Cave Update

Hey all. There has been relatively no activity in the cave so far this week. I took a little time working at a pseudo-display board to try out a few things. I also did a little airbrush work on my second unit of runeshappers. I am painting this unit to be a kinda personal unit for Doomshpaer. The armor will more closely match the armor I painted on my eDoomie and when I get around to pDoomie. I will also be passing up the standard green tartan and go with a blue like I painted on Doomshpaer.....have I ever post a pic of my eDoomie? Hmmm if I haven't I should get on that. I also did a little more work on my war wagon but no photos.

Speaking of airbrushes I seem to have a problem with mine all of a sudden. I reassembled it tonight after my last cleaning and there seems to be an air leak somewhere inside the gun as air is now coming up out of the cup as well as out of the tip. Also when I put the needle back it just kept going so I am afraid a washer or something internal is messed up and I am SOL. I really hope I don't need to buy a new gun.

On a positive side note I had an article published on Lost Hemisphere. I did a write up on the Sons of Bragg and submitted it to the guys the same day I submitted Rok for the PtT. If you haven't seen it check it out here www.losthemisphere.com/blog/22505 if my link is broken just head over to Lost Hemisphere and check out the post from the 4th. I will post larger finsihed photos of the Sons when I get a chance.

I won't be getting any painting done over the next few days as I have to head out of town for a wedding and then the wife and I are getting away for a few days to celebrate the anniversary. After I get back from that I hope to get a few solid days of painting in prior to getting back to work. Hopefully my next post will have some quality wips (or even finished minis) to show off. Have a great weekend y'all.

Almost Done

The Sons of Bragg are nearly finished requiring maybe an hour to pollish off the finishing work. Here they are the brothers as they currrently stand:

All three brothers Bragg nearly ready to fight the foes of the Kriels. I need to highlight the green tartan sections on all three brothers. All three brothers also need to have thier eyes blackend in.

Wrathar needs the most work to be considered done. I need to paint the flame sections on his torch still. I forgot to paint the wood on his torches when I was doing the keg so I have to do that section as well. Wrathar also has a rope necklace needing attention.

 

The individual thing Tor needs to have done is the wrapping on his sword. I am thinking red.

Rhudd needs to have his rope necklace painted and some clean up work as well.

While I was working on highlighting the skin for the Sons of Bragg I also worked on the skin for the champion grunt I started for week 20 of the 'scrum challenge before I realized the challenge was over. Oh by the way I didn't win the battle engine :( Thats ok I have the one Dave bought me and Rob assembled. If I won I was going to use it for the FADD army so it is ok I didn't win. Here is grunt number three. When I do the green on the sons I will also do the green on this grunt. After that he needs his hair and chin nubs painted and he will be done too.

I have to head into work tonight for a little four hours shift but hope to get back to the cave this evening to finish these guys up before I head out for that concert tomorrow. Hopefully I will have final pics to show off in the am.

Late Night Action in the Cave

Last night after the Yankee game ended and the boys fell asleep I grabbed my iPod and headed down to the cave to try and make up for some lost time. I put on a little Goldfinger and started to work. I put in a good chunk of time working between the Sons of Bragg, Rok, the last champion grunt, and a few other odds and ends. Here is were everything stands as of this am:

 Group shot

Tor 

 Rhudd

Wrathar 

All the brothers had some work done on their skins, leathers, and tartan sections. Tor and Wrathar had their kegs painted and washed. As you can see I finally attached them to their actual bases in preparation for finishing touches. They all need more highlights on their skin as well as highlights on the green tartan sections. After those two things are done it will be down to finishing touches and doing the bases.

I brought the hands back up to match the rest of the body. I also basecoated and washed the darker leather sections (I missed one and will have to go back later). I also did a little work on the axe handle. I'd like to do another layer or two of highlights but looking at the beasts I have finished already his skin matches them better now so I might just call it here. Next up will be teeth, nails, and skulls.

 With the left over blue on the palette I started to basecoat some of the long rider's skin

Lastly I broke out the airbrush and primed my second unit of runshapers and two minis for the FADD army.

My night ended with me climbing into bed around 4am. I know I am going to regret this (already am a little) but I am happy with the progression. I didn't paint the entire time as I watched a couple episodes of Dexter season  off on demand while washes were drying and such. I'd like to get both Rok and the SoB finished tomorrow. This months target for PtT is a warbeast/warjack and submissions are due to Gday my midnight tomorrow. I'd also like to get the SoB finished up grab a couple glamour shots and send those photos off as well. We will see how much I can get done during the day today but I think I should be able to get it done......time will tell.

A Productive AM

This am I headed down to the cave with iPod in hand and the hopes of getting some more work done on the Sons of Bragg. I was actually able to accomplish more than I planned. I took some time to finish doing the trim work on Tor and noticed that I forgot to paint one of his arms blue. I put some trollblood blue on the palette and rectified that oversight. Seeing as I had some blue left over I did a little more highlighting on Rok as well. One I ran out of blue on the palette it was back to the SoB. I gave the three brothers a look over to make sure I was happy with the current state and that I didn't make any other significant oversights. Once I was happy with them I broke out the shade wash and slopped it all over the armor and skin on the SoB. Here is how the brothers look currently:

Big brother Wrathar has a big ass sword for ya

Tor must be the lady's man kickin out the jams with his fell call and pimp rings.

Little brother Rhudd seems to like the hard stuff as his beverage of choice seeing as no keg for him just an animal skin flask.

I am not sure what I will do next on the SoB. I think I might throw a layer of matte varnish on as a "save point" before I proceed. I think I will do the green tartans next but will have to see if one of the leathers might be a better next step. Here is the current state of my Rok our drunken dire troll. Rok's hands are the only part that need the first highlight step still. Like the SoB Rok is due for a "save point" as well.

Lastly this am I did a little work on the custom rock wall for Gunnbjorn or pDoomie theme force. I did my standard three step grey drybrushing and glued down some "dirt". I also did a up a base for Mrs. Bloodsong who I hope to get on the table in the not too distant future but more on that this weekend or early next week.

I'm blue da ba dee da ba die

This am after getting the garbage out I descended into the cave with iPod in hand to bang out some painting. I put on a play list and finished the gold trim on Wrathar and Rhudd and then started it on Tor before the amount I put on my palette was gone. I then put a couple drops of my trollblood skin blue mix on the wet palette and started some skins. I did the first highlight on champion grunt number two who was suppose to be 'scrum mini week 20 before I realized there was no week 20.

He is pretty close to being finished. I need to do a few more highlights on the skin, put a shade wash down on the two leathers, highlight those leathers, highlight the tartan, and then detail work such as teeth/nails and hair.

I also took some time to block in all the skin on the brothers Bragg so that once I finish the trim work on Tor they will all be ready for their shade wash.

At this time I was about to call it a morning and head up to see if either of the boys were awake and tormenting my wife but I still had a little blue left on the palette. I didn't want to let it go to waste (seeing as this ix is almost gone) so I started highlighting the flesh on Mr Rok.

I was able to do the face, upper arms, and lats before the palette went dry. All in all a pretty good start on highlighting the skin. I also worked on his beard last evening and consider that part of him done. It is a little washed out in the photos but I am happy with how it came out. I based it P3 trollblood highlight, washed it with bastion grey, then highlighted individual strands with troolblood highlight, menoth white base, and menoth white highlight. I will go back and paint the skulls when I get to doing the detail step on Rok. It was a pretty successful morning in the cave. Looks doubtful I will get more painting done seeing as I am heading to the FLGS tonight for the WNF 25pt tourney...still need to pick lists...hmmmmmm.

Back in the Saddle

Working nine nights in a row really kicked my ass and left me will little time, energy, or motivation to work on my trolls. Yesterday was my first day off and I didn't do anything other than stumble around the house like a zombie and sleep. This morning I decided to get back in there and work on Rok, Mouth, and one of the SoB brothers. Here is where Rok currently stands:

As you can see the big man has been attached to the cork base I made him. At this point I can at least get Rok on the table which is a good thing seeing as I plan on trying him out tomorrow night for the WNF at Comix Zone. I also did the light leather loincloth by basing it with rucksack tan than giving it a wash with gryphonne sepia. I still have a lot more to do on this gentleman but he is in a OK place for now and ready to apply axe to face in the near future.

I also basecoated Mouth's loincloth with rucksack but haven't done his shade wash.

I took a little time to work on some of the metal trim on Rhudd. Some of this was done the other day when I was working on Wrathar. I still have a bunch of trim and filigree to paint as there is just so much of it on these minis. Obviously I also put a first coat of blue down on his skin. Over the next two days I would like to get the trim done on all of the brothers, base coat all of their skin and get the shad wash down. I hope to get them on the table either for the WNF or at the very least for the 50pt SR2012 we have this weekend.

Painting Progress: Rok and SoB

This am when I got home from work the house was quiet so I headed down to the cave to do a little painting. Yesterday before heading to work I sprayed the bothers with my current white metal of choice Vallejo Air Color steel.

This am I started laying in some of the detail work on Wrathar. I intended to get through all of the yellow metal but there is so much of it on the brothers and I was getting to tired so only worked on Wrathar. Here you can see some of the yellow metals on the detailed armor.

I used two different yellow metals on this mini so far. The two colors are Vallejo Model Color brass and bronze. I also did one section with a 1:1 mix of the two colors.

While I had the VMC brass out I put the yellow metals down on Rok. He needs to have a few sections cleaned up then he will receive his shade wash. After that I will basecoat the leathers. I plan on doing two different leathers a light one for this loincloth and a medium for the straps. Once those basecoats are finished he will be getting attached to the base I made for him a few days ago before proceeding to highlighting. Here is the big man at the current time.

Well I cannot keep my eyes open any longer time to head off to bed. With a little luck I will be able to do a little more work on either the SoB or Rok this evening prior to heading to work.

On the Assembly Line

I was able to get a little time last night to start cleaning and assembling the Sons of Bragg. I took some time this am when I go home to finish the rough assembly. I need to give them a little wash with soap and water and then fill in some of the bigger gaps with some GW liquid green stuff. I also need to tape off the slot in the bases.
I have to say I was pretty impressed with the blister Diesel brought back for me as it didn't have any seriously bad mold line. The only issue was some of the small mold line did run through the ornate detail on the shoulders so it was a but of a pain to get to but all in all not a bad unit to assemble. The minis feel a little off as the legs seem to be a little small for the body but not a big deal.

Family shot

Wrathar

Tor

Rhudd

I also started putting some of the metal base down on Rok before I crashed. Upon further review I might bale to get away without using the green stuff but I will see if I can make some of the seems better with just a file. If time allows I hope to do the gap filling (if needed)/bases before I head out to work tonight but time will tell.

Bragg Unboxed

I had to cut my morning sleep short 'cause the wife had a dentist appointment. After a quick text with DieselDM (thanks again brotha) I packed the boys up in the minivan and head out to grab my Sons of Bragg blister. I hope to get a few minutes tonight to start assembling them (just jinxed myself) so I can get them primed by the end of the week.

As you can see for a three man unit there are a lot of parts. The thing I don't get is that there are only two kegs? One of the brothers a DD or is he underage?

Here are the cards for the SoB. I was a little surprised when I opened the blister to see that they didn't havethe gold ring for pre-releases but not a big deal. I need to get these guys rolling so I can get them on the table ASAP.