Apr 30, 2013

Alternative Survivors and Zombies for Zombicide

Hello all,
Even though I have a stockpile of minis as tall as a very tall thing (and more coming shortly, according to the chaps at Guillotine Games the extra Survivors from the first Kickstarter will soon arrive) there are quite a few minis that I would love to buy and paint for future use in Zombicide.
Rather than forget about all of these I figured I would list them here, and who knows, perhaps Santa Claws will be generous :-).
The list is not that long at the moment, but it will be updated whenever I stumble across interesting minis.

Optional Survivors:
First on the list is this guy (although perhaps he should be listed as a zombie?):

Mr Jingles Survivor Zombie Comfy Chair Games

Mr. Jingles from Comfy Chair Games - hot damn I would love to paint that clown! At 8$ he is a bit pricy but is one of the most interesting minis I've seen in a long time.
Link: http://www.comfychairgames.com/pack.php?pack=18

Second on the list are these guys from Flying Frog Productions (brillaint name, btw):
I've no idea what they were intended to be used as but they scream survivor characters to me. And at 20$ for 12 miniatures they seem a great deal.Link: http://stores.homestead.com/FlyingFrogProductions/Detail.bok?no=15

Also this chap (who reminds me of someone...) would be a pleasure to paint:
Studio Miniatures Survivor optional Cole
He is called Cole by Studio Miniatures and priced at 3.99£.
Link: http://www.studiominiatures.com/shop/survivors.html

And, because the character screams awsomeness (and the mini looks good as well), Michelle from Hasslefree Miniatures:
Survivor optional alternative Zombicide Michelle zombie HAsslefree Miniatures
Somehwat pricey at £7, but then again you get 1.7 zombies as well :-). To be honest, most of Hasslefree's excellent miniatures would make perfect survivors. Sigh.
Link: http://hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=michelle-%26-zombies~smh012&category=miniatures~studio-zombies-%2F-survivors

Optional Zombies:
Although backers of Zombicide season one and two will probably never need more zombies, it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?
This group of plastic zombies have been begging me to buy them and paint them for a long time:
Sexy Zombie Vixens Wargames Factory Alternative Optional Zombicide hot plastic

The Zombie Vixens, produced by Wargames Factory, appear to be good quality and offer excellent conversion opportunities at only 20$ for 30 minis. Amazing price.

Link: http://wargamesfactory.com/webstore/dark-futures/zombie-vixens

And these Zombie Strippers from Reaper Minis
10$ for the three of them.


Ling: http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/Chronoscope/latest/50213#detail/50213_w_1

Thats it so far, if you have any suggestions please leave a comment and I'll be sure to include them in the list.

All the best,
Kasper

Apr 22, 2013

Painting a Zombie in twelve minutes - an easy 'how to paint quickly' guide

Hello all,
So, everyone who has bought the Zombicide game will have discovered that a) there is a ton of zombies in the game (even more so if you were part of the Kickstarter and got double the minis), and b) that the game is alot more fun with painted zombies to slaughter.
This means that you will have to paint roughly a million zombies and this can be quite a daunting task.
In order to alleviate some of the distress this might cuase you, I've put together this post to illustrate how you can paint a zombie in just over ten minutes each, while still getting fairly good results, at least adequate for a  boardgame.
There are five steps and the object is to paint fast, cleaning up mistakes later, and painting some areas while others dry. I normally paint in batches of 3-5 zombies which will even further speed up the process but I figured if I did so I might forget to snap pictures of each stage. The trick is to paint continously and the more minis in a batch the easier this is - but painting five, seven or even ten at a time can really break your spirit so start with two or three at first.

In the following I've used Vallejo paint (although any paint will do the trick) to paint two walkers, and while these are amongst the easiest of the lot, the method works for all the Zombies in the game - hell, it works for any miniature you might wish to paint.

Step 1:
Zombicide zombie paint quickly good result walker easy how to paint blood
On a primed mini (I use white, always - black might be quicker but white is a lot easier for all colours) apply the skin colour of your choice, and afterwards paint the shoes. Do not fret if some of the paint goes elsewhere - we'll clean that up later. Time spent: 1 minute.

Step 2:
Zombicide zombie paint quickly good result walker easy how to paint blood
Time to paint the main clothes, in this case it is a suit, so I've decided it will be black. I've applied a hefty layer of black wash. This will provide a good colour and also allow us to skip any high-lighting later as the shade will do this automatically. While you have the wash on the brush, apply some in between the fingers and to the eyes/mouth area. This will, along with the following flesh wash create a face that has a lot of depth and looks suitable deceased. And it is quick and fun.
I've also mixed a base colour from grey and black and applied this to the base.
Total time spent: 5 minutes.

Step 3:
Zombicide zombie paint quickly good result walker easy how to paint blood
Apply another coat of black shade and while the black shade is drying, apply a wash to the flesh. 
This is my favorite stage - the mini really comes to life with the flesh wash.
Total time spent: 7 minutes.

Step 4:
Zombicide zombie paint quickly good result walker easy how to paint blood
Have a cigarette or browse your favorite blogs for a few minutes while the washes dry. Back when I was competing in speedpainting competitions we would blow on them and hold them near lamps. This will take anywhere from 1-10 minutes. I've allowed for 3 minutes, as the washes do not need to be completely dry, just be careful not to paint over anything too wet.
Then it is time to do some details - the shirt gets a fresh coat of white, the tie gets a suitably drab colour (grey). Then a small dab of white in each eye and across the teeth - the black shade will provide the contrast (this is where it really pays of to be careful, but any mistakes can quickly be painted over with black and you can have another go at the details in another minute or so).
Total time spent: 10 minutes

Step 5:
Zombicide zombie paint quickly good result walker easy how to paint blood
Congratulations, you are done. But why not smear some blood over your fine paint job? This will make the mini look gruesome, will cover any glaring mistakes and is bloody (!) fun to do. I use the version from Tamiya Colors, as it stays shining and looks like fresh blood for ever. If you need older blood, just add a bit of brown or black ink to the blood. 
I normally add some to the fingers (because they are sculpted poorly in the Zombicide game) and at least some to the face. This is where it helps painting in batches, becuase even though you have painted three figures identically, the distribution of blood can really help make them different. So a heavy layer of blood on one and a small dab here and there on another.
Total time spent: 12 minutes.
Zombicide zombie paint quickly good result walker easy how to paint blood
So, in twelve minutes you've painted a couple of zombies (you can do three in ca. 15 minutes) in a short time and it was even fun, at least I find it to be. The only stage where you really should be careful is when applying the eye-dot, and as everyone always focuses on the face it pays of to be a bit careful when applying that dot.
Anyways, thanks for reading - any comments or tips are greatly appreciated - stay safe and prepare to slaughter Zombies! 

All the best,
Kasper

Apr 20, 2013

Zombicide: Awesome new sculpts from Guillotine Games

Hello all,
Guillotine Games has released a few pictures of the minis in Season Two batch, and by golly they are some amazing sculpts!
First of they've made a Hulk Abomination. Good thing we got a couple of these coming our way as he is just screaming for a green paint job.
Nice variation to the existing Abomination.
Zombicide ZOmbie survivor zombivore guillotine games Abomination
Next up is, another, chainsaw wielding survivor; Grindlock. Apparently a Heavy Metal freak. Good sculpt (not their best) but the tattoos from the artwork will be a right pain to paint.
Zombicide ZOmbie survivor zombivore guillotine games Grindlock
This might be one of the best minis I've ever seen. Ralph, and I cannot wait to get a chance to paint this chap. Excellent detail and a great pose. Well done.

Zombicide ZOmbie survivor zombivore guillotine games Ralph

Thaissa Zombivore. Hmmm, looks a bit bland...
Zombicide ZOmbie survivor zombivore guillotine games  Thaissa
Kirk Zombivore, well better than the Thaissa mini above, and better than the Survivor but still not my favourite. Although he should be fun to paint.
Zombicide ZOmbie survivor zombivore guillotine games Kirk

And, as a bonus, the Moustache Gang as Zombivores.

Zombicide ZOmbie survivor zombivore guillotine games Moustache Gang
All the best,
Kasper

Apr 19, 2013

Zombicide Zombie painted by an eight year old :-)

Hello all,
Just wanted to show what my eight year old son managed to paint:


Zombicide paint Walker zombie
This is only his second miniature and while there are some 'oversights', I think he did well on this one. He also had a ton of fun and it was a very nice experience painting together. I've brought a handful of Heroquest minis up from the basement that he can have a go at next.

Zombicide paint Walker zombie


All the best,
Kasper

Apr 18, 2013

Zombicide Painting Progress

Hello all,
Just a quick picture of whats getting painted at the moment.
Mostly it is a batch of non-Caucasian zombies - three Walkers and a Fatty.

Zombicide painting progress Ned Walkers Fatty How to

And then there is the troublesome survivor called Crazy Ned. There is a ton of small details on that chap, and the paint scheme is troublesome so he sees only slow progress. Because of his green/red scheme, there will be quite a few Zombies sporting those colours as I slowly return to areas on Ned that needs repainting.

All the best,
Kasper

Apr 16, 2013

Different skin colours for Zombies

Hello all,
So I realized there was something wrong with the assortment of Zombies I've painted so far for Zombicide. They were all of a Caucasian 'white' skin colour. Hence in order to satisfy the demography of the states, I really need to have some variance in skin colour.
I've never tried painting anything but pale skin (due to my historic armies based in the 10-15th centuries, and the general tendency of Skavens to have fur all over) so I've thought long and hard on how to go about this. And trust me, there are not many tutorials on this subject on the net.
So, to begin with I've tried with the different Washes I had available, most of which are from Lavado-Vallejo.

Painting ethinic skin black negro mexican zombies wash miniatures

The best results came from the Sepia, the Umber and the black washes. The Sepia is not that useful, but I think the umber might be representative of some ethnic groups, if used on a darker base coat. The dark wash on the other hand seems be a quick solution to the darkest 'African' skin tones.

Painting ethinic skin black negro mexican zombies wash miniatures
This is the result with two applications of the wash - although this might be too dark a tone to represent most modern 'african-americans'. I do think this works better than simply painting the skin black but I would appreciate comments and suggestions.
I will try a thinned down black wash with a thin layer of umber on top to get a better 'mixed' skin colour result.

All the best,
Kasper

Apr 15, 2013

Chuck Norris as a Zombie

Hello all,
I'll upload more pictures soonish, but while we wait for the arrival of the kickstarter exclusives from Season one, I thought this image might produce a smile or two:

Chuck Norris Zombie Zombiecide Joke Eagle Chaz

This is of course in reference to mr. Eagle Chaz, the American Hero (the final stretch of Season One), a Survivor clearly based on Chuck Norris:

Chuck Norris Zombie Zombiecide Joke Eagle Chaz
I wonder if anyone has ever used his special ability of starting the game in the red zone?

All the best,
Kasper 










Apr 4, 2013

Zombicide! Brad the Crime Lord Preview

Hello all,
Guillotien Games revealed a sneak preview of the first of the Kickstarter exclusives sculpts. It is the 'Dirty Harry*, aka Brad the Crime Lord, and it is a smashing sculpt:

Brad Crime Lord Survivor Zombicide Kickstarter


I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on this mini and start painting it. That is how good I rate the sculpt.



All the best,
Kasper

Apr 3, 2013

Zombicide! Sexy Ladies of the Night II (Painted Walkers Zombies)

Hello all,
So, the frenzy of the Kickstarter is almost over but I've got a few painted zombies left to show. these are from the large batch I painted on the side while trying to get Goth Amy to look like she was alive and hadn't killed herself through too much make up. Thus these zombies sport clothes a bit more colourful than normally :-).

Zombicide Painted Walkers Zombies Female sexy
 This is one of the female walker zombie sculpts from Season 1. The face and body are great (actually the face is a bit scary, but I managed to be brave while painting them) and I think I've finally nailed how to paint stockings and fishnets. They look adequate for tabletop use to me and considering just how quick they are to paint I'm really pleased with the results.
Zombicide Painted Walkers Zombies Female sexy
There is a couple of things about this sculpt that annoys me - apart from the usual 'crippled-hands' syndrome, I also find it annoying that their hair is still tightly wrapped in a bun. Considering they have been attacked, fought, and are now hunting I would prefer a bit more messed up hair. But that is a small irritation.
Hope you like the paint jobs - I'm working on a 'how to speed paint a zombie in 10 minutes' post that should be finished during the next week or so.

All the best,
Kasper

Apr 2, 2013

New Zombie Kickstarter: 100 Days of Death

Hello all,
just as the dust settles from the amazing Zombicide Season Two Kickstarter, another rears its undead head:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/797795502/100-days-of-death-the-graphic-novel.
A delightfully distasteful Graphic Novel on the problems of survival in a Zombie infested world... Should be interesting reading.



All the best,
Kasper
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