A Busy Night at the Workbench

For the last two weeks, I've had this urge/need/desire to get as much done as possible. Is the Universe trying to warn me about something? Or, maybe its a subtle panic of old age coming on. I found out at a recent eye exam that I am starting to get cataracts. This could explain why I needed a stronger prescription of both reading glasses and distance glasses. I tried bifocals awhile ago and didn't like them. I have going back and forth between various projects.

Last night I completed a couple of things, which I happened to post on various Facebook groups.

3D Printed Fantasy Figures
Except for basing, I finished up my last two 15mm fantasy figures from the Shapeways shop, Small Ox Miniatures. They are 15mm versions of the sculptor's 30mm figures. I am glad I got them when I did because for some reason he recently pulled them from his shop. They are not as detailed as their larger versions, but still not bad. He printed them in some sort of black plastic that is has a very smooth finish. I wish more Shapeways sculptors used this material. First up is the High Elf Dragon Maiden:

Blue armor spoke to me when I saw her. I painted her armor silver and then brushed on a blue glaze. I then went back over some of the raised parts with a light dry-brushing of silver. I am not too happy with the highlighting of the face, however, this is a shot before I applied a coat of clear flat. When I put it on the face, the clear flat rubbed off most of the highlights! This is the first time that this has happened. I reapplied the highlights and I think it looked better.

Next Vampire Lord:

Sorry about the crappy picture. I usually manage better shots than this but I wanted to put it up on one of the Facebook groups and was in a rush to take it before my phone battery went dead. I think he turned out a little better than the Elf warrior. For the armor, I mixed black and a touch of blue with silver. Once dry, I lightly dry brushed it with silver. The face and hands were painted with a mixture of light flesh and gray, which was the same colors I used for that Necromancer I posted back in October. I gave everything a wash of Vallejo dark gray wash. I then went back over some of the skin with a diluted version of the original skin color. He and the Elf will be mounted on metal fender washers rather than my usual thin sheet steel bases. They are so light that they need a little more weight to keep them on the battle field.

1/600 Terrain
I also managed to finish off a bunch of trees and a little house for my Bovatopia campaign. I think the trees are a little more suited for 1/300. They are blobs of polymer clay stuck on some wooden rods that I bought at a craft store. In turn, they are mounted on washers with more clay globbed on to make the base. They are then flocked and sprayed to hold the flock in place. I probably spent more time on them than I planned.

The house was a test piece, proof of concept, so to speak. My goal is not to spend lots of time on 1/600 terrain...its quantity over quality here. The house is a block of balsa wood with a rod of styrene plastic for the chimney. Windows and doors painted on. The roof looks like crap, but again, don't care.

Another quick photo for the 1/300 Facebook group

I had planned on knocking out more little houses last night but I couldn't seem to find my mitre box.