Back again!

Hey Everyone!

Wow has it been a while since I updated this blog!

Since my last update, my mild Carpal Tunnel Syndrome really started to be inconvenient.  I finally made the plunge, and switched to an airbrush, hoping to alleviate my symptoms at least somewhat.  It was effective for a while, but eventually even that wasn't enough.  Coupled with my typing-centric job, the pain and numbness got in the way a lot.  A few months ago, I had surgery on my left hand, and it has completely relieved my symptoms.  I'm back to normal, for the most part, thought I've grown to really like the results I get with my airbrush.

I'm currently working on an Ogre Stonehorn commission.  It's about 99% done, just awaiting the arrival a bit that was missing when I received the model from my client/

This project has been a lot of fun.  It is really the first Warhammer Fantasy Battles model I've pained, so it's been fun working my way through it.

It is also the first real "organic" model I've worked on since I did some Fenrisian Wolves a ways back.  Working on an animal model like this is a unique challenge compared to most 40K stuff's technical style.

Next up, I'm working on a Malifaux Guild crew, as well as expanding my Minotaurs and Eldar;  And, if I get bored, I might plug away on my Zone Mortalis terrain some more.

Thanks for reading!

Foodhammer 2K11 Best Painting

Everyone,

Just a quick update today, time is limited!  Last week, a friend and I made the trip up to Flint, MI (4 hours!) to play in the Foodhammer 2011 charity tournament!

A big "Thanks!" to all the guys at Fresh Coast 40K and Gamers Sanctuary for hosting this awesome tournament!  We had a great time, and met some great people!

Alas, I didn't fare very well in the gaming part of the tournament.  But, I did take home the awards for Best Painting!  Here's a pic of the army I took to the tourney (credit goest to Fresh Coast 40K for the pic):

Thanks again to all the guys at Fresh Coast 40K for the kudos!  I've spent a lot of time and effort on my Space Wolves over the last 2+ years, and if is awesome to think that other appreciate it, too!  There were several armies at Foodhammer that were super-well painted; I'm honored and humbled to have been awarded Best Painting from that field!

That's all I've got time for this week... please check out my Commissions page if you're interested in some work.  I've recently simplified and reduced the pricing structure, so now is a great time to get some work done!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Commission Update and Continued Discounts

Everyone,

I've finished a recent commission of D&D figures, and thought I'd share the results.  First up is a pair of some sort of Lizard-Men with a flamethrower.  These guys were a lot of fun to paint, since they're a bit of a departure for me.

Next, we have a pair of Orcs.  I painted both, and actually sculpted the axe that the smaller one has from greenstuff and plastic card:

Here's a close up of the shield on the big one's back, with a freehanded symbol that the client requested:

I also have a wolf-man paladin, which I painted and did some sculpting work on:

The model was originally an ape-man of some sort, but I sculpted a new face from green stuff, to make it look more like a wolf-man.  I also freehanded the wings on the shield.  It is, apparently, a shield of throwing, and the client wanted something to indicate that on it.  

The last painting work on this set was on a swordmage character:

I also did a bit of model repair on a model he'd already purchased painted, as well as basing:

That's it for this week.  I'm still plugging away at my Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, and putting the finishing touches on my Angels Sanguine Death Company Stormraven.  Hopefully, next week, I'll be able to share more.

Remember, I'm still running a sale on commissions!!  If you order 5 or more models worth of work, you'll receive 20% off!!  See my commissions page for details!

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Contemptor Dread WIP, Lone Wolf, and Discounted Commissions!

As you can probably tell, Space Wolves is my army of choice in the world of 40K.  I love the fluff, they suit my play style, and they have a terrific codex.  But, sometimes, I get tired of painting blue all the time!  Over the last few months I've been planning a totally fun (that is, not competitive at all) Angels Sanguine list as a side project.  It has been pretty slow moving, but painting red and black is nice for change!

Once I saw the Contemptor Dreadnought from Forge World, I knew I had to have one!  So, I decided to pick one up to use as a Librarian Dreadnought in my Angels Sanguine list.  It arrived on Wednesday, and I got a chance to assemble it this week:

This model was an absolute joy to assemble!  Basically, every joint on this model is either a ball socket or a rotating wheel joint, which makes is extremely poseable.  You can really get unique stances and poses with this kit.  I've got him stepping on a Dark Eldar Scourge, and he is on a Desert Mesa base from Secret Weapon Miniatures.  

Since I'm using him as a Libraran Dreadnought, he is equipped with a Force Weapon.  I had one left over from the Blood Angels Furioso kit (which I used to make a Death Company Dread), so I used that.  I modified it a bit, since the Contemptor is so much taller than a standard Dreadnought.  I cut the shaft in half, added some plastic rod to the middle, and sculpted a bit of green stuff for a handle.  I think it looks pretty cool, and the added height is definitely better.

I still have to add a ton of Librarian details (Psychic Hood, icons, etc.), but I'm pleased enough with the start to show it off.  I've also taken some pics of a Space Wolf Terminator, which I usually use as a Lone Wolf:

I finished this guy a while ago, but I like him a lot.  I love the wolf pelt/cape thing, and really like the Space Wolves Storm Shield, too.

The shoulder icon was drawn on with a Micron pen, all my Space Wolves have Ragnar's markings.

Also, I've decided to run a promotion on my Commission Service!! For the next 30 days (through 10/24), any commissions that are scheduled (with a minimum of 5 models per project) will receive a 20% discount!!  That is like getting work on one model for free!  

Please check out the Hire Me page for prices (please not, they do NOT reflect the discount) and contact me if you are interested!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Kitbash Rune Priest

Hey all,

Been a bit busy with a commission this week, so I am a bit behind on updates.  But, I've finished a kitbashed Rune Priest, which I'd like to share.

This Rune Priest is entirely from the Wolf Pack box, but I used some plastic rod to make the Runic Weapon a but unique.

I also went a unique direction with the shoulder-pad markings, using the same fang theme that my entire army has, but with a different color scheme.  I went with Enchanted Blue, to tie him to the typical Librarian color that most Space Marine Chapters use.  

I used the same technique as I did for Logan Grimnar's Axe Morkai on the Runic Weapon.  I went with a purple effect, so it would stand out a bit on the tabletop.  

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how he turned out.  I think he has a really aggressive look, and he looks great on the tabletop.  Of course, this just make him draw even more fire than usual...

I've got some commission slots open.  If you're interested, check the details on the Hire Me page, and contact me!

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Now taking Commissions!

I am proud to announce that The Thirteenth Company is now taking painting and modelling commissions!  You can find all the relevant information on the "Hire Me!" page, but in summary:

The Thirteenth Company offers  full-service painting and modelling for gamers without the time or desire to paint their own models.  I can take on projects of any size, from a single model to an entire army.  I pride myself on high quality painting services at a reasonable price.

One of my first commissions was for some Dungeons and Dragons miniatures for a friend of mine.  Here are some examples (with an Ultramarine for scale(:

I've considered offering commissions for a while, but it took some time to figure out the logistics and economics.  I'm excited about the opportunity to paint something other than Space Wolves!

I hope you'll take a look at the "Hire Me!" page and consider my services!

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments and critiques are always welcome!

Dave