Just Keep Leading That Horse to Water

How to not maintain momentum? Blog about it, I reckon. . .

As soon as I finished that last post, I started a new commission project- "Dead and Dying" is how my client marked the box. Forty-three (!) figures of deceased adventurers. I won't be sharing those until I reach the family portrait stage- I have managed to get through about half of them at this point, with lots and lots of bloody corpses still on the queue.

As for my own collection, I have managed to squeeze out another three Otherworld minis:

Lantern Bearer, Female Ranger, and Meat Shield (AKA Linkboy) checking in

The fantastic Mr. Zhu convinced me recently to check out the amazing Barrowmaze for Labyrinth Lord/original D&D. Although I decided not to back the crowd fund they recently held, I did spring for a pdf of the first module, and boy- it is good. I mean really, really good. So I am now targeting the Christmas holiday 2014 to start a new rpg campaign with the family. I have about had it with all of the bookkeeping that is required to play Pathfinder, so getting back to basics with an ol' skool dungeon crawl through crypts and barrows should be fun.

That leads us to this weekend, wherein I banged out the first batch of skeletons speed painting style. This box from GW was just sitting around my leadpile waiting to be painted up. I would have preferred a few more unarmed skeletons rather than ones bearing swords and spears, but beggars can't be choosers. Wifey was nice enough to sculpt up the broken flagstone bases for me as she is far more handy with the modeling clay and knife than I am. . .

Speed Painting Techniques, Ho!

I'll slowly work in a few more adventurers in the coming weeks/months, along with some OW undead I have been slowly acquiring. Like I said, I have several months still to get them all done before the Barrowmaze Complete book comes out, and then it will be time for the dice to hit the table.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

How to Maintain Momentum?

I feel like I am in a good groove at the moment, banging through painting projects without ever feeling like I am slavering away over the painting table. I really want to maintain this momentum, but I am not sure what it is that I am doing differently. I normally either feel like I am not getting anything done because I am not spending enough time on projects, or I find myself not wanting to paint because of burnout. This whole good momentum thing is driving me nuts, 'cause I don't want it to go away.

A good problem to have, I know.

I've managed to get a few items from my own collection done, once again with spare paints on the palette during drying stages of commission work. Here's the next three dwarfs for the Warhammer army, another three crossbowmen that actually rounds out the first skirmishing unit of 10. Progress!

Scale differences, I damn thee

I am fairly chuffed with the way the Hasslefree mini in the middle turned out- I am diggin' the orange leather/green fabric combo which, I must admit, was total luck- just the way the ink combined with the light brown paint I used. Again, I am so impressed with the cleanliness of Kev White's sculpt. There's just no other way to describe it than "clean." Very well defined but simple detailing, perfect balance and realism in the stance. I am very, very happy with the purchase there. The Bob Olley Reaper sculpt on the right a little less, but he's growing on me. And that Perry Bros. FTD on the left looks like some sort of deranged mountain man to me. Funny and characterful but a bit odd.

I also banged out a pair from my Otherworld pile. Words almost can't express my love for this company. Richard from Otherworld has bent over backwards both times I have ordered from him now to get me what I wanted, and he's thrown in plenty of extras into both orders. The sculpts are perfect- they actually make me think of my Infinity minis in their level of detail and nice proportions. No flash, incredibly minor mold lines to scrape, multi-part models that fit together with a minimum of filling. . . just all good. The owlbear has good, deep patterning on the fur which begged for drybrushing, and the backpack on this hireling is so detailed it's almost crazy to think about.

Dungeoneering is heavy work

Maybe more like a "GoldenEagleBear," perchance?

Finally, on the commission front this week, I got to paint beds. As in, the things you sleep in with the sheets and blankets and pillows on them. Pretty much all there is to say about that.

Zzzzzzzz

Cheers, wherever you might be.