Drowning in starter sets...

Okay, I admit it. I love starter sets.

With the recent surge in skirmish type miniature/table top games, there have been a lot of starter sets on the market. This makes getting into a game easy and more affordable than ever. And the quality of the miniatures has certainly gotten better. Add in Kickstarter backing and there is no end in sight to new games!

After years of painting commission work, I never really got the chance to play. Now that I'm back painting I've started accumulating starter sets left and right. It also represents a chance to reacquire my old painting skills: I can speed paint on the line troops, and take a bit of time and effort on the commander/leader models.

First, it was the Hordes (Mark II) starter set. And then came Infinity: Operation Ice Storm. And a KS for Heavy Metal Gear. And then Wild West Exodus. And on, and on, and on... especially when a new starter box comes out for a faction in Infinity. I really love the work that Corbus Belli is doing with their miniature lines/factions. Outstanding stuff.

Anyway, as I paint my way through the next group I keep looking forward to what I'll discover next. The wish list is already pretty long...

Happy holidays,

Jester

Sometimes only an airbrush will do...

Sometimes, you just want the smoothest layer you can get on a miniature. And you can't use a brush. So when this happens, I break out my airbrush. Really, it isn't just for priming you know ;-)


Here I use some sticky tack and a sculpting tool to carefully mask off the area on the miniature I want to paint. Trust me, a little patience goes a long way when you're doing this task.

Then I just apply my paint via my Iwata HP-C. No muss, no fuss.

I carefully peel away the sticky tack and I'm finished.

You'll have to wait a bit to see the finished miniature, I'm afraid.

Working my way back into it...

This is the result of last night's painting session. Not too shabby. A few things to clean up, and then to do the base work.

I hope to use this figure in the future as a player-character in a Pathfinder campaign. It is a wonderful miniature from Scibor Miniatures.

Start Me Up

To quote the Rolling Stones: "If you start me up, I'll never stop."

Truthfully, I totally forgot I even had a blog for my miniatures work. So, time to dust off the shelves and get to work!
 
Yes, I have started painting again. This time with the purpose of playing the games that a lot of the miniatures I currently have around the house are used in...

Currently on my shelves are Infinity, Wild West Exodus, Malifaux, Hordes and Heavy Gear Blitz along with plenty of player character type miniatures for D&D/Pathfinder. I'm awaiting my Kickstarter for Mantic's Warpath sometime soon, but the less said about Mantic at this moment the better.

To tell you the truth, I really like the so-called "starter sets" I am seeing for the skirmish level miniature games. They are a great way to get a feel for the game without investing a ton of cash and time into doing a large army.

In fact, I still have my eye on picking up the Wrath of Kings starter set hopefully this holiday season if I've got the cash. Some of the miniatures, to me, are very reminiscent of Rackham's Confrontation line, and should be an interesting challenge to paint. Guild Ball may be a possibility down the road, but that remains to be seen.

As much as I loathe and despise GW, I still hold out hope for a Mordheim revival someday...

Anyway, I'll be posting more here and linking it to the Jesterspeed Studios Facebook page as well.

Up on eBay...

Not trending, not tweeting, just up for sale...

http://shop.ebay.com/jesterspeedstudios/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

Thanks all!  Now back to my regularly paint routine.

Oops...

In case you missed the High Elf Hero, here he is...

This is also going up on eBay.

As well as this guy,

Ok, now I'm done.  IF I can stand using eBay any longer.

eBay stuff...

Okay, I'm putting up the High Elf Hero, the Ranger/Bandit, the Paladin, and the Angel of Radiance.  They're going up Sunday, June 26 at 6 PM CDT.  I'll post links once they're live.

Thanks!

Updated Miniatures

Ok, I've finally managed to take some images of my work.  Do digital cameras eventually go bad?  I just can't seem to get this old Canon Powershot G6 of mine to work as I know it should.  Really sucks, because I don't have the funds to afford a new digital camera.

Anyway, a few pieces.

The Orc Butcher is an old Rackham piece.  It's too bad they're not producing any more, as Rackham had some of the finest sculpts I've ever worked with.  Also some of the worst, but artistic-wise they were tops.

The paladin is an older Reaper Miniatures piece, and will be thrown up on eBay.  I'm not a fan of source lighting figures, and I really should have replaced the blade rather than leave it with those flames.  Just not a fan of those, but overall it is a solid piece.

This is a Warhammer High-Elf hero that I converted to represent my character in the current campaign I'm in.  The trident is a custom-sculpted piece and was quite a challenge.  But I'm happy to have this one on the table in front of me.

This last piece is another Reaper Miniatures piece for one of my gaming group.  This is representative of a elven female rogue/wizard in our group.  A very nice piece, simple yet elegant. 

That's all for now...

Sorry about the delays...

Sorry, but I've been busy.  I've got a few new pieces done, and I'm in the process of taking pictures.

I promise to have them up soon.

Thanks...

Here's my latest creation.  The camera still isn't working how I want it, but tis the best I can do under the circumstances.

This is the Angel of Radiance by Reaper Miniatures.

Angel of Radiance

So, this will be hitting the ol' eBay auction block soon.  I'll post link when that goes up.

Thanks for checking her out!

Commission Work

No, I will not be taking any commission work.  My life (and my sanity) won't permit me to work for others.  I'll paint what I want, when I want, and then if I so desire, sell it on eBay. 

Sorry...

New Beginnings...

Well, I won't bore you with all the details, but I needed a place to hang my shingle out as I get back into the world of painting miniatures.  Since I cannot afford to do a website, I figured a blog would be the next best option.

So, sit back, relax, and soon I'll have works posted.