That Games Workshop Balrog!

Yes, there must be thousands of well intentioned purchases of the GW Balrog figure when "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" came out at the cinema and simultaneously hit the Games Workshop retail outlets. Yes, someone, with the gift of the brush, was assigned in each shop to paint the Balrog and told to "do it right" because it was going to be the centrepiece of the shop window display for the next six months (see below, my beastie was assembled years ago - no mean feat in itself and primed grey but got "stuck" in limbo):

But .. as good as the casting techniques were back then, figures of this size and complexity were always  "gappy" at the joins, so my Balrog has stayed many years imprisoned in a box awaiting the Milliput treatment, but alas the thought of rolling two pieces of epoxy putty together (the brown one always annoyingly harder than the green/yellow one) makes you want to run to the kitchen and "make a cup of tea and get very distracted from rolling Milliput" (see below, the next stage - gap filling, not Milliput but Vallejo Plastic Putty to the rescue):  

Vallejo Plastic Putty was an impulse buy, yes I have many plastic kits that would benefit from it, but if truth be told, for the, majority nobody would notice on the wargames table. The enigmatic bottle winked at me but was not put to great use, until one day teh urge took me to find the Balrog. Close inspection of a large fantasy figurine like the Balrog at a RPG (inevitably playing D&D) session is embarrassing though and it why this figure was put to the back of the painting queue (see below, horrid gaps and I mean horrid gaps at last being filled, even Sauron was smiling. The Plastic Putty is squeezed out in controllable amounts that can then be applied by cocktail stick or end of a modelling knife):  

Well if any of my D&D player characters from my ongoing campaign are looking in, firstly "Hi - stop peeking! No good will come of it!". Secondly rest assured I would not be so "mean" as to do something as "mean spirited" as introducing a large, dangerous, short tempered and obviously "too high a level" monster (with quick-kill player character eating potential) into the game, just because I have painted it, What do you take me for? Yes, of course I will quite happily wait twenty odd years until you are ready to tackle it. Please pay no attention to the Bugbear and Demon Prince figures that did that, appearing out of the natural course of events, we call those regrettable incidents, so unsightly. That was plain "mean" and I have learnt my lesson (which was go out of the room before starting to laugh out loud). Carry on, there is nothing to see here, move along Gandalf. 

What "Another" Sherman .. this time 10mm from Pendrakon

As part of the props for the Wargames Developments (WD) Convention Demonstration Game 2024 of Arnhem (1944), I decided I needed to paint up a Sherman tank. I needed a relatively small one, ignoring the fact that I had several suitable models already (15mm and 1/200), I thought it appropriate to use a Pendrakon 10mm Sherman V seeing as the game was going to be ran at their Battleground Show (see below, the Sherman faced off against a Stug IIIG and some German Infantry moving up a linear battle track/ladder): 

It went together, four pieces, no flash, fitting in tightly together with a tiny bit of filing. 

The painting scheme was:

• A grey primer (Airfix Acrylic 001), with a Vallejo Brown Dipping Wash liberally spread into the cracks. 
• Next an undercoat shade of (924) Russian Uniform Green.
• Base layer of 50% Olive Grey (888) and 50% Russian Uniform Green (924).
• Final highlight Olive Grey (924). 
• Tracks matt Black (950) and dry brushed Gun Metal (863).

I planned but epically failed to put any decals on it but I did manage to put it on a base (not shown above) which took more time than I thought, hence no decals!

Note: The Sherman faced against the Stug III shown in an earlier post (click link)!

Games Workshop (GW Demon) - WIP

Confession: This one was pulled from the archives (a year ago). Backstory ..I had a moment of weakness, I think I was in need to cheer myself up with a tonic and "it" took advantage of me!  Daemons are like that, they attack you when your defences are down and this one appeared unexpectedly in an aisle in local non-wargaming shop (Boyes) during a boring shopping trip (see below, yes I totally blame the Games Workshop Daemon for taking advantage of me, I am weak and it promised me riches [but it took my wargaming soul]. I have primed, washed and base-coated it [and washed it again for good measure] to gain the following effect): 

Despite being a bit over the top, it is very, very good fun to paint and it is one of the "classic Warhammer miniatures" - just sought after just to paint (see below, I like the way fantasy holds no bars so you are free to experiment - although you could say I went for a typical "Demon Red" painting scheme, three layers of paint [shade, base, highlight] and a wash on the metals! Presentable but not yet totally finished): 

Vallejo Game Colour paint range did the trick, along with their washes. The next stage is spot highlighting and some extra "detailing" on the base! Watch this space ...

How to Paint Black Templars -Tips from the Internet

Linked to my recent interest in using "Vallejo contrast [Xpress] paints"- and possessing  a bottle of Black Lotus (very evocative naming from the marketing department, top marks) I was looking around for some "dark chaps" to paint up. Two candidates jumped to mind, one from Vietnam - black pyjama Viet Cong, the other from the unpainted bucket of Space Marines - some Black Templars. Time to turn to the Internet for some help (see below, saviours of  universe [Black Templars] needing a coat of paint before they can go "hand-to-hand "with Chaos in the name of the Emperor - all WIP): 

I have surrounded them with a sophisticated painting task-force of Vallejo dark paint ranges to see if anything works, I have great hopes for Dark Grey (994), Black Grey (862) in combination with Xpress Black Lotus (423) and Black Ink (094), highlighted perhaps with Glossy Black (861). Talk about "fifty shades of grey"!

Meanwhile this is what other people did (very well) on the Internet:  

• https://taleofpainters.com/2021/10/tutorial-how-to-paint-black-templars-crusader-squads/
• https://www.fauxhammer.com/tutorials/how-to-paint-black-templars-armour-tutorial/?fbclid=IwAR0W2-EiEvXew3VukW3DHfOkJN430qGfKujhwh-sSul4Qo9VWF5xSFP6c9Q
• https://www.redgrasscreative.com/painting-miniatures-black-templars/
• https://spikeybits.com/2021/10/how-to-paint-black-templars-space-marines.html

The exploration of black painting space continues!

Contrast Paints - Am I still not "Getting It"? (Probably Not)

As is my want, when in town I pop into any shop that could vaguely have wargaming "related" (as in useful) material in it. My local "Boyes" shop (apologies for those overseas or out of the relative area - so Boyes makes no sense) has Vallejo paints. Straight in like Flynn! As I was perusing the Vallejo aisle doing my usual -"Which colours do I have?" and only having a vague sense of this one and that one" - I  saw a new rack of Vallejo paints called, Xpress Color. Well certainly I had "none" of them and what is more there, was only a pitiful few of them left on the shelves. That talked volumes to me, so I picked up two of the stragglers (see below, Plague Green and Black Lotus - Contrast Paints by any other name): 

I rushed back home eager to give it a bash with Vallejo's babies - having had a hit and miss affair with GW's Contrast Paints. The targets were a set of 10mm Pendraken Modern Warsaw Pact and NATO British ("Cold War Gone Hot" era) toys. The result was really a heavy all over green wash with blue-black boots and metal gun parts. They are relatively small kit so probably not the 25/28mm ideal target range, but to me it was still a "primer and very good wash" [all my crevesses are certainly covered] but still really wanting paint. Though probably "less" than normal. It certainly was a factory style productionline, which is good.

Afterwards I set off around the Internet to see what others thought. The accomplished painter "The Beard Bunker" was of interest.

https://www.thebeardbunker.com/2023/02/oops-new-army-tyranid-edition.html

My verdict: I think I am still missing the point and probably playing around with too small a scale for real benefit! Washes are probably good enough for 10mm. 

Australian SAS in Vietnam - Painting Information: Notes To Self

As part of the gaming material needed for my "Follow the Bush Tucker Trail" at CoW 2023 I decided that I really had to paint some genuine Platoon 20 Australians in (as opposed to using some LRRP US types play their part). Perhaps there would be nothing to notice, but I would "know". 

Web Links: Inspiration was gained and sought from:

• https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=138996.0
• https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=b11e6959ca02c6d727b2c8eba5dbd65e&topic=46452.0
• https://www.scalemodellingnow.com/tbpainting-how-to-paint-135-bravo6-australian-sas-vietnam-war
• https://armedfigures.com/t/vietnam-war-australian-sas/2430
• https://www.onesixthwarriors.com/threads/phantom-of-the-jungle-australian-sas-in-vietnam.86309/
• https://www.pinterest.com.au/tonypenhale/sasr-australia-in-vietnam/

Painting Description - basically a Hodge-podge of Vallejo Model Colour greens with a Sand and Brown thrown in (read, listen and look at the above links) with copious amounts of black, brown and green washes and inks chucked in for good measure and satisfaction (see below, the jungle is dirty, sweaty and dangerous):

I hope this does the Diggers credit! Additional link and reference suggestions welcomed. 

Airfix's "Boomerang Bob" Fighter - A Bucket List Build

I eagerly awaited the 2022 "Vintage" re-release of the Australian WWII "Panic Fighter" (the real thing was made from spare parts from aircraft available indigenous in Australia in 1942) as I remember "seeing it" as a kid in the Airfix Catalogue, wondering about it, but never going about getting it. There was always something more 'sexy' with crosses on it that took preference. A bit like the Fairey Battle and Brewster Buffalo, a missed childhood opportunity (see below, the CA-13 with original box art in all its glory, I bought it direct from Airfix when I picked up some resin buildings in their end of year sale):   

All things said it is not a particularly complicated build, not many parts but I took time as I was in no particular rush (see below, it came together quite nicely):  

If there was a scary part about building the Boomerang it was the canopy as it comes in three parts, the main bubble and two 'sliding' side parts (see below, I took time to make sure things fit well, the inside needed painting before the messy "Clearfix" came into use later):   

The decals were very sexy, the Australian RAAF Pacific version of the RAF roundel, with the red bit missing as "anything with a bit of red in it, got a lot of Allied AA fire" regardless of what it actually was. All the Allied countries discovered the universal itchy AA trigger finger of their AA gunners to their own cost (see below, something satisfyingly distinctive with the missing red that says Pacific War we are fighting the Japanese):  

Primed Airfix Acrylic Grey (see below, you may need to do a double take to spot any difference, but trust me there is a layer of grey paint there): 

Because it is the way I do things now, the whole model got a Vallejo Dipping Sepia Brown wash coat (see below, the brown and green colour scheme seemed to lend itself to brown rather than black for leaving the detail "lined in" after putting on the base colour, I guess it is all about "painting less" rather than more):  

Bottoms up, underside first. I wanted to use as close as I could to the original Airfix/Humbrol paint scheme and as luck had it I had Humbrol 65 (Matt Aircraft Blue) in a little penny packet paint pot from another "starter kit" which saved me a trip to the model shop (see below, the brown wash seems to be working nicely for the dark detail):  

Starting the topside camouflage, first the brown (see below, note this is where I had to use the paint matcher site which said Tamiya XF-52 Matt Earth [4.5 stars match] equates to Humbrol Acrylic 98 Matt Chocolate): 

https://www.modelshade.com/paint-conversion-chart/humbrol/241

Next the camo green part to complement the brown (see below, Humbrol Acrylic 149 Matt Dark Green gets matched to Vallejo Model 70.894 [4.0 stars but also a bit of confusion here, as the site matcher calls this Camo Olive Green - but my bottle says Russian Green, so I went with my 894 bottle anyway]): 

Next: The white tail (Humbrol Acrylic 34) and black (Humbrol Acrylic 33) propeller - note the tips of the propeller were not painted black, but were left lighter to help the yellow paint stand out better, Alos the flight jacket was given a Vallejo Leather Brown base coat (see below, the little bits count as much as the big bits - I think I have also given the pilot some flat flesh on his face and hands too): 

Next a highlight to the brown by mixing in a little yellow, plus the tips of the propeller are painted yellow (see below, I just wanted it to look a little blocky and weather worn over the panelling): 

Similar yellow mixed with the green for another blocky highlight, I also give the pilot a highlight on his leather flying suit (see below, at this point I think the paint job is starting to come together nicely): 

The tail gets a final white highlight which is just another coat of paint giving it depth to the prominent places, and neglecting the recesses, touching up with a brown wash. The cockpit glass is put into place using ClearFix - my least favourite Humbrol product as I find it very messy and stringy and I am odds to get it in the right places, even carefully dabbing it on with a cocktail stick (see below, fixed in place I leave it to set overnight): 

Fixed in place the plexiglass gets blacklined (see below, by this point I am almost exhausted painting, so I go slow and carefully, absolutely no rushing):  

From black to camo green and then a subtle highlight (see below, begging for the Australian decals to bring it to life):

The decals really make it look the part. However there is a sorry tale to tell here. As the Humbrol product I used, DecalFix reacted badly with the Tamiya and Vallejo paints, as in it stripped them away beautifully .. sadness gripped my heart. Now to worry I carried on and let the decals fix, then when all "well and truly dry" I painted round decals as best I could (see below, I think I got away with it; interestingly the subject of DecalFix melting Tamiya paints is well covered on the forums - I subsequently found out):  

The underside, the only thing to add is the fact that I highlighted the Humbrol Aircraft Blue 65, with a Revel Aqua Colour, Sky Blue, then adding a touch of white for a subtle highlight of a highlight in places that just caught the eye (see below, tickle that tummy, which has a bulbous camera housing in it, dead centre): 

The final act is a matte varnish (see below, Humbrol Matt Cote): 

Bucket list item .. "Done" and I am very proud of it.

(1/72-1/76-20mm) Homage to the LRDP and SAS

These were my originals, salvaged from the loft, in a "North Africa Box" - I think they had been lying there for over a decade. The classic Revell-Matchbox LRDP Chevrolet and Jeep, plus a a bunch of Dixon 20mm metal SAS miniatures. They had been mostly base coated so I completed "the gaps" in the coverage (see below, their "potential" is evident): 

The same kit slightly different angle, there must have been a trigger happy cameraman on duty (see below, note the original paints were Tamiya, I toyed with using the  (partial) Tamiya collection I still have, but decided to move onto the Vallejo Game Colour range - partly because it is easier to squeeze out the paint after shaking):  

I decided to add a basic brown/sepia wash (from the dregs of a large Vallejo dipping pot - which I liberally dipped more water into, as not to spoil everything with a tarry residue instead of a light wash) spread over the base paint and then repainted the base colour back over (sparingly) after which I would then follow up with "spot highlighting" later (see below, my frequent chats with the "good" painters from various GW shops seemed to be paying a dividend, transferring 'fantasy techniques' back to historical WW2 and why ever not; a little close up of the detail):  

 

Panning out with the picture to see a wider scope and the "weather worn look" is what I was hoping to achieve (see below, a nice little "nuisance and mischief making" LRDP/SAS combination to harass the Italian and German DAK rear areas): 

Note: The exact painting sequence of these shots might be out of order. 

I plan to use the vehicles and figures as follows: a two man team in the Jeep and a three man team in Chevrolet, hence five SAS dismounts (see below, now I do know I have two more kits somewhere in the loft to pull out and make, so that will represent my SAS Squadron as thankfully I have sufficient Dixon metals to cover them too): 

I do like the animation of the original Matchbox figures (see below, slightly smaller 1/76 as opposed to 20mm metal [Dixon size] but their relaxed posture I think is just right, and of course a man with a classic pointing arm!): 

So there it is, thank you BBC "SAS Rogue Heroes", you certainly bought some life into some old toys I had stashed away :) 

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. 

Painting US Vietnam Infantry - My Platoon 20 Collection (PART 1) Notes to Self

Background: Sometimes I acquire a "collection of figures" over time rather than for a project, knowing that at a point in the distant future when a critical mass/event is attained they will be painted (when the stars align and the "painting interest bug bites"). That ably described the relationship I have with my Platoon 20 Vietnam figures. I collected them [along with plastic vehicles models and plastic helicopter models] when I could - knowing "their" time has would come (see below, first in line for action - a US Infantry Officer): 

Their time has come. The annoying thing about painting US Infantry in Vietnam is that it seems to be a futile exercise in painting various shades of green and then murkier green - everything seemed to fade and be stained differently. I am left with the feeling that "everything looks right and wrong at the same time", a bit like the war I guess.

The challenge for me is to make a distinct transition between the uniform and the webbing/flak jacket. It does seem to be a question of  "Which of the fifty shades of green is it today? I am currently bouncing around with variations on the following painting recipe: 

Uniform Tunic: Vallejo Model (924) Russian Uniform WWII [Base] with Vallejo Model (881) Yellow/Green [Highlight]

Webbing: Vallejo Model (887) Brown/Violet - although this seems to be a controversial choice in some quarters, as it may look too brown, with Vallejo Model (988) Khaki [Highlight]

Tunic and Webbing Wash: Vallejo Wash - Green mixed with Citadel Shade Nuln Oil, applied over all tunic/webbing area then repeat [Base] and then add [Highlight] -- Note: This step seems to make a real difference (++)

Flesh: Vallejo Model (927) Dark Flesh [Base] with Vallejo Model (955) Flesh [Highlight] - alternatively Vallejo Model (872) Chocolate Brown [Base] with Vallejo Model (983) Flat Earth [Highlight] 

Gun: Vallejo Model (950) Black [Base] and Vallejo Model (995) German Grey [Highlight] - plus additional Vallejo Game Gun Metal [Edge Highlight]

Boots: Vallejo Model (950) Black [Base] with Vallejo Model (995) German Grey [Highlight] although others would say that is far too neat and should be "dusty brown" reflecting all the trudging through the mud

Helmet: Vallejo Model (924) Russian Uniform WWII [Base] with Vallejo Model Yellow/Green [Highlight] although I have yet to experiment with the four colour camo helmet look ... using Vallejo Model colours [(983) Flat Earth, 50:50 (882) Middlestone and (833) German Camo Bright Green, (924) Russian Uniform WWII, (890) Reflective Green]

Useful "Painting Guide" video links discovered to date, both of which produce works of art, disturbingly opting for Brown rather than Green Flak Jackets (variety is the spice of life): 

• Rubicon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaeZFtxHL-c
• Wargames Soldiers and Strategy (WSS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hi6kc5gi9s

Painting Templates (think they are Flames of War): 

• https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/831336412451931402/

Xmas Presents: Naval Aviation and an Osprey Submarine Game

From underneath the Xmas tree I was given these little crackers. Two Blood Red Skies (BRS) Midway expansion packs (IJN and USN carrier naval/carrier-based bombers) plus a surprise modelling project in "large scale" 1/48 of the marvellous Royal Navy Sea Harrier. I must confess that I hummed and hared about asking for the Midway expansion packs, but the Devastators have such a soft spot in my heart and I cannot easily see them in 1/144 - the alternative wargaming scale IMHO. I justified the BRS packs as going from a "complete game in a box" to a "complete campaign in three boxes" which was good value for money (see below, one resin project and one traditional plastic project - sharp eyes will also note the Pacific war Vallejo colours in the background [USN Pale Blue and IJN Ivory White]): 

From flying above the waves to swimming beneath the (Cold War) waves! A game from the Osprey stable but written by a former RN Submarine Commander. Also an excuse for a few 1/3000 Navwar modern miniature perhaps (see below, note in the design notes it is very much a "game" rather than a "simulation"  but based upon "the principles"):  

Fun to be had in 2022 with these, but my first (January) 2022 project is cracking on with some British 15mm Malburians! 

Something Completely Different: 1:72 Baseball Figures (WIP) Caesar Miniatures

Small but yet perfectly formed sportsmen (see below, as per the normal WWII infantrymen of the same scale they are based and primed): 

Plastic Soldier Review link: http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2283

(Note the final figure in the review(see link for this to make sense) was not included in my box, instead I received three of the penultimate model instead.)

The pitcher is the first up as a tester for a Vallejo "brown dipping wash" (see below, I think it will be a fast ball): 

The team being put through their paces (see below, two teams in fact, the top "washed" section are all fielding and the bottom primed five are all the batters): 

Moving on to the batters, time to put the base colours of the Cincinnati Reds. Here is a Big Red hitting it out of the park (see below, they seem to take a life and character once the paint is applied, highlights still to come): 

The final base and highlights are painted (but not yet terrain based) batting line-up, two batters and three base runners - just in case "loaded bases comes up" (see below, numbers and team logo still yet to be applied): 

A close up of "Smoking Joe" (note, a name I just made up) ready to hit a home run (see below, there are three shades at play, as I followed my standard 28mm painting pattern): 

Exhibition style, once again the Cincinnati Reds Batting team in their away colours (see below, I am pausing for breath before I dare tackle the numbers, some would say searching for a brush small enough to do the job): 

In the meantime I decided to pay some attention to the fielding side, aka the Oakland A's (see below, base colours applied - using Vallejo Game Colour range as they are nice and bright): 

Highlights applied (see below, seems to work well): 

From the reverse side (see below, not a pitcher despite its poised posture): 

Very small front number and team logo (see below, the white 'A' on the hat will come later): 

Finally I make a tentative stab at the numbers (see below, an application of green, followed by touching up areas with white and yellow. It seemed to work): 

It is a slow labour of love. Thanks to "gawd" it is not an American football team with more players on the pitch!