Thursday 5 September 2013

The Workbench: Mixed Allsorts

Introduction

I've been making slow progress with my model-making projects recently.  At least it seems very slow, though maybe that's because I am dividing my attention so many different ways.  Each separate task doesn't advance by much, but maybe the total output is reasonable.  Anyway, here are some things I've been working on over the last month or so.

Apocalypse Survivors

These figures are both from Wargames Factory.  I think they're very well proportioned and sculpted plastics.  Only time will tell if they are robust enough to take handling...

A slightly unfortunate angle here for the guy on the left.  Before anyone else says it, he looks like he's taking a leak.  While shooting someone.  It's really not like this - just look at the front view!

Prison Zombie

I've painted this Studio Miniatures plastic zombie up as a prisoner.

It's hardly an original idea, but these "smock" bodies from the kit work well for such a costume.  I wish Imy hand was steadier when it comes to lettering, though!

Barbarians

I don't normally show part-completed pieces, but today I'm making an exception.  These are some of my part-painted 28mm barbarian army for "Hordes of the Things".  There's still a long way to go with them and I'm hoping that merely displaying them here will give me enough momentum to carry on painting.  This lot have their bodies and clothing mostly finished, but weapons, hair, shields and bases still need work.  I might add some war paint as well.

Wicked Witch of the West

Here's another part-completed model.  In this case, it would be fairer to say that it's only part-started, perhaps.  It will be the magician general for my "Wicked Witch of the West" Hordes of the Things army (from the Wizard of Oz, of course).  As well as the witch herself, I plan to have flights of crows decorating the stand, since in the book she sent such birds to attack Dorothy's group.  Rather than just having a flat base, I intended the crows to be flying over a tree stump - it'll give them a bit more height and add some useful texture.  The yellow lump of filler on the base is my first attempt at sculpting a stump, though note that I haven't done any roots or stuff like that yet.  I'm not very happy with my sculpting so far...

Space Battleship Yamato

Lastly, here's the finished second ship from my plastic "Space Battleship Yamato" kits.  This is obviously a small craft and I'll probably use it in 5150: Fighter Command as a civilian vessel - a space yacht or a fast courier would seem appropriate.  To be honest, I don't much like the design of this vessel and I really wish I'd modified it by cutting the "wing" into 2 halves and repositioning it - but instead I built it straight "out of the box".  Ah, well.

Finally

That's all, folks.  See you next time!

21 comments:

  1. Lots of progress still and various items finished. The prison zeds looks good and makes good use out of the hordes of same looking zombie you eventually get with the big plastic kits.

    I Really like the space craft. I'm wondering if you add like some antennas or some sort of arrays or something it would break up its outline a bit better perhaps

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    1. Yes, some things are finished, though there's always more to do.

      Antennae would be a bit fragile, I think.

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    2. I've used bristles from a broom as antennae in the past; they're quite flexible and can take handling well. Admittedly that was for 28mm so they might be a bit on the big side for the spaceship!

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  2. Looks good mate. I can't stop but wonder who keeps holding his can o'beer while smacking something with a crowbar, haha.

    Prison zed does look great and this got so popular, I have to do it, too. Personally, I can't see what is wrong with the letters, they are great.

    Lastly, I vote for body paint, that's the reason you paint barbarians in the first place!

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    1. The guy holding his beer is probably a Northerner,

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    2. Well, I painted "beer can guy" in a mechanic's overalls. I imagined him to be either a garage worker or possibly a trucker.

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  3. Great advances in all sorts of areas, even small amounts of progress is progress and comes to fruition eventually.
    The survivor with the pistol doesn't actually look that much better from the front - who knows what his left hand is doing ?
    I beginning to think that the second figure wielding the crowbar must be the only configuration that fully works as I haven't seen any other "version" of him - I was hoping I'd be able to use him as paramedic crew, but I'm having doubts.
    Great use of the SM figure, I still want to see a zombie chain gang in Striped outfits though.
    Great paint-work on all your figures - and the Yamato !

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    1. It's a *knife* in his left hand!

      The "overalls" guy has quite an animated body, with one shoulder raised and the other lowered. You would find it difficult to make him *not* be hitting something, I think.

      I had thought of sculpting manacles onto "prisoner zombie", but in the end I thought this was too much trouble. Maybe for the next one...

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  4. The Wargames Factory survivors are turning out good, I only manage to put half mine together not enough time in a day to finish mine yet. Do the crow with the witch have there own bases? They could easily be used in a survival horror type game as undead crow something along the lines as a Resident Evil type game.

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    1. I think the crows will be fixed to the witch's base permamently; any other configuration wouldn't be strong enough. As for the plastic survivors, I've only made up 1/3 of the box and have only finished the 2 you see here!

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  5. Is that how Barack Obama look after the apocalypse hit the World ;)
    Great looking survivors.

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  6. I also paint a variety of things all at the same time so I know what it feels like. Thank you for showing the barbarian HOTT army in progress. I would go for a bright coloured war paint to break up the flesh and fur.

    I also like the prison zombies and the survivors both have so much merit in them. Maybe there is an argument for carrying a tin can. When thrown against a wall it will make a terrible sound and draw the zombies to it!

    The space ship has come out very nice as well. I remember well your post about sending for them. Great to see one complete.

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  7. Yes, it seems that the consensus is for war paint. As for the survivor carrying a can - is that any worse than a banjo? Or a teddy bear, come to that? Hmm.

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  8. Fine work as always Colgar; if only I could maintain steady progress! Oh well; time to stop whinging and carry on!

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    1. You shouldn't imagine from this posting that my progress is in any way steady! Rather it occurs distinctly in fits and starts. It's worth persevering with something though, if only for the sense of satisfaction on completing it.

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  9. Core, lovely stuf. I particularly like the two survivors. They both are full of charisma.

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    1. Thanks, Irqan. I'm very pleased with the way the 2 survivors turned out :-) .

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  10. Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go. Pretty funny. I like a WIP picture here and there, although all of mine seem to be WIP. I have to say there is something a little odd about that ship, but I can't put my finger on it. Thanks for sharing your work. Inspiring as always.

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    1. It's a *knife* in his hand, dammit! But thanks anyway :-) .

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