Friday 29 January 2016

POOR BLOODY EFFORT MATE

   I realise now that I've posted an average of one measly post per year these last couple of 365's and, quite frankly, I am ashamed. I have a lot of time on my hands, being unemployed due to mental health issues I am currently trying get under control and I spend most of my time focusing on my main creative outlet: music, so all I have are two rather tenuous excuses as to my inactivity.

   BUT...
   Recently I've found adequate inspiration to start two projects I intend on completing before the year is through. The first being Space Fights, my poor man's Star Wars knockoff themed project, wherein I try to find appropriate models to represent certain identifiable characters from the films, but with a nice Rogue Trader aesthetic. Buggery knows why, but surprisingly the whole idea was sparked into motion upon rearranging the display shelves for my other secret love: classic Lego sets! It was when I was trying to find a nice place for my Snowspeeders (hardly classic by my terms, but brilliant models regardless) when I noted the aesthetic joy I felt for the Rebel Fighter Pilot uniforms, the vibrant orange, a colour I'd not yet been inclined to experiment with too much, really tickled my fancy and as I'd not too long ago picked up an old pot of Hobgoblin Orange which was uncovered in an old storage area of my not-so-local-one-hour-train-ride-away hobby shop, I thought to myself: GET TO IT SONNY BLOODY JIMBO JONES! This will be no means an easy task to undertake, as there are so many important characters I want to portray, but I'm planning on having at least 10 or so completed miniatures before 2016 is lain to rest in the sepulchre of time forever passed.
 
   The second project? "A Noble Cause" as noted by a fellow member of the community...

From The Stuff of Legends archive.
   I've always loved the style of these buggers, they've got more detail crammed into them than an extremely detailed comparison I'm at a total loss to think of! And the character! Oh what character! Though I do have a certain soft-n-squishy spot for the later marines, with their chunky legs and all, these original Bob Naismith sculpts really are the cream of the crop in these weary ocular sightglobes of mine. Produced a couple of years before I was even born as the first physical realisation of Rick Priestly's brief, these guys really hit the mark.

   A few painted examples can be found in Bryan Ansell's collection which can be viewed over at The Citadel Collector

   So, before I waste any more time on this wordy post: it's off to the painting table as I have a crack at the Death Squad marine, as the only other one I own at the moment (Missile Launcher) is taking a bath in acetone to remove some nasty blue enamel... Soon I plan to own them all, I've seen most of these guys in a fair abundance except for the Captain so I'm fairly confident I'll be able to complete this project before the year's out.

  Until next time, when hopefully I'll have something more completed, Hail and Kill!
And thanks again to all 4 of my followers for your fleeting interest!

- The Witchfinder In General

Monday 4 January 2016

SPACE FIGHTS

A long time ago in a painting queue far, 
far away....

Episode I

A NO HOPE
It is a time of space fights.
Rabble  spaceships, striking
from  their  invisible  hideouts,
have won an initial victory against
the purportedly bad Galaxial Imperium.

During the fights, Rabble spies
stole secret plans to the Imperium's
ultimate weapon, the DEADLY SPHERE,
an armoured space station with enough force to
destroy an entire planet and its inhabitants to death.

All this has no bearing whatsoever on Duke Skywarper, 
ex-Rabble starfighter turned mercenary-merchant-gun-for-hire.

Duke and his Robert-Man™ brand robot sidekick Artie.
    2015 was a busy and turbulent year, though my count of completed miniatures is higher than last year's, it's still not very many. I'd had an Iron Claw space pirate Dambo Kweltz sitting around for aeons, waiting for some sort of paintjob but I had no idea where to even begin! Then, in a spark of inspiration it hit me, and now: Space Fights is born.
    I've managed to scour my collection for suitable characters and, though incomplete, here's what I've come up with so far:

Prinn Zeslaja, the royal on the run.
  
Jann Szoło, losing his colour.
And finally, wearing only his primer...

Master Y'Odour with his legendary "Light Hummer".

    To be continued...