PS

PS The painting guides in this month's White Dwarf are not to be missed and are apparently set to continue in future mags.

Meantime, I'm slowly completing one of Henry's Possessed Chaos Space Marines. My biggest challenge so far. Not helped by my carefully painting the two arms separately and then discovering they were both left arms.

White Dwarf - New Paints

New White Dwarf out today. I'm surprised they've not included a free pot of the super new paints.

However, the magazine is full of paint news with sections showing their use, pages and pages showing painting techniques for some of your favourite models, plus a huge wall chart showing some great painting from the 'Eavy Metal team and a list of the paints.

Most importantly, there's a conversion chart at the back of the mag so now you don't need to throw away that complete set of paints that you bought only two months ago! (I'm amazed at how many pots I already own)

Apart from the new paints, the big feature is on Warhammer, Empire. Some classic new models and an historical write-up.

Colour Comparison Chart

Here's Andrew again with a helpful comparison chart with old and new Citadel colours listed. Thanks again Andrew.

www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Paint_Range_Compatibility_Chart

LOTR fan

Didn't have time to put Tom's photo up yesterday - out for a fush'n'chups supper and a quiz. Not a single question about Games Workshop!

The meal was good. I was rubbish.

However, here is a mix of Tom's models with some work to come on the bases. Strange lighting - sorry.

An LOTR fan - Tom will now be working on the box of Rangers he went off with.

New Paint Range

So that's why all those odd things have been happening lately.

Paints available to me, one at a time instead of in six packs, the unavailability of the 'How to Paint Citadel Miniatures' book (and the sudden appearance of dozens of them on e-bay), the removal of painting advice from GW site.

Why? - It's the all new, singing-dancing paint range. I have to admit, it does sound great. Here's the link to go straight to all the information. http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/wnt/blog.jsp?pid=2000010-gws

Included on the blog page is a short film telling you all about the paint range and the new 'How to Paint' book (which includes a great DVD showing you how to use all these great new paints).

Right now, I'm off the my nearest Hobby shop to see these paints in action. Oh! Forgot. I've got to open Cotswold Bookstore!

Now what we need, of course, is a COLOUR CONVERSION CHART so that we can use up all those old pots of paint.

New Arrivals

Our stock range continues to build up. Recent arrivals are -

Savage Orcs                                    Tomb Kings Skeleton Warriors
Vampire Counts Crypt Ghouls      High Elf Spearmen Regiment
Tyranid Hormagaunt Brood          Beastmen Gor Herd
Dwarf Warrior Regiment               Lizardmen Saurus Regiment
and                                                   Dark Elf Black Ark Corsairs

We also have the Citadel Paint Station and a Figure Case, both at discount prices.

Call in soon to see what armies are being offered at a discount this month.

Khorne Berserkers

Finally I've finished Henry's Khorne Berserkers from the Chaos Space Marine Battleforce.

Just the five Possessed to go - if I can find all the pieces.

Then there's the tank, of course, but Henry is doing that. Then I can turn to some of Lewis's. Might squeeze in some Skaven between times. Or some Warg Riders. Or an Ork or three.  Oh, I dunno!

Agh!. Just noticed. Those chain-swords are supposed to be red. And, yes. The one on the right is NOT a berserker.

Space Marine Scouts

Grandson Lewis's eleventh birthday today. One present from us was a Games Workshop figure case and, at last minute, I painted up these three scouts of his. Very hurriedly. Lewis had built and base painted them.

The boards we've made are LOTR/Warhammer grass green on one side and yuck-orange/purple on the other for a 40K planetary surface. These guys are in a sort of desert trim to match that board (from the 'How to Paint Space Marines' book)

Two trees

This is how that tree ended up.

I always intended to put something else on that base and, in the end, just went for another tree.

OK, tall bush.

LOTR Scenery

Some good news, thanks to that marvellous institution, e-bay.

A bid that I made recently, for a whole pile of DeAgostini Battle Game magazines, was successful.

This means I now have duplicates of many of them so I'll keep them in the shop for anyone with a LOTR project in mind to have look at.

Each magazine provides modelling tips for everything from a beer barrel to Helms Deep or Shelob's lair.

The one shown here uses teddy bear fur for the roof of the Rohan Royal Stable.

I've had an old Teddy on the windowsill at my house for ages.

He's waiting to be turned into a thatched roof.

But, do you know what.

He keeps giving me this look, every time I approach him with a pair of scissors in hand, and I can't do it.

I just can't do it.

Hey! That's our good friend Max in the centre of the 'Hobby Centre Openings' picture on the GW site http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/home.jsp

That's another Max, by the way.

Not the one who was in yesterday.

Well, he WAS in yesterday but not with his models.

I know what I mean.

Andrew's Group

Then we had Andrew with a smaller group of Space Marines but also amazingly well painted.

Here are two shots of his group.

He's working on Orks at the moment and I'm really looking forward to seeing them.

Andrew - that painting approach for Ork skin seems right. I have How to paint Citadel Miniatures in the shop and what we talked about seems correct. Best of luck with the sand too.

Absolutely brilliant, both you guys. I'm not surprised mates think they are pro jobs.

I look forward to seeing more of your results.

Max's Army

 A couple of young lads called in today, to show us how they were getting on with their painting of Space Marines.

First came Max with a great army of characters, all very well painted and with some great bases.

Here's a couple of shots of his work.

I should have got a closer shot but I hope you can see how good they are.

Tree Base

Base coat of undercoat black. Slosh on some glue.

Then on goes the sand and, when it's dry, bubonic brown on the sand and various experiments on the tree itself.

They are usually a grey green when close up.

Must experiment to see if I can find the right look, rather than messy brown.

I note that the glue hasn't taken too well on the black paint.

I normally glue straight on to the board.

Green-stuff

There.

Kebab stick wrapped in green-stuff, roots spread out on disc of foam board.

When it's a little dryer, the 'bark' needs to be roughed up.

'Stippled' with a nail brush this time.

Then a paint job.

That's to come.

How did you make the trees?

We were asked by a couple of youngsters today, how we made the lichen trees.

The lichen grows on trees in pure air so you'll find it well off the traffic routes, I guess. It's more grey than green. I pick it off the ground. Taking it from the tree might mean cutting off the future supply.

Then it's painted using GW paints or well watered down emulsion. I bought a tester tin of Willow Creek from Ideal Home in Moreton-in-Marsh for less than £3.00. They will mix up the colour you want.


The lichen dropped in the jar with watered down paint and rolled about is far quicker than painting. When it's dry, it's quite brittle. Not sure if it's ideal for gaming but it looks good.

You end up with green lichen that you need to fix onto something tree-ish. Sometimes it comes on the end of a convenient twig so only roots are needed.


The stump of twig on the left here, I've glued onto a kebab stick (cocktail sticks for shorter trees and bushes) and then I'll build up the trunk and roots with green-stuff  and paint it.

I'll perhaps photo that later and put the result on here.

The bushes here are supported with two lengths of cocktail sticks glued into the polystyrene mound. The mound was all painted up before the bushes were added.

I've used a little lighter green or yellow on the tips of the branches.

You wouldn't think there were another 42 Rangers hiding in there would you.

Ambush

I know, I know. I should have taken the photo BEFORE I put them in the window.

However, here are a group of Rangers, sent off by Faramir, to ambush passers-by and threaten them with drowning in the sacred pool unless they come in and buy a box of Games Workshop kit.

I wondered about running a competition on how many our customers could spot.

However, it's all too easy once you get round the back of them.

Despite the reflections!

The answer, of course, is forty two.

New in - the latest top-up

The latest additions to our stock range arrived today and they are -

Warhammer
Vampire Counts Crypt Ghouls
Tomb Kings Skeleton Warriors
High Elf Spearmen Regiment
Savage Orcs

40K
Ork Lootas and Burnas

More with the next order.

(I don't know where we'll put them all!)

So, now we're up to date. Apart from one thing.
We are now signed up to a new agreement with GW which means that we will be increasing our stock over the next few months.
Just arrived - Chaos Terminators, Imperial Guard Chimera, Space Marine Razorback, Knights of Bretonnia, Wood Elf Glade Guard, Uruk-hai Warriors, and Skaven Clanrats.

And another thing!
Our initial period now over, we no longer have the massive discount on all stock that we have applied for the past four months.
The big game boxes and the starter paint sets still carry a big discount and so do some special items (call in and ask)
Also, every month we will have one army from each range at discounted prices.
For March those are -
Warhammer - Imperial Troops
Warhammer 40K - Orks
LOTR - Minas Tirith troops

On the latter, don't miss the latest Peter Jackson blog on theonering.net http://www.theonering.net/torwp/page/2/
It's also on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PeterJacksonNZ

Here's a photo I mustn't leave out.

This is Eli, our much travelled Games Workshop rep.

Anything we don't know (and there's lots!) we just ask her.

Trees and ruins

 I've spent a fair bit of my spare time painting lichen. Result - some rather smart looking, but fragile, trees.

OK the chunky lumpy looker on the left is nothing to shout about - the greenstuff ran away with me, but I quite like the rest of them.

Ditto the hedges. (Made from green pot scourers)

Not so the ruin. Walls too thin and where's the stonework? Not crumbling enough either. Next time, ceiling tiles. Nice little fireplace though.

The ideas come from the excellent DeAgostini fortnightly magazines which I missed when they came out. Now I'm having to buy them on e-bay.

Sorry about that

I do apologise. Not sure what happened.
All I wanted to do was change the blog name but, without warning, it evaporated.
What's more, everything about setting up a new one has changed.
Anyway, here goes.

Here's some of the pics that were on the old one and I hope I get the hang of the new layout.

If your photo isn't there, drop in and let me know. I might still be able to sort it.

Most of these are by some excellent fellows who come in the shop.

Oops!

New blog this, having accidentally deleted the old one!

It really should have asked 'Are you sure?' but didn't.

I'll try to put a few images up tomorrow