a Load of Old Toby

King Golfindir and the Viridian Dragon Part Eight:  Flying High Painting My Viridian Dragon Hello everyone, many thanks for joining me again it’s been some weeks since my last post, work just always seems to get in the way. King & Dragon  ( # jhbackdrops) There is something special about taking a massive piece of plastic or metal and turning it into the centrepiece of an army. Some of you may have read that for a long time you, my Wood Elves have been missing that true, terrifying overhead presence. There has been mention of an eagle here or there. But, but nothing commands the tabletop quite like a dragon. Enter the Viridian Dragon the legendary steed of King Golfindir himself. Close Up Here is a look at how I brought this emerald beast from bare resin to the canopy soaring monster sitting on my display shelf today. Step 1: Priming & Building the Base Tones When painting a creature this large, your base coats do a lot of the heavy lifting. I started with a solid black...

Eleven Attack Chariot Part Seven: The Vanguard Swift & Deadly Hello everyone, many thanks for joining me again! Front view of the finished Attack Chariot When I wrapped up Part Six, I mentioned that I wasn't quite done with the Wood Elves just yet and that there were still a couple of key units calling out to me from the from the annals of time. I couldn't resist the  deep recesses of my memory  so here we are; I’ve finally finished my Wood Elf Attack Chariot! Chariots ready to sweep down the enemy flank I am such a fan of Jes Goodwin’s incredible sculpting that  I’ve always wanted one of these in the collection for a while now. While my custom Royal Chariots of the Swan filled in nicely as a proxy chariots, I always wanted a dedicated Attack Chariot, I feel it really adds that extra bit of aggressive bite and fast moving threat to the army's vanguard not to mention aesthetically a great centre piece to  the Army. Model for model, this has been one of the most e...

Empire - 12th Post Averland Halberdiers & Ostermark Swordsmen I’m beginning to think my hobby desk has its own gravitational pull. Here we are at post number twelve, and the "Grand Imperial Army" is finally looking like a force capable of defending the Old World. With two units to show off this week, the display cabinet is starting to get crowded! If you’re just joining this madness, you can find some full army pictures below. This week was a marathon session. To stay on track with my goal of representing every province, I decided to tackle two of the most visually striking liveries in the Empire simultaneously: the bold yellow and black of Averland and the pink-purple and pale yellow of Ostermark. The "Yellow" Challenge: For the Averland Halberdiers, yellow can be a nightmare. However, by drybrushing Vallejo Lemon Yellow over a black primer before applying any base colors, I created a bright foundation. I then used a very thin glaze of Vallejo Sun Yellow. The b...

Warhammer Empire - 11th Post The Bowmen of the Drakwald This week’s update: the Middenland Archers. As I continue my quest to include a representative unit from every province, the rugged woodsmen of the North were next on the list. While Middenland is famous for its stoic infantry and the White Wolves, I felt a unit of skirmishing archers perfectly captured the grit of the Ulric-worshipping wilds. Frontal picture  Preparation and Priming These are classic metal sculpts, and as with the Hochlanders, they required a bit of prep work. I spent an evening carefully removing mold lines with a fresh hobby blade before the standard warm, soapy bath. My painting process remained consistent to ensure the army looks cohesive on the tabletop. I start by applying a solid coat of black primer.  After this I contiune to underpainting a light drybrush of Vallejo Lemon Yellow. This "zenithal-style" shortcut is a lifesaver for identifying the fine details on these older sculpts and provides b...

Warhammer Empire - 10th Post Hochland Handgunners If I’m honest with you all, I just can’t believe this is my 10th post on this Warhammer army. What started as wanting to paint a unit or two of some of the most characterful miniatures has spiraled into eleven units, so many, in fact, that I’m losing count! You can find the entirety of this army on this blog by using the "Empire" tag. Full unit - Front Right Without further ado, let's move onto this week’s update featuring the much-needed  Hochland Handgunners . I’m aiming to paint a Grand Imperial Army featuring a unit from every province, and I am fast closing in on that goal. When Hochland’s turn came, Handgunners were the obvious choice. Command Super Close Up I had pre-ordered these "Oldhammer" miniatures from Games Workshop some time ago, and they finally arrived in the post last week. Once they were on the desk, I began by cleaning the flash and mold lines with a sharp hobby blade, followed by a quick bath...

Wardens of the King The Kings Wardens of Zarkûnbund The Kings Wardens of Zarkûnbund are the latest addition to my burgeoning Dwarven force. I chose the title "Wardens" specifically to distinguish them from the "Dawn Guard", a small homage to the Oblivion series, and because the word carries a certain weight that fits these GW Lord of the Rings models perfectly. The Kings Wardens The Gathering of the Host While the unit is comprised mostly of classic Games Workshop miniatures, I’ve mixed in several other manufacturers to give the unit a unique silhouette. I’ve integrated Oathmark character models for the King, Wizard, and Champion, while a Conquest Models horn-blower completes the front rank. I know mixing manufacturers can be divisive for some hobbyists, but for me, it is the simplest way to make character models truly stand out. It shifts the feel of the army away from a "standard" rule-set look and into something more personal. Since this project is set ...

The Raven Watch The Raven Watch of  Zarkûnbund After the success of last weeks blog this week we elaborate the story of my Dwarfs of Ras Morthil. The short story follows at the end of page, but essentially I am now adding Zarkunbund, or Tor Craban in elvish. A massive pinnacle of isolated rock stack in the sea. There are two units to the Watch. Archers and Warriors all using old Lord of the Rings models from Games Workshop. First above is the Archers led by Fin and Far models. The units again reuse the same flag stone bases as the Dawn Guard. This is a better view of the cork with green stuff on top. I have hand shaped the flagstones and painted them all in muted greys. The backdrops here are all from J ohn Hodgson backdrop book, so thank you to him go buy his work.  Moving onto the Warriors below these are all plastics from GW again, nice champion model with ginger beard that has come out well. As for painting the models themselves I literally have knocked them out asap. It’s...

The Dawn Guard The Dawn Guard of Ras Morthil My blog this week is my own personal ‘forge’, boom boom….. 😂. A place to chronicle the hidden histories of the Dwarves, specifically those who dwell in the shadows of maps and the forgotten folds of far away mountains. I have long been drawn to the rugged, stoic nature of the Naugrim, finding in their heavy, iron-grey beards and calloused hands a narrative depth that demands to be brought into the light.  The Dawn Guard Through my painting, I aim to seek to capture more than just steel and scale; I aim to illustrate the weary duty of these watchers. I will leave us all with a little more story behind this unit below. I hoped the narrative will develop over time, as the army fleshes out. But like the ancient quiet of the deep halls, this army is definitely going to be a long term project that I might revisit bit by bit over time.  So far I only have three or four units, either painted or in my head, or even in my bits box. The rest ...