Denizen, Jerks & Simpler Sculpts

 As I wanted a glossy version of the Valour & Fortitude rules, so I spent the equivalent of 4.7 minutes of electricity on a copy of Wargames Illustrated, which I have rarely boughtt in the last decade or so.

And I have to say that for a few minutes, I wondered if the magazine was missing from the plastic wrapper, with a rather piss poor advertising pamphlet. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed. Why do people pay £6 per month to read articles which are essentially a series of nepotistic, back slapping; sort of an incestuous Lead Belt circle jerk?

Needless to say, I won't make that mistake again.

I've spent the weekend, skulking in my studio, after a 49 hour week, the weather being poor enough to get me actually painting something of my my own, a rarity, as you will know by now.

I've been patiently waiting to begin work on the Denizen sci-fi models I bought te other week, and having finally opened them on Friday night, I set out to recreate the paint jobs which sold many a figure in the early 80s, but using faster modern mediums to acheive it.

As I have said previously, I don't put the same effort into my own stuff, nor do I use my 'work' paints, so being able to utilise paints which I'd normally consider 'off limits', I sprayed the castings white, and when fully dry, slapped on some of the Holy White speed paint. This gives a lovely finish which is not a glaring white, but which gives a nice amount of shade to the seams and ridges on the Denizen Federation Marine armour. 

I blacked in the most prominent flexible joints, the equipment and weaponry with black and similarly the visor. A coloured stripe on each shoulderpad was added to differentiate which squad the models belonged to, and painted and highlighted the headlamp on the helmets. A few strokes of dark prussian blue to the equipment and gloves, with a flick of aluminium to the weapons and belt kit, followed by three dots of colour to buttons on the belt kit, and the first figures were finished. They were glossed and matted and, once dry, the helmet lenses were re-glossed.

The end result was a lovely old school look, and today, I've knocked out 7 more identical troopers and the platoon commander, which means that I should have the platoon finished in 4-5 weeks if the weather stays inclement at the weekends.

The Denizen models were and still are, some of the best proportioned and moreover superbly cast models on the market. Chub Pearson is brilliant to deal with. What's more, with models priced at £1.65 and postage being free in the U.K over £20, you get excelent value for money. I like my sci-fi styling very much in the 80s pre Grimbollocks 20,000,000 style, and, coupled with the GZG models I bought, they will look perfect on the table.

I'm also mulling on the modern trend of over detailed sculpts for mass units. I am starting to get quite bored with painting stuff that is sculpted on to prove a point and which does not significantly improve the look of a unit of 36 models, but does slow down the painting time. For less experienced painters, cramming on all that extra crap (which was often stacked up befor the battle anyway) just makes the job an unpleasant one.

A well posed, clean and 'open' figure will look superb when well painted and ranked up and I really wish that modern sculptors would take this on board. After all, it's all about the game, so the less time you have to spend painting, the more you can spend gaming.

Now, if you will excuse me, I bettergo and make a coffee, and get away from this desk, where I've been for 6 hours now.

TTFN