State of my Hobby Worktable ... what's in store for 2020

Being well into the current year, it would seem to be a significantly belated exercise for me to analyze what hobby projects I actually have on the worktable and in semi-storage. But things are in such a mess at the moment hobby-wise that I need to take stock before I can move forward. So not including projects already finished but yet to be unveiled, and in the order of most to least likely to be finished by year-end, here then is the state of my hobby worktable and what's in store in the coming months:

A) Projects with significant assembly and paint work completed
Most likely to be worked on (note that I didn't say finished) this year is the best way to describe this group of miniatures and scale model kits. Of the three in this group, the least advanced in terms of progress would be my Bumblebee Transformer in car form aka the Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen 1300 Beetle (1966 Model). At this stage, only the engine counts as significant work done. Well that and perhaps finding a Bumblebee yellow hue I'm happy with. To breathe new life into the project I might just add a 1/24 scale figurine that could, at a stretch, pass off as Hailee Steinfeld. In case you were wondering, she played the human protagonist in the Bumblebee movie. 

Tamiya 1/24 scale Volkswagen Beetle Work-in-Progress (WIP): First section painted with Bumblebee yellow

Volkswagen Beetle's engine prominently shows the muffler, fan belt/housing, intake manifold, ignition coil, etc.

Beetle's oil strainer surrounded by the muffler, exhaust manifold heat exchangers and transmission

Meanwhile, a project that has seen much better progress is the Bandai 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon (Star Wars: The Force Awakens version). In all my time as a miniature hobbyist, I am most proudest of the detail I managed to bring out through paint on the 1/144 scale Han Solo and Chewbacca (see below). A combination of luck and patience played a role in the end results. Both were also part of the smallest group of miniatures I had ever painted. As for the Millennium Falcon itself, the cockpit, forward mandibles as well as upper and lower hulls are essentially complete sans weathering.

Smallest figurines I've ever painted so far i.e. 1/144 scale Han Solo and Chewbacca

All the 1/144 scale figurines namely Han Solo, Chewbacca, Finn, Rey compared to a five sen coin

Bandai 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon WIP: Cockpit and forward mandibles sans weathering

Millennium Falcon WIP: Lower gun turret with its yet-to-be-weathered hull plating attached

Millennium Falcon WIP: Basecoat, Panel Lines & Decals on Lower/Upper Hull

Moving on to something smaller, it has been a long time since I painted a miniature 28 mm or less in scale. And in a classic case of so near yet so far, I had actually painted a large portion of the Dark Sword Wood Elf Goddess before progress on her somehow stopped dead in its tracks. It was as if all confidence to finish up her paint work just drained away from me. I can't explain this one. As near to completion as she is, the goddess may have to wait a while longer for her day in the spotlight.   

Dark Sword Miniatures Wood Elf Goddess WIP: Painted in dark skin tones (front view)

Dark Sword Miniatures Wood Elf Goddess WIP: Painted in dark skin tones (back view)

B) Projects unboxed, color schemes researched and awaiting lift off
In this category are projects I had enthusiastically unboxed and researched before one reason or another caused them to be placed on the back burner. First there is the Bandai 1/12 scale Star Wars Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike. This one is going to be slightly different from the other Bandai Star Wars figurines I had previously worked on in that I plan to paint the Imperial soldier's white armor. As good as the armor looks unpainted, I believe it will need a proper coat of paint if it's to endure significant weathering using enamels and/or oils. After all, a Scout Trooper on the Forest Moon of Endor should, in theory, have some of mud, earth and vegetation stains on its white armor. 

Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike

To accommodate both the figurine and vehicle, eight sprues are tightly packed into the box 

More advanced along the project pipeline is the Bandai 1/1000 scale Space Battleship Yamato Cosmo Reverse Version. Colors for her hull and deck have been prepared and assembly should begin soon. Maybe a binge rewatch of the anime series is what I need to rekindle the spark I had for the Yamato. Or perhaps I could concurrently paint the corresponding anime character figurines from the anime. Either way this is one project I'm optimistic will see lift off in the coming months.

Bandai 1/1000 scale Space Battleship Yamato 2199, Cosmo Reverse Version

Moderately sized scale model kit box for the Yamato is also chock-full of sprues

Space Battleship Yamato Reds and Grays mixed at a paint ratio suggested in an older kit's color guide

While Yamato's decks are molded in blue gray, the color guide recommends a kind of pale violet brown

C) Projects hinted at previously but yet to be unboxed aka Shiny New Toy Syndrome
Spur of the moment scale model kit and figurine purchases, of which I'm guilty of ... a lot, form a large part of this category. Just rewatched an anime favorite Neon Genesis Evangelion? Bam! Cue obsessive search for an old Bandai scale model kit of the Evagelion-01 Test Type mecha. Feeling the need to supplement my Gundam project with a character figurine? Wham! Sourced a resin recast of Sayla Mass, which was originally a PVC figurine only. And as the old Batman theme (get it?) fades away, I can only stare, shamefully ... almost remorsefully, at yet another somewhat unnecessary acquisition inspired from watching the latest flagship Gundam series i.e. Gundam Unicorn. 

Bandai Limited Model High Grade plastic scale model kit of EVA-01 Test Type

E2046 resin recast of what was originally a 1/8 scale Sayla Mass PVC figurine

Bandai Master Grade RX-0 Unicorn Gundam - HD Color Version with Mobile Suite Cage

And of all the three 'Shiny New Toy Syndrome' purchases above, it's the Bandai Master Grade RX-0 Unicorn in HD Color and with a Mobile Suit Cage base that is least likely to get any work done on it. In contrast, the EVA-01 unit project has a high chance of getting off the ground because I've already test painted the color scheme I want for the Evangelion mecha. That leaves Sayla Mass who may be the first figurine I start work on this year. Or then again, it could be the two below.


D) Projects fully-assembled and primed, yet left in storage
That these miniatures are in storage tells its own story. Sort of. A myriad of reasons that range from from waning inspiration to real life issues to lack of skill set to do a project justice to just plain old forgot, resulted in both the Nocturna Models Battle Chick and the Knight Models Loki figurines being shelved after receiving a primer coat. Being shelved in a display cabinet, however, is clearly distinct from being put away in storage. The former means the figurines are still visible to me, so there is still hope I will work on them eventually. Moreover, the addition of airbrushing skills to my repertoire means the said projects takes on new possibilities when coupled with regular hand brush painting.   

Nocturna Models Necrospace series - 70 mm Battle Chick resin figurine

Knight Models Marvel Universe - white metal figurine Loki, assembled and primed

E) Projects whose assembly is nearly complete, awaiting a primer coat
Not unlike Loki above, the Knight Models Thor project stagnated for similar reasons, just that it stopped before even being fully assembled. But for a project that felt like a chore to complete with regular painting by hand, Thor seems ready made for airbrushing. This Norse God's dimensions such as the flowing robes and clearly demarcated superhero attire make it easier to airbrush than say the Loki figurine with its nook and crannies. At least it looks that way to me. Will Thor overtake Loki in the project pipeline? Or will both get done? Hopefully status quo does not prevail here.

Knight Models Marvel Universe - white metal figurine Thor, semi-assembled

And for the win, garnering the record for the longest period a miniature/scale model kit in my collection has stayed on the KIV or to-do-one-day list is ... drum roll ... the Games Workshop W40K Ork Trukk. It was the first scale model kit vehicle I had worked on ... eight long years ago. Phew! Well I did do some work on it. I removed it from the shelf and carefully washed away eight years of dust. So it's ready for a primer coat. What then are the odds for another eight years of inactivity?   

Warhammer 40K Ork Trukk - semi-assembled with its driver painted

F) Projects with as much sun exposure as a vampire
Aptly marked under 'F' after 'E' for epic fail, these are projects that have been shelved for a long, long time. So long in fact that I won't even waste your time showing you what they are in detail. Suffice to say they are mostly Games Workshop tabletop miniatures that got me started in the hobby. Chances for any project under this category being revived is extremely slim. Not impossible but slim. 

Then there is the wildcard category which arguably makes these what's-in-store-posts an exercise in futility and wishful thinking. Let's call it Category X. Remember the oft repeated resolution us hobbyists are renowned for? How did it go again ... oh yes ... I solemnly swear not to buy anymore scale model kits until I finish some of what I already own. Many had also taken this vow when gently reminded [increase level of domestic violence as per appropriate] by their spouses of the mountain of unopened kit boxes cluttering up the house. In essence, at any time either new impulse buys or existing model kits could (and likely) gatecrash the present project line ... possibly consigning work-in-progress miniatures and scale models into the dreaded Category F. See the pattern here?

Still on the topic of Category X, there are projects with a high chance of making it into Category B. For example, it's almost a given I'll being doing a World War 2 military model in one form or another. Coupled with my wish to learn new AFV-related painting techniques, it's therefore a near certainty work will soon start on a WW2 era armored fighting vehicle, in particular one that has been coined as the Spearhead of the German Infantry. In addition, my clogged up project pipeline could yet see Pixar's most popular duo, more figurines, diorama pieces, etc. join the queue. I won't give specifics as it all may be a lot of hullabaloo for nothing. For now, what can I say except carpe diem. Ironic huh?

Female Mage on Stairs - Dark Sword Miniatures [Completed]; a proxy for Princess Myrcella Baratheon

My absolute worst fear came true while putting the finishing touches to the Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs figurine. I messed up so bad that I had, in my infinite impatience, gouged out a small hole in her right eye dislodging even the primer coat. I was trying to correct some mistakes and ended up making things much worse. If you think I'm exaggerating, take a look at the third last photo in this blog to see how bad she looked prior to my desperate attempts to fix the mess. What you see below is the best I could do to patch things up. Here then are photos of a completed Myrcella.

Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs [Completed]

Female Mage on Stairs was painted as a proxy for Princess Myrcella Baratheon

Colour scheme sought to convey this Game of Thrones character's sweet demeanour

Because her eyes gave me so much trouble, I subsequently lost all appetite for my initial ambitious plans for her eyes. I had intended to paint in some greens as well as highlights on her eyes to make them 'pop'. Although my miniature painting skills were a bit rusty after a rather long period of not working on 'organic subjects', it didn't excuse the horrendous hack job I did on Myrcella's left eye. I suppose I had best leave the painting of colours and highlights of eyes in larger scale miniatures such as 54 mm, 70 mm or even 80 mm figurines until I have more experience under my belt.  

Myrcella's clothes are a combination of sweet pastel colours like peach, pink, light orange, and mint green 

Myrcella's blonde hair has a yellower hue compared to the sandy stone base

If you haven't been following the frequent work-in-progress posts on Myrcella, the latest bits that got painted were her wrist band (on her left wrist), hair and eyes. I also had to retouch the skin tone in and around her right eye socket due to the paint chipping from the said area.

Back view of the Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs

Minty greens aren't visible here, and shows how an alternate colour scheme would've looked like

Her hair colour was a bit to close in hue to the sand stone base with the former being yellower. In fact, if I wasn't trying to paint her as Princess Myrcella Baratheon I would most likely have painted the base in a light greyish colour for greater contrast. But based on the Game of Thrones books/series Myrcella was residing in Dorne hence the sandy colours for the stony steps architecture.

Side view (left) of the Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs

'She had all of her mother's beauty, and none of her nature.' - Tyrion Lannister

360 view of the Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs
For a 360 degree view of the Female Mage on Stairs, please check out the YouTube video below. For videos of other miniatures I have painted, kindly visit my YouTube channel at FourEyedMonster Miniatures. Please choose high definition (HD) for the best video viewing option.

Bittersweet literally sums up how I feel about the paint job I've done for Princess Myrcella. Bitter on how I let impatience get the better of me and result in a hair pulling experience trying to correct a very bad rookie error. And sweet in that I loved how she turned out, especially the way the colour scheme manages to convey a sense of sweet innocence that is Myrcella's demeanour.    

This was how Myrcella looked like prior to the damage limitation I performed on her right eye

While the 28-mm heroic scale Dark Sword Miniatures figurine is pretty small, it is well sculpted. The Female Mage on Stairs ticks off almost every item in a fantasy miniature painter's wishlist: gorgeous hair, prominent facial features, beautiful clothing, well proportioned figure, simple yet effective base, no assembly required apart from putting the figure onto the base, etc. It's no wonder Patrick Keith is one of my favourite miniature sculptors. This figurines is an example of his sculpting skills. 

Female Mage on Stairs compared to a 32-mm paperclip

Female Mage on Stairs compared to a five sens coin

One of the reasons why the characters in George RR Martin's fantasy universe inspire so much of my miniature painting is the colour diversity involved. It's a nice counterbalance to projects from the Star Wars universe - the Galactic Empire can be monotonous with its black, grey, white and occasional browns and reds. Speaking of which I will likely start working on a short Star Wars project while I carefully plan the colour scheme for my next Game of Thrones character. I also want to draw again after a year of 'graphite-deprivation'. The usual case of so much to do but so little time - our most precious commodity. Oops, there goes another second! Thanks for spending it checking out my blog.

Female Mage on Stairs [WIP - Skin Tone]; used as proxy for Princess Myrcella of House Baratheon

Personally, painting skin is the most enjoyable part of working on a miniature. To me at least, the skin tone is one of the key things that determines whether a miniature looks 'alive' or not. That and the eyes which ironically is my least favourite part of painting a miniature, which is why Princess Myrcella's eyes remain unpainted and put off until the very last. Here she is then with one of the two main ingredients of what would eventually make her into a Victor Frankenstein she's alive moment.   

Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs: latest work-in-progress on her skin tone

The Female Mage on Stairs is being used as proxy for Princess Myrcella Baratheon

In terms of the skin tone colour scheme - I decided on a fair skin with a hint of tan starting to show. After all Myrcella has been soaking up the sun in Dorne for a while now. It was a case of using a lighter hand on the highlights as opposed to adding any particular 'tanned hue' into the mix.

Skin tone highlights on Myrcella's left arm focussed on the upper arm and elbow

Myrcella's hair remains undone and will be the next part to be painted

Skin tone has more shadow hues towards the back of the arms

In a way, the addition of skin tone hues has brought all the colours even closer together in harmony. Seeing colours in isolation can give an erroneous view of how the final scheme will eventually turn out. This is something I continue to struggle with as the urge to tinker with a hue without first seeing how it will look next to another colour is always there, like an itch you can't scratch. Sometimes the only way around this is to trust in your original vision. If all else fails, you can always adjust the errant hues accordingly. But your original vision still has to be there as a target to aim for. 

Side view (right) of the Female Mage on Stairs work-in-progress

Addition of skin colours has, in my opinion, further improved the overall colour scheme

Vallejo Model Color acrylic paints were the only paints I used in painting Myrcella's skin tone. It's based on a Marike Reimer recipe, I used colours like Oxford Blue, Pale Violet Brown, Beige Red, Basic Skin Tone and Pale Sand but in differing ratios than stated in the original recipe. I've found this mix of colours to be very versatile and they are one of my favourite go-to skin colour recipes.

Princess Myrcella holding on to a book, coloured here in the orange hues of Dorne

So that's it for my progress update on the Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs which I'm using as a proxy for my Game of Thrones miniature painting project. While not entirely costume-accurate, the mini does have potential as a Princess Myrcella proxy especially if the colours conform to what one would expect of the character when she was in Dorne. I must admit this mini is turning out better than I expected. Mind you that doesn't mean I believe I did a brilliant job with her but it does give a sense of satisfaction that I'm not as bad as I think. That I'll gladly take ... for now.

Female Mage on Stairs [WIP - Boot, Pants and Base]

There was only so much black I could take. As fun as the Bandai Darth Vader model kit is, I had to take a temporary step back from all the gloomy hues in order to work on my Game of Thrones project. I'm using a Dark Sword Miniatures figurine namely the Female Mage on Stairs from their Elmore Masterworks line as a proxy for Princess Myrcella Baratheon. The miniature's clothing colour scheme was inspired by the various dresses Princess Myrcella wore while she was in Dorne and betrothed to Trystane Martell. It comprises pastel-like hues of green, orange, peach and pink. 

Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs, work-in-progress proxy for Princess Myrcella Baratheon

Crack on the base was actually quite difficult to bring out through a combination of paint and wash

Using minty green hues on Myrcella's pants and boots was a bit of a risk on my part as I wasn't sure if it would work. To be honest, I'm still not sure. Part of me loves the resulting contrast and part of me feels that maybe I went too far. A clearer picture should surface once her hair and skin is painted.

Oops ... the primer coat is starting to come off her hair

Back view of the Dark Sword Miniatures Female Mage on Stairs, work-in-progress

Her hair and skin tones has yet to be painted

As befitting Dornish architecture, the base was painted in sandy desert-like colours. Some 'grass' was added to the front of the base to help liven up rather dull colours of the base. At this stage, the overall colour scheme is fairly muted. Hopefully this will make what comes next 'pop' even more.

Side view showing the contrast between the pink/peach/orange hues versus the minty greens

Some grass was added to the base for to 'liven' things up

What's next are Princess Myrcella's hair, skin tone and facial features. These next bits will make or break her. All I have done so far will be for nought if I don't get them right. 

Game of Thrones Princess Myrcella Baratheon, work-in-progress 

As for Vader, never fear for he should be completed by the next post. I plan to finish him first before resuming work on Princess Myrcella. I had desperately needed this infusion of bright pastel colours. All that black was starting to get to me. Fully invigorated, I'm now ready to complete Vader. And start working on other new stuff as well. But first Vader then more of Myrcella. Till then, it's bye for now.