Saturday, June 30, 2012

Collecting John Pickford: Some painted Ewal Dvergar

Just a small update about the Ewal Dvergar-project.

Finally, got some painted miniatures to show:


Not painted by me of course, but painted by painting maestro Mr. Blue in VT. Did one hell of a job on these. Thanks, Blue.

More pictures on the EwalDvergar-blog: http://claminiatures.blogspot.com/ - and also a bit of news about getting some, as I now have a few spares.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Fanatic Jesters

And now, back to what this blog is actually about ... painting miniatures :-)

And yet again it's an entry for a painting challenge. Looks like that's the only thing that can really motivate me to keep on painting, these days.

Today's update is an entry for my "child": "The Brush Slave League 2012" @CDO. Have put a lot of time and strength into this painting challenge and the new league format, and it's really starting to pay off. 24 people are now involved with this - and most of the participants contribute with new stuff each new round (run on a monthly basis). Have to admit that I really didn't expect that much commitment but it had made all the hard work so much easier and pleasant. Was a bit afraid, that after 6 moths I would have had it by now, but I'm really enjoying it - and am looking forward doing another 4 rounds.

Round 4 was again a "free round" meaning that you can do what every you want to do. So I used the open theme to get some of the John Pickford rarities painted.

John has been very generous with me and had given me access to some of his early conceptual pieces - back from when it all started. If interested you'll find most of these here in the "Other unreleased and promotional Miniatures - section" of the Collecting John Pickford Wiki.

So I picked the Goblin Commandos and the ultra rare Goblin Fanatic with Meteor Ball - all dress up in a nice classic Fantasy Jester Costume - bindig them all together, so nicely.


Grab your Pickford's: Goblin Commandos and Fanatic (Jester-style)











And here, the competition entry as it was presented in the "BSL Round 4 - Marauder Green Skins vs. Fanatic Jesters" - match up @CDO. Yes they were up against Blue in VT's awesome Marauder Miniatures Goblins - but luckily, some people seems to be "a bit tired" of seen them again. So think I had a few votes on that account, as Blue crystal sharp brush (and photos) are so hard to beat. But I shall not complain or make excuses - and a "win" is a "win", right? :-)




And just because the Goblin Fanatic is so dear and special to me - I think he deserves an  "360 degree" presentation/collage :) As he is probably the only one that will ever get painted.


Grab your Pickford's: Goblin Fanatic with Meteor Ball

Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Miniature Adventure: Johann

Last summer, when the "miniature adventure" was still rather vague and mostly ideas in my head (and perhaps a few "enthusiastic" emails to John) a little vicious dwarf got born.

For a long time, John had been speaking about trying out the evil dwarf theme, but always telling me about the lack of time to do personal projects - but suddenly - out of the blue air - came this little beauty, in June 2011:



And, if there was any doubt left in my head (whether to commission John or not) I must admit, that seeing this little character made my decision final. Really wanted a set of miniatures with exactly that "feel" - and was now a 110% sure, that John was "the right guy" for the job.

However, my project was to create a set of multi part core warriors, so this spectacular character didn't really suit my purpose looking way to heroic, so I hesitated a bit when the miniature was offered to me, but it didn't take long to convince me otherwise :-)

So in my box of crisp greens (or browns, as John use a mix of green and brown sculpting putty) came "Johann":



Johann is sculpted without a beard/long beard to allow the breast plate to be seen. But as most people fancy bearded dwarfs a little separated beard piece has been made. And the shield ... wow! The shield, is a little piece of art on its own.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Taking my hobby to the next level

As the title says, I'm taking my hobby to "the next level" - and would now like to share it with you all .... I think :)


So what does "the next level" means? What can actually come above collecting and painting the most awesome Chaos Dwarfs ever made?? All the C16s, the D3s and the Marauder Miniatures MM90-line's? The miniatures that have kept me in the hobby all those years?

Well .....!

(Here is a conversation I have had with "myself" - let us just call it a mid-life hobby crises)


-------------------------------


Turning 40, ha'? Ain't you to old for this shit? 


- No, lots of men my age are still in this hobby doing, ehhh... doing ..... still doing war games.


Yeah, right! If so, they do Ancient Battles. Recreating the second Punic War or some battle at Waterloo, they are. Perhaps you should try out some historical gaming, as you seems to have the age for them!


 - NO! Fantasy is my genre, and will always be my genre.


So you'll use the next 40 years collect and paint old fantasy lead?


 - Yes, think so, but ............. but I do actually dream of have my own little set of miniatures made.


You want to sculpt your own fantasy miniatures - lol...?


 - No, no already tried that and I'll admit that I will never be good at it. I am - of course - proud of my Four A Miniatures Dwarf Standard Bearer (Dronzak Bannerfist) - and also of those Grenadiers I did last year - but I'll leave it to the professionals - to the real miniature sculptors.


So you'll ask another guy to do the job for you, then? 


 - Interesting thoughts, but it's just a dream ... but who should I ask, if ...? 


Aly Morrison? The man that did so great 20 years ago? 


 - No, no he is still engaged with GW, so can't take on such a commission and he also work in a very different direction, now. Seems to have forgot all about that "old feel". 


What about that other guy? The guy that did those "Twisted Tales" ones?


 - Sjoerd Trouwee - lol - the guy that sculpt a miniature each two years? I'll then be 50, before I get anything. No, I'll probably need a guy with faster hands, I guess.


So why not try ask that sculptor you have been speaking so much of, lately. What was his name? Robert Redford?


- No, his name is "PICKFORD, John Pickford" - you dumb <biiiip>!


Okay! Sorry! - John Pickford, then. You should ask him.


- Hmm! maybe that's not such a bad an idea. He is my all time favourite fantasy sculptor, you know - and have been doing some wonderful dwarf stuff for White Knight, so if something similar was done in a more vicious and sinister style ......! - and done by the very best .....! Guess, it would be a win-win situation. 
But it will cost. It will cost an arm and a leg! And what will my wife say? - and what about John, will he even take on such a job ...?

-------------------------------
(and the short story was ....)

 Wife said .....: "Yes, why not let that be your 40th birthday present. I've been looking for something personal and unique, like the tattoo you gave me, when I turned 30th! But I couldn't find out what to give you. And every time I have asked, you always say "you got all the things you need" - but now it seems like there is actually something you need".

 - and then John said: "Surely, Evil dwarfs have been one of my favourite fantasy subjects, but have never had the time to actually work on them, so this is the perfect chance! - but you'll have to wait till I have time for them".


And so I waited, and waited, and waited .... but in January I started seeing conceptual pieces and after a few weeks we came to an agreement regarding concept, components and style. And after that, I literally got "spammed" with WIPs. Lots of them, and gave me a lot of components, more than I originally had asked for.

And before I knew of it I was suddenly looking at these .... my (dare I say) first set of unique multi parted Ewal Dvergar







And should you want to follow my on this new adventure then take a look at my new blog: Ewal Dvergar (still very WIP, though) - but don't worry, I'll still be sticking my paintings up your nose and bugging you with all the Pickford-news in here :-)