Back from vacation!

There weren't any updates last week because I was visiting Reaper Mini HQ, hanging out and learning from painters and sculptors there. Now I have a bunch of new practice projects and non-practice projects using some of the new skills I (hopefully) learned while I was there.

So, here's what's new on the table:

This will be NMM practice. The stuff on the base is Vallejo Sandy Paste with some brown paint mixed in. It'll end up with some grass/foliage on it, most likely. I like the sandy paste because it has a very fine texture, and since you can mix paint with it you can make it whatever color you want.

This is a mini from Battlelords of the 23rd Century, and if you have heard of and remember that game I will be really impressed. Anyway, since he has a bunch of armor, he will also be NMM practice. He's not a very good mini, and the primer coat is also not so hot...but he'll be fine for practice. I'm probably going to zip through his skin and face very quickly so I can concentrate on the armor plates.Haven't decided on an armor color.

This is the beginning of another vignette. If it turns out well, it may be a competition piece. More likely, it won't turn out well and will just go in the case next to the other one. This part is just for deciding the size of the platform he's on (the foam core bits). Once I've decided on a layout and size, my husband will make me a permanent framework out of plywood (foam core breaks down after a while). 

The plan is that he's standing on the street, and his shadow from the lamp light will flow onto the building he's next to, turning into a shadow beast. The shadow stuff will be all paint. 

I'm looking at two layouts right now, one is a little more spread out, and the other tighter. For the more spread out one, I'd be putting in street and sidewalk areas. For the tighter one, it'd just be sidewalk. I'm leaning toward the tighter layout right now, but debating if it'd be too busy. I thought I liked the height of the vertical piece, but now looking at the pictures I'm thinking it could stand to be a little shorter. Maybe not...I want the shadow beast to be taller than him by a bit, and I want the wall to be tall enough to read as a wall.