Wizkids Classic Beholder - WZK90740

 

This was great fun to paint and I used a variety of styles and paints to put this one together.

I started off using Vallejo Xpress Color paint, but through an airbrush. First time that I've tried using an airbrush with the Xpress paints. I did not add flow nor thinner to the paint as I wasn't sure how that would interact with the formula of what Xpress is - so these were pumped right out of their bottles. I also know that usually you can't go lighter with Xpress paints so I started with the lightest first and then layered down into the darker colors (however, an experiment for another day, I think atomizing the paint through an airbrush might work based upon how I saw these colors lay down on the model).

The Xpress colors used through the airbrush were...

1. Imperial Yellow (lightest)

2. Nuclear Yellow

3. Martian Orange

4. Plasma Red

5. Velvet Red (darkest)

I was really impressed at how well the Xpress paints flowed through the airbrush - no hiccups or problems at all whatsoever. Coverage appeared to be really good. I was able to blend the layers together starting at the top with the lightest color and then flowing downwards to the darkest color.

Then I switched over to the Sharpie Creative Markers.

6. Purple on the lips

7. Pink on top of the purple to highlight the gums

8. White on the teeth, they center eyeball

9. Red thin line around the outside edge of the center eyeball

10. Orange thin line around the outside edge of the center eyeball but within the red line

11. Yellow central eye on the center eyeball and struck lines from outside edge to just short of yellow center; then all 10 of the stalk eyeballs

12. White medium dot on all 10 of the stalk eyeballs

13. Black tiny dot on all 10 of the stalk eyeballs and elongated pupil on the yellow eye

14. Grey as a highlight on the black pupil and around the yellow eye

Finally, I used traditional paintbrush and Vallejo standard paints to paint and drybrush the base

15. Black

16. Neutral Grey

17. Stonewall Grey

Asking Google's Gemini to convert the painted model into artwork generates probably the model closest resembling what I painted - it did enhance the eye...

As to ShadowDark stats - as mentioned with the Beholder Zombie, I'd probably use the stats in the core book for The Ten-Eyed Oracle. However, when comparing the stats to the original AD&D monster stats I might make some changes that would make the Classic Beholder unique in ShadowDark. I think the Eyestalks are a good compromise between ShadowDark and the original AD&D ray attacks - many of them are the same. Two attacks that are missing which this Classic Beholder should have would be the anti-magic cone and its bite:

1. the core rulebook has hostile spells targeting The Ten-Eyed Oracle are DC18 to cast and I would replace that with an anti-magic cone from the central eye which I would ShadowDark as filling a double-near sized cube extending from the creature with the antimagic shell spell.

2. a bite attack +4 for anyone silly enough to get within close with 2d4 damage

And finally I would restrict its movement to 1/2 near - the original beholder was a slow moving tank of a monster - it hovered a few feet above the ground and slowly obliterated everything in its path.

Final thoughts - I posted a pic of the front image to a local game store Discord and someone mentioned it reminded them of Cheetos. So this new ShadowDark monster is now named Hot Cheetos and upon its untimely death it explodes in a fireball as if the spell was cast on a natural 20.

WizKids Beholder Zombie - WZK90032

 

More fun with AK Interactive Playmarkers with a little help from Sharpie. I think this time I picked up Desert Ochre from Emerald Tavern after a game session of ShadowDark.

Purple is my go to color - it goes on so smooth and effortless and always dries to a nice looking solid color no matter how much or little paint I put down. Then I used Red around the main eye and a third of the way down the eye stalks just to break up the all Purple. I used Pink on the fleshy bits hanging off the two of the eye stalks and then on the fleshy muscles on either sides of the maw. Out of the Sharpie markers I used Yellow on all the individual eye stalks. Desert Ochre was used on the spike and the teeth. Dirty White on the main eye and a highlight on the teeth. Finally some white on the tips of the teeth.

The base was done more "traditionally" with Vallejo Black and a drybrush of Neutral Grey and then Stonewall Grey.

I left the eye blank as the package artwork left it blank and I think it gives this zombified appearance that way. However, when I asked Google Gemini to convert my photo to artwork it placed this really cool looking eyeball. I might have to rethink that a bit. I think it's very interesting to see how A/I in some cases fixes my mistakes and enhances the overall image, and then in other cases it leaves my brush mistakes in the final image.

I'll have to come back to any ShadowDark stats - the core book has the Ten-Eyed Oracle - as a GM, what I'll probably do is take that monster and add the Zombie monster talents of Undead and Relentless.

WizKids Yuan-Ti Anathema - WZK90256

 

The next set of AK Interactive Playmarkers I picked up at Emerald Tavern after a session of Shadowdark was the box set titled Skins & Flesh Tones. It comes with Light Skin, Dark Skin, Black Skin, Pink Skin, Zombie Skin, and Animal Green.

I decided to use the my favorite color Purple and then the Dark Skin on the belly and that turned out rather well. The Yuan-Ti Anathema is a tall model that sits on a 3" diameter base - so it seemed to me like it should be guarding something. I found a crate and a barrel on my Reaper Bones shelf. I then used the Leather marker on the crate and barrel followed by using the Wood to bring out the grains of the crate and barrel. The metal straps on the barrel were painted with the Gunmetal marker. The base was done more "traditionally" with Vallejo Black and a drybrush of Neutral Grey and then Stonewall Grey.

The crate and barrel came from an original kickstarter way back when - I think they sell the barrel now as Large Barrel and Small Barrel - 77249. Likewise, the crate is sold by Reaper as Crates (Large and Small) - 77248. Both sculpted by Andrew Pieper.

Kickstarter paint total 229 + 1 Large Barrel +1 Large Crate = 231

Almost forgot - let's have fun with Google's A/I Gemini and convert the mini into artwork...

Here's my ShadowDark Monster Index Card...

Wizkids Reservoir Kraken - WZK90563

 

Okay - soapbox moment/rant... I don't know if WizKids thinks they're selling gold, but the latest pricing for this UNPAINTED miniature is $44.99 at Miniature Market with a retail price of $49.99. Since when did unpainted miniatures climb that much in price. Freaking ridiculous! I'm sure I picked this up a few years ago for like $15 and probably thought that was outrageous because large minis from the WizKids line were like $8.

Maybe because it's "Magic the Gathering" and Wizards/WizKids love screwing the Magic players - stamp Magic the Gathering on it and jack up the price 5x what it's worth. Any Magic players reading this, I'll sell it to you in-box for $200, rofl!

=== rant over ===

This post isn't really about the miniature, although it's a fun miniature, instead I'm back on the bandwagon about AK Interactive PlayMarkers. After I picked up the Tools & Weapons pack, I was back at my local friendly hobby store Emerald Tavern in Austin, TX running some ShadowDark RPG and this time picked up the Viscera pack. This one had Purple, Pink, and Red.

Looking around my shelf, bags, and boxes of unpainted miniatures; the Reservoir Kraken box art was the perfect model for purple, red, and pink. Again, I had an absolute blast painting with the PlayMarkers. The best part is the ability to stop and start. Give it a go for an hour in the evening then cap the marker - come back to it two days later and "paint" some more for an hour or so. There's no prep or trying to preserve a wet palette - no getting the paints out, getting the water, trying to find the correct color consistency, cleaning brushes, etc. - this is as simple as grabbing your pen and writing - instead it's a paint marker on a 3d object. These markers completely lower the barrier to "hobby time". Have ten minutes before dinnertime, pop the cap and start painting.

I'm going to continue putting together some thoughts...

• It's contagious fun! 
• Still really easy to use - they have a brush-like tip - it comes down to a point of about a 1 brush, maybe a 2.
• After 2 models, I'd say this is a great way to introduce newbies to the painting hobby - I'll qualify that with having the "right" model - something that's smooth, easy access, with broad swath of space to color - monsters, a wizard with a robe, a woman in a dress, a knight in armor - a model with lots of tiny details would most likely be frustration.
• Using a marker to color in a model is much easier than using a brush - mostly true, with this model there were some areas that the thickness of the model made it difficult to attack because of the tentacles in crazy directions.
• They're very opaque - there's no bleed through so you can't really blend or build up layers - this remains true - so I've used this to my advantage - don't worry about "coloring in the lines" as it's very easy to "clean-up" once the original color is dry - just paint over the mistake with the appropriate color - the opaqueness of the paint wipes away the mistake.
• That leads to a new point - the dry time on these is very fast - which for the style of painting I think is a good attribute - vs. say Reaper Pro paints which I believe has some dry retardant in it so it makes the paint easy to blend and layer.
• The paint dries to solid - I haven't noticed any paintbrush streaks once dry - the sheen on it is about at an eggshell - definitely more towards the flat/matte side of the spectrum than the satin bu there is a slight sheen - red more so than the purple.

More models coming using these PlayMarkers from AK Interactive.

Wizkids Murder Hornets - WZK90592

 

Living in Texas, I'd say these minis from Wizkids are 1:1 scale. These were a basic paint with the brushes (no airbrush). The pair of hornets weren't bad to paint as the miniature comes separate from the stand. The queen hornet is a bit of a pain - I wish they elevated her a bit with a stand - is was super difficult to try and paint the bottom side of the mini.

I have to go back a ways since the last time I painted something straight up that wasn't airbrushed or hanging around the desk for awhile.

Painting instructions for Murder Hornets (used Vallejo paints)...

Step 1: Used Earth on the bases
Step 2: Used Sun Yellow on the entire hornet
Step 3: Used a very watered down wash of Sun Yellow on the clear plastic wings to stain them
Step 4: Used Black on hornet bodies
Step 5: Used Black Wash over everything but the wings
Step 6: wasn't happy with the Black Wash on the yellow so re-touched the yellow with Sun Yellow

These were from the Deepcuts line.

Wizkids Banderhobb - WZK90160

 

This is a fun monster to paint and is pretty much all airbrushed. This was my side model when working on the Hexton Hills as there's a lot of green left over in the airbrush pot and I'd then spray this model. Therefore he's a combination of Dark Green, Sick Green, and Light Livery Green. The base was Plague Brown and Desert Yellow.

I then painted with a brush the fingernails and toenails black - used the Light Livery Green on the eyes and mouth. Then some Dead White on the teeth.

The storyline behind the Banderhobb is that he's the product of hags - if they get a piece of your hair or article of clothing - they brew up one of these bad boys and he chases you around until you end up in his belly for dinner 😋💀 !!

Wizkids Barbed Devils - WZK90416

 

Time flies when you're having fun is the saying - I'm surprised that it's been a year since I last opened a Wizkids pre-primed blister pack to paint. Last Wizkids mini was the raging troll from January 2024 when I had the Vallejo Xpress paints vs Testors Dullcote massacre.

So this is, with the exception of the base and the flame, 100% an airbrush painted miniature. With the work I've been doing on the Hexton Hills hex tokens, I'm getting more comfortable using the airbrush in smaller and smaller spaces. I was airbrushing a dragon turtle (coming soon) and using Red Terracotta when I had some extra paint in the pot - so it appears that's my current method to the madness lately - I'm airbrush one model, have extra paint left over, and then find a second or even a third model to airbrush, lol. I think that airbrushing is so much fun and fast - spraying paint is contagious and once I get going with a color I don't want to stop.

I figured the Red Terracotta was the perfect base color for these barbed devils. The packaging has a computer based paint image and uses a bone color as highlights for the chest, stomach, and tail. I did similar getting out the Bonewhite and spraying a highlight all over the model. I didn't exactly like how that turned out so I hit the Bonewhite with Bloody Red everywhere except the chest and stomach. A light spray of the Bloody Red on top of the Bonewhite gave this great highlight. Then I sprayed a splash of Hot Orange on the head.

Another simple technique which I had heard about but never done was masking an area with blue-tac. The flame in one of the hands is a clear piece - I had an idea of using the Xpress color on that but first I wanted to make sure that I didn't get any spray on it. Others said blue-tac was good for that (and I have a bunch of blue-tac as the models are tac'd onto a wooden spindle for painting) - I grabbed a bit of blue-tac - smooshed it flat and then surrounded the clear flame. It worked very well - when finished the blue-tac peeled off and I could use the clump of blue-tac to dab into stuck bits to get them off the clear plastic.

The clear plastic was painted with Xpress colors and I used the inverse layering technique - Xpress colors have to be layered light to dark instead of dark to light. First using Imperial Yellow over the entire flame. Then, Martian Orange from the top to about 2/3rds of the way down. Finally, Plasma Red from the top to about 1/3rd of the way down.

Standard basing on an inverted Reaper base and called it done. Overall a very quick and great way to get a set of miniatures ready for the table. One more point about fun... I noted a year ago how much more fun it was using the drybrush technique using the super soft drybrush brushes from Golden Maple 6 piece drybrush set when I painted the Ar-Grush using their brushes for the first time - I was reminded tonight when drybrushing the base how easy that was versus using the old hard bristled drybrushes. Between the airbrush and the soft drybrushes, getting miniatures off the "to-do" shelf onto the "done" shelf is easy and fun.

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