[Zombicide] Hasslefree Cobra - Smith the Snake.

This week-end I had some fun with Cobra from Hasslefree miniature.
I've bough this mini as proxy for zombicide survivor Smith. Now, if you've growth during the 80's and you're a kind of nerd as I am, I'm pretty sure that you've catched the inspiration from Carpenter's Escape from New York. 



So my goal was clearly to reproduce the best as possible Snake Plissken. To be honnest, the mini gave me some troubles:
_ the scuplture is very nice but the mini is sold in three differents parts (the body, the left arm and the right arm holding the machine gun).

In fact, it's impossible to paint the mini once assembled because the machine gun covers the chest and part of the face. That's mean if you want to do a decent paintjob you have to paint the right arm separately... I hate to work like that because you cannot fix the gap with green stuff and so have the risk to find some imperfection once your paintjob is done. Actually, I've found a gap on the right shoulder when I've assembled the two parts. Dammit!

_ I've struggled a lot also with the color scheme. Because excepting the 80's zebra trousers, everything on the mini should be black, gun, belt, shirt, gloves, boots, knee protection...a hell of black!.
If you paint yourself you've understood the issue. Not only black is difficult to paint but it's also a pain to create contrast between the different elements of the same color.
So I had to use different techniques for each black parts to simulate different type of textures.
Black metal for the gun and the protection on tibias.
Extreme white highlights with black armor washes for the leather on the boots, the gloves and the belt.
Soft grey highlights for the quilted knee protection and the fabric of the shirt.
It's not very visible on the final pics but I've achieved to obtain a different rendering of black for each part. ouf!

No, Cobra wasn't a so easy painting as I though, but the I'm happy with the result. He looks like Snake, good point.   


Bob Hauk: We'd make one hell of a team, Snake!
Snake Plissken: The name's Plissken!

[Zombicide] Survivors Proxy - Hasselfree miniatures

As anticipated, I've bough some Hasselfree miniatures in order to paint some survivors proxy for Zombicide.

Hasselfree has a very interesting selection of modern adventurers including zombie hunters perfect for Zombicide. Not only the scale matches perfectly with the original miniatures but the sculpture of Kev are simply incredible, the quality of the stamp is very good and the prices honnest.
The only problem for the game purpose are the material as the minis are in metal which means more damageable for the paintjob during the game session.
That's why I had to prepare them carefully to avoid any kind of problem. Super glue, Green stuff, pinning and also a first layer of Vallejo surface primer before the black and white priming just to consolidate the base before starting the painting process.

And here the selection of survivors I've choosen (from right to left):





Franck Cisco alias Clint Eastwood as Detective Callahan. The Zombicide version is Brad.

The Kev's version is a little more massive than the original Callahan but with a correct paintjob I think it's possible to make him slimer.

Cobra alias Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken. Zombicide version is Smith.

The Hasselfree mini is even more badass than the original. The only issue for my concern is the right arm which holds the machine gun because it covers big part of the chest and the face of the mini. In fact, as you can see, I've decided to paint the different parts separated in order to facilitate the painting of the face.

Oakley alias Ash Cambpell from Evil Dead. Troy is the zombicide version.

The Badassmeter of this mini is at top level. Note that Hasselfree proposes two options for the right hand. The axe (first Evil Dead version) and the Chainsaw like in Army of Darkness and in the newest telefilm Ash vs Evil Dead. Actually it has been a big moment of dilemma for me because the Chainsaw is clearly the feature of the character but as I want to use him for a proxy of Troy, I've decided to get the axe like in the zombicide illustration.

The last one is Bubba who is of course the King Elvis. Actually, Elvis doesn't have a zombicide version (what a pity) but I've fallen in love of the mini and the idea to play an old and fatty Presley zombie hunter with guitar and handgun was too  magnetic. So I've created my own zombicide version just for the fun.



I'm quite sure my friends will be happy to play with this new survivors, I can't wait to kill some zombies with them.





[Reaper Pathfinder] GGS painting contest

Gangeek Style (a very cool french site about Miniature and Video Game) is organizing a painting contest to win some Warhammer Quest Silver Tower.
Subject: paint an hero or an anti hero in a Fantasy universe.
The miniature must be in 30 mn maximum scale.
http://gangeekstyle.com/2016/05/ggs-painting-1-2/


It sounds good.
First because the winner price is great, second because it's a good motivation to paint some gaming miniature in showcase quality.
Actually, it's the first time I think to partecipate to a painting contest. I don't even know if I will be able to finish the figure in time (deadline for September the 15th) also because I have first to finish some Hasselfree miniatures for my zombicide sessions.
But let's try, a little bit of challenge is good sometimes.


I've decided to present a classic hero: Valeros, the fighter of Pathfinder adventures.
The sculpture of B. Jackson is very dynamic and accurate to the original artwork of Wayne Reynolds (I love his fantasy comics style).
I have already some ideas to propose an heroic situation...even it would be complicated due to the fact that the contest rules are clear: it's a stand alone miniature. Interesting.

[Zombicide] Survivors saison 1 - The Team

And here we are, my team is complete and ready for my next gaming session.
It has been a fun project, I like very much this minis. I can't wait to paint other survivors....very soon because I have some Hasselfree miniatures waiting to be painted. 

[Zombicide] Survivors saison 1 - Wanda the Waitress

And finally the last survivor of the saison 1: Wanda the waitress.
As for Doug, it has been a rush session to finish her in time.


I've choosen a blue-green for the main color  the most similar as possible than the original plastic color.
I have to say that it remembers more the ospital  medic shirt than a waitress uniform but at least I'm sure than the players will recognize her easily on the gameboard.
For the skin, I paint the base with Skin 4 which is very pinky. Perfect for Wanda, I wanted a fresh and healtly aspect, this color base is perfect for the purpose. I've also added glazes of pure red on the cheek to increase the effect.
I've made the blonde hair with Ochre 2, wash of brown 4 and extreme highlight with a touch of White in the Ochre 2.



Ok, my survivors are painted, now the last step before my gaming session: 2 layers of matt varnish for everybody and some finishing on the base.

[Zombicide] Survivors saison 1 - Doug the Salaryman

A short update of the the Zombicide project with Doug alias Micheal Douglas in Falling Down.
It has been a very quick painting in his case. I've finished him in one shot, so my apologies but I didn't pick any photo of the wip.
The fact is that I have a gaming session this friday, that's why I need to rush a little bit my survivor painting. The last one (Wanda) is already on the fire.


Just some word about Doug. The blue is the main color of the mini. I've included it in the flesh, the  base color of the shirt is painted with blue grey, same for the hair and I've also use some glazes of dark blue on the trousers.
As for Ned, I've choosen to fill the glasses with some green stuff to paint the lens instead of the eyes. (because it's quicker and easier).
And here we are:

[Zombicide] Survivors saison 1- Josh the Thug

Here we are again with my survivors.
Today, I show you my work on Josh the thug probably inspirated by the charcter of Jesse Pinkman of Breaking bad.
I like very much the sculpture of this mini. Simple and badass with a good face expression.
The orange is the dominant color I've choosen for the game purpose.

All the acrylics are Warcolours range.
The skin has been painted with a base of flesh 3 which is quite bronzed, then shaded with transparent brown (an orange brown) and highlighted with flesh 2. I've also added glazes of red under the eyes just to give him a touch of junky look.
The tattoos on the arms has been designed with a mix of marine 3 and flesh 3.
The blonde hair are painted with ocher 3, ocher 1 and a wash of transparent brown.

 Now the orange sweat shirt. I've choosen Orange 2 for the base layer, shadded with a touch of blue 3 to the base color and then used transparent brown for the extreme shading.
I didn't overdo with the highlight (just a touch of Yellow 3 with Orange 2) because I wanted to maintain a matt aspect on the sweat shirt and keep my overall color much orange as possible.
For the logo on the sweat, I've tried to do some auto promotion but I'm not sure it's readable. It's not a big deal, the blue contrasts well and the effect is what I wanted.



The blue jean instead has been painted with a base of Marine 1. Then I've started with higlight using pure White  in drybrush to create the jean texture. Then I've placed the shades with a wash of Marine 5 and then Marine 5 + black.
I came back again with a very light drybrush of white just to replace the textures and then finish with some glazes of transparent brown to make the jean dirtier (even if it's not visible on the pics).



The last details for the guns and the knife, nothing special. Everything has been with the usual black metal, silver and wash Black armor from secret weapon. And here the results: