Topic: The Renaissance Empire [Page 12: Four month quarantine progress]

[Xathrodox86]

These models are god-tier. The colors work exceptionally well for them. Great job.

[Zygmund]

My plans for fast progress had to give way to real life. But little by little, some projects get done.

Alcatani company, here after a prolonged service in Ostermark, with provincial colours.



The command guys are Foundry Landsknechts. These Alcatani were painted before, but I overpainted everything but the bases. I've still got fourteen of these, twelve of the previously painted. 24 or 25 would be good in a game, but isn't this oldschool four-wide unit just charming! I think when the Alcatani first came out, the cover of the 12-strong (!) regiment box had this formation.


An addition to the bunch of adventurers on the previous page.



A little test: Who's the first to recognize what model the dog is? 


Dunno if its mule and donkey, or horse and mule. I tried to paint the latter.

I think these are preslotta Citadel, but could be newer Foundry from the old moulds. These are quite slender compared to their 90s equivalents.


Love the classic Grendel terrain. And after some 25 years, I'm finally painting some!





Reaper Bones at its best: man-sized critters.



I've also added better photos on my first 2018 post on the last page (page 8, Reply #187). I added photos of more figures than I did earlier, so possibly worthwhile to check them, especially if you like vampires.

That's about it for now.

-Z

[Artobans Ghost]

Holy cats!
Magnificent 😺
Love those rats (as well as everything else)

[GamesPoet]

I like the Alcatani!

[Rowsdower]

Great stuff

[Xathrodox86]

Splendid, grimdark stuff. Painting, style and the overall feel of these models - it simply works.

[Zygmund]

Thanks guys.

I'm seeing some paint spills, now that I look at the photos. This always happens. And I never actually fix the spots. And it annoys me. Hmmm...

-Z

[Alex-bbr]

Alcatani compagny  I love these models. Great job!

Love your piece of terrain too!

[Padre]

The Alcatani are glorious. Fantastic work - great painting and great photos.

Where did you obtain the priest character on the far right? He's great. (I can never have enough priests - my version of Tilea is awash with them.)

[Zygmund]

Thanks, Alex & Padre!

Where did you obtain the priest character on the far right? He's great. (I can never have enough priests - my version of Tilea is awash with them.)

He's from the Lead Adventure Bruegelburg range:
http://www.lead-adventure.com/index.php?cPath=22&osCsid=7890f1b53b981ed9023f830358416fa2

Great range of very characterful citizens of a fantasy town. A little bulky and cartoony, with rather big heads. If you like priests, the range has several.

The scribe came from a recent kickstarter. I don't know if it's in the shop yet. Bould it should become available, I guess, as it wasn't a Kickstarter exclusive.

-Z

[Doc J]

I really like the Alcatani, I always hoped one day to paint up some Stirland ans Averland pikemen.

[Zygmund]

Finally painted this light cannon (or Serpentine, or Schlange, or what you like to call these). I scratch-built this years ago. The crew is painted earlier.



Gotta see what other stuff I haven't posted here. Sort of moved to Facebook because the easiness of uploading photos there...

-Z

[Zygmund]

Oh yes, some little progress.

Upgraded STank (WIP)


A Stargazer's wagon (WIP)


The Citadel Hill, and the pony cart is newly finished too


Looks like my painting has really dried up lately? On the other hand, I have played games. But no photos of them, sorry.

-Z

[Zak]

love your work man 

[lt dougheim]

I really like your conversions. Looking forward to seeing the tank finished.  Also very nice painting on the crew for your light cannon.

[Xathrodox86]

love your work man 

Yeah, that's a truly unique set of models, and with a fantastic paintjob to boot. Great stuff.

[Zygmund]

Here we go again, with militia & cattle from Stirland.







Most of these have been waiting to get painted for a year or two, so about time.

Looks like there was a little bit too much light. It makes some of the guys shine where they shouldn't, and almost burns the lightest colours. Gotta see if I can take better photos some day.

-Z

[Konrad von Richtmark]

Dayum, those look good.

Do you find that you spend more time per model as your painting skills improve?

[GamesPoet]

I like this ...

A Stargazer's wagon (WIP)

And this!

The Citadel Hill, and the pony cart is newly finished too

[Zygmund]

Thanks,

@GP, the wagon is still unfinished. I find bigger models a real challenge, as there's so much to paint.

Do you find that you spend more time per model as your painting skills improve?

Uh, that's flattering. I haven't timed my painting in a year, as I tend to paint in small batches after the kids are asleep.

I paint models based on my gut feeling. Sometimes it says go simple, and then painting is fast. Sometimes I add layers and highlights for hours, and test the look in different light. It's for relaxation and fun, creative abandon, and I have no plan of improving my skills. 😊

-Z

[Irishzero]

 

Ace zygmund.  Absolutely ace. Like it all!

[Zygmund]

Done in August, but forgot to post it here.

I now have three different sword&board hvy infantry units started: one based on converted 6th ed starter box spearmen, one based on converted LotR Minas Tirith warriors, and the classic Reiksguard. One guy from each unit painted, nineteen to go. So maybe two or three years... 

-Z

[Konrad von Richtmark]

Zygmund, I would definitely say that your painting skills have improved over the last few years that I've followed you. Throughout, you have painted better than most (including me), but I think your best now surpasses your best a year ago, and that the best the year before, and so on. You keep pushing the limit of what you can do, when you are sufficiently inspired to. Your skills do improve, whether you intend them to or not 

I know what you mean by creative abandon, I've realized it's much the same with me, though with model-building rather than painting. I have found that aesthetically speaking, the physical appearance of the models matters much more for me than the paintjob. I can fiddle with kitbashes and conversions for hours on end without concern for efficiency. But I sometimes get frustrated if my painting takes too long.

Which is why I was wondering whether being a better painter means being able to do a better job in (almost) the same time, or if it's a time sink. I've mostly tried to keep things simple and good-enough for now: Flat colour and drybrush. Drybrush one metal colour onto black basecoat. Flat colour, wash, re-highlight or drybrush with original colour. Sometimes even leave it washed.

[Zygmund]

Thanks, Konrad!

Well, of course I can imagine doing new things or doing things differently, and then try them out sometimes, and see if I like it or not. In general, I'm painting with thinner colours and mixing more of my own hues, and use shades more to define the contours and recesses of the figure, not the hue of the finish. So I'm painting more in layers and less with shades than I did ten years ago. And I choose the primer according to the finish I'd like to see, so don't use just (or predominantly) black anymore. Sometimes I use two primers to get the direction of light effect.

But I'm not watching Youtube videos or collecting reference pictures and consciously trying out the different techniques the world-class painters do. I'm reasonably sure I could paint faster now than ten years ago when I started, and still get better results. But I'm not trying to paint unit after unit now, but add to my armies leisurely, or indeed paint what I will - like the bears above. I guess just painting - and liking to paint! - will improve anybody's skills eventually.

The last time I timed my painting I could do a single 28mm foot knight from primer to finish with decent basing in about two hours. Previously, I've come to the conclusion that I generally just cannot go under an hour per mini, even with assembly lines and/or simple figures, unless they are naked skeletons or the like. What I've done since is split the work, just doing a colour or two on half a dozen figures per night, and paint whatever inspires me at the moment. In this manner, I've got perhaps a hundred models belonging to perhaps ten different units/themes at different stages. Then, when the time is ripe, I can choose five or ten which I fancy at the moment, and just paint them ready and do the bases. Bang! - minis ready after an indefinite time at the corner of the desk.

I've found out that I actually need to dust the minis when I return to them. And dust the brushes too.

And yes, converting often takes more time per figure than actually painting. On the other hand, I've come to love well-defined metal and resin quality figures, and like to paint them one-piece straight from the box.


This Sunday I finished some walls and a Reaper fox:


-Z

[Rowsdower]

Great stuff
I like the peasants and steam tank