Dreadmere Mercenary with Beer Mug: Bones 4 Dreadmere Figure

     This past week I took a break from painting my Maggotcrown unit, and painted the "Dreadmere Mercenary with Beer Mug" from the Bones 4 Dreadmere Expansion.    In driving around the past weeks, I was inspired by the beautiful autumnal colors I was seeing; so I thought I'd take that mix of oranges, reds, yellows, and greens as inspirations for my color palette for this figure.

      I prepped the figure in the usual way, soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish-soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying it.  I then glued the figure to a brown-primed 1" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and then placed the figure in my painting grip.

     I began by painting his face and hands with Reaper MSP "Bronzed Skin",  I then painted his pants with Apple Barrel "Burnt Sienna", and his tunic with Crafter's Acrylic "Orange Spice".   After that, I painted his waist piece with Accent "Mustard Seed". 

     Next, I painted his boots with Accent "Real Umber", and his boot tops with Reaper MSP "Olive Skin". After that, I painted his belts with Americana "Light Cinnamon", and his coat with Crafter's Acrylic "Forest Green". 

     I then painted his hair with Americana "Charcoal Grey", and his mug and sword fittings with Americana "Zinc".  I then went back and repainted his mug with Accent "Princely Pewter", and the sword fittings and belt buckles with Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal Grey".   I let the figure dry for a while, and then gave his face and hands a coat of Citadel "Reikland Fleshshade" wash. When that was dry, I gave the mug a coat of Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash, and then gave his body and hair a coat with Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash. 

    When the wash was dry, I highlighted his face and hands with the base "Bronzed Skin", and Reaper MSP Bronzed Highlight". After that, I highlighted his hair with Americana "Mississippi Mud", and a little Reaper MSP "Graveyard Bone".  I then highlighted his tunic with Reaper MSP "Hallowed Orange". 

     Next, I highlighted the wrap around his waist with Apple Barrel "Apple Maple Sugar", and then highlighted his pants with a mix of the base "Burnt Sienna" and some Americana "Shading Flesh".  I then highlighted his boot tops with Reaper MSP "Olive Skin Highlight", and the rest of the boot was highlighted with Folk Art "Teddy Bear Brown". After that, I highlighted his belts with Reaper MSP "Tanned Shadow", and then did the highlighting on his coat using a mix of the base "Forest Green" mixed with some Americana "Jade Green".

     It was then time for the metallics, and I highlighted his sword fittings, belt buckles, and coat clasp with Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver". I followed those with highlighting the beer mug with Ceramcoat "Metallic Pewter and Nicole's "Metallic Silver".  Lastly, I painted the figure's base with Americana "Mississippi Mud".

      I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish. I then used some white glue to glue some fine sand to the base.  When the sand was dry, I painted it with a coat of Americana "Charcoal Grey". When this was dry, I drybrushed the sand with the "Mississippi Mud", and then with some Apple Barrel "Rock Grey"; lastly I drybrushed it with a little Americana "Dove Grey".

      Another overnight dry, and I sprayed the figure with Testor's Dullcote".

     I'm really happy with this guy.  A simple figure, but like I mentioned before, I sometimes find the simple ones the most fun to work on.

Dreadmere Mercenary, Axeman: Bones 4 Dreadmere Figure

  This past week I painted the "Dreadmere Mercenary, Axeman" from the Bones 4 Dreadmere Expansion.  With the Darkreach Expansion complete, I thought I'd start picking away at Dreadmere next.   

     Though I mostly paint with regular craft store acrylics, over the years I've managed to collect a few dozen Reaper paints.  Some have been freebies included with orders or giveaways through promos like their Goulie Bags and Stockings; some were purchased at a show were a dealer was clearing out old stock for $1 a bottle, others were bought for a buck each when Reaper cleared out the remains of their HD line; and some were purchased outright (mainly the skin triads) from Reaper.

    So with this fellow, I thought it would be a fun challenge to see if I could paint him entirely with Reaper paints.

      I prepped the figure in the usual way, soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish-soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying it.  I then glued the figure to a brown-primed 1" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and then placed the figure in my painting grip.

     I began by painting his face and hands with Reaper MSP "Tanned Skin".  I then painted his shirt with Reaper MSP "Graveyard Bone", and his pants with Reaper MSP HD "Umber Brown".   After that, I painted his robes with Reaper MSP Pathfinder "Medusa Green". 

     Next, I painted the coat with Reaper MSP Pathfinder "Urgathoa Red"; and then painted the boots, belt, and sword grip with Reaper MSP HD "Golden Brown".  After that, I painted the scabbard with Reaper MSP HD "Rusty Red", and the axe handle with Reaper MSP "Turkey Brown".

    I then painted the axe head, sword fittings, and belt buckle with Reaper MSP "Dark Elf Skin", and the binging on the axe using Reaper MSP "Ginger Cookie".  After that, I painted his hair and beard with Reaper MSP "Pumpkin Orange"; and then attempted a plaid pattern on the coat with a cross-hatch of Reaper MSP "Coal Black", followed by a cross-hatch of Reaper MSP "Golden Glow". 

     Next, I painted the axe head, sword fittings and belt buckle again, this time with Reaper MSP "Aged Pewter".  I then let the figure dry for a while, and followed with applying a coat of Citadel "Reikland Fleshshade wash to his head and hands.  When that was dry, I applied a coat of Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash to the rest of the figure.

     I let the washes dry, and then painted his eyes, and highlighted his face and hands with the base "Tanned Skin", and Reaper MSP "Tanned Highlight".  After that, I highlighted his hair with "Hallowed Orange", and his shirt with Reaper MSP "Peppermint White". 

     Next,  I highlighted his robe with a mix of the base "Medusa Green" and the "Peppermint White".  I then highlighted his shoes and belts with Reaper MSP "Bronzed Skin", and his scabbard with a mix of the "Bronzed Skin" and the base "Rusty Red".  I followed up by highlighting the binding on the axe with the "Graveyard Bone", and the axe handle with a mix of the base "Turkey Brown" and the "Graveyard Bone". 

      I wasn't sure how even to begin highlighting a plaid jacket, nor was I sure I wanted to get involved with doing so, but I at least made and attempt to pick out highlights along the edges. I used Reaper MSP Bones "Cinnamon Red" mixed with the base "Urgathoa Red" for the red edges, the "Coal Black" mixed with a bit of the "Peppermint White" for the edges of the black stripes, and the base "Golden Glow" for the tips of the yellow stripes. 

     Lastly, I highlighted the axe blade, sword fittings and belt buckle with a mix of the base "Aged Pewter" and Reaper MSP "Sparkling Snow".  I wrapped things up by painting his base with some of the "Turkey Brown".

         I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.    Then, when  the varnish was dry, I used some white glue to flock the base.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed it with Testor's "Dullcote". 

     Well, in general I'm pleased.  It's not an award winning plaid coat, but it looks pretty good at arms length on the game table. It's a weird combination of colors, but I was limited by my assortment of Reaper paints.  I actually kind of like how it looks.

Dreadmere Mercenary: Bones 4 Dreadmere Figure with Citadel Contrast Paint

   This past week I painted one of the Dreadmere Mercenary figures from the Bones 4 Dreadmere Expansion.  For Christmas, a friend gave me a set of the new Citadel Contrast Paints, and I thought this figure with its plain and simple outfit would be a good one to try them out on. 
     I prepped the figure in the usual way, soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish-soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying it.  I then glued the figure to a brown-primed 1" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and then placed the figure in my painting grip.

     It was my understanding that the Contrast Paint worked best over a primer coat, so I began by painting the figure with Ceramcoat "White".

     When the figure was dry, I painted the face and hands with Citadel Contrast "Guilliman Flesh". I then painted his pants with Citadel Contrast "Aggaros Dunes" and his tunic with  Citadel Contrast "Creed Camo".

     Next,  I painted his coat with  Citadel Contrast "Basilicanum Grey", and his boots and belt with  Citadel Contrast "Wyldwood".  After that, I painted his pouch with  Citadel Contrast 'Snakebite Leather", and the scabbard on his back with Citadel Contrast "Talassar Blue".

     I then painted his hair with Citadel Contrast "Skeleton Horde".  After that I did some work with my regular paints, painting the scabbard belt in his hand with Americana "Light Cinnamon", and the grip of the sword with Americana "Asphaltum".  I also painted the metal fittings on the sword and scabbard with Americana "Zinc".

     Next, I painted his eyes; and afterwards painted the buckles, clasps on his tunic and metal fittings on the sword and scabbard, all with Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal Grey".  I then put a little Citadel Agrax Earthshade" wash on the scabbard belt, and after that I highlighted the metal bits with some Citadel "Mithril Silver".   Lastly, I painted his base with Americana "Mississippi Mud".
         I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.    Then, when  the varnish was dry, I used some white glue to flock the base.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed it with Testor's "Dullcote".

     Hmmm...   I think it's okay, but I am not immediately won over.   I find the results to be splotchy and lacking the true, defined, shadows and highlights that my usual; painted base coat, dark wash, and painted highlights, method gives.  And maybe it's the colors I had to work with, but the figure looks tonally all the same mid range; I don't get a real sense of light and dark colors.
     That all being said, I think the figure came out looking perfectly serviceable as a gaming figure. And I want to experiment more with the Contrast Paint on different things like terrain and monsters.
     I will also say, that simultaneously with this figure, I was also using these paints on some mass-unit based figures,  and I think this is where these paints may shine.  The figures below were all Contrast Paint except the blue jackets, red facings, and the metal bits, and I think here is where this paint might find their purpose.  They made painting this assembly-line type of figure really easy to do; and grouped together on bases like this, where your eyes see the unit and not the individual, I think the paints really work to give a good fast and easy result.