"What Is A Nestene?"

"A Nestene is a ruthlessly aggressive intelligent alien life form."

These 28mm scale metal models are sold by “Black Tree Design", and can be purchased either as part of their DW1013 - Autons boxed set, or (potentially) individually  as DW313 - Auton Dummy Firing from their "Doctor Who" miniatures range. "The living plastic foot-soldiers of a formless entity known as the Nestene Consciousness", the plastic shop-window mannequins first appeared in Robert Holmes' January 1970 BBC Television story "Spearhead From Space".

Originally primed with a double-helping of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue, the "soldiers" were doused in "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade and later dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue. The Autons' belt-buckles and hand-gun barrels were then 'picked out' using some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and their neckerchiefs layered with "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey. All of these areas were later shaded using a little "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - This strip of Florida "Straw Hats" are almost finished

The extra-terrestrials' hands and faces were treated to a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone before being washed with some quite heavily watered-down "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, their fingers, ears, nose, mouth and eye ridges were 'highlighted' with some additional thin lines of "Vallejo" Heavy Skintone so as to better bring out each sculpt's disconcerting 'vacant-staring' facial detail.

Alongside my latest "Doctor Who" additions, I have been steadily plodding away at a couple of stands of 15mm scale plastic Confederate soldiers by "Warlord Games". This somewhat ragtag-looking unit will form part of a Florida "Straw Hats" infantry regiment, and are really helping me develop a painting technique which should assist in getting many more of the ten-man strips fully-painted before me American Civil War mojo evaporates.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - This Confederate Command Unit has been worked on for two hours

Resultantly, I've been basically fighting my way along a line which I had previously started pigmenting last year, whilst simultaneously starting work on the Rebels' command strip using any lessons learnt. The battle with this older plastic formation has definitely been a hard one, as I've found myself repeatedly having to go back and tidy up areas I'd already finished due to mishap after brush-tip mishap - most noticeably on the soldiers' jackets.

Luckily, a lot of this pain hasn't been too noticeable on the officer-led strip, though I am still two hours in on its paint-job, and probably only halfway there. However, the decision to undercoat them "Vallejo" Sombre Grey - the colour of their jackets - has definitely helped, and I reckon I can save some additional time by painting the odd pair of shoes brown after I've finished their trousers next time around. Furthermore, I have splurged out on a box of "Artis Opus" Series M brushes, which should make carefully 'picking out' each trooper's webbing with "Citadel" Abaddon Black a bit easier...