The PHR makes an entrance...

So, it has really been a while since I posted a blog that is concerned with the actual modelling that I seem to be spend all hours of the day doing and there are those uneducated inbred Goodmorning Britain lovers out there who would draw the conclusion that I have stopped modelling...

But no!

This couldn't actually be further from the truth. I have been juggling three different projects at the same time (so forward movement with them has been somewhat retarded) and this is combined with a modicum of travelling, having passports stolen, starting a new job and general filling in of the corners with cutting back (read: butchering) hedgerows and attempting to keep 'she who must be obeyed' happy.

So the first modelling blog that I'm happy to present since my enforced hiatus is my Post Human Republic (PHR) task force for the 10mm Sci Fi game Dropzone Commander. (There you go Joe, I told you would get them over the line eventually!) Now, ironically the PHR are the one army for DZC that I had decided not to get because so many other people had them BUT anybody who knows me will be able to tell you that I am a MASSIVE fan of Tron: Legacy and the PHR are begging to be painted in a Tron-esque fashion. Ive been keeping my eye on what the DZC gamers out there have been able to offer by way of Tron and finally decided to throw my cap into the ring.

I decided to do a lengthy research process on how to paint these minis to get the overall effect as authentic as possible to that which is displayed in the film and pounced on just about every single Concept Art image I could find of the film to use as inspiration.

One of the first things that I noticed was that everybody was routinely back lighting the panel lines on their vehicles and on studying the concept art these panel lines are super dark black. These amazing green/blue lighting glows come from the flat patterns that are pasted on top of the vehicles themselves.

The second thing I noticed was that whilst these vehicles are undoubtedly black (which everybody is painting theirs as) the 3d renders in the film and in the concept art are all portrayed as being super reflective and having chrome light effects covering the vehicles so I decided that this was a route I would also need to go down in order to get the effect I want.

Now the majority of my aims with these  miniatures was relatively easily achieved with a bit of practise and adjustment. The airbrush pattern masks were a ball ache to make because of the size of the vehicle but these were as nothing compared to my misfiring attempts to do object source lighting using glazes built up... no matter how hard I tried I just could not get rid of the layered tide marks which kept resulting in pigment rings! I tried to use different dilutions, I used Glaze mediums and straight up glazes, flow retardent and the list goes on... I then shelved them for about 6 weeks until I had the moral fortitude (yup!) to dive back in and risk screwing up all the work with just painting and wet blending the glow that I wanted. It isnt by any means perfect BUT with the final addition of the gloss varnish it is good enough to carry its own weight on the vehicle.

and there we have it. So on that note let me present (finally) some of my air assets for the PHR task force. 3 Neptune Dropships!

They arent perfect, to be sure but Im happy enough with them to make me think that expanding up to a decent size army is a must... and of course now, my poor wallet is crying out in pain!

Next I'll fill you all in on some of the PHR infantry that Ive painted...and done something a little different with the bases...