Count Lorenth: Bones 2 Figure

     Back in June I painted the Count Lorenth figure from the Bones 2 Expansion Set 2, to enter in the Reaper Facebook Page's Summer Painting Contest.  I had to enter anonymously, so I wasn't able to identify myself as the painter until after the contest was over.  The contest ended last week, so I can now post this article.  I didn't fare too well with my game table style up against really top notch display painters, garnering only 22 votes; but it was fun to take part.
    While I didn't personally get the Expansion Set 2 during the Bones 2 Kickstarter, I was able to pick up this figure in a trade a while back.
        The figure comes with the rider already attached, so the first thing I did was pry him off his mount to make painting easier.  I forgot to take a photo of the figure before I disassembled it, so here is one from the Reaper store.

I then prepped both pieces in the usual way, soaking them in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish-soap added, then giving them a light scrub with a soft toothbrush, and then rinsing and drying them.    I then trimmed the horse's base and glued it to a black-primed 1.25" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue.   And, when the glue was dry,  I put it in my Citadel painting grip.

     I began by painting the entire figure with Ceramcoat "Black".  I then drybrushed the caparison with Americana "Neutral Grey", followed by a lighter drybrushing of Folk Art "Platinum Gray".  Next, I drybrushed the main and tail with Citadel "The Fang", and after that I drybrushed the body of the horse where it could be seen, with Folk Art "Barn Wood".

     I then painted the barding with Folk Art Color Shift "Black Flash", and the saddle and reins with Reaper MSP "Coal Black".  After that, I painted the decorative metal parts with Ceramcoat "Bronze".

     Next, I applied a wash to the barding, and decorative Bronze medallions on the horses rump, and the decorative chest piece, using some Citadel Nuln Oil wash."  Then, when the wash was dry, I highlighted the barding with some of the "Black Flash" mixed with a little Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver", and highlighted the decorative bits I had painted Bronze with some Ceramcoat "Wedding Gold".  I then highlighted the saddle and reins with some Apple Barrel "Apple Black Green".   After that, I free-handed some blank skulls on each side of the caparison using Ceramcoat "White".

     I then finished painting the faces on the skulls, and then I painted the horse's hooves with Americana "Charcoal Grey".  After that, I painted the horses eyes, and some dripping gore on his nostrils and hooves with Ceramcoat "Cherry Brown", and then highlighted the eyes and gore with some Ceramcoat "Opaque Red".  I also used the "Opaque Red" to paint a tear on each skull, and lastly, painted the figure's base with some Americana "Raw Umber".

       I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish. 

     I wanted to decorate the base somehow, so I tossed about some ideas in my head, and decided on having some undead skeletons emerging from the ground in the wake of their evil lord.   So after scrounging around a little, I found an extra copy of the Skeleton Warrior Sword figure I had, and proceeded to chop him up into some useable pieces.    I glued his upper torso to one side of the base, and half his shield to the other side, using the Aleene's Tacky glue.  While the glue was still wet, I sprinkled a little sand over it.  Then when the Tacky glue was dry, I covered the rest of the base with white glue, and covered it in a course sand mixture.

      When all the glue was dry, I painted the skeleton with Americana "Antique White", and the front of the shield with the "Black Cherry".  Next, I painted  the back of the shield with Americana "Mississippi Mud", and then the sword and the rim of the shield with Ceramcoat "Walnut".   When all the paint was dry, I gave the skeleton and shield a wash with the "Nuln Oil" wash.  When that was dry, I went over it again with some Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash.

         When the wash was dry, I painted the skeleton with Americana "Bleached Sand".  I then "rusted" the sword, and shield rim and hub, by splotching it with Crafter's Edition "Spice Brown", and then Accent "Golden Oxide".  I then painted the sand base with the Walnut", followed by drybrushes with Americana "Mississippi mud", and then Folk Art "Barn Word", and lastly some of the "Bleached Sand". 

     I let the base dry overnight and the next day I glued on some bits of grass tufts.   Another overnight dry, and I sprayed the horse and base with Testor's Dullcote".

      Next, I worked on the knight.   I put him in an alligator clip to make holding him easier.

    Much like the horse's barding,  I began by painting the whole knight with Black, and then painted his armor with the Color Shift "Black Flash".  When dry, I gave the armor a wash with the "Nuln Oil, and then when the wash was dry, drybrushed it with some of the "Black Flash" mixed with a little of the "Metallic Silver"

      Next, I re painted the shield Black.  I then worked on the visor, which I hoped to make look like it was glowing.  I first painted it with White, and then painted it with Nicole's"Neon Green"., and lightly drybrushed some of the "Neon Green on the surrounding armor.  I then painted a thin strip on the inside of the open visor with the White again, slightly thinned.

     Next, I painted the decorations on the shield, and the hilt of the sword with the "Bronze".  I then painted the blade of the sword with Reaper MSP Bones "Cinnamon Red", and went dry, went over it with a mix of the "Cinnimon Red" and some Folk Art Color Shift "Red Flash".  I wasn't happy with the outcome, so I tried panting over it again with some Folk Art Metallic "Bright Red".  I liked that better.  When it was dry, I did some light highlights across the blade with the "Metallic Silver".  I then highlighted the decorative bits on the shield and the hilt, that I had originally painted Bronze, with some of the  "Wedding Gold".  I then highlighted the edges of the shield with some Apple Barrel "Apple Black Green".

      An overnight dry, and I sprayed the figure with Testor's Dullcote".   I then glued the two pieces together, and it was done.

I'm pretty happy with the way he turned out, even if he isn't competition worthy.  If I have ever have an undead horde that needs a general, I have my man. :)

Ursula, Dwarven Bear Rider: Bones 2 Figure

    This past week I worked on Ursula, Dwarven Bear Rider, which was released as part of the Bones 2 Expansion 2 set.   I didn't get that set originally, and picked up this figure from a friend who had.   I selected her to paint this past week, as I wanted her to be the Dwarven Commander in a game I'm running at next month's Historicon gaming convention.
      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 it.   I then trimmed the figure's integral base a little and then glued the figure to a black-primed 1.5" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue. I then placed the figure in my painting grip.

     I began by painting the armor Ceramcoat "Black"; and when it was dry, I drybrushed the armor with  Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal Grey".  After that, I painted the bear with Crafter's Edition "Cinnamon Brown".

     I then painted her face with Americana "Shading Flesh", and her hair with Ceramcoat "Maple Sugar Tan".  Next, I painted the saddle and girth with Americana "Bittersweet Chocolate", and her pants with Americana "Khaki Tan".   After that, I did her boots and the fur at the top of her cape with Accent "Real Umber", and the  painted the tops of her boots with Americana "Terra Cotta".

     I went back to the "Bittersweet Chocolate" and painted the strap around the bears neck,   and then painted his mouth with Apple Barrel "Apple Lt. Pink", and his teeth with Americana "Antique White".  I then painted his claws with Americana "Charcoal Grey", and then did the Dwarf's cape with Anita's "Burnt Sienna".     

        After everything had time to dry, I gave her face a wash of Citadel "Reikland Fleshshade" wash.   When that wash was dry, I then gave a wash to her hair, cape, pants, and boots, as well as the whole bear, with Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash.    When that was dry, I painted her eye, then highlighted her face with a mix of the base "Shading Flesh", and some Crafter's Acrylic "Flesh".   After that, I highlighted her hair with some  of the "Antique White", and then with some Apple Barrel "Lemon Chiffon".   Next, I painted her eyepatch, dagger sheath, and the two grips on the sword with Reaper MSP "Coal Black".  When dry, I highlighted them all with Citadel "The Fang". 

      Next, I highlighted her pants with the "Antique White", and then highlighted her cape with Americana "Burnt Orange".  I then highlighted her boots, and the fur at top of her cape, with Americana "Mississippi Mud", and then highlighted the tops of the boots with Accent "Golden Oxide". 

     I now worked on the bear; highlighting him first with a drybrush of Folk Art "Teddy Bear Brown", followed with a drybrush of Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige" on the higher points.  I finished by drybrushing his muzzle, shoulder, hips, and rump with a little Folk Art "Barn Wood".   Next, I highlighted his teeth with Americana "Bleached Sand", and his claws with Crafter's Acrylic "Storm Cloud Grey".  I painted his nose and eyes with the "Black", and highlighted the nose with a little Americana "Dove Grey", and his eyes with dots of White.  After that, I got out the "Mississippi Mud again, and used it to highlight the saddle girth and neck strap.  

     At this point I painted the shield with Americana "True Blue".  I then painted the sword, metal claws on her boots, and the shield border with Americana "Zinc",  and when they were dry, I painted over them, as well as painting the studs on the neck strap, with Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal Grey".  I then highlighted them, and all the other armor with Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver".   I next painted the decorations on her shield, and the eyepatch on the helmet, with Ceramcoat "Bronze", and when dry, went over them with Americana "Wedding Gold".

     Lastly, I painted the figure's integral base with the "Bittersweet Chocolate".

     I let the figure dry overnight and the next day I gave it a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.    Then, when  the varnish was dry, I used some white glue to flock the base.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed it with Testor's Dullcote". 

     I'm really amazed at how this came out.  This may be my new favorite figure; not only is it a super-cool sculpt, but I think I did a pretty good job with it as well.  I only wish she had a whole unit of Bones bear-mounted Dwarven women to command!