Patreonize my old school ass

My Patreon is LAUNCHED!

https://www.patreon.com/darkling

Free Tutorial vids are going to be monthly to begin, with additional tutorials added when it becomes possible through funding.  

Rewards include win a painted mini draw as well as PDF versions in the style of my previous 'eavy Lead articles and access to my games playtest PDFs (starting with 33mm square floorplan dungeon tiles)

When I have enough of the PDF articles, the whole lot will be collated into a compendium- available in December for free if you are a patron, or pay per pdf download or you can buy the print on demand hardcopy.

Once I can relaunch my Darkling minis site, supporters will also gain access to casts of the minis and components I make during tutorials.  I may release these some limited editions as a bonus teir.

Redbubble merch will be available later.

All this will keep me alive and making cool shit for you lovely (and obviously physically attractive if you donate) grognards.

Basically, I can't find work here in Melbourne so I am damn well making some.  Because I am a tough bitch and like to earn my keep!

I am gonna cut promo videos for kickstarter to upgrade my gear in stages.  I can't get it all sorted right away methinks.

Thanks for supporting me!  You really, really nice people you.   X

P.s not-talisman toads and bederken dwerg boxed sets will be available again shortly.  XXX

MONEYYYYYYYY

Buggering about with Bugbears

Here is a work in progress of my Reaper Bone's bugbear leader.  About three quarters done methinks.  How do I know he is a leader?  Because he is pointing.  It's a fantasy wargaming trope.

It's amazing the difference good lights can make to your work.  The first bugbear I painted at ther start of this year is dreadful in comparison.  He shall be repainted to match.  I have four of the Reaper bearbuggerers, originally purchased for my Arcade Demo of Skulldred.  Feeling virtuous by finishing them up.

So I figured out what I am doing with that uninspiring troll mini I purchased on a whim.  He is now gonna be a dire bugbear.  Shhhh they exist in my world.

So I started layering up the fur.  I will drill and pin some ears onto him once that is dry.  The trick to good fur is lube.  I use vasolene but KY jelly will work nicely too.  Apparently nose or forehead skin oils work too, according to Kev White.  I remain... strangely grossed out by that.

Apply the putty firmly and smooth it in, then shape it to give it the right general bulk.  Once that is good, grease it up like Groundskeeper Willie.  Drag your tool in downward wiggly strokes, tugging upwards slightly to create each layer.

Hey, I shall do a video tute about it soon (nudge nudge wink wink).

See previous post about VIDEO TUTES!

Do you want Video Tutorials?

Question.  How would you like to see video tutorials from yours truely?  How about everything miniatures from painting, restoring, repairs, sculpting, converting, adding spikey bitz, making scenery, throwing axes at fruit, basing and rebasing for eternity, how to ask girls out, interviews and the finer points of blending and tinting?

All done whilst swearing, attempts at dark comedy and no doubt bitching in a bitchy manner like a lil bitch in magical bitch heat about bitchy stuff?

Fuck it, I will throw in some sock puppets too.  You know I will.

So here is the deal- to unlock all this EPIC GLORY I need a good HD webcam, mike stand for pointing said cam at minis, better lights so you can see said minis and editing software so I can edit said footage.  That's what she said.

So what are your thoughts?  Kickstart?  Ongoing patreon?  Anyone want to sponsor this with in-video ads for their wargaming products?  Anyone got a top notch webcam they can donate?

Put your thoughts on the best way to go about all this in the comments below.  You know you want to.  Go on.  Be a devil.

Surfactant, mother f*#%er

Let's talk Windex.  No, not the cocktail (recipe to follow)- the blue window cleaning fluid.  It is an important part of my mini painting toolbag.  If it sounds like I am I am gonna lay some bizarre tips on you, you bet your ass.

Windex contains a whole cocktail of useful ingredients for acrylic painting.  It is a detergent, surfectant and... dammit, here is the cocktail recipe- get yourself a glass and drink up whilst we discuss mini painting...

• 1 ounce blue curacao
• 1 ounce triple sec
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 
  

Okay, so we good now?  Right... now the windex you *shouldn't* drink.

Spray some Windex cleaner into your paint water.  It will dissolve acrylic on your brushes, stopping them clogging and keeping them clean.  Secondly, it will act as a flow aid- making your paint slide off the brush and onto your model- great for fine detailing.

Windex in your wet palette will help keep mould at bay- especially if paired with bottled demineralized water rather than tap water.  Less stinky and again, flow aid properties added.

Windex will clean your brushes and bring life back to your dead ones.  Dilute about fifty fifty and rub the brush in the palm of your hand- et voila.  Better than brush CPR- which just gets your lips dirty.

Windex can be used to speed up layered glazes (aka juicing). The isopropyl evaporates quickly, and the blue dye too- leaving a streak free glaze.  By the time you have glazed all around your model, the front is dry - so you can use thin glazes and build up gradually but quickly.

The effect windex has on acrylic is that it dilutes it, weakening the bonds, which rebond again apparently just as strongly as it evaporates.  Airbrush artists have used windex as a dilutant for years- it has the same active ingredients as professional air brush thinner- and smells the same.  I am told it does eventually gnaw your airbrush out- but meh, I am a brush kinda gal anyway.

(Sips Windex Martini)

However, all this means no brush licking for you.  I would also make sure your hobby area is well ventilated anyway, but imma gonna waggle my finger at you if it isn't already.  I bet your the kinda dumb ass that sands resin or applies static grass without a mask, or votes Trump right?  Dumb ass.

(Sips Windex Martini again)

If you use tube paints, windex water will turn them from a gel into something you are more familliar with quickly, without over diluting.  You don't want too much water added as it will make the paint translucent.  Translucent and pastey is not a great mix- outside of Nurgle minis.  Windex water will make it smooth and even with only a small amount.

Back when I had a studio, I kept a Reaper dropper bottle full of 1:3 windex-demineralized water on my desk.  Handy little bastard.  I called it Windy.  Windy Handybastard.  Maybe you should too.

Drink responsibility you salty sea dogs.  See you next episode.

Reaper Haul Progress

My friend Esther invited me around her pad for a painting session, and I got cranking on my Reaper Bones haul from PAXaus whilst she tortured me by playing Ouran High School Host's Club.  Just... don't ask, you don't want to go down that rabbit hole.

  My goal was to knock out table quality minis for an upcoming Pathfinder game so my elf rogue Ehzarelle took priority.  A few figures came along for the ride.

For me, table ready means 'looks okay from three feet'- which lends itself to exaggeration and bright, crisp edging and bold colors.

I painted Ehzarelle's skin tone more Drowish because in my mind elves are fae creatures and can be weird colors.  The gnarled tree on her base is naught but twisted tissue paper set with superglue and a little scatter.  Great for roots and fallen tree details.  The stale water on her base will be given a coat of modge podge to make it really glossy.

The dwarf and guard are also first pass.  They, along with the lizard man where all free 'paint and take' minis.  Woot for the loot!

When doing table ready, focus on 'good enough' rather than obsessing.  Hold the model at arms length every few minutes to check your work.

For quick game ready models I suggest painting all the flat colors before shading- it means you can hit the model with brown washes that work on belts, metal, padding, skin, fabric and so forth in one go.  A few black washes in eye sockets, armor and around joints can help.  If you are shit at picking out edges- go the other way, start painting the part the highlight color then shade down the middle of the parts- leaving the edges bare.  Far easier.

That's it from me tonight folks.  I have a lot of minis to catch up on.  Should be a productive few weeks.

Senpai notice me!

Sesh of squeee

My flatmate (who, on a side note is the singer of Aussie band battle winner Party On My Darling) is off on adventures, so I have spread my mini stuff over the kitchen table in an orgy of wanton hobbying.  I am delirious with glee (or possibly fumes).

All my Reaper spoils have been based up and primed, and I am looking forward to getting all painty up in their grill.  Whatever that means.

Expect pictures folks.

Oh... I did a burlesque dance dressed as Velma Dinkley last night on main stage at a gay club.  It was an accident.  I was signed up to for the best costume awards- but it turns out it was mixed with a dance off- so I figured 'what the hell'.  So that happened.  Life tip: do these crazy things before you die.  It was a huge hit and I got all the cute girls after :p

And people wonder why I don't paint much these days ;)

PAX roundup

Well PAX is done for 2016, and it was fantastic.  Welcome to those of you joining this blog for the first time- was great meeting you!

My next event is CANCON 2017- I shall be around in some form or another (probably a solid, maybe a liquid).

It was wonderful being a judge, picking the top fifteen minis of the show.  So inspiring seeing hundreds of versions of the same figures- people are very creative.  Turelio and myself will be stealing some ideas for our versions!

I walked away with a warband of mushroom men, a spider demon queen, Orcus (in memory of Jack), a tardis, cybermonkey, lizardman, elf rogues, familliars, stone golem and some pathfinder figures.

 My new official Pathfinder society figure is an elf rogue.  So knives!  Very sneaky!  Much acrobats!  Wow!  She will be boosted firmly up the paint queue.  She kicked much ass in a near TPK con game!

So nice to reconnect to my hobby after being so down.  Thanks everyone for all the positive energy!

PAX lizardman

So much fun at PAXaus!  This little Reptus spearman is my speed paint at the Reaper Paint and Take table- using just the basic starter paint set and a shitty communal brush!  Photographed infront of Aetherworks lovely little dioramas.  More to come.  :)

And because when you woke up today you really needed to see Velma Dinkley drawing a draaaaaagon with a texta on a sheet.  Jinkies!

PAX AUS DAY 1

Come and visit the Reaper mini area and paint and take a mini!

Behold!  Me and Turelio's sorting skillz, and the bane of my poor, poor kneecaps. One wall of mini goodness!

Oh and I tweeted a penis joke and Realer retweeted it.  Today is a good day.

PAX AUS

If you are at PAXaus Melbourne this weekend, come say hello to me!  I will be cosplaying Velma Dinkley tomorrow and helping out at the Reaper Miniatures painting tables, the Reaper Bones shop and judging some of the painting competitions!

I had the absolute obsessive compulsive joy today of arranging and mounting all the Reaper Bones blisters on the pegs.  Rather than using the item codes- which are pretty random, me and Turelio (https://m.facebook.com/TureliosHobbyHoard/) sorted them by race and class- so all the dungeon monster where together, all the undead, all the lizardmen etc.  it's gonna get messed up ten minutes after you 'orrible lot get your hands on them - but right now it is gorgeously sane.

I wish reaper color coded their blisters or subtly tinted the bones material per type- (all humans slight pink, orcs brown, goblins green, dark elf purple, scenery grey-etc) to help sort stuff and make them easier to simply play unpainted dnd with- but hey, the new off white and harder boens plastsic is SUCH a huge improvement I shall only gripe a little.  They are doing good.

Okay, so look for a 5'10" Velma from Scooby Doo with a painbrush, swearing like a sailor and you will probably either have found me or the woman I really need to marry.

And yes, gonna buy me some more Reaper to paint and put here!