Here are the final pictures for Ar-Fienel.

Coolminiornot link.

Keep painting!

6 months ago, Games Workshop released the revamped Necrons. A great looking army with great looking new models which got me tempted right away and… it led us to that: http://www.akaranseth.com/blog/quest-for-an-overlord-conclusions.htm. 

A few weeks back, the second wave of releases for the Necrons hit the stores. Once again great looking model. I thought it would be a great occasion to revisit the Necron Overlord model. To see if anything changed in its casting. So I got two new Necron Overlords and start comparing.

Necron 11

We jump right away to the troublesome area from the past: the belly.

It is not as severe as the previous 10 models but still far from making me happy. I don’t think I need to circle the problems here. But remember that liquid greenstuff is there to fix everything…

The lower rib on the other side is still plagued by a bubble. I’ve seen worst yes but that this issue as well as the belly are present on EVERY SINGLE copy of this model is definitely a sign that the casting method on this model is wrong. The other classic issue is the part behind the knee. In this case it’s mostly absent and easy fix.

Although this looks horrible it’s a simple question of scrapping the flash and cutting those long finger extensions.

Decent staff with a nasty mold line but once again an easy fix.

Necron 12

This time I circled the problems, just to make sure. Once again I’ve seen worse but it amazes me that it is constant.

And now a new one… No need to add anything I think.

Ribcage…

Behind the knee…

And a crooked staff, a little bit of hot water and it’s fixed.

I had no expectation when buying these two new Overlords. I had the hope that they would have reposed the mold in order to get a better result. Unfortunately it wasn’t the case. Yes both models have light issues compared to the disasters we have seen 6 months ago. But again these issues are not worth my time. Again, I have seen several other finecast models with almost perfect cast. It would simply appear that I originally chose the worst model possible for this experiment. Ah well.

So I guess I will be returning these models in exchange of a plastic kit. Which is good, I need more undeads for my diorama.

In the meantime, keep painting.

You all have been informed of my problems with the US immigration service. No need to go back in details. If my status was unclear following the Sacramento incident, at least now there is no more confusion. I was able to enter the USA for Adepticon but only barely. Following a lengthy interrogation and a complete search, they let me in for the weekend, for one last time. I was officially warned that I could not come back to the United States until I get a visa.

This also include traveling for pleasure. So no matter the reason to enter the USA, I will need a visa. I know what I need to get in order to teach again in the USA but the required visa for “pleasure traveling” is still unclear at this point. There are various options and I have no clue which one applies in this situation (B-2, ESTA, work visa works as well…?!?). I was informed by the customs officer in Chicago to take an appointment with the closest consulate, which is Montreal, and they would give me all the necessary information. It would appear that I cannot take an appointment with the consulate. The only way to have an appointment is to have one mandated by the immigration services… How helpful! So I am waiting for an answer via email that might enlighten me a little bit more.

So at the moment I am canceling EVERY trip that was planned in the USA. It basically means that I will not be present at MFCA in Philadelphia in two weeks, that I will not be present at GENCON in August and that I will not be attending Games Day Chicago at the end of July. At the moment it is also including Chicago MMSI in October but I hope that by then we will have solve the issue.

The problem is that I had the firm intention of winning the slayer sword in Chicago this year… Even though Chicago is out of the equation, the slayer sword is not. So I will be moving my aim to the Pacific ocean I guess. Japan will be holding its first ever Games Day this year in August. Although they are still working on the event and that we do not have more confirmation at the moment, I find the idea pretty interesting. So I will most likely be heading to Japan and hopefully get that slayer once and for all. But I’m fully aware that there are a lot of crazy painters in Japan. Most of them do not paint figurines as we do but… there could be a lot of big surprises.

Sydney is another possibility. So if Tokyo falls short I will probably head down under in order to eat some koala sashimi. And for those aware of GD’s procedure, it would appear that Australia got rid of the waves so you can enter directly at the event without spending more than a month there. I would love a month in Australia but I do not think my finances agree.

GD France is, at this point, my unique guaranteed presence. I have no intention in missing it as France is always a lot of fun. I have the firm intention of presenting Blood & Snow part II in France as well. As for my “slayer sword project”, you will have to be a bit more patient.

In the meantime keep painting,

So here is a quick update to show you what is on the my workbench at the moment. It mostly composed of various project I need to complete before attacking my main project for the summer. As usual these are wip pictures so not the best quality.

First of we have Zorabeth which was left on my desk last November when I wasn’t able to complete her on time for Long Island. Only the metallic is left to be done at the moment so I would say she will be completed over the weekend.

Second I have the war rhino sculpted by Allan Carrasco. I’ve started the airbrush step during the Vancouver Masterclasses’ and haven’t really touched it since. At the same time there were quite a few exquisite version that popped up recently which made me put this one on the back burner. Still unsure if it will get completed in the near future but quick picks of its actual status.

Lastly but none last is Ar-Fienel. I was able to quickly complete her on time for Crystal Brush where she was crushed by great, “finished” pieces. I wasn’t expecting 2 days of work to pay off but since I had her with me well… I usually never retouch a mini once it had been entered in a contest but this one is for a customer of mine. So there’s a few things here and there I want to retouch before delivering it. Due date on this one is May 26th so it will be completed by then.

I’ll keep you posted with the completed pictures and coolmini links as soon as these are done.

In the meantime keep painting!

Arena is a 40k/Fantasy/Bloodbowl tournament that will be taking place in Montreal on the weekend of May 26 and 27. I will be present on both days in order to judge the best army’s paint job for every event as well as the painting contest that will be held at the same time.

I will also be painting a mini during these two days which will be raffled. So it will be a great occasion for any of you to have a chance at winning one of my figurine for a few dollars.

Hope to see you there,

Last weekend was Adepticon X. Everything was pointing toward an epic 10th anniversary and let me tell you that it was. Record amount of players, great vending hall and a positive feeling all over the board.

As you have seen from my previous post, my presence at the event was doubtful. With these visa issues, we did everything we could to ensure I would be able to get into the USA. Unfortunately, the only confirmation was to happen when the officer would stamp my passport, which he did after a lengthy process involving a lot of question and going through my luggage. So yeah!

Classes

The main and essential reason for my presence at Adepticon is of course the classes. Every year, I have the opportunity to meet hundreds of different students. This year was no exception. It would appear that the level of quality of my students is constantly improving, which makes my job so much easier. It is also always a great chance to push the envelope further with the students. The new setup for the classes, which was at first unfortunate, ended up being a great plus. These rooms were way quieter than being in the middle of the action. It also meant that we had no drunk passersby (although we didn’t needed more drunks… us was enough). So, what started as an upset was in fact an improvement.

Right from the start, Thursday night, the mood for these classes was set when this showed up in the classroom:

The picture isn’t perfect but it is a Battlefoam 1520 bag transformed into a kegger… From what I’ve heard, they offered drinks to the thirsty masses all weekend long. Way to go! So, it was the beginning of a weekend of drunkenness. This keg was followed by a great gift from a student during the break.

You saw it, there it is again. The beer with the perfect name for me but this time in a giant format. Even better! Scary moment of that class was when I realized that although being slightly tipsy (might be an understatement…), I had to demonstrate how to paint eyes… Well it would appear that even drunk I am able but it involves a lot more stress and sweat in the moment. Overall a great class filled with a lot of fun.

The following day started in a more sober way until Richard, manager of Games Plus in Mount Prospect brought me some of his home brews with a class to top it off.

I’ve always been scared by home brewed beers but these ones were really good. A colonial, an IPA and a pumpernickel. So if you ever pass by Games Plus in Mount Prospect, makes sure to congratulate Richard for his beer. So the afternoon/evening was to be accompanied by these beer and a bottle of Ardbeg 10 years, which was shared with my students. It made the learning experience much more enjoyable for color theory. The evening was spent with my good friends from Screaming Heretics who were throwing a party with other podcasting crew and varied persons from the convention. Great occasion to meet other people as well as keep drinking from a limited selection of drinks:

Yeah… throbbing headaches in the near future. At least I wasn’t the only one.

Saturday’s classes started with more beer when one of my student brought me a 6 pack of Paradise Porter from Diamond Beer, a micro-brewery from his city of Little Rock Arkansas. Again, good beer that lasted all day along with the rest of the scotch bottle shared among students. And the day was ended at the repeat of the previous party listed above.

Sunday was much more soberly… believe me. Overall all classes were great. Might have been a little more arrogant or an ass then usual with all the alcohol that was flowing in them put in the end these classes are always a success for one simple reason and that’s how great my students are. So thank you all for coming.

Crystal Brush

Once again, Coolminiornot hosted the second edition of their Crystal Brush contest. The level was there once again. You can find the results here. The number of entries was a bit on the low side, which was unfortunate. But the average quality of the winners had definitely increased which is healthy. They also solve the picture quality issue from last year which was definitely a huge improvement.

Seeing Jose, Pedro and Sebastian’s entries was really inspiring. I really like to see how this contest is evolving and wish it a healthy growth. I was the first one to have doubt about it initially but in the end I fully support it. It is a nice way from Coolminiornot to encourage and give back to the community which is supporting their business.

Now they need to find way to encourage more entries covering every categories.

So how did I do? As I planned. My Chaos Knight got silver in 54mm+ which was my main hope. My Ar-Fienel, although finished on time to a level that satisfied me only offered a feeble resistance to some of the magnificent entries from other contestors. I will be retouching a few things on it in the days to come and post pictures as soon as it is completed. I know, I usually say that once it’s entered in a contest it’s finished. But this one is for a customer so I want to make sure I’m 100% happy with it.

Badger Airbrush

I had the chance to meet with Badger Airbrush over the weekend. I have to say that it has been a positive experience. Visiting the factory and seeing the process first hand was really enjoyable. I’ll have more on this in the near future. The owner was gracious enough to bring me to one of Chicago’s best restaurant: Gene’s and Jude’s. It is one of Chicago’s classic place for hot dog.

You know the type of place that hasn’t changed in decades. Same decoration, same menu. The menu is simple, dog (hot-dog with 1 sausage), double dog (hot-dog with 2 sausage) or corn tamales. Topping for your hot-dog: mustard, relish, onion and sport pepper and don’t you dare ask for ketchup. So they were great dogs combined with a good cherry coke!

Thank you

What is to come in the future in terms of classes is still uncertain. I have to analyse the various possibilities offered to me in term of visa. The forms to be filled are one thing, the cost behind it is another. It is still too early to say what I will do. There are simply too many question and uncertainties for now. I loved giving my time for Doctors without Borders during last weekend. But you will understand, that in order to earn my living I cannot afford doing it on a regular basis.

It also means that I will not be attending any shows in the USA in the near future as well. In fact, I cannot enter the United States, for any reason, until I get a visa, which means no vacation in the USA either.

I want to take the time to thank all of you. To all my students from past Masterclasses, GENCON and Adepticon’s classes, thank you. It is because of your continued support that I kept doing what I did. Being able to meet all of you, and hopefully contributing in making you better painters, was a wonderful opportunity. Seeing your improvement and the awards you collected always made me feel proud. Your thanks are welcome but remember that you put the effort in your work and that you are the only persons responsible for your success.

At this moment, I have no ideas if I’ll be back next year. I really want to as it is an incredible weekend and meeting past and new students is always a treat but you will understand that there are several issues to be addressed in this matter. If this was my last Adepticon, it was an epic one and definitely a weekend I will never forget.

Your support during the weekend was really appreciated as your desire to help. For that thank you. In the meantime I will keep you posted of any development as they occur.

Conclusion

Sorry if this post do not include more pictures about the convention. There is plenty of gamers writing their own coverage of the event that will include numbers of pictures of the gaming halls. I want to take the time to thank all my students present this year. You were truly great and it is promising for the future of this hobby. Congratulation to all the winner of Crystal Brush. Lastly thank you to Adepticon’s organizers who, for the tenth time, offered us a great weekend. This is truly one of the best convention we find in North America and I wish you all the best for the future.

In the meantime, keep painting.

So Ar-Fienel is mostly done. I’ll have a few touch ups on the base to do. Picture taken on the fly before packing/sleeping. See you guys this weekend.

Here’s a quick preview of what I hope to present this weekend:

My latest misadventure with US immigration cast a shadow over a lot of my future projects in terms of teaching. One of them, as most of you have been inquiring about, is Adepticon. Being the largest wargaming convention in the United States, it is a must go to event. With 11 classes, all of them being fully booked except 2, it means that nearly 175 students are hoping for my presence.

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been hard at work with Adepticon to find a legal way for me to come and teach. Every single possibility yielded the same result. It is not possible for me to come and teach at Adepticon and get compensated for my work under the US law on immigration. There are solutions to my problem, but none that can be executed in the short lapse of time we had before the convention.

But… There is nothing that prohibits me to come and teach voluntarily, with no compensation for my work. Therefore, I officially announce that all the proceeds of the classes, basically what would have been my paycheck at the end of the weekend, will be donated to Doctors Without Borders. The choice for this charity was clear. It is an organization I have always supported and believed in. Providing medical cares around the world, in areas where political climates or catastrophe makes it nearly impossible to provide the necessary help to those in needs, they need all the help they can get.

Some of you might wonder why we simply did not cancel the classes. Although it was my first instinct 2 weeks ago, cooler heads prevailed. First it would be a logistical nightmare for Adepticon. Refunding these 175 registrations would take a tremendous amount of time, which they are lacking of, so close to the convention. And yes, every single penny would have been refunded by Adepticon. Second, I cannot possibly say no to 175 students. You all decided to register to my classes. Most of these places flew away in an instant when registration opened a few months back. In a way you are all supporting me and I cannot turn my back to that. Therefore, I will be there to teach.

So, I will all see you next weekend.

In the meantime, keep painting.