posted by Roman, jarhead, Kong


Just to keep you informed. The undead sorcerer painted by Raffa, Picster, Chapuchin, sculpted by the company Enigma is now up for Sale on ebay - click here - as always with a fair starting price, go have a look a real cool model for everyones cabinet in my eyes :)

Happy bidding!
Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Aloa,

after i often find my spirituality in the beauty of colours i have decided to leave some words of them in here. About what colours i use for painting and which different use they have to me.

This 'guide' won't be perfect for bringing you the best colours in the world of miniature painting. This collection here only grew upon my own experience and favorites. Please don't get this for a "must have -article", it is not. I still don't have tested every colour outthere, i never did paint with oil colours before for example but the first thing i want to name here and give at your hand is:

Make experiments - if you are intrested in a colour while browsing your shop, buy it if you can and test around if you like it or not. That is how experiencesare made.


What colours i use?

I thought the easiest way to show you is to take a picture of my lately cleaned workbench. As i am able and also have the need to have a fixed working place i always have my colours in front of me. Normally i did sort them about what fits together by their names. After all i decided otherwise yesterday, similiar but different.

After i want the beauty of colour always on sight i stopped turning them around to their names so i can pick them out by reading their names. I chose to collect them by their colour hue. Not a real difference but i also turned around their names as i think my eye shall chose the colour by its beauty and not a name. This is how my workbench looks from far, sorted a bit more than usual, haha (click to enlarge):


Closer look with some explanations following (click to enlarge):


Now talking about this colourful place in little steps:

You might see that i have some colours already, this collection did grow over the years and in most of my colours you don't want to have a look in, as i am playing them like a guitar, dirty from not mixing out the brushes while picking up another tone, some are dry as a desert, but i still use 'em. You may see different brands of colours and self filled pots. Let me explain:

Personnaly i don't favor any brand of colours.

I mostly use acrylic colours for painting up my miniatures. I have not yet managed to spread out for Oil colours. I have the plan everyday but getting some quality stuff i would need for this idea would easily be to expensive at the moment and somehow this moment is always, haha. 

I do dislike some from the experience i have made with them, please notice that this is my simple point of view and must not mean that you have to dislike them too. At my workbench you won't find a lot of the Vallejo's Game Colour range as i really had my problems with them while painting the way i do, for example making thin glazes of them didn't really work at all.

________Citadel Colour from Games Workshop
I have a lot of the Citadel Colours from Games Workshop as i did start my hobby with them. The normal colours of this brand (i don't mean the Citadel Washes or Foundation colours) - the normal ones - i have the most as i am doing mostly of my painting with this acrylic colours.

The 'normal' Games Workshop colour range is used by me for everything of my painting. From basecoating, glazing or bringing highlights in. For glazing they are perfect to me as you really can thin them down with water to make really soft glazes and the colours don't change while bringing a lot of water in. For example the Game Colour range of Vallejo always kills the colour and the medium it when bringing in too much water. Make some experiments if you don't believe me and get your own feeling for it.

The Foundation colour range is used when i want something being covered very fast, sometimes for basecoating as their pigments are way more intensive. Don't use them much for glazing, often they are used upon a base to bring some heavy colours in for the basecoat.

The Citadel Washes are used for washing sometimes. They are not shown on the picture as they stand behind the upper line of red and purple tones. Got mostly everyone of them and i like to work mostly dirty stuff with them, like bringing depth and colour variations on a Science Fiction base. I often use them by mixing them together with the 'normal' colours, then i do some glazes with this mix. It feels i can use the liquidness of the washes, their big thumbs up mixed to get way more variations. Also they are used often by me while working on metallics.


________Vallejo Model Colour
I have some of them and do like them also very much. I often use them to get some intense tone as the pigments are much stronger in them as they are in the Citadel's range. Sometimes, when i am ordering new miniatures i buy some more of them to get them stocked up. Their range is really big and colourful. What i really think is great are their bottles. You may easily check the amount of colour coming out, in my eyes better than those of Citadel where i have to punch a brush in.

I use the bright tones of this brand often to set in the final lights when i want them to pop out more than the gentle shadow work i had done before with the Citadels range. Sure they have also some special colours, like glazes or washes. Same use as mentioned above.

Really like their metal tones to work with. I use their gloss varnish very often, as i didn't find another product that did satisfy me in the past like this did. The range is filled with 'special' colours or painting mediums, like for example the Mascara Liquida, what you can do with this is shown here. More about such special things, like Smoke for example will arrive in the future of the article section.

________Vallejo Panzer Aces
This range of colour is mostly the same like described above. Big difference is that the tones are mostly very natural for the more realistic historical painting use. Got not much, but someday i will get some more. Those i have not yet, which are a lot are mixed by myself in funny experiments, haha.



 ________ Vallejo Model Air
 Sometimes i work with an Airbrush and thought about trying those out. I got 2 of them already, wow, yeah i know. They are good to work with an airbrush because they are already thinned. For painting with a brush i only use them sometimes for making thin glazes. Not much experience gained so far with those.

I use their matt varnish and satin varnish very often, as i didn't find another product that did satisfy me in the past like they did.

________ Tamyia Colours
I got only small experience with those lately. They are completly different to acrylic colours as they are based on a mix of alcohol. 


Love the Tamyia Clear line, for example maxing blood and ugly strings. You can also do this with clear green, clear yellow and so on.Also glazing can be fun with them as the end result will stay a bit shiny in the end, not matt at all. Try them out. I will collect some more experience in the future i hope, for sure with other colours from their range.




________  Andrea Miniature Painting Sets
I got the skin painting set by Andrea which consists of six different tones. Love to work with them. Easy to handle, i guess the other Sets too. What i like about these sets is the fact that they are somehow equal to the Vallejo Colours by their use and handle but bring you all the colours you need for specific work in one colour, for example the blue, white or black paint set. Be sure that this area will be expanded sooner or later.


________Colour Pigments
I got a lot of them standing around, a so called little collection. How i use them will soon be up in form of an article and will be linked here. Keep an eye out on this post if you are intrested.



________Windsor & Newton Inks
I got a couple of those for using them mostly as washes while painting metals.




Final words

For the moment this Tutorial is done. I will add some more explanations of colour materials that sorround my workbench like acrylic painting medium, thinner, drying extensioners and stuff standing around here.

If you got some questions about this topic please let me know in form of a comment.

Will be expanded...

Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman

posted by Roman, jarhead, Kong

Found some words what this word could stand for me for ...

As my days are filled with painting a lot of comission stuff before i will reach the point of freedom again to paint up some of my own stuff i have managed to finish off another model: the Greater Demon of Tzeentch is ready for the use upon the customers gaming table. As you may see from my chosen words it is for the use of gaming... hope you like him anyhow...

posted by Roman, jarhead, Kong

Dear readers of this hidden jungle blog,

you might have seen that the little Chapuchin really made some changes to the  look and the navigation of MASSIVE VOODOO.

He did this with a lot of effort after we had a talk the last days, sitting on a big banana tree and enjoying the far view of the horizon to the future days - i personally think that now the menues are really improved for your navigation. At least i hope so - let us know what you think in form of dropping a line or please tell us if there is still something you don't like at all or have problems with finding your way through the jungle. I guess now there are enough bamboo signs around to bring you to the place you are searching for.What i like the most from these changes is the fact that you know can see the blog archiv way more easier than before and you don't have to scroll a hundred meters downwards to reach the recommanded blog list - by the way - have a look at them, for me those are all pearls found in the ocean of the www - i am reading there regularly.

Uhh aahhhh Uuuhhh ahhh uh uhhmm! Raffa BIG thanks to you for putting in so much work in the blog to make it easier to navigate. Really like what you did and i am very thankful, even i must have stressed you the whole day while calling you in panic and writing tons of emails to you mostly because i am such an idiot in so many things - i still have no idea what you mean by the point voodoo wear, for example :)

Thanks for your patience with me my dear friend, even i was rumbling the jungle, breaking banana trees, shaking the earth while punching my chest with forious fists in pure anxiety, i am getting old, grey fur is growing and chances are not that easy for me to get used to... you did an awesome job, little Chapuchin and Kong only did make trouble in the jungle to find the biggest bananas for you in the end. I am really thankful! I will build up a big palm tree bed for you where the little ape friend can rest and regain powers - Kong will be watching over your sleep so that no silent jungle predator could harm you - rest my little friend, regain energy and take a deep breath of jungle spirit into your little chapuchin soul.

Jungle spirit... yeah i will talk about that now...

After i am feeling something crawling inside my chest i just have to tell you what i was thinking lately while taking a look at the MASSIVE VOODOO blog: i guess for you, the readers or people intrested in the things we share here it must seem that the last time did spamm a hihgly number of ebay auctions in postings and i really don't like that, in fact the focus of this blog and our hearts is something else - the joy of painting and holding miniatures in our hands itself and sharing our thoughts on them with you.

As most of my ape friends working with me at this task you sure might have seen that some of them seemed to be lost somewhere in the shadows of this primeval forest. It ain't that way at all. They are not eaten by a jungle monster neither are they trapped and caught by some nasty animal hunters - they just have a normal life to live, like everyone else does and this blog for sure shall stay a living room/haven for us all.

When there is the time to post, there will be postings, when there is not, there won't be much action going on in here. You, my dearest readers might have recognised this in the past. It's like it is, every ape is out in the jungle to catch some bananas to becalm their hunger, maybe some  play the bamboo boogie at a massive tropical party, even some are maybe hunting some fine ape ladys, who knows... you just don't know what's life is all about while time goes by in the wilderness of life. In the end this place shall be a place of freedom, a place to rest, to calm down from running through the jungle... it is mostly me, the Kong spamming around all day. As i am home after all these very cool painting workshops i am coming to rest... after my 'normal' life consists of painting miniatures all the time it ain't that difficult for me to drop a post in here.

Why?

This blog for sure is a place of freedom to me too, after a normal "Miniature Painter's" day of work filled with emails, colours, running to the post office, dirt, bananas and coconuts. As i am trying to make a living from painting miniatures and spread the word about the beauty of colours this place sometimes may look like a place of work during the ordinary days, but it ain't. It is just the way it is...  sometimes more ebay stuff will occoure and sometimes there will be less... just the way the jungle rules everyones life... please don't get angry about this my dearest jungle tourists. I just wanted to drop a line of saying thank you for reading in here - without you this jungle would be really empty at all. For sure i want to say thanks to everyone supporting us in here by bidding on our miniatures on ebay or supporting us making a jungle donation. Your help is what keeps this running. Thank you!

In this place of the posting i want to remind you about the latest auctions running to an end tomorrow - you may find them here! Uh ahhhhh! Damm!

Another palm tree i did hit my head while running through the deepest jungles  shall be mentioned now. It makes the Kong's heart heavy and really wants him go out to search for a big banana tree where he can hide beneath. "What's he talking about?" ...those of you might think who really read this far? The fact that i lately hear a lot of talking about myself from different corners. Talking that doesn't make me happy. I hear that some think "Ahh, Roman has no time for me anymore while climbing the social ladder of miniature painting and making a career!" ... nargh, stupid stuff like that. You are totally wrong in this fact and it hurts myself to hear such things from people whom i thought they should know me better. Ok, these days i seem very busy and i truely am - you can believe this fact - i am not able to answer everybodys questions, sometimes no time for a simple chat, but always trying to keep everything done in the end - busy, yepp i am.

I am sorry for this fact, but those things don't happen for climbing a ladder to galaxy far success or something some of you might think. This happens because this is my work i am paying my bananas from. That's all. I am not often seen in the forums very much the last time. That happens because i have my work focused here - an easier way for me to handle my work and hobby at one plaza in the jungle of the worldwideweb before getting mad on my beloved passion and hobby. Passion, hobby and work - 3 things in one - just like Kinder choclate eggs - because in my case they all go hand in hand with my work of making a living from it. It is not a sort of an evil greater plan to build a jungle death star to kill other planets, please make sure to understand this explanation. Whatever, in the end you have to take some steps to get to your own point of view of this, but if you think evil of me then i can't help you in the end, sorry... that would be very sad :(

After regaining brain energy while being busy all the time it seems i really found a clear moment of truth right now so i just write on - letting my mind choke out everything which is heavy in there. Coming to another point that really makes me sad is meeting some friends on a painting class, like i did for example in Munich some days ago. No, no, not meeting them made me sad, meeting them was great - thanks for your time you took for meeting again, but what makes me sad and sick is this talk about "HEyho, i just wanted to see the master of painting in action!" or something stupid like that, haha.

I'll tell you what i think of mastery. I will never want to reach the point of mastery in everything i do in my whole upcoming life. So called "mastery" means something is finished and in my eyes life and learning is finished when i finally got burried under the biggest banana tree deep in the wilderness of the jungle. So please stop this talking in front of me, try to do this behind my back if you think it is inescabable. I am just a guy like everyone else who is having fun in his love of the hobby - the biggest difference to most of enjoying this might be the fact that i am trying to make a living from it. That's it all about, that is why i am painting a lot and get to the experience i got at the moment, i hope this is just the beginning of experience points i have gained so far. Collecting experience never ends and so there shall be no reason of mastery in my case . I know this all sounds very childish and stupid but those who know me should recognize that my brain spits out everything without thinking - everything that keeps it running so that i can paint without thinking in the end, haha... really i am nothing more than a normal guy who is ture to his self - just for example: i did forget a pair of socks at the stay in Hamburg lately, but to show you how my brain works i let you know that this pair did contain two different socks ... no joke, that's me :)

Now i am eating a banana, icecold out of the refrigerator, drink a cup of jungle coffee and spent some more moments licking on my painting brush :)- thanks to everyone who did  read this far... take the next lines with you too after you really read this far...

Keep on happy painting all around the globe!
Best Regards
Roman

posted by roman, jarhead, kong


Mu04 - here we go... MUH!

Showing you the Minotaur from FIGONE, sculpted by Allan Carassco. The model will soon be official availabe when Jeremie did manage to paint him up finally and everything is done at the company's webpage. Not long to wait for, i hope.

The model will cost 40,00 € as far as i know at the moment and believe me in my eyes every cent spent on him is a good cent spent. Awesome and massive are the two words i use for describing this piece. But let me tell you step by step while unpacking it.

The model arrives in a plastic bag shown here:



_____________________________________________________________________
Did this article help you? Do you want to say thanks in form of support? If so, do a

posted by roman, jarhead, kong




Treasure hunting, lalalalalalala... you found it, the treasure awaits you, i can hear your footsteps moving in these dusty areas of this corner of the jungle. This box of a Viridian Sniper squad by Urban Mammoth is yours to win. It is time for you to get a guide on how you can win. Everyone, excluded myself is allowed to take part in this quest.

1. Go to CMON and check jarhead's gallery.

2. Find 3 different Miniatures that show Snipers  
(those models i mean don't have the word Sniper in their describtion, but are at a calm shooting postition with a rifle in hand. They are not standing on a gaming base.)

3. Be the first to write a comment at this posting here and name the exact titles of these 3 models as shown on CMON. Don't name a model twice even there several photos of it.

4. On Monday night, February 7th 2011 - I will sort the comments on this posting and the first who mentioned everything right, will be announced here in this posting via comment by me and has to sent me his email for further shipping detail exchange.


PS: Even you think someone else has already mentioned the right answer it is a good idea to post yours - there will be one small special price randomly given away to all who take part.