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    Painting Tutorials — Farmers

    New Toys, New Beginnings

    New Toys, New Beginnings

                CanCon is a great gaming event, held in Canberra, ACT every Australia Day long weekend, visited by hundreds of gaming enthusiasts from all over Australia.  For me this year was different to other years as I hadn’t committed to 3 days of hardcore gaming and had the opportunity to wander around the tables in my own time.  A heap of different gaming systems on offer from Bolt Action, Infinity, Malifaux, Bloodbowl, Warhammer 40k and a myriad of historical games in various scales.  However, this story starts when I found the Guild Ball event and Geelong, Victoria’s own local Pundit and owner of Freecity Games, Jesse.

    I played Guild Ball when it came out, jumped in with the Alchemists guild, collected and painted the entire Alchemist catalogue at the time…., up to Crucible I think. I was even able to find some time to play some games with Jesse, who as always is keen to increase the following of Guild Ball in our area.  However, the ever-oppressing work, family and general time commitments for games amongst my other interests, Guild Ball slipped through the cracks… There are only so many games which I can maintain during my free time. So, reluctantly, I sold off my Alchemists but continued to follow the game as an interested third party and but not actively playing or collecting.

    Anyways… history is history… and we come to the present… 

    Catching up with Jesse and seeing some Guild Ball being played in the flesh, has rekindled my interest and hence has provided me this opportunity to write a painting article for Free City Games.  I’ve been tasked in providing the Free City Games readership with a painting blog for the Old Father Harvest box which I have picked about a month ago up to fire-up my Guild Ball mojo.  The Farmers are the relatively new kids on the block for Guildball, in particular “Old man” Thresher …  I was immediately taken by the name of his Don’t Fear the… character play with reminded me of the 1976 song by the Blue Oyster Cult, Don’t Fear the Reaper.

    This is the first time I had seen, “in the flesh…”  the new pre-moulded plastics.  I must admit that initially I was a little disappointed to hear that Steamforged Games was heading down this path, as I had loved their metal and resin range.  However, now seeing them in the flesh, the detail is still quite amazing, and the poses great. (I’m secretly looking forward to not having the superglue stick my fingers together!)

    Disclaimer!  Like many, I’m an amateur painter, winner of no amazing painting awards, I have a quick and effective method of painting which looks good on the table.  I claim to be no expert, and painting is one of those things where the effort you invest is returned in your results, in other words, you get back what you put in.

     

    The mini’s themselves required little, if any, pre-work, some small mould-lines which were easy to file/scrape back.

    I primed the models in white using White Knight Squirts (Matte) which is a local cheap enamel spray primer for about $7 from Bunnings.  I’ve used it for ages and have had no issue with it, some people prefer the reliability of the GW or Army Painter brands, but cheap is good for me, particularly if it works well and Squirts has been for me.

    Thresher, Fallow, Millstone, Ploughman and Tater

    I started by painting faces first and any skin areas and the shading in the darker recesses, with AV Vallejo German Grey (995), a Flames of War range paint.

     

     

     

    Once I had finished blacking in the shaded areas, I started to lay down the base colours.

    I tend to go with a limited palette with most of my projects.  For me this allows me to easily come back and complete projects and not forget which colours I use… as I tend to forget to write things down, I’m usually too overtly focused on the painting ( you know that feeling when you’re really into painting something and you zone out….oblivious to your surrounds…Or is that just me?? )  and before I know it I’ve forgotten what I’ve just done.

    I’ve gone with two main colours for most of the models:

    • Citadel Balor Brown
    • VGC Terracotta (72065)

    The other base colours used on models are:

    • Citadel Abbadon Black
    • VGC Dwarf Skin (72041)
      • All Flesh areas on models
    • Citadel Tallarn Sand
      • Tater’s Sack, Tool Belt and Boots
      • Millstone’s Apron
    • AV Vallejo Ivory (918)
      • Tater’s Shirt
    • AV Vallejo Chocolate Brown (872)
      • Millstone’s Hair
      • Leather pouches and belts
    • VGC Leather Brown (72040)
      • Millstone’s Pants
      • Leather pouches and strapping
    • Citadel Leadbelcher
      • Metal parts for scythes, shears and tools.

    I thin down my paints with a little water and use a number 1 or 2 Raphael fine sable brush.  I know all the cool cats these days are using airbrushes… I’ve never quite got a handle on it, and I’m a bit old school… J

    After blocking down the main colours with at least 2 coats of the base colour (you generally want two coats to make sure you can’t see any opaque areas where undercoat might be seen underneath, especially on larger flatter surfaces.)

    I’ll then wash the entire model with some Citadel Aggrax Earthshade or Colours of War Bradley Shade (490).  Coffee is also an essential painting medium…especially when you wash your brush in it inplace of your painting water…!

    NB: You will also notice a complete lack of photos for Ploughman… his photos mysteriously disappeared into the void… I blame Obulus, he’s all kinds of weird…

     

     

     

    Once the base colours are down, and model has some wash applied and it has dried, I then start the first highlight. The first highlight is just the base colour again, there is enough contrast after the wash that the base colour provides good depth.

    I’ll pick out the raised areas, and only leave the darker shaded areas with the wash visible.  I’ll also do eyes and pick out some of the smaller details with their base colours and tidy up any areas I’ve messed up, before the next highlight.

     

    The next highlight is a 75/25 mix of the base colour and AV Vallejo Ivory (918) for all non Flesh areas. 

    Here I picked out the details like Fallow’s laces on her top, stitching, buckles, straps etc…

     

    For the Flesh I use a 50/50 mix of VGC Dwarf skin (72041) and VGC Elf skintone (72004).

     

    The final stage of shading is a light 75/25 shade/water wash

    Using Citadel:

    • Aggrax Earthshade
    • Nuln Oil
    • Seraphim Sepia

    Metallics, get a 75/25 Nuln Oil/Water

    Dark/Chocolate Browns and Terracottas, get 75/25 Aggrax Earthshade/Water

    Yellow Browns get a 75/25 Seraphim Sepia

    Flesh gets a 50/50 VGC Dark Fleshtone (72044) /Water wash.

     

    Bases are painted with a 50/50

    • VGC Terracotta
    • Citadel Martian Ironearth

    Bases are decorated with:

    • Red Flower Tuft (Gamer’s Grass)
    • Autumn Tufts (Gamer’s Grass)
    • Autumn Leaf Litter (Secret Weapon)

     

    Buckwheat, Goal and Terrain.

    Buckwheat was base coated with:

    • AV Vallejo German Grey (995)

    His Baggage and Guild Banner with:

    • AV Vallejo Chocolate Brown (872)

    Buckwheat and his baggage was then dry brushed with a 50/50 mix of German Grey and VGC Ghost Grey (72046).

    His baggage and straps were then detailed with:

    • VGC Terracotta (72065), VGC Leather Brown (72040), VGC Tan (72066)
      • Saddlebags and strapping
    • AV Vallejo Reflective Green (890)
      • Bedroll/Tarp

    Wooden handles and tools with:

    • VGC Leather Brown (72040)
      • Tools on Buckwheat

    Blades and tools with:

    • Citadel Leadbelcher

    Washed with Aggrax Earthshade.

     

    Final Highlights with:

    • VMC Ghost Grey (72046)
      • Buckwheat’s Fur
    • VMC Plague Brown (72039)
      • Baggage and Straps
      • Guild Banner
    • 50/50 AV Vallejo Reflective Green/VMC Ghost Grey (72046)
      • Bedroll/Tarp
    • VGC Tan (72066)
      • Guild Banner wooden frame

    Based as Human team counterparts.

     

    The Grinding Stone was basecoated with:

    • AV Vallejo German Grey (995)

    Then Drybrushed with:

    • VGC Ghost Grey (72046)

    Bags of Grain:

    • VGC Leather Brown (72040)

    Base with:

    • VGC Terracotta (72065)

    Part of Axel with:

    • AV Vallejo Chocolate Brown (872)

    Liberal Washes:

    Stone washed with:

    • Citadel Nuln Oil

    Grainbags with:

    • Citadel Aggrax Earthshade

     

    Dry Brush Parts of Axel and Chains with:

    • Citadel Lead Belcher

    Drybrush Grainbags with 50/50 mix:

    • VGC Leather Brown and Plague Brown

    Drybrush Stone with

    • VGC Ghost Grey

    Basing the same as above.

     

    Finally the Goal…

    Base Colours:

    Metallic bases:

    • AV German Grey (995)
      • Bath
      • Guild Symbol

    Wood and Mud

    • AV Vallejo Chocolate Brown (872)

    Porky Pig

    • VGC Warlord Purple (72014)

    Browns and Greys then Washed with Aggrax Earthshade

     

    While waiting for washes to dry:

    Porky Pig highlighted with 50/50:

    • VGC Warlord Purple (72014) /VGC Squid Pink (72013)

    Carrots painted with:

    • VGC Orange Fire (72006) and AV Vallejo Reflective Green (890)

    Metals:

    • Highlighted with German Grey (995)

    Wood Grains:

    • Highlighted (drybrush) with 50/50 Chocolate Brown and Ghost Grey.

    Mud and floating balls:

    • Highlighted with 50/50 Chocolate Brown and VMC Tierra Matte (70983)

    Further 50/50 Squid Pink and Dwarf Fleshtone mix for Porky Pig.

     

    Picking out final details, eyes and laces on Balls etc…

    • Farmers Emblem coloured with Plague Brown (72039)

     then wash…with Aggrax Earthshade

     

     

    OK all finished… Team complete… and now looking forward to playing some games…