Spoils of war

Woooooooo-hooooooooooooo!!!

I met Sandy Petersen!!! I met Sandy Petersen!!! I met...

Hmmm...

Right... Right... That was that last post... 

But that news is so hot it definitely deserves some expansion.

So about 2 weeks ago my girlfriend purchased a lamp for the surgery (she's a dentist) on internet auction.

The lamp was cheap as f**k because the seller was retiring and closing down her business and she was getting rid of some old junk left. There was a snag though:

because the object was pretty big and fragile the seller didn't want to send it so the only option was picking it up:

from the very small town just about 380km away from where we operate...

It wasn't my lamp so it wasn't my problem who would like to spend about 6 hours behind the wheel each way. But last week I spotted advert of Pyrkon 2014 - really big fantasy / sci-fi convention in Poznań, close place from where lamp was purchased...

I checked the program and there was also painitng contest among other cool things. Shortly afer I contacted mahon, evil mastermind standing behind Chest of Colors so the plan of meeting some old friends was born. 

I was told the painting contest has been assembled the last minute so organizers were worried there might be not too many entries. So I packed some stuff from the display case and was more-less ready for the trip.

More-less, because of information on the even't site about Sandy Petersen coming for that weekend!

Woooooooo-hooooooooooooo!!!

I met Sandy Petersen!!! I met San... Right... Right... There'll be lots of time for it later...

So the creator of Call of Cthulhu was coming for whole weekend for Pyrkon - I couldn't miss such chance to try to hunt His autograph. I was bit worried 'cause the trip plan was just to stop in Poznań to take some rest and deliver minis for painting contest but there was not much else I could do: 

I packed Call of Cthulhu anniversary edition book, wore proper tee and tattoo and was praying hard to Great old Ones while driving. 

When I reached the place (and found some parking space which was just one huge pain in the ass) models were quickly delivered to the painters' sector and I took a short walk to see what was going on.

There are many relations from Pyrkon online already so I am not going to add another (especially because I was there just for a few hours and spent in one place). 

But what I can cay is the even was just brilliant thing: there were so many attractions for science - fiction fans I am sure I wouldn't be bored staying there for whole 3 days. Which I would really like to do the next year or when the kid is a bit older. There were lots of people dressed up as zombies, soliders, anime characters, wearing Fallout themed costumes and other, there were games, sellers, prelections, lectures of writers, game designers, lot of lots of things to do and see!

Check some of the lousy pics I've taken:

At 2 pm Sandy was giving the lecture about creating adventures for Call of Cthulhu.
Until then I didn't know I was his big fan, all I knew was he wrote the game, but after the lecture everything changed, everything!

I left filled with so many ideas and energy for hobby acting, I simply couldn't wait to come back home and play or paint anything. No sh!t!

That guy was speaking in such a cool way I was there sitting like mesmerised!

And now I do believe all those religious freaks about sudden revelations, hearing voices etc - I think I finally know what are these maniacs talk about. Words and my weak English cannot describe whole the coolness of that lecture so I am not even gonna try. 

It was great, and I am SO happy I decided to move my ass for the stupid lamp.
My only regret (huge regret actually) is I couldn't stay on Petersen's other lectures. Oh well, maybe the next time, when the stars are right and Cthulhu rises from the slumber.

As for the spoils of war I brought some goodies:
first of all I got the autograph - the limited edition of the rulebook is now priceless.
Besides 2 of my works brought to the contest got me statues: 1st place in large model category and 2nd among units. The base for Scavvies is borrowed from my Goliath gang but I think I will make proper display base for the whole hgang of my scavengers - about 30 models I think...

Cheers!

I MET SANDY PETERSEN!!!

Woooooooo-hooooooooooooo!!!

I met the guy!!! 
The one and only!!! The one from Wikipedia!!!

He signed ye book, he liked my ink and he posed for the pic!!!
It's like shaking pope's hand!!!
No, it's even better!!!



I'll write some more then the hobby flames and fever burns out.
The flames are very high so give them some time ^^

And in the meantime something nice for a good night.

I had a dream...

...about painitng miniatures.

There were rows of painted miniatures standing proudly in my glass cases and on the gaming table. I had lots of time for painitng even more of them but suddenly something wrong happened: there were more and more minis waiting for paintjob but I had not enough time to take care all of them.

So I had to choose between minis for display case and for gaming.

But then it got even worse and I had to choose just a few models to paint. At this point I do all I can to organise myself enough to get a single model painted.
That struggle is so hard.

The nightmare continues.

So the hobby part of my life is f*%ed big time recently, I am not even trying to hide myself behind a delusion things are looking anything better. But to keep the hobby wreck still alive* I want to concentrate on something bigger, which (from the start) is planned to be a long-time project: chaos dragon.

Egrimm van Horstmann is one of my fav models ever, so I am very happy I got the sculpt in possession. I would be even more happy to see it painted one day.

At this stage the model is more-less assembled (there're lots of gaps requiring filling though) but you can see shape of the project. At first there was only the dragon on the surface but then I thought some worshippers would also be a nice touch:
another shiny banner after all!

I could add one or two more chaos models on the base but that would look bit too crowdy imho, what do you think? On the other hand I have  3 more oldie marauders which could be used as the escort**.

As for colors I really have no idea yet:
basic plan was to paint it more-less oldschool way (like similar to "official" paintjob) but since I cannot beat that paintjob I can paint it anything I like, I respect all Chaos gods. Both known and unnamed.
So if you have any ideas for colors to use - don't be shy, post a comment.

Cheers!

* Or animated to be precise: it's nothing more than rotting corpse now
**Yeah, right... Marauders escorting the dragon... ^^

Raining dragons!

Hey,

This time it's definitely not as big update as I'd wish but don't think I can make it anything better, not within the month. Funny thing: when I was starting my small real estates appraisal business I was afraid there will be problem with finding clients etc.

And it was pretty hard to start. Expecting anything else would be just silly.

Now, when the thing started rolling in the more-less right direction I am spending evenings or nights doing my paper work instead of painting minis. And it pisses me a lot: minis should never stay unpainted for too long...

Anyway last night I actually managed to spend 30 mins with trusty Dremel gizmo and finally one of my favorite models ever is assembled: Egrimm van Horstmann mounted on Chaos dragon. It's one of the models which lured me into the miniatures world and never allowed to leave it.

The model will be based on similar size plinth as the Zombie dragon but I don't want another swamp (I will save it for something more undead...). I am considering the surface either natural (plain or some flat rocks so other model can be added) or fantasy-urban (some ruins? piece of street?) but no matter what will be chosen there'll be Skaven running in the tunnel below, so looks like there's lotta drilling ahead.

As for painting I'd like to keep it oldschool, vivid style. I've never painted anything such big with bright colors but the official paintjob looks imo great. Or something like this.

 

So it's my first option - orange based beast but the sorcered will be wearing dark (black) armour. Choosing dark tones is also tempting but much, much bigger challenge will be ren and orange combo.

But first something more trivial: filling lots of gaps... =/

Zombie dragon - finished!

"North of the Kingdom of the Dead, and east of Worlds Edge Mountains, lies the Plains of Bones. The land is a desert of multi-coloured refractive sand from which huge rib-cages emerge. For this is the place where dragons came to die, to rest their bones among those of their ancestors as they had done for millions of years, before any other sentient being walked the surface of the Known World..."
 
For a bit more of that fluffy story you have to get a copy of Warhammer Armies Undead rulebook. Lots of other cool bedtime stories there as well...

Anyway this post is kinda special: it's dedicated to only one piece: very recently finished zombie dragon from distant past of my early gaming.

I remember I've been hunting for this model on local market for a while when it finally became affordable (purchasing such toys in high school was just bit beyound my reach). When I saw it first in the Warhammer Armies book I wasn't impressed at all, in fact I rather thought that piece is just crap compared to other armies' dragons.
It took a (long) while to change my mind and realise what a cool piece the dragon is.
My only regret is I couldn't field it while I was still into Warhammer Fantasy Battle but it's better late than never I suppose.

The story behind the thing is sth like the dragon corpse was animated on Plains of Bones buy some sort of wind of chaos and now it's heading for the caller through Border Princes or other dangerous area of the Old World.
The call is so strong that presence of the dragon makes foul undead creatures rise from their tombs and join the death march.

For the base I chose 3 models from 90's: wight* (not sure isn't it deader from very late 80'), plague zombie adopted from Necromunda and placcy skeleton. At first I wanted to use only metal miniatures but what the hell, I just love these skinny necro-cockers ^^

The banners represent Gork and Mork because:
- it's my model so I can hang on banner pole whatever I want
- it's fantasy piece
- orks and goblins artwork from 5th edition is supercool
- banners are J.Blanche inspired (Evil Sun for sure, not so sure about Bad Moon)

My vision was all the gods represent the same cosmic force so no matter you are savage orc (worshipping rocks), bride of Khaine or well conspired member of Purple Hand Order there's the same thing hidden beind each of the "gods".
So apparently these guys have crossed some greenskins settlement or war party and banners are the trophies taken from cold, green hands.

It's took a long time to finish it, sadly not only because it was lots of work but mostly because of stupid life issues. But it was worth it, no doubt. Watching the model standing behind the glass make me believe I can also start (and finish!) my fav dragons of all - Egrimm van Horstmann's Chaos Dragon.

Hope you like it.
I surely do =]

Cheers!

*thanks Bun!