Waagghhh -why can't I finish something before starting another?!

Probably because I needed a little break form the pointy eared gits and to get back to my roots - Orcs!! Also this mini has been shouting paint me since I bought it off of ebay!

This is only a minor diversion - I wanted a little Orc warband to try out a game of Songs of Blades and Heroes, which I bought not so long ago. So there might be a few of the more characterful boyz cropping up on here in the near future...

Saxamophone... saxamaphone...

Sorry these titles are getting worse - should stop posting at ridiculous hours in the morning!

Anyway surprise surprise more elves - well it is nearly Christmas!

Here we have the rest of the command group for Skarloc's archers - Kaia Stormwitch - the multi-talented scout/sorceress/standard bearer! The original fluff describes her thus -

Kaia carries the group's standard, which incorporates a heart-shaped casket holding the ashes of a legendary Elven Hero, Kern, son of the goddess Torothal. It adds 2 points to the unit's Ld, rather than the usual 1. Her magical atame dagger can cast up to three Lightning Bolt spells per day.

Like the idea of only three spells per day - I can remeber those epic WFB 3rd edition battles!

The daft reference in the title is in honour of Araflane Warskald and his mighty, fear-causing horn!

Some group shots -

Next up - how fast can I paint the 17 or so archers to finish the unit off...

Starman

Next in line from Skarloc's Wood Elf Archers is the appropriately named Glam - a tame War Dancer who acts as champion within the unit. The original artwork for this chap is what inspired me to give the whole army Celtic style tatts so I tried to pay a bit more attention with them on this mini! Would have liked to tart him up a bit more with some Glam Rock style pattern on his lycra/leather pants but I'm not feeling brave enough at the mo!

Men in tights...

Next addition to the army is Skarloc - of regiments of renown fame. Nice clean mini which painted up well I think!

Got waylaid by him and the rest of the command group, who will be up next - still need to paint hundreds of Elf archers!! I have made a start by priming 6 of them. I think'll have to do them in batches of six and whizz through them.

Please look after this bear. Thank you.

Morning all - finished the bear and handler. Always a good idea to check out photos of your subject to help you paint its 28mm counterpart... until you start agonising about individual strands of hair and what tone of brown they are! I think this is probably a good step in my development as a painter - just wish I had the patience, skill and time to see it through!! Saw a lovely Direbear on Lead Adventures fantasy forum which I also tried (underlined) to emulate. However, all being said I'm sitting in the diffuse light being given off from the big light in the room and thinking - my bear looks alright in the gloom! Shame I wasn't up to the task of making a little label out of greenstuff to attach to his collar...

One last thought - I've noticed that all these Elven animal handlers have been wearing a garment fashioned from the animal they handle - haven't the beasts twigged yet that it might not be such a good idea to do everything the nice elf says?

Fighting like cats and dogs...

Another update for the Wood Elf project - Animal handlers (always thought Beastmasters sounded like a kid's TV show!

 I'm obviously a dog person - raised by labradors and have one snoring at my feet as I type - as I found painting the hounds and their handler a breeze. Simple wolf hound style drybrushing and echoing their colours with a little green in the elf's attire.

The wildcats gave me some grief as cats are wont to do - I had the daft idea of painting them up as scottish wildcats to fit in with the celtic feel and found the markings quite tricky -

Not quite over the moon with the finished results but it'll do for now!

I also have the bear and his handler in the painting queue so watch this space...

Treemandous fun!!

Another exciting addition to the Elven host - this time an old Treeman from Citadel - Treebeard the Mighty Ent nonetheless! Not the most agressive or dangerous looking treeman on the market I'll warrant but he brings back a few fond memories and according to WFB 3rd ed. has some pretty mean looking stats too!

Where the Zoat challenged me on large areas of green this chap did the same with browns - think I've got him gnarly enough without looking to untidy. I was tempted to stick on some extra branches and clump foliage to make him a little more dynamic but just didn't look right so here he is au naturel -
the shots may seem a bit samey but I found it tricky to get the light right and I think I have all the detail covered through these various piccies - didn't bother with the back as there isn't much to see!

Look at the shiny shiny...

Just a little addendum to my last Sontaran post - the gloss varnish arrived a few days back and I've given them a coat or two - should pass muster at the next inspection parade!

Also felt the Rutan might like a wet look so he/she/it got a coat too.

That really gets my Zoat...

Finally got my Zoat done! Its been a slightly frustraing paint job - deceptively difficult. As this fellow is to be a fairly distinguished character in the army he needed a good paint job. However, being faced with large surface areas of green and grey its been a struggle to get the highlights and blending I wanted so this has taken a lot longer than I thought it might. Still not 100% happy but it'll do for now - might go back when I have more patience!

Its a kind of magic...

These two came in the post not so long ago and pushed in front of the Zoat in the paint queue - couldn't resist having a go at the diminutive and quite strange Were-fox. Also thought she/it would make a nice familiar for my new Wood Elf Sorceress, who is actually an old Citadel Dark Elf, as some kind soul on the Lead Adventure forums informed me (must put a link up to this fine site!) Quite like the wilder, more ambiguous nature this mini has over some goody-two-shoes actual Wood Elf!

Anyway here's the pics - a fairly basic paint job on the sorceress at the mo - will add more detail to the staff and robes, and perhaps one or two tatts in honour of her chequered history! I felt I had to give the Were-fox lots of tattoos to cover its blushes and make it all the more pagan and mysterious!

Have you seen me dancing... like really dancing?

Just finished another Wardancer - probably my fave sculpt out of the bunch, although I have another chap in the same pose with a spear who is also pretty cool. 

Think I'll wait until I've got a whole lot done before I post Wardancers again - I was just quite proud of the jewel clasp holding this mini's tunic together and I finally got ginger hair right too - he shall henceforth be known as the Ginger Ninja! I think I'll try to give the whole army a Pictish/Celtic/traditional Wood Elf look and those with the fairest locks will have to have the auburn treatment!