Monday Miniatures: Almaran
![77058_w_1[1]](https://caffeineforge.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/77058_w_11.jpg)
This week we don’t have much participation. Maybe you guys didn’t think this mini was all that interesting, but the painters below will certainly prove that wrong. My house is still a disaster, and I will be sleeping on the couch for at least another week, what’s your excuse?
This week I don’t have projects, but I do have a request: recommend a mini or two that you would like to paint from the Bones 1 Vampire set. There are only a couple left from the list I posted in January.
Arjen went with a very dark color scheme. In 5th ED parlance, this could be a paladin of vengeance. I love the gothic look of dark iron and alabaster though.
Antonia painted a tiefling that is quiet literally more holy than thou. It just goes to show that she’s more of a nature than a nurture sort of person. I love the contrast contained in this mini. Also – the wild flowers. I love those too. Where did you pick them up?
The Vogel’s long promised tutorial on Vogel Glow ™ was sent to me, so I will post that next week.
4/19/15 – Zalash
4/26/15 – Red Dragon – Week 1 – this is a big model, so this week are just looking for a WIP.
5/3/15 – Red Dragon – Week 2 – Now’s your chance to really show off. You’ve had 2 weeks and a gorgeous sculpt – blow me away.
Want to participate in next week’s post? Email your pictures of your mini to caffeineforge@gmail.com
Caffeineforge 
I didn’t even touch paint last week.. 😦 Sorry I couldn’t participate!
I love that both of the flames ended up blue! That’s cool!
Great job on this one, y’all. Can’t wait to see Zalash.
I suggest Astrid, 77087
Hello everyone!
@Arjen. Wow, you did a great job on the face! This beard, and the eyes! I really envy you – my mini had more or less a smooth area where the mouth was supposed to be… Awesome how different our two minis look!
@David:
You wanted suggestions? Here we go, each one with a reason why I’d like to paint them, perhaps as inspiration for others 🙂
Lysette, Elven Enchantress: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/77076/latest/77076
(As Lady Alustriel, legendary NPC in a Forgotten Realms campaign)
Gruff, Dwarf Pirate: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/77133
(As an NSC in an ongoing D&D campaign with pirates… and because he looks funny 🙂 )
Valeros, Iconic Fighter: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/89007/sku-down/89007
(I would use him with the oncoming Red Dragon mini)
Seltyiel, Iconic Magus: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/89014/sku-down/89014
(Many nice details and interesting structures)
Nova Troopers (Sci-Fi Troops): http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/80010/sku-down/80010
(I converted one of them as a RPG character mini and would like to paint it finally)
Ingrid, female Gnome: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/77167/sku-down/77167
(Small ones are fun to paint and don’t take too long, because they are… small!)
Hellakin, Halfling Rogue: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/77165/sku-down/77165
(NPC in an campaign and interesting concept: A Halfling cutthroat? Could be a good way to practice dark, moody lighting)
Extra suggestion: Perhaps, if you don’t find one mini that interesting, you could give us rather a general theme than a specific miniature, e.g. “Halflings & Gnomes” or “Bones Sci-Fi miniatures”…?
And, last question, just because I’m curious: Did you already get your Bones II minis? Do you plan on adding them to Mini Monday some time soon? Obviously there are still some minis from Bones I left that I’d like to paint, but on the other hand there are so many figures waiting in their bags…. 😀
It’ s 77078 actually, and we did her, but maybe it is so long ago that there are enough new painters to do her again. My suggestions are 77070 and 77071, a female and a male elf. I mentioned halfling/gnome minis before, but get the impression they are not popular.
Also, there is a female wizard in the original 30, but she is no longer on the reaper website, though her metal version is there, under the name of juliette.
I am curious: has everybody gotten their Bones 2 yet? It would widen the options. I have only painted two so far, and spend a lot of time assembling the not-balor. It was in about twenty pieces.
Antonia, I love the whole atmosphere of your mini, the impeccable armor, the flowers and the sword that is similar yet very different from mine (somehow, mine is crackling with magic, whereas yours is shining with divine power, I cannot explain, but that is the feeling I get). That tiefling must have come through some equal opportunity plan, it makes me smile.
My armor was starting to look too scruffy for a paladin, so I gave all the light blue parts, like the shoulders, a finish with something called ardcoat (shiny transparent finish) from GW, and I am happy with how it worked out.
@Arjen: Thanks for your comment! Yes, even the devil-blooded can climb up the ladder – quite literally “up” to divine grace 🙂
@David/all: I forgot to describe the flowers, which are ad-libbed and really simple:
I didn’t have any real flower/flock at hand, therefore I made little dots with Vallejo’s “Plastic Putty”, a pasty/semi-liquid putty which made a white and slightly elevated “base flower”.
This flower got a yellow center (toothpick & yellow paint), and some of them were colored with washes/inks.
Voilà: Instantaneous flower beds which look quite nice and don’t cost a dime. Plus, they are at hand whenever you need them :p
But remember: Always put a yellow dot in the centre, otherwise it will look just likebird droppings, which is not really divine at all 😀
Antonia – The Tiefling is a really original idea for this model & it turned out great! The entire model has this feeling of redemption about it. Very cool.
Arjen – I would never have considered doing dark armour on this model & yet it has come out extremely well. His face is amazing – your skills really have improved while I have been gone.
It has been a long time since I have posted, and just as long since I have picked up a paint brush. Unfortunately, I have been unwell & just not able to focus enough to do those little details. However lately I have been feeling well enough to give it a try again. I probably wont participate in the next few weeks – I just want to start myself back on something simple that I am not so worried if I screw it up.
I was thinking about the line up & that marinealrose wanted to do Astrid – maybe you could have a week called ‘catch-up’. Paint a mini that has been done in Monday Miniatures that you have missed. While most participants havent missed as many as I have – I dont think anyone has not missed any. It was just a thought.
As for going into Bones 2 minis – they just released a bunch in the store. When you do decide to start adding Bones 2 to Monday Miniatures you could go off what has been released so people who didnt back the KS2 can still participate.
Here are a couple of models you havent done that I think are nice
77071: Elladan, Elf Ranger (Arjen already mentioned him but I think he is cool)
77069: Autumn Bronzeleaf
77031: Cassie, Gnome Wizard
77141: Townsfolk: Oswald the Overladen
89014: Seltyiel, Iconic Magus
I dont know that with my lack of participation I should have much say in what is to be painted next but I thought Id share in case you just wanted some ideas.
Hey Kylie! Nice to see you again 🙂
Good to hear you are coming back on track, I know how that works, Dirk & I missed the last weeks out too (due to illness, life & stuff), but painting that paladin was surprisingly fun! Now I already have a new hep of minis on my desk, waiting to be preparated (okay, a small heap. But one is a dragon, so… 😀 )
I think the “catch-up” week is an awesome idea!! (<- sorry, but I really like it 🙂 ) Dirk e.g. wanted to paint the earth elemantal so bad and then didn't get around to it, and since we missed the beginning of the whole Mini Monday project there are a lot of other great sculpts to catch up on (griffin! Oh, I love that griffin!)
Concerning mini suggestions: I think everyone can add ideas as many as they want, and David gets his pick – the whole thing is his party, but as long as we behave and don't set the cat or piano on fire, we're well liked guests, right? 😀
Hi Kylie, hope to see you join again soon. Remember, these are cheap plastic things, so have fun and don’t go for perfect. Sometimes if you are just messing around, like i did with this paladin (the dark grey was meant as a basecoat under the light blue, but when I had it on, I decided to only paint a few things blue and leave the rest grey) you find that you have more fun painting.
Antonia, My mini did not have a big nose either, but I painted a small blob of brown wash under it, to give it more shadow, now it looks bigger. I also did the eye sockets with wash. I recently found out you can bring out details best by painting with wash, rather than splashing it on. Downside is it takes more effort, of course, so I reserve this trick for key areas like the face.
I wash the face, and then glaze the lips myself. It’s been giving me great results.