I spend money I don’t really have

I was wandering around on an Australian miniatures website store and saw that they had Wyrd’s Puppet Wars Unstitched game.

So, this game is basically 44 plastic miniatures in the box, many of which are cutified puppet versions of the Malifaux crew (which appeals to my girly ‘oh it’s too cute’ side quite well).

Yea…needless to say, I impulsively decided to nab it while it was on sale, and then talked myself into ‘well, you’re already paying for postage..’ and grabbed a couple of small other things with it.

Current me is angry at past me for making us flat broke with too many days before getting paid.
Future me is going to love me for all the gifts in the mail.

~ Love from, Current El.

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Say what?

Now, don’t get me wrong – I realise that this looks like a type of auto-mated information mining website that just displays pages with the word ‘coffee’ or something in them, but HUH – Found my own blog on a random website.

What are the odds?

Gordon Ramsay Won’t Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

No miniatures this post, as well, I’m a bit ashamed of my new ones so, I’ll keep practicing a bit before posting another. q-q

An odd title for this post? Yes.
But, I’m sitting here watching the US edition of Master Chef (with Gordon Ramsay as a judge) and playing Dead Island realising, that he would never survive the Zombie apocalypse. He’d be too busy running around after zombies judging how they were filleting people and telling them they’re doing it wrong.

I love Human Flesh Sashimi, and I feel you seasoned this just right.

Aaaaanny who.
So I’ve been playing Dead Island, as I got it during a Steam sale for a few dollars. I do have to admit, this game is nothing like I assumed it would be.
Is there like…no story?

Of course I’ll come with you, I need someone to run faster than when shit starts hitting proverbial fans.

It’s basically, talk to someone at base camp -> get quest to survive sneaking past/killing zombies to get something -> return.
I was expecting something a little more Meet character -> have objective involving that character being with you -> Objectives switch between story, stealth, fighting etc -> proceed along beach line … buuut apparently not.

So basically, I’ve just been roaming about exploring and snapping images.

WTF IS THAT? AND WHY IS IT MID AIR?

Buddy, if you wrote this in your own blood ‘we’ aren’t anything, ‘you’ are a lunatic.

Now, this next image, looks good. Like Bow-chika-wa-wow good, but then when I look at the girls individual parts (legs, hips etc) I can’t help but think that this is also wildly out of proportion…or is it my imagination after staring at it for some time?

Buy ‘Coke’. That is all.

I love touches like advertising, books on the floor with proper covers and extra little scenic bits really exciting in games. I love studying and reading everything.

Well, that is all my friends!

Love you all!
~ Ellie

Painting without a safety net

First things first, I finally took a better snap-shots of my tiny-dragon.
After googling some other techniques and asking my…er…miniature painting master friend – I have decided a list of touch ups (yet to be done) as in person, I think Tiny-dragon looks kind of … just..dirty? Hahaha.

Here is a better picture (excuse my absurdly long finger nails – they’re a whole other story in the Opera of ‘Things that annoy me greatly’).
I think what is bumming me out is that all the photos I’ve looked at of this mini, and looking at my friends mini’s he just doesn’t..pop?

AH WELL.

Onto news, so I decided to have a go at painting a mini with absolutely no direction from my friends. I had a pile of tutorials printed and strewn all over the place and had at it. Here is my attempt:

Hello, I am a great and power mermaaAAAIIII…WHERE THE F ARE MY CLAM SHELLS!?

At least I look a little more tasteful from behind?

(As you can see, the colour transition from light green to dark and darker green did not go so well from the back…)

Random Reaper miniature number 1.
Now, as I’ve learnt, when lightening colours to highlight with – it’s better to not use straight white – but for the moment this is all I own so the highlighting on her tail, the rocks and the purple fins could use quite a lot of love and didn’t show up very well at all.

Hopefully after a shopping trip tomorrow to the big smoke I will be able to pick up some bone whites and proper skin tones !! Weehehe real coloured skin people, how nice.

My last piece of news is getting to try an American style pork hot dog.
CHECK OUT THIS BAD BOY.

Why did I photograph this for you, you ask? Because, reasons.

Love you all!!
~ Ellison

Tiny Dragon Gets Painted!

Ok ok, I am actually fully aware that this particular model is in fact a snake – but I mistakenly called it a dragon when I said to my painting friend ‘Oh, I wonder what the dragon will look like in person?’ before the Malifaux miniatures arrived in the mail – and since then, I’ve called him the tiny dragon.

Err….I don’t think my tongue should be green. Get the medic – tell them my tongues green!!

So I have to admit I was on a little bit of a high from all the work I’d put into Myranda and thought – hey the snake creature doesn’t look that tough! Should be a breeze.

How sorely mistaken I was.
1. The model actually doesn’t fit together. For some odd reason. I received 2 tails, which after much inspection found they were definitely identical and neither fit.
In addition, the teeth do not quick glue flush close to the models mouth – so I got to learn all about the world of ‘Green Stuff’.

Teeth greened in, and behind that loop is a greened together tail that I then filed back to make it look like it was 1 piece.

2. Painting something with tiny cracks, and a lot of flat surfaces is actually damned hard.

3. I have no idea how to blend colours properly or contain my ‘wash’ shading to his cracks.

Either way, here is the end result:

Whew, my mouth isn’t green. Hey wait, El…EL…ELLISON..You know I’m meant to have a blue tongue right?

Yeaaaa…the model is depicted in the photos as having purple gums and a blue tongue, but after I’d put in all the work on his little teeth – I didn’t have it in me to change the colours. Although…I do think he’d look nicer with a blue tongue to be honest.

Well, not as happy with this one, but it’s all a good learning experience. And a good reminder that just because I was happy with Myranda doesn’t mean I still have any idea what I’m doing … AHAHAHA.

–

On a side note, I watch anime. Recently watched about 7 episodes of an anime called ‘PhotoKano’.

Needless to say, don’t do it. I’m a lesser person for having sat through 7 episodes.
Back to Shinjeki!Sincerely,
Ellison

20 Things you probably didn’t know about PS4

These are mostly just ‘little’ features and things that haven’t really been focused on with the whole E3 game trailers and Xbox One funeral – but I actually found it quite interesting.

Suspend mode? Now that’s something I can get excited about!!

Myranda is FINALLY done!

Finally my little Malifaux miniature Myranda is done! With hair!!

Finally! You gave me hair!

To be honest, I am super super proud of her!! Admittedly, she would look nothing like this if I hadn’t had someones advice.

Now, I would also like to give a mention to the amazing EvilBleachMan (Bleached Models) for writing me a guide on how to do blond hair. He is an amazingly breath-taking painter, and I felt so honored that he would take the time to write out how he does blond hair for me.

Now, I didn’t have all the right paints, but with my friends assistance we selected what we though was a good range and had at it.

It didn’t come out quite how I’d hoped, or anywhere near EvilBleachMan’s work – but I think it was an acceptable attempt!!! I shall have to really practice hair hehe.

My friend was teaching me how to do a layering effect on the feathers. Now, compared to their models – my feathers look like clumps of purple with no highlights haha, but still – I’m happy with them.

Well, with Myranda done, and only her base to give some other browns and a little grass to go – I’m now onto dun dun DUUUUUN.
This bad boy.

Ehehehe.

Painting Miniatures is like an Extreme Sport

The reason I say ‘like an extreme sport’ because:
1. That tiny fuck up just ruined your shit
2. My heart is going a million miles a second when I’m painting … hoping I’m not about to ruin my shit

So, another Myranda progress update (sorry about so many of these…I’m just excited).
Either way, I realise the photo from the back is quite bad, but I realised I haven’t shadowed the feathers well enough – and I appear to have accidentally washed her lower back with the brown wash I was trying to put on her belt. *sigh*
Will have to attempt to rectify my caffeine induced extra-pyramidal side effects, stop shaking and fix it!

Again, again, again – WHEN will I get a hair colour? I’m sick of looking like an elderly citizen!

Uh El, I think you not only gave me a lower back tan – but I think the colour term you’re looking for is DARK ROAST.

~ Ellie

This will never be a miniature

Due to my enthusiasm for reading about other peoples miniature painting, the general rules of Malifaux and everything else tiny related – I decided to poke my toe into the community and stalk the Wyrd forums for ideas.

What I came across, was this brilliant artist making HIS OWN MINIATURES.

Mind = blown. I didn’t even know people could do this. And with such skill, and artisan, and professional talent. (See the thread I’m talking about here).

Either way, the artist (Mako) was also posting up some shots from attempting a go at some free 3D modelling software. And I’ve always wanted to have a go – so I headed over and downloaded Sculptris.

Here is the result of my ever pathetic first attempt. Although – I would love love love to make something I was proud of and maybe one day have it 3D printed.

TL;DR : First attempt at 3D Modelling and digital airbrushing. Don’t judge! Haha.

I leave you with these horrific images:

Colonel Sanders – come at me!