Orlygg's Oldhammer Picture Post: A Retro Painting and Modelling Round Up!

This blog has lain dormant for some time now and after some discussion among members of the Oldhammer Community, we have decided to resurrect this small spice of the internet to serve the scene once again. As this blog is the second port of call after a search for 'Oldhammer' online, we felt it appropriate to use that to our advantage, so expect lots of changes to this site in the coming days. 

Now that I have that little bit of news across, I can explain to you what my part in this resurrection is. I am going to be doing a (roughly) weekly round-up of the best paint jobs and modelling projects from across the Oldhammer Community. So if you are new to us, it will be fairly easy for you to get straight into the action and if you are a old hand, then hopefully I have presented you with something that you missed first time around. 

Onwards then!  

I have picked this chap to begin with. This is a lovely model from Otto Von Bismark and there are plenty more to see on his blog. He has used Perry Miniatures plastics and a little greenstuff sculpting of his own to create some lobotomised slaves worthy of the Old Ones themselves. His flesh tones impressed me, largely due to the fact that painting convincing skin is one of the areas I am keen to improve in my own work. Here we can see a nice bronzed base tone, perfect for suggesting that this unfortunate has spent a little too much time under the Lustrian sun, and that tone is supported by good shading here and there with Army Painter ink washes. I feel that the bronze weapons also help support the 'Lustrian theme' and they bring more warmth to the figures. Contrast is provided with the red of the slave leash and, of course, the brilliant blue tattoos that suggest this slave's past wasn't as inglorious as its present. 

Next, some Rogue Trader goodness from the paintbrush of Whiskey Priest over at the The Lead Pile. When I first saw these I was really impressed. I loved the clean finish he'd managed to get out of his models and was impressed with the variety of touches in the unit. The hero's blonde hair, the green of the combat armour, the squat's face and the brilliant head scarf around one of his character's necks. These models are supposed to represent a Sensei warband and I feel that Whiskey Priest has done a great job in doing so. His work just goes to show that 40k doesn't need to be all GrImDaRk to succeed. 

This choice pic comes from Tiberius122 on CoolMiniOrNot. Here we have some old school orcs painted the way they should be. A strong 'goblin green' base helps brighten up these goblinoids and bring out the character in their faces. The reds and browns combine with the green to give these boyz a barbaric feel and the bases look like they have stepped out of Warhammer Armies. Skillful drybrushing of the iron of the weapons, chainmail and other pieces of armour also helps give the models a coherent look. 

Benedict Hallmark has shared with us his remarkable painted monstrosities from Amorcast. These nasty nibblies suggest all that is icky, sticky and rather silly about the Rogue Trader universe. The models he has chosen are great fun, and there are plenty more to see on his blog, but its the way Benedict has presented the models that strikes me the most. The attention to detail on the bases is exquisite, with smoothly blended earth tones and clever use of static grass and flowers. I looks to me that there are some plastic aquatic plants in there too. Coupled up with some splendidly painted Rogue Trader miniatures, a shed load of monsters from the RT rulebook and a splendid catachan devil, this is a blog that would be a crime to ignore. 

Thantsants has long been an inspiration to me. His blog has a great mix of classic Warhammer, and equally classic Doctor Who miniature goodness. This week I have been goggling over the massed racks of his Armoured Orcs. What I love about his work is the way that it is presented. Not only are the models very tastefully done (and I mean that they are in keeping with the WFB3 era when I say this) but they are very well photographed too. I mean, his scenery is to die for is it not? Now many of you will know that I am a big fan of hand painted shields and banners, and looking across the ranks of Ruglud's finest I am pretty certain I can see one or two of these on show. And when dealing with this number of orcs, that is no mean feat! If you are not a regular reader of The Tea's getting Cold, pop on over and check out the rest of his old school orc army. 

No round up would be complete without a visit to Nico. Here I present his incredible conversion of the classic '80s minotaur sculpt. Painted in his usual style; he favours non-metallic effects to suggest the iron armour and chases the detail with subtle yellow. Why use words to describe his work when the pictures can do so much more?

I am a huge fan of Don Hans work. He is the painter that I wish I could be. His tones are beautifully blended, rich in depth and vibrant. Want more, well pop on over to the http://realmofcitadel.blogspot.co.uk/ and be prepared to be blown away. Here I present some of his more recent work, a werewolf from a very early Citadel release in 1979. As always, this figure illustrates Don's grasp of colour. I love the way he harmonizes colour throughout the whole model without the finished look being cluttered and untidy. And the bases? The bright, almost bone white bases really help his vibrant work stand out further. This is the stuff that inspiration is made from. 

It seems that Rob S over at 6 Iron Spikes doesn't just churn out interesting podcasts concerning his gaming group's progress in the Enemy Within Campaign, but he can also produce a tasty model or two in between roleplaying sessions. Here I present some of his Talisman figures. It seems that this boardgame, and the associated miniatures released for it, are rather in vogue at the moment, especially considering the amount the models are going for on eBay. This collection exhibits some excellent choices for colour schemes, with each model being different. I am not sure if he has based these on illustrations related from the game or if he has plucked them out of his imagination? Anyone know? Ron seems to use a very skillful layering technique to build up nice flat colours but leave just enough to create depth on his figures. Stand out model needs to be the druid, seen back left, as the subtle blues contrast perfectly with the bright woodland green of the laurels. 

Orlygg