Collecting John Pickford: Dwarfs need protection

Another Kickstarter from the OS Miniatures Company is now live. This one is a: "small, short timed, very limited scope and few if any stretch goals"-Kickstarter.

And what's this one about, then? ....: "Shields, actually 5 new dwarf shields". And John has sculpted the set of five that will fit most old school dwarfs.

The greens:

©OS Miniatures Company

Collecting John Pickford: I am a Giant

.... "Stand up on my shoulders, tell me what you see.... 'Cause I am a giant, uuh!.. We'll be breaking boulders, underneath our feet ... I am, I am, I am, I am, I am, I am a giant" ..... - Okay, I shall stop the singing, now 😁

The Old School Miniatures Company (OS Miniatures) is back with yet another Kickstarter. Again, it's for the release of a new Pickford sculpt (well, it's actually 3 new sculpts). 

Previously we've seen them Kickstart a Daemon Cannon, Alpine Dwafs, the Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train and a lot of Pickford Shields. But this fifth Pickford Kickstarter is "gigantic" cause its all about Giants :) Proper old school Giants that actually fits your gaming table. These giants are the size of old Citadel C28 giants - so something like 2-2½" tall.

Objective markers/loot counters

Today's update is rather small and the items often seen as unimportant, but when such items are sculpted by my all time favourite sculptor and comes from a company close to my heart, it deserves a place in the spotlight.

When I took delivery of my pre-ordered OSM Chaos Dwarfs Baggage Train it came with extra baggage and I've used those pieces for building two counters/markers for game purposes. Loo. ks almost like small diorama pieces, I'd say.

Oldschool Miniatures (OSM): Extra Baggage and elf captive

Highway to hell

I actually planned painting this for the OSM-Kickstarter announcement earlier this month but a battery change got in the way as my neuro-stimulator system was running out of power. But I am on the flip side and I have just finished what I had begun back in October - the Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train.

Such a fun piece doing. A lovely sculpt with lots of cool little details - and the casting quality is superb. Such a pleasure doing. But hey, that's what to be expected coming from Jamie and John, right?

So without further ado, here it is ... my take on the OS Miniatures Company Chaos Dwarf Baggage Train, sculpted by John Pickford

OSM: Chaos Dwarf Baggage train

Commands for the Ewal Crossbowmen

These have been sitting here for months in a half-painted stage. All conversions made out of existing Ewal Dvergar to make a unique looking command for a unit of  Ewal Dvergar Crossbowmen.

The leader has been sitting here painted for almost a year, but without a base. The leader is a Ewal Dvergr Johann fig, with a 5th edt Warhammer Chaos Warrior head swap (these warriors are some of my favourite plastics from GW) and some custom details (beard, bow hand, quiver) - turned out like this:

The standard bearer is pretty much a straight out of the box Ewal Dvergr Warrior from set 2 with a standard from the command pack and then a sallet from the original Crossbowmen and a custom made beard. Body armour was painted 12 months ago, but then put aside ... probably because I didn't really like the colours. Still don't - but I've finished the standard, beard/face and base. Ended up looking like this:

Also began doing a Musician. Again a pretty straight forward job with a simple head swap. These warriors has separate heads so it was quite easy replacing it a Crossbowman sallat and the do a new beard I never started painting him because I lost him, shortly after doing the conversion. But he turned up again during the house move, behind a pile of books, so with the current painting mojo - I paid this guy some attention:

I just love the face on the drum. sadly its hidden when he is standing.
Maybe a should do a causality marker :) 

Gnoll Anti-Hero on Boar

Luckily, during that terrible experience of painting the Marauder Miniature MM90/9c - and not to lose my sanity,  I've had something way more interesting to paint. So while washes and glazes were drying I spend time working on this awesome miniature here:

Gnoll (anti) hero on Boar

This Gnoll anti-hero is a private commissioned miniature - sculpted by John Pickford and is based on  an original Russ Nicholson art piece. James D., who has commissioned this awesome piece, has been a great fan of the Citadel Gnolls/Goblins FTG Fantasy Tribe range for years - and after a few chats with Russ Nicholson, Russ has produced a drawing of a Gnoll Anti-Hero on a boar mush close in style whit the old FTG-line.

In 2016 James then commissioned John to turn it into a miniature - and John did a fantastic job. An incredible piece with lots of curled little details, all over.

And by generosity of James D. I have in my possession one of a very few casts ever made. It's been sitting in the Wiki for documentation in a few months, but due to the house move, I just haven't had the time painting this awesome piece. But I made up for it during the awful experience it was paint the MM90/6c. Thank you Russ, John and James for keep me sane.

I haven't succeed finding the publication of the original art but by the courtesy of James D. I's been given the permission of showing it in here. I think John did a spectacular job and stayed very true to the original art work.

Lovely art and a spectacular miniature it is and it certainly got that wonderful Russ Nicholson feel to it.

A doctor's appointment

Sorry for the quietness, but I have had a doctor's appointment - an appointment with the FU UK! Faceless Stalker/Asylum Doctor - another gem from my Pickford collection.

The Doctor was an entry for the 2006 FU UK! Sculpting Contest: "Asylum" (@the Frothers Unite-forum).

The miniature didn't win anything but was picked up by White Knight and moulded, but unfortunately never released. Luckily I have been given a copy of the initial master run of this wonderful piece (though I wish it would have been commercially available so I could have had two, as it was very hard to decide which head/hands to use) - but I went for the Asylum doctor's look - but instead of using the knifes hand I converted him slightly and gave him a pen.

WK Minis: Asylum Doctor/Faceless Stalker

A lady in red

Or is she...? Cause a rather disturbed looking lady she is.

The miniature here is an early John Pickford miniature. I don't know exactly when she was made, but my guess would be in the early 2000s and she is probably the first human John did - and picture a female druid - but a druid with some necromantical abilities - and would easily go as a Necromancer in my games.

It's rather interesting seeing a human from this early period where most of John sculpts seems to be goblins or goblinoid inspired miniatures sculpted in a classic heroic fantasy style. So, quite nice to see him experimenting with the tiny female proportions spiced with some slightly large female attributes :) And I'm very happy having her in my collection.

That said, I'm not that keen on painting female miniatures. Females rarely suits my painting style, but I've tried hard keeping the transition subtle and the skin as light as possible. Worked to some degree but I definitely need more practise on this subject.

Female Druid (Private collection)

For those who might like to see the original unpainted miniature you can find her on the Wikia - here: http://collectingjohnpickford.wikia.com/wiki/Other_unreleased_and_promotional_Miniatures#Female_Druid

Finally, the Ass Cannon got painted

I've been wanting to do in a loooooooong time, but I also know very well how these kind of projects tends to drain my (hobby) energy. But I got through it and I'm still enjoying painting :) My Demon Cannon from Old School Miniatures by John Pickford is done.

Short after receiving my prototype copy I started building him a scenic base, but for a long time its been sitting here unpainted starring at me (or rather point his rears at me) like this.

However, with the new-found energy for painting (mainly due to new glasses and a set of Rosemary & Co.Series 33 brushes) I've finally begun painting this huge piece. Those following me on facebook would have seen a few VIPs of the thing, but now it's all finished I shall reveal it on here, first.

So here it is (and I apologies for the huge amount of pictures, but I am actually rather proud of this one - and I might have been a bit over-enthusiastic when I brought out the camera) and I'll give you a photo-tour around the scenic piece and after that, a few individual shots of the five miniatures..

Old School Miniatures: Demonic Cannon

First the diorama as a whole

And then a few zoomed in details

Cleaner

Loader

Pusher

Master Engineer

Master Engineers controlling the situation at safe distance

Grey Crow

Loose Cannon Ball

Trophy rack

And last, shots of the stunning individual models: