A Little Celebration!

  Just wanted to pass along a couple bits of celebratory news here at the "All Bones About It" blog. First, this week the blog reached it's 50,000 view! So I wanted to pass along my thanks to all those who have stopped by and visited over the past couple years; and a special thanks to those of you who liked what you saw and hung around for frequent visits. :)
Secondly, I just recieved notice today that my Wave 6 Bones II box has been shipped. So look for those figures to start salting their way into the mix in the weeks ahead!

Hi there!  We're shipping out your Kickstarter stuff!

You're getting:

Expansion Set 1 x1

Dragons Don't Share x1

Mashaaf, Great Old One x1

Water Elementals x1

Mouslings x1*

2013 Core Set x1

  *The Mouslings were ordered for a friend, so I won't be painting those.

Khael Stonekindle, Dwarf Wizard: Figure 138 of 265

      This week I painted Khael Stonekindle, Dwarf Wizard, from the Dwarves Set.  In thinking about how I wanted to paint him, I decided I wanted to go with an all gray theme, (I'll forgo the 50 shades jokes :)  ), like he was a natural part of the rocky Dwarf world he inhabited; almost becoming one with the stones.  One of things I learned in doing this is that it seems half my bottles are labeled as "grey", and half as "gray"...I'm not sure which is correct or whether they're interchangeable?
      So, I prepped this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish- soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 1" black-primed fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and glued the washer to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of Elmer's White Glue.
    I began by painting the figure all black, base and all; and then giving it a heavy drybrushing with Folk Art "Medium Gray".  I then drybrushed over this more lightly with Duncan "Slate Grey".  I made an attempt to mostly, but not completely, avoid his boot with these colors, so it only got the hint of some drybrushing on it.

Next, I painted his staff with Folk Art "Barn Wood". I then painted his sleeve with Folk Art "Poppy Seed", and his pants leg with GW "Shadow Grey". I mixed some Americana "Shading Flesh" with some of the "Medium Grey" (about 50/50) and painted his face and hands with the blended color.

I then carefully drybrushed his beard and hair with Apple Barrel "Rock Grey". I also decided to add some decorative touches, and painted his hat and sleeve bands with the "Shadow Grey", and then went back and trimmed them with Folk Art Platinum Gray".  I painted his scabbard with Aleene's "True Grey", and his pouches, belt, and sword grip with Americana "Charcoal Grey".  I then painted his pipe with American "Dove Grey".

    When everything was dry, I gave the entire figure a wash with GW "Badab Black" wash".

     After the wash was good and dry, I went back and drybrushed his staff with the base "Barn Wood".  I then added his eyes by painting the whites white and doing black pupils. I added highlights to his beard with first the base "Rock Grey", and then some of the "Platinum Gray". I added some highlights to his robes with the "Slate Grey".  Then, I mixed some of the "Shading Flesh" with some of the "Slate Grey" and added highlights to his face and hands. Likewise, I mixed some of the "Slate Grey" to the "Charcoal Grey" and highlighted his pouches. and belt.  I followed up by adding highlights to his pipe with the "Dove Grey", sleeve with the "Poppy Seed", and pants with the "Shadow Grey".  I realized I hadn't done his eyebrows yet, so added them in by first painting them with the "Rock Grey", and then adding some light "Platinum Gray" highlights.
    Lastly, I worked on the metals; painting the metal bits on his sword, staff, and pouches with Cermacoat "Metallic Pewter". I also used this color to paint the beads in his beard, and the eyes on the staff's dog's head.  I then went back and added highlights to the metal bits with Folk Art "Silver Sterling".
    I decided I actually wanted his base to look less grassy than usual, so I took the time to  drybrush his textured base with Americana "Mississippi Mud", and then went back over it more lightly with GW Foundation "Deneb Stone".
        The next morning I gave the figure a coat of  Ceramcoat "Mate Varnish". Later that afternoon, I glued a small stone on the base and then flocked it.  The following day, I sprayed the figure with "Testor's Dullcote". 

I'm very pleased with how this fellow turned out. I think he has a great wizened look about him.

Figure 138 of 265: Complete

Freja Fangbreaker, Dwarf Warrior: Figure 137 of 265

     This week I started the Dwarves Set, and painted the female warrior, Freja Fangbreaker.  I prepped this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish- soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 1" black-primed fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and glued the washer to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of Elmer's White Glue.

     I began by painting the body of the figure with black, and when dry, gave it a heavy drybrushing of Ceramcoat "Metallic Pewter". I then went over this with a lighter drybrushing of Folk Art "Silver Sterling".

  Next,  I painted the plates on her skirt, her belt buckle, and the rivets on he shield with Ceramcoat "Bronze".  I then painted the inside of her shield with Ceramcoat "Walnut", the two ax handles with GW "Vermin Brown", and her loincloth with Apple Barrel "Apple Blue Spruce".

     I then went on to paint her flesh with Americana "Shading Flesh", and her hair with Anita's "Burnt Sienna". I painted her belt and the straps on her shield ax with Americana Asphaltum, and the pouch on her back I painted with DecoArt "Cinnamon Brown".

    I went back and painted the circlet on her head with the "Bronze.  I then gave her hair, skin, belt, pouch and ax handles all a wash with Winsor-Newton "Peat Brown" Ink. While the ink was drying,  I added some highlights to her loincloth with a mix of the original "Apple Blue Spruce" with a little Anita's "Baby Blue" added in.

     It was now time to do the eyes. I painted the sockets black then added whites with black pupils.  I then moved on to highlighting the hair. I first gave a drybrush with the original "Burnt Sienna", then I used some Accent "Golden Oxide" to added some lighter highlights.  I then did the highlights on her skin, first using the base "Shading Flesh, and then mixing in a little Apple Barrel "Apple Flesh" to do lighter highlights.  I did some quick highlights on her pouch with the base "Cinnamon Brown".  I now worked on finishing up the metals, first highlighting all the parts I had painted "Bronze" with Cermacoat "14K Gold", and then going back and doing some final highlights on the rest of her armor and weapons with the "Silver Sterling". Lastly, I painted her white integral base with the "Asphaltum".
      I let the figure sit for the rest of the day, and before I went to bed I gave it a coat of Ceramcoat "Matte Varnish".  The next morning I flocked the base, and late that afternoon I sprayed the figure with Testor's Dullcote.

     I like how this little lady turned out.  I wanted to really make her look all about the metals, with only a minimum of parts painted non metallic colors;  and I think that really came out well.

   As many of you may have heard, Reaper is now shipping out their Bones II Kickstarter boxes.  I'm in Wave 6, so it will be a while before I get mine.  Once it arrives, it will be a real job to stay on task finishing up Bones I.  I've been debating with myself whether I want to showcase the figures from Bones II that I paint on this forum or not.  I don't plan to be as deliberate about completing the entirety of the Bones II figures as I have been about Bones I; and in fact plan to trade some off to some friends.  But I was just wondering if folks would be interested in having the occasional Bones II figure highlighted on this blog as well as the rest of the Bones I ones.

Figure 137 of 265: Complete

Elladan, Elf Ranger: Figure 136 of 265

This week I painted Elladan, Elf Ranger, from the Elves set.  This wraps up this set, and so it joins the list of completed sets over on the right.  Next up are the Dwarves.
       I prepped this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish- soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 1" black-primed fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and glued the washer to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of Elmer's White Glue.

     I began by painting his under-tunic with Amerciana "Asphaltum". I then painted the outer tunic with Americana "Avocado".   Next, I painted the cape's lining with Accent "Deep Forest Green", and then his leggings with Americana "Butter Pecan".

  I now proceeded to paint the outer cape with Americana "Forest Green". Then I painted the leather armor hangings (?)(Not sure what they are.) at his waist and shoulders with Apple Barrel "Yellow".  His shoes, belts, scabbard and pouch I painted with  Accent "Mustard Seed".

 I then painted the leaf decorations on his leather armor with Apple Barrel "Burnt Sienna". I also painted his face and hands with GW "Elf Flesh".  After everything had had time to dry, I gave his skin, belts, leggings and shoes and sleeves a wash with Winsor Newton "Peat Brown" ink.  I then gave his leather armor hangings a wash with Iron Wind Metals "Chestnut" ink.

   When the ink was dry, I painted his hair; first mixing some Americana "Sable Brown with some Ceramcoat "Walnut" together to do a dark first coat.  I then drybrushed this with the base "Sable Brown" and then gave it some lighter highlights with the "Butter Pecan"  I then worked on doing highlights on his outfit.  First I added highlights to his outer cape with.   Americana "Leaf Green". I then mixed some of the "Forest Green" with the "Deep Forest Green" to do some highlights on the cape's lining. Next I mixed a little Americana "Olive Green" with the "Avocado" to do highlights on his outer tunic.  I added highlights to the leaf decorations on his leather armor hangings with some Americana "Burnt Orange".  Next, I did highlights on his belts, shoes, scabbard, and pouch with the base "Mustard Seed", and his leggings with the base "Butter Pecan".  Now I finished up the face and hands, painting the eyes white with black pupils, and then adding highlights with the base "Elf Flesh".  I ended this step with painting the grips on his weapons with the "Walnut".
     I then worked on the metals, first painting the hilts, his buckles, and the scabbard tip with Ceramcoat "Bronze".  I then went back and added highlights with Ceramcoat "14K Gold".  Next, I painted the blades with Cermacoat "Metallic Pewter", and then added highlights with Folk Art "Silver Sterling".   Lastly, I painted the little ball on the end of the sword hilt with Folk Art "Metallic Emerald Green".   I painted the figure's white integral base with Americana "Mississippi Mud".
      I let the figure sit overnight, and the next morning I gave it a coat of Ceramcoat "Matte Varnish".  Later that afternoon I flocked the base.   The next day I sprayed the figure with Testor's Dullcote.

   I'm generally pleased with how this figure turned out.  It was a nice simple figure to work on.

Figure 136 of 265: Complete

Autumn Bronzeleaf, Elf Magic User: Figure 135 of 265

     This week I painted the a third figure from the Elves set, Autumn Bronzeleaf.  She appears to be a magic user.  One more elf to go after this one to complete the set.
       I prepped this figure in the usual way; soaking it in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish- soap added, then giving it a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying.  I then glued the figure to a 1" black-primed fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and glued the washer to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of Elmer's White Glue.

     I began painting by giving her a wash with thinned black ink with a tiny pin-point drop of dish-soap added to help it flow into the crevices and help show the sculpting outlines.  I then by chance went to see the latest Hobbit movie last week, and got the idea of painting her in all white, kind of like Galadriel looks in the movie.  So, I went back and I painted  the entire figure (except for the head), staff included, with Apple Barrel "Rock Grey"; covering over the ink wash.  I then painted her footwear with Folk Art "Medium Gray"

  Next, I gave the whole figure a heavy dry brush with Americana "Dove Grey", followed by a lighter dry brush with pure white.  I then painted all her skin with GW "Elf Flesh".

   Next, I mixed together some Americana "Moon Yellow" and Americana "Asphaltum, about 50/50, and painted her hair.   I then took Folk Art "Silver Sterling" and drybrushed the leaf pattern around her midriff.  I also used the "Silver Sterling" to paint her necklace, wrist guards, buckles on her leg straps, and the dangles at the top of her staff.

  At this point I went back and carefully drybrushed her hair with the base "Moon Yellow", doing the edges with a fine brush.  I then went over the hair once more, drybrushing with Apple Barrel "Lemon Chiffon" adding another layer of highlights, and finally I mixed a little white into the "Lemon Chiffon" and did some last detail highlights.  Next, I worked on her eyes; painting the sockets black, then adding whites, and lastly black pupils. I painted her lips with a mix of Americana "Shading Flesh" mixed with  a little of the "Elf Flesh";  I then added a little extra "Elf Flesh" to do highlights on the lips.   Lastly, I mixed some white with the "Elf Flesh" to do highlights on the skin.  I added a little more white, and did another level of skin highlights as well.
       Lastly, I painted the figure's integral base with Americana "Mississippi Mud".  I then mixed some of the "Rock Grey" with a little of the "Mississippi Mud" and painted the rock she has her left foot resting on on.  After the rock dried, I went back and drybrushed it with a little Duncan "Slate Grey".
     I let the figure sit all day, and that evening I gave it a coat of Ceramcoat "Matte Varnish".  The next morning  I flocked the base, and that afternoon I gave the figure a coat of Testor's "Dullcote" spray varnish.

     I like the way the all white turned out.  It certainly is the palest figure I think I've ever attempted, and I think it works.  As you can imagine it was very hard to photograph, and get it looking decent.

Figure 135 of 265: Complete