From SimonG: A Seductive Sazae-Oni Out For Your Unmentionables ... (30 points)

 To bring things to a close I offer up another Black Rose Wars figure from Ludus Magnus Studios -- the (what I think is) Sazae-Oni, or snail woman.

Actually she's more of a slug woman as I cannot find her shell (perhaps it's under her kimono!). This certainly led to an odd set of references as you can see

The mythology of Sazae-Oni is that they are temptresses who lure seafarers and then cut off their testicles, or in colloquial Japanese the kin-tama (or "golden balls"!)

Anyway I wanted her to look smart and in keeping and really enjoyed working on the cherry blossom kimono -- lots of time to get a deep and richly shaded base red coat and then details with a fine liner pen for the branches and then impressionistic splotches for the flowers and leaves.  All other colours were picked to match the patterns in the kimono.

Brutal close ups show I messed up the beauty spot over the left eye -- need to go back in with my magnifier and fix this! 

Getting white makeup skin tone is hard work -- GW apothecary white makes a good fondation but unfortunately there's no easy way of correcting errors unlike in more normal skin tones where you can reapply the base and then wash over it -- base and wash in one mean this doesn't work as the contrast paint doesn't cover errors unlike a base coat ... 

I think this lady makes a nice match with Lune -- witchcraft and moody sorcery! So gives me another 25 points (call her a 28mm figure plus the 20 point planet bonus).

 

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"Actually, she's more of a slug woman" - stuff I read during The Challenge.

 

Very fine brushwork on this challenging painting subject. I am adding extra bonus points for the complicated dress and makeup. Very nice Simon. 

 

GregB

From SimonG: A Jewish Hero and a Vulpine Assassin (50 points)

Two very contrasting offerings for this week but in each case probably among my favourite bits of painting from anything I've worked on.

First up is a superhero offering for Krypton -- Simon bar Giora hero of Beth Horon and an important albeit deeply flawed leader in the subsequent revolt. Ultimately captured and brutally executed by the Romans.

The figure is based from a Victrix Roman auxiliary with removal of the focale (scarf) and braccae (trousers), the addition of a cloak and a head swap both from Anvil with additional cloak material in milliput and of course thread tzitzit.

Unbelievably the colour scheme was just what seemed to work but sub-consciously I must have meant something so I carried the reference through into the base work as well …

Leaving Krypton we catch a lift on Lady Sarah's star yacht with the assistance of a Kitsune -- once again a Ludus Magnus Studios Black Rose Wars figure. 

I loved the references for this figure and working on the colouring then all the bits of her leather armour. I tried to keep the colour palette muted and in keeping with genuine samurai armour. Her fur colour is taken from the Japanese red fox. 

Kawaii!

I mixed a deep reddy orange base, a wash of Feugan Orange and then layered on successively lighter shades of brown. Tip of the tail was base Morgehast Bone then washed in Apothecary White Contrast then finished in White Scar.

Feels a bit cheap with only two figures to claim 50 points but at 5 points each 28mm figure (the Kitsune is larger but her body size is close to 28mm, all the rest is tails!) and two 20 point Challenge bonuses I think my math is on point.

Nest stop should be Terra and back to earth with a bump and some mid 1980s NWOBHM!

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What a wonderful post, with two figures on opposite thematic ends of the spectrum. 

The Kitsune is marvellous. I love the red tones you've chosen for her, especially the white tail tips, and the red and black samurai armour is an excellent choice.  As good as the fox-demon is, my heart goes out to your Simon bar Giora. Wow, that is some wonderful mods you've given that figure, Simon. The care and consideration you took of the subject matter really shows, and your execution is superb. Bravo!

- Curt

From SimonG: From out of the marshes a slimy Yokai! (25 points)

For my initial foray into the Chambers of Challenge I offer a Kappa -- just emerged from the stinking marsh of the Aquifer and still dripping with river water.

This is a 38 mm PVC miniature from the "Black Rose Wars" game from the Italian Ludus Magnus studio. Overall these are great sculpts and it is a pity the casting material doesn't do them full justice -- I wish we could get the resin higher quality master castings. I also failed to remember that they need a good washing to get rid of the mold release compound that is a pretty effective water based paint rejector!

I should have gotten creative and added a water effect to the pool he carries on his head (as you all know a Kappa dies if he spills this small pool of water!)

I'll be mixing up a number of these figures alongside my HYW and my 10mm scale project so look for some more interesting fantasy figures to come -- it's fun to try some different colour combinations and work on technique a bit but I do hate the integral bases -- unfortunately as these are key for the game mechanics there's not much I can do about that.

By by reckoning that should be another 25 points towards my target (5 for the figure and 20 for the chamber) -- on next to my work on greyscale!