A Slight Change of Plan

I had sort of a plan at the start of the year for what I was going to try and get painted, but it looks like the plan is changing, as the Wyrley Retinue have now decided on our demo game for next year. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't involve Wood Elves, Skaven or LotR figures! 

I'll give more details soon, but in the meantime, I'll leave you with a couple of clues...

Vikings Ahoy!

A few more WiPs then to show what else I've been working on, besides Wood Elves. I've finally started painting my Vikings! 

It was a little bit delayed due to me struggling over how to base them. I didn't want to do the usual PVA and sand finish, as I didn't think that would give me the texture I was after. At first, I started off using some fine surface filler that I had lying around, and it took me forever to do a couple of figures before I realised I'd have a much easier job (and better results) using the Basetex that I usually use on my Napoleonic figures. Half an hour later and I was done. Much better. Now to painting.

Given that I'd used a box of Gripping Beast Viking Hirdmen to make my warband, it meant that the majority of the figures were mainly wearing mail. That would have been pretty unusual for a real Viking warband, as mail was expensive and valuable, and only the best warriors could have afforded to wear it. Normally, a Viking warband would have relatively few models in armour, with most of the warband being made up of lightly armoured bondi, but I like the Hirdmen models better and it gives the warband a real "elite" look - all that armour is worth a small fortune, so they must be kickass warriors! 

Anyway, with that in mind, out came the Army Painter Plate Metal spray primer and a couple of quick spray sessions plus drying time later, I had 36 silver Vikings.

That undercoat was quickly followed by an all-over wash of Nuln Oil to add shading to the metal areas.

The bases were then basecoated with Graveyard Earth/Steel Legion Drab and drybrushed with Ushabti Bone. They will eventually get a wash of Agrax Earthshade, but as I'll be washing various parts of the model itself, I'll do all the wash together. As you can see in the picture above, I've now started painting the little flesh there is on these figures - just the hands and faces, nice and easy. 

From there it should be a relatively simple process of painting the few bits of fabric in various shades, then picking out various details like belts, buckles, pouches, hair and weapons. I've got a few days off work now, so I'm hoping that I can get the Vikings mostly finished by the end of the week. We'll see how I get on...

One Step At A Time...

February has been a slow month so far, in terms of hobby progress and blogging. I've been getting bits and pieces done here and there but in very tiny increments, so the blog updates haven't been as fast and furious as in January! 

I've now reached a stage though where I can show some pictures and call it progress! First up, a few Wood Elves. 

The Treeman has had the customary Agrax Earthshade wash over a Rakarth Flesh basecoat (leaving just the sword/spear blade white). The base has also had the usual treatment of Dawnstone with a Nuln Oil wash. 

Next up, the steeds of the Wild Riders. These have had the same treatment on the bases, and the steeds themselves have had an all-over wash of Drakenhof Nightshade. These will be layered up to almost pure white, hopefully leaving enough of the blue wash showing through to give them a slightly creepy magicky-ethereal look. We'll see if it works...