Quick update time.

My new Badger Patriot 105 came in the mail today! So very happy until I went to put it to work and realized I had the wrong darn connector. So I am happy and sad all at the same time. So off to Michael's I go later to get the right stuff. Pictures of the new spray and how awesome I hope it will be soon. For now here is the unboxing.

Update time.

So my new shiny Badger Patriot 105 is on the way from Chicago Airbrush as I type this.

I am incredibly excited to get airbrushing again, and I kinda feel like a real boy now that I have a Badger airbrush.

So where to start? What do you want to see me use as a first model with this thing?

I have a few choices for you so let me know.

1. Troll Bloods Battle Box

2. Merc Jacks
 a - Nomad
 b- Buccaneer
 c - Rocinante

I can't hardly wait.

In the meantime I am just about done with chipping and weathering the Galleon so I should have final post and lots of pictures up next week.

And.... We are back for another exciting episode of.......No I haven't finished the Galleon yet. Yes I am aware its starting to sound like a joke/mythical creature.
In my defense I started a new job this week and for some reason they expect me to be there all the time.

So what have I gotten done you ask? Well I managed to finish another commission piece for a friend (payed for models get done faster).

This is the Cygnar Thunderhead. It reminds me of a DJ for some reason.

The Thunderhead was a lot of fun. I got to try a new technique with a brown oil wash. I had meant to try this out sooner on other models but this is the first one that I had finished that would look good with brown.

The base is my favorite part. Its from Secret Weapons Miniatures and its just a fun base. It almost looks like  the model is ready to jump in (well to me anyway). The base is awesome because I got to play with rust pigments and realistic water all in the same place.

So let me know what you think!

I had to diverge from what I wanted to do last night. I was planning on getting Galleon finished, but a friend "needed" a model done quick and was willing to pay.

So I worked on pStryker and it came out well for the 4 hours I had available to put into him.

On a cool note, this was the first time I got to try making an oil wash and I love it. It is everything everyone said it would be, smooth, flows into the recesses like a boss, and easy to cleanup and control on the model.

So here is pStryker.

Another few days have gone by and I still haven't finished up the Galleon. I know, I know, I'm a bad man, and should feel bad.... But hey life gets in the way sometimes.

Today I want to talk about why I started airbrushing, and things that come up on the big boards all the time.

I started because I wanted to bring my painting to the next level. I wanted to be able to paint more stuff, better and faster.

The airbrush allows me to lay down base coats in a fraction of the time, gives me smooth even coats and transitions and highlights are just unreal.

The more I learn to use the gun the more I fall in love with it.

So for anyone thinking about jumping in. Here is what you need (if I forget anything feel free to chime in).

1. An airbrush (duh) they range from $20 - $400+. Do some research and find one or two that fit your needs. Right now I am using a Master G22 that I got for $39.00 and it works well. I am saving up for a Badger Krome so we will see how much more I love that when I finally have one.

2. Air Compressor. Again these range from $50-$400+. I have a Harbor Freight desktop version and it works well, its quiet and steady and cost $80.

3. Paint. This is a whole blog post or ten all by its self.

4. Airbrush Cleaner. Some type of solvent lots of companies make them and there are tons of tutorials out there on how to make your own. I use Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner and dilute it 1:1 with water.

5. Airbrush Thinner. Again lots of companies make it, you can make your own.

6. Pipe Cleaners and Q-Tips. For cleaning your shiny new airbrush.

7. Spray Booth. Just bite the bullet and get one, they come in at $70 from TCP Global and its worth every penny.

Here are things that I use that are not needs but definitely help.

1. Small plastic cups for mixing. I use medicine cups and get them on amazon they are $4 for 100.

2. Gloves. The plastic ones, for holding your models when you spray.

3. Respirator. For protection when shooting anything more than acrylics.

4. Gater clips and Cork, this gives you something to hold on to so you are not touching the model its self while spraying.


Well I hope that helps.

Till next time.

Where does your inspiration come from?

As I am finishing up the Galleon (pictures will be posted tonight, I promise).
I was thinking about inspiration. As in what makes me want to paint a model the colors I choose. Why did I pose it a certain way? What technique do I want to try next?

I draw my ideas from so very many different places:

From the official studio paint schemes.

Amazing folks like Les at Awesome Paint Job- http://awesomepaintjob.blogspot.com/

Hugo at Ichiban Painting - http://www.youtube.com/user/ichibanpainting/about

Meg Maples who just left Privateer Press - http://arcanepaintworks.blogspot.com/

Shnauzer Face Mini's (amazing airbrush work)
http://www.youtube.com/user/SchnauzerFaceMinis

The list goes on and on.

My question is where do you draw your ideas from? What makes you excited to paint and try new things?

Who else had a crazy weekend?

I was down in Columbus, OH taking care of my real life job so not much got done. I did manage to do a bit of airbrushing yesterday though.

I swapped out my bent 0.2mm needle for the 0.3mm that came with the Masters G22. I can't wait to get back to 0.2. Its strange but that 0.1mm really makes a difference in how much control I feel I have and how big the spray pattern gets.

I grabbed two models that have been sitting on my desk that I had primed black about a month ago and figured I could get some bulk colors down.


I started with the Reaper Base Flesh Tone for the faces, and an amazing P3 Brown who's name escapes me right now.

A happy accident happened here you can see that the top of his coat is a lighter brown and that was from over spraying the flesh tone first.  On a side note, how cool is the Bart model, I love the pirate caption look to him and the detail is just outstanding.

Here we have Harlen Versh, amazing model and I love that he is going to be variations of brown for the most part. It will be fun blending and using different tones to make his details pop.

As far as the Galleon is concerned I have not forgotten or forsaken him. I am at the point of starting to chip his paint and weather him. That is going to be a rather lengthy blog post with lots and lots of pictures so I am taking my time and I want to get it right and all pretty for ya'll.

Well that's all for now folks, see you in a day or two!