, yeah, you'd better!  Sounds like a plan, how soon are you thinking?

[Gunbird]

Lest we pollute the topic, shall we discuss this before, over or after dinner next saturday?

[Modhail]

Well, the topic is already getting rusty it seems...
But sure, if the ladies don't mind us "talking shop" for a little bit.

[Donpimpom]

I like the basing, those broken tiles really matches the art of the floorplans.
Are they homemade?

[Modhail]

Thank you, yes they are homemade. The square ones (under the Orcs) are made from carved plasticard, the round ones (for the barbarian and dwarf) are made with milliput.
For the latter ones I squashed a layer of milliput onto the base and cut it to size when still soft.
After curing I scribed in the seams for the tiles and any other decoration I wanted.
Then I popped them off the bases, broke them along the scribed seams and distressed the separate bits with a hobby knife.
Finally, I glued them back on. Because they are now separate pieces, they will shift a little, adding a bit of extra irregularity and realism. Some parts I filed down a bit (on the underside) before reglueing, to make them appear a bit more sunken than other stones.
It's a nice job to do in between, while washes are drying....

[Modhail]

I got a few more miniatures painted for this project, the first half of the 12 spiders:


(Daylight and camera were non-cooperative today, so you get 2 pics, 1 in the shade of a bright-ish sun and one with flash when the sun was suddenly gone... The actual colour of the spiders is somewhere between these two pics.)

[rob_alderman]

How did you paint the eyes? One of them has a slightly purple reflection, so I am guessing you painted them black and gave them a purple ink?

I have a pretty much untouched copy of Warhammer Quest I really should paint up. But then, I also have a copy of Heroquest that all I did was take the shrinkwrap off...

Keep them coming, very inspiring. 

[Modhail]

Thank you! The eyes are nothing more than black with a gloss varnish. Any colour is simply the result of reflections. Though you have given me an idea for the next batch.... 

Shame to hear such great games lie untouched and unused. On the other hand, it does mean they will remain preserved and intact, which is also a good thing.

[rob_alderman]

Believe me, I have no intention to leave them untouched, both were recent lucky finds in charity shops. Heroquest had the shrink-wrap on for £8 and it's the super are advanced edition!!!

I'll have to start that project soon...

[Modhail]

You lucky <expletive>! 
Finding such gems so long after they went out of print, and for a song to boot....*


*: And you will find your purchase provides immense therapeutic value as well:
If you ever feel down, or in a hobby funk, just write on a post-it: "I paid £8." Then, post it at the edge of your monitor, open up Ebay and search for "Advanced Heroquest". Suddenly you'll feel a lot better.... 

Please do start, I love to see such grand old sets given life.
(And post some pictures of them as you unbox it, I for one love seeing "old stuff" in pristine condition.)

[Modhail]

Sheesh, I totally forgot I had this thread still running... Okay, update time, since I've started doing stuff on this project again.

What I've done on the dungeoneering project in the mean time: I've painted a Knight and the first part of his retinue (I've already shown these in another thread):



And today I've finished another hero to send into the dark passages underground:

This friendly looking chap is Wolf (b) from Hasslefree Miniatures. Absolutely lovely sculpt, a joy to paint. He's got somewhat darker skin, to give him a bit of an middle eastern origin. And I gave him a braided topknot/mohawk hair-thing with some greenstuff.

From the start I intended him to be a companion to the Dwarf I painted earlier (a lot earlier!). I even painted their bases together, so the colours would match:

Two adventuring companions, having shared many adventures and perils over the years. Despite, or maybe because of, their obvious and significant differences, they only truly seem to be at ease when the other is near. Rumors have it they may even be lovers, but no-one has yet had the courage, or deathwish, to ask...

There is a third member to this little adventuring outfit, a mutual friend who joins them from time to time, but he resides still in his little plastic baggie... A grizzled older warrior, also from Hasslefree.

[Modhail]

I made the bases today for a Necromancer and Lich Lord to lead the skeletons around my Dungeon:

The Necromancer got a piece of a magic circle (better not think about what he might be casting...) and the Lich Lord got a piece of crypt floor, with a partial brass effigy. Both are bit more of a fancy take on my usual milliput basing trick.

Three more skeletons to assemble, some gap filling on the Lich Lord and they'll be ready for primer.

February 25th update: Skeletons are primered, so 21 more figures staring at me from the "current project shelf"...
And two more based made.

These are for a Fighter-type, the buddy of previous post's barbarian and dwarf couple, and an Elf swordsman.

[Modhail]

So, a little more work on the Warhammer Quest side of things... I finished the first batch or Goblins for my wife's set today.


(Sorry about the somewhat odd lighting, the background is actually white in reality, weird weather today...)

I've started painting on the first five skeletons for my own adversary collection (the 5 archers I have), but they're not yet in a state worth photographing.