Standard Introductory Blurb

Hello, welcome to my blog.

 

After using Instagram for a while as a painting/hobby blog and gallery, I have decided to move away from the platform and give blogger a go. While I was able to hold my nose and compartmentalize my feelings about it for a time, a line was crossed at the end of 2024 and I could no longer ignore the appalling and insidious way that Instagram and other social media platforms like it are designed to manipulate psychology and behaviour to serve corporate interests and the agenda of billionaires. The dire influence these algorithms are having on society is extremely alarming to me. This blog isn’t going to be about that topic, but I guess that is part of the story of how I got here. There is so much amazing and inspiring content on insta, I’ve met and had great conversations with some incredible people there- it’s just not what I am looking for in terms of a way to share my hobby with friends.

 

Many years ago I had a little blog called Cult of The Four Armed Emperor, so in some ways I am an exile/refugee, and in some ways I am returning home. I know that blogspot is still a cog in the social media machine. It is far from perfect but it is a compromise that I am more willing to live with. It is much less aggressively commercial and has a nostalgic quality reminiscent of the old internet, which I think is appropriate for the subject matter I am posting.

 

So I have started to migrate some of my Instagram content over here, and aim to use this blog as a gallery and log of my various wargaming projects to keep me motivated and share my interests in historical, sci-fi, and fantasy miniatures and wargaming- with inevitably a strong oldhammer emphasis.

“Whom Do You Serve?”

“And deep in their dark hearts the Orcs loathed the master whom they served in fear, the maker only of their misery.”

J.R.R Tolkien, The Silmarillion

 

Asgard Troll with Hammer

Asgard Troll with Hammer- although I have enlisted him as an orc as he is a bit too small for a troll. I think this one must be by Nick Bibby. Probably familiar to many as the basis of one of John Blanche’s famous conversions in the Ratspike book. The shield is in the spirit of the designs from this book, Heroes for Wargames, and ‘Eavy Metal of the 80s. I am fond of selectively using matt and gloss varnish to create textural contrast, and find it lends itself to a vintage miniature look in the vein of John Blanche, but it has dawned on me now that I have been taking a lot of photos for Instagram, that although it can look really good in person the gloss makes photography much more difficult

 

C36 Hobgoblins

C36 Hobgoblins. Most of the orcs in the army I’ve mustered are made up of Aly Morrison hobgoblins. Their furs, and eclectic arms and armor with a vaguely “oriental”influence have a lost civilisation vibe. There is a suggestion of a coherent culture, although a brutal, mean, militaristic one. While I do have a soft spot for the Kev Adam’s style gorilla orc, Aly Morrison’s vision more closely represents the old school Tolkien vibe I’m going for. 

Orc General on War Wyvern

Orc General mounted on Wyvern. I put this chap together to stand in as King F’yar for the “Blood Bath at Orc’s Drift” Warhammer Scenario- the archetypal Warhammer Orc war boss riding on a big monster. The Orc is Kev Adam’s Orc General on Boar. The wyvern is a Grenadier “Dragon Lords” Wyvern Dragon, a really nice model. An older figure, the humble scale and details of this beast appeal to me in comparison to the overly “epic” style of many other available creatures. The lack of a scorpion sting (essential for a Wyvern in my opinion) disappointed me enough to cut up an old marauder giant scorpion to add one. I was able to tweak the pose by bending the body, wings, and neck to improve the sense of movement. Paint wise I was trying to achieve the look of an exotic venemous fish crossed with a WW2 fighter bomber.

 

An Homage to The Back Cover of White Dwarf 139

An homage to one of my favourite photos from White Dwarf, the back cover of issue 139.
 

Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin

Frodo and Sam.

One of the interesting things about the Citadel Lord of the Rings range is the variety of different depictions of each character- as if each sculptor had a go. These are definitely my favourite version of Sam and Frodo- hiking across Middle Earth with their trusty walking sticks, burdened with their packs, Frodo with a slightly haunted look, Sam faithfully by his side. I love to see miniatures doing anything other than brandishing a weapon above their head, anyone else prefer “at ease” poses?

Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck.

That is the four Hobbits of the fellowship complete.

Keep getting these two mixed up! I think Pippin is the one with blonde hair, Merry is in blue.