Tuesday 3 January 2017

"Silence. Later You Will Be Questioned, Tortured, And Killed."

"Welcome to Skonnos, my friends."
These five 28mm metal models of the Nimon are manufactured by “Black Tree Design” and can be bought as code DW428 from their "Doctor Who" range. Large, black-skinned humanoids with bull-like heads, "similar to the minotaurs of Earth's myths", this parasitic species first appeared in the December 1979 BBC Television science fiction serial "The Horns Of Nimon", and quickly demonstrated their desire to enslave the citizens and soldiers of the Skonnan Empire.
"Welcome to the new home of the Nimon race - the next step in The Great Journey of Life."
As all five of the single-pose miniatures were cast with their hands at their sides, I tried to mix their poses up a little bit by slowly prising their arms out to various degrees with a modelling knife. The figures were then primed with "Citadel" Chaos Black, dry-brushed with "Vallejo" Charred Brown and washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade.
"Doctor Who" Scale Chart: "Crooked Dice" Sarah Jane Smith, "Warlord Games" Zygon, "Black Tree Design" Nimon, "Warlord Games" Wilfred Mott and "Crooked Dice" Eleventh Doctor
Having finished the basic layers, I then applied a double coat of "Vallejo" Gold to the Nimons' loincloths and had their clothing subsequently washed with Strong Tone Quickshade. The  extra-terrestrial energy-drainers' eyes were 'picked out' with a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson. Whilst their horns, capable of shooting deadly beams, were painted with "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre, shaded with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade, and finally dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre.
The Silence WIPs - These aliens have been dry-brushed and had their shoes painted
Sticking with "Doctor Who", but shifting my focus onto the "range of finely-sculpted scale pewter and plastic miniatures" produced by "Warlord Games", and which are "officially approved by the BBC", I have started making some 'inroads' on my three Silents. However, whilst I do plan to predominantly stick to the colour scheme described on the "Into The Time Vortex" website, I have painted their shoes dark brown as opposed to matt black, in order to just slightly break up the all-black monotony of the models.
Terminator Robots WIPs - Having been dry-brushed these T-800 models have had their automatic rifles picked out
In addition I am already close to finishing the five fearsome Terminator Robots manufactured by "Copplestone Castings", which I plan to use as part of my 'Mad Max' project. Like the Silence, though, I thought their all-silver palette was a little too monotone for my tastes, so I have begun painting their weapons black and dry-brushing them with a little "Vallejo" Heavy Charcoal". These 'Sydney Skynet survivors' will hopefully be finished in time for this week's Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge submission deadline.

24 comments:

  1. All good stuff. So nice to see the bad guys in rubber suits just as Dr Who should be. It is what I like.

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    1. Thanks Clint. I'm definitely a firm believer in "Doctor Who" monsters wearing rubber suits and Papier Mâché masks, rather than a lot of this CGI rubbish we see in the 'Nu Who'.

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  2. Good paint jobs all around, Simon, especially on your Terminator Robots. I'm afraid I just don't go along with the view that old style Doctor Who was better than the new series. I find the men in rubber suits all rather naff and I much prefer the high tech effects being produced today. But each to their own, huh?

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    1. Cheers Bryan. Each to their own indeed. I do like the Nimon though, as the thought of towering platform-boot wearing Bull-Men conquering the galaxy just screams 'Glam-Rock' and is so Seventies.

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    1. They're certainly painting up nicely, Fran.

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  4. Agree with Fran, the Silences sculpts are excellent.

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    1. Thanks Andy, hopefully I'll do them justice.

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  5. Nice additions to your Dr Who range Simon, the T-800's look great as well

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  6. Great job Simon, I really like these although another episode I wasn't familiar with.

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    1. Cheers Michael. Straightforward enough but as hopefully my scale shot shows, they are nice and big as Classic Who beasties :-)

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  7. Well, you're certainly progressing further with your Who figures than I am. Very nice work, Simon. And I appreciate the comparison shot of the Warlord Zygon with previous manufacturers figures, as i was undecided on whether i should get them or not. As Black Tree are running their sale up until Friday, i think i may be placing another order with them. I need me some old-school Daleks...

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    1. Thanks Jez. The Nimon are cracking "Black Tree" sculpts imho, and well worth the effort in getting their simple paint-job nice and neat. They're a good size too, as hopefully the scale comparison shows. My latest "Black Tree Design" order has arrived, so it might be time to dip into their sale ;-)

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    2. My order turned up last Saturday, which pleasantly surprised me, as i didn't expect it until this week. I think i shall taking advantage of the sale again...after all, who doesn't need an Aggedor?

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    3. They certainly do have some very nice models imho, and with a discount they're gvfm.

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  8. Lovely stuff. And great to see the CD figs next to the new Warlord ones. I think I'm going to stick to the CD ones for the human characters (I have the 3rd, 8th, War, 10th and 11th Doctors as well as assorted companions, UNIT figs, etc, waiting to grace Matt's paint table) but will pick up some of the aliens (Daleks and maybe the Cybermen) and monsters that Warlord put out.

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    1. Cheers Gordon, and you're very welcome Ref size comparison. I'll try and do some more, if it'll be useful, as I go through my "Doctor Who" collection? Voord next ;-)

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  9. Nice work on the Nimon, and Who foes which are unfamiliar to me, so added bonus. :)

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  10. Lovely stuff Simon, and another chance to see your beautiful SJS figure, the Zygon is to tall IMHO as I remember them being a little on the short side (maybe the new series one are taller?

    The Horns of Nimon story is underrated in my opinion.

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Cheers Roger. I thought a size comparison photo would show the different heights. The "Warlord Games" stuff is certainly taller than normal, but hopefully it also shows what a brute the Nimon sculpt is. I agree that "The Horns Of Nimon" is badly under-rated :-)

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  11. Absolutely loving all the Who love. The way you've very slightly changed each fig's pose makes them all the more believable. Bravo.

    I bet only one Terminator is really needed for that game. It'll kill everyone and steal their Bike, clothes and boots.

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    1. Thanks Dai. Lots of "Doctor Who" still to come - The Silents are finished, as are some Voord!! I certainly agree Ref the T-800s but not when they're facing Mad Max surely ;-)

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