Saturday, 11:50 pm, 04 October 2003

I have been dusting off some old Chaos Marine figures I got off eBay earlier this week. They were coated thick with black paint and I have spent the evening stripping the paint off with vinegar and flexible plastic scrapers. It is working. Strange but true. The details and the original metal is coming through. I hope to get them and a few Orks onto Fred Reed early in the week.

One final point, I read an interesting article in this month's Game Developer mag on the Warhammer Online game. It is one to watch because they are using a constantly updating game framework with software updates too. The combination of an online world and updating software hasn't been done in large scale/formal computer games in the past. The technology is all straight down the line, but I have some interest in the venture - although I don't currently own any Games Workshop stock... The time will come. Good night.

Wednesday, 09:47 pm, 15 October 2003

Lead in the Brain

I spent my evening casting figures. From about nine casting attempts I got two figures. I actually had three but I dropped one on the tiled floor and I thought I would recast it. It is harder than it looks and the moulds eat metal seriously! I am going to have to order more metal. I am currently getting about four figures to the bar. I have two more bars left and about half a bar worth of cast off metal. The moulds improve as they are used. They get warmer and the metal flows better. Quite addictive and great fun. It is more expensive than I initially thought. I am going to have to order some serious metal.

Friday, 09:44 pm, 31 October 2003

In addition to this, I found a small Imperial Guard army on eBay. It's slightly pricey but it is an ex-Games Workshop demonstration army that features on the front of their Annual Report for 2002. I'm not putting any links through to it or photos of it until/unless I win it from eBay. But the fellow who is selling it is a real character. Check out the photo of him with the bear and the caption. He's a former GW employee who is now working for Climax on Warhammer Online.

I get quite jaded with the internet, but sometimes I find people who offer a new window to the internet and Ben Price seems to have a new window. In addition, somehow through Ben's site, I found a link this Warhammer Online job ad. Check out the default for Criminal Record.

Following this. Dinner out with the wife - one trick-or-treater - and nearly UKP40 on my three books on eBay. Good night.

Monday, 11:08 pm, 03 November 2003

Greetings obsessive miniature fans. I won the eBay lot with Ben Price on the studio/demo battle Imperial Guard army. Quite pricey in the end. Some serious bidding in the last minute - actually the last 30 seconds. I think it was worth it. Here are a couple of the snaps in a log format.

Thursday, 06:46 pm, 06 November 2003

The Ben Price army arrived this morning. Stunning, absolutely stunning. It is interesting actually, buying a studio army that was used in actual battles as opposed having figures painted for display. Fred Reed paints for both functionality and display. Without question. But the Ben Price army has an emotion attached to it which reminds me of Nottingham.

I was contemplating buying an American pro-painted army. Still thinking on it.

Sunday, 05:59 pm, 09 November 2003

Fred Reed - Master Miniature Artist

Chris looked at the log today and liked the miniatures shown - thanks to the stunning artwork of Fred Reed. For anyone looking to get in contact with Fred on commission work, please drop him an email (fred_reed_8924 at hotmail dot com) and let him know you saw his work here! I told Fred I would progressively be putting more of his work online. The other thing about Fred's work is he is very wise to the history of the miniatures and the colour effects of the paint. You can get some good discussion going with him about various effects he has used. Aside from Fred, I am a great supporter of Nick Umanski's NUGaming. When I buy new miniatures, I get them from Nick.

Thursday, 10:04 pm, 13 November 2003

A Sourceforge for Miniature Painting

In other news, I have been thinking about what I do with source code similar to a miniature painter. Yet on produces something with cash value and I give away software. This thinking comes from CoolMiniOrNot. This site is an orgy of a dozen well painted miniatures and lots of quite good painted miniatures. I emailed Fred Reed to see if he was interested putting stuff on there. So far no response. I think the British style of miniature painting is very poorly represented. The miniatures are quite cartoony and favour the US style which is very cartoony. British miniature painting has swayed in this direction but has always had more contrast and harsh lines.

I emailed Fred today about doing a couple of custom miniatures. Actually more than a couple. I want to challenge Fred more. I have been impressed with the results he has produced with more difficult or unusual miniatures. So the aim is to give him more time (there is a subtle equation, time = money) for longer more devoted paint jobs plus get modifications and mixes of existing miniatures. The aim is less miniatures, more detail.

Saturday, 11:37 pm, 15 November 2003

Following heading correspondence with Fred Reed, I have blown my December miniature budget for about a dozen commissioned miniatures, including a Heresy Minatures' Netherlord. The Netherlord is the largest demon ever made. A kind of Spruce Goose of the miniature world. Totally over the top. Fred had drip fed me images of this beast. Please turn away now if you are easily scared.

Thursday, 10:43 pm, 20 November 2003

My New Favourites

I received a box of Harlequin Fantasy Orcs from Black Tree Design Miniatures today. They are stunning and quite superior to Games Workshop. I haven't done the actual evaluation, but I think they are considerably better value too. Big thumbs up.

Wednesday, 09:03 pm, 26 November 2003

CoolMiniOrNot Annual

I must confess, as a dangerous whim purchase, I bought a copy of the CoolMiniOrNot Annual for 2003. My general review 90% luke-warm miniature paint jobs - all the same figures, far too many duplicates. No Black Tree Design! Where are these people. Of the remaining 10%, half were in the US cartoon style and the remaining five percent were actual dark masterpieces.

Really I see miniature painting going in two diverging paths. And CoolMiniOrNot represents a very Pax Americana view. The problem with the cartoon style is that miniatures aren't supposed to be Hello Kitty or Hanna-Barbara. There can be no Disneyfication of miniatures. They capture dark armies where even the good guys are grey. The legacy of the dark miniature is lost in the pages of the CoolMiniOrNot Annual.

I'll stick with Fred Reed.

Monday, 11:28 pm, 01 December 2003

Nothing like organising the links for another month. A clean slate to rant on. Many thoughts this evening before I head off to bed.

Non Metallic Metal (NMM)

I have been schooling myself on the cartoony style discussed, no, ridiculed in my log last month. I have realised that I am either fickle or open to a good argument on new styles. Apparently Games Workshop judges marked down folks in the US who had employed NMM techniques in their painting.

So perhaps it isn't about Pax Americana. Perhaps I was a little too harsh about it. It is about transition, I guess. For a good explaination of the effect;

http://www.scrollmaster.net/tut_nmm.cfm (don't work no more)

Monday, 08:41 pm, 08 December 2003

Miniature Rant

I have started voting on CMON (see the side bar for the link). Typically without looking at the voting average, I am usually within one - usually one less - than the average. Some, I am quite a bit lower. A number of times, I have voted a 2 or 3 for a 5 or 6 average. I think at the bottom, I just won't want miniatures that badly painted on my table. Sometimes, I am one above. I have voted on about 30 so far. It's a good way to fill ten minutes, late night online.

I was looking through the Imperial Guard Collectors' Guide (not sure about their choice for the ' in the title). Fred Reed gets about a page. All his old stock work. I have heard rumours that this may change soon.

Also got a nice email from Willi Winter - Gold Demon Germany winner - he has given me a good quote on a single figure that he is going to put on CMON. I like the added feedback. Fred is very good. But the hungry competition of Willi is a different angle. They have totally different painting styles. Fred always has a good interpretation. Willi, I am looking for specific figures that fit his style.

Saturday, 10:37 am, 27 December 2003

It's a funny thing - the holidays. I thought to myself before I took the holidays off - more time for my own work. I will have a functioning version of Noble Warfare up and running for the new year. It will all come together over the ten days I am taking off. Of course, I missed that two of these days would have family in town, two days for preparation. One day for the post Christmas sales - I am required as a bag porter for that.

I have a few snippets for some dedicated work today. And some t'row. Then I am back to the grindstone. I have done quite a bit. Will it be enough? Who knows. But Noble Warfare is getting closer.

Around this time of year, New Year's resolutions come up too. Pretty high on the list is miniatures - reduction down to months without. I have already cut down dramatically. Aside from a small orc army coming from the US;