Category: Uncategorized

It took some time management to wrangle this project to completion! I have about a dozen projects in progress right now, and the part of me that launches that many projects kind of hates to see one get crossed off. But Lila Moonshadow, my intrepid half-ranger, finally has her company assembled!

As per my own rules for my Rangers of Shadow Deep campaign, each of the models will need to be printed at home and painted before they see play. I will make a few exceptions where needed, but the Company of the Moonshadow were all printed on my Elegoo Mars and a dream to paint.

Erdwyn Ghost-Step and Morlaine DeShayne are the newest members of the party. Erdwyn is your classic rogue, choosing a life in the shadows over renown and glory. Morlain has been traveling the countryside, looking for a cause to swear her sword to. In Rangers of Shadow Deep Morlaine would be a Swordsman, but I’m changing the class to Sworn Sword.

Lila’s oldest companions came with her when she set out on her quest. The Dwarfen Barbarian Gino Stonefist has known Lila since she was an apprentice, when he was tasked to guide her through the Crimsonthorn wilds. They became fast friends, and were eventually joined by Bromwyd Stoutshield, Gino’s impetuous nephew. Browmwyd is a man-at-arms, while Gino, of course, is a barbarian.

Now that the party is done. I need to finish up the rest of the monsters for the first encounter, get some buildings put together, and finish up the design on my stat cards!

It’s been a long, terrible, and murky road, but I think I might finally have my lighting dialed in for miniature photography. Here are my Tengu from Bushido, finally looking like I have always wanted them to look in a photo:

Compare the shot above to this glam shot of the same figs from a few months back:

The second photo looks pretty okay, but the warmth of the colors isn’t there, and you can’t see how cool the feathers on old Papa Owl look. It’s a pretty staggering difference when you’re trying to show off your chops as a painter.

I have tried so many damned set-ups for photographing minis. Everything from light booths to a trash-can with a light shining through it. Nothing was giving me what I wanted.

Then, I decided to print off a washed out grey background, which I taped to a stand that had a back panel on it. I taped the background on with a slope at the back, so that the minis could be photographed without a crease in the background.

It takes two studio lights held about 8 inches above the stand to light everything up, and it makes a world of difference in the quality of the photos!

Now, I have to fight off the temptation to go back and take new photos of all of my minis! It’s a pretty tough urge to fight!

Now, I just have to ride out the pandemic until Shiv Games opens back up. Most of us have been working on Bushido bands over the last few months, and I know we’re all itching to check out the game!

 

According to Icelandic tradition there are a bunch of nasty spirits that start wandering the land on the 12th of December. Today is the 18th of December, and I missed a few days. But I’ll make up for it with one of my favorites, Hurðaskellir. His name literally means Door Slammer. Old Hurðaskellir is the reason why doors slam shut, especially late at night.

Hurðaskellir is one of the Yule Lads, and he comes down from his mother’s cave on the 18th to harass people and scare naughty children. He is occasionally accompanied by the Yule Cat, a very nasty feline that eats really wicked kids.

So, be extra kind this holiday season… That slamming door you hear tonight might just be Hurðaskellir, coming to scare you in your sleep!

Hurðaskellir painting from The Yule Lads: A Celebration of Iceland’s Christmas Folklore by Brian Pilkington

This time of year is a little odd in our house: My wife, the Sainted Rachey Klabe, is a Christmas traditionalist, and I am a fan of turning convention on its ear. Luckily, she’s been patient this past quarter century, and not found too many reasons to give me the boot. Except on Saint Nikolaus Day, when I guess our footwear is supposed to spend the night on the porch.

My absolute favorite thing about the Holiday season, though, is how people celebrated them in the past. Hyperallergic  has a great collection of Victorian Christmas cards, and as you can probably deduce for yourself, I freaking love them.

The look on this kid’s face says it all: “Glory me, mumsy sure left me the plumpest oranges for DEAR CHRIST A GOAT!!!” Really makes you wonder what kind of vagrant goat problems the Victorian English had to contend with.

And then there’s this little ditty:

WHO WOULD (other than me) give this to anyone? Poor froggies! And this isn’t the only morbid frog card in the collection!

Seriously, do yourself a favor and check out the rest of the cards at Hyperallergic. Definitely worth your hard-earned Holiday time!

I’m hawking my wares again! Just a friendly reminder that my coloring/story book, Grimmleigh’s Beastly Oddities is available on Amazon, and eligible for Prime shipping. I may be biased, but this is the perfect gift for that person in your family that goes bump in the night. Here, for your sampling pleasure, is a sample page:

There is a story attached to this guy, too. It’s called “the Yeti that hates Beaches.” It’s probably the coolest story about a yeti that hates beaches you’ll ever read. And you’ll be supporting an independent artist! ME!

And if you already have purchased this book, you are amazing, and I love you for that.