Hello there! Welcome to Hammer the Backlog, the weekly mini painting, productivity and accountability blog. You join me today for week 13 of quarter 2 of year 3, The quarter which I somehow made too long and which now has 14 weeks. Look, at the same time, I’m not complaining. Two weeks into the biggest and most complex single model I’ve done for Hammer the Backlog and with the publishing deadlines looming for two videos, every spare week I can get is a godsend!
SCORECARD
Not quite in the green this week, again because of the three week (or 15 Hammer the Backlog points) effort into painting the high elf on a griffon.
This griffon has been a hell of a thing to paint, with new colour schemes and techniques being needed at every step along the way.
I can say this for certain, I have only been able to pull of painting the Island of Blood set to the level of quality I’ve got it to thanks to the last two and a half years of Hammer the Backlog. First of all, having a brush in your hand practically every day and painting hundreds of models to a decent standard makes you a better painter, whether you like it or not. And sometimes it’s not. Sometimes I’d love to be able to leave the models looking a bit more basic or rougher.
But also, at many times along this quarter, the level of complexity or challenge of these models would have made we quit if I didn’t have the accountability side of things to keep up.
On the plus side, the prince is about 90% complete and I am quite happy with him. I will need to get him finished before the weekend to be able to film the end of quarter video this weekend to have it ready in time to publish for the end of quarter next week.
Then I’m going in to the recording studio with Jim on Saturday to film the long delayed Bretonnians vs Lizardmen battlereport. How am I going to find time to edit both of these by the 19th? Don’t currently know! Maybe invent a new day between Saturday and Sunday?
THIS WEEK’S MODEL
This week’s model is more progress on the griffon, in particular the leopard parts and the wings and feathers.
For posterity, and to help me remember if I ever need to do it again, here is the process: All of this was over a wraithbone basecoat.
For the leopard skin.
Iyanden Yellow contrast over the whole area. Then a watered down wash of Nazdreg Yellow over the recesses. A light glaze of gryph hound orange over the top half of the body only. A darker coat of Fyreslayer Flash higher up than that. Finally a dark patch of crygor brown along the spine. Then mix Nazdreg yellow with wraithbone and highlight. Also make the underbelly and towards the feet lighter. Increase the amount of wraithbone for further highlights until it is pure wraithbone.
At this stage it reminded me of Whiskey and Wizard’s style, so I texted him to let him know. I was pretty happy with how this looked. Not super natural, but really graphic and high contrast, so I was nervous about adding the (incredibly disruptive) leopard spots. I asked a couple of trusted advisors and they all said go for it, do I did.
I went for fairly realistic leopard spots but making the markings with a mix of wyldwood and black templars, letting it dry completely and then filling in the middle with a dab of fyreslayer flesh. The result is pretty fetch, I think.
Next up were the feathers, something I was dreading. I find natural browny greys nerve wracking to paint. I have no shame in admitting that I stole the scheme wholesale from a criminally under subscribed youtube channel, Mini Painter Meg.
This is, easily, my favourite ever method of painting wings. Meg made painting the wings almost enjoyable. I wish she had done more tutorials, her style is amazing!
So what’s left? His base has to be finished, his white cloth has had no attention so far, his leather straps need a bit of attention and his metals and gems need a final highlight. Should be easy enough to get done before the deadline!
YOU’VE GOT MAIL
I got an offer too tempting to refuse this week! Simon from Merlins Miniatures (https://merlinsminiatures.co.uk) has sent me on a full unit of 10 5th edition Brettonian men at arms spearmen, one of the dream units to fill out my 5th edition Bretonnian army, and a model that is very much in demand and hard to find these days. Simon asked me to take a look at the site and pick a unit I’d like to paint, and I was shocked by how they pretty much had every warhammer model from the 90s to current. I’m so excited to get them done, they are likely going to join the baking tray for the next quarter! Pictures next week, hopefully, when they arrive!
But Mick, I hear you cry, this is Hammer the Backlog, not Expand the Backlog! I was thinking exactly the same thing. Luckily, I have an absolute over abundance of completely unbuilt and untouched empire models. A couple of units of them therefore winged their way overseas to a very deserving new owner. We might even get to see them assembled and painted on this very blog in the not too distance future! Balance has been restored to the pile!
Well, that’s it from me for another week. I have plenty to do to get everything done before next week’s deadline, so off I go!
Thanks for reading all of that!
Best eggs!
Hammer the Backlog 
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