28mm Fantasy - Undead Hoards - Skeletons

For reason still as yet clear to me after a short conversation with my eldest teenage son I began painting my massed skeleton (from various manufacturers) collection (see below, HeroQuest [top left], Warlord Games [top right down to bottom], Wargames Atlantic [middle left down to bottom] and there was even some Games Workshop lingering around off camera): 

My colour palette (see below, Army Painter Grey Spray Primer plus the paints shown - Citadel Base Corax White (which I think is a lovely grey), Citadel Contrast Skeletal Horde, Vallejo Game Bonewhite and Vallejo Game Dead White): 

Corax White (see below, looking white, but a grey white to my eyes, perhaps it is the primer coming through - but as a base paint it is rally rich in pigment): 

Skeletal Horde with the Bonewhite highlight (see below, I must confess to using it more as an all over wash than a selective paint so perhaps I am missing a trick here, still I like the end result):  

Dead White ultra-highlight (see below, trying "not to do too much" with a dab, giving a fine-lining highlight effect - which I find the hardest part, just to put enough on and no more): 

Thank is the bulk of the figure done, just a bit of work to do on the weapons and shields. The aim is to produce a suitably rusty grimy effect .. watch this space ;)  

Update (3/10/2022): Swap out Vallejo Game Dead White for the less bright Vallejo Game Off White, the less intense colour works better for the highlight IMHO. 

Dungeon Fun: Skeletons

Ain't it always the same, a room described in the most non-descriptive way .. "a room filled with a bunch of trash really, intermixed with the now skeletal remains of the former guards who once inhabited and died in this area" .. the adventures trundle in and start rooting around from loot (see below, notice the eagerness of the thieves to be 'first in'): 

Imagine their surprise and my glee as the skeletons animate and surround the party gaining a two to one attack [apparently when this happens one of the attacks comes in at advantage] which started to beat up the party until the Cleric used his "anti undead" magic .. boo hiss .. and they all relaxed (see below, figures of the skeletons [Warlord games and really nice] are only partially complete [highlights, wash and base work still to be done] but have that lovely Jason and the Argonauts feeling which defines "skeletons" in D&D to me):

So spoiler alert, they got away (how did these guys make it to third and fourth level, I am sure in Second Edition Dungeons and Dragon their numbers would have been long up) but a more serious threat in the form of a guard room full of Bugbears awaits.

Skeletons ... Just Because ...

No self-respecting fantasy Evil Lord of Darkness, Necromancer or Demi-Lich can ever have enough of them .. a bucket of skeletons (see below, they looked too cute not to get - honest, even a Paladin with a few spare gold coins couldn't pass them up):

They are really nice (see below, they are somewhat understated models from what I have come to expect from Game Workshop - uber swords and horns etc):

Something to scare the pants off your classic "First Level Adventurer" party as they turn the dungeon corridor corner .. "Turn foul beasts!" says the Cleric, but "Oh, I forgot I have to wait until I reach Second Level to do that now! [5th Ed!]" (see below, "You are passing the graveyard and notice the full moon is out .. you are surprised to find a hoard of angry skeletons coming at you!" said the DM in a sort of plausible but non-explanatory way .. "roll for initiative!" [Evil laughter]):

A close up of the nice sculpting (see below, this half skeleton was made out of some of the left over bits, lots to be fair - mostly weapons as you had the choice of a lot of swords or spears, I just mixed them up for an ad-hoc battle group):

All now put away in "cleaned up" butter plastic container waiting for their "painting day"!