Reaper Bones 80008 Rosie, Chronotechnician

It's been months since I did anything with my Five Parsecs From Home campaign. Sizing things up, there's three things I need to continue and a substitute miniature for Lin is the easiest to check off the list. Lin, previously represented by Rosie, Chronotechnician from Reaper's Chronoscope line, failed to repair her signature Brutal Melee Weapon and will be wielding a more conventional weapon for the next fight. Fortunately, I received the Bones version of her miniature as a reward from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter.

I didn't want to simply reproduce my previous paint scheme on this figure. First, it's boring. Second, a quick change of clothes along with the weapon makes sense for the character. Third, it would allow me to use the figure as a different character later on.

Lin's got a loaner weapon until her big wrench gets fixed.

Base

I glued the integral base to a spray primed steel fender washer. The gap was filled after painting the miniature with a variant on my standard basing mix. This variant adds black rather than brown craft paint to a mix of sand, PVA glue, and a little water to improve flow. Some gray drybrushed on after the basing mix dried completes the industrial look of the base.


Preparation

The same approach I use for all white Bones plastic. Details are at the end of this link.


Skin

Menoth White Base

This with a wash creates a pale skin tone. I've never been happy with this approach and moved away from it, but used it here to match the Chronoscope version I painted before.


Shirt

Reaper 09017 True Blue

This is a bright blue that coats well. As the shirt is a small, flat area, I didn't feel the need to paint any highlighting over what the wash I applied later would provide.


Weapon

Citadel Colour Chaos Black
Citadel Colour Codex Grey
Army Painter Warpaints Quickshade Dark Tone

Not the neatest or fanciest approach, but one that brings out the mechanical details.


Overalls

Reaper 09158 Olive Drab
Reaper 09177 Camouflage Green

These are darker and lighter versions of an olive green camouflage color. They work well paired as a base and highlight.


Leather

Reaper 09284 Lonestar Leather
Reaper 09110 Oiled Leather

This is the same combination I used for the leather on the metal version and has become my go-to for a base and highlight combination.


Hair

Reaper 09183 Cloud Pink
Citadel Washes Baal Red

Again, the same combination I used for the metal version. To my surprise, the Baal Red was still perfectly viable, but most red washes should work fine.


Wash

Army Painter Warpaints Quickshade Strong Tone

Everything except for the hair and weapon got a coat of this wash slapped on it. Again, this reproduces my approach to the metal version and remains how I paint Bones plastic.

Bones (plastic) version on the left, Chronoscope (metal) version on the right.

Chronoscope and (Early) Bones Comparison

This is a chance to compare the metal and plastic versions of the miniature. To my mild surprise, I haven't actually painted the same sculpt in two different materials before.

The details of the Chronoscope version are sharper and better defined when compared to the Bones version. This is the expected finding. The soft white plastic used in the initial waves of Bones doesn't seem to be able to retain fine detail like metal or the harder gray plastic that Reaper switched to later on. The difference in detail is significant. The face is less detailed and the goggles are a muddy mess. It made for a less pleasant painting experience as I kept hunting for details that I knew were there on the metal version.

A comparison between the metal and plastic versions is incomplete without discussing pricing. Here are the prices in USD at the time of this writing:

Reaper Bones 80008 Rosie, Chronotechnician $3.99 (USD)
Reaper Chronoscope 50016 Rosie, Chronotechnician $5.99 (USD)

The plastic version can be picked up for two-thirds the price of the metal one. However, two bucks isn't a huge price difference in absolute terms. It comes down to personal preference. Is the difference in detail worth paying a little extra? The Bones version wouldn't be my first choice as a hero miniature or display piece. Which material is the buyer more comfortable working with? Metal and plastic demand different approaches. A painter set up for one material may not wish to adapt to the other.

Bones (plastic) version on the left, Chronoscope (metal) version on the right.

Bones - even early Bones - do have a place. Most of my Bones collection is from the first Kickstarter and is therefore the white plastic from the beginning of the line. All of the ones I've painted are serviceable when painted to a tabletop standard. The majority of the figures are monsters or other opposition that will only be on the table as long as the players allow them to survive. Also, a Bones figure makes for a fun "rainy day" painting experience. The work goes quickly since I don't stress much about getting the best results possible like I might with a metal, resin, or higher quality plastic figure.

In the end, comparing this figure to its metal counterpart didn't change my option on early Bones miniatures. They are a cost effective option for the kinds of miniatures meant to be used in bulk. Orcs or zombies? Oh, yeah, I'm going for the white plastic Bones versions. Likewise, large miniatures are much more practical in any form of plastic when compared to metal. However, I'm happy to shell out a little more for a centerpiece miniature of metal, resin, or higher quality plastic that I'm painting to look the best I can manage.

Reaper Chronoscope 50028 Kirby McDowell, Space Privateer

Another metal miniature from Reaper's Chronoscope line. Kirby McDowell has the look of a 1980s action movie star. He's a big guy who favors casual dress and packs a surprise for those who underestimate him.

This is another experiment in painting highlights as an alternative to using washes for shading. As much as I like the ease of using washes, I like having more tools in my kit even more. The results were better this time. I only had to cheat once.

Primer
Zenithal priming with dark gray coat followed by white sprayed from the top.

Skin
Reaper 09260 Bronzed Skin slightly diluted with water to take advantage of the shading already in place. Using the diluted paint as a glaze over the zenithal priming worked well this time.

Pants
Reaper 09285 Demin Blue. Highlighted with Reaper 09057 Ashen Blue. I was careful to duplicate the techniques I used on Jessica Blaze and achieved the same results.

Hair, Shirt, and Boots
Reaper 09088 Stormy Grey. Highlighted with Reaper 09090 Misty Grey. This is the same combination of colors and techniques used on Jessica Blaze before I applied a wash to darken down the colors. The lighter initial results worked better here, so no wash was necessary.

Pistol
I painted this the same as the shirt and added a little Citadel Colour Mithril Silver to the raised areas. This draws attention to the weapon even though it is partly hidden away.

Base Texture
I used a backer reward from the Happy Seppuku Modelworks Base Texture Stamps Kickstarter to produce the look of the base. It is a flat silcone rubber sheet with various textures. I simply placed a little putty on a plastic base and pressed it on the sheet to pick up the desired pattern. In this case, I used Random Steel Plate. Regrettably, Happy Seppuku Modelworks seems to have closed their doors, so I'll have to look elsewhere for more base texturing tools in the future.

Base Painting
Reaper 09088 Stormy Grey. Reaper 09090 Misty Grey used as a highlight. The results matched the other gray areas on the miniature, but looked too faded for the base. I decided to cheat regarding my "no washes" goal for this project. A little diluted Citadel Colour Chaos Black brushed over the base darkened the color and filled in the recesses nicely. The sides were finished with undiluted Citadel Colour Chaos Black.

This experiment gives me another technique to use. There's nothing wrong with washes, but I prefer having more options when tackling hobby projects. And I'm another painted miniature closer to getting a game of Five Parsecs From Home on the table.

Reaper Chronoscope 50132 Jessica Blaze, Smuggler

Jessica Blaze is a metal miniature from Reaper Miniatures' Chronoscope line. I bought this figure back in my "it looks cool, I must have it NOW" days of miniature collecting. After putting it off for multiple sci-fi games, I finally put paint on this model for Five Parsecs From Home.

I experimented with shading using highlight layers over darker coats. This technique requires more brush control than my usual reliance on washes. The outcome was mixed, so I ended up using washes on some areas to get the results I wanted.

Primer
The initial coat was a dark gray sprayed to evenly coat all surfaces. A second coat of white was sprayed from above. I recently learned that his technique has a name - zenithal priming. It gave me a better idea of which areas needed to be highlights and which would be shaded.

Skin
Reaper 98982 Golden Skin diluted with water to act as a glaze. The idea was to let the zenithal priming to show through. It didn't quite take, so I followed up with Secret Weapon W006 Parchment Wash.

Hair and Top
Reaper 09183 Cloud Pink. Highlighted with Reaper 09281 Brains Pink. The result turned out more pastel than I intended. Some Secret Weapon W025 Just Red Wash pushed the color over to the bright pink I was aiming for.

Pants
Reaper 09285 Demin Blue. Highlighted with Reaper 09057 Ashen Blue. This actually came out as desired.

Jacket, Boots, and Accessories
Reaper 09088 Stormy Grey. Reaper 09090 Misty Grey used to highlight these areas. The outcome was lighter than I intended. I used Secret Weapon W001 Soft Body Black to darken these areas and fill the recesses. A few spots turned out a little too dark, so I highlighted them with Citadel Colour Codex Grey.

Pistol
The pistol was painted using the same colors and techniques as the Jacket with one additional step. I lightly brushed on a little Citadel Colour Mithril Silver on some of the raised details to represent bare metal showing through the worn paint of a well-used weapon.

Base
I cut the miniature off its slot and glued it to a Champ Industries Industrial Design Base before priming. Even though I am happy with the brand of super glue I favor, I wonder if I should start pinning figures to such bases in the future. The base is painted with Citadel Colour Chaos Black. I diluted it for the top to fill in the recesses while not completely coating the raised areas and used it undiluted for the sides.

My experiment with not using washes turned out to need washes to get the desired results. Still, I did learn a thing or two that I can apply moving forward. And I have another sci-fi miniature suitable for Five Parsecs From Home painted and ready.

Reaper Chronoscope #50016 Rosie, Chronotechnician

This is an early figure in Reaper's Chronoscope line. The name is likely a reference to Rosie the Riveter - best known from the "We Can Do It" poster, but also featured in song, film, and a Norman Rockwell cover for the Saturday Evening Post. The headset gives Reaper's Rosie a slightly more hi-tech look than the World War II cultural icon. The heavy boots, tool belt, and goggles are timeless necessities of manufacturing work, though.

Rosie and her attitude adjustment tool.

The paint scheme is inspired by Rosie the Riveter's denim overalls and a character from the video game Starscape (Moonpod, 2003). Jenna Johnson ("JJ") served as Deputy Engineer on the exploration ship serving as a home base in the game. JJ favored red overalls and pink hair. I knew that the hair would work fine, but I didn't want that much red on the figure. The red was restricted to the figure's shirt. I considered painting the overalls a military color like olive drab or khaki before deciding on denim. I might revisit the idea later when I paint the Bones version of this figure.

Denim

With a bottle of Reaper #09285 Denim Blue on hand, choosing a base color for the overalls was pretty straightforward. The color is a good match for new denim. I used Reaper #09057 as a highlight and to add a little wear to the overalls.

Leather

Reaper #09284 provides a rich brown good for somewhat distressed leather. I brushed on Reaper #09110 Oiled Leather to further simulate the look of worn leather on the boots, gloves, and tool belt.

Skin

I decided to experiment with using Formula P3 Menoth White Base with Army Painter Warpaints Soft Tone Quickshade for the bare skin. The result is serviceable and I might choose it for painting a squad or army in a hurry. I just need to find something better for single miniatures.

Details

The hair is Reaper #09183 Cloud Pink with a layer of still viable Citadel Baal Red Wash. The shirt is Reaper #09004 Fire Red. The scarf is painted with Reaper #09011 Leaf Green to stand out from the warm colors around it.

Wash

I switched between Army Painter Warpaints Quickshades between different areas of the figure. A layer of Dark Tone brought out the details on the denim and headset. Strong Tone added to the dirty and used appearance of the leather.

The asymmetry of this specific base is a good fit for this figure.

Base

The base is from a batch I ordered from Champ Industries several years ago. There is a good variety of base designs in the batch I received and all fit the generic sci-fi appearance I tend to favor. The Champ Industries website is still up. I'll have to see if they are still taking orders when my supply eventually runs low.

Closing Notes

The photos from the last couple of posts were taken with my new camera. For this post, I started experimenting with the aperture and ISO settings rather than simply using the automatic or close up modes. The majority of the photos ended up getting deleted, but I learned quite a bit from the process.

This figure has been in my collection for longer than most. I made the purchase when I was getting back into tabletop gaming - roughly the same time that I started this blog. Maybe it's a sign that I'm making progress on my pile of unfinished projects?

Painting By Numbers #6a UPDATE - Second Shot at Sarah Blitzer, IMEF Sniper

"You want to know why I slugged that guy? I literally just stepped off the dropship after a week in the bad guys' backyard. What's the first thing I see? Some numbskull with a microphone and his pet camerabot in tow. He wanted to ask me some questions. They wanted me to take a few minutes to pretty myself up for the camera. Right. There wasn't an inch of me that wasn't covered in dust, dried mud, and old sweat. I stank. The nap I took on the trip up was the first good sleep I had since the mission started. I had been gulping down prepackaged field rations in between moving, avoiding detection, monitoring targets, calling down strikes on anything that looked expensive enough to be worth breaking, and taking the odd shot at anyone stupid enough to present a target. I wanted a shower, a nap, and a hot meal."

"Of course I punched him. No, the camerabot didn't get the shot. It was too busy laughing its tin head off."

- IMEF Staff Sergeant Sarah Blitzer, Deep Space Carrier Decatur (SCVN-2814)

I've painted this miniature before, but wasn't happy with the results. Fortunately, it's easy to remove paint from a miniature with Simple Green, a little time, and a brush.

This time I used a lighter grey for the body suit (Reaper MSP Alien Flesh 09293) while keeping a dark grey for the armor pieces and rifle (Reaper MSP Stormy Grey 09088). The greater contrast prevents the effect from being lost in slightly dimmer light conditions. I also used metallic paint more aggressively on the armor and rifle to suggest wear (Citadel Boltgun Metal).

Some details, including the lenses on the goggles and scope, were picked out in Reaper True Blue (09017) with Reaper LED Blue (09288) as a highlight. Again, the goal was greater contrast than on the original paint job.

I tried various things with the face, but settled on a mix of Reaper Tanned Skin (09044) and Reaper Fair Skin (09047) with a wash to bring out details. Painting eyes is just something I haven't mastered yet.

Overall, I like this attempt better than the first. The greater contrast between the different parts of the miniature brings out more the details. The contrast also has a neater appearance. It all adds up to a better expression of the concept.

Incidentally, I did take a few minutes to compare this miniature (Reaper Chronoscope 50274) with the Bones version (80021) released as part of the Reaper Bones Kickstarter Vampire Box. The Bones version comes with an integral base resembling metal plating. The detail on both miniatures are comparable, but I think the metal version looks a little crisper and better defined. That said, I'm not sure if the differences really matter once the miniatures are painted and on the tabletop.

My current plans for the Bones version of Sarah is to match her with the rest of the IMEF Marines included in the Vampire Box. This will allow them to be fielded as a squad. Right now, I'm thinking of a primary color like blue or red for the armor rather than grey.

Painting By Numbers #6 - Sarah Blitzer, IMEF Sniper

This one almost got filed under Learning Experiences rather than Painting By Numbers.

I'm not sure if I like how this mini turned out. What I learned made it worth the effort of painting. I'm just not sure if it looks fine, could use a little more work, or needs a soak in Simple Green.

This is "Sarah Blitzer, IMEF Sniper" from Reaper's Chronoscope line (50274). The model is clearly based on the "female long ranged soldier/assassin/spy" that shows up in sci-fi shows and films from time to time. The rifle is huge. The armor is skintight. We all know what's going on here. Let's just move on.

The miniature is of good quality. The mechanical details on the rifle and armor are sharp and well-defined. A little work with a hobby knife took care of the small amount of flash. There is an annoying seam line on the top of the head. It blends into the hair at some angles, but is glaringly viable at others. I left it alone, but it's getting some time with a file if I decide to strip and repaint the figure.

It will be interesting to compare this metal model with the plastic version in Reaper's Bones Kickstarter. I'll follow up on that next year.

The base is from Champ Industries. I've been really happy with these from beginning to end. The service was prompt and efficient. The fact that these are plastic rather than resin meant that there was no clean up and no pinning required. Just a couple of drops of superglue and I could move on to priming. The detail is excellent and takes drybrushing well.

My paint job was inspired by the character Nova from Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft setting. The model was primed with grey auto body primer. The body suit got a shade of medium grey (Citadel Codex Grey). The armor pieces and rifle got a darker shade of grey (Reaper MSP 09088 Stormy Grey). And a light shade of grey (Reaper MSP 09090 Misty Grey) was used as a highlight. A slightly diluted dark wash (Citadel Badab Black) was used to bring out the details. The rifle and base were drybrushed with a darker metallic (Citadel Boltgun).

Overall, I like the effect, but it might be too subtle. It stands out in good lighting, but it gets lost in darker conditions. What I'm tempted to try is using a light grey for the body suit while keeping the dark grey for the armor to enhance the contrast. I could use white or a white-light grey mix as a highlight.

I would also like the details to stand out a little more. The green on the goggle lenses is barely viable except on close inspection.

The hair came out well. I base coated it with a nice blond color (Reaper Master Series 09074 Palomino Gold) and hit it with a medium wash (Citadel Ogryn Flesh). A little more Palomino Gold was applied as a highlight.

What I'm really not happy with is the face. The skin came out alright, but I'm just going to have to learn how to paint eyes for Reaper's female figures. They just don't look right without that detail.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to end up doing with this mini. It's good enough for tabletop as it is, but I feel that I can do better with another attempt. For now, I'll just set it aside and get some work done on other projects.

Painting By Numbers #2

This set of curious little aliens (Reaper Chronoscope, 50130: Gray Aliens) was intended to be a quick and easy project. The idea was to complete something fast to generate the momentum needed to keep working throughout the holiday season.

Well, they painted up pretty quick. Once I got around to them, that is. There's not much to these guys. One thing I wish I was more careful with was trimming the mold lines. The sculpts are very smooth, so everything I missed shows up with close inspection. It's a good thing I was only shooting for tabletop standards.



Overall, I like this set. There is a tongue-in-cheek approach to the details. The leader is making a promise with his fingers crossed behind his back. The doctor is putting on his gloves with a flourish. The scribe is taking notes on an old-fashioned clipboard and has a suspicious zipper on the back of his head. The soldier and his rifle are fairly straightforward, but still fits right in. These miniatures might not fit into a dark and serious campaign, but should find a home in a game with a sense of whimsy.

Painting By Numbers #1

Here's a couple of miniatures I finished up recently. And by "finished up" I mean "hit the diminishing returns stage" rather than reach a satisfactory result. Neither has a fantastic paint job, but sometimes the best thing is to put the brush down and move on. I'm still picking up the skills needed for tabletop standards, much less anything more demanding.

The first miniature is from Reaper's Chronoscope line - Kirby McDowell (50028). I've been experimenting with Citadel's washes and decided to go for a dirty, rugged look. Not sure I like how it turned out. Kirby looks like he's spent some time outdoors, so I got the overall look right, but I need to work on my brush control. The suspenders look a little messy.

The second miniature is also from Reaper's Chronoscope line - Veronica Blaze (50007). I nicknamed this one "Lexi" for the contrasting purple and green color scheme. This one is another experiment - I used Citadel washes to bring out the details while drybrushing the highlighted areas. Overall, I think this one worked out well, except the skin turned out darker than I intended.