Finally, we are ready to launch the website for 3D Printing!
It has been a gruelling few weeks of vat issues, build plate problems and brittle resin. We have spent a good deal of time tinkering and fixing up the 3D printers and the website and we feel we are finally ready to launch.
We are licensed to sell the Lunar Auxiliar range, and here are some of the miniatures we are currently offering:
As well as these miniatures, we are offering a ‘Print and Paint’ service. Where you supply us with a file of a miniature you have created on another site, and we will print it and paint it for you. We also offer just printing if you want to paint your miniature yourself. Here is one example that had been done so far:
I was approached by a friend recently, who had designed and purchased a STL file of her latest Dungeons and Dragons character. The character is based on a chef, named Remi, and is for the campaign ‘The Curse of Strahd.’ I could go on about the levels of fear involved when Ravenloft is mentioned, but that would run the purpose of this post completely off course.
So, I was more than happy to print out the miniature and paint it afterwards. She told me exactly how she wanted him to look, and we discussed some other ideas as well. I was super pleased with how he turned out:
This was a good opportunity to test out the print and paint part of the new business that we are setting up, and I am pleased to say I think it worked well. Remi’s owner was also happy with the outcome, which is what matters!
A quick post today. I was asked to photograph five miniatures for a feature on YouTube – when the video is up I will post links. They were to be my favourite miniatures. These are the results:
I also submitted Ahriman and the Ahriman, because that is a hilarious diorama which I am still very proud of!
These are some of my finest miniatures and it was good taking proper pictures too!
From time to time, I like to evaluate how far I have come in terms of miniature painting. I like to look at the first miniature I painted, and the last and remind myself that I am only ever competing against myself. I try to express that to everyone else as well. I love seeing other people’s work and what they create, I enjoy trying to figure out how they did a certain thing and seeing if it is something I can try myself. I do not ever really compare myself to them however, as they are on their own learning journey.
So, today, I will put some old pictures next to some newer ones and see how far I have come on my path.
These are from early 2019, I had just finished being a teacher and turned to painting full time.
The second set is my latest work, all from this year at least. Dante is perhaps the oldest here. I can see my improvements immediately. My blending is smoother, I have tackled Non-Metallic Metals and I feel my edge highlights are a lot sharper.
I know I have a lot to learn still, but this is good progress!
As mentioned in a recent post, I have been working on the Mephiston diorama. Many of you know I am a bit of a freehand nut when it comes to cloaks (though I have an idea for a tank brewing) and so I wanted to create something a bit special. I have done galaxy’s and other motifs but this had to be something that pushed my skills, else there would be little point to doing it.
I decided to go with a deep red with a brocade pattern over the top. I am not the best at creating regular shapes, but I tried it anyway. This is how phase one turned out:
To achieve this pattern, I used Khorne red as a base coat and then did some very thin black glazes in the recesses to give the red a bit of depth. I then created the pattern – I may do a tutorial on this sometime in case other people want to give it a go. I used Ushabti bone for this. When it was done, I glazed it down with very thin Khorne red until it looked mroe natural. It took several layers but you can see the difference between the two pictures.
Now, I wasn’t about to stop there. When I painted Mephiston for my friend, I placed a flaming winged blood drop motif on the cloak, so I thought I would do something similar on this one. I also added a brown hem at the bottom. I did think about writing his name on the hem, however the creases in the fabric meant that it wouldn’t look right if I did. Here is the end result:
The billows of the cloak make this rather tricky to photograph properly, and I know this is not finished – he has psyker tubes and the lining to work on as well, but so far, so good!
I have been working on some banners for a commission recently and I wanted to share them with you. Non metallic metals are not something I am overly confident with but they are a challenge that I really enjoy. The effect is striking and when done right, very effective. So, when I was asked to paint a couple of banners with chalices on them, I leapt at the chance to do so. Here are the minis:
The hardest part about this was getting the colour blend right. I wanted to create an old gold feel rather than it being super shiny. Chaos Marines grab me as not being the cleanest after all and their gear is thousands of years old. They are not new or shiny and so the gold would be tarnished.
I am pleased with how they turned out, and the owner of them is as well. I shall do a post in the not too distant future explaining the freehand process I go through, but for now, these minis are now on their way to their new owner!
I love painting this Kill Team. The miniatures are well made, interesting with the right level of ‘gross’ factor for Nurgle without it going too far and just being awful. I have painted them twice before, but decided to give them another go and use some of the more experimental techniques. I used neon green again for some of the fleas – I used them to make a tutorial on them a few posts ago. So, I wanted to try another bright colour for the flys.
I went for neon pink. I used the colour wheel to determine which colour to use as a base – I think I used a dark blue, though I need to refine the process further and write it down. Again, there is that need to create a diary of what colours and techniques I use!
I do think the pink flies worked alright however, and so shall use that method again soon, if only to cement it in my mind.
The rest of the Kill Team has a more regular, nurgle colour to them, though I used watered down washes and other skills I have learned since I last painted them to get the look I wanted. Here they are in all their disgusting glory!
Of course, now I need to work on the other half of the box set, which I am very much looking forward to! I should have a post on them next week sometime!
During lockdown, I have been involved with a weekly ‘pub quiz’ done via Zoom with the family up and down the country. It has been great as I have seen more of them through this disaster than I have for a long time and it has been rather lovely.
The other day, my niece was painting some Frozen figures. She is seven and I think they were the ones that you made a cast of with plaster and then painted. Something I remember doing when I was seven.
For the first paint-a-thon, at least 3 years ago now, I painted Anna and Elsa myself. They have been sat in the display case doing nothing forever, so I thought it would be nice to put them on a more scenic base and send them to her.
I have seen Frozen – the troubles of working in a primary school – and I know it is set in the cold, so the snow effect stuff worked really well. I wanted some
I was really pleased with how the Splintered Fang Warband turned out, so I decided to have a go at another warband with a lot of skin on show, this time focusing on a lighter brown. I picked up some of the Spire Tyrants and had a go at them. I love painting black and gold – it’s the heretic in me I am sure – and so these were a great chance to do so with no real motivation for wanting to keep them forever. If it had been Space Marines, that would be a different story. Here they are in all their glory:
I am pleased with the lighter brown skin here, though shading it was trickier. I didn’t use purple this time, I used a darker shade of brown. I base coated in Dryad Bark as before but gave a light dusting of XV-88 with the airbrush, just the slightest of coating to alter the tone. I then used Mournfang and XV-88 to add highlights. I shaded with Agrax Wash (I think). I’d certainly like to try again sometime and refine the process.
This warband is available in the Store section of this blog.
So, the time has come to announce the miniature, rules of engagement and judges for this year’s Painting Challenge between Office Painter and I.
<Insert Fanfare here>
First! The Miniature:
It was chosen in a vote over on twitter. We both wanted to paint something we have never really attempted before and this guy is new… Also very grumpy, hense the name of the contest this year.
Second. The Rules.
No conversions or altering the miniature itself. The base is fair game though.
Deadline is 25th July.
Both entries will be published on this blog anonymously and the judges have to decide which is the best.
The loser will owe the winner a pint at Warhammer World at the next meet up.
Third: The Judges
As with last year, there are five people we have selected as our judges. All have agreed and they are all pillars of awesome within the warmonger community on twitter – and other places too! In no order they are:
Dr Dave (@dave_the_dr) Returning for another year, he is most famous for his Golden Demon winning entry and those amazing awesome Legion of the Damned that appear to glow… also Dreadnoughts.
Bees (@VoiceOfKosh) Another returnee judge. Lover of Mortarion. Check out her Imperial Fists and Magnus. The Magnus of the 40K variety is shaping up to be a fantastic looking mini!
Cheese (@Leaky_Cheese) Keeper of Dave-Lore, ‘Warden’ of Fondlechew and general 30K boffin. Has a wicked you-tube Channel and is overly fond of Jerks. His Word-Bearers really are something to see!
Nerodine (@Nerodine) Has helped both Office and I with tutorials, tips and general encouragement through the last year. His light source painting is something to be admired.
Nick Bayton (@Nick_Bayton) Ultramarine extrodinaire! Warhammer TV presenter and general nice guy. Encouraging and friendly, is always there with a cool picture and motivational word for all!
Heretic Deb! 