Saturday, October 18, 2008

Some new photostats have arrived

Gentlemen, I know many of you have wondered what a Martian farm must look like. So, I present to you, a typical farmstead.

The dome atop the farmhouse is the atmospheric water condensation device, which comes in very handy on the arid plains of the Red Planet, away from the life-giving canals.
Also, note the unusual trees next to the farmhouse. This is the famous Martian leatherleaf tree. The Martians often use the tough leaves of this plant much as we use leather. Once properly cured, they will last for years, staying as soft and pliable as deerskin but as tough as elephant hide.

Note also some reinforcements for the Royal Martian Crown Colony's sepoys have been arriving (in 25/28mm). [RAFM Space 1889 Colonial Infantry] Pictured here is Private Gleepa, his Martini rifle at the ready.


Next, we have additional photostats of the newest mechanical marvel from the minds of Britain's top engineers: the Sentinel-class light cavalry walker [modified GW Praetorian Sentinel] For some reason, this trooper is not flying his identification pennant. I am sure a few days of fatigue duty will remind him how a proper soldier of Her Majesty should make ready.


Finally for the evening, I present to you an in-the-works photo of the Pappegaivolk, Parrotmen of Venus. [GW Kroot, unmodified except for parrot-y paint job]


Gentlemen, I think its time for a round at the Club. Good even to you all.

[Editor's Note: the field photographed up at the top was made by spraying a cheap doormat from Target (about $2.99 for a 2'x3' mat) with dark brown paint. Then a few dustings of other colors (terra cotta and tan), and voila - a plowed field. I will be doing more from the same mat, adding some vegetation and such to show crops coming up. The farmhouse was a butter tub and Easter egg half, painted, with some basswood accents added on. It's not entirely done yet.]

6 comments:

Eli Arndt said...

Excellent looking stuff there.

On the fields, how big is the grooving? I'd like to pick one up.

The Martian building is great and I love how you have thought out the components (condensation still). I always find it's makes terrain projects more fun when I have some background and logic to them.

The Parrot man is looking good as well. Love the vivid colors. Are you painting them all the same color or are you mixing it up? For mine, I have been considering different clans for different colorations with shamans being either greyish or even that sort of muted white/yellow combo you see on some of the crested parrots.

J Womack, Esq. said...

The grooves are maybe about 1/4 inch across?

The building isn't actually done yet. I am thinking the water dome needs to be white for some reason. Also, a lot of details need to be painted on, and I am considering a window.

The parrotmen are probably going to end up the same color, though I too have considered the clan coloration option.

Speaking of which, do you think I ought to stick to clan by clan colors on the gex (skinks), or should I mix them up? It does make it easy to tell which unit is which...

Eli Arndt said...

I think going clan by clan would work if you plan to use them in battlefield games.

My Parrot Men are going to be used in skirmish games so the clan colors was also a way to distinguish individual warbands.

As for the water dome, white or even a polished metal would make sense as it would reflect the sun helping to prevent the water inside from evaporating when the sun came up. Poor Martian youths might be given the chore of polishing or whitewashing the the still dome.

J Womack, Esq. said...

Definitely for battlefield gaming, so I think you're right; I'll stick with clan-by-clan coloration. I guess the next batch of parrotmen could be based on blue macaws - blue and yellow.

Eli Arndt said...

I have to thank you for finally getting me moving on my own Parrot Men. I hope to be posting some stuff for them soon.

Eli Arndt said...

James,

I caught a post, that I think is yours, over at The Miniatures Page. It was about what to do for 15mm Parrot Men?

I had a thought or two about this and think you could pull off something passible by converting some 15mm Mohawks or Iriquois from the FIW period. They have cool clubs and muskets that could pass as alien handguns and native weapons.

A little beak and crest sculpted on to the faces and some bright paint jobs and they might do nicely.

-Eli