As I mentioned (I think) in a past post, when the Monster MAYhem challenge ended, I still had more than a couple more monsters in the active production queue – some of which I actually pushed on to completion in June! The first of these is this …thing. Reaper’s “Hivewarden” which I am sure was conceived completely independantly of all D&D creatures up to and including Grell. Grells? Grell? Whatever the plural is, anyway.
Anyway, it wasn’t hard to paint, but was a little tricky in getting in amongst that mess of tentacles to the inner angles of them – as well as somewhat tedious in picking out the spots – though it does look better for having done so. I also painted the oversized googly eye in an appropriately cartoony manner. I should have gotten an eye-level pic of it now that I’m typing up this post, but I guess we can theoretically do that later.
Finally, here’s the scale shot with everyone’s favourite scale model – Berkeley aka “Chainsaw Girl” – alongside one of the official Grell models from the Wrath of Ashadalon D&D Adventure Board Game. This model certainly is a decent size, and it’s not bad at all, especially given the price. There is also a pretty nice (for the concept) newer, official Grell model in the Nolzur’s range – though I don’t own it or really have any need to at this point in time… – edit. Apparently I do own it. So look forwar4d to seeing that one painted. One day…
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Great work mate, your colour choices and blending give it a sense of life, and great job getting all those spots on the tentacles picked out
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks Dave. Picking them out wasn’t what I’d call fun, but persevering through tedium sometimes becomes well worthwhile. As I’m finding out right now with rather a lot of what I’ll just describe here as very short models….
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great colour choices on this one, the pinks and purples work really well. It’s a shame Reaper went with the cartoonish eye instead of a gaping maw, but that’s Reaper for you.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks Matt! I’d guess that perhaps having the beak pushes it a bit too far over into copyright infringement territory. Grell have a rather …distinctive design compared to many other creatures, after all. No stress, though – this design lends itself rather well to use in pulpy sci-fi as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I failed to give mine a solid prime job and when I went to throw some Contrast paints on it, well, the bones hydrophobic properties made it a huge PIA. I then just threw some heavy paint and washes on it just to get it done.
I love what you did with the eye on this guy. Very nice details.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Joe. Bones Black isn’t nearly as bad as the original but it still ain’t awesome! 😐
LikeLike
LOVE this. Awesome color choices! 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, IM – glad you like it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sweet! Love it mate – pulpy and fabulous
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Alex – great description there! 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks great, great colours, love the eyeball too, as Chainsaw Girls is usually fighting zombies she should lead this out to them, the size of that brain would be like a smorgasbord to them! 😁
Cheers Roger.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha thanks Roger! That’s a very good point on getting the mobs to fight one another. Unfortunately if games have taught me anything, its that even the most blood-feud-opposed monsters will drop their conflict the second that they see a player character in the periphery of their vision. Even if they were already engaged in life or death combat to the end….
LikeLike
Super stuff, she looks suitably manky and/or terrifying. As usual, Berkeley’s choice of accoutrements (i.e. a chainsaw) makes perfect sense.
I also love that it turns out that you already own the official version of the model but forgot about it in the pile.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha thanks mate. I think Berkeley’s pretty set with that chainsaw to tell the truth! As for the official version – it was one I put off buying a bunch of times since I don’t really *need* it for anything (I remember that part, anyway!) I’d guess it was bought at the same time as a bunch of other monstery-types off Amazon, and got packed away into a box with the others, still in it’s blister pack when we cleaned up the room they were clogging up. I’ll have to grab it out and actually paint it.
Later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is there anything chainsaw girl won’t fight?! Very nice as ever – love the boggly eye.
LikeLiked by 2 people
If there is, I haven’t found it yet! 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nice monster- great job shading something so pink without it going chalky- something that always happens to me.
Cheers,
Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Pete – my best advice is going over it with either pink/purple ink or Contrast paint – very-thinned with some sort of medium as a weak glaze to take the chalky/powdery edge off it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for that tip- will give it a try.
Cheers,
Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The painting is so good someone’s sharing their address with you, mate! 🙂 In all seriousness, I do think the eye looks awesome as well and the scale of this one is impressive. I was positive this was another crazy D&D monster and I’m impressed that Reaper somehow matched their weirdness.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ah yeah, I believe that Joe must have it as an auto-sig. I edit it out for his privacy whenever I see it pop up. I mentioned it once (I think) but he didn’t respond on it.
As for the model – yeah, D&D + Reaper = some bloody well freaky-weird stuff
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s kind of you, mate and hopefully he doesn’t think I’m a jerk for poking fun. It just doesn’t seem like a very safe thing to do in today’s day and age to me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t know that Joe ever got back and saw your comment so I wouldn’t worry – but agreed – and that’s why I edit it out when I see it. Don’t want him doxxing himself here!
LikeLike
Horrible mate, absolutely horrible! I trust chainsaw girl will do to it what she did with the Acid blobs!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha well it doesn’t seem like the kind of meat that would stand up well to a chainsaw! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person