New 15mm SciFi Minis

Some newer scifi minis comparison shots (I need to paint more...):



 
 

Clear Horizon Miniatures Raven-Class Medium Assault VTOL

Clear Horizon Raven-Class Medium Assault VTOL

Very clean model; some normal sanding of mold lines (wore a mask to keep from breathing small particles). Used a little bit of putty (GW Greenstuff) on base to conceal joins. Parts fit together well. Used some small magnets for the engines to be able to reposition them.

I did a base coat of Krylon Extra Flat Khaki, GW bleached bone for highlights.
Generic white, green and black paint for the widows and missiles. GW Charadon Granite and Chainmail for some of the spots to show some "wear and tear" - not much as I did not want it look too weathered.

GW Mechrite Red, highlighted with GW Gore Red and a generic white and yellow for stripes and markings.

Washes: used Vallejo Model Wash for Light Colors too. Testors flat clear coat and then floor polish for canopy.

I photo'd it inside a foldio collapsible light box using a iPhone (5 something).

 

Horrid Mini Line From Ravenstar Studios

I picked up a hover tank that I've been wanting for a while from Ravenstar Studios along with some bio-aliens called "Horrids". They are really well sculpted and his pictures really do not show the amount of details that they have. Below is the first one that I finished, a couple of small pits in the tentacles needed some simple green stuff to address. One area on the rump also needed a patch, but was pretty easy to do.

Colors Used:

• Krylon Camo flat black (base)
• GW mechrite red
• Folkart Rouge Brilliant Metallique (for highlights)
• generic yellow and black for eyes
• GW snakebite leather for teeth
• generic purple (added white for highlights)
• GW red wash (I forget the name)

Really nice, sinister looking mini. I picked up a couple other of smaller troops too.

Clearhorizon Miniatures' SparrowHawk-Class Light Assault VTOL (15mm)

I actually have started painting again, first mini was Clearhorizon Miniatures' SparrowHawk-Class Light Assault VTOL - very nice looking craft.


Left side with GZG mini

Right side

Colors Used:

• Krylon Camo flat black (base)
• Tamiya flat green (added white for highlights)
• GW mechrite red for the stripes (added white again for highlights)
• generic dark blue with grey and white highlights for the windshields

Decals are from GW Space Wolves and the number is from Hasslefree Miniatures. A couple of doses of flat coat, gloss put on the windshield.

I also picked up some small magnets so the "rotors" can be repositioned. I picked up some riders and other infantry that I hope to start painting soon.

2010 Miniatures Painted

2011 was not a very productive year for me painting miniatures, in fact I only painted one, a 15mm sci fi Marine that I purchased from Shapeways that was in Admiralducksauce's shop. Really nice mini, my pictures don't do it justice. I also picked up some 15mm Frogan warriors he had. I tried to "ink" the mini to show detail, but it did not quite work. I think I had them printed in frosted ultra detail, lines in the armor are very straight and the face has some good details that did not show up in my pictures.

$2.08 Bradley IFV are now $1.48...

The Target in Houston, TX on FM1960 and Eldridge now has their FOV smaller vehicles for $1.48 USD. I am curious about the size of the US M109 Self-Propelled Howitzer in the line, as I haven't seen that model in person yet. The AAVP7A1 looks like it would make a nice jawa-esque vehicle for some smaller 15mm minis.

$2.08 Bradley IFV

Target is dumping some of their smaller Forces of Valor vehicles and I picked up a US M3A2 Bradley IFV for $2.08 USD. The scales of the Forces of Valor vehicles can vary widely, but this looked like it would fit in with some of the Peter Pig and Rebelminis US Marines I have. I think it turned out pretty well, especially considering the price. I will probably pick a couple more up:


What I did...
- removed a couple really small mold scars
- GW Devlan Mud wash
- dry brush of Americana Khaki Tan (cheap acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby)
- highlight of some of the rivets with the Americana Khaki Tan
- painted headlights and some gear

QRF Aliens
Below are my two favs of the QRF aliens hunter guys. These are taller than most 15mm, but that is not a problem with me. The pack came with 8 figures with a lot of variety. I also picked up some modern Germans and some various armor that I also need to paint. I finished a Bedford Truck, but I need to try a better way of painting headlights, mine look too white.

Khurassan Miniatures

My sea scout craft, really a nice clean resin/plastic mini. I used a tine(sp) from a clear plastic fork to make the aerial stand. Works pretty good and adds some stability to the mini.

Critical Mass Games

I ordered some walkers and dog soldiers from CMG. Only Finished the walkers, but need to start working on the soldiers. I went for a dark brown as I pictured these guys working scorched earth battle zone.

What I am working on now...

- a squad of Karks (think shark commandos)

- Peter Pig Modern French

- QRF armor (Leopard Tank, Mastiff)

- GZG Sci fi dwellings

- remaining Frothers Zombies

Humvee, Alien Walker and Zombie

My painting subjects were all over the board as I finished a Humvee from the Irish Serb (see previous post for link), an Alien Walker from Rebel mins and a Frothers Zombie.

The Zombie

I decided that he looked like he'd been deceased longer than the other 2 Frothers zombies that I painted, so I tried to make his clothes look more tattered and grungy. Was very happy on how the victim's leg came out, the colors I used were:

• GW Elf Flesh
• GW Ogryn Flesh wash
• GW Bleached Bone and White for the leg bone

GW Blood Red and Baal Red Wash for the chewed on parts


The Hummer

Photos shown with 2 previous Peter Pig US Marines that I had painted last year. This was a really nice model and easy to assemble. I also picked up another Humvee with a 50 cal in a cupola mount that I have to finish too. Very impressed with his work and prices. The colors I used were:

• Krylon Ultra Flat Khaki for the base coat
• GW Devlan Mud wash
• GW Bleached Bone for highlights

The Walker

The smaller version from Rebelminis, really a nice model. I used a hand dremel to pin the legs on and it is pretty sturdy. I tried to make the top hatch look like an eye, inspired by an old Johnny Quest episode. ALien shown below is one of the Greys also from Rebel minis.

What I am Working On...

• Irish Serb Humvee w/ 50 cal
• GZG SciFi Dwellings
• Peter Pig Modern FFL
• QRF Bedford Truck

Coming Soon...

My kind inlaws sent me some money for my birthday and I sent it to Critical Mass Games for some of their dog warriors and walkers, really looking forward to finishing them.

IrishSerb's 15mm Modern Vehicles

I ordered 2 VBLs and 2 Hummers from http://bcoleary.home.att.net/salevehicles.html based on some pictures linked a while back on TMP. Very nice resin figures with almost all of the imperfections (ex: bubble holes/pits) on the bottom or covered by the wheels. I've only worked on the VBLs, but from the top picture you can see the only very tiny spot I needed a small bit of green stuff to cover a slight pit.

I wanted these to go with some Peter Pig FFL and I painted the vehicles based on some pictures I was able to find on the web. The colors I used were:

• Primed with Krylon Camo Flat Black
• Camo (GW Scorched Brown and Tamiya J.A. Green)
• Highlights GW Graveyard Earth

One of the pictures below shows a Rebelminis US Special Forces in front of the vehicle (camera angle makes the soldier look a bit larger)

What I Am Working On...

• IrishSerb VBL (1/2 CMP)
• IrishSerb Hummers (0/2)
• Rebelminis Small Alien Walker
• Frothers Zombies
• HO Civilians (from an EBay seller) - very cheap and pretty nice
  

Frother's Zombies and SciFi Centaur Ants (Scants)

I picked up the FU-UK/Frothers miniatures competition zombies and survivors and am really impressed with them. Some really cool zombies and the survivors will work for almost any modern genre (ex: survivors, near/post-apoc, city dwellers, etc). Above are the only two I've finished, I tried to make them look like they were recently departed so they have more life-like skin tones and their wounds are fresher...

Scants


One of my other projects is to try and create an ant-centaur 15mm sci-fi race (Scants == Scifi Centaur ANTS). The idea is a larger bulbous back-end with two segments making up the humanoid body part. I wanted them to have a daddy long legs look to them, but with the legs being closer to their body and not as long. I am by no means a sculptor though, so after looking for suitable plastic ants or spiders and finding none (this may have been an easier task during Halloween...) I decided to try and use small beads and went to a craft store and found a few possible candidates.

What I Learned...

• Static electricity with small plastic beads == aggravation!
• Super glue sticks to my fingers rather than plastic or metal beads
• Using small metal wire through the beads is promising (pinch one end off and feed the beads on top) and it helps the super glue set between the beads better.

I need to find the best reproducible method to create these and then settle on some body styles and weapons.

Static electricity

Note: I live in Houston, TX and we rarely get weather dry enough or cold enough for static electricity to build up, this weekend the conditions must have been just right. I was going bonkers until I realized what was happening (seriously, small plastic beads were flying 6"-10" away when I was dropping them into the container shown above.

First Mini Painted of 2010

2010

My first miniature painted was a GW Epic Eldar walker that I managed to pick up pretty cheaply on EBay. This will make a pretty nice Grey robot IMO.

2009


I finished the year at a -30 minis painted vs minis bought, still not too bad as I painted 95 minis total (I count a pack of 15mm minis as 1). I did not meet my goal of painting more than I bought, 2010 should go better right?

Pictures of the minis I painted (Khurasan Vampire and Peter Pig US Marines):

Another goal was to wargame with my minis which I did not do, but I did download Stargrunt II last weekend and have started to read it.

2010 Goals

- Play a wargame or two with my minis

- < -20 minis bought - minis painted (should be workable)

- Post at least 2x/month on the blog

- Obtain and paint some 15mm armor (maybe Peter Pig or QRF)

What I Am Working On...
- Khurasan Karks (0 of 8 CMP)

- Heresy Blight Zombie

- Heresy Zombie Halfling

- Rebelminis Zombie Dogs (0 of 6 CMP)

- GZG various from previous sale

Cold Wars Zombie Swat Troopers

Below are some pictures of the Cold Wars Zombie SWAT Team (http://cold-war.co.uk/) DWW 12 Cop This pack. Nice miniatures, I've painted/purchased 11 of their zombies and have been pleased with them all.

Zoom ins on the guy that's hunched over on the left-side of the photo. The metal has a lot of good facial detail that is missed in the top photo. Other SWAT guy zoomed in below. Cloth was painted using Americana Deep Midnight Blue (from Michael's or Hobby Lobby for $0.99 a container) and armor was painted with a GW Citadel Foundation grey color (can't seem to find the paint pot atm).

I also managed to pick up 2 GW Tyranids that are coming up from the floor from the Space Hulk set on EBAY for < $5.00 including shipping. Very nice plastic minis. I hope GW releases these and others from the set seperately.

I purchased/watched "Distict 9" today, really a pretty cool movie. Some really good potential wargaming/painting ideas there.

What I Am Working On...

- Rebelminis Civilians (16/21 CMP)

- GZG 15mm Various (from sale purchase earlier this month)

- Khurasan Miniatures Kark Unit (0/8 complete)

Looking forward to finishing up some miniatures while I am off for a few days and catching up on some movies that I would like to rent/see.

Cold Wars Zombies

I finished some Cold Wars Zombies (http://cold-war.co.uk/) DWW 12 Cop This pack and Z8 from the DWW 8 Run For It pack, I need to take a picture of the SWAT members when it is sunnier out so they won't look all black. I tried to mimic the uniforms of the Texas State Patrol (so they'd fit in with the other TX zombies/civilians I have, no disrespect intended) and am pretty happy with how they turned out. I used a different skin technique on them, going for a more oxygen starved look:

- GW Adeptus Battlegrey for the base

- GW BAAL Red wash/ink

- Highlights using the GW Adeptus Battlegrey and Ral Partha Dragon Tongue Purple

It was pretty fun painting some zombies again, I need to work on the Star Gate that I also purchased.

I painted one of Khurasan Miniatures Pelagic Scout ships (http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/t1208.jpg <== not my work) that I entered in their painting competition; this is the first miniatures painting contest that I have ever entered, curious to see how many others entered and hopefully pick up some tips on how to improve my work. I went for a completely different color scheme than the one on their site.

What I am Working On...

- Rebelmini's Civilians (12/21 complete)

- GZG Kra'Vak (I bought a few things during their sale)

- GZG Complex (the 15mm buildings)

- Khurasan Miniatures Kark Unit (0/8 complete)

- Khurasan Miniatures Pulp Pack (o/3 complete)

- Khurasan Miniatures Felids (0/10 complete)

Peter Pig US Forces+

I purchased a few packs (a couple of US and French forces) of Peter Pig (http://www.peterpig.co.uk/) 15mm modern minis from their AK47 Republic line (http://www.peterpig.co.uk/range17.htm) from a US distributor (http://brookhursthobbies.com/). Reasonable shipping rates and arrived in TX from CA in a couple of days .

One of the packs I bought was called "Dictator" (http://www.peterpig.co.uk/AK%20character%20dictator.jpg) which had a large general in 3 poses (sitting, standing and dead/prone along with a guard). He is a bit portly and wears a general's uniform; I will let the pictures show how much character this mini has rather than try to inadequately describe it further.

As I started painting him, I realized he really needed some type of vehicle to ride in for the seated mini. While shopping at Target I happened on a $0.97 matchbox vehicle called the "Sahara Survivor" that looked the part (see picture to the upper-left). I removed some of the the roll bars in the back with an exacto knife and then gave it a new paint job, results with the Dictator in the picture to the upper-right above. More shots below:

Other vehicles in my collection (L to R)

GZG, 1:72 prepainted LAV (also a Target purchase, has more head room for the 15mm troops), and the matchbox.

I also finished my second pack of GZG Spacefarers which are some pretty cool minis too.

What I Am Working On...

• Rebelminis Civilians (11/21 complete)
• Rebelminis Contractors (0/21 complete)
• Coldwars Zombie Swat (0/5 complete)

Wish List (Cliff Notes version)...

• 15mm seated soldiers to go with the dictator (I call him "The General")
• 2-3 15mm armored humvees with a 50 cal machine mounted in a cupola
• 2-3 French vehicles and a tank to go with the PeterPig French troops
• 28mm modern squad, maybe the Eureka French Foreign Legion that I saw the greens for

I've also done some more 28mm lately and hope to post pictures later in the week.

Painted Storage Container and Aliens

I finished painting the storage container, was going for an old rusted look (still need to find stencils to put shipping markings on, no luck looking at Hobby Lobby yesterday as all were bigger than I was looking for).

I also completed my Khursan Garn Command Pack, really nice figures shown below.

Also finished the pack of Hammerhead Space Demons (also from Khurasan). colors look much better in person. I painted them by:

1. Base coat of Krylon XMetals red Chrome

2. GW Badab Black wash

3. Very light dry brush of GW Red Gore

The Krylon XMetals really has a nice non-metalic wet look to it which I think works well for these guys.

Below is my first 15mm conversion. I took the lady (from the GZG civilians set) with the short coat and hat and filed her chest and hair down. I then lengthend the coat and added a scarf with GW green stuff. Next to him is another GZG figure that I tried to paint up to look like Jayne of the Firefly series.

What I am Working On...

- Rebelminis Civilians (8 of 21 CMP)

- Newbold Space Trolls (sculpted by Bob Olley, 4 of 6 CMP)

- GZG Spacefarers II ( 1 of 6 CMP)

It looks like Bob Olley is opening his own site up again (http://www.olleysarmies.co.uk/home.html),

right now it has a bunch of pictures of some really cool terrain and miniatures, he is a pretty good painter too. I still need to finish a couple of his western looking space scrunts and a guard with guard dog.