Time for an update!

So, it's been a few weeks since my last post. But I haven't been idle. (Just lazy with posting... My apologies!)
Time to catch up. What have I been up to?
Mostly, I've been spending my hobby time experimenting with the airbrush and finding it quite entertaining.
Here are some of the projects I've been working on, most are an excuse to get time in with the airbrush, get used to things.

A Zero:

 This plane is a trial run for the J7W1 Shinden kit that I have. I want to get colours and techniques sorted out before I start on that kit. At this stage it needs decals and brushpainted details.

To keep in the Japanese theme, I've also been slowly but surely working on a 90mm display model of a female Samurai. With this one I'm taking my time as I want this one to be display-worthy, not just a throwaway practice project. The model and subject simply deserves it. To that end, I've also made a (simple) display plinth for her:

(As you can see in the background, I also hammered out a quick squad of Necrons for 40K/=I=Munda skirmishes.)
The lady Samurai has also reached the brush-painting stage this weekend, so I'll be spending some time with her on the painting desk over the next couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to the final result, but I'm not willing to rush the model. Best take my time for optimum result. With this model I've really discovered the joys of Blu Tac masking.

The final (current) airbrush experiment has been a Warhammer 40K Eldar Vyper. I don't play Eldar, or own any more models of them beyond this one. I just got this one once from someone who knew I was "into that Warhammers stuff", and maybe I could do something with it. So a good excuse to tackle a model and a colour I wouldn't quickly choose for other projects:

Main lessons from this one: Airbrushing is really, really cool (but that's really a lesson learned from all these projects!), have the patience to wait for things to dry, and don't remove masking until you're ready to either stop painting or can safely put the masked item aside from any overspray....

I've also been building some Deffkoptas and painting another trio of Meganobz for my Ork army.

And with the weather being as nice as it is the last few weeks, I've also taken the occasional night off for some late night flame staring sessions:

I've missed out on Militracks this year, due to budgetary and planning constraints, but will be sure to rectify that next year!

What is in the project qeue after these? 
There is still a piece of Necromunda terrain to airbrush the base colours on, my Goliath gang needs finishing, I'd like to do some more on my Orks, especially the Stompa is starting it's siren call for the airbrush... I still want to build a skimmer boat inspired by the Mare Solum facebook group (an alternate Necromunda setting, placed on an ocean world, really intriguing stuff!). And I have a pair of larger scale Battletech/Macross robot kits that I'd like to paint. GW has announced Adeptus Titanicus for August and the models are looking mighty appealing.
Plus I'm still combing through my stockpile for quick projects that allow me more airbrush practice...
Whew! I need longer weekends!

Here we are, all caught up...

See you next time!

Just in time for Hanami!

This has been a productive weekend! Also, this post requires a song:

The cherry trees have been finished (I just need to let them dry for a couple of days, and then fixate the flocking). While the flock was out, I also finished up the bamboo bases and the sacred rock.
Here's a FIP (Flock in Progress) picture:

Bright, aren't they? :D

During Hanami, Tamiya-san and Ronin Hasegawa re-enact the impromptu duel that led to their years-long friendship, as Katsunaka the priest and Kageyori the Miko look on from a safe distance.

And a slightly more top-down shot:

That's all of my currently finished Japan-specific scenery, as well as some of my "universal" rocky hills being almost completely obscured by the bamboo groves. I think they might be decent line of sight blockers... ;P

See you next time!

Holy Stone

I had a spare hour, in which to knock out a quick scenery paint job. Here's the results:

The rock is, surprisingly, made from rock... The Shimenawa is sisal, hardened with thinned PVA, the Shide are foil from a tube of foodstuff (mayo or ketchup or somesuch).
Painted up quick, looks the part.
All in all, Easter has been productive.

See you next time!

Oriental flora

Well, the bamboo got finished yesterday, but the light was gone already gone so far, I couldn't get decent pictures anymore. So these had to wait until today:

Daimyo Tempura finds his entry into Miso-Ji isn't quite as uncontested as he expected...

Today, as an added bonus, my wife joined me for painting, the first time in years (She used to be a very skilled and enthusiastic painter, but that hobby had fallen somewhat by the wayside for her.) It was really nice to be sat next to her and sharing a favorite activity. I got some progress done on the first batch of my Samurai villagers, but didn't quite get them finished

Also, earlier this week the tiny cherry trees I ordered online finally arrived:

A bit brighter than I had anticipated, but they'll server their purpose just fine! They're about 40mm tall, which works just fine for my purposes. I'll just put these on as inconspicuous bases as possible, so I can plant them wherever I like them to be on the table. Half of this batch will go to Gunbird.

I don't think I'll get these done before Hanami is over, but then again, with these, my samurai can go cherry blossom viewing whenever they want... ;D

See you next time!

Bamboozled!

So, today I assembled and based the remaining stands of bamboo:

 The PVA can dry overnight and paint should occur shortly. :D

As I had a spare base, some time and inspiration left, I decided to build a little extra:

A simple sacred rock. It's about twice as high as a 28mm miniature, so it's suitably impressive on the table.
My usual foamed PVC base, an actual rock, hot glue, basing sand and ballast. With a PVA-drenched length of sisal as Shimenawa and foil from some tube of foodstuff to make the Shide.  I hope to paint it alongside/after the bamboo.  With the trees I already have for (western) wargaming and the Torii I painted recently, I should be able to do a reasonably convincing small Japanese forest/wilderness table. Now I just need to get sufficient minis painted so I can give some rule sets a trial run, Daisho being on the top of that list.

See you next time!

Trial of the Grasses

Well, the trial set of bamboo is done, except for some growies (flock, some small plants, such things)  on the edge of the base:

Looking at this, I'm ready to go into mass production, I think.

I misted the bamboo stalks with some matt varnish and then spray-primed the base in black. Naturally, this hit the lower part of the bamboo as well, but this wouldn't be a problem.
Then I painted the base with Vallejo Burnt Umber and drybrushed German Camouflage Orange, Desert Yellow and finally Iraqui Sand. Again, this hit the lower sections of the bamboo, neatly covering up the primer overspray, as I had planned. There was some minor flaking of the paint on the thinner bamboo stalks, but nothing too noticeable. Finally I roughly hit the bamboo stalks themselves with very watery English Uniform, to get rid of the uniform green colour.
Looks good to me, I'll be cutting bases for the larger bamboo bushes tonight or tomorrow, hopefully I'll have a complete grove by/over Easter.

See you next time!

I want another shrubbery!

And who am I to argue with the Knights who say Ni? :D

My second order of scale bamboo has arrived:

Twice as tall as the batch I already have, plus these have a wire core. I should be able to build a fairly decent bamboo forest now.
That is all, carry on...

I feel like sushi tonight.

Our  DnD Campaign set in mythical Japan has picked up steam again, which has gotten me looking at my medieval Japan references again. At the same time Gunbird started building Japanese houses and a second hand copy of Daisho came along on the LAF. Apparently Samurai are in the air... So why fight it?

Especially as I have a Pappis box full of the belligerent little dudes. :D A couple were already paint in progress and I had a basecoated Torii. As good a point to start (or continue) as any.
Here's the results of a day's painting:

 I tried to get the Torii to look like a simple, weathered, rural one, the design just lent itself to that. No idea where it came from, it was a gift from Gunbird.

And more of a close up of the Samurai themselves:

The mini's are from The Assault Group, Gempei Wars era Samurai.
I've got a few more primered and ready to paint, but those will have to wait for another weekend.
Once my Daish rule set arrives, I'll have a root through my box and assemble a warband/Buntai. I should have some ashigaru as well. And if I have the right mix of weapons and gear, they may even visit Frostgrave?
For now, it's just fun to be doing hobby stuff again and sharing enthusiasm with Gunbird.

See you next time!

Pants painting

Well, here she is, the finished Miko (Well, almost, I still need to flock the base):

As I would be using much of the same colours, she was joined on the painting table by one of her travelling companions, the itinerant priest:

While the mika maintains some effort to remain neat and presentable, you can see the priest just goes about in his travel-stained clothes.

Both miniatures are from the Perry Samurai range, with some conversion. The Mika has had her hakama added, and the priest has the chest of drawers added to his back. (The RPG character he represents has sworn a sacred vow to only own what he can carry with him, hence the huge travelling case. When creating the character, another friend asked "Why not just get a horse?" To which both the player of the priest and me exclaimed simultaneously: "Do you have any idea how heavy horses are, he could never lift one, let alone carry it!" :D I love my RPG group... )

Now that these are done, I intend to get back to painting my Escher, as well as building some terrain for a mate.

See you next time!

Pants sculpting

A while ago, I ran a DnD Campaign set in mythological Japan, which sort of petered out over the years. We alternated GM-ing in the group, each GM having their own campaing running, but life and busy calendars caused longer and longer pauzes between games, until they quietly slipped into hiatus.

Earlier this week, I've been dared into restarting my campaign, with the promise of one of my mates restarting his as well. Being the disciplined and focussed individual that I am, I naturally succumbed immediately to this temptation. :P
At the time, I had been working on making miniatures for each character in the party. I don't want to use these to handle combat and such (it's an RPG, not a skirmish wargame after all), but more as visual portraits and occasionally to clarify things like marching order or relative positions.

One of the PCs is a Miko or temple maiden. Of which there are preciously few miniatures... Luckily Perry Miniatures does a few packs of medieval Japanese villagers, which contains a woman holding a fan. Perfect for my needs concerning pose and style, she just lacks the bright red hakama typical of Miko. So, out came the greenstuff and tools (And hence, the title of this post...).

Here's the result:

For those that are interested in such things, the rest of the party consists of an itinerant priest (which you can partially see in background), a rural samurai or ji-zamurai, and two female samurai. Except for the two women warriors, all now have miniatures ready for paint. I'm still looking for suitable minis, with armour in the right style and the right weapons.

See you next time!