Summer Battle Tour Continues

Just look for the great big hammer. 

Thanks to a scheduling snafu that moved my family's Father's Day dinner to the week after Father's Day, I had the chance to travel to Games and Stuff for a 50 pointer.  GNS is the last of the stores in my extended gaming area to get crossed off my list and it made quite an impression.  It's a two story affair with the shop on the bottom and a big gaming room on top.  They posted a pic of the action this past weekend that showcases this humble author while also showing off the room, which is second only to Game Vault in terms of sheer playing space.  This upstairs space is apparently undergoing renovation but was still the nicest play space I've frequented so far.  I didn't have a lot of time to browse on the way out, so I concentrated my attention on the Warmahordes section and Legion stuff in particular.  They may not have had one of everything in the line on the wall, but it was close enough for me, and it looked like every other faction was represented just as well.  My only real complaint about the store is that it's quite a drive, but that's a small issue.  If you're in the area stop by and check it out.  Enough of the plugs, on with the show.

Journeyman Painting Log # 5

What I did this morning. 

Quick post before heading off to the FLGS tonight.  Vayl got arc markings and a coat of varnish today in preparation for her big debut tonight as a painted model.  When I took another look at her the need for armor highlights wasn't as pressing, so I let it slide.  I got started on Saeryn and the first Angelius who, along with a Spell Martyr, got the first two layers of skin done plus purple lining/base coating.  Hopefully I'll finish up the Angelius tomorrow, but that might be a bit of a stretch.  I'd like to get some good work in on it at least.  In non-painting news, I finished assembling my second Angelius last night and pinned the wings this morning.  All that remains before it's ready for priming is reinforcing the wing joints and puttying over the construction.  Considering that the first Angelius is the bumpiest thing ever where I greenstuffed I'll be taking an extra minute or two to try and make it smooth.  The smooth, graceful lines of the Angelius are what I like best about it (the POW 14 armor piercing tail doesn't hurt either), so it's extra painful to have such a shoddy patch job on one of them, but you have to learn sometime.

Journeyman Painting Log # 4

Add another tally to the "finished" column.

Today I finished pVayl, more or less, as has become my custom.  My original thought was to do her inner dress/robe in purple, but somewhere along the way I roughed in a purple interior to her cloak.  Since I am nigh-powerless to change something I've roughed in the cloak has a purple lining and Vayl has a creamy dress.  In a flash of justification I reasoned with myself that the purple interior was better than the dress as it stuck to the role of purple in my scheme, namely as a lining color.  The orange Oraculus turned out reasonably well, as did the autumn colored leaves.  The only place that looks to need more love is the metal parts of the dress and....hat?  I'm not sure anything can be done for the thing that lives on her head, but a little highlighting wouldn't hurt, and the dress could stand some of the same treatment.  Whether that treatment is via standard highlighting or by applying a second purple wash for additional shading, or even a combination of both, is yet to be determined.

Journeyman Painting Log # 3

What I did this morning.

Had a reasonably productive day at the painting table.  The morning started with a pair of new (to me) products in liquid greenstuff and gesso.  I read somewhere about using liquid greenstuff on the Legion heavy kit to cover the torso joints, which seems like a good idea, and mere months after getting the kits (mostly) assembled I decided to try it out.  The liquid GS was both thicker and thinner than I expected but it brushed on easily and looked like it worked well enough.  My big concern is that the passage of every bristle has been recorded in the GS and will transfer to the painted model, but I'll reserve final judgement until I take a look in the morning when things have dried.

Journeyman Painting Log # 2

Soon to be finished.

Brief update here, or as brief as I can be.  Got a decent chunk of work done on the Seraph yesterday, all the skin, underplates, purples, and the teeth.  All that remains are the upperplates and blighty spikey bits that will end up pure orange.  I would have gotten it finished yesterday if not for the weekly trip to the FLGS, but since that's (at least part of) the point of painting in the first place it would be silly to skip playing to paint.  Plus I already did that on Tuesday.  With any luck the Seraph will be finished today and I'll be able to get some quality progress in on pVayl as well.

In other painting news, I got some gesso earlier in the week and will be trying that out when I get to the painting table today.  While I want to just plow straight into Saeryn with it I'll take the more prudent route and start with a single Spell Martyr to make sure that it works well before moving on to a more important model.

Journeyman Painting Log # 1

Ready to leap into your backfield and eat your mens.

A date long circled passed this weekend, the start of painting for our local Journeyman league.  My intention to get everything, or at least a lot of things, assembled and primed to hit the ground running didn't turn out so well.  I managed to assemble Saeryn and a Spell Martyr, another two Spell Martyrs that need some gap plugging and general reinforcement, plus a unit of Legionnaires that needs some pinning, and a min unit Spawning Vessel that's about half done.  Not exactly an overwhelming start.  I've managed to get some painting in though, so all is not lost.  Foremost is the Raek, which is all but finished, that I got done over the weekend.  Obviously the base needs to get done, plus arc markings, but other than that it's finished.

Journeyman start part two

Rotatey.

Upon returning from a closer-than-expected round of werewolves vs vampires at EV's place, I found an unexpected surprise.  It was actually sort of expected, just not so soon.  The bulk of my Legion expansion was sitting on my doorstep a good four hours earlier than I figured on, meaning I have all the parts (save a blister of Acolyths, another beast kit, and maybe another Deathstalker) for my Journeyman outing/Legion collection.  At least all the currently released bits as I'll be adding Captain Farilor, a Succubus, and a Naga Nightlurker once they're out.  So what did I get?  All this!  The boxes should be readable enough, but just in case (and to fill some white space) they are as such, clockwise from right: eThagrosh, Angelius, Legionnaires, Striders.

Journeyman starting point

My local group is running a modified Journeyman league starting next month.  The painting head start begins next Saturday, one month before games begin, and since there are points for painting I need to document what's painted, what isn't, and what's in between.  We'll start with the sexy and leave the eyesore below the break.
 

The small collection of painted stuff.  Typhon, Carnivean, eLylyth, Absylonia, two Shredders, two Shepherds.

Nova Open: this is costing me how much?

Wish I'd gone when it was in my backyard... 

Lots of considering the Nova Open today.  It didn't take a lot of convincing to swallow the $60 price tag for the weekend (35 for the con itself, 25 for the Warmahordes component) as it covers up to 7 non-overlapping tournaments, plus open gaming (with prizes!) in the form of the Iron Arena, plus free loot via a swag bag.  Not much convincing at all.

Now that I'm looking at lodging and associated costs, the outlook is less rosy.

Been a while

Long time, no post.  There hasn't been much painting going on, which means no pictures waiting to be posted, which means no words to go with the pictures to make posts out of.  Things are cyclical and this is a down cycle.