"The Sea, Once It Casts Its Spell…”

"...Holds one in its net of wonder forever."

This 28mm model of a Deep Sea Diver is manufactured by “Reaper Miniatures” and can be purchased as Code 50085 from their Chronoscope range. Sculpted by Tim Prow, the underwater explorer is destined to join my party of adventurers on “Gamma World, as a proxy for the French conservationist and innovator Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Based upon the standard diving dress known as hard-hat or heavy gear which was apparently invented by the Deane Brothers and Augustus Siebe, the figure was undercoated with “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, and the waterproofed canvas suit washed with “The Army Painter” Strong Tone Quickshade. His weighted footwear and belt were then pigmented using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey and “Citadel” Nuln Oil, before being lightly dry-brushed with a little (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Bluegrey.

George Foreman, Missus Hudson and Jacques-Yvette Cousteau face some Cyber-Reavers on "Gamma World"

The diver’s leather shoes were ‘picked out’ with a layer of “Vallejo” Heavy Sienna, and this extra opaque acrylic paint was additionally utilised as a base coat for his helmet. I then applied some “Citadel” Ironbreaker to the miniature’s metallic shin-guards, shaded these areas with Nuln Oil, and then added a smidgeon of shine on them with a light dusting of (more) Ironbreaker.

The surface-supplied diving helmet was treated to a generous covering of “Vallejo” Brass, before being thoroughly drenched in “The Army Painter” Strong Tone Quickshade. For sanity’s sake, I then used some “Citadel” Abaddon Black to significantly darken the rigid head enclosure’s view ports and delicately dry-brushed the ensemble with (more) “Vallejo” Brass.

Large Earth Elemental WIP - The huge "Bones" model has been based and primed "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey

Finally, I turned my attention to the ocean-bed explorer’s hands, which I have seen painted as both thick leather gloves and naked flesh. Having felt there was an amusing naivety to the idea of a clunky, predominantly enclosed adventurer walking around the radioactive wastelands of “Gamma World” with his bare fingers exposed, I decided to go with a mixture of “Vallejo” Heavy Skintone and “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade.

Having almost finished my post-apocalyptic quartet, I have found some time to both base and prime another denizen of the science fantasy role-playing world “originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet” in 1978; A Large Earth Elemental by “Reaper Miniatures”. This formidably-sized “Bones” sculpt, “summoned to the Material Plane” by some misguided magic-user will probably end up being used as a wandering monster in my games of “Gamma World”, as I’m quite keen on having a few such hazards randomly traversing my tabletop whilst the main opposing forces are busy battling it out over useful wreckage and loot objectives.