Orc’s Drift…so it begins.

Erdolas

Erdolas

Vassal
I’ve recently started painting the first batches of miniatures for my goal of working towards completed forces for ‘Bloodbath at Orc’s Drift’. My first time raising brush to metal in nigh on 20 years. I’ve started by painting some of the personalities and the first batch of orcs for ‘Kachas Pass’. So far I’ve finished my miniature of Erdolas Thringal and my chosen figure for Silas Meel and am now part way along my proxy Guthrum Mane and a handful of orcs.

It’s funny how old skills gradually return.

Erdolas and Silas (the sneaky git).
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…and a WIP Guthrum (a North Star ogre as a suitable proxy), whose arms and fizzog are completed but still has much to do elsewhere.

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After he’s completed it will be my Fangor Gripe proxy then the requisite mob of green skin footsloggers and pointy-eared woodland shooters.
 
Just one good painting sesh away to finish a few odds and ends then he’ll be all set for varnishing and base texturing.

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Then it’s choices time for who’s next: proxy Fangor (never could get on with the official mini for him - found it quite an uninspiring pose for a champion), a wodge of orcs or some wood elves.
 
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You don't see enough external steel toe caps these days. Interesting choice of skin tone. He's like an Orc Goliath.

Next I'd suggest cracking on with the common or garden Orc boys. As there's quite a few, it'll be a bit of a chore.
 
Citizen Sade said:
You don't see enough external steel toe caps these days. Interesting choice of skin tone. He's like an Orc Goliath.

Next I'd suggest cracking on with the common or garden Orc boys. As there's quite a few, it'll be a bit of a chore.
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Too true and somehow feels like Tolkien’s descriptions of iron shod orcs.

The skin tone has achieved the desired effect then. I wanted him to feel Orcish even though the character is a Mountain Giant. A giant orc rather than giant human.

Good call on the orc footsloggers, especially as I have four close to completion and another 16 undercoated and ready to roll. Complete that lot and I’m half way home with them for Kachas Pass.
 
Ti Pouchon said:
Aye and aye to that.
However, these orcs very obviously are a labor of love. They're brilliant, I think. Keep on and on and on with these!
And oh yeah, the poncy panzee turned out very nice as well.
Also, is a 'fizzog' the same as an 'eecaf'?
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There’s something, for want of a better word, fun about painting the old green skins.

Fizzog, eecaf, mush 😁
 
A few spare moments today whilst waiting for the PVA and sand to dry on old Guthrum’s base, so decided to while away the moments by painting the face on my Fangor Gripe proxy (using the old ‘Manic Hobgoblin’). The sculpt was an absolute joy to paint. The ‘sode’ shoulder armour is going to be painted in an almost brick red very much inspired by the Ii clan of feudal Japan. Also going to add an ink wash and highlights to tone down his tongue.



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nice, but I thought the Ii clan used more Bright Red, which was a common colour. Ii Naomasa being the leader of the Red Demons unit. Well known for the Blood red armour and well.. you made one little mistake, he would personally kill you.. very powerful and one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa. Blood Red armour with Black detailing and some gold trim. Very brave, very good in politics but nicknamed the Killing machine cause.. yeah.. very powerful, so he really earned his position.
 
ManicMan said:
nice, but I thought the Ii clan used more Bright Red, which was a common colour. Ii Naomasa being the leader of the Red Demons unit. Well known for the Blood red armour and well.. you made one little mistake, he would personally kill you.. very powerful and one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa. Blood Red armour with Black detailing and some gold trim. Very brave, very good in politics but nicknamed the Killing machine cause.. yeah.. very powerful, so he really earned his position.
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He was certainly one of the greats. As for the shade of red, it’s been something of a question over the years as attempts to recreate the colour using techniques available at the time often create the more brickish red than bright red (bright red always evokes thoughts of Kurosawa’s ‘Ran’). IIRC I think the first time I saw the red debate mentioned was in one of Stephen Turnbull’s books (I devoured those in my later childhood and early adolescence). Anyhoo, I hope that the warlord would still appreciate the sheer ferocity of the Hobgoblin. This is the effect I’m after and one of the debated shades for the Ii clans troops.

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mm.. that amount of gold in that one.. well, modern repro and some of that shading is clearly off but fair enough. and yeah, alot of debates.. But how can you moan at a Kurosawa movie? Though I haven't seen Ran.. one of his more modern western co-produced movies. More of a fan of his earlier Japanese only stuff like Rashomon and Seven Samurai.. both of which have had awful (in my view) USA versions. really awful.
 
ManicMan said:
mm.. that amount of gold in that one.. well, modern repro and some of that shading is clearly off but fair enough. and yeah, alot of debates.. But how can you moan at a Kurosawa movie? Though I haven't seen Ran.. one of his more modern western co-produced movies. More of a fan of his earlier Japanese only stuff like Rashomon and Seven Samurai.. both of which have had awful (in my view) USA versions. really awful.
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Oh no moaning - Ran is an absolute class film. Well worth watching. The battle scenes are top drawer.

Hmm, early Kurosawa…Throne of Blood…MacBeth…McDeath…you might just have indirectly planted a seed nugget of the next project there 👍🏻
 
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