Next Model

This is going on the second terrain board I am building. It is a rock spire. Again step by step photos to show the process of how I am transforming simple objects into different model scenery.

Here is the basic foundation...

 

Once the glue dried I started to carve the basic shape. This is a picture from about half way through the process.

 

The goal here is to make the little pieces of foam insulation appear less like little pieces of foam insulation and more like rock.

This next picture is after a coat of base paint, a medium grey applied all over. This process took a while getting in all the nooks and crannies. If I had to do over again I would of prepped the foam to take paint better and went over it with a white paint instead and washed it over and over again with shades of paint but hindsight is 20/20.

 

 This next picture shows the model after some layers of dry brushing.

 

The next step is to add some foliage material. Here is a close up on some vine like material I added to the model. It is not glued down yet so it appears a bit "fluffier" then it will at the end.

 

I am still working on finishing the overall drybrushing. Real rocks and cliffs have a multitude of browns, greys, reds, and greens and I am working in various colors while keeping it dominantly grey. Hopefully by tonight I can post up completed pictures. I will also update the current training logs and post up some other odds and ends. 

 

 

Updated Model Pics

Well I have worked on the board section and gotten a lot done. I am going to post some step by step pictures so you can see how it was done. The base material is foam insulation (commonly blue or pink but in this case I got the lowes brand which was in green). I used the 3/4 inch size which seems to be ideal at deviations are at about model height but slightly less for a 28mm model. The first this I had to do was cut out a 2 foot by 2 foot square (the sheet comes in a 8 foot by 4 foot section). I did this using a 2 foot by 2 foot piece of pine plywood as a guide and cut the sheet with a retractable hobby knife. I did this by cutting along the board edge about half way down and then snapping it apart. This meant that I had to cut off a 2 foot by 4 foot section and then cut that in half. This produced a nice clean cut. I don't have any pictures of this stage so I will use a stock photo from the web.

Once I cut out the basic 2 foot by 2 foot section I had to think up what I wanted on this particular board. I would be combining it with 7 other sections to make a full game table of 8 foot by 4 foot. I had the general idea in my mind of what I wanted it to look like and I sketched it out on a piece of paper. I then made a computer drawing in photo shop.

In order to accomplish this I had to cut out the hill that would be in the corner. I cut this from the same insulation board that I cut the 2 foot by 2 foot section and then glued this to that section. Since there were no river section or other type of depression that pretty much took care of any designing I had to do on the board. Again I don't have a picture of this step so I am using one from the internet to give you a general idea.

The gives a basic idea. From here I had to provide some kind of texture to the board to make it appear less like a piece of Styrofoam and more like a landscape. Since I still wanted a relatively flat surface for models to sit upon I used paint mixed with sand. This provides some texture but still allows models to stand upright. If I was building a static scene like a model railroad layout I would use modeling clay or plaster to made a more realistic landscape but for this I wanted something that balanced between looking good and being functional. This is a picture of the board section while the paint was still wet.

The rest of the pictures are different progressions on how I painted and then dry brushed things. The hill was first painted over with a medium gray. Over top of this I threw on a black wash. I then went back and drybrushed medium gray and followed up with progressively lighter shades of gray all the way to a very light dusting of white. The dirt areas was done with raw sienna and then dry brushed with a mix of raw sienna and yellow ochre. I then dry brushed yellow ochre and finally hit it with a very light dusting of a bright yellow. I then applied various kinds of ground foliage from woodland scenics to give a grass and bushes affect.

The board is basically done. I am going to apply some trees and the one off shoot on the dirt trail that leads to an open spot is going to house a cottage.

New Model I am Working On

I have decided to start including some entries about different hobbies I am involved in. One of those hobbies is modeling miniature terrain scenes. Think sort of like model railroad scenery without the actual railroads. While there is nothing wrong with model trains I am just not really into them. I much prefer to model fantasy scenes. The current one I am working on is based around the Warhammer Fantasy game I have talked about before.

The basic plan is to work in 2 foot by 2 foot sections. What I do is cut out a section of insulation foam board and make my model based around that. In the end it will consist of 8 sections (meaning when combined it will be 8 foot by 4 foot).

Obviously the first order of business in building a section is to cut the foam board to shape. In order to do this I used a sharp hobby knife and cut about half way through the board using a hardwood board as a straight edge to follow. I then simply snapped the board and this produced a nice clean cut. I actually thought this would be one of the harder parts but it proved remarkably easy.

The next thing I had to do was decide what would be going on the section. For the first section I am working on I decided one corner would have a gently sloping hill. A dirt road would traverse the middle of the board and a small cottage would sit just off the main road. Other than that a few trees and perhaps a fence surrounding the cottage. Pretty simply to start off with.

With this plan in mind the next thing I had to do was cut the hill shapes that would go in the corner. I used a serrated steak knife for this which works quite well in producing a nice jagged cut like a hill side would have. I then had to attach these hills to the board itself. Most of the features on the board will be added later on but the hill had to be added now so that it would be textured like the rest of the board.

The next step was to texture the board. This was achieved by using an "earth color" (roughly raw sienna) and mixing in sand to make it textured. This is then applied liberally all over the board. After the first coat second and third coats may be applied to select spots to make subtle differences in the terrain. Once this is dry the board will be dry brushed in several different colors depending on what each area is supposed to represent. The hill will be drybrushed in several shades of gray to represent a rocky out cropping while the rest of the board will be highlighted in shades of browns, oranges, and yellows to represent dirt. After that grass, foliage, rocks, and other things can be added to add character.

At the moment I just finished applying the first layer of texture paint to the board. After this drys I will judge whether or not I want to do additional layers or go straight to highlighting.

 

That is a picture of the board still very wet from its initial coat of textured paint. I am pretty happy with it. 

King Airodak Part 1

Several times in the past I have mentioned King Airodak. He was the King of Pelador a couple hundred years before the story I am currently writing is set. While his reign was wrought with many problems, he has grown into almost a mythic figure of the Peladorian people. Renown as perhaps the greatest of all the Kings of Pelador and one of the finest swordsman who ever lived, a cult like attitude has developed around his legacy.

Airodak had the most humble of beginnings. He was a bastard son of Prince Kaldor, the youngest son of King Faldon VI. Being that he had three older brothers, Prince Kaldor's chances of ever ascending the throne were very low. He was married off to a Princess from the Principality of Bayersville. Kaldor grew to absolutely despise his chosen wife and took to having many affairs. Airodak in particular was the result of an affair between the Prince and King of Gandon's niece. This caused much strife between Pelador and Gandon and brought much shame to Kaldor. The Prince chose exile with his son to the northwest of Pelador, the barbarous region known as Norlandia.

Prince Kaldor raised his son in the court of a Norlander Petty King. Airodak was not the boys given name but rather a nickname derived from one of the Norlander dialects. Among these northmen Airodak learned many things of personal honor and courage. The Norlanders valued strength and good name above all else and instilled these lessons onto the boy.

Meanwhile in Pelador things were going awry. A plague outbreak had devastated the Midlands, going so far as to stricken the King and his eldest son. Though they lingered on for weeks eventually both of them succumbed to the disease. This created a power vacuum in the Kingdom as Prince Kaldor's two brothers vied for the throne. The eldest of the two by rights should of succeeded as King but many considered him a simpleton and buffoon. The younger of the two was considered very clever but also seen by many as incredible cutthroat and dangerous.

Soon the arguments of succession led to outright warfare between the two brothers. Each gathered nobles under their banners and several small skirmishes happened between retinues of knights. These small battles proved to be inconclusive and soon larger pitched battles occurred. For nearly five years battles raged across Pelador and all the while the Kingdom suffered. Eventually things came full circle at the Battle of Bendo's Farm. The two brothers each led their respective forces in a bloody meat grinder that left both princes dead and their armies devastated.

Amid the chaos following the Battle of Bendo's Farm Prince Kaldor returned to Pelador with his young son in tow. Kaldor claimed the throne and no one was left in a position to challenge his claim. His initial years of rule were tumultuous to say the least. He proved to be very unpopular among both the nobles and commoners and many attempts were made on his life. Only four years after claiming the throne King Kaldor was slain by a Gjinn assassin.

This brought about another round of succession wars. Airodak was now sixteen but many of the nobles viewed him as a bastard and unfit for ruling the kingdom. Many of the templar orders backed various rival claimants for the throne. Soon many powerful enemies took the fields in opposition to him. Airodak was in a tight spot but did count among his supporters a few key allies. Perhaps the most important of all these allies was the Petty King that had given his father shelter during his exile. He sent from their strongholds in the Skyforrest Mountains five thousand of his best warriors to aid Airodak. Several of his fellow petty kings sent smaller numbers of warriors as well.

On and off for 8 years battles were fought across Pelador. In the end Airodak crushed his rivals and secured his throne. While Airodak wanted revenge against those who had opposed him, he chose to put aside vengeance for the moment in order to repair the fractured kingdom. He first provided aid to those areas that had been worst afflicted by the plague outbreak. Next he restored trading routes and used royal soldiers to secure roads that had been commandeered by bandits.

The ensuing four years of his reign has since become known as the period of restoration. Airodak managed to pay off past debts to other kingdoms and codified many laws. Even some of his biggest opponents soon became hard pressed to stand against him. His policies were working quite effectively and in a short four years Pelador was restored to its former glory.

Having gained popular support from among the people and having pacified some of his strongest opponents, Airodak soon hatched his plans for revenge. He set his sights on the templar orders who had supported his rivals during the succession wars. The templar orders had sprung up during the Otani wars and now that those wars had been over for a century they now longer had a purpose. Now they had taken to using their military might to impose their will. Many of the templar orders were charging taxes to travel on roads by their fortresses and some had outright declared sovereignty. This incensed Airodak to no end and gave him the justification to make his move against them.

At the time the Kingdom of Pelador maintained two regiments of Royal soldiers. Each regiment was supposed to be five thousand strong and well equipped and trained. As well as these ten thousand soldiers, each noble and knight were obligated to provide a certain number of troops to the king when called upon. King Airodak sent out summons to all his lords and knights and to the regimental commanders. Much to his chagrin though, only five hundred nobles and knights answered his call. Their retinues supplied another three thousand soldiers. The Royal Army Regiments fared little better. Both were found to be severely undermanned and poorly equipped. All told Airodak marched out with roughly ten thousand men, much less than he had anticipated.

The campaign seemed doomed from the start. Within days of marching out a virus spread among the men and they lost hundreds in the weeks that followed. A few of Airodak's close advisers urged him to turn back but he would not be swayed. Inclement weather delayed their march as severe storms wrecked the country side turning many fields into quagmires. It took over two weeks before they were met with their first battle.

The Brothers of the Sword, one of the largest templar orders, had set up battle lines near the town of Nesbitt. Things looked very grim for the King. Airodak's men were stricken with sickness and fatigue and were faced with well trained knights and men at arms in well defended positions. For two days a bloody stalemate ensued in which each side lost hundreds of men. Morale plummeted among the Kings troops and even some of his advisers openly opposed continuing the battle. During the night a terrible storm swept through and lightning struck Airodak's pavilion catching it on fire. Some legends say that Airodak himself was struck by the lightning, but all that is known for sure is that the fire singed his hair so badly that by the next morning he had it shaven bald. His fellow knights in a sign of solidarity shaved their heads bald as well.

That morning many of his troops were refusing to charge again. They were hungry and tired beyond belief and battered and bruised and all those other things that wear a person down. King Airodak rode out before his men with his contingent of knights and nobles riding behind him. The sight of several hundred heavily armored knights all in unison was alone enough to raise spirits. The rousing speech that Airodak gave his men though was enough to get them worked up into a frenzy. With a furor they had not yet possessed they charged the templars. Airodak fought at the front of the battle and personally cut a swathe so large through the enemy that a hole developed in their lines. His troops poured in behind their king taking advantage of the breech and dividing the templars in two.

In the center of the battlefield King Airodak hacked and slashed his way right to the Grandmaster of the Brothers of the Sword. The templar commander had a fearsome reputation but Airodak gave no pause in engaging him. They clashed their swords in an epic duel so furiously that those fighting around them stopped to watch. The Grandmaster frenzied attacks gave him the initial upper hand, driving back the king. Unbeknownst to the Grandmaster, Airodak's years having been reared by the Norlanders had taught him quite well how to deal with aggressive assaults. Soon the templar commander tired from his relentless pace and Airodak capitalized. He disarmed his opponent and then struck him down.

The Brothers of the Sword lost heart having witnessed their leader slain. Many of those closest by the duel dropped their weapons and surrendered while those furthest away fled. Those who fled the battle were mercilessly hunted down and butchered. Those who surrendered were offered a chance to denounce their order and swear an oath to the King. Those who refused were offered a quick death but in the end the majority of them joined the King's service.

Stay tuned for Part 2

Random Thoughts and Things

Well February was a very successful month for my blog. It received the second most page views of all time, only behind October of 2010 when I made an insane amount of entries. One complaint I have is that feedback from my blog is next to nothing. I know that many people are viewing it but rarely if ever do I hear anyone's opinions on what they like or dislike about it. I hate beating a dead horse but if you enjoy a certain entry or like certain types of blog posts let me know. Otherwise I will just keep doing what I want to do and that may not be exactly what the majority of people like to read.

This blog originally started as a way to monitor my training for powerlifting. In many ways it still fulfills that role somewhat but now I really see it more as a way of getting my writing out there to the general public. I am working on a novel that I want to publish as well as several short stories that I feel will later be combined in an anthology. The more people I can get viewing the blog on a regular basis the better my chances of having the right people read it. That's where the people reading the blog (you) come in. Leave comments, let me know what you like or dislike, agree or disagree with, and share a link on your facebook wall and encourage people on your friend's list to read the blog and share the link. I am only one person, I need help in this.

Training wise things are going great. Missy and I are both sore and beat up but she broke her personal record on deadlifts and squats this week and I made a personal record on deadlifts so it has been great so far. There has been tooo many days off though in between training which is causing me some frustration. Bullshit that I don't want to talk about causing interference with training that I will not tolerate. Missing a training session every now and then is one thing but when it becomes an issue you have to decide what you want more, to be the best you can be or to wallow.

I am working on chapter 13 of my book and almost completed with it. I should be done by tonight and then onto chapter 14. I have an interesting short story brewing in my head that I can't wait to write about as well. I probably will before the end of the weekend and post it up on here.

Other than that nothing much to say.