Tag Archives: hobby

Backdrops

I’ve been jealous of folks who take photos over a blackdrop: every time I try, it comes out terribly. So, while ordering some flourescent pigments a month or so back, I threw in a Maxx Darth backdrop from Greenstuff World. I’ve noodled around with it a bit.

I’m not sure how it would compare if I ran out to the fabric store and just bought some, but it’s basically just black velvet.

Hangar 18 vs. Maxx Dark

I’ve been using a Hangar 18 (out of business, sadly) backdrop for years untold at this point. I love it: it’s got a great 90’s school photo backdrop vibe, but it works.

Royal Beastflayers in front of Hangar 18 backdrop
Royal Beastflayers in front of Maxx Darth backdrop

So it’s obviously a little smaller and I clearly need to plan around that a bit better. It does really make the minis jump out, which is cool. Things are brighter (good) and yellower (not great), which is interesting.

Lights vs no Lights

I’ve been using a lightbox longer than I’ve had the backdrop. I could probably go back and figure out when I started using it, but feel safe ballparking that at like 15 years.

It came with two little halogen lamps that I normally shine on the subject through the sides of the lightbox to diffuse the light. I’ve got whatever lightbulbs are in my ceiling fan on, my light arch, and lights in my display case (to the left of each mini) on in addition to the side halogen lights. Given the yellowness of the photo above, I tried taking the photo with those lights off.

Skabbik’s Plaguepack with sidelamps on
Skabbik’s Plaguepack with sidelamps off

Wow! I was unprepared for how much of a difference those lamps were making. The bottom photo might as well be “with ambient light” and it looks a lot better. It’s a little cooler than I’d like, but the top photo is entirely too warm.

I need to consider getting some smaller side lamps that aren’t quite so bright, or just not, and taking photos without the side lights at all. I also need to see what results I get with my old backdrop without them, for that matter.

It Came from the Lightbox: Exiled Dead

I had a lot more fun painting these guys than I expected! Deintalos didn’t come together quite right, but those zombies really were a blast.

It Came from the Lightbox: Skabbik’s Plaguepack

It Came from the Lightbox: Battletech

I took on too large a batch of battlemechs. I forget why I chose these: I think they were to get some boxes fully painted, but they don’t all clearly map to them so who knows. Point is: I took on too many at once, and then once I got them ready for decals, I added a few more, which slowed things down even more. They’re done, now.

This guy’s a printed mech: it’s an objective marker.

It Came from the Lightbox: More Leviathan Tyranids

Managed to wrap up the remaining, non-CP Tyranid half of Leviathan. Not up to 1k points, though.

It Came from the Lightbox: Leviathan Tyranids

In honor of European Orcas taking direct action, I’m naming my Tyranids “Hive Fleet Porphyrios.” This is just the Combat Patrol: I’ve got a few more models in the Leviathan box to paint up, but this is a milestone, at least.

It Came from the Lightbox: Demonship

I preordered Demonship from Black Site Studios about a month or so ago, and was pretty happy to pop it into the printer once the STLs were available. It looked like a fun little game and a very nice little hobby project, and the ability to get it digital only sealed the deal for me.

Only five models: the Survivor, and a couple of demons. I’d been pretty excited to grab a Doomguy/Doomslayer STL and print it, but the official model nailed the vibe pretty well, so I ended up sticking with him.

Forgot to grab one of these in the lightbox but: I decided to use fluorescent paints on these guys where I could. I didn’t have flou blue, which would have made these a lot more dramatic, but it’s a fun little thing.

I’m fairly satisfied with the terrain, which took a bit longer to paint than I’d hoped. Some things didn’t work (using texture for the grime), some things did (more fluorescent paints, more blood splatter).

Had a lot of fun with the monitors on the 2″x1″ wall. Wish I’d thought to put a pentagram in the screen of the actual Console piece.

The MDF kit actually turns the play area into a box. That’s a great idea, so I had to make a new play area (the STLs come with 3″x3″ tiles you print 4 of, instead of a 6″x6″ tile) and a box everything to go into.

It Came from the Lightbox: Minotaurs Intercession Squad

I magnetized the Sergeant for obvious reasons.

Because I had so many arms, I decided to make a little tree to hang them off of. I had a basic little shape but immediately decided to overcomplicate it. (The skull and base aren’t mine but the rest is.). I’m not competent enough for cables, but that’s what green stuff is for.