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Here Come Da Gobbos! Okay, I've recently been talking about how to paint effectively, a concept that should result in both relatively speedy painting and good, though not great, quality paintjobs. Since I'm planning a Fantasy Orcs and Goblins Army for next year's Seattle Grand Tournament, I decided I'd need to put the concept to the test. The eventual army will probably have a model count of about 300 or more, so I need to get painting if I'm to get them all done. With this and my recent article on painting effectively, I decided to see just what I could do. I picked up 16 Night Goblins (I know, it's not a full unit, I'd already used a couple for part of a chariot conversion I'm working on.) and assembled them last week. This week I did the painting on them, and I'm pleased with the results. After assembling the models, I went over them and removed the major sprue lines, the ridges left by the molding process. Then I primed and basecoated the models with a flat black spray that I wanted to use for the Night Goblins distinctive Black Robes ("We hates the Sun, We hateses it, precious!) As a note, if the primary color on the models was green instead, I would have sprayed with that. Part of painting effectively is making the best use of your time. (I have also heard it suggested that you spray with your trim color, since it is easier and faster to paint the larger areas of the model, rather than the tiny bits. Since these Goblins don't have a complicated trim scheme of all the same color, I didn't try it this time.) 
I then painted the skin Snot Green (important to use a bright green, since I'll be darkening it later,) the wood and leather bits Snakebite Leather and the teeth Bleached bone. (Painting teeth, or other raised areas is easier than it sounds, since you can just run the brush close to the surface, touching only the raised bitz, somewhat like drybrushing.) At this point, the model was a good "gamer's standard" of painting, meaning it was presentable, but I knew it would get even better for a relatively small investment of time. 
Then I added Blood Red eyes and just a few Bad Moon Yellow details on each one. These simple additions really made the models stand out, and were well worth the short amount of time it took. 
For the final stage of painting, I did a wash involving a heavily thinned Minwax Polyshades color. I used a thinner mix than I did with my recent Tyranids to cut down on the gloss effect and to reduce the tint that it gives the model. 
At this point I started to base them with a green flock, but discovered that the wash wasn't dry yet, leaving my first model looking like an Abominable Grass Man. I quickly wiped off the green flock and put them away to dry. When they were dry, I dipped an old brush (the same one I use for the wash) in watered down white glue and brushed glue onto the bases. I then dipped each base into a packet of GW Green Flock. (As a note, if you can avoid getting any glue on the model or on the edge of the base, it makes it much less messy. It would also mean you fared better than me. Fortunately, you can wipe it off fairly easily before you dip it in the flock, and the little bit that remains will be easy enough to wipe or blow off after you've dipped it. 
Although I haven't completed all the stages on the ones I used as my step by step pictures, here is the rest of the unit, ready to turn their enemies into pincushions and unleash Fanatics. 
I'll leave you with one final thought about da Gobbos: Why do Gobbos have such big noses? Big Fingers. If you enjoyed this, email me and let me know  |