Aerofauna

The following models are in response to a feature on another Blog, see;

http://leadpeople.blogspot.com/2008/10/aerofauna-sightings.html

I thought that the idea was fantastic and decided I needed to model a couple of Aerofauna of my own for my Space 1889/Aeronef games. The first photo shows the Sky Floaters - passive bags of gas with a small body and long tendrils, although they look harmless and can be easily avoided, the Sky Floaters do pack a nasty punch and can easily disable a crew with their stinging tendrils. The stings, although very painful are not fatal. These creatures float on the wind in packs and are not known to be aggressive.

The second model, a Canal Crab Apple is a totally different animal, being very dangerous and a true predator. The tendrils and tentacles can kill a man with ease and the creature has a tendency to hunt its prey, sneaking up on any living being through detecting sound and movement. Once stung the injuries are nearly always fatal. Luckily these Canal Apples are very rare.

The remaining photos show work-in-progress shots, The Floaters being made from the plastic balls found in roll-on under-arm deodorant and florists wire with torn strips of green scouring pad.

The Crab Apple was made from a wooden air-freshener in the shape of an apple, with broom bristle tendrils and tentacles made from paper-covered wire

They have been great fun to build and paint. I would expect to build a couple more. To give an idea of scale, both designs are about 32mm round and the bases are 40mm round Games Workshop bases.

Tony

In greater detail;

The Crab Apple was based on an in-car wooden air freshener which was turned up-side-down, the top (which used to be the bottom) has some DAS modelling clay added to modify the shape and the stalk was drilled to accept the broom bristles which were first cut from the broom, bound with fuse wire and glued in the hole. The tentacles are more fuse wire, first covered with silver foil and then newspaper, the thick end has a small piece of the fuse wire still showing and attached in to the base via a pre-drilled hole. I added seven tentacles (although I modelled eight) - I wanted the model to be more alien! I coated the tentacles with white glue and some superglue. On the top of the Crab Apple I added five paper discs, punched from a self-adhesive label.

I then added small smooth stones (picked up on a beach in Spain some time ago and sieved) to the base with PVA glue and even a couple individually added with superglue, once set they were 'fixed' with watered-down PVA glue.

Once I was satisfied with the shape I painted the model with a mixture of acrylic paints and GW washes. The base is a piece of radio-controlled rod, attached to a GW 40mm round base to which a metal washer has been glued to the underneath, the groundwork is sand over PVA glue.

'Double click' on the photo above for a better photo.

Lord of the Rings in 36mm scale

These are examples of my 36mm Lord of the Rings miniatures, re-modelled, re-based and re-painted LOTR figures from the Collectible Miniature Game (CMG) manufactured by Sabertooth Games and which use the CombatHex game mechanic.

I have painted them in the GW style and mounted them on 40mm round bases, which have been textured with cork, DAS modelling clay and fine sand. It was my intention to re-paint a couple of forces and wargame with the GW LOTR rules. I might get around to it one day. I find that the slightly larger 36mm figures have so much more impact on the table.

Tony

Inquisitor scale Necton Immortal

This particular model is a 'scratch built' Necron Immortal built to Inquisitor Scale. The model stands over 175mm tall and is based on a 60mm round base. The miniature is built from plastic card, balsa wood, part of a broom handle, plastic rod and Milliput.

The inspiration is a 28mm Necron miniature from Games Workshop - the Warhammer 40K range - Necron Immortal.

It is painted with a acrylic silver paints from a wide variety of manufacturers and varnished with a satin varnish.

Tony

Warhammer 40K Space Marines

Over the last couple of years I have based and painted a number of Games Workshop Space Marines as display pieces, rather than gaming pieces. Each of these miniatures is mounted on a plastic discs and then a small wooden plinths which I pick up from charity stores in the UK.

Each miniature is painted with acrylic paints from a selection of manufacturers over a black undercoat and mounted on to groundwork constructed from cork, small stones and plastic pieces from my spares box. The banners are scratchbuilt and hand painted.

Tony

Make a Jetbike by November 30th part two

To give a clearer idea as to the image I am trying to create, here are a couple of early work-in-progress shots of my Flash Gordon Jetbike.


The model is 80mm long, 40mm wide and 55mm tall (to the top of Flash's head). In these photos the Flash miniature is not fully attached, but just held on with a couple of blobs of Bluetack.

Tony

Make a Jetbike by November 30th

With all the part finished modelling projects currently on my workbench, it would be stupid to start a new one. Well here it is - a 40mm Flash Gordon rocket scooter or jetbike!

Over on the Rattrap Productions Forum 'the Speakeasy' there is a competition running - to produce a jetbike by November 30th.

The above cinema shot shows the inspiration for my particular scooter, Flash Gordon leading a troop of Voltan's Hawkmen against Ming the Merciless from the 'Queen' soundtrack Flash Gordon Film.

I have tried to copy the lines of the film version scooter, but in the end have settled on a Testors Salt Flats Racer model, which is in the process of being 'cut-and-shut' to produce a base on which to build the body of the scooter. The Flash figure is a modified 40mm Graven Images figure.

So far progress is painfully slow, but it still looks on-track for the finish date at the end of November. For more details go to;

http://www.rattrapproductions.com/speakeasy/viewtopic.php?t=1273

Tony

Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume One

This week I received my copy of the new Forge World hardback book - Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume One.

I was first made aware of this book, by an article on The Miniatures Page (TMP), which recently featured the book. The article and write-up, plus a sample of the pages was enough for me to order it straight away.

My expectations were very high and I have to confirm that I have not been disappointed, this is a fantastic modelling book, just full of advanced modelling techniques and 'how to' articles and photos, Highly recommended, and this from a modeller that does not own one piece of Games Workshop 40K metal, plastic or resin armoured equipment!

Firstly, I feel I must compliment Games Workshop and Forge World on the very high standards of production of this book, from the beautiful, photos, the high quality paper and cover to the near- perfect presentation and text. Well Done, I look forward to more in the future.

The format is very similar to Masterclass books produced by Windrow & Greene and Histoire & Collections and follows a structure and layout that will be familiar to any reader of Finescale Modeller, with copious amounts of step-by-step photos accompanied by detailed and precise text.

Upon opening the book, we have the usual tools and equipment sections, but even this had a couple of surprises (even for me - a hardened modeller of over fourty years). The first modelling article - A Renegade or Chaos Medusa tank/Assault tank, was a fantastic read, and like many of the articles will be of great use to Military Modellers and terrain builders of any era or genre. This was one of those articles that you will want to read slowly, savouring each technique and wanting to re-read and study again-and-again.

Articles skip between detailed start-to-finish, detailing and painting articles, to beautiful photo essays of finished and in most cases award wining dioramas, even the end papers are full of highly detailed and beautifully drawn blue prints.

I am well aware that words like, beautiful, detailed, in-depth and inspirational will be repeated within any conversation or review I will give of this book, I hope that anyone thinking of purchasing this book will be inspired to go ahead after reading this review, and as stated earlier this is a book that will appeal to military modellers who have never picked up a Games Workshop model or would ordinarily never think that a Sci-Fi modelling guide would be of any use to them, believe me this is an inspirational advanced modelling book that would grace the bookshelf of any serious modeller. Well Done again.

For me the only question would be price - at nearly £30.00 (including P&P) this is an expensive book, but one that I think is worth every penny. This is not a book for the 'starter', more it is a masterclass of more advanced techniques and hints that will appeal to modellers who want to improve their skills and produce more realistic models.

Tony