I managed to eventually feel up to painting something. It has now been around 3 weeks since I was last able to add anything to this Blog due to being away and then being down with the Flu.
These are going to be my more savant zombies. They were a group of traders who headed off into the witchlands and their hopes of wealth very quickly ended. They are armed with a higher proportion of firearms than the previous group. The Blunderbus may become a nasty addition to the opening up of a square!
I joined a group of crafters online tonight. It was nice to join up with some others to chat and make things.
I managed to build a coffin out of balsa and lollipop sticks. It needs a bit of work, but on the whole I am happy with it.
I also got some base colours onto the well.
And i managed to get some figures ready to base coat.
Madame Boniface and Egor as well as a Ferach officer, a couple of elite cavalry and a Ferach doctor.
Well I managed to pick up a paint brush again.
My Ferach Elite cavalry are nearly finished. Just some highlights and tidying up to do.
I have also managed to finish the civilians. Four dwarves and a Trollkin.
The camera has certainly done weird things with the colours..a definite yellow tinge…
I still have these two to finish (well start to be totally honest) to complete the dismounted cavalry of The Esprit du Garde. 
I am not sure where to go to next. I might get this officer done as he fits in well with the elite cavalry (I suppose one day I should paint up their mounted equivalents).
Then onto my Ferach field hospital and Undead reanimator….
Lots to do. I keep finding models I had forgotten all about.
I decided to have another go working on some stamps.
I did three different ones, these were basically to test a theory.
The big tiles were pretty naff to be honest, the joints were too large. I was happy with the crazy paving and the cobblestones, which to be honest, I didn’t think would work.
I made a 9×9 tile with just cobblestones – giving myself a bit of a blister in the process!
I was quite happy with the results. There were some errors, but not bad for a first attempt.
Some of the indentations need deepening as can be seen by the joined up stones in the bottom left above. There were some worse bits but I painted in the cracks as well as added some cobblestones where the gaps were too large.
I might have a bash with the house paint and see how that works. It works out a whole lot cheaper than the Pebeo acrylics. These run at around £4.00 per 100ml tube. The house paint is a bit over £3.00 per 250ml. So a definite saving there. I probably drive them mad in the paint shop with my individual tester pots, on the up side, they have loads of colours to choose from.
The original idea came from DM Scotty
I decided to have a look at what I had painted compared to what I do not.
This is not a bad little force of undead nastiness.
Back right we have 2 units of eight Militia with an associated Liche and wolf. Mounted general with his Lancer bodyguards
A unit of zombie infantry with another vampire. In front of them some Cossacks and other similar troops. A unit of axemen with another vampire A selection of KGB officers ready to keep this lot in check and then a unit of artillerymen.
A number still need basing properly.
I still have to paint:
A unit of ghouls of the Kryptofski regiment.
A unit of Werewolves
5 wraith cavalry
My re-animator
A large werewolf of the Visthowla legion
And some more Militia.
After watching a YouTube video on making books, I decided to have a try.
basically I used 2 types of card; a thicker and a thinner piece.
I cut about a cm wide length of thick card and about a 12 -13mm length of thin card. I also made some bigger and smaller books by simply increasing and reducing the size of the card cut.
I cut two rectangles of the ticker card and then stuck them together. These were, in turn, glued to the end of the thin card strip. I made sure I had a little border of thin card around the edge.
Once this was dry I folded over the extra length of thin card and glued in place. It was simply a case of cutting off the extra length to match the first bit.
I did try experimenting with a book mark by placing a piece of post it note between the two thicker pieces, but I made it a bit wide and it just looked wrong.
I left it all to dry and then painted the pages in bone white (basically cream) and then the covers in various muted colours.
The open book followed a similar principal but in this case the pieces of thicker card were glued side by side with a small gap in between them.
I cut a piece of post it note to the same width as the thicker card.
I added the extra pages by adding glue to the gap and pushing it in with a cocktail stick. in this case I added a second piece (making sure it was slightly longer to allow for the squishing into the gap)
Basically paint as before.
I used a ultra fine sharpie to add writing by doing little scribbles.
The idea came from:
Gareth has some really good simple ideas (mainly for D&D, but to be honest it can be used for anything mini wise)
Vanessa at the Crafting Muse is another fave…. Well worth checking them out. (The video below is my next piece 🙂 )
I made a start on these today.
apologies for the naff photo.
On the whole they are painted in washes apart from the metallics. They still need a bit doing to them but I am happy with them so far.
Later on tonight I will get them highlighted and based up. As they are a wash over plaster (albeit a very hard plaster) I will need to get them varnished to stop them chipping.
I managed to get these finished in time for tonight’s game.
PVA is still wet in this photo and as the camera never lies… I can see all the bits I missed on the bases.
They were speedily done but to be honest I am pleased with them. The Wizard and the apprentice are both a bit bigger than the rank and file, but as this game is mainly about these two it seems rather appropriate that they are a bit bigger 🙂
The one thing that niggles me is the warhound. It is %*”!*% huge.
In fact it is nearly bigger than my bear. I got this bear from Warbases for £2.50 the Frostgrave bear is £6.00.
We shall see how my crew do tonight in the ruins of Frostgrave. Spells at the ready….
An in the Word of Ridcully the Brown – Arch-chancellor of the Unseen University…
‘Cometh the hour, cometh the … whatever. General comethness, perhaps.’
Or if all else fails….
‘Let’s get this over quickly, and have lunch.’
Getting beyond the naff stage..
These are starting to come together.
Really just a highlight on the rank and file to do and a beard on one of the archers. Still got a fair bit to do on the mage and apprentice. To be honest I am quite pleased with how the colours have worked.
Speaking of colours. I decided to keep some paint at work and some at home, however for some reason I kept most of the metallics at home and the bone type colours at work. Methinks I failed a bit there. As they were mainly base coated at work I wanted to use the same colours to sort out any glitches with the magic users. Once they are tidied up I will give them a wash like the rank and file and take it from there.
I must also remember to finish of Wuffles …
This dog has more piercings than is good for him.
Slapped some more paint on.
An hour to go before I get my eldest from Drama.
More colours added and they now even more at the naff stage. I am hoping that once they have a wash and a highlight they will look better 🙂
Onto the hair next …..
