Random Projects: Blast the backlog!

Son of Fundin · **Joined:** Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:04 pm **Posts:** 258

Hi Natarn,

I have ever wanted to tell you how amazed I am by your sculpting skills, but never did because I feared it was thread necromancing and didn't think you were still in the hobby. So I am very glad you are again!

Your sculpting skills are really, really great, you even inspired me to start an undead warrior and a dragon (though both turned out horrible :lol:

) Do you have any sculpting projects planned in future?

Natarn · **Posted:** Mon Jun 16, 2014 7:56 pm

Hi, Son of Fundin.
Thanks for the encouraging comments.
It's great how we pass on the bug to others. UKFB inspired me with his first 'tree giant' and got me going with green stuff.

I have a certain project to finish. A certain sculpture needs a little bit of work done on a claw, then a base made and the paints can come out.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:01 pm

I always thought it was you that sculpted a large dragon / smaug a few years ago but never finished it ?

theavenger001 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:44 am

Gandlaf the Grey wrote:

I always thought it was you that sculpted a large dragon / smaug a few years ago but never finished it ?

Afaik the dragon (smaug) Natarn sculpted is pretty much finished, but not painted yet. But if it would get finished and painted.....

Natarn · **Posted:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:18 am

theavenger001 wrote:

Afaik the dragon (smaug) Natarn sculpted is pretty much finished, but not painted yet. But if it would get finished and painted.....

I'm working on it!

I'll put pictures in my other WIP thread when I've got something worthwhile showing.

Natarn · **Posted:** Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:50 pm

I've just remembered why I used to paint all the Minas Tirith archers before the swordsmen and spearmen; they don't have shields.
Fiddly diddly diddly fiddly! I shall go mad!
Currently have about fifty swordsmen I'm batch painting. Nearly done...
Then it's the next lot of 49 warriors...
Then another 70.
The old OCD has taken hold.

BUT it will be a very cool army when finished.

For a short cut, I've tried painting on a rubber and then pressing it onto the shield so that the relief design picks up the paint. It ALMOST works, but not quite to my satisfaction, which means loads of detailed painting. Grrr... slowing me down!

kidterminal · **Posted:** Tue Jul 08, 2014 11:56 pm

You'll get there just hang in there!

Natarn · **Posted:** Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:38 pm

Cheers, kid.
Has anyone seen a regular warrior of Minas Tirith converted into either citadel guards or guards of the fountain court?
Links appreciated!

Sithious · **Posted:** Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:54 pm

This guy on this site : http://lighteffect.net/blogs/?p=1064
made these;

Natarn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:55 am

Thanks for that, Sithious.

It gives me a good idea of what to do (although I'll try to be a bit neater with the gs or procreate).

Any more pictures of such conversions are very welcome, please.
Next, I'd especially like to see some helmet conversions with those wings added for the guard of the fountain court.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:38 am

I think more sculpts along the lines of the veterans of Osgiliath would be very interesting. It breaks up the unifomity of the WoMT outline (some had no helmets, some wore bandages) and adds more variety to the army.

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

Are those converted Citadel Guards?

Natarn · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:53 pm

Sticky Fingersss wrote:

Are those converted Citadel Guards?

Yes, they are ones that Sithious found.

I've gone into crazy binge mode on ebay (nutcase that I am). Some prices are so high! Fortunately I found a few bargains. I like to work out the unit price (how much per figure) when I've included postage. The best deal I've got so far this month is 14p per figure!

Happily, I've managed to win the bidding on some Morannon orcs at last. I don't think they are the most amazing of sculpts but they will add some variety to my army of Mordor orcs.

Recently, to my amazement, some figures were offered on Freegle and I was lucky enough to pick them up two weeks ago. What a great lot! Over 50 figures including an uruk battering ram, some metal wood elves, metal Easterlings, a mounted wraith, Rohan Royal Guard and some metal wargs. My spell-checker keeps wanting to change the spelling of wargs to warts!

As a result of this massive influx of figures - added to my ranks of Minas Tirith that are waiting to be finished, I'm doing a lot of priming and basing so I can paint any troop type from my waiting-for-painting list.

One contingent of approx' 50 WoMT are on the mantelpiece in the dining room, waiting for the rest of the shields to be done, plus the leather and some cloth. Nearly done on those. I'll have to make myself sit down and finish them off soon as I so easily get distracted by other projects!

Natarn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:04 am

A photo of my Freegle freebies.

A batch of WoMT - nearly finished.

Game currently in progress.

Crucium Giger · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:49 am

That looks like a great game.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:04 pm

Impressive, nothing like massed ranks of troops.

Valadorn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:39 pm

You are making a nice job! I am working atm in the same models(WoMT), while I am seeing you making so clear the white tree in the shields. Could you explain how you make it so clear, ty in advance

Natarn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 6:59 pm

Valadorn wrote:

You are making a nice job! I am working atm in the same models(WoMT), while I am seeing you making so clear the white tree in the shields. Could you explain how you make it so clear, ty in advance

You need a fine detail brush and a steady hand!

I've tried using an eraser as a printing block - painting it with a thin layer of white and then applying it to the shield. It's okay but does overlap the relief so I ditched that plan and just got down to careful detail painting.

First I paint the shield black, then I very carefully apply white paint, which is thinned (not too much) so it flows from the brush onto the tree. If/when I make a mistake, I let the white dry and then fill in the background with black.

It is important to have really good lighting, so that you can see the tree when it is black so you know where to paint. I also use one shield that I'm happy with as a guide to show myself how I should paint the others.

This is really time consuming but worth it, so I take my time - only doing between 1 and 5 at a time.

It's by no means perfect - but this standard is fine for gaming as they look great in a group.

Sithious · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:06 pm

Looks like more warriors than the film had for Minas Tirith, Denethor would be proud to send them off on a fools errand.

It is not easy to batch paint that many and keep the energy up. You are doing great though.

Valadorn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:11 pm

Natarn wrote:

is thinned (not too much) so it flows from the brush onto the tree.

This is something so primtive and although I still forget about this in easy occassions QQ. :sad:

Random Projects: Blast the backlog!

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