Lost Mine of Phandelver - Hobgoblins

 

Love the sculpt of these Hobgoblins - a little old school but with a modern flair and a bit of uniqueness to the models. Between these and the skeletons, I think they're my favorite sculpts from this set from 3D Dungeon Labs and their Phandelver bundle. The design language I'm going for is simplistic and clean and I think this is one of my best paint jobs for this look.

I started these with the airbrush and did a base coat in Terracotta. Then picked out the details using Vallejo's new Abyssal Turquoise along with Sombre Grey, Dark Fleshtone, Leather Brown, Gunmetal and perhaps my new favorite color Charcoal.

This is part of the 3D Dungeon Labs Etsy shop purchase.

Sculpt: Excellent - these models have a super dynamic look to them and as noted a bit old school - love em!

3D Print: Excellent - well done - clean - no issues anywhere - very solid.

Fitness: Excellent - has the proper base and scale, and will look good on the tabletop.

Games Workshop Tyranid Genestealer

 

I don't know why this miniature has been sitting on my desk or where it came from - I think it was originally part of the Tyranid vs Space Marine box from about 2005 - I had painted up a bunch of Tyranid Genestealers almost 20 years ago. There's probably a bunch more in a box on a shelf somewhere but I have no idea where at the moment - only this one. It would be good to find the others as I think this could be a fun set of models to use in a Dungeons and Dragons scenario.

When I was painting some hobgoblins (new post to come), I had some red, purple, and some blue/green. Those were the perfect colors for this Tyranid Genestealer.

It's been a long time since I've painted a model from Games Workshop but there's going to be a bunch more to come as Warhammer the Old World is out (sort of, we're still waiting for product) and we'll be painting Fantasy Warhammer real soon!

Reaper Miniatures Mockingbeast - 77048

 

This was a bit of fun - I've had this sitting around and I'd throw paint on it when I had extra paint on the tray. I'd like to get the metal version of this model as the classic bones model doesn't have enough fidelity in comparison, but it works well enough for the tabletop.

I don't recall all the colors I used - but Royal Purple and Heavy Red was used on the "beast" - Bonewhite and White on the teeth. Black wash on the brown. Gunmetal on the metal trim.

Kickstarter paint total 207 + 1 Mockingbeast = 208

Wizkids Unicorn - Monster Menagerie 27

 

This was a bit of fun as I needed to paint up a model for our current home D&D campaign - Empire of the Ghouls in the Midgard setting by Kobold Press. One of the players (she's from the shadows) befriended a beast from the shadow called a Shadhavar - a shadowy version of a unicorn. 

I love Kobold Press as a company and looking for them to carry the 5e banner with their Tales of the Valiant. However, they've had terrible luck getting miniatures produced - which is a real shame. With their Creature Codex and Tome of Beasts books they have the best 5e monsters and every one of those monsters needs a miniature. Am I the only one who sees them and Reaper Miniatures as a match made in heaven? Paizo figured it out and there's a significant line of npc's along with a few monsters. How do I get Reaper Ron and Wolfgang together on a date? Unfortunately Kobold Press has selected one man shops with Eastern Front Studios and most recently Effincool Miniatures.

Since I can't get a Shadhavar miniature - I picked up this unicorn for $3 from Miniature Market (great retailer). I undercoated the entire model with black primer and then painted my own Shadhavar.

Painting instructions for Shadhavar (used Vallejo paints)...

Step 1: Undercoat model with black primer
Step 2: Use Black on the entire model
Step 3: Use Night Blue on the mane and tail
Step 4: Use Ultramarine Blue as highlights on main and tail
Step 5: Drybrush Charcoal on entire model
Step 6: Use mix of Charcoal and Sombre Grey and drybrush entire model
Step 7: Drybrush Sombre Grey on entire model
Step 8: Use Blood Red on the eyes

Fat Dragon Games DRAGONLOCK: Tent

 

This was a bit of fun - my son picked up a 3d printer to get ready for Warhammer the Old World which is about to come out - he can print bases and terrain and all sorts of goodies for the game. He did this test print of a tent from one of the Fat Dragon Games DRAGONLOCK packs. Again, Golden Maple's drybrush brushes made the fur a piece of cake.

Painting instructions for Tent (used Vallejo paints)...

Step 1: Undercoat model with black primer

Step 2: Use Tanned Flesh on tent

Step 3: Mix Bleached Bone with Tanned Flesh and repeat about 4x to get to final highlights
Step 4: Use Beasty Brown on sticks and pegs
Step 5: Drybrush Leather Brown on sticks and pegs

Step 6: Drybrush Plague Brown on sticks and pegs for final highlights
Step 7: Use Terracotta on fur 
Step 8: Drybrush Parasite Brown on fur
Step 9: Drybrush Scrofulous Brown on fur
Step 10: Mix Scrofulous Brown and Bonewhite and drybrush on fur for final highlights

Beware of the wildlife...

Vallejo Xpress Color Reverse Layering

 

I did a bit of an experiment here with Vallejo Xpress colors and a freebie model I received from an Etsy supplier of 3d prints that's a bigger surprise for later. Also, the photography is way more saturated than in real life - I'm currently shooting pics with my Google Pixel 6 and it obviously has a thing for yellows and reds without any other colors in the scene.

The point of this experiment was to reverse the layering process with Xpress Color paints (any contrast types paints will behave the same). Normally I paint a miniature with the darkest colors first and one color layers over another with subsequent colors getting lighter until the final highlight. As I noted in my very first attempt, the xpress/contrast paints don't allow one color overlapping another --- or do they?

My thought was they would if you started with the lightest color first and then work towards the darkest - so instead of shadows to highlights the idea would be highlights to shadows.

The model was undercoated in black primer - and then a heavy drybrush of white primer.

Then the model was painted in the Xpress Color Imperial Yellow. I left the top of the head and the ears, neck, face and remainder of the body was painted in Nuclear Yellow. Shoulders downward painted in Martian Orange. Back and chest downwards with Plasma Red. Buttocks to feet with Velvet Red.

As mentioned, the pic is oversaturated, but the model on the tabletop looks like a lot of fun and this technique of reverse layering definitely worked. Also, I could have just done an area with the first color and then blend in the next area with another color instead of doing less and less of the entire model because part of the experiment was to see how a darker Xpress Color overlaps a lighter Xpress Color.

DGS Games Ar-Grush - 100003

I picked up this model at the 2017 Reapercon from the vendor DGS Games who was there showcasing their models and a scrimmish game called Freeblades. I met Julie Price and she showed off their beautiful models and this one caught my eye because not only is it a great looking model but I figured it would be easy to incorporate into a D&D game as a forest monster. As a small gaming company, the pricing is a bit on the high side - I paid $24.99 at the time but I see on the website the model is now $29.99.

While most of their models have the sculptor name - unfortunately this one does not.

I dug out the Reaper paints on this one along with Vallejo ink. I also can't say enough about using the Golden Maple Drybrush Set. Previously this model sat on the shelf because I was frustrated with drybrushing. With these new brushes, there's lots of control of the drybrushing process - highly recommended and makes the process fun!

Painting instructions for Ar-Grush (used Reaper paints)...

Step 1: Undercoat model with black primer
Step 2: Use Ruddy Brown on entire model
Step 3: Use a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Sepia ink with water on entire model
Step 4: Drybrush Rich Leather on fur
Step 5: Drybrush Suntan Flesh on fur
Step 6: Drybrush Dwarven Flesh on fur
Step 7: Use Dirty Grey on teeth
Step 8: Use Crimson Red on gumline and inside mouth
Step 9: Use Armor Grey on paw pads
Step 10: Use Dragon Black on claws, nose, and eyes
Step 11: Use Dragon Black was on paw pads
Step 12: Use Dirty Grey to highlight claws and nose
Step 13: Use Entrail Pink on tongue
Step 14: Use Snow White on teeth
Step 15: Use Dragon Black on base
Step 16: Drybrush Vallejo Cold Grey on rock
Step 17: Drybrush Vallejo Stonewall Grey on rock

Lost Mine of Phandelver - Owlbear

 

Back to the standard Vallejo Game Color paint for this model. This is a fantastic sculpt and 3d print - lots of fun to paint. I have some new drybrushes by Golden Maple (Amazon) - it's a 6 piece drybrush set and they're round and soft like makeup brushes. Get them wet, mostly dry them off, then drybrush like normal and they work really well without leaving that dusty/chalky nonsense. Additionally they appear to handle the drybrushing technique without destroying bristles like what happens with a standard brush.

I used the same painting directions that were used for the Wizkids Owlbear.

This is part of the 3D Dungeon Labs Etsy shop purchase.

Sculpt: Excellent - these model has a great dynamic look to it.

3D Print: Excellent - well done - clean - no issues anywhere - very solid.

Fitness: Excellent - has the proper base and scale, and will look good on the tabletop.

Reaper Miniatures Torture Equipment 2 - 77443

 

Some more Vallejo Xpress Color testing - this time pretty simple wooden structure which was perfect for the contrast type paints. The paints are more like a stain than paint so it was fitting that I "stained" this with Copper Brown.

No dullcote on this one - leaving as is for the moment.

Kickstarter paint total 206 + 1 Torture Equipment = 207

Reaper Miniatures Torture Equipment 1 - 77442

 

Some more Vallejo Xpress Color testing - this time pretty simple wooden structure which was perfect for the contrast type paints. The paints are more like a stain than paint so it was fitting that I "stained" this with Copper Brown.

No dullcote on this one - leaving as is for the moment.

Kickstarter paint total 205 + 1 Torture Equipment = 206

Reaper Miniatures Townsfolk: Innkeeper - 77084

 

Wow! So I did one more test - I painted this the other day using the Vallejo Xpress Color paints and gave it a day - simple paint job which is how I see the Xpress paints being used - I need a quick innkeeper at the bar for my game.

I used grey primer and then did the slapchop thing with a drybrush of Dead White.  The Xpress Colors were Velvet Red for the shirt, Mystic Blue for the pants, Dwarf Skin for the head and arms, Black Lotus on the boots, Space Grey for the hand towel and hair, Copper Brown for the mug, and then Templar White for the apron. Pretty quick paint cause you need to get it on the table.

And then curses, I sprayed it with Testors Dullcote. The best way to explain it is if someone threw bleach on the model as the colors literally bleached out - except for the Space Grey on the hand towel and the Templar White for the apron - somehow those survived - weird? The Velvet Red took the worse and the Mystic Blue wasn't too far behind in the damage department. Again, I know the Testors product is good as the base greys and black are using Vallejo's Game Color and those are good with that perfect flat look which I love about the dullcote.

At this point I've ruled out using Testors Dullcote on Vallejo Xpress Color. One alternative is to just not throw a protective coat on the model. Another alternative is to try a different brand of matte spray or spray Vallejo's matte from an airbrush and see what happens.

Kickstarter paint total 204 + 1 Innkeeper = 205

Wizkids Raging Troll - WZK90081

 

My "fun" with Vallejo's Xpress Color paints continues - with some limited success and a major fail. I had picked up the raging troll from Wizkids at the local game store when I picked up some additional standard Vallejo Game Color paints that I was close to running out - plus Vallejo has refreshed its Game Color line and I picked up some of the new colors. I'll report on my opinion of the new formula in a future post. 

The Wizkids line comes with a Vallejo grey primer from the factory. Before starting to paint I aggressively hit the troll with a top down drybrushing using Vallejo Dead White to provide the highlighting slapchop on the model.

Best Xpress Color for a troll... Troll Green of course - so I used my handy dandy Xpress Color paint chart and came up with Troll Green for the body, Plague Green for the cloth, and Black Lotus for the hair - more or less following the 5e Monster Manual picture. Being cognizant of the bubble issues, I took great care to brush any of those out - they tended to appear when I used larger quantities of paint on the brush - which the brush does tend to load up a large quantity of the Xpress Color paint because of how thin the paint is - almost an ink. Keeping it basic with minimal colors and letting the contrasting of the paint do its job, I finished within an hour. It was a serviceable paint job.

I say serviceable, because when I finished I did something I hadn't done - I hit it with Testors' Dullcote and crud was that a mistake! It appeared to either reactivate the Xpress Color paint or dissolved it at the high levels of the model where the paint was thinnest (vs the recesses where the paint was thickest). The green didn't have as much of an affect, but I think that's because the green covers a smoother area? The black was hit pretty hard as the top ridges actually show the white drybrushing. However, worst of all was the Plague Green on the cloth - it just ate through the paint giving it a very bleached out look.

Now, if I had spent tons of hours I'd be pissed. As it's a test piece and still suitable for the gaming table, I figure I'll just live with it as is and do some more testing to determine what's going on. I do know that the Testors' spray can is okay because I used it to dullcote the six Redbrand goons which were painted using Vallejo Game Color and there was no problem with the paint on those models. Those turned out perfect.

Therefore I'll do some more testing on additional models painted with Xpress Color - both using Testors' again as well as using another brand of matte spray. Additionally, I can try giving a go using Vallejo's matte through an airbrush.