Tuesday 7 March 2017

"Do Androids Dream Of Electronic Sheep?"

"Stories written before space travel but about space travel."
As this year's 'entry fee' for the Seventh Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, participants were asked to work in groups and create a collaborative offering for the organiser, Curt. Fortunately for me, Clint quickly shepherded a flock of us together and after a brief email exchange with Ian and Kyle, it was agreed that we would all paint up some sheep.

However, as with all such simple ideas, our mini-scene soon blossomed into a considerable diorama, which then later metamorphosed into a fantastic display piece based upon the 1968 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick, and later made famous by the 1982 motion picture "Blade Runner". This particularly innovative interpretation of Rick Deckard's post-apocalyptic adventure has also allowed us to submit our 'Curtgeld' into the challenge's final Theme Round: Character(s) and/or Scene from a Movie, TV Program, Book or Piece of Music.   
"Empathy, he once had decided, must be limited to herbivores..."
For my own part in this project I merely painted a couple of Jacob Sheep from "Warbases", and sent them to Kyle for placement upon his outstanding ledge/cliff base. As I was rather inspired by the dark brown wool scheme on Clint's pair I followed an almost identical palette, only realising later that he had in fact, painted a couple of Mouflon Sheep, and that the most common colour for the "rare breed of small, piebald, polycerate sheep" I had selected was actually white and black. Still it was a little late to start crying over some spilt (goat's) milk... 

The ewe was initially undercoated with "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and washed with “The Army Painter” Strong Tone Quickshade. I then dabbed, using a piece from a face blusher pad, some additional "Vallejo" Sienna, Charred Brown and "Citadel" Abaddon Black over the animal's wool and used a combination of Vallejo" White and Pale Grey for its white markings. Finally the sheep's horns were painted using some Iraqi Sand and Strong Tone Quickshade.
Black Panther WIPs - T-Challa just needs his gold belt and base's vines 'picking out'
The diminutive lamb was rather quickly completed by priming it with "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, washing it with “The Army Painter” Strong Tone Quickshade, and then dabbing it with more "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. As with the ewe, I then picked out the young animal's lower legs with White and Pale Grey.

With the anticipated bonus theme points our 'Curtgeld' should be awarded, I believe I have once again successfully attained my 500 point goal for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. However, I still have a couple of miniatures I have been slowly progressing and may well yet complete in time to add to my tally. One such piece is this rather dramatically sculpted "Wizkids" model of the Black Panther, who, having been dry-brushed and washed, now really only needs its vine-covered carved headstone to be finished.

32 comments:

  1. I thought this was such an original and well thought out entry, well done chaps.

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    1. Thanks Michael. The idea was nothing to do with me though obviously. I just 'dipped' a couple of sheep :-)

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  2. A great team effort. It really does look excellent.

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    1. Cheers Roy. I think Kyle's base really pulls it together.

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  3. I STILL THINK YOUR SHEEP CAME OUT BETTER THAN MINE!

    Excellent job mate glad to have worked with you.

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    1. You;re very kind Clint, and thanks ever so much for letting me join in :-)

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  4. Great collaboration there Simon no matter how small a part someone played it wouldn't have worked without every piece.
    Really liking the Black Panther so far. Sure you can get a few more entries in before the deadline

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    1. Thanks very much Dave. It does look a corking piece imho. I'm hoping to get a few more minis done before the end of the AHPC but hobby-time is currently tight.

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  5. Isn't it great when a plan comes together? I think you all deserve plaudits for your contributions to such a stunning and original diorama.

    Black Panther should be an easy figure to paint.

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    1. Cheers Bryan. I was hoping the Black Panther would be a very straightforward paint-job. But the vines on his base are proving a tad tricky tbh.

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  6. Great diorama and a very worthy effort by all concerned.

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    1. Thanks Joe. I think Kyle's base is brill tbh, and he definitely did the Lion's share imho.

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  7. Good effort guys, looks fab!

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    1. Thanks Phil. I think this has turned out splendidly imho.

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  9. Fantastic! I liked those sheep so much from your last post on them that I went and ordered a set... and some geese... and some wolves and some Highland Coo's. You sir, are to blame for this....

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    1. Ha Ha Ha... of all the subject matter I post up Dai, you wilt at some Sheep :-) Glad I could be of inspiration, and I'm looking forward to seeing the Highland Coo's bolstering your formidable Soviet "Bolt Action" force :-)

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  10. Brilliant diorama! And Black Panther...always one of my favourites...looks great, too!

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    1. Thanks Gordon. It really does look very good doesn't it. I think Kyle did a tip top job on the basing/robot etc.

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  11. Not a baahed entry at all!

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  12. A splendid piece of work by you and your associates, Simon.

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    1. Cheers Finch. As I say, I only painted a couple of sheep, the others did all the hard work imho.

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  13. What a cracking looking piece. Well done guys!

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  14. That's what I like about the AHPC, you get stuff like this! Very imaginative. I now have a craving for some sheep- not sure what to use them for though.
    And Steve's article is now up on my blog, although as they come as a package deal, we have contributions from all three. It's well worth a read.

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    1. "I now have a craving for some sheep" - Lamb-Judges sound awesome Jez ;-) Oh goody. I'll have a look at Steve's stuff as soon as I can.

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    2. "Lamb=judges"? Well, I suppose they'd be used to 'crooks'...I'll get me coat...lol

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    3. Roger's humour is definitely rubbing off on you, Jez :-)

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  15. That's a most interesting and imaginative little diorama. I like it!

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