German Blitz

Well I started on the next batch of miniatures for one of my clients and it is all German miniatures for Bolt Action.  If you haven't checked out Bolt Action I would recommend you check it out.  Pictured below were all the models I assembled in one day which was a pretty good for 28mm resin.  Those two halftracks are the new plastics from Warlord Games and they are quite nice to be honest.  While I personally own Americans, those Hanomag halftracks can make a man go German.  The Germans pictured are going to be mounted on scenic bases from Secret Weapon so they are yet to be attached.  Enjoy this picture of German armored might... and one lone T-34/85.

Angels on our Shoulders

So it has been a few days as I have been very busy with recent commissions so I thought I would post a nice little tutorial.  I decided to do a counter for my Bolt Action Americans to represent an air strike borrowing an idea I saw on the WWPD forums.  Upon reading the rules from air strikes it mentions you can use any suitable counter even an aircraft model.  It was then that I decided to make a diving aircraft to represent my air strikes.  So I began my attempt by heading to the local hobby store, in this case Hobby Lobby, to find a suitable model.  I decided on 1/72 as it fit in nicely with 28mm miniatures by being not too small or too large.  Looking around I found a 1/72 Snaptite P-51D Mustang.  Now I know they were mainly escorts, they were in fact used as tank hunters late in the war.  The model came pre-painted which was a nice bonus.  I decided to pick up a few other things like a dowel and some washers to act as a base.  For the dowel I recommend 3/16" though a thick piece of brass rod will also work.  The washers were both fender washers with one being 2" and the other being 1" with a 3/16" diameter hole. 

What you will need...

I began assembly of the model as per the provided instructions.  I do suggest cleaning any mold lines which in this case were very minimal and use a knife, not clippers to remove parts from the sprues.  There are some gap issues so I highly recommend using plastic model glue to glue the model together and reduce gaps.  The model is designed to have its landing gear down so I made a slight modification.  I took the covers to the landing gear and cut them down to fill the opening.  Take care to measure the amount you have to remove carefully before cutting to reduce the chances of gaps.  Once cut, glue them in place and you now have a flying fighter not a landing fighter. 

Before...

....and After

At this point I recommend touching up the paint as the pre-paints can be a little off.  I used Vallejo US Dark Green on the top of the fuselage and Vallejo Red for the engine cowling and nosecone.  The panel lines were filled in with a Faber-Castell Artist Pen size S, black.  The pilot was drybrushed with Vallejo English uniform and the face was given a wash.  You can of course paint it to match any historical squadron you like and I highly recommend it.

Next step is the base and stem.  I glued the washers together with super glue and mixed up some green stuff.  I recommend cutting the dowel to a height of 8" as I found it to be a good altitude for an attacking aircraft.  The next step is too fill the hole with the green stuff and insert your dowel.  Smooth off the bottom and let sit till dry.  I recommend checking on it from time to time till the green stuff sets up as the dowel will tend to lean.  Just correct it and it will be fine.  It took about two hours for the green stuff to set up enough to prevent leaning.

Base materials

 Once it is dry it is time to drill the holes for the pins in the top of the dowel and bottom of the plane.  I suggest two pins and keep them about 1/4" so it is secure.  I bent one of the pins a little to further ensure it is secure. 

Pins and holes in aircraft

All that is left now is to texture and paint the base and stem. I used some pumice and pebbles which were of course painted and drybrushed.  A little static grass to match the basing on my Americans and some Vallejo Sky Blue for the stem.  Now you have a completed Air Strike counter worthy of your army.  This works for any nation as long as you can find an aircraft used by your forces.  If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them. 

INCOMING!

CCC... that is a lot of Cs

Well I am taking a break from posting pictures of the completed Khador to show off pictures of my current commission.  Right now I am working on a team of CCC MERCS from the game MERCS.  These are being painted to match an example provided by the client.  I personally love the CCC as they were my first MegaCon when I picked up MERCS so I always enjoy painting them.  These guys will be a combination of camoflage and solid colors.  This commission also contains some Bolt Action Germans and the Kemvar shown earlier.  They are currently in progress but coming along quickly.

Bolt Action weekend

This past weekend I travelled to Austin for some gaming with a good friend.  We played some Bolt Action which if you haven't checked the game out then you should have a peek.  I'll include a link to the website for more information on Bolt Action.  The game featured my Americans against the Germans at a 1000pts which is standard for Bolt Action.  This was my first game using my painted Americans which I decided to knock out one Sunday.  Not bad for one days worth of painting.  Sadly I could not overcome the German onslaught but I will get my revenge.  Here are a few random pictures from our game. 

Deployment and table setup

Turn 2 reserves showed up

The German squad that refused to die...

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of what is on my painting desk right now.
Link for Bolt Action information http://www.warlordgames.com/us-store/bolt-action.html
Here is a good website for more information from the folks at WWPD  http://www.boltaction.net/

Winter Guard for the win!

There is something about Winter Guard that really appeals to me.  They do not have the prestige of the Iron Fangs or inspire fear like the Doom Reavers but they are the true workhorses of the Khadoran Army.  When I got the list of miniatures for that Khador commission I was excited to see Winter Guard on the list.  Here are the Winter Guard I painted with Unit Attachments.  This weekend I head down to Austin to play some Bolt Action...  Maybe I'll snap some pictures.

Unit Attachments

Winter Guard

Winter Guard (rear)

Wind Rush!

So continuing my posts showing off my recent Khador commission, I decided to post pictures of the warcasters included in the commission. Here we have three Sorschas; the battlebox plastic, the old Alt. sculpt, and Epic Sorscha. These were pretty fun to paint and she is a solid caster in the game. Stay tuned for more pictures tomorrow...

Battlebox Sorscha

Battlebox Sorscha (rear)

Alt. Sculpt Sorscha

Alt. Sculpt Sorscha (rear)

Forward Kommander Sorscha

Khadoran Armored Might!

Continuing to show off the recent Khador commission I decided to go with some Warjacks from said commission.  These 'jacks are the iconic Khador heavies, the Juggernaut and Destroyer.  Both feature heavy damage as the client requested and I am always a fan of red and white. 

The might of Khador

Today I figured I would post up pictures of a large Khador commission I recently finished.  This was a big one in a scheme I will admit I am a huge fan of.  The client got them yesterday and was very pleased.  Without further adieu.... "For the Motherland!"

Tomorrow I'll start showing off the individual components of this mighty army...

Introduction

Howdy folks and I am the man with a brush.  I decided I might as well get a blog to showcase my commission work.  I've been painting for more years than I can remember so why not make a business out of it.  I just finished a large Khador commission with pictures coming tomorrow.  Here is a sneak peek of the current commission on my desk.