Conflict Scotland 2010

Conflict Scotland 2010 was last Sunday and for the third straight year I was in attendance accompanied by my wonderful (and very supportive) girlfriend.

Taking place at Glasgow's Braehead arena (on a thawed out ice rink no less!), I have been to one good event (2008 - Jervis Johnson and Jez Goodwin in attendance) and one really poor one (2009 - No studio presence, terrible judging), so I wasn't sure what to expect this year.


2010 - A Good Year

Luckily, my fears for another poor year were unfounded as the organisers had taken on feedback from the previous year and greatly improved on what was on offer. This year's studio representatives were Giorgio Bassani and Graham McNeil, both of whom were surprisingly quiet for much of the day.

Seeing this was the case, I took the opportunity to pick Giorgio's brains on the art of miniature sculpting and he was kind enough to share some secrets about tools, techniques and materials for smoothing Green Stuff joins, but these will be discussed in future tutorials.


Giorgio's Sculpts

I also got to see some of Giorgio's trainee sculpts, all of which were fantastic (see the pics to truly understand what I mean!). Unfortunately he wasn't able to say whether or not any will be cast as there has been no mention of an intention to.





Golden Griffon 2010

The other main thing that I noticed that was greatly improved on last year was the Golden Griffon painting contest, my main reason for attending.

The previous year there had only been a handful of categories and a pretty low number of entries. This year however, the categories were much closer to those of Golden Demon UK (Fantasy single, Fantasy monster/regiment, 40k single, 40k regiment/monster, LOTR single, LOTR monster/regiment, Diorama, Youngbloods and Brotherhood of the Brush).

The Brotherhood of the Brush was a new one and the only category staff could enter. The unique thing was that everyone had to paint the same figure - the beastman character Ghorros Warhoof. As this was the only category staff could enter, I was expecting a big turnout and some good quality entries, therefore I spent the week running up to the event painting up my entry. I was a little disappointed though to see there were only 4 entries including my own...

My other entries were in 40k single and Fantasy single with my cadian veteran and Blood Bowl Griff Oberwald respectively.

In the end, I managed to win all three categories I entered which I was very pleased about! Below are a few (pretty poor - sorry, need to take some new ones!) pics of my entries.

Ghorros Warhoof - 1st Place Brotherhood of the Brush



Griff Oberwald - 1st Place Warhammer Fantasy Single and best Warhammer Overall




Cadian Veteran - 1st Place Warhammer 40k Single and best 40k Overall



All in all, it was an enjoyable event and I think I will definitely return next year. It was also great to get to speak with a few other painters, albeit briefly!

Review - Miniature Mentor - Todd Swanson Masterclass

Decided to pick up my first Miniature Mentor tutorial yesterday as the tutorial looks at a figure painter and figure I really admire - Todd Swanson's Plague Lord Festus, the 2008 LA Slayer Sword winner.

The promise of 5 + hours worth of high quality video tutorial and an extensive pdf. file covering the Festus figure from start to finish was too much for me to resist. £16 and 2 hours of downloading later I had five 1 hour video files, a 15-20 min interview video, 64 page Festus Walkthrough pdf. and an excel colour conversion chart - pretty good value for money!

I started by reading through the pdf. as it was quickest to download and gave me something to do while the video files downloaded.


The pdf. Walktrhough

The walkthrough gives a pretty thorough and highly insightful account of the entire process, from receipt of model (Todd created the figure as part of a GW Slayer Sword winner challenge - they only allowed the use of the 40k Chaos Terminator Lord kit parts and any scratchbuilt items), to sculpt and conversion work, creation of the base (very interesting part!) all the way through to the painting and assembly with plenty of good quality close-up photos at each stage.




The Interview Video

After reading through this, I got stuck into the videos. The interview with Todd was quite simple but had a few points of interest about Todd's equipment preferences etc. It's always interesting to me to see how other painters work, the equipment they use and why they choose to do so.


The Tutorial Videos

For the actual tutorial videos themselves Todd works on a few example pieces, not actually from the Festus figure, but showing the same techniques used. The videos cover Todd's highlighting, shading and blending technique for the base armour colour - covering a number of important technical skills, the chipping and rusting process over this base armour colour - using the sponge method similar to that which I have described previously, freehand technique, and how Todd paints and weathers exposed metal.

The quality of the video image is very good, with good lighting, focus and sharpness of image. Every stage is covered in extended detail, allowing you to really see how smooth transitions and natural weathering are built up.

The audio is also pretty good, with Todd and the Miniature Mentor presenter (I don't think he mentions his name?) giving pretty good commentary on what Todd is doing, the techniques, equipment etc.

Having watched 4 + hours now (last video still to watch), I already feel I have picked up quite a lot that I will be applying to my own painting and modelling efforts. It really has been well worth the cost and I'm already eyeing up a few more for future viewing.

If you haven't already, I recommend checking the Miniature Mentor tutorials out. Even if you consider yourself an experienced painter, I can guarantee you, you will learn a number of cool new tips and techniques from some seriously talented guys!

To check out the full range of tutorials available from Miniature Mentor you can click the image advert at the side of this page (and help earn me some affiliate income! :D ), or click here to visit their website.

Squadron Putty Hobby Filler Tutorial

Recently I picked up some Squadron White modelling putty to test out a new small gap and seam line filler in place of my old method, the milliput wash.


The Squadron putty comes in both green and white form in an oil paint style tube. I opted for white as it had been given better reviews on some military modelling forums.

The putty can be used straight from the tube, though it's a little more difficult to apply and will be a bit more grainy. Instead I choose to mix it with some Acetone to create a goopy paste that can be spatulad onto the required areas. It's worth pointing out that acetone can be pretty nasty stuff, so take care when using it and work in a well ventilated area.

Also - Don't try this method on plastics - the acetone will melt them!


Resin, metal and sculpted putty surfaces should be fine though based on my own experiences.


Once the mix is applied (you don't have to be too careful), leave it to dry for a few hours until it is solid and dry right the way through.

When dry, you should be left with a rough blob on the area you want to fill (as above - I forgot to take a pic of the gap but it was basically a hollow formed by the casting vents). This can then be sanded away using some fine grit wet/dry paper until all that is left is the flush filled gap.



Simples! A nice smooth, gap free surface achieved with the minimum of effort!

Lt. Kara Black - Kit Review

A nice little present arrived today!

Lt. Kara Black by Studio McVey, a wonderful 35mm figure sculpted by Kev White, with the concept art produced by Sam Wood.

Studio McVey is run by Mike and Ali McVey, husband and wife and two extremely talented painters and modellers. Any long time Games Workshop fans will recognise the name as Mike was the original Eavy Metal team, producing many classic paint jobs, including much of the renowned "red period", along with some classic dioramas such as the Dark Angels chapel, Horus versus the Emperor and the Lizardmen execution pit (all of which can be seen on the Studio McVey website). Mike's work was certainly a great inspiration for me growing up, and both Ali and Mike's recent work continues to inspire, influencing my own ever evolving style.

Bandana On!

The figure itself is cast in a nice grey resin and comes in 6 parts including the base insert, legs, torso, weapon, ammo hopper and ammo feed. The concept of female with giant weapon in hand (oh no he didnt!) reminds me of a large scale figure Mike painted long ago, a Catachan female with heavy bolter, sculpted by one of the Perry brothers (I forget which) to be precise!


What is immediately apparent is the quality of casting, there are very few imperfections, and those that do exist are minor at best. With very few mould lines, the quality of sculpting really shines through, with nice smooth lines - very much a figure painters dream!

But don't take my word for it, check out the incredible job Mike and Ali have produced on their blog!

Limited to 750 casts (each with a numbered certificate), you best get your skates on and head on over to the Studio McVey website to order yours today, before it's to late!

Having looked through the range of figures available, and having seen first hand the quality of sculpts and casts, I certainly plan to pick up some more soon!

Ariadna Zouaves Sapper - WIP Painting

Finally got started on painting this guy this week, with much of the progress coming in a couple of hours today!



The inspiration for the paint scheme comes from Call of Duty - Mordern Warfare 2's Task Force 141 and the gear they wear in the Quarry multiplayer map.

Particularly pleased with how the helmet, goggles and face have come out. The face looked like it was gonna be a pain in the ass due to being hard to get at with the brush, but was pretty easy in the end. The goggles were a bit of a play about that came off nicely and I think they look properly see-through to the helmet, while still reflective.

I'm going to give him a spray with some dullcote through the airbrush before applying the metalics to remove the sheen from some of the washes and glazes.

First time painting in about 2 months so a little rusty again, but it's been good fun.

I also recently found some daylight bulbs that fit in my Ikea painting lamps so these have helped a lot too when it comes to painting. Unfortunately they don't seem to be as helpful at the moment for photo taking! Think I'll need to adjust to them so sorry for the poor pics in the meantime.

Hopefully finish him this evening and can then finish a commission I'm working on and look at starting up these:


Can't wait! :D

The Vendetta (WIP 2)

A quick post this one, just to show that I have actually been working on some stuff lately!

I've been adding more to my Vespero figure lately and it's really beginning to take shape now. I know it looks a little scrappy in the pics but that's due to the figure having received a thin milliput wash.

Since the last pics I've been working mainly on the arms and sorting out the jerkin etc. The sleeves on the arms have been giving me some headaches determining what to do with them but it's getting there now.

More soon!

To Infinity and Beyond! - New Figs Inbound

So with a welcome and healthy pay day last week, I decided to treat myself to a new figure (I know, I have loads of unpainted stuff already but this one will be painted, promise!). The figure in question comes from a range that I had caught glimpses of occasionally but never truly checked out...

Now I won't lie, I'm a bit of a GW loyalist. I've not painted a non-GW miniature in over 10 years, though I have bought some for bits and pieces for conversions (some Victrix Napoleonics). However, this figure was just too good a sculpt to pass up and at a cool £6, I couldn't resist!

So what is the figure? Well it's an Infinity Ariadna Zouave Sapper.


So what swayed me to broaden my figure painting horizons? Well just look at the pose and detail of the sculpt, it's perfect! It's a one figure diorama!

I particularly the base that comes with the figure too. It adds a lot to the narrative as well as creating a better silhouette for the figure.

Anyone have any experience with Infinity figures? Anything to look out for (bad flash, miscast sections, rough surfaces etc)?

Also, you may have noticed a bit of a re-design for the blog, would love to know what you all think. Does it look better and have a better, easier to navigate layout?

For Elysia! - Forgeworld Elysian Tauros Venator

Many of you will probably have already seen the pics of the new Elysian vehicle from Forgeworld (FW), but here it is again incase:


Looks like a great kit, no arguments here!

The one thing I do hope though is that they create a version without the weapon mount. A small recon squad sitting on benches in the back or standing braced on the frame firing as the vehicle speeds along would look really cool!

The only real fault I have with this model is the price. While FW kits are intended to be a higher quality, more detailed product, the models produced are still intended for gamers. However, at £35 a pop for a light vehicle, they aren't exactly cheap for what you get, even as one off pieces.

For the same price you could probably pick up 2 AFV models of a similar style.

At the end of the day though, it does look super cool! I can feel my wallet burning in my pocket already!

What are your own thoughts?

Cool kit or missing the mark? A nice new option or pointless addition to the Elysian range?