Freak Flex Paints - Transferring Bottles

Some pics from a video I'm working on.  Basically, I'm transferring my Freak Flex airbrush paints - which are great - from the bottles they are in - which are horrible - to some bottles I bought at Michaels.  Which are back to great... you get the idea!

Too Many Projects, Too Little Time

...and Wargames Con is just around the corner!  Here's some of what I'm working on.  When you get to the end, if you're thinking, "Boy, Brent's working on everything but what he should be finishing for the Con," then you're seeing clearly.

This is the only project that really needs doing.  I really love my Freak Flex airbrush paints, but the container sucks.  I've purchased these inexpensive, airtight bottles to transfer the collection to.  Note it has a flip-top, which will make it MUCH, MUCH easier to load the airbrush properly, with minimal waste.

Works in Progress... Wargames Con Coming Soon!

Wargames Con is in something like 38 days and counting.  There's a lot to do.  Currently I'm working on the Team Tournament army The Card Pimp and I are fielding, which is a Necron and Tyranid tag-team.

Our team name:  Not Another Grey Knights Army.

The Fabricator General

I'm starting to feel darn right rested.

The last few weeks since Feast has been insanely busy, so after a few abortive attempts I didn't bother trying to post.  It's been my longest Blogger vacation since I began this mad journey Oh, Those Many Moons Ago.

Heck, I've even got material in the pocket!  But I wanted to bring you this, first.  You may have seen it in last week's Terrible Tuesday article on Bell.

It's educational it is!  And worth the investment in time.  You'll learn something.

Greenman Designs Inc

I've been... exhausted.

Between Feast of Blades and taking my wife to see To Kill a Mockingbird at the Wylie last Tuesday, then fitting in five days of work in two...

...I've been exhausted.  Have no fear, I'll get caught up.  There's a lot to say!  'Till then, here's a repost of my video, my (very late) contribution to Bell this week.



sales@gdesignsinc.com for ordering info!  His website is in development.

Embracing Basing

Well, who saw this coming?

After reading the comments from my basing article I'd have to say, well, everyone but me, I suppose.

I was happy with my quick and easy flocking, but much like anything quick and easy...

(a certain ex-wife)

...the crap you get afterward means it just ain't worth it!  :)

I decided to take the leap into a more advanced basing technique.  Here was my purchase at the store earlier this week.

The 15-Minute Miniature

I finished the 2nd model for my (very) infrequent painting series on Blood Angels by Jawaballs, a Witch Hunter Inquisitor.  I try to stretch my painting wings in that series and master some of the brush techniques practiced by experienced painters.  It's fair to say I'm having mixed success, since what was supposed to be my second model in the series was my light-sourced Dark Eldar Archon...

That didn't work out so well.

Marking Your Unit's Move

Evil Homer is a very meticulous player.  That can be annoying, as he'll take five minutes to think out the move we both know he's going to make... but that's minor crap.

His habits of marking his units as they've activated is something EVERYONE should do.

(Yea, I meant to yell.)  Moving on, Evil Homer's armies are Multiple Small Unit builds, so with 7 loaded Raiders, 3 Ravagers, and 3 Units of Jetbikes, the Shooting Phase can get complicated quick.

Top Tip: Basing on the Go!

Top Tip: Evil Homer Edition

I got this idea from Evil Homer; if he's got a speciality in the hobby world, it's organizing his tools and trading his miniatures.  Regarding the last, the less said the better - I'm only now vaguely on board with the possibility he's not completely crazy.  Regarding the former... there's a lot to learn.  I got this idea from him.

Top Tip: Stripping Miniatures

I think hobbyists are divided into two broad groups: those who've stripped paint off of old miniatures and those who haven't.

It's possible to save big bucks on minis by purchasing them on Ebay, but usually you're going to have to work on them some to get value back out of them.  Don't just paint over someone else's crappy base coats and bad prime job!

Top Tip, Blogging Edition: Page Break

This post won't be that useful to you hobbyists out there, but it may help a fellow Blogger or two.  I usually won't use the page-break on a new article, preferring to leave the whole thing on the front page to make for an easy read.  The problem with that is long articles clogging up the page-space.

My solution is a bit of housecleaning every few days.

Top Tip: Test Models

I'm a big fan of test models, which I'll use to sort out an army's paint scheme as well as just fiddle with a technique.

Yes, you have to be careful when you're fiddlin' - you could go blind.

It's also fun just to paint something different to break the monotony of whatever you're working on.  My rule is I never spend more than an hour on a test model... and I usually spend much less.  I'm a fan of speed-painting techniques; I'd rather have an army that's painted to a decent standard than 10 great models in a primer-tastic army.

I hit a stall when painting my Codex Chapter, the Silver Skulls, so I took one and repurposed it.  I loved the Storm Wardens project a bunch of internet notables were involved in, but frankly I always thought the silver should be on the inside to draw the eye in.  So, as you can see, I reversed it.  This test model is different from most, in that I'll actually be finishing an army based on it...

Top Tip: Simple Flocking

I recently chatted with a hobbyist whose army's appearance suffered as the bases weren't touched.  He was a good painter, but I think he thought flocking some great mystery.

I was surprised, since flocking a miniature is the work of moments - it's the simplest thing in the world to do.  I've based entire armies in the half-hour before a tournament.

A few times, actually: back in the day it was fashionable to pull all-nighters to finish painting an army before an RTT.  Nowadays I need my sleep.  I'll finish an army no later than the week before.

Here's a simple flocking technique.  Let's not pretend you need instructions!  The pictures tell all.

Top Tip: Pin Your Model

Here's my Daemon Prince of Nurgle... and no, I don't typically use him!  Do you see the problem?

There are magnets on his shoulders for the wings - I know it's a strange look without the wings in place, but that's not it.

Top Tip: Write Your Recipe!

I'm in a state of shock right now.  I happily took a break from Neurobiology classwork to slap some paint on my Brotherhood Wolf Guard models... only to realize halfway through Step 3 that I couldn't remember the washes to use!

EDIT:  I'm thread-jacking this thing to let you know my article dropped over on the House of Paincakes: check it out.

I ended up having to experiment to recreate it, and luckily I ended up remembering it was a combination of washes in a specific order.  Still, I'd already base-washed 3 models, so I'm hoping I can correct it without issue.  WRITE YOUR RECIPE!

EDIT:  The Master Manipulator (every store needs one) just mentioned in a comment that he keeps a small, black composition book next to his painting desk to write his recipes down in.  I decided to edit this post and add that, since it's a great suggestion.  I commonly keep a digital recorder handy to document ideas (stories, articles, Off Topical jokes - that kind of thing) but it never occurred to me to keep track of recipes with it.  Worth a try though.

EDIT EDIT:  It turns out Dethtron has already posted about his painting journal - obviously the Master Manipulator (every store needs one) is a big idea thief!  Plus, the thinks I dip my models in poo.

My Brotherhood Dreadnought, Bjorn the Claw-Handed.  What can I say?  I love the model, so Ebay'd it!

My mess.  That's a Root Beer, the only real substitute for Shiner Bock before noon.  No, I don't actually drink as much as I imply.  I'm a beer a day dude, unless I'm on vacation.

My mess, again.  I need to clean my station but that takes time away from painting.

Brotherhood models sharing space with Chaos Space Marines.  Maybe they're sharing spikey bitz.

Top Tip: Washers

It's been awhile since I've done a Top Tip, primarily because you don't want to call something that unless you're sure it is!  Can you imagine the grief I'd take from my Official Strictly Average Criticizer (hereafter forever referred to as the O-SAC for short) if I put some lame *SELF-EDIT* 'here's how to thin your paints with cat urine' Top Tip?

That's no good.  Anyway, I've started using a washer on the bases of my models, both plastic and metal, for a couple of reasons - not least because I like the way the base looks when the flocking is glued on. Check it out.

This is the example.  The model on the left has the washer on its base; notice the subtle gradient of the base?  The Terminator and Nurglesque Slayer are standing on flat bases.  See the difference?

Painting Blank Eyes

Here's a short tutorial today.  In the comments section of my most recent article on Bell of Lost Souls, Not Another Exodite Army, there were a few requests (one) for how I painted the eyes on my Slannesh themed Eldar.

CliffNotes: Brent takes credit for an idea Little Barrera had.

Basically, the eyes have no pupil...

The House of Paincakes is Open for Business!

Brent's not around, is he?  Good - let's chat!

Have you heard about the House of Paincakes?  All you need to know is the cool kids all hang out at the House of Paincakes, drinking spiked coffee and using foul language.

You wanna be cool, don't you?

Many of your favorite Internet Personalities have already joined the rolls and will be providing articles and advice. Brent's not cool enough for the HoP, but I've already agreed to steal his new series Read Up to Keep Up, and that's just the tip...

Heh. Just the tip!

...of the iceberg.  What did you think I was going to say?  You've got a dirty, dirty mind.

You'll fit right in!  What are you still here for? Go check it out!

...

What's going on here - where's everyone going?  Hello?

Review: Warhammer Templates and Tools

Okay, folks, let's take a brief look at the goodies you MUST can purchase to supplement your games of Warhammer 8th Edition.

CliffNotes: we're going to look at or talk about the templates, the Engineer's Kit, the tokens - 3 different packs, there - as well as the dice and the card packs.

Before we get there, I just have to say something about the book.  I love it.  I really do - it's like my Warhammer Bible bible.  I like the feel of it, the weight, the formatting and the content - everything - and I didn't think I would.  As far as I'm concerned, it's a must have... but I didn't feel that way at first.  Frankly, I purchased it because I 'had' to, since I simply couldn't wait until the boxed set.  Evil Homer was telling anyone who'd listen that he'd never purchase the thing, and I think he was the first to do so.  For whatever reason, GW hit a home run with this book.  Trust me, if you haven't purchased it, you're going to want to.

I'm not usually mushy about my gaming products, but the reason I'm excited about these products is the topnotch combination of form and function.  I enjoy the weight and the texture, the art is elegant and appropriate, and each product serves a purpose and does it well.


Let's look at some pretty pictures...