| (no subject) |
[Apr. 19th, 2009|04:22 pm] |
Honour Guard
Standard Bearer
FInished off my Blood Angels Honour Guard this weekend. I painted the first four in as many days, but I had no effing clue what I wanted to do with the standard bearer. I'm horribly inexperienced with freehand stuff. I basically stabbed in the dark entirely. All in all, I'm pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. He's tremendously front heavy. Brilliant design, there. All plastic mini with a giant metal flag. I had the forsight enough to pin the hell out of his wrist to keep it from snapping off, but I really didn't plan on him being that off kilter. I put the finishing touches on him, set him up on my desk, pressed the power button on my monitor to get ready for bed, and the slight jostling motion tipped him over, dropping him into a 1 foot plummet off my stereo reciever. Snapped the whole arm off at the shoulder, chipping an agonizing amount of paint off and forcing me to re-bore, pin and paint the wrist again, along with all the other stuff that came off. I then pryed him off his base and remounted him on the rear edge. I'll probably have to do something else with the base to lower the center of gravity. He'll never stand up on a felt tabletop.
|
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Apr. 10th, 2009|10:15 pm] |
Ooooh, scratch previous gibb'rish. Found an EQ classic server that's just Everquest, no expansions. I really would like the first two, but this is good so far. It's in beta still, so its still a WIP, but they've done some really impressive stuff so far.
They managed to bring back the old Freeport, replaced the updated weapon models with the old ones, amongst a sea of other things. I'm quite optimistic, though I'm not sure why. Mike & I played a bit on a random eqemu server last night and it's amost sad how dumbed down the game has become.
Playing for 3 hours on the beta classic server.... I got to level 3. Oh yes. EQ at its most brutal. Each level is like shoving an artichoke strait up your ass and spinning it around a few times. That's what daddy loves. Oooooh yeah. |
|
|
| Old hopes raised, then dashed quite expertly... |
[Apr. 9th, 2009|02:41 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  nostalgic | ] |
So, after years of off-and-on searching, I've finally found a classic EverQuest free server that's JUST the first two expansions. EQ's prime years were '99-'01, with Ruins of Kunark, and Scars of Velious, when Verant still ran the show. I played briefly in the "progression server" that they launched sometime in '06ish, but the content got unlocked so damn fast.
But hey, I found a true classic EQ server last night. I was totally stoked and ready to get my pointless nostalgia on, when I found out that the EqEmu site that is necessary to registration has been hacked, and has been so for a couple months now. And I read this morning that the server that I found has just wiped all characters to lvl1, and taken out most of the Kunark zones and left in only the raiding content. So there went that. I want the complete experience, not some butchered mess.
I want to park outside the Sarnak fortress in Lake of Ill Omen, getting groups with casual ease because I was an enchanter like I used to. I want to run that horrid gauntlet to Ill Omen from Firiona Vie that only had a 60% success rate. I want to get mauled by Kizdean Gix in the Commonlands. I want the OLD Freeport again. I want the crummy old particle effects (sprites, not skittles!). That terrible old UI that only let you make 6 hot keys and memorize 8 spells at a time. I want to meditate with a book in my face so I dont see the Crypt Mummy sneaking up on me. I want to wait 35 minutes for a boat that will just take me to another boat that will take 20 minutes to take me to another continent so I can level. I am a old-school MMO masochist.
The search continueth.... |
|
|
| Mental detritus |
[Apr. 3rd, 2009|02:26 am] |
Hey-oh, waddaya know, its 0230 and I'm durnk. Guess what that means? yup, more posting of the stupid-journal. Okay, so I'm not really drunk, per-se', but I've had a few, and I've not eaten a thing all day except for a handful of Wheat Thins. I've decided that for D-Con this year, my name tag is going to say "Thin Diesel". See, it's funny because I'm a skinny twit and I'm bald. All I need some some bitchin' welder's googles. I do own a Honda, so the rice-burner theme is there as well. And, according to some videos I watched recently, ole Vinny played D&D in his youth. I've always been a bit of a Diesel fan, since the Riddick series is hellaciously nerdy, but he's gone up even a couple more pegs in my book.
I'm still unemployed. To be perfectly honest, I've not been trying. I've got some headhunters looking for me, but frankly, my guy is incompetent. He just sucks. I could go on about how, but its pointless and the beer's making me lazy. He just sucks and I don't care. My car will be payed off next month and then I just pay $500 a month in rent. That's it. Being a loser with no life means you can pay off a $15,000 finance in 2 years. Come July/August the GI Bill gets stupidly sexy amazing and the government will proceed to pay me to get a degree. I deserve free college. I put up with 8 years of bullshit in middle Georgia. 6 years of technical experience, 2 years of babysitting teenagers and filing paperwork. Fucking STUPID teenagers. Jeesus christ this new generation scares the shit out of me. They're all so god damn coddled it's sickening. They all think they're speshul and better than the world. That alone isn't so bad, they're just FUCKING DUMB. If you're reading this, and you're of the age 18-20-ish demographic, go read a god damned book! *shakes fist*
This comic is fun, cute and everyone should read it. The fine British fellow has a delightful sense of humour.
Been playing D&D again recently (3.5). It's delightful. I haven't played since 2006, when everyone left Georgia but me. I'm playing my mercenary character I made back in 2005. He's not insane. It takes some getting used to, but playing characters without severe mental disorders actually CAN be fun. Other than Mike and I, two of the guys in our group are complete newbies to pen/paper role playing entirely, and the one other hasn't played since 1st edition. Mike's DM'ing, so I'm the only real seasoned vet in the group. And since I'm just the merc, I'm not in charge. It's wonderful.
When Mike's campaign is over, I want to GM a Rifts campaign. I looooove Rifts. By far my favorite roleplay setting. All of my NPCs will be stark-raving mad, and the party will know despair. It'll be like Alice in Wonderland, only with giant robots, supernatural beings, and Spider Man.
|
|
|
| Junk & shit |
[Apr. 1st, 2009|07:49 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  amused | ] |
Adam Savage has the most infectious laugh ever. I swear he could laugh at my laundry and I'd be compelled to join in.
In other news, our group of goobers and shnooks managed to get into the Champions guild beta! Ex-freaking-celsior!! Props go to Mike for actually signing the lot of us up. Awesome-sauce.
*cancels CoV subscription* |
|
|
| Lofty titles |
[Mar. 29th, 2009|02:43 pm] |
Brother Corbulo, Sanguinary High Priest, Bearer of the Red Grail Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed
Another fun (yet aggravating) project that basically devoured my weekend like a hungry shark. Corbulo, like most Blood Angels special characters, is more buff-y than kill-y. The red grail contains the blood of the Primarch Sanguinius, and its presence on the field drives nearby Blood Angels into a murderous frenzy. And he does a bit of the healing thing too, since he's a glorified apothecary.
White is a huge bitch to paint with, especially beside red. Red is a poisonous color that taints everything with even the slightest residue. I had to have one brush for white and red separately to quarantine the two. Even with a vigorous washing, miniscule amounts of red residue on the brush will make everything white come out pink. Even just casually touching the red parts, then the white, will pink everything up.
I also slapped together a Rhino/Whirlwind a few weeks ago. Nothing special, just a boxy transport that can also be a boxy missile tank. I didn't glue the top plate on, so I can have either parts depending on what I need. I have very little need for Rhinos since my army almost entirely composed of jump infantry, but you never know. Whirlwinds aren't astoundingly amazing either, but I've always been a fan of the concept/model, even back in the old 2nd edition days.
Rhino
Whirlwind
|
|
|
| watching men |
[Mar. 23rd, 2009|10:56 pm] |
Yay! Title insinuates homosexual voyourism!
Anywho, yeah, finally got out and saw Watchmen. (I hate people in theatres, they never shut the fuck up)
Overall, very happy. ^_^ <--- that kind of happy. The opening montage played to Bob Dylan had me smiling like a 14 year old seeing his first pair of boobies. "Beaming" I believe some call it.
Even with the one major "incongruity" (you know the one) it's still hands down the most accurate comic-to-movie adaptation evAr. Nite Owl was just a little too fit, though. You have to expect some inaccuracies for time reasons and to make things interesting for the non-savvy. I mean christ, the first time I read the comic, I did it in one night, and it took me over 10 hours.
I think this is the first movie I've seen in a theatre in well over a year. Maybe two. I think Transformers was the last one I saw, and even that was weeelllllll after release, and almost gone. Ooop wait, there was The Zohan, but I don't count that one, since I saw it with the Honor Guard in Chattanooga, and was very, very drunk. I slept through about 45 minutes of it.
So, my roster of comic movies sits roughly thus:
1. Watchmen (we have a new champeen!)
2. Dark Knight
3. Ang Lee's Hulk Iron Man
4. Hellboy (shameless fun)
5. Spider Man 2 The Incredibles
Also: Futurama has forever ruined Richard Nixon for me. I kept clapping my fists together giddily, waiting for him to finish his speech with ...Aarrrooooo....
|
|
|
| Seriously, guys |
[Mar. 11th, 2009|11:12 pm] |
|
How in the hell does Tim & Eric keep getting tv shows?? |
|
|
| So weak... |
[Mar. 9th, 2009|09:14 pm] |
So yeah, the itch was too great and I suddenly found myself patching CoV. /hangs head
Even with my current comp and vidja card, I still get slight slowdowns with the graphics completely maxed. Just shows you how much that game has to render, even 3 years later. Nice thing, though, apparently CoV and CoH share accounts now, so I effectively have both games, even if I don't have much interest in playing the heroes. It's still really grindy, but the combat is still really fun. I always lauded the CoX games for making you feel truly powerful, from the moment you make your character. ...Unlike other games I can name, where you get your heroic ass brutally maimed by a bunny.
This just has to last me until Champions comes out. I know it probably wont, especially with none of my friends playing anymore, but it's keeping the cravings down. |
|
|
| Yeah... |
[Mar. 4th, 2009|04:29 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  bored | ] |
|
|
|
| Champeeens |
[Feb. 25th, 2009|03:44 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  geeky | ] |
I know it's theoretically due out in June, so it's probably too late, but I'd sell my left testicle to get into the Champions beta. Don't know why, specifically. I guess the whole Watchmen thing and a somewhat thinning of WoW excitement has rekindled my desire to do the whole superhero/villain thing again. I occasionally get the itch to bust out CoV from time to time, though the knowledge that it's just a tedious grindy treadmill of repetitive warehouse tomfoolery kinda nerfs that.
I went to the Champions panel at DCon last year, and was highly impressed. They had the working beta for the Xbox there, and it just looked so slick. The things they talked about as far as features and powers just stomps the hell out of what CoX had. The fact that it's the guys who basically made CoX running the whole deal just sweetens the pot.
The fact that it could launch right when I start up school does complicate shit, though. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Feb. 24th, 2009|12:39 am] |
Soooo, Chester Cheetah's now an old man...
aaaand a father?
And he stalks women at the laudromat... and soccer games... aand airplanes.
That's high on the list of strange ways to reinvent a franchise. |
|
|
| Dante, Lord of the Blood Angels |
[Feb. 18th, 2009|05:22 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | painty stuff | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  shameless | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Iron Maiden, "The Legacy" | ] |
Aaaaannnd completed!
Just, so.. so pleased. I know it's not "astounding", but damn, for once I'm truly truly proud of my efforts. This isn't just me gluing some shit from one kit to another kit and saying "put it on the fridge, mommy!" There's just so many things going on there, most of them stuff I'd never dared to try before, so many mixed mediums. I feel like a new parent, proud of his ugly child. I think I'm going to carry pics of this in my wallet.
Fuck everything I've ever done prior to this. This is daddy's new favorite.
|
|
|
| Fun with putty, part 2 |
[Feb. 14th, 2009|07:09 pm] |
Another fun, productive day with ole' Dante.
Since I'll be mounting him with a metal rod to elevate him off his base, the left foot had to be re-posed to reflect that. Using some flush cutters, I chopped the tip off and re-glued and puttied it into a mirror of the right foot, more or less. This will have to be sanded later to make it even with the rest of the boot. Also of note is the finishing touches on the pistol. The hose is now flush with the rest of the gun.
The final bit of business was the detailing of the cape. I added the obvious wrinkling to make it look more realistic, but also to help reinforce the cape where it joins to the shoulders.
So far, I've done more than I had originally intended, but I think it's going to look nifty when its all done. I'll let it set up tonight, then I should be back on my home turf; the painting. I'm going to do him in gold, like he's done traditionally, but rather than do the mask in gold, I'd like to do it in bone. This fellow has a really well done Dante in red with a bone white mask, which I would like to emulate. The loin cloth is really neat as well, but that's a little out of my league.
|
|
|
| Fun with putty |
[Feb. 13th, 2009|05:03 pm] |
So, last week I ordered Commander Dante, the Blood Angels chapter master. I got him on wednesday and discovered that the one they sent me was missing his left arm. Well, rather than pitch a fit and complain like I usually do, I decided to try my hand at making him one with Green Stuff, the amazing two-part epoxy that smells like peanut butter doritos. This is a work in progress, and I've still a long way to go.
For the record, Dante is supposed to look like this
I started by building the pistol that's missing from the pack. Okay, so, for this part I got inspiration from completely ripped off this guy. His drawing skills are lacking, but man that scratch-built Dante is pure skill. I'd never really worked with Green Stuff before aside from sticking it to bases and filling gaps. Sculpting with the shit is a completely different matter. It sticks to freaking everything. At any rate, I more or less started with this mess. I started with a regular Bolt Pistol, chopped it up a bit, and glued on the muzzle and tubing from a Meltagun, since the Perdition Pistol is basically a fancy ass name for a melta-pistol. I gobbed a bit of putty on for the side canister, which is rough now, but will be sanded when the putty sets. End result is more or less like this.
Next is the arm proper. Dante's armor is more sculped and form-fitting than a standard marine, so simply popping another arm in place wouldn't do and a fresh one would need to be made from scratch, as seen here. Again, this is very rough, and will be sanded when it's set.
With the arm more or less complete sans touch-ups, the other major point of interest was the jump pack. It was basically an abomination unto man. The entire Dante mold is old, from the very early 90's, and it shows. The jump pack was pitted all over and much of the detail missing entirely. I ground the top part down with the Dremel and sculped in the original details, as seen here.
Right now I'm working on making him a bit more heroic. And the most hero-y thing I can think of is a cape. This is where shit takes a turn toward the hair-rippingly frustrating. Like I said before, Green Stuff sticks to god-damned everything; your hands, the tools, the table, any part of the model that happens to barely glance it, dust and shit from sanding, etc. This becomes magnified like a bajillion-fold when its spread really thin. Honestly, I can't really put into words just how aggrivating this was. I think I ended up making like 9 of these before I got one I'm content with. It's all a learning process. But, here's what I've got so far. I'm still plugging away at this, and that's just the flat part. I've got some more wrinkles and stuff I'm going to apply once it's set up.
|
|
|
| The Hive Tyrant |
[Feb. 10th, 2009|08:58 pm] |
The Hive Tyrant
Hive Tyrant rear
Hive Tyrant profile
I picked up the new Tyranid Hive Tyrant some time in mid-December, but only recently got around to working on it. First off, he's all metal, and very, very heavy. There's literally an entire paperclip, cut into pieces, helping to hold his various joints together. The carapace on his back is actually three separate "slices", and were molded very poorly. I had to mold putty into the seams and sand/dremel them to make it look as uniform as it does. The tail is also two separate pieces, joined in the middle, which also had to be puttied and sanded to not show a visible seam. The trouble with organic-styled pieces, is any joints and seams become painfully obvious.
The base is primarily scratch-built, as well. He came with the same base that the Carnifex came with, just a flat black plate. Due to a misjudgement in the width of his straddle, I accidentally drilled the peg hole for his hoof in the wrong spot, and it needed to be covered up some how. I started with a simple putty plug, and halfway, decided to get creative. I painted up a Dark Angels battle standard and shoulder pad from my DA conversion kit that GW mistakenly shipped me back in the summer, and puttied in some mounds to appear like sand drifts. And since I don't ever use Ripper Swarms, I jammed a few of them into the base to help show off his overwhelming size. Overall, I'm pleased. The complexity of the base helps enhance the otherwise simplistic paint job of the Tyrant himself.
It's awesome because it insinuates dead Dark Angels. Stupid jerks think they're so hot with thier officially published codex... Anyway, I'm officially burnt out on gluing sand. I certainly wont be doing any more of that any time soon.
|
|
|
| Kevin's painting skill increases by 1 (182)! |
[Jan. 27th, 2009|01:51 am] |
Terminator Captain 1
Terminator Captain 2
I'm particularly proud of this one, in that I feel that I pushed myself a bit more than usual, particularly on the face. This month's issue of White Dwarf (nerdy Games Workshop magazine) had some really handy pointers for doing flesh and face details. Faces are still stupid freaking hard, but now I at least know how the 'Eavy Metal team does some of the amazing things they do. It's just a regular Terminator marine, I just added some extra doo-dads from other kits. The seals were taken from the Land Raider sprew, the iron halo from the Force Commander kit, the head from the Assault Squad kit, etc. There's some highlighting in there allong all the armor edges, my crappy pic just doesn't show it. Mike kinda showed me how to not take quite as shitty a picture as I normally do, though my camera is still lacking (and dying).
|
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
jushiro's journal
drunk-ish
accomplished