SDE: Kobolds

My first two test paints of kobolds are complete. I originally wanted to do a faux-airbrushed, cell shaded look to complement the anime style of the figures. It didn't work out that well so I fell back to a more traditional look that was heavy on the inks for black lining. It also didn't help that the Vallejo black red I used for the basecoat for their skin was very glossy and made it hard to read the highlights until I got them dull-coated. Well, only like 50 more guys to paint from the set.

 

 

Jacques

I made this guy to be one of the armed workers in the Walloon Jacquerie but he is equally useful in many other roles. Criminal thug, anarchist, maybe even a disguised operative or detective.

I also picked up a copy of Super Dungeon Explore. The figures are absolutely great and I'm looking forward to painting them. I can also see myself going all out and building full terrain boards to play on. I should probably play the game a couple of times first though before I go too overboard.

I've started a couple more new sculpts and I also want to work on my faces so I'm going to try to sculpt at least one of those each time I get a chance.

"The Next Step for Man"

"Man has always looked to the greater creatures for his inspiration. The nobility of the eagle, the strength of the bear, and the majesty of the lion. But in a time when bears are taught to balance on balls for our amusement, we build machines to soar like the eagle, and we shoot lions for sport, we should instead look to the so called lower creatures for our inspiration.

Man is now the greatest threat to man. Would it not be better to look to an organism that exists peacefully with all others instead of one that preys upon them. The humble fungus lives in perfect harmony with the rest of nature. Should we not try to emulate how it lives in our modern world?"
       - Professor Emil just before being expelled from the Universiteit Gent for experiments against     God and Nature

The intermediary step of the fungoid evolution a horrible human/fungus hybrid.

Another fungoid this time in the early stages of transformation. So far these guys have been really fun to sculpt and I have ideas for several more. I want them all to be different looking as the transformation process is chaotic and no two end up exactly the same. Since they are basically zombie like creatures I'm going to borrow a lot of zombie archetypes from videogames and what not to flesh out their ranks. I already have a big juggernaut guy, need one that blows up, and the fast and deadly female one. Also coming up are the mysterious fungoid slavers, the puppet masters behind the scenes.

NVSF?

Back in the saddle with sculpting having gotten some work done both of the last couple of days. I only really do a little bit each time, like the pants, shirt, or an arm, so it seems like a waste putting up progress shots. But at the same time I would like to document the work. I've noticed some other blogs using a workbench feed, Tiny Solitary Soldiers being one, and I'm thinking about doing something similar. I'd also like to spruce up the design of the blog a bit too and I have a couple of ideas for that. Both plans are dependent on me actually figuring out how to do them on Blogger though.

I've also been thinking about my world background. Inspired both by China Mieville's new book Railsea and the video game Dishonored (neither of which is actually out yet but still look cool from the info that is available so far) I'm considering changing my background to a Neo-Victorian future setting. Everything would stay more or less the same just some name changes like Britain would become Albion, and I'd have to come up with new names and historical events. It has the advantage of freeing me of any historical baggage and also gives an explanation for the steam technology, giant monsters, and whatever else I want to throw in there. My term for the setting is Neo-Victorian Steam Fantasy (NVSF). Of course it also means that I have to throw out any historical personages and events, Charles Babbage, Crimean War, The Indian Mutiny, Lady Alda Lovelace, etc. Part of the fun of steampunk to me is the alternate history aspect so that would be disappointing.

Maybe I'm just over thinking the whole thing and should just do whatever I want and then back fill a reason for it's existence later. I'm going to keep pondering it.

Mental Wanderings

Still not much progress from me on any miniatures projects. Not sure if I'm just busy or lacking in motivation. Probably more of the second.

Anyways here is a sculpt I did a long time ago, Captain Hannibal Lop. Quick on the draw, Hannibal runs a ship for hire the Castoff. His hardbitten cigar chomping exterior hides a heart of gold and a fierce loyalty to his crew. I'd like to get around to doing the other two crew members as well, Reginald a parrot who acts as both pilot and comms expert, and Mr Bubbles engineer who is a goldfish in a mechanical suit.


Old pics too. Ill try to put new ones up soon.

I also want to put some more details on him, patches, insignia, etc. Maybe I'll do that soon too.

I've also run across the some great steampunk miniatures at Lead Adventure. I think these are brilliant I love the details and character on them, although some of the poses are a little wonky. Even though they are 28mm I might get some. Or at least take some inspiration from them as my free funds for gaming are a little low at the moment.

Dr. Oculus

This past week hasn't been very productive hobby-wise. Hopefully I'll be able to get some projects finished this week though instead. In the meantime here is a picture that my beautiful photographer took of an old miniature of mine Dr Oculus.

The good doctor was used in a Victorian Superhero game run many years back. As an agent of the crown he used his various vision based powers to root out the festering menace in the very belly of London.

This was taken to try out the new macro lens she got for graduation. I'm excited to get some more stuff completed so she can take some more great pictures for me.

Windows and Doors

Over the past weekend I was able to get some more work done on my architectural bits. I decided to do three different types of windows and two doors. I figured this would give me a bit of variety when putting together a few buildings. I also think I'm going to do wall sections, roofs pieces, chimneys, and other detail pieces. Then I can cast up a bunch of pieces and just mix and match them together to make several buildings. Of course this means it will take longer to get the first building done but after that I should be able to knock a couple of them out quickly.

I still had some mold making material left so I was able to make a mold. Unfortunately, I don't have any casting resin left so I'm going to have to order some more. I'll get some silicon mold material too while I'm at it cause I'm going to need some soon enough.

In the meantime I found a resin 15mm building ruin that I think its meant for eastern front WWII, but will work well enough for what I'm doing. I'm going to paint it up and use it in the background for pictures.