Amazon Archers - First Skin Tones

I was checking over the Amazons before I started painting and I noticed that there seemed to be some reactions with the super glue I was using. Most of this occurred behind the quiver and was easy to pick out with a sharp tool. However one had it spread across the armor. This required going in with some acetone to loosen up the glue so I could pick out the debris and recover the detail.

Here you can see how the glue reacted and obscured the detail

Acetone and a sharp tool to recover the detail

Buffed with steel wool to remove the scratches. I then used some white brush primer on this one and let it dry

After I fixed this mini I started on the skin. At this point I don't have to be neat. Mid tone can be applied without fear of getting skintone on clothing. I'm thinking they are a bit pinker than I would like at this point. I then did a first broad highlight, and that helped reduce the pink. Then I decide I wanted a more bronzed skin look so I applied a wash of burnt sienna over the whole miniature with an emphasis on the shadowed areas. So a good start to the skin. At least another evening's work but that may not happen till next week. I started the skin tones because I was working on the skin for one of the minis on the diorama. I figured I would just go ahead and work on skin this evening.

First skin tone applied, this is essentially my mid tone.

First highlight applied

Then a darker wash of a burnt sienna. By applying the highlight first I "modulated" the skintones. After this I'll go in and start working the skin tones up again and probably deepen the shadows.

Priming Amazon Archers from Crocodile Games

Well I did some work on the Amazons. I needed to prime some miniatures for the "Steady Lads" diorama as well as for one of my vignettes (which may or may not get done in time for Genghis Con).
This is going to be long work in progress, at least until some more of my competition entries are finished. However, I'll do some work on them when I happen to have the colors I need on the palette. 

So they really look sharp even with just the primer on them. I love priming with the airbrush it gives me so much more control over the process.

Group Shot, 12 Amazons all primed up and ready to go

The unit leader, a bit of an out of focus shot

Pose #1, The mold line goes up the right side of  her face and into her hair.

The primer and the lighting really pop the details on these. Fitz is amazing

Pose #2, again the mold line is coming across her left eye and cheek. Looks like I did a really good job on this one.

Pose #3. The mold line here comes right down the middle of the face down the nose and chin.

A Change of Pace - Prepping Amazon Archers from Crocodile Games

I needed a break from working on the "Steady Lads" diorama last night so I dipped into the box I received from the Crocodile Games Wargods of Olympus Kickstarter. I usual need something else to work on when I'm painting competition pieces, the distraction from not having to be perfect is usually quite relaxing. I have quite the horde of Amazons at this point but I didn't want to start with one of the core phalanx units so I pulled out the archers. Like 90% of the Croc line these are sculpted by Chris Fitzpatrick and they are beautiful minis. 

There are three poses plus a command miniature. All of these have very light mold lines and the castings are near perfect which makes them very easy to work on. However, because of the pose itself that mold line goes right across the face of the minis (through the right eye, no less, on two and down the middle on the third). These are the types of mold lines that I really hate and in this case its worse because I'm dealing with a beautifully sculpted face.

I went in with one of my lighter edged files so I would leave as few scratches as possible. I followed that up by trying to buff it smooth with steel wool but I found it hard to get it into some of the crevices on these because of the poses. I pulled out one of my blue sanding sticks instead and I was able to buff out any scratches with this tool without a problem.

I'm definitely looking forward to painting these but progress is likely to be slow. I'm going to take some time and see if I can find some 20mm square resin bases for them that will push the Greek motif a bit more (I know Amazons, while part of Greek Mythology, are not themselves from Greece). There is some archaeological evidence that there may be a kernel of truth to the Amazon myth from graves found near Pokrovka, Russia (near the Kazakhstan border). While certainly not the Amazons of the Greek Myths it lends some credence to the concept of warrior women. I'm going to paint based around colors that might have been used by the Sarmations and Scythians. There is an Amazon Cavalry unit coming in the second wave but they still need to deliver the Athenians and Corinthians before the second wave gets started.

Here is what I managed last night:

11 Amazon Archers and an Amazon unit leader

Kickstarter Loot - Crocodile Games Wargods of Olympus - Amazons

So this one is a bit delayed, about two months so not bad in the grand scheme of things. The Amazons, along with the Automatons, are part 3 of Wave 1. Still to come are the Athenians (sculpted by Fitz) and the Corinthians (sculpted by Todd Harris) which come sometime early in 2015. Then the rule book which requires all the sculpts to be finished will follow and complete Wave 1. Wave 2 consists of the rest of the Trojans followed by the rest of the Amazons. Still looking at not being fully delivered till late 2015 is my guess. I might see if I can still jump in on the Amazon cavalry that's part of Wave 2.

Excerpt from the update in the Croc Kickstarter:
"The Amazons and Automatons are BY FAR the largest single release that Crocodile Games has ever done - with over 50 individual production molds, thousands of miniatures to cast, sort and pack, and over 200 pounds of metal used thus far! But the work is not yet over, as we still need to get these to our backers. Indeed, it is a bit like Santa's Workshop around here, and we are trying to get as many rewards shipped before Christmas!"
I received my shipment notice on Sunday (12/21). I anxiously started tracking the shipment figuring that even though it was being sent via 2 Day Priority Mail that it wouldn't make it till Friday. It was picked up by USPS on Monday, arrived sometime early, early this morning in Aurora and was out for delivery around 7am. I kept doing the F5 dance on the keyboard until it showed up as delivered on the doorstep at 12:15. This was confirmed by the youngest spawn.

Since I'm in Ft Collins this week they brought it up for the family Christmas Eve celebration at my parents' house.  I found a quite place to do the now traditional Kickstarter loot un-boxing pictures. I maybe re-considering some of my painting entries for Genghis Con and ReaperCon. The quality of the casting and the sculpting is awesome, mold lines are light to non-existent and the number of poses is great. This kickstarter was well worth backing. I'm extremely pleased.

Helen of Troy, Titan Hunter, Oracle of Delphi, Bronze Owl

The command set

One of three Amazon Hoplite units that I received. My pledge came with one and I ordered two more

Front and middle rankers depending on which arm you use.

Rear rankers, I love the variety in the poses

An Amazon Hero, Champion and a casualty

Archers

Archer captain on the right

Peltasts or light infantry armed with javelins

That's the captain with the sword

I also ordered two sets of front/middle/rear rank hoplites to increase the size of my units

And a couple of things I decided to tack on

A Sobeki from Wargods of Aegyptus that I didn't have and the demigoddess of Athena

The sculpting is stunning.

Kickstarter Progress - The Amazons for Wargods of Olympus

The Wargods of Olympus Kickstarter is being delivered in "waves" but with a slightly different approach than with most delivery "waves". The Croc is shipping things, mostly, by faction. If you were in at the painter level that was delivered as the first wave, followed by the Trojans, then the Spartans and Mycenaeans (both of which already had fairly solid forces available and just needed a few extras to fill out their armies) and now the Amazons and Automations. I knew this Kickstarter was likely to be delayed because of the large number of new sculpts that were required. The Amazons are likely to take a little longer than expected as well because it is by far the most popular faction of the Kickstarter according to sources at the Croc. But it sounds like the last sculpts are getting finished up now and casting should commence shortly. Unfortunately the Amazon Cavalry are a Wave 2 item so I won't see those models until after the Athenians, Corinthians and Wave 2 Troy models have been completed. I haven't pulled out my Wargods armies in a long time, but its still one of my favorite miniature games to play. I should pull out my Basti army and see what I need to do to expand it while I wait for the Amazons to arrive.

The Amazon army is one of the reasons I'm participating in the Basius 2 Kickstarter. While its a smaller army I'll still need another 60 25mm square bases and  11 25mmx50mm cavalry bases, I may decide to redo my Basti army bases with the Basius pads as well, they are rather plain right now and could use an upgrade. 

Here are some pictures straight from the Croc:

Reaper BONES Sunday (and Wargods of Olympus)

The rewards for my participation in the Reaper Kickstarter arrived on Thursday. Its been so busy that I didn't have time to really get the box open and snap a few pictures till Saturday and this morning may be my only chance to post them. There have already been a lot of Vampire Pledge opening threads and posts out there so I didn't really focus on that. I didn't get a lot of add ons either, mostly giants, the red Pathfinder Dragon, the Jabborwock and, of course, Kaladrax.
But before I move on to the Reaper BONES pictures I need to put in one last plug for Wargods of Olympus.
The Crocodile Games; Wargods of Olympus closes out today. I still need to get my pledge in or at least decide to pledge. I may have to buy a whole new wardrobe for work this week so I may have to skip this one, which is killing me at this point. They blasted through a number of levels yesterday including unlocking Helen of Troy at the $125,000 level. If you have been on the fence with this one I recommend that you get over there and jump in. Wargods of Olympus

Here is some concept art for Helen of Troy (which should be stunning Fitz does amazing work Sculpting females) and the final stretch goal; Medusa.

And now on to the BONES: