10/13/13: Smells Like Charity...Again! Extra Life 2013 and Charity Gaming Event

Hey guys!

Its been a busy two weeks! This post is going to have a little bit of painting showcase, but I really want to focus on the more important aspects this time; namely, more charity work!

Those of you might remember this time last year, Smells Like Wargaming participated in two charity events; Extra Life 2012, and the Breachside Benevolence Ball. Both were for great causes, and greatly helped out their respective groups. Lets break them down again, shall we?

With Extra Life 2012, myself, along with two other members of our gaming group, Durango Diceworks, raised over $800 for the Children's Miracle Network. We got in some 40k, Warhammer Fantasy, plenty of Magic, Xbox, X-Wing, and....*shudders*...Nitro Dice...

There may have been some...drinks involved...too...

For those of you unfamiliar with Extra Life, its a charity group involved with raising money for your local Children's Hospital by getting pledges to play games for 24 25 hours. Its for a great cause, and we all have a ton of fun gaming and raising money for the kids. Its all about the kids, ya'know!

This year, I'm hoping for an even greater turnout and results. You can't go wrong with raising that much money for charity, but hey, we've always gotta aim higher! For those of you interested, here's a link to my Extra Life page: Granesh's Extra Life Page 

The Extra Life page recommends a dollar an hour ($25), but anything works. My personal goal is $250, but I'm hoping that's a glass ceiling that we smash through! Honestly, any money raised for this group will make me happy!

Believe me though, I've got more going on than gaming for charity too. I'm always happy to donate my talents to these endeavours as well! Again, my good friend Magilla Gurilla came to me, asking if I could donate some vouchers for painting for his Charity Gaming Event, taking place in Southern California November 9th. I one upped him, as I like to do, and offered to paint up a Cygnar Battlegroup to be raffled off for charity. 

Again, for those of you who don't remember, I painted up a Seamus Crew and redid some models for a second crew (for some reason, I can't find pictures) for Malifaux; the two crews raised about $150 towards charity. Magilla approached me again, as I said, looking for some support, and I figured it'd be better if we had a set of models the bidders could see in the flesh. I opted for a Cygnar Battlegroup, as Warmachine seems to be bigger in their area than Malifaux at the moment. Pictures should begin next week of the progress, I'm very partial to that Colonel Striker model from that set...

Blue and Brass? I think that can be done!

Expect shots of this project over the next week and a half. I'll be out of town for Halloween, so we'll have to get it done in that timeframe. 

I apologize for the lack of updates, Facebook and Twitter seem to be a little easier for posting, especially WIP shots. I was working my butt off last week on High Elf stuff to get them ready for my client who was traveling with RTGamer and my boss to Feast of Blades. For those of you who haven't seen it, here's the freehand on the Dragon Prince's banner:

Alrighty! Got a game of Blood Bowl today (Don't lose too many skinks...) and I'm doing some work on my Warp Talons to relax, and monday, expect some Skaven and Cygnar goodness!

Granesh

6/27/13: Painting: Canis Wolfborn, Chaos Cultists, Loremaster of Hoeth, and More Diceworks Terrain!

Geez, almost two weeks....

Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of posts this time around, my boss was out of town last week, meaning I was running the store all week. I love my job, but that much time in a hobby shop means blogging was the last thing on my mind! This, however, doesn't mean I didn't get any painting done! Lets jump in, shall we?

First up is everyone's favorite Catdog, Canis Wolfborn! This is the 3rd or 4th Canis I've painted, but I really wanted to go all out on this one. Sorry the pictures aren't better, I'll get really good ones when I'm taking final pictures of the commission. 

The Thousand Sons bit that comes with the standard Wolves was too cool not to throw on his base, and adds some extra color to the base.

My one gripe with Finecast; Canis' face never seems to turn out right, I just wonder if its the sculpt or the material...

'Kitty kitty! Wait...' Personally, I really like Canis' Thunderwolf mount. He's bigger than the other ones, and the entire model looks really imposing. I think you have to mount him on a rock or tilt him backwards more though, as it seems to look more natural overall.

Tuesday was my 22nd birthday (Ol' man Granesh!), so in between work and going out, I sat down and did a little work on my own pieces. I'm 3 cultists away from my first completed squad. The second squad is going to be more converted than this one, these are mainly stock Dark Vengeance cultists with my little Gob-cultists thrown in too.

One of my local clients asked if I could do a couple High Elf pieces really quick; seeing as we're starting our Badab War campaign soon, and I need some Space Marines, I quickly obliged. 

First up is a Loremaster of Hoeth. Really nice kit, the pose takes a little getting used to, but after a little painting, it grows on you. There's also a High Elf Battle Standard Bearer coming soon, so I should have pictures of that tomorrow.

We've also started working on more terrain for our Durango Diceworks group! This year, our focus is on the 40k terrain, which is all good with me! Our first set is going to be a jungle city, inspired by Games Workshop's 40k jungle set. 

I just love the sandstone look, and the use of clump foliage, aquarium plants, and string vines, really makes the entire thing. So our first addition is a modified Marine statue!

Since the shot was taken, I've washed some of the cracks, and added a little gold. Next up is a little vine-work, then I'll add some clump foliage and plants to it. I've also started a building in the same style, may need to do some additions to it though, we'll see.

Alrighty! This weekend is going to be a little scarce on the painting end, as my girlfriend is coming down from Denver to spend the weekend with me. I'll be going up there around 4th of July, so there should be at least one more blog post before the holiday weekend! 

Next up is Elves, the conclusion to those Space Wolves, and more IG than you've ever seen before!

Granesh

4/21/13: Smells Like Wargaming: Beyond Graduation

Hey guys,

So its been almost a week since I put paint to model, but my final semester of school is almost finished. I’ve got a couple of projects to turn in, a single final, and I’m graduating this saturday. I’ve gotta say, its super surreal to think that in less than a week, I’ll no longer be a student and be a full-time manager and artist. School, for me, has been a safeguard, a place for me to build Smells Like Wargaming, as well as many long-term connections to the Wargaming community and clients both national and international.

The real question is, however, is what does the future hold for Smells Like Wargaming? As an artist, I’ve found my niche and, if I so choose, I can always expand into other directions.



For those of you who don’t know, along with Smells Like Wargaming, I’m also manager at our FLGS, Durango Game Space. Anyone in the area should come and say hey! Anyways, having ties and connections via the shop helps secure me in the local wargaming scene, but various other games as well. Casual Magic: The Gathering, anyone? But through my job, I continue to work and expand the hobby through most aspects of my life. With school finally being out, I’ll finally have time to run more 40k events; I’ve been hankering to run a narrative campaign for quite some time now, I think its overdue!
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been setting a mental checklist of goals and projects I want to see obtained over the next year and beyond. So lets break them down:

• Both gaming and showcase pieces. Second place at Genghis-Con this year was a major step for me, but I know I can do better than that. I’ve got some painting AND sculpting projects set soon, so expect more non-gaming pieces to show up!
• The FULL completion of my Alpha Legion Chaos Army. This includes nearly 40 cultists, fully changeable Chosen and Marines, as well as markers, tokens, and, most importantly, a display board. Drawing inspiration from one of my favorite commission painters, GMM Studios, I know I can step up my game and get something incredible going!
• The completion of projects collecting dust. Thanks to commissions and trades, I’ve got two armies-worth of models that need to get painted. With idiots on eBay, I’ve got my Ork army to paint (minus Deffkoptas and other pieces…) and a Grey Knights force. It might even be time to repaint those old Imperial Guard!

• Checklists and calendars. Last summer, I was cranking out projects in under a week. Magilla’s Malifaux crews all took 3 to 4 days, TOPS, to finish. With school rolling, its been months. That’s unacceptable. Quality and timing has always been my forte, and I want to keep that going. Expect Google Calendars for clients, revamped customer service, and a refreshed painter.

I’ve also got plans to keep other artistic venues open, as well as various other projects, plans, events, and other endeavors to keep at, thanks to time opening up and my job at the shop.



This is the result of casting two Hirst Arts molds I’ve had during an eight hour shift at work. The bricks generally dried within half an hour, allowing me to CAREFULLY remove the bricks and pour them again. I want to play around with projects like this and really get both Smells Like Wargaming and Durango Game Space known for great terrain and gaming surfaces. We’ve got some great projects already, but we can always improve!

So again, I’d like to thank everyone who’s supported me since I began Smells Like Wargaming back in 2010. Its been 3 strong years, and, with some work and careful planning, here’s to many, many more! This next week is opening up more, so I should be able to get some projects done before I move following graduation. Stay tuned folks!

Granesh

1/30/13: Taking my Photos to the Professional Level!

Hey guys!

Man, what a week! School's been picking up a little bit, Saturday was the Magic the Gathering Gatecrash release, and the rest...well...that's for me to know! Anyways, its been a slower week on the painting front than I usually like, but that doesn't mean we don't have some pictures to share!

Gatecrash! We had 54 players turn out for the event, I got to direct the mob to their tables every game! You can see your favorite commission artist working hard on the right! Man my hat stands out... 

Monday, I grabbed my buddy Ryan (Not RTGamer Ryan, different Ryan) and had him help me take some pictures in the Documentation room up on campus. We've got a really nice setup in the art department with excellent lighting, access to a good camera, etc., so I packed up my pieces and took some shots. Granted I still need to play with them in Photoshop, but I'm rather happy with their turnout!

The Giant Chaos Spawn got the most attention, seeing as he's still sitting at the top of my painting game!

Crisis Suit Family shot!

Breaking out the Imperial Guard! Planning on rebasing these models soon!

Our favorite little buddy, the Sanctioned Psyker! 

Alpha Legion Squad and their Rhino. Wasn't happy with the individual pictures, they really washed out in the shots....

And, washed out a little too, the Orcland Raiders team!

Alrighty! That's what I've got for the week! Got an art project to finish tomorrow, then I'm planning on rolling through those Death Cultists. I've got a ton of commissions coming in very shortly, so its time to get busy!

Granesh

9/13/12: WIP: Warhammer Fantasy Empire Chapel

Hey guys!

Kinda a slow week so far in regards to painting. I’ve got 3 Ghost Arks and some Tomb Blades I’ve been working on for a client and friend of mine, so expect some Necrons to come up soon!

Anyways, I figured I’d throw up a picture of the Fantasy Empire Chapel I was working on at work today. I'd started on it a while ago but wasn’t happy with the results. So I refocused my efforts and got this so far.

Enjoy!



The tan areas are supposed to be a marble-esque look, and was achieved by basecoating the area with Stormvermin Fur (Charadon Granite), then mixing in old Bleached Bone and drybrushing that up to white. The Sigmar Comet on the sign is freehanded, and there’s some script on the right side of the building I didn’t get in the shot.

I’ve got some MDF in my car for an art project (SLW-related art project; stay tuned!) so I’m thinking a base would look nice with this model. We’ll see, its been a while since I was in a terrain kick.

Anyways, more shots of the chapel later this week along with the shambling hordes of Necrons!

Granesh

7/6/12: Painting: Durango Game Space/Diceworks Terrain Project

Hey guys,

Late night blog post! It’ll be a quick one, I have a Malifaux Crew to show off tomorrow. Anyways, I figured I’d share the pictures I’ve gotten of the terrain I’ve gotten done for Durango Diceworks over the last couple of weeks.





I got the 5th in each group finished today, but you can see I’ve been playing around with the GW Water Effects courtesy of my boss at work. The Effects really add some needed detail to the craters, which take maybe 10 minutes to paint, and even most of that is drying time.



I don’t have a finished shot of the Citadel Woods (For the love of the God-Emperor, leave the fronds off…), but I had an idea for the base. The 6 WHFB Mysterious Woods Phenomenon are written in the spots the trees would go. Roll a 4? Remove tree #2 and you’ll see what a 4 corresponds to. Just an idea, its not super practical but good for remembering rather than painting 5 different wood sets.



My boss had picked up the Citadel Battleboard add-on to make our Battleboard work as either an 8’x4’ or two 4’x4’, so I sat down and rocked through that last Saturday. The previous boards were painted using the Citadel Terrain Painting set, so painting this guy is really easy. The rocks are a little bit lighter than the rest, but you can hardly tell.



I know I’ve posted this guy already. Got called into work on a Monday and ended up getting this guy started and finished in a 10 hr period. Pretty good methinks! I ended up varnishing the marble for a sheen effect, and there’s now a pool of blood in the chunk removed on the flat platform.

I don’t have pictures right now, but I’ve gotten nearly 2 sets of Citadel Fences painted and nearly 6 feet of Aegis Defense Lines done as well. There’s a Bastion that needs to get some details, and I know there’s a bunch of WHFB buildings that need some pieces fixed and a good coat of paint.

Finally, some shots of our Combat Patrol event setup a couple Sundays ago with my terrain.





I still have a lot of pieces to paint, but I’m slowly getting through it all. My goal is to have Durango Game Space and Durango Diceworks have some of the nicest, most professional-looking terrain in the Four Corners area, if not Colorado.

Our next goal is going to be some real handmade, personalized terrain ala Old School White Dwarf, so stay tuned in the near future for some more creative pieces to pop up! I’ve got some ideas!

Granesh

6/4/12:Finished (Almost): Temple of Skulls

Hey guys,

So I ended up getting called in to work today, so rather than getting commissions done, I ended up getting more terrain worked on for Durango Diceworks and Durango Game Space.

My latest piece is the Temple of Skulls:



Really happy with it so far, this picture was taken before I got a chance to finish the pillars on the back side and some of the random skulls scattered about. I also did some freehanding and got all four Chaos Gods’ symbols and some script on the skulls. Otherwise, I’m really happy with how its come out. I need to Gloss Varnish the marble, and I’d love to get some Water Effects to do a gory pool in the crevace at the top, but we’ll see if that actually happens.

Alright, tomorrow is looking like some commission painting! Dark Eldar and Grey Knights, ho!

Granesh

2/17/12: SLW and Lost in Painting Team up for a Painting Class!!

Hey guys,

So myself and my good friend Ryan over at Lost in Painting are going to be teaching a basics painting class tomorrow at Durango Game Space! We’ll be covering topics from cleaning and assembling your models, to washes, drybrushes, and other techniques to get your army up to a tabletop quality. So all you Durangotans, get off your butts and get down here! If you’re not in the area, blame yourselves for missing the awesomeness!



Also, have been working through getting Mike’s stuff closer to completion, I’ve just been having trouble getting motivated to work. Now the Imperial Fists coming up….



Granesh