Swell models

Here are some excellent unfinished efforts by the youngsters at Swell School.

They really are coming on.

Well done guys!

Not so easy, those eyes, when you're under 12 years old.





One of these Gandalfs is actually me in disguise.











Top class job made on the rusty armour, especially as we had no vomit brown.

Legolas

Granddaughter 1 is just off to college and is a big fan of Legolas, in or out of a jar.

She was very excited by the second Hobbit film but thinks the slightly chubbier Legolas might have some difficulty walking on snow.

There might be a bit of a gap now as the 10 Easterlings are taking longer than I expected - only one done so far.

Von Karstein

The Countess Von Karstein in a jam jar* and out of it.

There were few female characters in the shop when Granddaughter 2 asked me to paint something for her.

The jar is for the protection of the Countess as Granddaughter 2 is very young.

*(Actually it was baby food)

Mor* Mordor Orcs

Rather than a wash, I used thinned down Chaos Black for the bases and then highlighted with Codex and a little Fortress Grey.

I also used a small red and yellow highlight to their right rear.

They are under Sauron's watchfull eye.

The chunks of breeze block look ok but I don't know how log they will last.

If they break, the grey inner will be exposed.

Despite their being such a basic model, they took some painting.

Lots of different areas to apply different colours to.

They could do with more highlighting but they are ok for the tabletop.

Next it's Easterlings.


* It was deliberate! It was deliberate!

Faramir and Mordor Orc

 I've finished the Mordor Orcs but I'm testing out the bases.

Using 'Slate Beach' sand gives me a really rugged look and then a chunk of breeze block is an attempt at a piece of volcanic debris - still warm!

It might all need another wash or two with Badab Black.


Faramir has been kicking his heels for ages while I try to give him an interesting base.

Again I'm imagining him making it back to Osgiliath before he take the wound.

It could equally be Minas Tirith with bits of building littering the place.

I'm not all that happy with it though.

Minas Tirith in Brass

Another bundle from Ebay - Warriors of Minas Tirith  all looking a bit brassed off.

It's obvious I've been thumbing through DeAgostini again!

The armour has received a wash of Reikland Fleshshade.

I'll be trying a light wash of Guilliman Blue on the other Minas Tirith Warriors and Knights to see if it gives that a steel look.




Again, the Osgiliath look is discs of plasticard from 'railway buildings' with a sprinkle of rubble.

Nazgul

Five of the nine Nazgul arrived from Ebay. Nice chaps.

Dead boring  fashion sense though. Black with a touch of grey.

Not even a pair of glowing eyes between them.

The metal seems difficult to paint, or rather, difficult to keep paint on.

I wonder if oil based paint would be better for the base coat?

I think the bases will be changed.

I'm painting some Mordor Orcs at the moment and when they're done I'm going to try a little experiment with a base using broken up breeze block.

I think it has the look of volcanic rock.

If it looks ok then the Nazgul will receive the same treatment.

Warriors of Minas Tirith

 Trying to find a better 'Osgiliath look' with the bases of Minas Tirith Warriors, I bought some plasticard designed as brickwork for railway modellers, from the Cheltenham Model Shop.

The size discs required for the tops of bases is a little less that the diameter of a pound coin.

The card glues with plastic glue (I suppose it would, being plastic) and then the troops have to parade without their slot.

I cut them off with cutters and then cut and filed the bottom of their boots to glue them on the tiled roads of Osgiliath.

The surface of the card seems ok with paint as long as it's not thinned down too much.

A coat of Codex and a wash with Badab with a drybrush of Fortress Grey after glueing on some rubble from the ruins.


Plus a few weeds popping up, here and there.

Let the Orcs do the weeding when they arrive!

Knights of Minas Tirith

Here I've tried for the battered roads of Osgilliath with heaps of rubble and chunks of ruin littering the place.

I don't know where Faramir has galloped off to but he should be along soon.

These metal riders were tricky to glue on.


Again, Lilliput came to the rescue.

A lump of it beneath the bum works wonders.

As for those bendy weapons!

Warg Riders

To offset the cavalry component of a good army, the bad guys only really have Warg Riders until later in the book (film).

I've tried to retain some of the 'mane' on some thinking the flat featureless backs rather poor.

Perhaps Lilliput applied would improve things?

I tried for the look of the area round the deer park in Queenstown where they ambushed the refugees on their way to Helm's Deep.

Again I think manufactured rocks are an improvement on the real thing.