Photo thoughts and Dwarfs

I noticed something quite odd while taking then uploading these pics. The general concensus among articles online about taking pics (atleast the ones I've read) says "two daylight bulbs no flash" (internet wisdom distilled:D). But and it is a big but, I take almost all my pics with the flash on aswell as my daylight bulb and I've not yet had any complaints about pic quality.

I generally find that the colours are closer and the highlights show up better doing it my way.

So a quick demo of what I'm on about:

DAYLIGHT BULB ONLY (sorry about the blurriness, a little rushed)


DAYLIGHT BULB AND FLASH

I think the second pic is a better representation of the painting than the first, it also removes the shadow that kind of dominates the first pic.

Anyway just a thought that occurred to me as I was typing this, let me know if you agree or disagree or want clearer versions of either.

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As you probably guessed from my previous post this is a model for my current project, this being the first of three test models.
So the pic update I mentioned:








Any questions just ask. Any comments please leave them.

Short on time so you'll have to wait for the overview of the army.

Cheers
E

I'm back

Doesn't really feel like I've been gone from the net for more than a week or so, but apparently it's 2 months!

Several reasons for that, non GW problems (health and the like), but I have at least been working on mini's, of which you will see pics of the recent stuff if you check back soon.

As to the To do list that I had up on here: all points failed :D ahwell.

Games Day didn't go according to plan, the model wasn't finished despite spending the whole day (and night) before GD painting; I did however meet some people from astro, got the forgeworld show model and spoke to one of the fantasy single model finalists who gave me some advise on plinths (very nice empire model he'd done too). So the day wasn't wasted, just didn't turn out the way I wanted.

I haven't learnt to play 40k, reasons being: buggered car (so I couldn't get to my local GW) and being as I wouldn't be able to get to the Dutch GT (passport delay), there wasn't much incitement to either walk (10-14 mile round trip) or spend £3.30 on a buss ticket.

The army ceased production on the tenth of October half converted, because of a problem with the passport, there are pics if you want them or you could wait until feb when I continue with it.
There are some nice conversions in it, even if I do say so myself.


So what've I been working on since 10th of Oct?
Well I didn't do anything mini wise until the beginning of November when I started work on my LotR GT Dwarf army (which has progressed nicely). A model for my brother-in-law for Xmas and that's it (atleast as far as I can remember)!?

Cheers before it gets too long
E

Update, with pics!

A few things have been done since my last update, namely painting (more of which in a bit) bought Dutch GT tickets, GDUK tickets and found out that I've never had a passport before so it's a possible 6 week wait! (tourny's in 5 weeks), oh dear.
We'll see what happens, shame the tickets had been bought first but never mind, I'll have an army done to a very decent standard whether I get to use it in Holland or not.

So that means lots of 40K models in the pipeline and no more fantasy ones (atleast after my GD entry is finished anyway), so the last of the Newly painted fantasy models for the time being.

An unconverted Dwarf Gyro:






















Larger pics can be found
here http://tinypic.com/useralbum.php?ua=5XKZOVn5BrYWmz and
here http://tinypic.com/useralbum.php?ua=5XKZOVn5BrYWmzuWsPBIBw%3D%3D&page=1

Any comments are most welcome.

I'll put up some pics of my GD entry in the next couple of days.

Cheers
E

I've set up this little pole to sort out a question that I've been thinking about.
So if you could spare a minute and just take a quick look and vote in the pole on the right, I would be very grateful.

So, which is the best size to go for?
I personally like 640 but it's been suggested that it might be a bit too In Your Face, as it were.

400 mp


640 mp


800 mp


So people, what thinks thee?

Cheers
E

Joined From the Warp

I would like to say thanks Ron and I hope to be a usefull part of this excellent group.

I haven't done anything since the last update, but I can provide more pics of stuff I've already done.

Cheers
E

Dread pics

They are here at last, the pics!

From a tabletop distance


A slight angle


Front


Left


Back


Right


To prove that he's not stuck together I moved the Las


His legs seemed to move from a few of the first pics, so here he is with his legs back the way they were intended



The dread is almost completely unstuck, this is deliberate, to help with the painting, in fact here's a pic to show what's stuck and what's not


There are no magnets it's just friction that holds all the bits in place, having taken the pics of it a few mins ago, I think it would probably be worth magnetizing it. Shouldn't be too difficult and would help the security/ safety of it.

I'm considering entering it for GDUK in a month and a half or so, but to do that I think it would probably need a bigger banner and a change of faceplate, thanks to leaving the white bit unstuck that is do-able, but the banner would be a problem. Any thoughts?

Big pic links in a few mins.

Cheers
E

New template!

Ello, I've been playing around with it, to see if I could get anymore room for pics.

Let me know what you think.

Cheers
E

Edit 640 it is.

Cheers

Squats!

As none of you know (obviously), I have quite the liking for dwarfs, and as a coincedence Space Dwarfs, better known as "Squats, Demiurg". Now saying that, I just found this: http://miksminis.blogspot.com/2008/03/long-live-space-dwarves.html and http://miksminis.blogspot.com/2009/08/squat-sighting.html

All I can say is, vive la stunty! Lets hope this isn't just a flash in the pan, and that some models come from it.

As an aside, just taken some more pics of the dreads missile weapon and with dread attached, just got to shrink them now, so shouldn't be too long.

Cheers
E

Templar pics updated

With links to big pics and paint list.

Cheers
E

More pics!

Not of painted minis this time though.

Last night didn't quite go to plan, had been up a lot longer than I thought and ended up dozing off whilst flattening the back, ahwell. So, the pics and a little info:

My dread; not heavily converted, just had a few bits added here and there, more has been done to the missile arm today and I'll put pics up of that in a bit.

http://i30.tinypic.com/15eadfn.jpg (Big Pic Link)


My fire support squad; first unit I'm happy with! Will be glad to see them finished and painted, the missile launcher isn't quite finished yet (have been using the dread for practise and I am finally happy with the technique). 1 scout (neophyte) needed to add to complete the squad.

http://i25.tinypic.com/s3iwm1.jpg (Big Pic Link)

My crusade squad; they are unworthy of the name, they were done as part of the Astro tale of x gamers at which I didn't do well, to say the least. Another 5 initiates and 10 Neophytes need to be added before this can properly be called a crusade squad and I've changed my mind about giving the melta gunner a robe, so need another version of that.

http://i31.tinypic.com/1040zgo.jpg (Big Pic Link)


Pics of them all from different angles in a few mins. I will also add in the links for bigger pics in this and the previous post containing them.

Any opinions?

Cheers
E

Update

Will be doing the next test scheme once I've flattened my back out a bit.

Cheers
E

PS. Any Comments at all are welcome :D

Normal Service Resumed

Apologies for this mornings technical deifficulties, (It's what happens when you don't have a clue what you're doing, apparently).

I shall have to set tinypic to 400mp instead of 800, so the pics are small and I don't know how to make it so that you can click on them for larger pics, so you'll have to make do with links underneath for the time being.

Cheers
E

Pics

I suppose it's a little late, but it only seems like afternoon to me (yes I am still in the UK, just didn't get up till the afternoon on monday), so the pics, yes well, here you go:
My first ever 40k mini; ah, let me rephrase that, my first painted 40k mini, as you will see I have a fair few assembled and/or converted ones.

From a tabletop distance

http://i30.tinypic.com/2enyjvb.jpg (Big Pic Link)

From the front

http://i27.tinypic.com/2i9i0cp.jpg (Big Pic Link)

The right

http://i31.tinypic.com/hs511d.jpg (Big Pic Link)

The back

http://i30.tinypic.com/dwzwqa.jpg (Big Pic Link)

The left

http://i25.tinypic.com/1nzrjt.jpg (Big Pic Link)

All Citadel Colour Paints will be reffered to as "CC"
All Citadel Foundation Paints will be reffered to as "CF"
All Citadel Washes Will be reffered to as "CW"
All Vallejo Game Colour Paints will be reffered to as "VGC"
All Vallejo Model Colour Paints will be reffered to as "VMC"
All Vallejo Model Air Colour Paints will be reffered to as "VMAC"

ALL PAINTS ARE THINNED. SEVERAL THIN LAYERS INSTEAD OF ONE THICK ONE.

Colour list:

1. CC Chaos Black
2. VMC Grey Black
3. CC Codex Grey
4. CC Fortress Grey
5. CC Bleached Bone
6. CF Mechrite Red
7. CC Blood Red
8. CC Boltgun Metal
9. CC Scorched Brown
10. CC Vermin Brown
11. CW Devlan Mud
12. CW Badab Black

Think that's it, if not I'll add them as and when I remembr them.

The colours for the black are, in order:

CC chaos black (basecoat)

VMC grey black (cover all of the areas that are staying black)

CC codex grey (first highlight)

CC bleached bone (second highlight)

CW Devlan Mud (heavy coat)

CW badab black (heavy coat)

The red was:

1. CF Mechrite Red (Basecoat)
2. CC Blood Red (Highlight)
3. CW Devlan Mud (heavy coat, same time as the black)
4. CW Badab black (heavy coat)

The Grey/ white helmet was simply:

1. CC Codex Grey (cover the helmet apart from the eyes, vent's at the top and the bit below the nose)
2. CC Fortress Grey (everything apart from the reccesses)
3. CC Skull White (on the edge)

Just layered with averagely thinned paint (between 1-1 paint - water and 1-2 paint - water). Painted after the washes had been done.

This is one of 5/6 test schemes for my Templar army (Not Black Templar, my own offshoot, fluff will be posted when it's written).

Any questions, just ask.

Btw this is one contender for the army standard, just thought I'd mention that.

Cheers

E

What I listen to most of the time when I'm painting http://www.kinkfm.com/player/?station=kinkaardschok

(Only click if you like metal)

I don't have a problem with the fact the main site is in dutch, I don't speak the language but looking at it I can understand enough to find what I'm after and besides the songs are in english.

If I'm not listening to this, I'm usually watching one of the documentary channels, a little odd but it works.

I will have pics tonight.

Cheers
E

Well I've just learnt something, and it came at a high cost.

I've just spent the last 2-3 hours sorting pics into separate folders in Kodak easyshare, ready to put on here and astro. After spending all that time putting them into these separate folders I decided to delete the parent folder being as there was no longer any use for it.

And guess what, it drags it's offspring down into hell with it!


I am restraining the urge to shout at the comp with great difficulty. Three hours work wasted, damn you kodak, damn you.


E

There probably wont be anymore pics tonight due to this.

Intro

Hello

This is my first attempt at using a blog, or anything like this (I usually fall into the category of technophobe) so bear with me, it may take me a while to get my head round it and get things up to speed.

Now, as you probably guessed from the title I paint figures, not as job but as a hobby, I've done well in a few competitions and have been told I'm a good painter, it does take me a long time though, so as a way to try and speed myself up I've started this blog, now failing any connection problems or any problems with my disabled mum, I should be able to manage an update a week, maybe more, I'll see how it goes.

So a pic to whet your appetite:

This won me the Astro Halloween comp last year, and yes it was me, if you don't believe me message me on Astro.

So, I think that will suffice for the time being. Any questions or comments just say.

Cheers
E