Sculpting something completely different

Merry Christmas to all :)

I´m using this blog entry for something completely different but related to scultping. I got some new tools for christmas and got an opportunity to use my sculpting skills and the new tools for something other than wargaming miniatures: Marzipan-Figures!

These are a christmas present for my uncle. They are panicking oranges, which is rather hard to explain in English due to the language barrier. My uncle will be getting a calendar with funny errors & spelling mistakes, and the page on top was a picture of a supermarket offering oranges with the label "Panische Orangen"  (panicking oranges)  - instead of "Spanische Orangen" (spanish oranges). So I decided to sculpt some panicking fruit as a sweet addition to this gift - and voila!

Used the new silicone color shapers for this job, worked very well without much sticking. So far, I´m quite happy with the new tools - requires some getting used to for working on smaller scale minis, but no sticking and no unintended tool marks on the putty. You´re going to see more pics of my work in progress soon, I reckon. But you know the deal, no promises, I´m bad at keeping them ;)

Armed Thug

Another small sidekick from my Germans that are still in their final phase: An Insurgent armed with an AK47 with beltrig (though hardly visible) and bomber-jacket.

A little bit more western in appearance, he can be used for anything from Chechen Militia to Arab Urban Insurgent with the right modification of Headgear, simply by adding a Shemagh, wool cap or face mask. By leaving him with plainly visible face, he could also starr as mafia-guy or simply gangsta.

He still needs boots and ears (originally planned to do him masked from the outset, but I like the grim expression on his face and don´t want to destroy it by masking him), otherwise he´s ready to go!

Edit: I just finished boots and ears real quick, just to get him off my list :)

I´m thinking about thickening his upper legs somewhat towards the center, what do you think?

Modern Germans Part 3 - MG3 added

Mini-Update today:

I´ve beefed up the weapon for the MG3-gunner, he is now carrying a proper gun, not just a broomstick ;)  The other guys haven´t seen much visible progress, some pouches added to their backside, and I´m still working on the helmets.

Germans Indeed

Yes, Stargazer was right concerning my last post and the quiz about what I´m doing.
It´s gonna be another batch of germans. Here´s another small update, still WIP but progressed quite a bit from last entry:

Helmets still need some work, and the guys carrying the stick will get his MG3 finalized. The guy on the left needs some more pouches, which you can hardly see right now due to his pose. And the backs need some love as well before it´s going into the final revision and finalising.

Hope you like them so far!

More Sculpting

A new sculpting project, three new guys. Can anyone spot what I´m working on? ;)

MiGs!

"Bandits at 3 o´clock!"

Somehow I found myself impulsively buying Check your Six Jet Age and corresponding Aircraft last week. I´ve been tempted to try this ruleset for some time, but managed to resist the urge to give in. However, somehow I got caught in a weak moment... Anyway, I´m expanding into the aerial theatre of modern combat, at least into the part of the fight that is not beyond visual range engagements. I´m doing most of the building myself trying to keep the additional expenditure as low as possible - I´ve purchased several types of Aircraft of the  1/600 Oddzial Osmy range from Fighting 15s (excellent service, I can wholeheartly recommend buying there!) and the rulebook. I´ll try to make the hex-mat myself, as obtaining them from elsewhere seems to be pretty expensive and there aren´t a whole lot of european manufacturers around. I´m still tinkering with the flight stands, not sure how they´ll turn out.

However, I´ve painted the first few aircraft, while I´m still reading the rules.

As you can see, I´ve tried differenct color schemes for the MiGs, on the left more traditional, silvery-grey, and camo in the middle. The style on these is pretty impressionistic, can´t paint 1:600 aircraft with much detail. However, I´ve painted the stars on wings and tail by hand, just as I did with the numbers. No decals no nothing.

 

I have some more F18, F16 and F4 (to cover some earlier conflicts as well in case modern airwar is too deadly and no fun) and MiG21, MiG23, MiG29 and Su27 for Opfor. That is more than enough to play a wide variety of engagements in the air!

MiGs over Malongo might well be an interesting scenario to prepare the country for the ground intervention :)

My Desk turns into a City

Sorry for the silence around here, I´ve been a little busy and not very motivated to progress with my wargaming stuff after finishing the SEALs. I still have a Chain of Command Battlereport in my sleeves, but I don´t feel quite like writing it yet. However, a recent visit to our local building center has re-inspired me. So I´ve returned to what was long due: Constructing more urban buildings.
I´ve been able to acquire a polystyrene ball to use as a dome (or rather two) after cutting it in half.

With new zeal I´ve then constructed several new structures, with modular second stories to either use in urban or more rural environment. This is what my desk looked like yesterday afternoon (I´ve progressed with the newest building (second from the right) by now)