Sunday 9 March 2014

Orlygg On Painting

I have been suffering painter's block in recent months. Actually, painters lethargia perhaps would be a better term. I have, as I am sure many of you readers do, an enormous collection of miniatures across a substantial number of different manufacturers, and need not really ever buy another model. But of course, that is not likely to happen! However, I have had some difficulty actually getting anything painted. Its not that I haven't been painting, my Slanneshi models are proof of that, its just that I haven't been happy with the results I am getting. 

I've spent weeks trying to get something decent out of the elvish models that I own. But no matter what I do the results are just are not what I am after. I end up with models that are too bright, or too cartoony - or even both! You may remember that I have set out to try and paint a model for each of the entries in the Warhammer Third Edition rule book. I call this project 'The Warhammer Bestiary' but I have languished with the elves for some months. I just could not get decent results. 

So I put away the fantasy and thought I might have a crack at something totally different. I spotted an ad in Wargames Illustrated a few weeks back for the Great War Miniatures range (sculpted by Dave Andrews and Aly Morrison) and fancied a crack at something historical. After waiting a week or two, the models arrived and I was very pleased with what I had discovered. That flash was awful though, but the models didn't take long to clean up and I was quickly researching on the internet to find information about what BEF uniforms looked like in 1914. Also, I branched out into a different set of paints, deciding on the Flames of War British Army set before releasing how hard it is to buy paints online these days in the UK! 

With my new models in tow and a rather forlorn attitude to painting still hanging over me I knew that I would have to try something different. So I pulled out the Army Painter range of colours I had picked up at Salute last year and set about painting my WW1 models in their suggested style. Now, I don't know how many of you are aware of Army Painter but the premise is simple - have more time to play! After a basecoat, you add the individual colours that your model requires before washing over the miniature with a dip. This dries and produces a shaded model. It takes a short while to finish a model this way. You could leave things just like that if you were so inclined and I expect that a great many do. I need something a bit more sophisticated for my tastes, so I continued to add highlights and other little details to the models. In no time at all, I ended up with a platoon of BEF chaps ready to see off the Bosche with their rapid rifle fire. And, I had enjoyed the process too! I had fun playing around with modern basing techniques and products that I don't wish to use on my Old School Citadel. My efforts are below for those of you interested. 


Keen to paint something else that was totally different I opted to begin work on that Saga Warband I bought last April. I chose the leader and had a wonderful few hours trying to capture his aging authority. Amusingly, I ended up with a model who resembled Hulk Hogan. I used the same method as with the WW1 models only I went for a more chalky style base. 


With a fair few good looking (to me anyway) models on the display table, I felt it was time to return to something fantastical. I chose to paint a zombie, thanks to Chico who traded a few with me. I found myself staring at the model for a while, rather reflectively. I was pondering on the reason why I had been so unhappy with my recent paint jobs. It was then that I realised that it was the restricted colour schemes of the Saxon and the WW1 troops that helped make a more successful look and that my previous elvish efforts were too busy. I had been using too many colours and things were looking muddled on my models. So with the zombie, I opted for flesh, white and brown as the main colours. I got painting and a few hours later I had a good looking model, faith in myself restored! 


I love the design behind this model. It is my opinion that this is the best zombie sculpt ever produced by Citadel/GW. The lurching gait, the dangling eyeball and the crow picking evilly and the poor soul's brains tell a story of their own, even before this rotting corpse is flung upon the battlefield. Brilliant! 

But what to paint next? I cast my eyes over some of the other zombies but they didn't inspire me to produce something exciting. Then I remembered the gigantic lump of lead that was sitting unloved below my painting station - the Great Spined Dragon. I had undercoated it red sometime back but had been put off by my feelings of inadequacy towards actually painting the thing. Taking on board what I had learnt about not using too many colours, I used the green from the British Army painting set and the yellow from Army Painter and set about getting the dragon restarted. 

Here is an early WIP for you all. And if you don't mind, my daughter is having an afternoon nap at the moment and I am off to work a bit more on this wonderful model! 



Orlygg

8 comments:

  1. Bloody hell, you've been putting it about a bit (period-wise, that is). Well, as the saying goes "variety is the spice of life" and it seems to have restored your mojo at any rate. Great work on those historicals. If WW1 is something you're looking at as a period, have you seen this blog: http://sidneyroundwood.blogspot.co.uk/ ? Inspirational stuff indeed.

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    1. There is some inspirational work there indeed! Gorgeous painting on the Verdun project, if such an adjective can be used to describe anything related to that dreadful battle. That is the sad truth of the historical wargame - reality! At least with fantasy, its all imaginary and there are no 'row on row' of graves to mark the sacrifice of our ancestors.

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  2. The BEF and Norseman are looking good. I like the idea of the chalk basing. As I live in Sussex I can tell you it looks right, although needs a lot more mud for a March base!
    I always liked that Zombie, and really like the Spined Dragon, I wish I had got one at the time :(
    Good to see it when it is finshed.

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    1. I grew up in Dorset and tried to recreate the chalky downs on which I used to play as a child. My bases are intended to be high/late summer, raiding season for the Saxon and pre Battle of the Marne for the BEF.

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  3. Haha, I've been painting BEF recently too, but for the 2nd big show. Funnily enough I've also been considering putting some of my historical stuff on the blog.

    Your Pals from the great war are really nicely done, shows what is possible with modern painting techniques in such a short time. The crow pestered zombie is a favorite of mine.

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    1. Thanks Erny... With my BEF I am beginning to wonder if there is any scope for Oldhammer Historicals... Bah to your 'accuracy', its all about the freedom of the scenario style of gaming. Yes, you are right, with modern aids it is very easy to get whole armies painted to reasonable standard and it makes a nice change to the more traditional approach I take to me Citadel stuff.

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  4. So let me know if I'm getting it right; you get frustrated and thus, bocked painting-wise, cause you produce bright and cartooneish results ? pal, wasn't this about oldhammer, painting old school ? cause old school was about bright stuff.

    I (and I guess most of your readers too) enjoy seeing the minis you paint. Just think the amount of visits your site has; that alone should be motivation enough to get your brushes going.

    BTW awesome dragón. Love the contrast between its belly colour and the rest of its skin. :)

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    1. I know, its a bit silly isn't it? But when the models you buy on eBay look better than the ones you are finishing you know its is time to act! I am glad you like the spined dragon colour scheme, I am basing it on a crocodile's skin tone.

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