Someplace For All My Chickens

Still working on the conversion parts for my Cabal guys. The backpack is coming along but the rifle is causing me problems.

In the mean time I've finished the shed I've been working on. A couple of sloppy mismeasurements led to some extra pieces being tacked on the front and side but overall I think it turned out alright. I'm thinking about making some tiny chickens to scatter about near the coop for pictures and playing.

Next up is the barn and I might also work on the hand-pump at the same time. I'm also thinking about some fencing and some field crops. I might reuse an old technique I discovered with caulking for the crops. I'll have to do some more research on period fencing before I figure out how I'm going to make that yet.

The farmstead is starting to come together.

Repurposing Some SciFi

I've been looking around recently and trying to see what's out there miniature-wise that I could incorporate into my collection. Khurasan Miniatures have been putting out a lot of really nice stuff but they are too futuristic to fit in with the rest of what I have. Then I thought maybe I could make some various bits to steampunk them up more. 

In my opinion the nice thing about steampunk is that any scifi concept should be able to fit in with some tweaks. After all it is called Victorian Science Fiction. I'm not just talking about sticking some gears on it, but some more thoughtful changes. The aesthetic is important as well as making modifications for period appropriate materials, power source, and technology. I have some wiggle room in there for my setting since it already includes some fantasy elements.

  

So first up are some of the Riflethings from the Control Battalions. I think they'd fit in great as soldiers in the Cabal, my evil techno-sorcerer faction. They are getting some backpacks, new rifles, and a little bit of resculpting to the legs. For the rifle and backpack I'm going to make one nicely detailed master and cast it so I can easily convert more guys in the future. I want both to be styled similar to the Cryx Warjacks that I will be using as their warmachines.



Riflethings hanging out near my partially completed shed.

 I'm starting with a basic shape made out of styrene. I'll sculpt details over that. I've also cut the knee pads off of the figures (Victorian soldiers had tougher knees I guess) and the back plate off so that the new backpack goes on smoother. Finally I cut most of the rifle away leaving the stock behind. The supporting hand went with the rifle, I'll sculpt on a new one to hold the new rifle.



First steps of the conversion to Cabal Pawns

Take 'em Out To The Woodshed!

Finished up the woodshed that I've been working on. I have to admit that I'm pretty happy with this one. I based it off of a woodshed at a place I vacationed at up in Maine. Nothing fancy, just some boards knocked together to keep the wood dry and a stump with an axe out front to split it with.

Its mostly basswood strips and the firewood is made out of some sticks from the yard that I split with an x-acto knife. The stump is another chunk of stick and the axe is just a piece of wire stuck in it with the axehead sculpted out of putty. Finally, I finished the ground with some wood filler.

Painting was straight forward, I just wanted it to look well weathered and well used. I've found that I'm relying heavily on dry brushing followed by ink washes and glazes to get the effects I want.

I've also started on the other outbuilding. Still pondering the well as it should probably be a hand pump. Harder for monsters to craw out of that though. Finally, I'm hoping to get back to working on figures this week. I just got a package in the mail and I have some plans for the contents. More on that next time.

Rutger Farmstead

I decided to give a proper name to each terrain project I'm working on just like I've been doing with my miniatures. In this case the house is going to be the centerpiece of the Rutger farmstead (named arbitrarily after one of my favorite actors, Rutger Hauer.) While I'm sure in use I'll mix and match the various pieces it gives me a theme to work with.

 I had a hard time getting a color scheme on it that I was happy with. The walls and roof just kept ending up to close in color. In the end I hit the roof with some ink washes and dry brushed the walls up more to get a good contrast. All part of the learning curve when you start working in a different scale.

I can almost see old man Rutger standing on his front porch smoking a pipe. Maybe this year no giant monsters or robots will come along and wreck his back 40. Guess I need to find an Old Man Rutger figure now too.

Next up for the farmstead is finishing up the woodshed, starting on the barn and I want to make another outbuilding with attached chicken coop. Maybe a well too, need somewhere the gribbly monsters can climb up out of.