Wearbear: Bones 3 Figure & Cave Bear: Bones 4 Lost Valley Figure

     This past week I painted the "Werebear" from the Bones 3 Lycanthropes set, and the "Cave Bear" from he Bones 4 Lost Valley Expansion.   I want to make a unit of War-Bears for a fantasy army I'm building, (See: Arakus Landarzad), and thought a selection of the Reaper bear figures would fit the bill.  I chose the Werebear to be the leader of the unit; similar to Beorn, the man who could change into a bear as depicted in the Hobbit.  The Cave Bear would just serve as one of the rank and file in the unit.  My plan was to mount these with 2 figures on a 2"x2" base.

       I prepped the figures 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 put the Werebear directly into my painting grip, and used some blue-tac to attach the Cave Bear to a pill bottle.

     I painted these two figures basically the exact same way, so I will only show the Werebear in the step-by-step photos.  I wanted to make them look kind of like grizzly bears, so I googled some images to give myself some inspiration of the coloration.

     I began by painting the bears entirely with Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige".  I then immediately painted the forearms and lower legs with Americana "Charcoal Grey", blending it in with the still-wet "Territorial Beige". I then painted the claws with Americana "Dark Chocolate".  After that, I painted his under-shorts with Folk Art "Dapple Gray", his over-shorts with Ceramcoat "Denim Blue", and his sash with accent "Mustard Seed".

     Next, I painted his rope belt with Americana "Buttermilk", and his rope necklace with Reaper MSP "Auburn Shadow".  Aftr that, I painted the axe handle with Reaper MSP "Shield Brown", and the wrap on the axe handle with Reaper MSP "Hallowed Orange".   I let the figures dry for a while, and then gave them both a complete coat of Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash. 

    When the wash was dry,   I drybrushed the dark areas of fur with Folk Art "Teddy Bear Brown".  I then drybrushed the rest of the fur with first, Reaper MSP "Ginger Cookie", and then a little Americana "Bleached Sand".  Next, I highlighted the under-shorts with a mix of the base "Dapple Gray", and some Folk Art "Gray Green".   After that, I highlighted the over-shorts with a mix of the base "Denim Blue' with some Apple Barrel "Apple Scotch Blue". 

     I then highlighted the sash with Americana "Antique Gold", and a little Crafter's Acrylic "Daffodil Yellow".  Next, I painted one feather on his necklace with Ceramcoat "Black" and the other with Americana "Grey Sky".  After that, I painted one of the beads with Reaper MSP "Ultramarine Blue", the other with Pathfinder MSP Urgathea Red", and the fringe decoration with Apple Barrel "Burnt Sienna". 

      Next, I highlighted the axe handle with Folk Art "Barn Wood", and the wrap on the axe handle with Reaper MSP "Bronzed Highlight".  I then painted the axe head with Americana "Zinc" and highlighted the belt with Folk Art "Butter Pecan".   I followed that with touching up the necklace cord with the "Auburn Shadow" where the fur drybrushing had gotten on it, and afterwards highlighted it with Americana "Shading Flesh". After that, I highlighted the blue bead with Reaper MSP Bones "Tropical Blue", and the red bead with Reaper MSP "Blood Red".  I then highlighted the black feather with some of the "Apple Scotch Blue", the white feather with Ceramcoat "Snow White", and the tassel with Ceramcoat "Maple Sugar Tan".  

    I then painted the nose and eyes with the "Black", and gave the nose highlights with the "Grey Sky" and the eyes highlights with the "Snow White".     Afterwards, I painted the axe head with  Folk Art Metallic "Gunmetal Gray" and then the clasp holding the tassel on the necklace with Folk Art Brushed Metal "Brushed Bronze".  I then applied a coat of Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash to the center pattern of the axe head.  When dry, I went back and highlighted the axe head with Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver", and the tassel clasp with Folk Art Metallic "Pure Gold".   Lastly, I painted the figure's base with the "Mississippi Mud".

     I let the figures dry overnight and the next day I gave them a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish. My plan had been to mount these two figures side-by-side on a 2"x2" base, and I had just assumed they would both fit.  I had a bit of set back though when I test fitted them, as the figures' bases were too large, and the feet not placed well to even consider trimming the bases down.  So I made the decision to change to a 1-figure per base unit, as that seemed to be my only choice.       

Ooops!

   I then glued each figure to a brown-primed 2"x2" steel base and when dry, used some white glue to flock the base.  I let them dry overnight, and sprayed them with Testor's "Dullcote"the next day.  

     I'm really happy with how these guys turned out.  The fur on both is really sculpted well to take advantage of drybrushing.  And in the end, I think they are big enough to not look too lonely mounted individually on their bases.  I now have 3 more to paint to complete a unit of 5 bases

Grave Minions: Bones 3 Figures

     This past week, with it being the first week of October, I was feeling in a Halloween mood so I painted the Grave Minions, originally released as part of the Bones 3 Graveyard Expansion.  I didn't get that expansion but had ordered these guys directly from Reaper once they were released to retail.

       Because these were the white original Bones material, I began by giving them all a wash with some thinned Reaper MSP "Grey Liner" to help me see the details.   When it was dry, I painted  the pants on the lefthand one and the boots on the center one with Americana "Asphaltum".  I then painted  the pants of center one and the coat of the righthand with Vallejo "Brown Violet".  After that I did the boots of the lefthand one and the coat of the center one with Ceramcoat "Black".  I also painted the pants of the righthand one with Americana "Light Cinnamon".

     Next, I painted the lining of the lefthand one's coat with Reaper MSP Bones "Cinnamon Red", and the coat itself with Crafter's Acrylic "Navy Blue".  I then painted the lining of the center one's coat with Crafter's Acrylic "African Violet", and the lining and collar of the righthand one's coat with Accent "Golden Harvest".   After that, I painted the gravestones with Americana Zinc, the tool handles and rope with Americana "Mississippi Mud", and the metal parts of the tools with Americana "Raw Umber".  I followed that with painting the sack, the skull in it, and the lantern, with Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige", and then the pumpkin heads with Crafter's Acrylic "Orange Spice"

      I then painted the pumpkin stems with Duncan "Olive", and then gave the heads a coat of Citadel "Agrax Earthsahde" wash.  When that was dry, I gave the rest of the bodies a coat of Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash.  After that was dry, I highlighted the pumpkins with, first, a mix of the base "Orange Spice" mixed with a little Americana "Tangerine", and then just the plain "Tangerine.  Next, I painted the insides of the eyes and mouths with Crafter's Acrylic "Daffodil Yellow", and then added smaller highlights in the centers with Americana "Snow White".

      I then highlighted the coat lining on the left figure with Reaper MSP "Holy Berry", and highlighted the coat itself with Americana "True Blue".  Next, I highlighted the pants on the lefthand one with the Territorial Beige" and did the stitching on the coat with Folk Art "Cloudy Day".  After that, I highlighted the coat lining on the center one with Anita's "Violet", and highlighted the coat with the "Zinc".  I followed that by highlighting the pants with Duncan "Olive", and did the stitching with Americana "Grey Sky".   I then moved on to the righthand one, highlighting the coat lining , and collar with the Daffodil Yellow, and the coat with a some of the "Olive" mixed with a little Aleene's "Dusty Khaki". The pants I highlighted with Americana "Khaki", and the stitching I did with the "Dusty Khaki". 

     Next, I highlighted the axe and shovel handles with Americana "Fawn", and highlighted the sack and the rope with Americana "Khaki".  I then highlighted the skull in the sack with, first, Americana "Antique White", and then a little Americana "Bleached Sand".  After that, I drybrushed the tombstones with some Folk Art Platinum Grey", and then painted the lamp panes with the "Black", and then the lamp itself with Folk Art "Brushed Metal "Brushed Bronze".  I also, lightly drybrushed the axe head and shovel head with some Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal  Grey".  Lastly, I painted the  bases with "Americana "Mississippi Mud".
      I let the figures dry overnight and the next day I gave them a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.    Then, when  the varnish was dry, I used some white glue to flock the bases.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed them with Testor's "Dullcote".

     I really like how this trio turned out!  They're a quirky set of minis, and were fun to paint.

War Pugs!: Bones 3 Figure

     Well, my Bones 4 Kickstarter order was shipped this past week, but it isn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow; so in the meantime I painted the 3 War Pugs that originally came with the Bones 3 Dwarf King's Companions Optional Add-on Set.  I picked this trio up in an exchange.
    I prepped the figures in the usual way; soaking them in a dish of water with a couple drops of dish-soap added and then rinsing and drying.   I then glued them to 7/8" black-primed fender washers with Aleene's Tacky glue.  I then glued the figures to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of the Elmer's glue each.

     I began by painting two of the pugs with Americana "Bleached Sand", and the third with Ceramcoat "Black".  When dry, I gave the two light colored pugs a wash with Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash.  When the wash was dry, I drybrushed the light colored pugs with the "Bleached Sand", and then added highlights with Ceramcoat "White" mixed with a little of the "Bleached Sand".    I painted the third pug Ceramcoat "Black".

     Next, I did a light drybrush on their lower backs of the lighter colored two with a mix of Americana "Cinnamon", and Americana "Asphaltum."   I then painted their muzzles, ears, and eye sockets a mix of the "Black" and "Asphaltum".

     I then painted the inside of the open mouth with a mix of Americana "Shading Flesh" and Crafter's Acrylic "Tutti Frutti".  While it dried, I painted the eyes and noses "Black".    I then gave the open a mouth a wash with some of the "Agrax Earthshade".  While the wash dried, I added "White" highlight dots to the eyes, and Americana "Neutral Grey" highlights to the noses and around the mouths.  After that, I highlighted the tongue with Crafter's Acrylic "Cherry Blossom Pink". 
     It was now time to turn my attention to the black pug.  I drybrushed him with a little Americana "Zinc" and then added more specific highlights with Crafter's Acrylic "Storm Cloud Grey".
      Lastly, I painted the figures bases with Americana "Mississippi Mud".

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

     I'm really happy with how these little fellas turned out.  Now I need to find an excuse to get them on the table.  :)

   So tomorrow I hope to be swimming in Bones 4 goodness!  I will try to get some unboxing photos up on the blog either this Thursday, or next Monday, time permitting.    Let me know if there's anything particular you would like pictures of; and if I ordered it, I will try to grab some shots.

Kobolds, Part B: Bones 3 Figures

     This past week I painted the other 3 of the six Kobolds from the Bones 3 Stoneskull Expansion set.
      I prepped the figures 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 glued the figures to 7/8" fender washers with Aleene's Tacky glue.  I then glued the washers to a tongue depressor with a couple drops of the Elmer's glue each.

  I began by painting the figures entirely Ceramcoat "Black".  When the Black was dry, I painted their skin Folk Art "Barnyard Red".  I then painted the tunic of the first one with Accent "Golden Harvest", and of the second one, as well as the under shirt of the third one, with Folk Art "Teddy Bear Brown".  Next, I painted the hood and collar of the first one, the tabard of the second one, and the tunic of the third one with Reaper MSP Bones "Cinnamon Red".  After that, I painted any pants or leggings with Reaper MSP "Pumpkin Orange".

      Next, I painted the wooden axe handles and spear shaft with Folk Art "Barn Wood", their belts with Americana "Sable Brown", and the wizards staff with Folk Art Colr Shift "Black Flash". I then painted the wizard's scroll pouch and the back of the spear Kobold's shield with Americana "Light Cinnimon", and followed u by painting their teeth, as well as the scroll, with Americana "Bleached Sand".   After that, I painted their horns Americana "Khaki Tan", the front of the shield with Folk Art " DeepTomato Red", and the stone in the wizard's staff with Crafter's Acrylic "Tropical Blue".

     I painted the spearpoint and axe heads with Folk Art Metallics "Gunmetal Grey"; and then after the figures had a while to dry, I gave them all a complete wash with Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash.   When the wash was dry, I highlighted the figures' skin with the base color "Barnyard Red". I then painted black noses on the Kobolds, and Reaper MSP "Holly Berry" dots for eyes. I also added claws in with Americana "Antique White".

     Next, I highlighted the wizard's tunic with Crafter's Acrylic "Daffodil Yellow", and then highlighted the pants/leggings with Reaper MSP "Hearth Fire".  I then highlighted the "Teddy Bear Brown" clothing with Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige", and highlighted the "Cinnamon Red" clothing with Crafter's Acrylic "Orange Spice". The shield was highlighted with Reaper MSP HD "Rusty Red", and then given a "Claw" design with the "Daffodil Yellow".  I then painted the flame in the wizard's hand with the "Tropical Blue", and then highlighted it, as well as the stone in the staff, with Crafter's Acrylic "Cool Blue".  I then added a little Americana "Snow White" highlight to the flame. I then highlighted the spearpoint and axe heads with Ceramcoat "Metallic Silver".  Lastly, I painted the all the bases with Americana "Mississippi Mud".
     I let the figures dry overnight and the next day I gave them a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.    Then, when  the varnish was dry, I used some white glue to flock the bases.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed them with Winsor & Newton Professional "Matt Varnish".

     I'm much happier with these guys than last weeks.  I spent a little more time with these, and I think it paid off.
 
It now looks like the Bones 4 Kickstarter isn't going to start shipping in the US until April 8th.  So I still have at least another week to work on my Bones backlog.  For more info see Reaper's News Update video:

Goremaw, Great Worm: Bones 3 Figure

     This past week I decided it was finally time to finish up the Goremaw Optional Add-On figure I got with Bones 3.  I've been messing with the figure for at least a year I think.

Straight from the Bones 3 Kickstarter shipping box.

       I prepped the figure in the usual way; soaking the parts it 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 assembled the figure using Gorilla Superglue Gel.  After that, I traced the base onto an old CD.  I then created a paper mask for the area the base covered on the CD, and taped that on the CD.  Next, I sprayed the CD with Flat White primer.   When the primer was dry, I removed the mask, revealing a base sized area that was unpainted; and using hot glue, affixed Gormaw's base to the un-primed area of the CD.

     I then used some regular white glue to glue some coarse sand onto the area of the base where the body of Gormaw joins it.  This was to help hide the joint, and to make the area when the body is emerging from the ground look a little more rough and churned.

     I looked back on my blog, and it was back sometime before July 30, 2018 that I actually applied the first paint to Goremaw, and posted a photo in a "miscellaneous" post here called: Project Avalanche.
     Anyhow, at that point, I had just applied a first coat of Anita's "Violet" to the body.  I later followed up by painting his underside with Folk Art "Milkshake".  I then mixed a little of the "Violet" and "Milkshake" together and painted the area along the edges where the scales and underside meet to help give a natural blending to where the two colors meet on the body.   After that, I painted the base of the teeth with Americana "Antique White".

          Next, I painted the open mouth with Crafter's Acrylic "Tutti Frutti".  Here again, I mixed some of the "Violet" and "Tutti Frutti" together to blend the area where the two colors meet on the body, to help make it look more natural.  I then painted the teeth themselves with Americana "Bleached Sand", and the spine hooks on the body with Ceramcoat "Black". 

    Then, I painted the base with Americana "Mississippi Mud".   I let everything dry for awhile, and then I went back and applied some Citadel "Reikland Fleshshade" wash to the inside of the mouth.  When that was dry, I applied Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash to the rest of the body and the base.  Another drying period, and I came back and applied Citadel 'Nuln Oil" to the very center of the mouth, and to the undersides of all the body armor plate joints.

      When all the washes were good and dry, I started the highlighting.  I began with the body armor plates, drybrushing them with a mix of the base "Violet", Apple Barrel "Apple Lavender", and just for the heck of it, some Folk Art Color Shift "Purple Flash" thrown in.   Next, I gave the underbelly a drybrushing with the base "Milkshake"; and then a little of the "Milkshake with some Americana "Snow White" added.  After that, I highlighted the spine hooks with Citadel "The Fang".

     Next, I worked on the mouth; first highlighting the inner maw with a mix of the base "Tutti Frutti", and some Apple Barrel "Apple Light Pink".  Then I used a little of just the "Apple Light Pink".   I then highlighted the base of the teeth with Americana "Buttermilk", and the teeth themselves with Crafter's Acrylic Light Antique White".
     I then turned to the base, drybrushing it first with Ceramcoat "Territorial Beige", and then with Folk Art "Butter Pecan".  I then gave it a very light drybrush with the "Bleached Sand".  Then, looking at it, I felt the cracks between the chunks of earth did not have enough shadow in them from the "Agrax Earthshade" wash to look like really deep fissures; so I went in and applied Reaper MSP "Brown Liner" directly in all the crevices.
       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, trying just to apply it to the tops of the chunks of ground, and not in any of the fissures.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed the beast with Testor's Dullcote".  When the Dullcote was dry, I repainted the inside of his mouth with Americana "DuraClear Gloss Varnish".

   I'm really happy with how this big fellow came out; and I'm glad to have him done before I get more big figures in Bones 4.  Often these large figures seem like such a hurdle, but this turned out to be a really easy figure to complete.  The only challenge was spraying the Dullcote and hitting all the deep crevices in the armor plating.  Even now I can see areas where in the deep down recesses it's still a little shiny.

Minotaur: Bones 3 Figure

     This past week I painted the Minotaur figure from the Bones 3 Stoneskull Expansion, as I continue to work my way through the remaining figures I haven't painted yet from that set while waiting for the arrival of Bones 4.
         I prepped the 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 glued the figure to a black-primed 1.25" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and then placed the figure in my painting grip.

     I decided I wanted to do something different with this Minotaur, having already painted a couple ones brown colored before (Minotaur Hero and Minotaur Barbarian); so I decided I would make this one white instead.  I also had the idea, since I was painting him white, that I would give him one blue eye just to make him look a little more interesting.
     So, I began by painting the whole body with Ceramcoat "White".  I then painted all the armor, straps, and the weapon with Crafter's Acrylic "Cinnamon Brown", his hooves with Americana "Charcoal Grey", and his main belt and the axe handle grip, with Accent "Real Umber".

     Next, I painted his horns with Americana "Bleached Sand".  After that, I painted the edges and decorations on all the armor, as well as the axe, with Folk Art Brushed Metal "Brushed Bronze".    I let everything dry for a while, and then gave the entire figure a wash with Citadel "Nuln Oil" wash.

    Then, when the wash was dry, I highlighted all his body with Americana "Snow White".  Next, I painted his muzzle, horn-tips, tail end, eyes/sockets, and mane/hair with Ceramcoat "Black".   When the "Black had dried, I highlighted it with some Americana "Zinc", and then some Crafter's Acrylic "Storm Cloud Grey".   After that, I gave him a blue iris on his right eye with Crafter's Acrylic "Tropical Blue".

      Next, I highlighted all the leather armor and straps with Ceramcoat "Raw Sienna", and his belt and axe handle with Folk Art "Teddy Bear Brown".   Then, I highlighted his hooves with a mix of Americana "Mississippi Mud" and the base "Charcoal Grey".    I realized he had fingernails, so I tried painting them with Americana "Antique White" which didn't quite look right; so I went back and gave each one a dab with a little Citadel "Agrax Earthshade" wash to help tone them down and define them.  I also put some of the "Agrax Earthshade" on his left shoulder pad to help tone down the highlighting I had done on the herring-bone weave pattern.    I also noticed he had nipples(!), and not really knowing what color they would be, I guessed at a pinkish grey.  So, I mixed some of the "Black" with some Americana "Shading Flesh", and used that for the nipples, highlighting with a little Folk Art "Milkshake".   At that point I worked on the metal, highlighting all the "Brushed Bronze" with a mix of Ceramcoat "Bronze" and Ceramcoat "14K Gold".   I painted his nose ring, and the rings on his right horn with the "14K Gold".
     At this time I worked on his integral base, painting it with the "Black".   When dry, I dry brushed it with some Americana "Neutral Grey", and some Folk Art "Platinum Grey".   Lastly, I painted the washer portion of the base with the "Mississippi Mud".
     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 outer rim of the base.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed it with Testor's Dullcote".   

     I'm really happy with how this fellow turned out.  I think the white color makes for a much more dramatic figure.

Temple Dragon: Bones 3 Figure

    This past week, I continued to work through the remaining Bones 3 Stoneskull Expansion figures, and painted the Temple Dragon.    I am going to be painting a Drogon from Game of Thrones in the future, so saw this as an opportunity to test a color scheme.
        I prepped the figure in the usual way; soaking the parts it 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 assembled the figure using Gorilla Superglue Gel.  After that, I glued the figure to a black-primed 1.25" fender washer with Aleene's Tacky glue, and then placed the figure in my painting grip.

    I began by painting the entire figure with Ceramcoat "Black".    When it was dry, I wet blended the wings, both top and underside, a three way transition from "Black", to Reaper MSP Bones "Cinnamon Red", to Americana "Burnt Orange".   I also used some thinned "Cinnamon Red" to paint the spines and scales along the back and the body around the wings.

     And here's how it looked when dry.

 

     Next, I went back over the body drybrushing it with the "Black" to try to give the red the appearance of being down in and between the scales and not on the tops.   I then painted the mouth with a mix of Americana "Shading Flesh" and Folk Art "Burgundy".  After that I painted the eye sockets and lips with Folk Art "Milkshake", and the teeth with Crafter's Acrylic "Light Antique White".

     Then after everything had a while to dry,  I gave the entire figure a wash with Citadel "Nuln Oil" Wash.   When the wash was dry, I drybrushed the dragon with, in succession; Americana "Neutral Grey", Crafter's Acrylic "Storm Cloud Grey", and Folk Art "Platinum Gray".  After that, I painted the statue on which the dragon is perched upon with the "Light Antique White", and added some striations with the "Black".

     Next, when the statue had time to dry, I gave it a wash with the "Nuln Oil" too.  I then highlighted it with Americana "Snow White", and used this color to highlight the teeth too.  I painted in the eyes, trying to add a little Accent "Mustard Seed" to the pupils to give them a gold-flecked looked.
       Lastly, I painted the washer base with Americana "Zinc".
      I let the figure dry overnight and the gave it  a coat of Americana "DuraClear Matte" varnish.  Another overnight dry, and I sprayed it with Testor's Dullcote".     

Shown with a Reaper human figure to give a sense of scale.

     All in all I'm really happy with how this dragon turned out.   I think he looks suitably fierce, and I think the color gradations in his wings turned out looking pretty good.