Hobby supplies...

Normal sized bottle of red. Slightly larger sized (well four litres!) bottle of Dettol ready for paint removal!

It's  probably best that I buy a few more figures... I wouldn't want to waste the Dettol!

Halfling standard bearer nearly complete.

Cloak folds added and a little pouch off his belt. But there is still some tidying to do. The trouble is I just don't know when to stop. The hat could do with some rework, and I'd like to add something to the top of the standard, but not quite sure what! I decided to stop work on him for the moment and I've started instead, on a musical companion...

Bit more halfling progress...

Managed to do a bit more sculpting over lunch...

And here is the inspiration:

I think the cloak is next. The scaffold is there, I just need to add some folds to fix it up a bit.

Sculpting Buckleberrys face

I've had a go at sculpting Buckleberrys face. I don't know if you can make it out. Still happy to get any feedback!

I also redid his feet and added his shirt buttons (they were damn fiddly!), and the scaffold for his cloak.

Sculpting 'Buckleberry' the halfling standard bearer

I've not sculpted anything for a while, but he's looking ok so far. He's going to be based on the halfing standard bearer in Warhammer Armies. Im at work itching to get back home and do some more. 

The first halfling unit painted

I started this unit several weeks ago, but as usual this unit of only 11 halflings has taken longer than Goblin 'paint fiend' Lee takes to knock out a 3000 point army! But I suppose every little bit helps. There's another two more halfling units started so I'm hoping they won't take quite so long. I had a thought about sculpting a halfling standard bearer. Should I concentrate on painting or waste time in vain trying to create a standard bearer!?

Demonic reinforcements

The beginnings af a new dawn. Thankyou ebay.

I'm a sucker for a pretty lady...

Or Deamonette of Slaanesh for that matter...

The tidal wave of Chaos chat in the Oldhammer world has sent me careening off into the troubled waters of attempting to get my hands on some more Old School loveliness. A couple of ebay purchases, £35 on the table and the following demonic temptations were mine! The descent into chaos has started....

Big time.

And all hell followed... 

Lots more to come too. Slaanesh Fiends, bloodletters demon of khorne, flying tzeentch sorcerers, beastmen, thugs, warriors and champions of every description...

I Need more Dettol. Lots of Dettol.

Nothing to do but paint

My wife has headed off to her parents for a couple of days. She has given permission for me to do whatever I fancy! So I'm about to sit down and paint!

I thought it would be good to track progress and see how much I can get done in ideal conditions for painting! So here is where I left off a couple of days ago...

Next update Will show progress!

Approximately 6 hours have passed and I've done nothing but paint. All I managed however, were the 26 orc infantry. The 'Tin cans' and the 'Choppers' still await my attention! However the light is fading fast, not that there was much as it has been constant grey clouds and wet weather all day!

Time for a break...

Back in the game...

Back in the game people! Back in the game! 

- Well some Orks for the neighbours kid. I had to start somewhere and these have been hanging around for a while...

I had to wait until I had finished putting a new floor down in the conservatory. And who likes the summer sun really? I much prefer a nice grey day that allows me to get out the paints and have some me time. :)

Back in time...

Well everyone in web o sphere is talking about fun had by all re-enacting their youth up in Nottingham last week. I probably could have made it for a day, but 2.5 hours drive there and back wouldn't have made much sense. Anyway, I'm totally jealous of all the old school heaven everyone else seemed to be enjoying. 

I thought I would throw up a couple of photos of me from way back. Shamefully I used to actually wear the t-shirts! Between them and my shockingly camp posing I can't think why I didn't have a girlfriend.

Apparently wasting good camera film on toy soldiers wasn't the done thing way back then. Just me looking very young and before I got fat in America.

The pose reminds me of elves poncing about the forest...

I've kinda been busy...

Astute reader that you are.... You may have noticed a bit of a 'quiet time' of my blog lately... Well I know you'll think excuses excuses... But this is what has been taking up most of my time:

Updated pictures of my Citadel Wood Elf Army

I took a couple of hours this afternoon to set up and photograph my Wood Elf army again, with the additional units that have joined since last time! Bringing out this many troops onto the table and setting them up reminds me I really must invest some time into getting some movement trays sorted! - Maybe I'll have them done for the next photo shoot. My army has also grown so much that I will probably have to get a proper gaming board rather than just use the kitchen table! Still not much progress on the halfling allies though...

Anyone care to guess what point value this would come to in an old school 3rd edition battle?

Painting halfling allies... Update

I never seem to be able to come up with a satisfying paint scheme by myself. I dont seem to have the colour intuition. Anything that I've painted that looks any good, has normally been copied from games workshop.

Anyway I've tried painting my first halfling. Bearing in mind these guys have been in storage for the best part of 20 years, I'm finding it hard to come up with a halfling-esque colour scheme.

I'm not particularly happy with his brown trousers and would appreciate some ideas!!!

Update:

I've lightened his tunic, and darkened his trousers and cloak. Apart from sorting out his dodgy eyes I think I'm ready to go...

I'm thinking of doing 3 different units of 10, so I'll have to come up with some more paint schemes...

Citadel halflings and elf dragon

I decided that I wouldn't go to Salute this year... I'm hoping that I can spend a couple of precious hours of hobby time being creative and doing something with my lead pile rather than just adding to it. I still will be jealous of everyone that does go though!

Now the zoats are finished I'm deciding what I should paint next... Halflings or Dragon? Hmm...

At this rate the halflings will be the size of dragons in a few tears time...

I wonder if dragons are experiencing the same problem of scale creep?

Zoat Progress

Slow progress on my zoats, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And a quick snap of Skarlocs wood elves who have returned from the painter 'lead legion'! I'll do a proper post on them shortly. Definitely would recommend 'lead legion' though...

Zoat Test Piece

All the good websites will tell you to paint a test figure before you forge ahead with a whole unit. I've failed to listen to that advice many times in the past, however, because I was just so unsure about painting these Zoats, I've done the right thing and painted just one to see how hard he was to paint and determine whether I like the colour scheme... Whilst I was looking at Zoats on the web, I found a site that was selling a newly sculpted zoat!  One finger-twitch later and my shopping basket was paid for! Hopefully he'll fit in with the current crew!

In the end he was easier to paint than I imagined, but I take a few days to decide if this is the route I want to go with them. What do you think?

Some quick snaps...

I undercoated a unit of elves and have sent them off to lead legion to be painted. It's my first time I've used a painting service... I kinda feel like a cheat, however you can see just how many elves I've still got left to paint below!

Anyway I had to visit my local friendly gaming store to pick up some more undercoat and showed them my sculpted standard. Some kind and encouraging words came back, but the interesting thing was the lack of recognition of the Zoat! Can't believe they don't know their own history! Anyway i got back home and I sprayed my Zoats! :)

I'd love to start painting them, but I have to do some Ironing to keep the better half sweet!

My Zoats need your help!

I cant decide what colour scheme to paint my Zoats!  Luckily I'm still at the stage of sculpting my standard-bearer zoat. Until he's finished I've got time to ask you my dear reader for your thoughts on Zoat colour schemes! I've done a quick trawl and the following are paint schemes that I like, But what scheme do you think would fit in with my Wood Elves?

Scheme 1 - This was my understanding of the classic Warhammer colour scheme.  Dark green and bright yellow!

Scheme 2 -This is classic 40k colour scheme, that should be quite simple to paint just white undercoat and green ink (I think).

Scheme 3 - Quite a 'realistic' colour scheme, but to get it right would take quite a bit of effort!

Scheme 4 - This caught my eye as a modern take of the classic warhammer colour scheme...

Scheme 5 - Unusual colour scheme of Zoat with iron skin!

Scheme 6,7,8 - Light green (on the right!) - but if enough readers say orange or purple I might be persuaded!  ;)

Wood Elf Animal Handlers

Some lovely Wood Elf Animal Handlers ready to join the army! Zoats are next on the painting table!

 Bears!

 Wildcats!

Wardogs!

Sorry for the poor photos. Once the Zoats are sorted I shall do another photo shoot!

Im still alive!

and to prove it - here are some updates of stuff painted over the last few months...

Mantichora, now I'm seeing it on my screen I might need to redden the tail and green up the sting a bit more...

Such a nice figure! It doesn't look so glossy in real life.

Old Skool Giant. Dodgy eyes... :(

 Moradin - painting commission for my Best Man!