Progress with the LoTR Collection (pic heavy) UPDATE: 30.1.15

[guitarheroandy]

Having not painted anything from my LoTR collection for months, I finally got cracking again, largely as a result of the new Hobbit movie.

Anyway, I painted 6 Elf spearmen, using Galadhrim Guards of the Court models with the addition of old High Elf shields (the latter bought as a job-lot on EBAY!)

I did do one of these over the summer as part of a competition on The One Ring LoTR gaming website. So, over the past few weeks, I finished the first 6.

Here are some pics...





This gave me 12 Elf warriors, a hero and an eagle painted. Trouble is I only had 8 orcs, a leader and a troll for the evil side. However, last week, I stumbled across 24 painted Morannon Orcs on EBAY. They were done in a base coat, ink wash and dry brush style and were fairly neat and tidy. They weren't cheap, but I figured that with a few evenings work, I could add highlights, tidy them up and rebase them and that they would fit in with my own Orc models. There was a bit of a compromise as they were painted in the very uniform style of the Pelannor Fields Orcs from the RoTK movie. I didn't really want loads of fancy red tunics, but, well beggars can't be choosers, so I clicked 'Buy It Now'. They arrived two days later and over the past two evenings, I have completed 16 of them. They are not marvellous paint jobs, but to bulk up an Orc force quickly, they are pretty darn good and the highlighting I did generally worked a treat!

Here's a shot of an Orc as they came off EBAY...



Here's a couple of shots of a few of them post-'surgery'...


Here's a few 'action shots' of the entire painted collection...


Next up in this collection, the final 8 EBAY orcs, then 6 Elf swordsmen, hopefully early in the new year unless other things grab me first...

[DeafNala]

The Good & Evil Guys, comparatively speaking, painted up WONDERFULLY with some SPLENDID basing to boot. The BEAUTIFUL background scenery really adds to the brushwork immeasurably. VERY WELL DONE!

[OSHIROmodels]

Great collection Andy 

cheers

James

[Vermis]

That's purdy-lookin'. Nice work primping those Orcs.

[Gutbukkit]

Great stuff.

[Little Odo]

Lovely paint jobs on those elves  - what is your formula for the nicely muted colour scheme?

[killshot]

Really liking these too, the elves look great.  Just a side note - I was extremely disappointed to see GW isn't releasing plastic troops for BotFA. 

[guitarheroandy]

Lovely paint jobs on those elves  - what is your formula for the nicely muted colour scheme?

White undercoat, foundry Arctic grey shade tunics, foundry night sky light cloaks, foundry storm blue light plumes on the helmets, shields and cloak trim. Metallics are GW chain mail and burnished steel for the plate armour and the old bolt gun metal drybrushed  over black for the mail. The whole lot is washed in Army Painter strong tone dip and then highlighted up with the basecoat colours. The cloaks get an extra highlight on the edges of creases with Arctic grey shade. The helmet plumes got an extra highlight of storm blue light mixed with GW...err...that creamy coloured one they do...IUsed to be bleached bone. I then brush on Testors Dullcote. After that the plate armour gets an extra highlight of burnished steel. Works pretty well...

[Belgian]

Great-looking miniatures and terrain! Can you kindly share the source of the grass mat? 

[guitarheroandy]

Great-looking miniatures and terrain! Can you kindly share the source of the grass mat? 

It's not a grass mat. I made 4 boards, each one 3 x 2 feet and covered them in static grass with patches of sand here and there.

[Belgian]

It's not a grass mat. I made 4 boards, each one 3 x 2 feet and covered them in static grass with patches of sand here and there.

Thanks for the quick reply, any pointers on how you applied the static grass and which static grass you used as mine always looks too flashy green? 

[guitarheroandy]

I think it was Noch spring grass mixed with the slightly darker one they do, but it's been a while since I did it so I'm not quite sure any more. I bought a big bag of it, placed it into an old ice cream tub for ease of application, then painted slightly diluted PVA glue over the board and simply sprinkled handfuls of the grass on, waiting a while til the glue was drying before patting it down. It's messy and you need lots of newspaper to collect and reuse the ton of grass that falls off the board when you lift it back up. You do get some wear and tear, but I have had these boards a few years now. They don't get heavy use, but are in need of a few repairs now where the grass has worn away a little...

Hope that helps.

[jscottbowman]

Very nice, and well set off with terrain and background.

[Belgian]

I think it was Noch spring grass mixed with the slightly darker one they do, but it's been a while since I did it so I'm not quite sure any more. I bought a big bag of it, placed it into an old ice cream tub for ease of application, then painted slightly diluted PVA glue over the board and simply sprinkled handfuls of the grass on, waiting a while til the glue was drying before patting it down. It's messy and you need lots of newspaper to collect and reuse the ton of grass that falls off the board when you lift it back up. You do get some wear and tear, but I have had these boards a few years now. They don't get heavy use, but are in need of a few repairs now where the grass has worn away a little...

Hope that helps.

It certainly does, thanks!

[**GS**]

Especially nicely painted elves. Like the color choice and brushwork.

Keep the pictures coming!

Cheers
GS