Ramblings of a frugal wargamer

[eilif]

Looks Great! I'm loving your re-use of old toys.  If you have the chance, it would be cool to see them next to miniatures.

My only suggestion would be to dirty it up, especially if they are to be industrial pieces.  It's easy to do and adds alot to the model.  My method is fast and doesn't use any special techniques.

Give it a brown wash or two. I don't use anything special, just brown paint with water, let it pool on surfaces and in grooves and totally dry, even if it takes overnight. You'll end up with nice brown rusty spots in the crevasses.  I usually do this 2 or 3 times.

After this, I give it a dusty tan drybrush all over.  Not only does it leave everything looking dusty, but it also can dirty up areas that the wash didn't darken and soften up areas that might have gotten too much wash.  It also gives a bit of a highlight effect on the edges of things.


The other thing I do, but which is too late is to prime the model black and then us a heavy drybrush for all the base colors. After the color drybrush it looks a bit messy, as some areas will have black showing. However, after the washes and tan drybrushes the parts that were black end up looking dirty or worn with the crevases looking shadowy. It's a nice way to get alot of different effects just by changing the way you apply the base colors and which color primer you use.

Pretty much all of the terrain projects in my blog were painted this way, but here's one example.

[dwbullock]

Several trips to Goodwill, and a moment to myself while the wife and kiddos were out of town... and what do I find myself working on, today?  Cheap terrain, of course!

This is a Hot Wheel toy.  Of some type.  Clearly meant to look like an engine, but had enough interesting texture that I thought I would work well. 



Added some of my Deadzone terrain that has been sitting around unused.  The 'tank' on the side is from the above-mentioned Sonic Slammer toy.  Primer doesn't seem to be sticking to it, though, so it might need some special treatment -- or be tossed back into the bits bucket.  Also had a piece from some type of kiddy kazoo type thingie (white piece with the little 'salt shaker' top).  Finally, added some 'braces' or 'supports' from cut up plastic clothespins (the light blue bits).

Turned it into this: 







Primer is drying on the model, and will post pics once painted.  In the meantime, this is next up:



PS -- please ignore the mess behind the terrain.  I promise I'll have that cleaned up before the family gets back in town 

[eilif]

Great Finds! Can't wait to see how they turn out.

[von Lucky]

Nice work in this thread - your modelling/painting are nothing to be shamed of.

[YPU]

You really have a knack for using the parts that work and covering up the parts that don't.

I fear I threw out a large bin of random broken pieces of toys from my childhood a few months ago, really should not have. 

[dwbullock]

I fear I threw out a large bin of random broken pieces of toys from my childhood a few months ago, really should not have. 

We never, EVER throw stuff out.  We're gamers, maaaan!  Keep that talk up, and my wife will start asking me to throw stuff out, too.

Thanks for all the kind words.  While the primer dries on the Hot Wheels toy bashes, and I rack my brain thinking of how to paint the things, decided to finish these up.  Always wanted a bunch of intermodal containers to fight over, under, around, etc...  Those things get pretty expensive, though, which violates my $5 rule.  Quick bashed these some time ago, never got around to finishing them.  Foamboard, covered with corrugated paper from the scrapbooking aisle of Micheal's.  Been sitting in my 'to finish' pile for a while.  Figure I will knock up a few more when I get the chance.  And THIS, by the way, is why I say I can't paint very well.  Painting words on top of that corrugated paper ... well, keep in mind, my normal playing partner is a 7 year old, so she won't mind the Star Labs ugliness.  Do want to add some more detail -- loading posters, etc.  Tried to dirty them up with a wash, but simply would not take over the card.  It seemed to soak it up and make a God Awful mess, even after priming.  So very quick and ugly'damage' on these.

Seriously.... how DO you paint on words other than using a stencil



PS -- I really need to find a nice place to take these pictures.  Snapping cell phone pics of terrain on my ottoman or my loveseat is starting to look a bit sad 

[has.been]

As to background for your photographs, why not make an open box with some scenery lining the sides, or a roll of fairly stiff fabrick (e.g. part of on old pull down blind). You could peg it in place for the pictures (if you haven't used all the pegs to brace machinery that is). Spray or sponge 'sky' colours (blues, white etc.) in an out of focus style an use as a backdrop. As you will get a bend, where it changes from horizontal to vertical, you have a better background i.e. no crease behind your figures.

Also ALWAYS remember the wargamers rule Number 1.
NEVER THROW ANYTHING OUT.
Keep up the excellent work.