Saturday 18 January 2020

From PhilH: Landfall at Sander’s Dunes (100 points)

Land Ahoy! 
About bloody time, we’re all out of protein shakes. 
...
Wait, I thought this was supposed to be an undiscovered island? What are all these people hanging around on this beach for? Looks more like Aya Napa. 
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Ok, Let’s hit the beach. How’s about a game of football?



My debut entry was originally to be some more Rojos from my main Spanish Civil War project. And I have painted some of those, who will follow in another post. But I also took what was supposed to be a short detour to paint up a Human team from Games Workshop’s Blood Bowl 2016 set, and they fit this location too. 



These are also a first dabble in using GW’s contrast paints. In fact, that’s why they are red: I was browsing the new paint racks shortly after they came out, and a friend stepped into the store and clocked what I was looking at. He very generously picked up half a dozen for me for my birthday. Blood Angels red was one of those (mixed with some Snakebite 
Leather here) 

Positional players: Blitzers, Catchers and Throwers
I thought Contrast might be an interesting tool for me to paint faster. It’s a totally different method to my usual, and I’m not sure I have quite got my head around it yet. How did I find them? Mmmm, they certainly do a job of getting colour on fast. I chose to add one or two highlights on most of the colours, and traditionally paint a few bits. So they took a week or so, but that’s a lot faster then my usual ways (looking at the Skaven team from last Challenge, still unfinished...) 

I’m a messy painter, relying on layering to tidy up my errant brushstrokes. That doesn’t work so well for contrast, where one thick coat is the mantra. But to me they’re an interesting tool, particularly for side projects where I’d rather get paint on quick. 

Six linemen

The Wraithbone primer is a cracker though: goes on super-smooth and a really nice off-white base. 

The new GW teams come with two of each sculpt, but you may notice that as with my Skaven last year I’ve converted half of these a little, twisting or swapping arms, mostly. 


So that’s 12x 32mm models at 60 points, plus perhaps 10 in total for the four markers. Then the 30 bonus for Sander’s Dunes. That’s a nice round 100 points.

***
Welcome to the island Phil, what a way to make landfall, these are gorgeous!  The red looks great on these and the overall paint job is exceptionally clean looking, especially from someone who describes them self as a messy painter!

I am with you on the messy side as well though, I tend to go back and forth and clean up slips during layering and as such left the contrast paints alone.  I may actually have to try them.

Overall the team looks stunning and I bet you can not wait to get them on the field to play a few games, and what perfect timing with the divisional round of the playoffs for the NFL happening this weekend and the Superbowl in 2 weeks.  Sit down play a game with new figs AND watch the playoffs, perfect!

- ByronM





20 comments:

  1. Lovely work Phil and welcome to another Challenge :)

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  2. These look great! Lovely finish on them, especially if you've done them more rapidly than usual!
    Best Iain

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  3. Welcome back to the Challenge Phil!!

    Beautiful work on these. Are they to help you get your head around the upcoming transfer? :) It was interesting to read your take on the Contrast Paints. I'm still on the fence with them - some colours are fantastic while others are epic fails. I'm with Byron, I can't imagine you being a messy painter taking into account how smooth and precise your style is.

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    1. Quite right, some contrast are fab, others complete duffers.

      Smooth and precise only because I marry messy paintwork with a perfectionist streak: much time spent on corrections!

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  4. Welcome ashore Phil and well done with these guys, great red.

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    1. Cheers Peter. Out of the pot it was a bit garish, but mixing some snakebite leather contrast in sorted that out

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  5. Ahoy Phil, great work as usual. Messy painting FTW!

    I have found use for some of the Contrast paints, but in many cases they are solutions looking for a problem - but that said, there are so many different approaches to painting, I expect they must be working for someone out there!

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    1. Yes,they seem to be aimed at non-painters or beginners to be able to churn basic painted minis out that look a bit better, very quickly. They probably do that better than any other product.

      The aren’t meant for us traditionalists and our Foundry paint system or thousand shades of Vallejo. But I do have a stack of Legion Stormtroopers to paint, and expect they may make that process less painful :-)

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    2. Yup, they're actually quite good on the whole, for what they do. They are NOT for those who like to have fine control over their shading and colour definition. I do like the diffused effects that they can give. On the whole I think they add a neat option to the painting tool chest.

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  6. I almost thought you‘d miss the boat this year! Glad you‘ve made it to our cosy little corner of Challenge Island though. While I‘d have loved to see some of your excellent SCW Rojos these fellas are almost as good! Very nice painting and intersting to read your thoughts on those newish Citadel paints. I‘ve only done one minor experiment and then binned it.

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    1. Yeah I’ve been busy with Christmas, then eldest’s birthday and some other stuff. But I’ve been plugging away at a few projects. Can’t miss the Challenge completely!

      Working on some T-26s tonight.

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  7. Looking excellent, that read came out really well.

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  8. Great to see some Blood Bowl love!

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  9. Used to be my fave game. Had BB VI with the card teams at one point in time!

    Great work and a fab looking team.

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    1. Cheers, it’s a venerable classic, well worth a spot in the collection

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  10. Very nice and i totally agree on the contrast paints, fantastic for side projects you wonder if you'll ever get done and as a start for larger things.

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