posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Now it is time, i really got to stop blogging so much - getting my insane blogging attitude under control, haha... Tomorrow my sweet lady and I are going to start some changes in the little flat we got, there is one really old scratchbuild rack out in the corridor which was build 5 years ago by me and a friend with wood and MacGyver skills, only - not to forget the PVC glued and super-glued parts... whatever this demon has to die :)

And i calm down from blobbering, I mean bloggering... last tries did fail but every next try brings me furhter i guess... As you all know my brain spits out the things i'd like to say just to say them - here you go: For my own rememberance of my actual projects i list them up with good photos here, actual progress, Work in Progress, still nopt finished, but the models my hands hold in hand these days...

A very grey version of the new CMON limited miniature in 54 mm, still missing a ton of work:


Dschingis Cow, still in basic colour mode started, not further, but you can see the shield on the front side (earring you remember?):


I also held the Arkvenger in my hands to add the second arm and paint it black, same to the WIP socket... yeah wow, haha!


Next is a lost girl, Qui Li Quin (FIGONE, the one the nun is made from) somewhere on a stone... no idea what will happen to her on this stone outside in the lonely stoney woods, but future muse will tell:


Next up is a ... "no idea-Cybot thing" which will be the home of a young outskirt rebel:


And i also held my sculpt in hand, the one that will never be finished and blurbed some Magic Sculp in place where i should insteadly remove it and sculpt a head instead. My hands do strange things sometimes :)


All right for now... i hope my brain gets back on track when the time is ready for one of these WIPs. Hope you all will enjoy colours while i MacGyver and superglue a new rack outside in the corridor, muharhar!

Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

... will this posting be. Straight from the heart after i decided to talk about CMON again after this comment recently posted on the blog at the finished Iwo Jima bust of a soldier by Daddy Cool:

"I saw your miniature on coolminiornot. I am disappointed because the too low rating. I gave you 10+++. I followed the pictures and descriptions on Massive Voodoo. It is such hard work! I think some people make ratings, just for sabotage a better rating! Best regards"

or this one, also by Daddy Cool - don't get me wrong @Daddy Cool, i think this sounds pretty cool anyhow, i am thankful for your support, commented on Oli's Keltois barbarian some weeks ago:

"In coolminiornot the rating is much too low. But some painters of Massive-Voodoo have that problem. Some viewers are real noobs!"

So before i start to talk about CMON, let me say one thing - i really love the site and its source of inspiration. I enjoy browsing there a lot, it is really a great site and i did get to know some really great people only because of this site, but...

You've got to stop thinking about the ratings or paint for the ratings. Happy Painting is not about that. Sure it is great if you have a high rating, but there are so many things that influance these ratings, like does the viewer personally likes the miniature he looks at, it is still a photo after all - so the viewer can't turn and move the miniature at hand, everyone does have different tastes and different views on things, some viewers are painters with much experience, some with less, some do paint for money, some don't, some didn't paint for a long time and are only browsing there, some just started with the hobby, some are dinosaurs of experience, some don't like one special painter, some are ZEN... you'll see the ratings over on CMON are influanced by so many points that it is not worth losing your hair about - i lost mine and i've learned from it that it is all about happy painting, nothing more or less... ratings are a nice addition but not worth a tear or a joyful jump...

Sure there is some sniping going on, whatever direction it strikes - i guess or sometimes feel it too, but hey! if you don't think about it, i mean if it is really boring to you - you won't be influanced of it and can enjoy happy painting in all its glory.

What makes me happy for example over on CMON: today is the day where i can upload my 300th upload into my gallery. This makes me proud whatever rating is on top of my photographed miniatures. At this place i form my unstoppable happy painting joy - 400 i am coming :)

Even i know there are people who don't like my painting or don't like me as a person, even we did never meet or don't like my way of Happy Painting or don't like my thinking or don't like my photos of my miniatures or don't like that i try to make a living from miniatures and sometimes got to do business... ugh, i mean i know that such people do read here in the jungle and are happy as sharks to get a link to CMON for doing her feelings justice. Even i know this is happening here too i am really bored of it, why are they even reading in here?

Whatever, here is my 300th Upload to CMON, free to vote by clicking the link for voting!

I did some final shots and hopefully better photos of the Nun with Gun - those i will use for the Chick Challenge - hope they are better, only 3 pictures allowed for the Contest, 500 pixels wide:


Don't forget to do your feelings justice over on CMON, those i am writing to know what i mean! I don't hink about it anymore... try it! It helps you a lot in different life situations that could make you angry or brainless - it is about something else, hope everyone in need will get a chance to find it - it is out there believe me :) - and i really do like CMON, thanks to Chern Ann for a great place in the web...

Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Again it is time for me to clean up my inspirational link archive and share it with you. Maybe there is something behind those links one of our jungle tourists can work with... hope you enjoy the stuff i am stumbling over while browsing the world wide webthing:

Labout - i choose to always link this up!
Evergreen - beautiful music video
A nice dark elf Step by Step by Sigur
Words of Wisdom - Artist palettes
First Minis painted ever by Studio A & B, keep him blogging
Super Punch!!
A skull
Another one
Painting Range Combatibility Chart at DakkaDakka
Power Palette at Reaperminiatures
Minicannon on youtube
A cool tattoo
Another one
Warhammer 40K Awkward Moments
AK shows great mud effects on his blog
Abandoned sea-Arama Marineworld found on artificial  owl, love it!
Ghost island of Hashima, very inspiring shots!
A collection of Space Marine Artworks

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Finally done.
All the latest Tutorials are now included in the Article Section of the Jungle with their new banners. My fault to make such a big list to do, but this is always a bunch of work to create them and link them up... or i am simply too stupid, haha...

If you somehow have the feeling that you feel the urge to say thanks to jungle do it by throwing your bananas here!

Hope you enjoy... wow, 98 articles at the moment and this addition was for sure not the last one - Ugh, ugh, ugh, keep on happy painting!
Best Regards
Roman

posted by Oli, HonourGuard, silver leaf

These days I paint/ built something really big ( for my usally stuff :P ) for the Duzi 2010. I thought I show you the final pics, before we leave my home to Wesel and I don't  do any WIP shots.

 I had an idea, because I needed books for my big base, or at least one book.

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

... and the project is now called "SIN"... hope you enjoy this little conversion of the basic model. Finally something finished for my RwW, hope he likes her, even the photos are not the best, got some problems with catching the painted black... damn, gna!




Here you can see her in the cabinet, shot done with lightning:


Hope you like her!
Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Myself:

"...
  I have to be honest - i am planning to reduce comission work these days. This is for sure no offense, but i must say "Nope"... i have so many plans and i am starting to become a regular teacher next year in September then my time will ran out of painting minis all day long - today i am reducing comissions to relaxed finishing those i got and preparing for further months on painting stuff that blurbs out of my head..."

posted by roman, jarhead, kong


Now it is time...
Celebrating the 300 is now over and i again thank you all very much for your participations and your nice words you've written. So many Mails, only 2 are able to win. Now bringing to you live and direct out of my "good morning zombie mode" - the winners... choosen randomly by http://www.random.org/:


The Spaddasin free miniature goes to...     ...     ....      ...     

Chemicalfencer, who follows us on facebook! This is your lucky day!

The MVWear Contrast Shirt, seize M goes to ...    ...    ...   ...

Randon32, who follows us on blogger!

Please sent me your postal adresses to jarhead---at---massivevoodoo---dot---com and i'll fast dispatch your win. To those who didn't win, luck will come to those who wait - feeling a bit sorry about it, but you know random decision, not in my hands... see you next time, when we celebrate something... Did i mention that MassiveVoodoo is soon one year old? On September the 18th as far as i can remember... i got already something else in planning for all our jungle tourists... keep an eye out :)

Big Kong out! Congratulations to the winners! Clap, clap, clap your hands everybody!
Best Regards
your MV-Ape-Family

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Again its me with stupid WIP :) - Chick Challenge ends in 7 days, lets see what i will be up to in the end, maybe more than one entry?- the Nun for sure, she is soon finished i feel- click to enlarge...

 Recommanded Painting Music from Kong's private Music Palace...

... paint for the moment of enjyoing it!

Leave thoughts that make you heavy beyond this moment!
Just paint for the moment!
The rest will follow you on this walk like a dog that is truely your best friend...

Roll on in keep on happy painting all around this globe!
Regards
Roman

posted by Roman, Jarhead, kong

In the time that passed i now finally come to the last article i have on my mind to write before making a big update to the article section and making a little article break time, some kind of pause i guess.

If you want me to talk about "Jamballaya" go on reading...
 This article is about how i did build up some of the weaponry of my latest projects, mostly at 'Dschingis Cow'. This is for sure not a step by step guide how you can build up a dagger, or a longsword, or an axe, or a bow, or a long spear. It is not meant to be exactly an article what you have to do. This is more an article that shows you what i have done and why it is easy for you do build up every weapon you like - you simply got to try and do it. Here is some inspiration how you can do... and patience is needed, ah i always want to forget this...

Building up a shield
For the shield of Dschingis Cow i was inspired by an old earring Raffa found on the streets and gave it to a while ago. I choose to super glue wooden coffee sticks to it on the back... superglue mode active. You may click to enlarge the photos:


Some super glueing moments later:


After this was dried, i took a rasp to make it round at the edges. Also i took a scalpel to add some damage to the wood, concentrated on the edges because if Dschingis would have used his shield it might be the place where he stopped an enemies advancement towards injuring him... TSSCCCHHOONNNKK! Kkknnnooogggrrraaaahhhhh!!!Damage there... but take care on yourself while working with a sharp scalpell, screaming with reason while working relaxed is really not a wonderful moment. I also added small blanks by Takka-Takka to it with simply using super glue and a toothhpick as a tool to work precious...


Now the shield was glued in place and some sculpting work with Magic Sculp passed to place the leather belts that are used by Dschingis to grab his shield easy and confortable while conquering the local barnyards.


Building up the blade of 'Dschingis'

As you can see i changed the topic at this place - i guess because of the picture above. There you can see a big blade, which is Dschingis's best friend. He found it on a big desert mountain chain, while climbing to the stars to ask them questions. They spoke to him and gave him "Jamballaya", a blade made by the stars to conquer the local barnyards more easier, even he is destinated to do in the future.

Jamballaya's blade was build up from 3 pieces of plastic card . One big for the use as the main body, two smaller one for more massivnes. I sketch them on the plastic card and did use a nail scissor to cut them out, sandpaper to make them fine and clean them up. Then i glued them together in place. Next move was soften the hard edges from the difference material strength with using Magic Sculp - just press it in place, like "blourb!" and use some water wet fingers to make it plain, also you could use Milliput instead.



After this was dry i've used a rasp to work the material to form a blade edge, tried to keep the same angle all the time. Sandpaper afterwards.


Next i choose to make the blade loke more oriental and did first cut and then rasp and sandpapered an area off from material. I've also build up the missing part of the upper blade grip using pastic card and glued it to its place after the casual plastic card surgery i am talking about all the time. I then added magic sculp by using the "blourbs!" technique to Jamballaya's hip. I took a liner by a lollipop and a tip of a pencil from thechniqual drawings to press some strange design to Jamballaya. Waited until it dried and worked my way over it with sandpaper to make it plain.


The blade of the stars was now finished. Dschingis is the only one to swing it with his rightous reasons against some evil farmers...

Closing words

I hope this helps anyhow. What i can say from my experience while doing it is that there is patience needed and i even did use a lot on my version. I guess you can do really masterpieces of different weaponry with patience in your chest. That will happen to me too i guess, someday, haha.

Here is another example where i first gave this a real try, smaller scale, less patience:


Bad photos i know... Jamballaya for barnyard freedom!!

Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Tonight, midnight there will be 2 winners of Celebrating the 300! - still not in it?
C'mon take your chance :)

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

"A sense of humor is a major defense against minor troubles. "

Mignon McLaughlin

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Melancholy...

Really joyful to read, haha... much has changed and has not, but i guess the jungle is on the right path, even without having a plan :)

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Sometimes i wish i could say to my colours: Hey, let's save tonight and this great mood for painting forever... but that is my misery, a fire that burns and can take me away, hold me tonight, i do know i have to go away, so take this colour and paint with me, save tonight, it ain't easy to say goodbye, muse, my darling don't start to cry, i someday i got to go, lord i wish it wasn't so, but i will paint with you til dawn - to save tonight!

Ok now this is just some blablubb i've written while i listen to this fabolous track again after some years... Eagle Eye Cherry - Save tonight

When i fall in love with colours its always the same :) - i know it is not very poetic simply linking up a music video to describe how it is always the same when i fall ... its becaue music keeps me holding on to my brushes so often, there is nothing i can do with this joy in colours my heart won't break in the future...

Still WIP, still painting, still a saved night ahead, tomorrow i won't be gone... Experiments, BLAH!!


Tutorial ahead, still got to update the article section, lalalalalalala...


Work in Progress:

Desireless while I keep on happy painting!
Try it! Paint it! Enjoy it!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Nun with gun, tralalalalala... WIP, tralalalala...


Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong



... to have the chance to win! Celebrating the 300!!

Tell your friends about it, so they can take part too and if you are good in convincing they maybe won't win the miniature for themselves, so you got a bigger chance... :)

Check the few rules this little contest got in the upper link! Closing time for Emails is August 29th, midnight. Winners will be announced soon after that!

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

This seems to get a WIP Newsblog, haha... click to enlarge if you like. Those who are reading carefully and constantly in here would see some relationship from the work i do on the Dschingis Cow at the moment - some might remember one of the latest artilcle on how i start painting...


Keep on happy painting!

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

"A tree that can fill the span of a man's arms grows from a downy tip; A terrace nine stories high rises from hodfuls of earth; A journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet."

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Also the Nun with gun is soon ready for some colours :) - still some tiny clean up and detail work... Dschingis Cow screams for colour...





Painting Music... this is a voice! I would buy her music right away... 

Wow this voice!!!

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

This time it is about working with pigments on a base.
What exactly are Pigments?

What is really great about working with pigments is that they are dusty and bring in a dusty effect to your bases. You can even apply them as a glaze with water and they will dry out dusty again. This little article will bring you an insight on how you can work with Pigments. You can get Pigments from different manufacturers from our hobby or you can buy them in an art store in a much higher amount... You can even make your own pigments from stuff like rust or charcoal...

There are many colours of Pigments to get - pick your own choices and learn what you like by using them...  Here is a small amount of those i use regularly:


Now how you can use them? I'll give this little example on the latest painted miniature by me, Weglaf of Arnholdt's Hill by Red Box Games. The pictures shown here are out from the constant progress on the miniature so painting is nowhere at an end while you are looking on these WIP-shots. This was the base colour of the base, something really bright, no idea what it was, haha:


I then glazed the base with a lot of brown, greenish inks and washes to get some depth and direct the colour to which it'll go in the end. I've also highligheted parts which are hit be the zenithal light, also i have attached some MiniNatur grass pieces to it.



Now it was time to use the pigments. I choose to use some brigher orange ones first. To add them in a dusty look there is nothing to it. Just pick up an old big brush, bring some of them on a tissue to get them from, take care not to have too much on your brush and now simply tip them at the places you want them to have. Some kind of dustbrushing, somehow equal to drybrushing but more tippy, tippy... yeah, no one gets what i mean i guess... dabbing is the word I was searching for.


Next i choose some darker red/orange ones to bring them on - same way... to intense areas i want to intense.


I still wanted more and took a mix of the so far used pigments mixed with black pigments - yeah, you caneasily mix them. Dabby, dabby, dabby... i mean dabbing :)


I still rework some areas after such a procdure, bring out a light here and there, hit some brighter edges and so on. The final result can look like this! Here are some other examples on where pigments have been used - you can also sometimes hit the legs, cloak of a miniature if you want to show that the dust is not only at the base - less is more, i always have this problem that i not often have the control to listen to this voice in my head... already mentioned above, you can hit them at your base as a glaze, thinned with water, they will dry out dusty again. For sure your pigment work always influances the overall colour scheme, always keep this in your mind...


Final words

I often use pigments, often in the middle of the process as this is a fast way to get things done or see some progress in time. As told i do rework areas often when pigment work went out of control to get some details back. Very intresting is that you you can remove them with a high amount of water if you really did something totally wrong.

When you have an accident with pigments at your home, don't try to clean it with a wet rag. you will do scream and increase the accident even more - take your vaccuum cleaner!!

When using them on display miniatures there is not really the need to fix them as the models should only be touched on the socket. Know that they don't fall off easily, you got to use force to bring them away. If you use pigments on your gaming models i recommand to you that you use a Pigment fixer (for example the product by MIG).

Hope this article helps and was fun to read... try it to increase your fun while painting!

Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman