Orcpocalyse Orctober Spa Treatment

October is half over and I'm way behind on this project. I get the feeling that I'll still be painting Orcs around Xmas time. On the other hand, I'm way ahead of where I was when these miniatures were still in their packaging. I'll take some progress over no progress.

The Problem

Early Reaper Bones miniatures are made of a white, vinyl-like plastic that's infamously finicky to work with. It repels water, including acrylic paints. It reacts badly to rattlecan primers and paints, even those specifically formulated for use on plastics. It stubbornly resists attempts to straighten out bends. And it almost always arrives bent or bends in storage. Fortunately, Reaper Miniatures has moved away from this particular material over time.

Unfortunately, these orcs are all from the Reaper Miniatures Bones: An Evolution of Gaming Miniatures Kickstarter. That's Reaper Miniatures' very first Kickstarters and the one that launched the Bones line. All of these orcs are made of early Bones plastic by default.

Straightening out bent parts and preparing the surfaces to accept paint requires planning and work. And it took longer than I was planning due to personal stuff delaying things. That's the nature of a hobby - it's on the bottom of any reasonable priority list.

Orc spears before heat treatment.

Orc Steam Bath and Cold Plunge

The tried and true method of unbending Bones plastic requires the application of heat. Some plunge their Bones miniatures into a jacuzzi of boiling water. I improvised a steamer with a pot and a basket, avoiding the issue of fishing out miniatures from scalding water. I don't recommend either approach due to the mess and hazards involved. A heat gun is going on my wish list for the next time I tackle a project like this.

Regardless of the heat source, the idea is to use heat to soften the plastic and make it malleable. In some cases, the plastic will "spring back" to its original shape just from being heated. Otherwise, the softened plastic is easy to reform into its correct shape.

Getting the plastic to stay in its unbent form calls for rapid cooling. The easiest method is a cold plunge. Dunking the plastic in cold water hardens it in its unbent state. Quick cooling seems to be the key. A container of ice water is my preferred choice.

Even after all that, the process is not perfect. "Good enough for tabletop" is the goal here. A slightly bent sword or spear is better than one that's twisted into a pretzel shape.

Finally, Reaper Bones miniatures are glued together. The hot/cold treatment could weaken those bonds. There might be an audible cracking sound when the miniatures go into the cold plunge. That's the glue letting go. Check the water for any parts that may have fallen off.

Orc spears after heating, reforming, and cooling.

Orcs Like the High Proof Stuff

With the orcs as unbent as they're going to be, the cleaning process could begin. I sprayed down all the orc miniatures with isopropyl alcohol. Full immersion would've been better, but I didn't have that much of the stuff around at the time. The purpose of using isopropyl alcohol is to begin breaking down any residue from the manufacturing process still on the surface of the miniatures.


Bath Time for the Warband

Cleaning finishes up with an old fashioned scrubbing with warm soap and water. A sturdy toothbrush with firm bristles works well to get into all those orc nooks and crannies. A soak and a rinse in cold water should get rid of anything left on the surfaces. Check the wash and rinse waters for any loose parts.


Next: It's all about those bases.

Orcpocalyse Orctober

"Orctober" is around the corner and it's time to consider the possibilities. Actually, I should be well into the planning phase at this point. But what's the fun in that?

A box of plastic orcs, not quite ready to be painted.

To fit the theme of this orc-based October project, I am tackling the over two dozen orc miniatures I got from the Reaper Miniatures Bones: An Evolution Of Gaming Miniatures Kickstarter. Yes, that was roughly forever ago. Reaper's first Kickstarter is truly the gift that keeps on giving for me.

The "Orcpocalypse!" option of that Kickstarter added 20 Orcs to the 5 Orcs and Warboss already available as part of the "Vampire" pledge level. Here's the break down:

• 77042 Orc Marauder (Sword and Shield) - Plate armored orc armed with a sword and shield. x5
• 77045 Orc Hunter (Spear) - Plate armored orc armed with a spear. x5
• 77051 Orc Stalker (Two Weapons) - Plate armored orc armed with dual swords. x5
• 77056 Orc Sniper (Archer) - Mail armored orc armed with bow and dagger. x5
• 77059 Orc Berserker (Two Handed Sword) - Plate armored orc armed with a great sword. x5
• 77064 Kavorgh, Orc Warboss - Big plate armored orc leader armed with an axe and shield. x1

That's 26 orc models made of the white, vinyl-like plastic used in early Reaper Bones miniatures. I'll have to straighten bent spears and clean up the surfaces before I even think about putting paint on them. And I'm still mulling over paint schemes because I don't want to spend all October painting green.

Maybe this is a good time to learn how to use an air brush?

Reaper Bones 77046 Bat Swarm

As far as I can recall, it's been a year since I last slapped paint on a miniature. There was a couple of terrain projects during that time, but that's not quite the same kind of painting. "Tabletop standard" has a different meaning when applied to miniatures versus terrain. People pick up miniatures, hold them up to their faces, scrutinize the things, and ask about the lack of painted on eyes. Terrain only needs to be painted well enough to get the point across.

It's been way too long.

What did I have to work with? Wiping the dust off my wet palette revealed it to be fine. Surveying my paints had mixed results. The dropper bottle stuff seemed fine, but all needed a through shaking. The sheer incompetence in plastic form that are Games Workshop paint pots was another story. About half of it dried up, leaving nothing but hard flakes and wasted potential. My brushes are all fine, being stored well out of reach of my daughter's cats.

I decided to start with something straightforward. Something that would look fine with a base coat, some shaky brushwork, whatever highlighting I could muster, and awash to cover up my mistakes. That all added up to a Reaper Bones miniature from my pile of shame.

This miniature depicts a swarm of bats flying around a grave marker. It fit the season and didn't seem too demanding of my rusty skills. A nighttime scene limited the colors I needed - it's all dim lighting and shadows.

I described my process for preparing and basing Reaper Bones miniatures in this linked post.

For my first attempt, I painted the whole thing black and went overboard with drybrushing it gray. Trying to recover with a black ink only made it worse. I covered it all up with a black base coat again to reset and start over.

Paints used:

• Reaper Master Series Pure Black 09037 - used because the last of my Citadel Colour Chaos Black died in the bottle.
• Citadel Colour Codex Grey - still clinging on to life.

Instead of jumping straight to a medium gray, I used a mix of black with a little gray for the first drybrush layer. I added more gray for each following layer, getting less aggressive with the drybrushing each time.

I highlighted certain areas with an even mix of black and gray. I paid particular attention to the edges of certain bat wings, the grave marker, and a skull on the ground.

The final touch was to reintroduce shadows. Some areas that didn't need it got hit with the previous drybrush layers. I watered down the black paint remaining on my palette and used it as a wash. The wash was applied selectively. Only the areas that would be in shadow and needed to be darker got hit with the wash.

The end result is a serviceable miniature. More importantly, it a start to get me back into miniature painting. I'll likely ease back into it with another Reaper Bones miniature or three before tackling something more exciting.

Reaper Bones 77037 Medusa or How a "Warm Up" Project Comes in Handy

I suspect that this miniature - packing a bow and quiver while featuring the lower body of a snake from the torso down - was inspired by the Medusa in Clash of the Titans (1981). This is the white plastic version. I received mine as a backer reward from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter.

A quick miniature painting project is the best way for me to get back into crafting tabletop gaming stuff after a break. Using a Bones fantasy monster miniature is ideal. Bones miniatures tend to be inexpensive and getting paint on one knocks down the pile I still have from the Kickstarter. Since I'm coming back after a break, I'm more likely to make mistakes. I'd rather do that on a model that will only be on the table long enough for the player characters to remove it violently. Unfortunately, I ran into more problems than I could have anticipated and a "quick" project turned into a "longer than I thought it would take" project.

Planning and Preparation

Most of the Medusa miniatures I've seen online are a shade of green. I decided to be different and go for a brown color scheme.

I posted my usual approach to preparing a white plastic Bones miniature elsewhere on this blog. Short version: I clean the miniature thoroughly with warm soap and water. Then I glue it on a one inch steel fender washer. Finally, I hit it with a mix of FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium and either brown or black paint. This acts as a primer coat. For this project, I went with brown.


First Paint Pass

This was supposed to be the only paint pass, but things didn't go as planned.

Tail and Hair
FolkArt 231 Real Brown
FolkArt 479 Pure Black

The first coat was a mix of Real Brown with some Pure Black to darken it a shade or three. Real Brown was used over that as a highlight. This really brought out the scales on the tail and torso.

Skin
Reaper 09221 Olive Skin
Reaper 09041 Tanned Skin

Base coated with Olive Skin with Tanned Skin used over it as a highlight.

Bow and Quiver
Reaper 09041 Tanned Skin

The Tanned Skin color works as wood and worn leather as long as a wash is used over it.

Bracelets and Other Metallics
Citadel Colour Tin Bitz
Citadel Colour Shining Gold

I used this over the bracelets and pretended that the bare breasts were really sculpted bronze plates worn over the breasts. The dark brown metallic base color is a little too dark, but the brighter metallic brushed on as a highlight makes it look like its catching more light in some areas.

Wash Coat
FolkArt 231 Real Brown diluted with water

There were a few spots that needed some help after I was done painting. A wash sometimes works as a quick fix, but wasn't enough in this case.


The Problem

The issue I kept running into was the paint running off the raised areas and exposing the bare plastic underneath. Early production Bones miniatures used a white material that sometimes repels water and water-based paints when painted right out of the package. (More recent Bones miniatures use a grey plastic and may not have this issue.) A good cleaning and a coat of FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium usually solves the problem, but didn't seem to be as effective on this project. Looking back, using craft paints instead of higher density artist or miniature paints may have contributed to the difficulties I was having.


Second Paint Pass

My new plan was to hide all the mistakes and patchy spots of the first pass with another coat of wash. Then I could brush on highlights over the wash coat and nobody would know unless they read this blog post.

Wash Coat
FolkArt 231 Real Brown
FolkArt 479 Pure Black
Liquitex Matte Medium
Water

This is a much darker wash than the one I used at the end of the first pass. It also holds together better due to the Matte Medium keeping the pigments in suspension.

Tail & Hair Highlights
FolkArt 231 Real Brown

Skin Highlights
Reaper 09221 Olive Skin

Metallic Highlights
Citadel Colour Shining Gold

The wash caused the previously applied colors to blend together. Here I tried to make the raised areas stand out again.

Basing
Mix of sand, FolkArt 231 Real Brown, PVA glue, and water
FolkArt 420 Linen

My usual approach to texturing and coloring the base of miniature is covered in more detail elsewhere on this blog. Once the mix was dry, I brushed on the Linen to bring out the rough texture.


Final Paint Pass

The second pass fixed most of the areas where the paint ran off during the first pass. There were still a couple of raised areas were much of the paint flowed off, leaving them significantly brighter. Worse, the details on the miniature were getting lost. Using Real Brown as a highlight over a mix of Real Brown and Pure Black works under a bright lamp, but is too subtle a difference to notice in other lighting conditions. I needed one more pass to highlight the details further and cover up the last remaining spots.

Highlighting Layer
FolkArt 420 Linen
FolkArt 231 Real Brown

Straight Linen would be too bright on its own, so I added a touch of Real Brown to darken it slightly. I used this mix over all the non-metallic areas to bring out the raised details and highlight certain areas. It also served to cover up the remaining spots.

Wash Coat
FolkArt 231 Real Brown
Liquitex Matte Medium
Water

Even darkened down with a little Real Brown, the highlight mix was still a little too bright when I was finished with it. I brushed on Real Brown diluted with water and Matte Medium to blend the layers together.

Wrapping Up

I tend to be more prone to making mistakes after a break. This makes "warming up" with something like a Bones miniature worthwhile for me. The process of engaging with a project can come back to me while working on something that only has to be good enough.

As for the Medusa, this miniature will do fine when it goes on the tabletop. All it has to do is menace the player characters until it runs out of hit points.

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 Bones Nova Corp

These are another backer reward from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter. I was supposed to receive one of each miniature, for a total of five. I'm not sure how I ended up with a total of nine, but I understand that this happened to many backers.

Expendable, not all that bright, and destined to be shot at.

SKU, name, and quantity of each miniature:

• 80011 Nova Corp: Guard x2
• 80012 Nova Corp: Soldier x2
• 80013 Nova Corp: Female x1
• 80014 Garvin Markus, Nova Corp Hero x2
• 80015 Nova Corp: Rifleman x2

The Guard, Soldier, Female, and Rifleman are all available from Reaper in sets of three. Garvin Markus comes all by himself. The sculpts are also available in metal as singles as part of the Chronoscope line.

The Nova Corp represents some kinda cyberpunk megacorp security force. I painted them up for Five Parsecs From Home as corporate security, planetary militia, local police, etc. They will also be handy as opposition in near-future role playing games.

These are intended to be used as a group against "hero" figures. Individually painting every detail seemed to be overkill. I used quick and dirty methods to get them ready for the table - lots of dry brushing and washes.

Priming and Basing
I fell back on my usual approach for Bones plastic for the most part. Reaper 09079 Deep Amethyst was mixed with FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium for priming. I didn't bother with adding sand of other material to the bases. Simply gluing the integral bases to previously spray primed fender washers and painting them later would be enough.

First Dry Brush Layer
Reaper 09057 Ashen Blue. I left much more paint on the brush than I normally would when dry brushing. This resulted in a heavy layer while leaving some Deep Amethyst still showing in the recesses.

Second Dry Brush Layer
Reaper 09057 Ashen Blue mixed with Citadel Colour Skull White. This used standard dry brushing techniques to produce a highlight layer aligned with how light would hit the figures from above.

Weapons, Backpacks, and Bases
Citadel Colour Codex Grey. Used to provide some variation on the otherwise all blue color scheme.

Visor
Reaper 09079 Deep Amethyst. The previous dry brush layers covered up the visors, so I picked them out with a darker blue.

Flesh and Hair
I started by coating the exposed heads with Reaper 09110 Oiled Leather. One figure's hair was painted Reaper 09074 Palomino Gold while the other was left as is. I mixed the remaining Oiled Leather, Palomino Gold, and a drop of Citadel Colour Skull White to produce a pale skin tone for the figure I left with brown hair.

Wash
I used a mix of blue-gray wash I had left over from a previous project with a few drops of Reaper 09074 Deep Amethyst to tie it in better with the other colors. This mix was simply brushed over all surfaces and left to dry.

Base Detail Layers
Citadel Colour Chaos Black diluted with water brushed over the bases. The intent was to produce a dirty, oily appearance and fill in the recessed details. I might have gone overboard, but I don't feel that it worth the effort to go back and fix. This was a quick and dirty project, after all.

The paint job on these figures won't win any awards - I didn't post any close up photos for a reason - but that wasn't the goal. Their job is to get shot at by better painted miniatures. They'll be on the table exactly as long as the dice will allow.

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 Bones Zombies

I had a fit of Halloween enthusiasm and painted up all of the zombie and zombie-like figures in my Reaper Bones collection. Fortunately, I didn't completely lose my mind (any more than usual) and decided to use a common paint scheme for all of them. After all, rotting flesh covered with a few scraps of decaying clothes would look about the same on any animated corpse after being out in the sun for awhile.

Like a scene from a horror flick.

Notes on the paint scheme I used are presented first. Comments on each set of miniatures follow. All figures are from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter.

Preparation
The usual steps I take for Reaper Bones, as described here. I used FolkArt 231 Real Brown as an undercoat color.

Base Coat
FolkArt 231 Real Brown. I brushed on some additional brown to guarantee an even coat over all areas of each miniature.

Dry Brush Layer
Reaper 09293 Alien Flesh. This is a medium gray with touch of warmer color - brown or maybe red. Dry brushed over each figure to provide highlights.

Black Wash Layer
Reaper 09255 Black Wash. This is a basic black wash. It does the job of settling into the recesses, but otherwise unremarkable.

Brown Wash Layer
Reaper 09254 Brown Wash. A wash that works for flesh or cloth over a black wash. This is the final coat applied to the cloth and hair.

Green Wash Layer
Citadel Washes Thraka Green. A long out of production product that I'm trying to use up before it dries up. It was applied only to the areas of exposed flesh. This coat turned out to be too green. I was going for "necrotic" not "the expression of Bruce Banner's anger management issues" for the flesh tones.

Green-Brown Wash Layer
Secret Weapon Wash W008 Baby Poop. My choice for Cthulhu-related projects. It produces an unhealthy looking tone when applied over a neutral color. The sickly color turned out to be a perfect fit for this project. Again, it was used over the flesh areas only.

Reaper Bones 77053 Zombies

Reaper Bones 77053 Zombies
These resemble the "shambler" zombies common in media depictions. Slow mobs of decaying corpses that shuffle towards potential prey. Sold in packs of three.

Reaper Bones 77014 Zombies

Reaper Bones 77014 Zombies
More "shambler" zombies, although I'm tempted to refer to these as "disco" zombies given their pose. They provide some variety when combined with 77053. Sold in packs of three - I received the two pictured as a Kickstarter reward.

Reaper Bones 77159 Ghast

Reaper Bones 77159 Ghast
Although "Ghast" is Reaper's name for this figure, it's handy as a variety of undead threats. It could represent a more powerful zombie, a ghoul, some kind of wight, a vampire that hasn't feed for awhile, or other abomination with a hunger for flesh.

Reaper Bones 77169 Flesh Golem

Reaper Bones 77169 Flesh Golem
This big guy is clearly inspired by popular adaptations of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. This figure could represent the creation of a mad wizard or ambitious scientist, a "boss" zombie, or some other physically powerful undead.

Overall, I'm happy with how this mob of undead turned out. They'll be menacing some adventuring party or other group of player characters soon enough. Although I might need to find something to feed them in the meantime...

Reaper Bones 77067 Virina, Female Demon

Halloween's coming up, so it's a good time to get projects like this nice lady with the horns, wings, and tail done. My players don't react well to demons, devils, cosmic horrors, or undead. A dark color scheme seemed the best bet. No point in being subtle. With that in mind, I decided to experiment with layering coats of color over black for this project.

Painted in Chaos Black, Spattered Crimson, Gory Red, Blood Red, and Fresh Blood.

Preparation
Details on my approach to working on Reaper Bones miniatures are posted here. The base color is Citadel Colour Chaos Black. With that name, it was the most appropriate choice.

Basing
I used black instead of using brown to color the basing material and followed up by brushing on some gray. The intended result is "burnt out ground covered in ashes" rather than the "dry soil" I usually shoot for.

First Color Layer
Reaper 09277 Spattered Crimson. I left more paint on the brush than I usually would for dry brushing and tried to cover everything but the recesses on the figure.

Second Color Layer
Reaper 09278 Gory Red. This still used more paint than most dry brushing techniques, but wasn't as heavy as the first layer. The goal was to partly cover the areas previously coated, producing a highlight.

Third Color Layer
Reaper 09003 Blood Red. I partly covered the previous coat with a dry brushing of this color.

Fourth Layer
Reaper 09279 Fresh Blood. A light dry brush layer to provide a final highlight.

Wash Layer
Surveying the results so far, I saw that I was a little too aggressive with brushing on the red layers. More paint got into the recesses than I intended. The fix was a coat of Secret Weapon Wash W001 Soft Body Black diluted with a drop or two of water. It brought back the recessed details and helped to blend the layers of red together.

Demon lady in red.

The results are alright, but aren't as neat as I'd like. Dry brushing works, but isn't particularly tidy. If I were to do this project again, I would try a more controlled approach to layering on the red for a cleaner result. No big deal, though. Learning new things is the point of experimenting. This demon lady will menace dungeon delving adventuring parties just fine as she is.

Reaper Bones 77114 Faceless Horror

Autumn is here, October is around the corner, and Halloween is on the way. Being in the mood for cosmic horror, I decided to put paint on this charming critter. It came into my collection by way of the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter as part of the Mythos Monsters add on.

I'd hate to see the Faceless Horror's dental bill.

The Faceless Horror is a gooey mess of eyes, mouths, and flesh. It might be based on the Gibbering Mouther - a monster introduced in the AD&D module C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (1980) by Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason. Which, in turn, may have been influenced by H.P. Lovecraft's Shoggoth, which featured most prominently in "At the Mountains of Madness" (1931).

The details on this model were difficult for me to see before painting. The stark white of Bones plastic doesn't provide much contrast. My solution was to use washes early in the process to bring out those details. The scheme is similar to the one I used for the Khurasan Miniatures Parasachnid Warriors, but modified for use on Bones plastic.

The remains of a human victim are sculpted into the largest maw. I didn't notice until the first coat of wash.

Preparation
A post on my usual approach to working with a Reaper Bones miniature is on the other end of this link. In this case, I mixed Formula P3 Menoth White Base with the FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium to provide a good first coat.

Base
The Faceless Horror is an odd size. Nothing smaller than a three inch round plastic base (Reaper 74037) would work. Unless there's a company that offers two-and-a-half inch round bases that I'm not aware of.

Highlight and Teeth
I brushed on a little Formula P3 Morrow White on the figure's raised areas to provide more contrast. The same color was used for the teeth, which was a bit of a chore.

"Never tangle with anything that's got more teeth than the entire Osmond family." - Arnold Rimmer, Red Dwarf

Inner Surface Wash
The interior surfaces got a generous coat of Citadel Baal Red wash. It produces a good color for the inside of a mouth when used over Formula P3 Menoth White Base. I also brushed some on the roots of the teeth to give them a bloody appearance.

Outer Surface Wash
The exterior surfaces received a coat of Citadel Ogryn Flesh wash. It combines well with Formula P3 Menoth White Base to create a fleshy tone.

Eyes
I initially used Reaper 09294 Alien Goo with Citadel Thraka Green wash brushed over it for the eyes. Unfortunately, they ended up looking like pustules from some extraterrestrial skin condition. Highlighting the eyes with Reaper 09287 Neon Yellow didn't help. The fix was Secret Weapon W015 Blue Wash. It shifted the color away from yellow and darkened down the tone to something more resembling the eyes of some preternatural creature.

Rear (?!) view.

The Faceless Horror turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected. The level of detail is surprisingly high. Painting the eyes and teeth took awhile. Overall, I had a good time with it and am pleased with how it turned out.

Reaper Bones 77142 Townsfolk: Blacksmith

I did what I always seem to do when I want to knock out a quick Saturday morning painting project - reach for where I store the figures I received from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter. Not wanting to fall into a rut, I avoided the fantasy adventurers and monsters that make up the majority of my collection. This figure is one of the "Townsfolk" figures included in the Bones line.

A blacksmith would likely be wearing a leather apron while working hot metal. With brown already being a big part of the paint scheme, I challenged myself by sticking with neutral colors. It didn't seem likely to me that a blacksmith would wear his best and brightest clothes while working.

Cleaning
Painful experience taught me that a through cleaning pays off with Bones miniatures. A firm toothbrush, warm soap and water, and a little elbow grease goes a long way towards avoiding issues later on.

Basing
The relatively small integral bases and light weight material result in many Bones figures falling over during play. The weight and wider area added by gluing a one inch steel fender washer to the bottom of the integral base gives the figure much more stability. I spray prime the washers in batches beforehand for convenience.

Priming
The usual mix of FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium and a base color paint - brown in this case - brushed over the entire figure.

Skin
I'm growing to like Reaper 09260 Bronzed Skin. The color is a yellow-brown rather than the light brown of Reaper 09044 Tanned Skin and works well with a brown wash. I'm not planning on using either paint as a replacement for the other. Both have their uses and I enjoy having more options.

Hair and Tools
Citadel Colour Codex Grey is the base color of the figure's hair and metal tools.

Clothing
Reaper 09284 Lonestar Leather is turning into my first choice for worn leather or brown cloth. I followed it up by brushing Reaper 09110 Oiled Leather over the raised areas as a highlight.

Wood
I wanted a darker brown for the tree stump that the anvil is sitting on and the handles of the hand tools. Reaper 09028 Muddy Brown provides a good contrast with the lighter browns used for the clothing.

Washes
Originally, I was planning to use Army Painter Warpaints Quickshade Dark Tone only on the grey painted areas. However, I needed deeper shading everywhere, so I ended up brushing it over the entire figure. That was followed by a coat of Army Painter Warpaints Quickshade Strong Tone.

Basing
The usual mix of sand, PVA glue, brown paint, and water to texture and blend the integral base and the steel fender washer together. I skipped brushing on a lighter color paint over the sand since I didn't want there to be too much contrast been the base and the figure.

This was a fast and fun project. A blacksmith is a staple inhabitant of any per-industrial village or town, so this figure seemed to be a good place to start on the "Townsfolk" figures. They are a refreshing change from the usual fantasy figure.

Reaper Bones 77057 Juliette, Female Sorceress

Juliette - 77057 of Reaper's Bones line - might have the least inspired title for a miniature that I've run across. "Female Sorceress" seems redundant, at least. In any case, this is another figure from the first Reaper Bones Kickstarter.

Juliette in her natural environment - a dungeon grid.

The color scheme I used for this figure is inspired by the Erol Otus cover for the 1981 Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set. That product has a special place in my heart - it was my ticket into tabletop gaming. Something about Juliette reminded me of the woman spell caster depicted on that cover. Maybe I'll keep more classic gaming artwork in mind for future projects.

Cleaning
As always, I start with a through scrubbing with a stiff brush and warm soap and water. It removes any residue from manufacturing or handling that might cause issues during the painting process.

Basing
Gluing a spray primed steel fender washer to the integral base gives the figure more stability. The lightweight Bones miniatures have a habit of falling over without this step.

Priming
I choose a mix of FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium and Reaper 09028 Muddy Brown this time around. Brown makes a good underlayer for the skin, hair, and accessory colors. It also works well with red, which doesn't always coat well over a coat of grey or black.

Skin
Reaper 09047 Fair Skin is a reliable way of putting a pale skin tone on a miniature.

Three quarters view.

Hair
The Reaper 09257 Blond Hair I used on Juliette produces a bright golden hair color. I might experiment with adding a little white for a platinum blond in a future project. For a darker, honey blond, Reaper 09074 Palomino Gold works well, but I wanted the hair to stand out from the dress.

Clothing
I used two coats of paint for the red dress. Reaper 09278 Gory Red provides a dark base color. Reaper 09279 Fresh Blood was used as a highlight color.

Accessories
The corset, boots, and belt were all painted in Reaper 09284 Lonestar Leather. I tried going for a glass effect for the bottles on Juliette's belt, but I didn't like the results and painted over it. Besides, any glass containers should be protected by pouches during a dungeon delve.

Washes
I applied a layer of Secret Weapon W005 Flesh Wash over the entire figure. It worked well on the hair, skin, and accessories, but may have darkened the dress a little too much. To correct for this, I tried a coat of Secret Weapon W025 Just Red on the dress.

Basing
I used a little sand to texture the steel washer base and blend it with the integral base. The combined base elements were painted with FolkArt 231 Real Brown followed by a dry brushing with FolkArt 420 Linen. This produces the look of dry or sandy ground.

Rear view. Somebody downrange is receiving a magic missile.

The dress turned out darker than I intended, but I like how it contrasts with the rest of the figure. Since I planned out similar color schemes for both figures, I painted Juliette at the same time as Hasslefree Miniatures HFSF202 Lt Thoran. Many of the same paints were used for both figures, but the reds turned out a little different due to the washes I used.

Reaper Bones 77523 C'thulhu Shrine

"It represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind. This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence, and squatted evilly on a rectangular block or pedestal covered with undecipherable characters. The tips of the wings touched the back edge of the block, the seat occupied the centre, whilst the long, curved claws of the doubled-up, crouching hind legs gripped the front edge and extended a quarter of the way down toward the bottom of the pedestal. The cephalopod head was bent forward, so that the ends of the facial feelers brushed the backs of huge fore paws which clasped the croucher’s elevated knees."

- "The Call of Cthulhu" - H.P. Lovecraft

Barbarian mercenaries back on guard duty. (28mm scale Reaper Miniatures figures provided for comparison.)

I purchased this figure at the same time as the Reaper Bones 77525 Great Obelisk of C'thulhu.

Compared to the Great Obelisk, this figure is closer to the description of the "grotesque, repulsive, and apparently very ancient stone statuette" of Cthulhu in most aspects except for its size. The figure in the story was "between seven and eight inches in height" and light enough to be "passed slowly from man to man for close and careful study" even though it was made of stone. At 28mm scale, this figure would stand taller than a human and weigh in at over a thousand pounds.

Rear three quarters view.

Like the Great Obelisk of C'thulhu, this figure uses the newer grey plastic rather than the white Bones material. I painted this figure at the same time as the Great Obelisk, mostly using the same techniques. The differences are noted below.

Assembly
The figure comes in two parts - the main body and the wings. The wing section has a tab that fits neatly into a slot between the shoulders of the main body. It is possible to put the wings on upside down! I checked the Reaper Miniatures website and other sources to make sure that I was assembling the figure correctly.

Basing
I used a 40mm round plastic base rather than a 50mm base.

Miskatonic University's interstellar expeditions department is at it again. Just don't read any inscriptions aloud, folks.

The Shrine is more detailed and more faithful to the descriptions in Lovecraft's original stories than the Great Obelisk. On the other hand, the Great Obelisk is still clearly inspired by Lovecraft and is more massive and imposing on the table than the Shrine. Getting both is a viable option - neither is particularly expensive, with the Shrine at $3.99 USD and the Great Obelisk at $4.99 USD.

Somebody read an inscription aloud.

I'm planning on using the two figures in different contexts. The Great Obelisk is big enough to make an impression on its own. It could be the centerpiece of a big fight with a group of cultists. Alternately, it could turn up in the ruins the player characters are exploring, indicating a connection with Cthulhu worship. The Shrine might work better as part of a bigger whole. Maybe as the centerpiece of a temple dedicated to Cthulhu, sharing the table with other cosmic horror inspired terrain.

Reaper Bones 77525 Great Obelisk of C'thulhu

This figure was purchased during my first visit to a local gaming store in quite awhile. I painted it up as a weekend project. It will come in handy the next time I run a game featuring a certain Great Old One.

A pair of barbarian mercenaries guard a weird statue. Their robed employers are a little strange, but their coin spends the same as any other. (28mm scale Reaper Miniatures figures provided for comparison.)

The color scheme was inspired by a scene in "Call of Cthulhu" (the story, not the game). It includes a description of "a grotesque, repulsive, and apparently very ancient stone statuette" of a certain cosmic horror. H.P. Lovecraft uses the terms "greenish" and "greenish-black" for the color of the stone. I ignored the comments describing the "golden or iridescent flecks and striations" for simplicity's sake. This was a weekend project, not something I was shooting for perfection on.

The figure is made from the newer grey Bones material rather than the white Bones plastic I'm used to working on. I decided to use the techniques I usually use rather than experiment. My habit of only using craft paint on terrain pieces reared its head - I used FolkArt paints almost exclusively except for the plastic base and washes.

Rear three quarters view. The inscriptions go all around the figure.

Preparation
I gave the figure a good scrubbing with warm soap and water to remove any manufacturing residue. There were no noticeable mold lines.

Basing
Although it comes with an integral base, I glued the figure on a Reaper 74036 2" Round Plastic RPG Base for additional stability. I primed the base with auto body spray primer before gluing it to the figure.

Priming/First Coat
I mixed a few drops of FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium with FolkArt 479 Pure Black and brushed it over the entire figure. This provided a good underlayer for the dark green paint scheme I was planning for this figure.

Second Coat
Next came a mix of FolkArt 644 Grass Green, FolkArt 2561 Steel Grey, and FolkArt 479 Pure Black to create the "greenish-black" in H.P. Lovecraft's description. I mixed the paints by eye, so I'm not sure about the ratios. This coat was lightly brushed over the figure. The intent was to avoid getting too much paint into the recesses, allowing the initial coat of black to show through as shadows.

Highlight Layer
I drybrushed a little FolkArt 544 Grass Green over the raised areas and corners of the figure. It created a nice, otherworldly effect - almost a glow - that fit with the cosmic horror theme.

An expedition from Miskatonic University's Terra Nova campus investigates an unusual find on an airless moon. (15mm scale GZG figures provided for comparison.)

First Wash Layer
Additional shading was provided by a layer of Reaper 09255 Black Wash brushed over the entire figure. It also brought out the recessed details - especially the symbols - that were starting to get lost in all the dark green.

Second Wash Layer
Secret Weapon W008 Baby Poop Wash was the key to a previous Cthulhu-related project. I decided to use it on this project for consistency. A coat of the green-brown wash tied everything together.

Basing
The final step was to use some sand to texture the plastic base to blend it in with the integral base. The sand was held in place with a mix of Aleene's Tacky Glue, FolkArt 231 Real Brown, and water. After allowing it to dry, I brushed on some FolkArt 420 Linen to give simulate dry soil or sandy terrain. A coat of FolkArt 479 Pure Black was painted on the edge of the plastic base.

Front three quarters view. I hope those guys got paid in advance.

This is a fairly simple figure that gets the point across. It's a hefty chunk of plastic that doesn't have an exciting amount of detail, but it's size gives it a presence on the table. It should work for a variety of scales.

Tutorial - On Prepping Reaper Bones

Something that comes up in every post about painting a Reaper Bones miniature is describing how I prepare it beforehand. I don't want to skip or gloss over the details - it's potentially valuable information for anyone unfamiliar with the plastic used in earlier Bones figures. On the other hand, there's a fair number of steps involved and I don't want spend too much time on them every time I publish a Bones post. It gets repetitive. And I'm running out of ways to rephrase the information.

This post describes the process that works best for me. It is partly the result of information I found online - credit and links to those sources are provided. I came by the rest the old fashioned way - trial and error.

Note that this process is specific to the white plastic used in earlier Bones miniatures such as those from the first Kickstarter. I don't currently have any experience with the light grey plastic used in more recent Bones figures manufactured in the USA or the dark grey plastic in Reaper's Bones Black line. I'll be learning how to work with those materials when I get to those parts of my collection.


Cleaning

My first step with any model is a through scrubbing in warm soap and water. No special detergents or tools - just dishwashing soap and a toothbrush with firm bristles. The residue from manufacturing can remain on Bones miniatures even after a long period of storage. A good cleaning removes it along with any skin oils from handling.

Reaper Bones miniatures after gluing them on to washer bases, before brushing on primer mix.

Steel Fender Washer

I keep a stack of one inch steel fender washers that I previously spray primed around for Bones and other plastic miniatures. Gluing a washer to the underside of the integral base of a Bones miniature keeps it from falling over on the table. The extra weight and wider base adds stability, but the washer is thin enough not to add too much height to the figure. I got the idea from Chris Palmer at All Bones About It, who is much further along with his Bones collection than I am. Blending the integral base with the flat surface of the washer is a process I describe further below.


Priming

Brushing on FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium is recommended in this post on the Reaper forums. Some folks have good results from painting directly on the plastic, but I had issues when I tried that approach. I've also had fair, but workable results from using Liquitex Matte Medium whenever I've run out of FolkArt Glass & Tile Medium. It didn't seem to hold the paint as well, requiring an additional coat to get good coverage.

Since both mediums are clear and difficult to see on the white plastic, I add a few drops of paint to see what parts of the figure are coated. Another benefit is that the paint tends to collect in the recesses, making the details easier for me to see. I use either a brown or black paint, based on what colors I'm planning to use on the figure.

I avoid using spray paints or primers on Bones miniatures. The results from the one time I tried were poor. The surface of that miniature never got better, even after I plowed ahead and painted over the spray paint. "Rolf" ended up in the recycle bin when even a long soak in Simple Green didn't fix the problem.

After brushing on primer mix. This is usually the step when I discover all the details - including the mold lines I missed.

Base Texturing

I typically finish a Bones miniature by mixing some PVA glue, brown craft paint, and just enough water to improve the flow. The mix gets brushed over the surface of the integral base and the washer. Then I sprinkle enough sand to provide texture and blend both surfaces together.

I used to brush on PVA glue and water to hold the sand in place, wait for it to dry, then apply the brown paint. Adding the paint to the watered down glue streamlines the process.

The final step happens after the mix has dried completely and the sand is securely in place. I dry brush some light tan or linen colored craft paint over the sand. How much depends on the results I'm after - a little to simulate dry earth, more to give the base a sandy appearance.


The above goes into the process I use with Bones miniatures in much more detail than anything I've presented previously. I'll be linking to this post in future posts featuring Reaper Bones miniatures.