As ugly as can be - the Geryon

Those are probably the ugliest minis I’ve ever painted from Malifaux range. Grotesquely mutated, hulking giants. The Geryon actually make me think of cancerous growth as depicted in Don Hertzfeldt’s “Rejected”. Painting them was a bit tricky as I needed to come up with a color scheme that would make the main surface there look more three-dimensional. Their skin doesn’t have really well defined structure, it is mostly flat surface with major muscles and some folds in the fatty parts visible. I went for a blueish pale skin tone to match the other models with “Savage” range I’ve painted with some darker shades around areas where there is additional growth of limbs/heads. Plenty of glazes/washes along the way. Oil Brushers from MiG were used to finish things off and give the highlights a smoother look. 

Fun fact - in Greek mythology Geryon was a fearsome giant, often considered a monster with three heads and one body, while other sources describe him as having three bodies as well (Wiki).

And while we're at it - I also managed to put some paint on this Alternative Guild Sargent, really mean looking lady. It felt nice to paint a "normal" human after all these robots and mutated giants.

#9/2020 Inspection

This book has a strong Orwellian feel to it. 26 young boys are locked in a tower with very limited access to terrain around it. They are brought up by a figure called D.A.D. and educated to a very high standard by an assembly of teachers. They are trained to be prodigies and life in the Tower is all they are allowed to know. They have no knowledge of the outside world and of the opposite sex. 

The novel starts around the time when boys reach puberty and curiosity is a natural instinct for them. Some start asking questions and begin considering their limitations, which inevitably has significant consequences.
One has to appreciate the effort Malerman has put into creating some unique vernacular. Similarly to great classics of Utopian fiction, those words used to reinforce the brainwashing process really sink in while reading.

It's a solid read and similarly to "Bird Box", we observe humans put under extreme conditions. Definitely an interesting study of a twisted social experiment. I have to admit the ending took me a bit by surprise and the way things unfold in the end brings a good closure to the main plot but also leaves the reader to ask more questions and consider next scenarios.

Steampunk Spiders and Robots

Some steampunk spiders and robots this time round. I've used mainly colorshift paints from Green stuf world + spider serum on the bases. I felt they needed an extra touch so I used some oil paints and added light blue/purple washes in some recesses. 

#8 Bestiariusz Sowianski #2

I read the first part a couple of months ago and enjoyed it thoroughly, so reaching out for #2 was a no-brainer. I'm a huge fan of Slavic folklore and this one is filled with it. There is a short background on even more unusual creatures here and the book is filled with wonderful illustrations. I really like the structure here as all are prepared by the same person, which gives the whole thing a sense of coherence. However, it feels like some of the creatures presented here are like an extension of what has already been presented in the previous one and reading about them didn't seem as fascinating as about the ones in book #1. Nonetheless, I will be definitely checking out the other books by these authors.

Here be Giants!

This crew was a of fun to paint. I really like working with large, humanoid, strange creatures as they allow me to play with colors. I aimed for overall cold color scheme with some small differentiation between crew members. I'm afraid pictures don't do them justice as plenty of browns/greens/blues went into making the skin what it is. Blue is not the easiest of colors to work with so I wanted to make sure I give the skin plenty of definition and depth with more extensive use of colors.

In the fluff Euripides and his Gigants return from desolate mountainous areas to help Titania. I wanted to use this knowledge when working on their bases (larger pieces of rock), but at the same time I wanted to make sure they fit in thematically with the rest of my Neverborn crews (swamp-themed). And of course I've put some extra touches into painting Geryon and Euripides as they are the leaders and should stand out a little more.

Now I only need to field them and see how they perform in game. It's going to be a major challenge (not only due to pandemic) - I haven't played the game since Fall 2018...

#7 Mamba Mentality

This book reads very well although it's not great by any measure. It feels more like a collection of thoughts on various aspects of the game of basketball; training, maintaining your body, injuries, attitude, fans, opponents. I particularly enjoyed reading sections in which Kobe described his on and off-court relationship with other players. It felt like being taken behind the curtain to where things were actually happening and left lasting impact. Coupled with great pictures it makes a good read for fans of Kobe and those who appreciate learning about different layers that go into becoming one of the best in the game. 

I grew up watching and supporting Kobe. Ever since his dunk contest win I saw something special in him. The way he embraced competition and constantly sought opportunities to fine tune different aspects of his game was nothing short of exceptional. For me, this book felt very deep and personal despite lack of wider narrative construction and coherence and this is something that can put people off. For me it was an interesting way of getting more insights into daily challenges and understanding Kobe as a professional better. His passing really hit me hard and I do miss his positive energy, smile, and the ability to make everyone and everything around him better.

Trollbloods Extreme Mauler

I painted this beast a while ago but never got round to posting pics on the blog. Almost half a kilo of pewter, prepping this one for painting took probably more than painting :)