Goodbye GW Meadowhall

Well, after 20-something years Games Workshop at Meadowhall closed it's doors for the final time last weekend. I can't claim to have visited the shop religiously but I did used to go regularly when it first opened, as my interest in the hobby waned I went in sporadically, usually as a way to avoid wandering around Meadowhall while my wife was shopping. Then my eldest picked up the war gaming baton, re-igniting my need for Grim Darkness and I've been in every Sunday since July. Straight away I discovered a new found respect for the store.  I'd always found GW staff to be quite pushy and had a tendency to perch on your shoulder while you're just casually browsing, but Meadowhall seemed different, really casual and laid back, completely different to the other GW's I'd been in over the last few years.

Anyway, sadly, last Saturday was their end-of-the-world shindig, they had WHFB character one-on-ones going on, Kill Team games and a painting competition.  Alex took his Old Blood, played 3 character battles and won 3. Something tells me the Lizardman army book is a bit over-powered and I'm guessing it's due a re-write, but still, well done young man!

I threw my hat in the ring and submitted the last miniature I painted into the painting competition, not only was it the last thing I'd painted, but it was also the last thing I'd bought at GW Meadowhall.  It was only a test piece Imperial Guard for my upcoming Kill Team, I didn't have high hopes for it winning but it's the taking part that counts init??

Miraculously it came 2nd, I think there were around 20-25 entries, so I was quite chuffed!

All in all the day was a good laugh and it was a great way to remember the shop. Good luck to all the staff there in their new ventures and I'm praying that the old shop doesn't become another god-damn Starb*cks.

Death Guard Daemon Prince test piece finished

Bloomin' 'eck.  I've not posted for ages.

Weddings, visiting folk, drinking ale, drinking wine and whatnot. Not much time for painting or anything. Lame.

Well, I did manage to finish off my daemon prince test piece for the Death Guard. Which I'm sure people will be overly relieved about, as they won't have to look at any more boring W.I.P shots of it.

When I say it's finished, I mean it's finished to the point that I know I can do what I want with the finecast version and it should look good. I'll spend more time on that one, as the face should be more defined.

Anyways. I'm prattlin' again.

I've used a bit of thinned out Devlan Mud (so glad I stocked up on that shit) to wash the flesh, and given it a last bit of a highlight with a mix of Vallejo off white / Formula P3 Thrall Flesh. I quite like the finish I've got.

Here's some more badly shot photographs:

Bit blurry, but I think the colour comes through nice

another picture of a miniature on a lunch box.

Test pieces 27th Feb 2012

Some spare chaos marine shoulder guards I found laying around seemed like a good place to start on  attempting to use colour theory in my Death Guard scheme.

So, the last week or so has been a total write-off for one reason or another. Which I probably shouldn't go into, but I love moaning. So moan I shall, in a minor way.

This week, I'd hoped to get painting sessions in most evenings. This did not happen. My cunning plans were ruined.  Instead, this week has mainly featured some mentally long working days and man flu.  I've been feeling pretty rotten and tired.  It was very rubbish indeed.

Minor groan over with.

Anyways, above is a picture of some spare chaos marine shoulders which I finally got round to working up as a test piece.  Earlier on in this blog, I've probably mentioned hoping to try and learn something about colour theory.  So it seemed like I should get some purple into my colour scheme somewhere.

So first off, in the top part of the picture are some Chaos aspiring champion shoulder guards. I'm working on a Nurgle army, so obviously I had no reason to use the other three for anything.  I started out with a thin base coat of Tin Bitz and then gave it a wash with Leviathan Purple, and left it to dry. For about a fortnight (Thanks, busy life).  The one at the top left has been left in this state so as folk can see it.  From there I painted on Knarloc Green in a patchy covering on the raised parts, so that some of the base coat showed through.  Finished off with a 50/50 mix of Knarloc Green and Gretchin Green thinned out with Vallejo's Thinner Medium (invaluable stuff - you need this in your life).  White bit done as usual. Mix of Dheneb Stone and Vallejo Off-White and Thinner Medium.

The stuff at the bottom is worked up from a different method.  Nothing ground breaking, obviously.  Base coat of  Knarloc Green.  Washed over with Leviathan Purple. Again the white bit was done as above, and again I used the mix of Knarloc Green and Gretchin Green which I attempted to put on roughly.

The state of greeness that I've left these in is a bit different from what I'd previously been doing, as it's brighter and sharper as opposed to the mouldier green finish I've put on to the full models further down the blog.  I'll add in the mouldy green later.