The 2018/19 Hobby Season starts soon, join me!

The 2018/98 hobby season will be starting soon so for those alumni who joined in last year it might be cool to look back at your lists at what you've achieved , what might have slipped and those lovely unexpected successes that happened despite life getting in the way and loss of mojo - I speak from experience.

The original plan when I started with 'big stamps of approval' was that I wouldn't do multi-coloured stamps, just alternate between red and green but who was I kidding? So I give you the official 40kaddict 2018/19 Great Big Jade[ish] Stamp of Approval! I had chosen a much darker Teal[ish] colour but for the life of me I couldn't remember why I chose such a dour shade. So I switched to something brighter and although it's supposed to be jade does look a bit turquoise which matches the nids in a way. Feel free to download and use them on your blog as and when you get stuff  'TO DONE!'

Or you can record your achievements with an 'unbranded' version.

And should you feel inclined to differentiate your efforts yet further here 's the major goal stamps

And minor goals.

And I also got the Big Build...

 and Base [and obviously Prime] Stamps done too. I heartily recommend this video from Tabletop Minions to understand where I was going with the 'Big Build' concept, he's touched on and expanded exactly why I created this a few years back.

Just a reminder of what it's about, in 2011 I made my first To Do List, amusingly it now looks like this:

• AoBR Tactical Squad
• AoBR Dreadnought
• AoBR Terminators
• Scout Squad
• Ravenwing bike squad
• Dark Angel Drop Pod
• Purity Seal all of my son's Tyranids
• Gloss Varnish all of my son's Tyranids
• Tyranid Prime
• Mycetic Spore
• Paint Vent Tower
• Paint defence platforms x4
• Complete pot pourri vegetation
• Complete future containers
• Complete 40k Cathedral tower
• STC Single story ruin
• STC Hex Defence platforms
• STC Targus Assault Blockade
• STC Vent tower
• STC Athena plateau
• STC Mercury plateau
• STC 40k Cathedral tower
• 60mm Dreadnought crater

So 4 things still haven't been done and quite frankly never will ;) . The purpose was to try to focus my efforts to outline a list of things I'd love to do over a twelve month period and if I achieved any of them great, all of them, so much better. But more importantly I needed a structure to cling to when my efforts became aimless. That's not to say deviations from the list were forbidden it was more for when I went 'well what's next?'

It became an annual blog post to review what I'd done and set new tasks and throughout the year I would reveal my 'To Dones!' as completed items both on and off the list. Showcase posts are nothing new to hobby blogs but again it was a structure to help build the identity of this blog. Then in 2014 I invited readers and passers-by of the blog to join in. Well, when you have a good idea why not share it around. I got about 10 people joining in and it looked like we were quite a supportive little bunch. I think over time steam ran out a little bit but folk continue to join in each year and hopefully the same will ring true for 2018/19.

To help things out a bit I've created a Hobby Season Facebook group, it's here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278747245819138/

So, if you're joining in just ask and I'll add you into the group, that way you can share your blog posts or any efforts to those also joining in. I hope this platform will allow more interaction for those taking part and keep us all motivated.

I guess the last question is why 28th August as the start/end date, why not January 1st?
I think back in 2011 it was at that time I thought a structure needed to be in place and it was as good a time as any to post a To Do List, afterall the footy season starts around this time too, no one complains about that, do they?

Anyway, 28th August join me for the new Hobby Season :)

Imperial Knights - House Corvus Twins in manufactorum pt1. How NOT to magnetise your Knight!

With Liam helping out with a running pose for one of my Knights it made sense to crack on building the torsos. They will both have the Mechanicum finials on, not just the one on the right in this pic.

All the handles need adding, even though I have a recollection when it came to painting they were a right pain once they were glued in place. I made use of the two different Mechanicum badges for variety and installed magents in the carapace for the extra weapons.

These were the ones I started on my first Knight that still need completing but they clearly work and I got the magnet poles correct.

I originally used Alex's guide From the Fang to lock and key the torso join, so no need for magnets in his magnetising guide ;)

A small bit of sprue on my first Knight shows that the new torsos function perfectly. I'll just need to recreate that on the new legs and hips.

I then extrapolated that concept to the weapon joints too. There's a flat area on one side  of the joint [where one of those eyelet things are] that is roughly the right width to create the locking lugs. Then it was just rimming off the excess so it fits in the hole in the weapon.

Liam is away for a fortnight now, so it'll be a while before I get those legs back but I don't think that prevents me progressing even to painting the torso. I'll still focus on my Shadespire task but chipping away at this build is ultimately productive in the long run. Even getting to the metallics stage would be helpful as the Warglaives showed it's that hurdle that will slow me down and once those brassy bronze colours are done it's plain sailing. That said I don't know whether to do one silver. I don't use that colour often as it helps tie all my armies together and I love the anachronism of those softer, warmer metals and steel just looks more durable, which makes sense but I feel it just shouldn't in the 40k universe!

Imperial Knights - House Corvus Twins in Manufactorum
Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |

Warhammer Underworlds Shadespire Chosen Axes - Where they're @

When last I updated my Shadespire detour I had done the bases, but it was time to look at metallics... oh metallics my twisted friend. Of course I could look at NMM, like Liam [and many others] but I'm even less inclined to go down that route.

Whatevs, Warplock Bronze, Balthasar Gold, Retributor Gold and then 50:50 Valejo Gold and Gun Metal highlights later. I also picked out the loon cloths and orange hair/beards - as per the standard but that's where I then deviate.

These guys are going to remain completely black skinned, like polished coal or obsidian 'dragon glass'. The standard caucassion ginger Fyreslayers are ten a penny on ebay, I had to do something to differentiate/alienate potential customers.

I've sepia washed all the basecoated bits, have some highlights to do and then it's back in on the skin, basecoating black before I start their highlights too. Slightly unlikely to meet the end of Season deadline now but you never know...?

Terrain is everything - 40k future container scatter terrain - TO DONE!

Although I was occasionally naughty when i was painting the Bio-titan in that I would get distracted and do some of my future containers there is a benefit when it comes to tackling them alone - there's so much already done.

And so they were pretty easy to finish off. That said I can't find a consistent approach to my rusty/scuffed weathering. Sponging Rhinox Hide is a start, followed by Gun Metal and usually a wash to tone it all down. 

I try Ryza Rust but it just doesn't look right and wouldn't have worked on the Hapag Lloyd containers anyway. The Maersk lines isn't too bad though.

I just love these containers and as I've said before it's such a shame Mentos discontinued the gum they contained. I've started on a foamboard STC but haven;t had time to perfect it yet.

I'm also thinking that you can get wooden, chamfered blocks off ebay and making some reinforcement templates you could achieve something similar. That's not to say Munitorum Containers aren't also up to the task but we like cheap terrain solutions too.

Giddy with excitement I have taken my green container and applied a big number to it and for once I'm thinking it was a mistake. 

Adding some weathering has shifted it's overall 'greenness' and it looks very different to what it previously was. Nevermind, we'll see if I can rescue it. 

These were great fun to do though and another item that started as a Big Build project, once again reaffirming that although making models is not my favourite part of the hobby setting aside some focus does provide projects that can be completed. Without the making I can't get to the painting!

I've a dozen of these now and as I say, although I can't get a consistent approach to weathering I'm definitely happier with how I do them now than years ago. I also have the 'water container' that could be finished off at some pint the construction is flimsy at best so I may not bother with it.

Here's my Big Gamboge Stamp of Approval, I've a few Camera360 shots to share too and then it's my Razorback which also got TO DONE!

Oi, oi, I'm back

I've had two weeks holiday from work but I haven't been away, what I've been doing is finally decorating our back room. I moved out of the 'den' three years ago into my man-cave and it's taken that long to get our act together to finally turn it into a proper dining room. There's still some organising to do but I repainted the ceiling from varnished wood to white - a primer and four thick coats [that primer was the single most unpleasant experience painting I've ever had!]. The walls also got four coats and we eventually got a new carpet down [stain proof to cope with our cat's regular vomiting, she is 18 poor thing] and this sideboard was built.

I need to replace the sockets with some fancy silver ones and we'll be getting the table and chairs in soon, which may well be the backdrop for any future games of 40k, if I ever play at my house! But that's what has been keeping me busy these last two weeks, so blogging was put on hold.

In truth my passion for the blog is waning - I'm running that fine balance between using it for my own benefit as a record and wanting it to be successful. The former helps with the creative process the latter is the path to insanity and yet it is hard not to feel a little upset at how the viewership is back to what it was in 2015, although I don't think the medium is dead I definitely think its popularity has waned greatly. Forums too seem to be on the out, 40kforums is closing soon, around 8% of my referrals come from that forum [only just beaten by BoLS].

But I think blogs may never die, but YouTube has clearly taken over and either way the effort to promote your work can be as much, if not more than what it takes to create the content in the first place. The blog is not going anywhere I just need to find the time/mojo to be reinvested in it. That said I have continued apace with my remaining projects of the Hobby Season and [SPOILERS] finished my Old Skool/Nu Skool Rhino/Razorback.

I've also finished up the weathering and varnished the last three future containers, which prompted me to dig out the green one to add a big number on it and some more weathering, I love these things! Like big old kids toy blocks ;)

I'll be preparing some TO DONE! posts for both of these. I've been cracking on with building my Knights, both have completed torsos now. I need to sort all the weapons  and get the legs reposed, which Liam has helped with on one. I've loads I want to get on with, its just finding the time to do it.

'nids part 263 - Biotitan Tyranid Hierophant pt.17 - TO DONE! [but moar shots 1st]

We all know the deal by now, I take some 'accurate' pics with a digital camera and then some of the more 'filtered' cool pics with my phone. That way I always have pics to hand and I get the best of both worlds. Well, the digital camera pics need a little more editing before I can share them. Obviously this is a big beast and I couldn't fit it in my light box, these pics are on my kitchen table, but using the clip lights from the box.

In particular the white background images will need some tweaking on Photoshop to get rid of the reflections - it was a glossy white background. Thankfully my phone pics could be tweaked as i took them. Anyway, that's by the by and I can share these now and come back with the other pics in a week or two.

But she's complete, although as per usual I have some reflections. I had considered adding far more Tamiya Clear Red X-27 in the rib crevices and between each chitin plate on its back.

In fact you should be just about able to make out a line of Tamiya Clear Red X-27 behind the third head plate. I just wanted to see what it was like but I was smudging the highlights which wasn't quite what I was after. Really it needs a watered down Khorne Red first and then Tamiya Clear Red X-27.

That way you get to see the red in play, currently it's just a bit odd looking, so I stopped before it went weird on me. The carapace cysts did OK though.

And the join between thorax and abdomen came out OK too.

The head is OK, I'm still thinking there are more FX I could have done to make it cooler but I was losing patience and this is good enough for me to move on. Should I wish to explore those extras I can do that down the line [I probably won't, so they really don't matter do they...!]

A nice desktop pattern.

And some white background shots.

The irony is after taking the pics it was immediately dismantled and stored in my dice rolling box. Of course that's not just sad because it was stored away but it was stored in the thing I 'need' to roll dice in, which just goes to show what my gaming is like at the moment. 

Which further highlights the issue that I'm painting allsorts, just not playing, which begs the question "why?"

I enjoy the painting for sure [Formula 1 bingo there], it is my primary enjoyment but the gaming is part of it. I'm more than happy to keep painting away and denting my grey tide but the ultimate query would then be "why buy any more?" 

Right now I'm considering Kill Team, suggesting to Liam we go halves on Adeptus Titanicus on its release and even Shadespire!

All of those are determined by the desire to play, but in actual fact that's highly unlikely. I'm not moaning, it's just merely an observation that I've come to. 

GW has brought out some amazing box sets and my carefully controlled approach to investing in factions seems to have gone out the window. 

The Tyranids have been joined by Genestealer Cult, the Dark Angels have Knights and now both 'allies' have become armies in their own right [and we won't mention the Ad Mech bits...].

No doubt I'll get back to gaming but I must try and focus on what I've got, there are definite 'bits' I need to kitbash some models but I really shouldn't be thinking of anything else at the minute - that's a sure fire way to end up buying more stuff! 

Regardless, I have a Big Gamboge Stamp of Approval, this baby is done. I'll get round to proper pics as soon as I can but tick this one off my list!

Part 1. | Part 2. | Part 3. | Part 4. | Part 5. | Part 6. | Part 7. | Part 8. | Part 9. | Part 10. | Part 11. | Part 12. | Part 13. | Part 14. | Part 15. | Part 16. | Part 17. | Part 18. |