Sideways progress

Prepping the Thunderhead. Yes, I know it's a long time before I'll be ready to use the Thunderhead in actual play, but it's such a cool model that I want to paint it now.

Or maybe I just have a fear thing about finishing models, and like to spend my time prepping them instead. I mean, Stryker's been almost done for six months. The Lancer is about as close, and the Charger might need another two day's work at most. All the Ironclad needs is a quick light drybrush on the grass and a couple of arc markers.  I could have a Battlebox ready to use!

Except something holds me back. What?

Maybe it's some variation of the fear of commitment. If I call a model finished, then it's open season for others to criticize its flaws and rate me as a painter.

Or maybe it's that I'm restless in my planning, and I keep coming up with cool things I could do that would make it even better: all of which notably delay the finish date on the models.

Or maybe it's that I'm not fully satisfied with any aspect of what I've done, and I keep asking myself, "couldn't you have done that better? How might you improve it, now?".

Whatever the fear, rather than push through it I keep moving laterally, bringing multiple other models up to the same state of hand-wringing, almost-finished quality.

Like those damn Stormblades.

Brownlining continued

Subject line says it all. Making progress, though.

Here's a pic of the finished version of the Ironclad (subject of the very first posting below), and his little Lancer brother in progress.

Some pics from WIP

Finished basic basecoat coloring on Stormblades; began brownlining. God but it's tedious work. I made it about 3/4 of the way through one of them before I had to give it up. It does help, though, with defining shadow etc.

A while back I posted in the Privateer Press forums about swapping a Sturmhaubitze barrel in for the stock Cygnar Defender's barrel (which I think looks like a spare bit of plumbing otherwise); I made the leg swaps with a Nomad and got it ready for priming:

And here are a few of the battlebox Stryker, who is the farthest along:

 

 

Back in Black

So while I haven't posted in many moons, I've been painting continuously. Trouble is that I always feel uncomfortable taking pictures of WIP. You'd think I'd get over that reluctance, given that looking at old WIP pics of the Ironclad makes me feel really good about where it ended up, but sadly no. Here's a status update, insofar as I can recall.

On the paint table at the moment:

• A full unit of Stormblades, with the officer and vexillum bearer
• Classic pStryker
• Squire
• A Trencher, as a color test (the rest of a full unit + officer/sniper is primed and ready)
• Eiryss
• Classic Lancer
• Classic Charger
• Reinholdt
• Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team

Painted, but needs touchups / finishing elements:

• Pathfinder goblins, pyros, commando, warchanter
• Freebooter Imperial Noble (Aldern Foxglove in our Pathfinder campaign)
• Erylium - needs orange glass frit inlaid into Sihedron Rune for glowing effect
• Nualia - needs a few more highlights, and detail on the Sihedron Rune; base needs a certain je ne sais quoi.
• Moor Hound AKA Malfeshnekor - something to spruce up his rather expansive and dull 50mm base.

Cleaned and prepped for priming:

• Gun Mage Captain Adept
• Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
• Classic Defender with barrel mod

In prep:

• 2010 Commander Nemo
• Ol' Rowdy
• Arcane Tempest Gun Mages
• Jesse Moonwalker, werewolf
• Thunderhead

Just staring at me reproachfully from storage:

• A lot of other stuff.