Dampf's Modelling Page 2nd Anniversary

Today is the second anniversary of this Blog.

When I started, I wasn't sure that I could find enough content to keep it going for more than a couple of weeks, but two years on and I'm still taking photos and writing about my hobby! In fact I have a note book with at least a dozen new stories or articles either ready or nearly ready to go.

I have been published in print and on the Web, I now have a range of 40mm terrain pieces in production (and 28mm buildings due out very soon), credits on rulebooks, miniature sculpts about to go into production and a thriving network of followers.

I've found the whole exercise has helped me to develop my modelling and writing skills (although, I admit that I could improve on my photograpy). I would hope that those who have followed this Blog would agree.

In terms of whether it is a success or not, I could quote statistics;

421 posts

61 followers

Hundreds of photos and

Thousands of words,

However, for me the production of this Blog has forced me to improve my painting and modelling skills, allowed me to share information and most importantly of all, developed on-line friendships with so many like-minded modellers. AND NOT FORGETTING IT'S FUN.

To all that read the Blog, respond with comments or not, - thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting.

Tony

(in my third year, I'll try to complete some of my on-going projects!)

Barking Irons, a NEW magazine from Alternative Armies

At long last I can officially reveal that I will be featured in the new In-house magazine, BARKING IRONS produced by Alternative Armies. The construction and painting article - a Peninsular Windmill will be the modelling/construction piece in issue one, for more details, see;

http://www.orcsinthewebbe.co.uk/index.php/orcs-in-the-webbe/in-the-alternative/456-inside-the-alternative-barking-irons

I would hope that further Flintloque/Slaughterloo related articles produced by me will follow in the future. Good Luck to all involved, and I look forward to seeing issue one through the post.

As a 'teaser' here is an in-game image of the finished windmill, taken some time ago. I have previously mentioned this model on my Blog, but have purposely remained secretive as I have known all along that it was destined to be included in a Flintloque publication.

I find it very difficult to keep quiet about articles or features that I have written and know are coming up, but in this instance I think I have succeeded!

Please support this new magazine, by purchasing it from Alternative Armies and supplying articles.

Tony

Static Painter - Vesa Makela

I have recently come across this Blog - Static Painter, the painting and modelling site of Vesa Makela, some of the very best miniature painting I have ever come across. I have included this link for miniature painters looking for some inspiration:

http://nomadpainter.blogspot.com/

I am particularly inspired by some of the terrain or base modelling and painting.

Tony

Flintloque Dwarf Ulhans - part four

Hi Rob, just for you. Here is the latest update on the Flintloque Dwarf Uhlan's. In both photos you can obviously see that the seven dwarves with bags or sack have had them painted. I have used a variety of different browns, creams and grey colours, to give some variety. In addition you should also see that the bullet pouches have also been painted - a very dark grey with very little highlighting.

The black gloves have been painted in the same dark grey as the pouches and once again with very little highlighting.

During the preparation for this 'on-line build' I am tending to tidy-up the miniatures a little more than I would normally do - things like touching-up the black basecoat around the weapons and the beards prior to photographing, other than this the basic technique is the same as my usual painting technique.

As stated earlier the actual uniform colours and design is totally 'made-up' although does follow some German or Prussian Ulhan colour rules. In my latest piece of on-line research I am trying to obtain a suitable banner or flag design for the standard bearer, a plain Black over White, seams too plain, but so far this is favourite.

Tony

Model Maniacs by Chiller Theatre

I would expect this series of modelling magazines to be new to most readers,however to the best of my knowledge here is the complete Model Maniacs series of magazines from 2000.

Starting with issue #0 and moving right through to what I believe is the final issue issue #6. In general the magazine concentrates on 'Garage Kits' and mainly Horror, film or Science Fiction genres, however there are some exceptions.

For anyone familiar with either Modellers Resource or Special Effects Magazine (SPFX) the contents of this magazine will be very well known, however for me, the 'how-to' and specifically the painting articles are very well done and continue to offer new alternative ways to paint models and build terrain. In addition one of the most interesting parts of the contents is the huge reference to Garage Kit manufacturers and Internet sites that cater for these large scale monster sculpts, most continue to trade today and offer a huge resource for anyone modelling who is interested in Sci Fi or Monster kits.

Each magazine has a full colour cover, with various amounts of colour pages throughout. Issue #0 has 60 pages and issue #6 has 64 pages with about 25% featuring adverts and reviews of new kits. The cover price was $5.95, however I have seen individual issues sold on e-Bay for up to £15.00.

I think the cover images give a very good representation of the type of kits and the sort of content you can expect - I would point out that there are also a number of scantily clad (and nude) models featured, which may not be to everyones liking.

I would love to tell you that I have a loft full of these completed kits, however I have always found the larger scale models a bit daunting and so far I have not attempted to construct or paint one. This may change - one day.

I hope that you find this short review of interest and I would recommend that you search out issue of Model Maniacs, as well as keeping a look-out for Model Resource.

Tony

Modern Martian Dredger

During the years following the first expeditions to Mars, many great minds tried to explain why the canals of the past had dried up and were no longer used as the main transportation medium. One such inventor - Professor A.J. Copperthwaite even went as far as to design and build a steam powered dredging vessel, the design based on the ill-fated Wentletrap was used for a short time to clear the main intersections of the Martian Plantiana canal system.

The actual plans and design for this vessel have been long lost, however these recently unearthed blueprints (actually a facsimile of a damaged and as such incomplete set of drawings of the Wentletrap) go some way to hinting at the design of the Martian dredger (believed to be name Henrietta, after Professor Copperthwaite's mother Henrietta 1817 - 1885).

The shallow draft dredger would have been used between 1893 - 1895, during which time it is believed that a number of unusual and quite valuable artifacts were recovered from the bottom of the canals.

It is believed that one such artifact - the Golden Toc of the sun god Ra is still within the possession of the Copperthwaite family. Recent threats against the lives of the family and attempts at theft from the ancestral home have meant that any official recognition that this item even exists is becoming very difficult to prove.

The Steam yacht, Honey, a 40ton Aeronef now used by the Inter-Harmony, Exploration Force based on Mars is believed to be powered by the same steam engine that originally powered the Henrietta.

I hope that this small history lesson will inspire other Martian archeologists to continue their search for other Martian artifacts.

Tony

The facsimile is taken from; The Secret Scrapbooks of Professor A. J. Copperthwaite

White Dwarf 75 March 1986

In my earlier post, I reviewed issue 362 of White Dwarf, the most up to date release. The comments in reply and my own memories of how great a magazine WD used to be got me thinking! How would I review a pre-Games Workshop only White Dwarf, compared to a modern edition? Here is the result.

White Dwarf issue 75 March 1986 - 95p

I choose this issue, purely at random - having climbed in to my attic and picked up a box file of old White Dwarf magazines. At first I was tempted to change it for another - but that wouldn't be right or give a true representation of how good (or bad) these earlier editions were.

The cover illustration is not one of the best I have come across, in fact I would say it was poorly executed, but does hint at the Call of Cthulhu themed edition.

68 pages,a full colour cover and some 12 full colour inside pages with a few more showing spot colour, the rest are black and white. What I found most surprising was that a full 28 pages were adverts, thats 40% of the magazine taken up with adverts! But onto the review -

There are six main feature articles and eleven further departments, they consist of;

Runequest

A full page of thoughts on the (new) Runequest 3. Not a great start as I found the comments vague and much too general.

Superhero Gaming (or how to save the universe)

Three pages of gaming notes on how to roleplay Comic-book Superheros. OK, but again very simplistic and the very personal views of the author.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (gamesmanship or gaining experience)

Posibly the best article in the whole magazine - three pages by Martin Hytch giving views and tips on 'putting the mystery back into AD&D. I really enjoyed this discourse and thought the points that Martin put across were well written and as relevant today as they were back in 1986.

Traveller

An article on communication breakdowns in the game Traveller.

Nightmare in the Green

An AD&D adventure - five pages of a very well written fantasy adventure for AD&D. Very good.

The Heart of the Dark

A Call of Cthulhu scenario adventure story that was very well written by Andy Bradbury. More of a story thread than a full blown story, but enjoyable and offering alternative endings to a very detailed scenario.

In addition there was two pages of painting - however this issue was detailing the equipment needed for painting with oil paints and given the developments in acrylic paint, the article was not relevant to me. There were product reviews, two pages of letters and two pages of 'small ads'. In addition there were three very well drawn cartoons - Thrud the Barbarian, Gobbledigook and The Travellers.

So what have I learnt? Firstly that the 'old style' WD had loads of adverts and as a percentage maybe more than the modern issue (although the modern issue hides these adverts, as new releases or short reviews of GW produced or owned products).

The six main articles or features were a 'mixed bag', with three of the six entertaining me, while the remainder were OK - to poorly written. The letters pages and small ads, were a waste and the painting article was not of any real interest to me.

In summary the best part was the (rose-tinted) reminiscing, checking through old adverts for figures and games I once owned or longed for. It was also very disappointing to see how many great stores no longer exist and most disappointing of all, that I am not sure I have come to the right conclusion - that The Modern or New edition of White Dwarf, maybe a glorified catalogue, but in value-for-money terms it may win against the older style magazine! I will leave it to someone else to work out what 95p in 1986 is worth in 2010!

What do you think? And NO not through nostalgia filled memory - go back and try an older issue of White Dwarf as I have to see if your memory of how great these magazines were, holds true today!

Tony