How To Make : Explosions

Hello Everyone,

Dan here with a quick tutorial on how to make explosions.

Tutorial Tuesday - STREAKER!!!!

Hey team, Greg here. It's been a while and even though (technically) it's Wednesday here, I thought I'd get a wee TT out for you guys to read and maybe draw some inspiration from.

STREAKING

I've recently painted a 28mm Panther for a painting competition (why the hell not) and wanted to try a few new things to give it a little bit of "pop". Something I've had in my painting arsenal for a while but haven't used is a couple the AK Interactive streaking grime products. I've seen these used to pretty amazing effect and decided I'd give them a go.

Having no experience in using this kind of product, I did what any self-deprecating wargamer does... I went to the internet for guidance. There is a mass of information and instruction out there on how to use these products and a couple that I found really useful are below for you.







AK Interactive

Of course, the good folk over at AK have a great range of videos showing just how easy it is to use their products...actually! I really like the choice of model on this one and it really show up the effects you can achieve in a very short time.

Miniature Wargamer Jay

Despite his choice of model in this video (joking...relax!), Jay uses some great, easy instruction on how to get both easy effects and also take them a little further. If you're interested, he also has a number of other videos on mini painting which would be really helpful for newer painters or even experienced ones who want a new technique.

While my efforts aren't quite up the the standards shown here, I'm still happy with my work.

There you go guys, happy streaking!

I got my eye on you...

Check out this cool tutorial on painting glowing eyes!

I briefly considered doing this to all of my Warhammer skeletons.

Briefly....



Bell of Lost Souls
TUTORIAL: Glowing Eyes

Glowing Eyes Tutorial...

Some Face Time!

Painting faces are always tricky, but painting them at 15mm can be a real pain. Have a look at this cool tutorial on how to paint those tiny faces and hopefully you'll be armed with a few new tactics when it comes to putting faces on that faceless Soviet horde of troops!

Mighty Tutorials

Hey all!

Just a quick one today as time has not been kind to my schedule! Our good friend David over at Mighty Ape is a fantastic hobbyist. He loves to get into his games on all levels, from the workbench to the tabletop.

Dave runs the excellent hobby blog over on the Mighty Ape website and he's got some great tutorials, so go have a look and be sure to add it to your blog roll to keep up with his articles!

Mighty Ape
Hobbies Tutorials & Guides
https://www.mightyape.co.nz/Hobbies/Tutorials

Wash, Inc.

So, this week I decided to work on my Flames of War Vietcong figures, and there's a lot of them to do! With about 100 figures basecoated all of the various colors, I applied a wash. Now, I've been on a bit of a painting hiatus for a while, which didn't help. I forgot probably everything I've ever learned about washes and just globbed the stuff on. I am now the proud owner of some terribly dark and essentially messed up Vietcong figures... Not all hope is lost as its really not that bad, but there is now a lot more work ahead of me!

So for this week, I'm sharing a few videos on using washes. These are great, especially Dr Faust's one below. I certainly (re)learned a thing or two about how washes work and what they do (and more importantly what they don't do!)

BlackKnightGames
Paint Basics: How to Wash


Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic
The Basics: Inks & Washes

Burnout :(

We've all been there (or if not, will be there). It's a natural state for gamers to get so much of a good thing so as to eventually burn out. Call it over-indulgence, a bad encounter, or just straight-up boredom, lets have a look at Gamer Burn Out and how to deal with it!

Tangibleday
Burn Out: Perspective from a Wargamer
http://tangibleday.com/2013/09/18/burn-out-a-perspective-from-a-wargamer/

Wargaming Tradecraft
Avoiding Burn Out and Hobbying Again
http://www.wargamingtradecraft.com/2013/11/avoiding-burn-out-and-hobbying-again.html

Breakthrough Assault
Burnout!
http://www.breakthroughassault.co.uk/2013/10/burnout.html


and a great article on burnout in real life:

Jeremy Hutchings
Burnout and How to Deal With It
http://lifehacker.com/5674007/burnout-and-how-to-deal-with-it

Down to the Wire

This week we've got a quick post about making fences and barbed wire. Fences and wire make for some interesting additions to battlefields that will alter the dynamic of the game, especially if you're fighting on foot. So here's some ideas on how to make some fences to keep the riff-raff out!

18 Charlie
Concertina Wire and Fences Tutorials
http://18charlie.com/tag/concertina-wire/

Colgar6 and the Infinite Legion of Toy Soldiers
Security Fencing in 28mm
http://colgar6.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/security-fencing-in-28mm.html

Head Spigot
Chain link fences tutorial
http://headspigot.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/chain-link-fences-tutorial.html

Shifting Lands
Barbed Wire
http://www.shiftinglands.com/other-stuff/barbed-wire/#!prettyPhoto[tut-barbed-wire-3]/0/

UPDATED!

Garage Gamers

DIY Fortifications: Research!
http://thegaragegamers.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/diy-fortifications-research.html

15mm Barbed Wire and Minefields
http://thegaragegamers.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/15mm-barbed-wire-and-minefields.html

Terrain for Dummies: Fences and Low Hedges
http://thegaragegamers.blogspot.co.nz/2014/01/terrain-for-dummies-fences-and-low.html

DIY Fortifications: The Buildening
http://thegaragegamers.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/diy-fortifications-buildening.html

Leaf it to the Pros

Autumn is one of those seasons that is sometimes forgotten by wargamers. Like with winter, it's a bit of a commitment in terms of having to go all in when chosen as a basing scheme for an army. But when done, it looks well and is distinct. Similarly, you don't see autumn tables much either. I find that surprising as it's such a stunning color contrast to winter and summer and would make for a brilliant contrast at a wargames event. Hopefully, we'll see some more tables come out of the wood work, as there are some good tutorials out there to help get you started!

Rust in the City
Autumn Deciduous Trees
http://rustandthecity.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/autumn-deciduous-trees.html

Dagger and Brush
Making Trees (three excellent articles)
https://daggerandbrush.wordpress.com/category/terrain/trees/

FC ModelTips
Autumn Leaves
http://www.fcmodeltips.com/2012/10/hojas-otonales-autumn-leaves.html

Chest of Colors
How to make Autumn bases
http://chestofcolors.com/how-to-make-autumn-bases/

Scary Biscuits Studios

Mike's Romanian 75mm Resita guns

Leave It!
http://www.scarybiscuitsstudios.com/2010/12/leave-it.html

Leafy Resita
http://www.scarybiscuitsstudios.com/2011/01/leafy-resita.html


EonsOfBattle
How to Create an Autumn Base

Frozen Planet

This week, for Tutorial Tuesday, thing are going to get frosty! It's winter here in NZ, so we feel that where ever you are in the world, you should be cold as well. So here's some ice, snow, and slush for your wargames tables and miniature bases!


GUSLADO'S GAMES
Ice Basing Tutorial
http://gusladogames.com/2014/05/04/ice-basing-tutorial/

Wargaming Tradecraft
Creating Snow and Ice
http://www.wargamingtradecraft.com/2015/01/creating-snow-and-ice.html


TheTerrainTutor
Adding Frozen Snow, Ice & Sludge to your Wargaming Terrain



TrojanArtPainting
Winter Battlefield Bases for Wargaming Miniatures

Broken Earth - Tutorial Tuesday

Just a quick post this week as we're getting ready for our annual pilgrimage to Palmerston North to play at the Panzerschreck event this weekend. So, for this week, let's have a quick look at earth-breaking terrain: craters, explosions, and more.

3T-Studios
DIY: Making Wargaming Craters That Don’t Suck
http://www.3t-studios.com/archives/2805


Jay's Wargaming Madness
Explosion Markers and Craters
http://jayswargamingmadness.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/explosions-and-craters.html


Dr. Faust
Cracked Earth Bases

Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

It's Tuesday, and that can only mean more tutorials! It was raining on the way into work today and I got to thinking about whether or not it was possible to capture that moment on my miniatures when it first starts to rain. I then started thinking about water effects in general and thought perhaps that should be the theme for this week's article. So let's have a look at how to use water effects!

Wargaming Tradecraft
Water Effects: Bottomless and Animated
http://www.wargamingtradecraft.com/2013/06/water-effects-bottomless-and-animated.html

Tiny Worlds
Swamp Scenery & Basing
http://www.tinyworlds.co.uk/blog/swamp-scenery-basing/

Call to Arms
Modelling water on Ship Bases
http://calltoarmsmwg.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/modelling-water-on-ship-bases.html

Terrain Wench
Miniature Terrain: Water & Waves


Awaken Relms
How to make a Swamp Base


thebige61
Building the River Scene

I'm sure there are more excellent tutorials out there, so if you find one, let us know and I'll add them to this page!

Thanks for stopping by and happy modelling!

All Roads Lead to Tutorial Tuesday

This week we're gonna have a look at roads in all their various forms. They are common on our wargames tables, offering useful strategic movement to our troops. There's several places to purchase wargames roads, but we don't need a tutorial on how to get your dredit card out and buy them. So, let's have a look at how we make them in Tutorial Tuesday, Part IV!

As always, we're keen to have your feedback, links and more, so drop them in the comments below and we'll keep this article updated!

Roads as Terrain Pieces:

Craig Baxter's Homemade Paved Roads
Link...

SBS's Highway to the Imminent Peril Zone
Link...

Brian Burger's Caulk Roads 
Link...

Phil Broeders' Flexible Road Tutorial
Link...

Architects of War's Roads
Link...


Roads as Basing:

Xaul's Asphalt Base Tutorial

Link...

Signage:
Also dont forget that all roads need some road signs!
Link...

Or perhaps some vintage European signs:

Tutorial Tuesday - Airbrushing Modulation

Hey guys, Greg here with my first run at a Tutorial Tuesday article. I'd be grateful for your feedback on if this was helpful or if I should just leave it to the professionals (i.e. Mike).

So let me start by saying that I have been painting toy soldiers on and off for about 20 years and you'd think that over that time I would have developed some decent skills. Truth be told that because of the on and off nature of my painting and presence in the hobby, I just haven't honed and developed those skills until the last year or so. Now, my painting is at a level where I'm comfortable that it looks good for me. I'll be the first person to admit that I'm not going to be taking on commissions or winning painting awards any time soon and honestly, I don't think I want to.

I have always, always been a brush painter though. I have never once used an airbrush and have, for the most part, considered it cheating on some level. Don't ask me why, I've got no clue. Recently though, I've started seriously considering getting an airbrush and starting to use it, mostly on my Bolt Action tanks and other bits but potentially for my Flames of War stuff as well. 

I really like seeing the results that people get from colour modulation on their tanks, there is just something that really pops about them when they're done right so in that vein, I looked around the YouTubes for some beginners guides to modulation. A couple of really good ones that I have come across (and this is my opinion only) are the following ones:

International Scale Modeller

This one is a noobs guide to German Grey (Dunkelgrau) modulation using the AK Interactive Panzer Grey kit. Its a long and detailed video at 50 mins and has some great tips for airbrush noobs like me. This was his first time doing any kind of airbrushing and I think it looks pretty good.

Carsten the Tightheadprop

Again, this is using Dunkelgrau modulation but this time on a 15mm StuG and shows a bit more of the detail in terms of masking to get the right mix of shine and depth. Another very good video in my opinion.

I'm now seriously investigating my options in terms of buying a decent starter airbrushing set and really getting hands on with the devil! If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Are there any other channels I should be looking at for tips? Let me know in the comments team!

- Greg

Tutorial Tuesday II: Wasteland

Since we here at BEL are all agog about World's End Publishing's This is Not A Test (TNT), I thought it would be appropriate to have a look at post-apocalyptic terrain.

Bizarrely, this is the first wargame that has me more excited about working on the terrain than on the figures. I suppose this has to do with the fact that its a completely new genre for my collection and whenever that happens, I'm first and foremost drawn to what terrain I can make. As an avid Fallout player, the opportunity (or temptation) to physically recreate some of that virtual world is too much to resist. So for this week, here's some cool tutorials about making semi-modern terrain. Enjoy!

Part 1: Rust in the City
Cameron is an excellent painter, modeler. He runs a great blog over at: http://rustandthecity.blogspot.com. He's got a lot of great tutorials with some pro tips for making terrain for your TNT battlefield.

Building Shipping Containters
http://rustandthecity.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/tutorial-building-shipping-containers.html

Painting Shipping Containers
http://rustandthecity.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/tutorial-painting-shipping-container.html

Airbrushing Graffiti
http://rustandthecity.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/tutorial-airbrushing-graffiti-in-40k.html

Painting Chipped Metal and Rust
http://rustandthecity.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/tutorial-painting-chipped-metal-and.html

Part 2: Props!
For me a large portion of making a post apocalyptic table is all of the props and ambient pieces, that add to the feel, but are usually ignored by modelers because they don't add anything tactical to the game. These include small rubbish piles, traffic signs, dilapidated picket fences, playgrounds, and things like that. Here's a few good tutorials that will add a new level of detail to your terrain project.

28mm Soda Cans
http://a-painters-thoughts.blogspot.de/2014/02/do-it-yourself-135-coke-cans.html

Making Tiny Trash Bags



Have some nominations for Tutorial Tuesday? Post them in the comments below and we'll collect them for next Tuesday!

Tutorial Tuesday!

So, here we are! Tutorial Tuesday, the first article for our regular blog content. Tutorial Tuesdays are pretty self explanatory, as we post up some helpful tutorials from the wargaming community. These will range from painting guides, to terrain modelling, and other hobby-related guides such as running events, etc. These will all come from the community, so if you find something helpful that we should feature, please let us know and we'll post it up!

So... it's time to

Run Through the Jungle!

One of the most iconic things about tropical combat is the battlefield's vegetation. The common vision is one of dense palm trees with a double or triple canopy. While stereotypical, the truth is that it's not actually realistic for an entire battlefield. Jungles are thick and inaccessible for armies to operate, which is why terrain areas that lacked it were the actual battlefields, like the Mekong River or highlands in Vietnam, the beaches and mountain slopes of south Pacific atolls, or developed plantations or bases.

So building a tropical battlefield need not be covered with vegetation, but neither should it be devoid of it! When you are making your own terrain, vegetation can be a challenge. I've been making my own Vietnam/Jungle terrain, and so for today, here are a few tutorials that I found exceptionally helpful for my project.

Good luck and thanks for reading!

Bamboo groves:
http://www.wargamerau.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t110815.html

15mm Palm Trees:
http://www.tabletop-terrain.com/archives/2006/06/05/588/15mm-palm-tree-tutorial/

Scenery tutorial - Making heavy foliage
http://corbaniaprime.blogspot.co.nz/2010/03/scenery-tutorial-making-heavy-foliage.html

TerranScapes - Updated Jungle Terrain