A thing a week 2021, week 39

This we have one of my favorite things ever: cheap and easy painting. Bones 5 fulfilled earlier this year and these are probably the easiest paints in the entire batch. Despite the time investment herein, I think these guys look good.

These six guys are listed as Boulderkin and they're apparently too new to be listed on Reapermini.com. They're primed, shadowed (anti-zenithaled) and zenithaled as usual but we use the airbrush one step further: they got a basecoat and basic highlight with the airbrush. After that, an ink wash, dry brush, and picking out their beady eyes finished them off. I put them on desert-y bases because my current campaign is happening in a desert-y environment. I'd intended to take two shots of these as normal but forgot so enjoy this uncentered photo.

I'm calling this guy a stump elemental. I have no idea what he's supposed to be but he's listed with the dark elves. He's painted basically like the boulderkin with the addition of picking out a few details and adding a few highlights in brushwork. He has no eyes so I didn't paint any. Note again my lousy photography and how terribly he's centered. Not clear what I'll use him for or why he's on cobblestones but he's done and that counts for something. 

2021 finished mini counter: 228/100

Elffest 2021, week 5 (week 38)

Thought we were done with Elves, were we? Well not today! This week we have bonus Elves from Bones 5 which fulfilled earlier this year. These are nice figs disrespected by a questionable batch paint job. They follow the typical pattern:

• prime w/stynylrez w/airbrush
• shadow w/payne's grey inks w/airbrush
• zenithal w/white ink w/airbrush
• some ineffective basecoating w/airbrush
• basecoat with pro acryl transparents
• highlight and whatnot

These five are Elf Rangers and they're new enough that I can't find a link on reapermini.com. These are good figs with terrible eyes. Following up from my observation on the Wood Elf Archers last week, these guys are relatively simple with minimal colors needed but still have enough details to be interesting. I went out of my way to texture the leather rather than leaving them as Pro Acryl Brown Transparent as I've been doing recently but don't worry, I'll be back to my normal shenanigans in the next theme. I think these guys came out pretty well despite not spending anywhere near enough time on them and despite their torturous eyes.

These two are a Dark Elf w/Bow and Lanaerel Grayleaf, Elf Ranger (in plastic). As non-rank-and-file figures, I spent slightly more time on them as they are slightly more interesting. After having done these seven, I'm not entirely sold on this color scheme even though it's technically a proper split complementary. Also, now shooting these figs, I should have pushed my highlights higher. 

Overall these seven were done to the tune of around 14 hours which is slightly higher than intended but being better sculpts, I'm good with that. I think they came out OK and I'm happy to add them to my collection of completed figs.

2021 finished mini counter: 221/100

Elffest 2021 week 4 (week 37)

This would be week two of the green team and like last time, these are the archers. If this theme has taught me anything, it's that I'm glad I don't play an army game.

First up we have the other half of Nolzur's Female Elf Ranger. This neither a good figure nor a good paint job and yet she's here shot by herself. The sculpt is questionable and like a lot of the Nolzur's line, they're lousy molds. I have no idea what's goin on with this fig so I mostly guessed and was lazy. Best color? Yes, painted.

And digging deeper into my vintage figs we have some Oldhammer Wood Elf Archers. These are awesome heavy metal figs that I bought decades ago at a going out of business sale. If I'd had any sense (or any more cash) I would have bought more. They're painted in the same scheme as the other Elves in this batch and based with a combination of flocking and old tea leaves. I think these guys look pretty good and looking more closely, I think I know why. They seem to have a critical amount of detail. Not too much to be annoying but not too little to be boring. As this was pretty early in these kinds of figs even being a thing, I don't know if that was intentional or otherwise, though it certainly is today. 

Last up we have Aeris Female Ranger and Alistrilee from Reaper Bones. These share similar issues with all the normal Bones lines. I do like these figures despite that and I spent a bit of extra time on them, though not as much as I might have otherwise done. Poor Alistrilee's face is taking more light in this photo than is strictly needed which is a good indication that I need to adjust my lighting again.

The green team in whole were finished in about 23 hours which is pretty high for 13 figs. I'd expected this to speed up but it hasn't, really. These are rolling in at higher quality and they aren't as self-similar as, say, the Frostgrave Crewmen from A Pirate's Life, so I guess that kind of makes sense. 

2021 finished mini counter: 214/100

Elffest 2021, week 3 (week 36)

This week we start the green team and, as we all know, green is a very Elfy color. Like most of the other figs in this theme we start with the normal steps:

1. Prime with Badger Stynylrez (mix of white and grey)
2. Anti-zenithal with Daler Rowney Payne's Grey ink
3. Zenithal with an off white, probably Pro Acryl Bright Ivory
4. Straight down highlight with Daler Rowney white ink

Just like last time we start with the melee team and this is the twin of Week 34's Elf Paladin by Stanislav Kuznetsov. I feel like I did a better job than on his twin but only marginally. I'm also starting to decide that I don't like all of the bejangles and other crap on him (I was on the fence in week 34 but I'm pretty sure now). Possibly a larger print and more carefully applied paint would be better but I'm not 100% sure I'm going to do that.

Next up we have the twin High Elf Female Guardians again by Stanislav. Their swords are droopy like the last ones and I still didn't do enough highlighting of their armor. These figs, on the other hand, I like more having painted another two of them. I don't think I particularly did any better painting them but there ya go. Next time around I'll probably do a better metallic pop color--I don't think this bronze works super well.

And if you predicted, "we'll have twin male and female Elf Soldiers by Velrock!" then you are indeed correct! I was in no way consistent in where I applied the bronze-ish color but meh. I think these would also be better at larger scale where their details would be a little easier to cope with but I really wish the cloth hangy bits were sculpted a little better.

This is Shardis, Female Elf Rogue and I'm pretty sure she came with Bones 4 seemingly forever ago. I rather like this fig. She's got a nice pose and fun armor and a pair of daggers which is under represented in my collection. Note the pillar attaching her scabbard to the ground. I might have cut that off but painted it black instead. Her eyes are better in person than they look in the picture and despite the fact that I didn't shade her super well, I think she turned out OK.

Next up we have Arael, Half-Elf Cleric. Despite my best efforts, the mold lines on this guy were a mess but as a normal white plastic Bones fig, this is a common issue. I did not appreciate the bajillionty straps on him nor did I like that his foot behind his sword is unsculpted. His left hand is pretty badly deformed which is common with old metal molds in Bones white plastic. I put quite a lot of effort into him and I'm afraid the results don't particularly show here. That said, he's the best color: painted.

Last up we have Fiara, Elf Heroine. I don't particularly like her weapon but her armor is pretty nice. I also put extra effort into this fig and I think she looks good for it. Probably more shading was needed on her weapon and the yellows could pop a little more but I'm pretty happy with the result.

2021 finished mini counter: 209/100