SPA Modeler

So where to start... I know -- how about a model!!!!



This is where I've got to so far on my test figure. Ok so it's still a bit rough but I'm still working out how to do it. It's still the best figure I've ever painted.

I've been following the 'how to paint' series on youtube's Warhammer TV. A lot of good ideas but I'm not so keen on the process they use - it seems a lot of faff. "paint the base coat, wash, highlight, highlight the highlights. then paint the gold bits, wash, highlight, highlight the highlights etc." Why not just paint ALL of the base colours and then wash and highlight them? I think that;s what I might try on the next model. I'm also going to paint with the arms off as it'll be a lot easier to get to the figures chest.



So next up is some more drybrushing, another was and then some more highlighting. On the 'How to paint' vid the chap talked about either using the 'layer and highlight' technique or the 'drybrushing technique'... Again I don't see why you can't use both. On the next model I'm going to drybrush it overall, wash and then add some highlights to the upper surfaces only (I've never understood why they do ALL the edges - you wouldn't have the light reflecting off his head AND the bottom of his foot???

I've also got my original 1989 rule book...







I've got the missions book, the original game board pieces and a mint original 1989 box all coming to me as well from various parts of the internet. If nothing else, having pieced together a decent quality 1st edition game I can always sell it - they for around £200 normally.

One of the advantages of playing a game that was out of print for a long while is there was a large fan base that uploaded a LOT of stuff on pdf - most which I've found and saved.

So far I have - Some decent Solo game play rule written by a fan.



They are based on the orignal but make more sense as he's adjusted them.

And I also have this - which was quite a find as it's £80-00+ on ebay.



It's a book full of missions and linked campaigns - sufficed to say it'll be getting a lot of use.

That's it for now - I've a lot more figures and book on order, and a lot more painting to do - but I'm really having fun. What is great about all this is that it's been given the approval from my wife. She used to laugh at me when we where first together about my history of Wargaming - but she thought this was quite cool, mainly because I've gone for the 80's retro version and that we play a lot of boardgames in our family (we have a games night). She actually said my daughter (who loves ANYTHING retro) would probably love to play it with me - here's hoping!

Anyway - enough cobblers from me!

Cheers!

So far your painting looks good. I agree about all those crazy steps to paint these things. Why make it more complicated than it needs to be? Especially when you consider that all those steps need to be done with each figure out of potentially hundreds. No, use the KISS method and make it look like you want it to look.

I agree with Bruce; get your daughter hooked and you might even have some father-daughter paint sessions to prepare for the next game!

This is getting better! Game model on Stuart!

Thanks Chaps - I've since made some more alterations to my test figure. I got another larger 90's painting guide today and it really shows up the changes in the painting styles. Things are a lot more darker now, and that was what I'd based my model on - dark colours and gold trim.

However this book shows a LOT more colour with various chapter and unit markings marker up in yellows and reds etc. Also for the army that I'm building (Ultramarines), their guns used to be red not black, and their helmets white. So here he is after a few adjustments - I need to add another coat to the red and white and the black strips to the leg armour.



As you can see I've started to assemble the next one.

And here is the painting guide I picked up - much more detailed than the last.

speedgraflex wrote:I am chuckling merrily along in complete and utter happiness for your epiphanies, Stuart. Keep ‘em coming. What you wrote about “one way” modeling ought to be looked at as a singular suggestion and not the universal solution. Get in there and do things the way you want ‘em done, keep enjoying yourself. I looked up the first edition — 10 terminators versus 20 genestealers, I hope I have that right — but it looks like your demo figure is a librarian??? Do I have any of this right at all? Forgive my colossal ignorance of this game. I was gonna add, just go for it, but I keep adding that over and over: go for it go for it go for it! And yes, add this to games night, go all late eighties nineties angst and X over this. I love the research and the rules and the missions... this is definitely a side of you that should be let out to play and relate.

You're not far off Bruce, although this guy is a normal Terminator, not a Librarian - I have on on order and will post him up when I've got him.

As for the numbers - 10 Marines yes (normally a squad or two of 5), but although their are 20 Genestealers in the box - their numbers are limitless - which adds to the game.

In regards to the world - I'm thinking about bases. DO I paint it green and flock it like I was going to, or do I try and do something that looks like a starship floor... Any ideas?

Cheers dudes and thanks for the interest!

Destroyed post apocalyptic cityscape!

Stuart & Bruce, you’ve planted a bug in my brain with this...

and also reminded me of something...





I’m pretty sure that the book cover pre dates the movie poster by at least a decade or more, but the conceptual similarity is quite apparent to me...

Carlos! So cool! Starship Troopers!!!!!!!!! Have you seen... (short film / complete version here):

speedgraflex wrote:Destroyed post apocalyptic cityscape!

That's cool, but also illustrates what I've been saying about how dark stuff is now - compared to how it used to be....



They're both good, but I know which aesthetic I prefer - maybe its a nostalgia thing.

Stikpusher wrote:Stuart & Bruce, you’ve planted a bug in my brain with this...

and also reminded me of something...





I’m pretty sure that the book cover pre dates the movie poster by at least a decade or more, but the conceptual similarity is quite apparent to me...

That's really cool Stik and an interesting comparison!

Did someone say "Starship Troopers"?







These are miniatures from that game that I painted up for a friend of mine. He wanted everything to look so much better than the unpainted figures. I decided to do a cockroach-type theme for the bugs instead of the movie versions....