So it has been a little while since I last wrote up a post – even though the most recent post just went up a couple of days ago I had actually written up a batch of posts last weekend and queued them up so that they would publish throughout the week using the WordPress scheduler. I haven’t done very much painting in the last week either, as I am a little bit burnt-out with the whole painting and blogging thing at the moment. I don’t think the August Challenge has worked for me all that well either unfortunately due to a combination of tiredness, work(ing late every night) and annoying weather. Usually around this time of year – September-November-ish, I’ve gotten the painting doldrums as well, so I guess that’s on cue as well.
Anyway enough of my bitching. Today I have a few more Viking models to share.
These models have been on my desk for a while now – basically since I completed the last completed Vikings that were shown awhile back. The way I’ve worked on my Vikings for the past 2 or 3 years is that there’s always a half-dozen to twenty of them on my painting desk, and as I complete the final models in one batch, I choose, clean up, base and start on the next ones – so there’s always some Vikings there to pick away at. Now, all 5 of these Vikings are berserkers – 3 male and 2 female from the various pre-set blisters available from Wargames Foundry.
While painting these models I wanted to go for a slightly more desaturated palette than usual and tone down on the amount of rich dyes that the figures were using – figuring that berserkers would be a little bit less concerned with looking Viking Fabulous and more concerned with practicality or looking a bit more workmanlike. For the same reason, their Shields are a bit duller and attempt to show some off the wood grain underneath the paint. They are also not so clean and pristine like the Shields on the rest of my Vikings, and the free hand designs are both simpler and a little rougher.
Naturally in Saga these figures would all be armed with daneaxes and none with shields or dual weilding, but these are the figures that I have – so what are you going to do? They will be able to work as a unit in quite a few games, I’m sure and I don’t think anybody that I’m likely to play in SAGA is really going to bitch about them all that much.
One thing that’s probably worthy of note is that these berserkers are all wearing wolf pelts rather than bear pelts. A couple of the other Foundry models are clearly wearing bear pelts, but surprisingly few of them! I will show those ones off once I get them painted. Eventually. Anyway that’s enough of my rambling for today – hope you enjoyed the figures and hopefully I will have another post sorted for tomorrow!
Edit September 13: IRO posted a comment about the skin tones I’d gotten on these guys. I noticed when I saw his comment that the twitter sidebar had an image of Kota Ibushi from something I’d retweeted from New Japan Pro Wrestling. I’ve reposted the image above, because it really stuck and surprised me in terms of the skintones when I saw this pic on the sidebar next to the models – and stuck with me .
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
I like the desaturation this time round. The skin tones are so realistic too. I hope you’re ok man and climb out of the painting lull soon.
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Thanks mate. I just need a bit of a rest from work being so out of control lately. Hopefully soon. Thanks for the compliment on the skin tones, too! I went for a more “tanned” tones with them over the usual pasty white since the berserkers wear a lot fewer clothes, overall.
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They look great- I’d be more than happy to take them on in a game of SAGA on my table.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thank you Pete. While putting them away last night I noticed just how many Vikings I’ve gotten done now. Enough that it’ll be worth a group shot shortly. We can probably play Vikings vs Vikings pretty safely at this stage…
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Great little characters mate – I really like the horn blower!
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Yeah, she’s my fave, too.
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Same here, actually.
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Thanks Alex. She’s a characterful one, for sure. And making her ginger just added to it.
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Nice little group of badass Vikings there. The more subdued colours look good on them, and the wolf pelts are cool, tho bear pelts would be cooler.
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Thanks. There are a couple upcoming with bear pelts. Since they’re all “head-on” you really do see the difference between the two, so fudging these would have looked odd (to me, anyway).
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All very nice, I don’t think I have a favourite, they’re all great! In view of your painting and blogging load, why not propose a “Paint Nothing In A Month” challenge? No, no, there is no truth in the rumour that my wife suggested this one, absolutely not!
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Doesn’t that fall on “Neglected House Maintenance Items” month though?
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Oh drat, you’re right, it does! Good job you reminded me 😉
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Hahah. After doing so many neglected models during Technical August, I’ll be starting Neglected Model September with a small group of …non-neglected models.
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Very nice indeed. I always find it inspiring to see how just how much stuff you get painted—no doubt the mojo will be back soon!
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Yeah, I just need a bit of space.
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Nice Vikings! My fave is the female with the blue shirt. Pretty cool. I like the more desaturated colors, sounds like you’ve thought it through really well (don’t you always?!).
Sorry to hear about the painting lulls, I’ve been there this month too. There’s always time to circle our wagons and get ready for next month. I hear it’s going to be Spectalurember!
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Yeah, both of the Shieldmaidens are pretty good. I was quite happy to find them in the Foundry catalogue, so I grabbed them. There are more to come, but these two were also berserkers, and I’m doing those in a couple of batches, so the other maidens will come later.
Sounds like you’re planning to paint up a storm there. I look forward to see it! 😉
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Will see, will see.
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You’ve just proven to me that you are actually human rather than this painting/blogging half man half machine I pictured in my head! Nothing wrong with hobby burn out, I think we all suffer from it even if the output is considerably less than yours!
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Yup yup. I’ve often hit a lull this time of year. I’m going to force it though this year to ensure I don’t drop below 1 model per day for each month. I’ve recently gotten a bunch of scatter terrain that will help me cheat my way through September if need be, though…
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Wow, if this is burnout, light me up. Nice Vikings, though not familiar with the desaturation term?
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Just the opposite of rich, vibrant colours – dull(er), more washed-out tones. Less colour saturation.
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Absolutely stunning work in my opinion (and to be honest it’s the only one that counts 😉 )
Cheers Roger.
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Ha! That sounds like a quote from me! Thanks Roger!
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Nicely done. I like all the shading and high lighting. It would take me forever to get results like this. I don’t know what my problem is, the last few years I have been in a lull in painting. For some reason I don’t have to the energy to finish anything. I hope that changes soon. I hope the fall brings better results for me and you. Take Care, Mike.
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Thanks Mike. I find working on just a couple of figures at a time really helps to get them done.
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I think I will try that next time I start painting. I usually have around a dozen that I work on a time. Maybe I will more things done if I work on 3 or 4 at a time.
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Yeah, when I’m doing a unit I start with 10 or 12, then do the broad strokes kind of stuff. When I get to the finer parts, I tend to work on 2-3 at a time, then that drops to 1 at a time, then pick out the next 2-3 and repeat until they’re all done.
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Very nice mate. Like the figures and as always a great paint job. Hope you are out of the doldrums now, if not I’ll see what I can do to fire you up now that I’m back!
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Thanks mate. Just starting to come out now, to be honest. Less crappy and cold weather, work easing up a little, co-worker came back this week so there’s now three of us instead of two to get shit done, and a few days off shortly (though I have to work this Saturday! :P)
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