08 November, 2016

A painterly 40mm post-apocalyptic lady





Just finished this model for a friend. Siouxsie by Hasslefree Miniatures, a seriously dynamic 40 mm sculpt. Considering the scale I decided to go strong on contrasts, but also to go bold texturing the surfaces. An overall painterly approach.

It is a beautiful sculpt without very much detailing. And I really wanted to emphasize the wonderful shapes rather than adding lots of tricks and techniques.

02 November, 2016

More objective markers


 These where built for a game of 40K about a month ago. Objective markers 1 to 6, using subtle icons and bits. Worked well without any trouble during the game.

28 August, 2016

Harlequin Solitaire

 First model painted after the Pilgrym game.
All mood, all expression.
A Harlequin army in this style would be pretty impressive.

26 August, 2016

Pilgrym Palette



Returning from the Pilgrimage I was getting ready to start up some new miniatures, when I had a look at the painting palette. Warm earthy tones, golden greens and spots of orange, red and gold. Pretty awsome project involving some great colours!

12 July, 2016

Event Counters

Simple, fast to build, even faster to paint. Should serve a nice spicy role in narrative games...

07 July, 2016

Pilgrym NPCs

3 conversions. 3 painting sessions. Having finished my warband I now have the freedom to explore and build new stuff. With the gaming models locked down, I completed some half finished conversions that have been around for a long time. One of them weas just waiting for paint, another had been robbed for parts for Pilgrym models. And one was almost there, but lacking that energy or idea to finish the character.

Exploring a pretty limited colour palette, I went into town one model at the time, got stuck in, and had fun...

05 June, 2016

The forgotten Oak - Paintjob and Process



We showed my lastest Pilgrym model on ironsleet.com yesterday. But I also want it shown here.

The model is almost finished. Still need to add servo skulls, and a bit of tweaking colours with the rest of the warband. The post on the Pilgrym-site produced a lot of great comments asking into the process, the actual building of the model, and the mindset behind the concept.


Thoughts on starting on a project with several uncertainties...
Getting from the concept sketch to the model took both courage and compromises. Especially going from the open 2d-concept with a lot of suggested details to actually building the model deciding on all shapes and details was a great process.

The sketch had very few explicit details, so making the model took a lot of bitz research and texture exercises. But at some point it was just about committing and running with the idea…

When building bigger models like these I find myself going through phases of sketching, planning, sketching again, collecting bitz, frustration, thinking, and finally: Gloves off! Just get stuck in!

A word of advice would probably be to try to get ”stuck in” as early as possible.



Modelling the Tree
Building the tree I used wire-frame for the main branches for strength and balance issues. For this model it was important with the wires because I wanted the tree floating along.

 Around the wire-frame I added a layer of green stuff for extra stabilty and oon top of this I mocked up the main shape simply by using tinfoil that I worked roughly into place.


Over this I added modelling putty to get a solid outer layer. Actually in a few places there is still access to the inner tinfoil core. From here I started to add the thinner branches using cut up dryad bitz. These were glued into place with superglue.
On top of this “aggrax earth” – the technical crackling paint from GW – thin in some places, thicker in others. And a few places were left bare.


Going into ”production”...
For a tree production setup for a Mordheim table or similar I’d recommend that you cut down the process to make it easier and faster.


Maybe take out the greenstuff layer and work out something else to get the same effect. Try wrapping the tinfoil with a layer of thin bandage rolls and seal it with pva glue. And if you go this route – maybe the texturing step can also be replaced by sprinkling fine sand straight onto the glue. That combines two steps and saves time…

The mood of the model
Getting praise for a miniature is always fantastic, but the wording of the comments is pretty interesing. I always appreciate when fellow hobbyists take the time to add a comment - it is extremely encourageing and makes you want to produce more and improve your skills. Words like beautiful and perfect are the ultimate compliments, but the really interesting thing is the meaning behind the words.


Is this miniature perfect? Technically it might be and it might not. Depending on your goal. I think it has the perfect level of openess to it. The model suggests a mood, rather than spells it out. And this is what I strive for in my miniatures these days. I what you to look and think and look again when you see the miniature. To activate memory and imagination, think back to other models, pieces of art, places and moods. That is the goal. And if I suceed I think the miniature can be called both perfect and beautiful.
But it is getting that mood and imagination going that makes it so...

14 May, 2016

The Organ Oak - model follows sketch

Following the sketch shown some time ago, here is the model.


I have used a lot of new things here. Wire-frame in combination with tinfoil to build the basic mass. GW technical paints repurposed for a special task at hand. Also, falling back to trusting gut feeling and my many years of practice.

In short, a lot of work has been done, a lot awaits ahead - and I know just enough to keep going, and still have unsolved issues and ideas that will fall in place along the way. Exciting!

A lot has happened on ironsleet.com. I recommend having a proper look!

14 March, 2016

Pilgrym sketch, the forgotten Oak

I showed this on IRON SLEET about a month back, so I thought I ought to show it here as well. My concept sketch for the main model in my Pilgrym warband.


An ancient oak having grown through a church organ and afterwards whithered along with the surroundings. Brought to life with tech and psychic energy the tree now serves as a vehicle for the driver - permanently fused into the bizarre "tree instrument".

BTW, here is the initial sketch, which showed up in the corner of a bigger drawing. You might just see the outline of the man - "the composer" - worked into the tree trunk.

 Fiction for the character can be found in the post on IRONSLEET.com.

13 March, 2016

Pilgrym progress; my first 3 characters

The first 3 characters for my contribution to the Pilgrym project are done. Actually they are even painted, finished this weekend. Here is a pre-paint image. Primer, nothing more. But I am pretty happy how they have turned out.
The painted models will go up on IRON SLEET, the home of the Pilgrym Project within a day or two.

Apart from these models, I will build a big hovering tree-construct. A man fused into a withered tree displaying a set of organ pipes. Skulls and tech for details. The music of the organ could be the sounds of weaponry or a perhaps deep cords to trigger monstrosities of a forgotten Past.

31 January, 2016

Painting the Wicked Daemon Flora

First Plague Dryad just about finished. I am going for a quick but agressive-looking unit. I am using the stipple technique that I tried out on my Pink Space Marine in the beginning of the year.

2 sessions with the sponge. Then a wash all over. Then final details and base. Still have to decided if the eyes will be bright green, bright blue or red...


24 January, 2016

Eldar Falcon



Eldar Falcon finished for my Eldar army. Transport for the Farseer and a squad of Dire Avengers.

Tried a bit of oils on the belly of the vehicle. Also, I used some stipple-techniques to create different kinds of highlights and texture on the many planes. Not 'Eavy Metal style clean, but with the clean colour scheme it actually works quite well.

17 January, 2016

Wicked Daemon Flora

Wicked Growth of Unholy Seeds. The Flora of Ancient Terra. The Spring of Decay.


I build these creatures in a long hobby night. I have been wanting to do these conversions since The End Times were published and I read the Glottkin book (Autumn 2014). I thought it was an obvious conversion opportunity. Dryads and Plaguebearers. To fuse these plastic kits in a bizzare way. Some sinister daemon growth...

I want to use these as either Dryads and Nurgleesk daemon beasts in AoS. For 40K they will be wicked daemon Flora from decaying seeds sprouting by summoning from in the deep catacombs of Ancient Terra.

10 January, 2016

Pink Space Marine

By chance - the inks on the table, and a hunch to experiment - the Space Marine turned pink:

Pre-heresy Emperor Children or maybe another Chapter in that direction, featuring pink plate armour and golden suns as their heraldry. Not sure yet. But I am pretty happy with the model. A little less than 2 hours of work. Quick and fun. All done in one session. A pretty good hobby start for the new year...

Here is a studio style image with a few men for scale:
The pink plate was stipples over a zenith base spray (black spray from below, white from top creating instant pre-highlights). First a stipple of old trusty Elf Flesh from the hexagonal bottle, then pure white (WIP image underneath). Blister pack sponge work, nothing fancy. Over this the armour was washed with W&N artist ink Deep Red. From there I worked in the other details. Washed the deep creases of the armour while washing other areas, and carefully brushing on some thinned white highlights. The crazy thing about these inks is that they bleed a little though the highlights. Thus the white highlights on top are actually somewhat subtle because the seem to be blended in... I really like the overall effect using sponge followed by inks. Could work quite well on vehicles...

01 January, 2016

Bye 2015, Welcome 2016

Greetings 2016. Looking forward to everything. Also a goodbye to 2015, which to me was an exiting year in the hobby.

The picture here sums stuff up my current take on the hobby: Collaborative terrain-building. A marine construct fusing plastic bits from both the past and present. And a pitch black doorway into the unknown.