These are actually June’s models – as will be the next run of posts. I’ve been sick with a pretty unpleasant chest infection for almost 2 weeks that got progressively worse and has only now started to get better. They did say that this winter was going to be a hell of a COVID/Flu/Lurgey season, and I haven’t been this sick for this long in a long, long time (knee injury notwithstanding). So I’ve been painting on and off, but I haven’t been able to keep up on blogs all that much, or taken any pics for my own in awhile. So now, some models!
A pair of Female Zombicide survivors today – Belle is a Parkour… artist? practitioner? from the Prison Outbreak box, and Maki is a guest model from the artist Paolo Parente. The reason I chose this pair of models to paint together was simply because the survivor models are both depicted dual weilding swords.
Belle’s outfit is pretty straightforward – basically pretty standard looking fitness wear along with knee and elbow pads as well as forearm protection. I attempted to highlight her lean musculature and subtly emphasise her abs.
The outfit was pretty straightforward to paint, and really the oddest part of the model was her anime-ish hair, though it’s much more subtle on the model as compared to the artwork.
Maki, being based on a Paolo Parente artwork is pretty much a pin-up style model, with her shirt opened up to strategically juuuust hide her nipples, though I’m sure some people have painted them in. I always planned to paint in a bar, since I felt the original depiction is just a bit silly. I mean, I’m certainly not a prude, or opposed to viewing the female body, and I’m not opposed to models dressed like Escher or Warrior Woman (who is a Xena tribute, anyway!) but I don’t need this level of wannabe-softcore in my miniature models.
I have internet access if I really need to view some boobies and I’m told that there are some images on there that might pass muster for that sort of thing.
When painting the Maki model(s), I completed the entire thing before painting in the bras. I chose this point in time to show the model to Marouda, who told me that all she could see was the open cleavage, which is understandable as the sculpt is possibly even less suibtle than old Paolo’s artwork. I should have taken a photo, but this greyscale image of the unpainted sculpt should help you see what I mean.
Anyway, I think the model works a lot better as a zombie apocalypse survivor with a bra on (though it’s not suddenly the best survival outfit or anything!) But I now have another two completed models that we’re happy to run in games.
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Great work. I have these to do down the track as well. Currently working on the Pauley Perrette miniature from Zombicide Season 1 first box set.
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I’ve still got all of the Walkers and Runners from that set still to do, but I did finally get all of the Survivors (and their Zombvivors) done recently.
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They both look great mate, and glad to hear you are feeling better – I hope you’re back up to full strength soon dude! 👍
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Thanks Alex. I’m hawking up my lungs far fewer times per day now, so.. winning?
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Looking good, great to hear you are on the mend.
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Thanks mate – slowly getting there…
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Seem to be lots of nasty things going around this winter, I’ve pulled my masks back out in recent weeks. At work it’s not uncommon for half or more of a team to be off sick at a time.
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Yeah, the people I work with directly and I all tend to wear our masks most of the time, and especially when interacting with (most) people outside of our teams. We’ve got a good chunk of our staff out of action pretty constantly, and I don’t really see it changing for quite awhile as long as people at large want to pretend that the pandemic suddenly stopped as we head further into winter!
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Very nice! This almost makes me want to go back and get more Modern Zombicide game sets, but then I got an email that the “Wanted: Undead or Alive” kickstarter is still on track to ship sometime this year!
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I’m really looking forward to the day when I can get all of these 1st edition models completed and move onto the masses of second edition models.
Well, kinda… sooo many survivors to paint…
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Great to hear you are starting to feel better mate, the models are excellent, and I think the addition of the bra makes perfect sense to me, you need some support while hacking through a sea of the undead.
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Thanks Dave. I’m hoping I can be back to normal sooner rather than later and that it’s a one-and-done for this winter. The model design is very Paolo, but I feel in a way that he’s got more of an excuse for sexifying some of these models (because he is who he is – and it’s his own character design) than at least one I have queued up in a few days….
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Forgot to mention earlier Season of Scenery is up now mate https://wargamesculptorsblog.blogspot.com/2022/06/season-of-scenery-2022.html
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Yeah I saw that the other day. 🙂 Once I finish the little group of models I’m directly working on, I’ve got a few pieces I’d like to finish – and then start!
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Excellent mate. Get well soon
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Thanks mate. This morning was the first in 12 days that I didn’t immediately need to hawk up a load of disgusting phlegm the moment I awoke. Of course, after a glass of water I still needed to, but any improvement is welcome after the fortnight I’ve had!
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Thank you for the visual mate haha
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Great work. I know what you mean about the ‘pin up styles’.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Yeah, in some contexts they’re probably fine. I’ve got nothing against Witch Elves in Fantasy for example, or even some of the bare-chested Greeks and Vikings, but context is key!
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I’m glad to hear you’re on the mend, mate! I really like the Parkour girl. I feel like people don’t talk about it so much anymore but Parkour was very much a thing a few years ago and somebody good at that would have an edge against zombies, I reckon. As far Maki goes, that is some cheesecake design if I’ve ever seen it. I think the face portion of that sculpt is real letdown, especially her nose which is way too small and doesn’t stick out enough. Regardless, you did a great job painting these and covering up the unnecessary bits too 😉
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Thanks mate – yeah Parkour was a bit of a fashionable fad a few years ago, but like all these things the world moves on leaving only the more invested enthusiasts. The sculpt certainly isn’t helped by the size of the model’s head (considerably smaller than a LotR head, for example) and the older PVC that it’s cast in – but it will look fine as a boardgame model, and that’s what counts the most.
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Nicely done! 🙂 The zombie versions compliment them pretty well I think! Hope you keep on the mend!
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Thanks John! Still doing a fair bit of hawking in the morning and night, but mostly ok during the day. Getting to sleep is still difficult, though – and then getting up!
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Heya, hope you get better soon! Nice work on these models. Funny, the first thing I noticed was that you painted the axes red! I was like ‘oh yea, that’s the color of most modern axes!’. I’d likely have pained them metal, and then wondered what looked off!
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Thanks mate, slowly doing so but it’s painfully slow. If the axe looks like a more outdoorsy one and is carried by an outdoorsy looking model, I’d paint them in a more metal/wood manner – but Maki’s ones don’t look like that! 🙂
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Sorry to hear you were crook mate as I’m just getting over the bloody COVID thing, the worst part was the cough and the lack of being able to do anything, I would start, then get distracted and not follow through so I have a whole bunch of unfinished jobs all over the place!!!
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