I Am Not Dead

I've been a bit busy since the birth of my son in October which, not coincidentally, was the month in which I made my previous post.

But rest assured that misterjustin.com is going to get some love here soon. I am going to move all of the current content into an archive and use this space to focus on weathering techniques and AFV modeling. I was once told that the best writing is done on subjects you're passionate about -- and so you can expect to see weathered tanks, airbrushing techniques and modeling tips.

There will be far fewer tags so that content is easier to navigate and I will include pieces I'm working on for Secret Weapon Miniatures so folks can see what I'm sculpting these days.

-- misterjustin

Rethinking the site....

Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Things are going well for Secret Weapon Miniatures and I have a son on the way. There simply hasn't been much time to paint.

This has given me an opportunity to think about misterjustin.com and what I'd like to do with it. In the hope that some of my readers, and now 85 followers, will share an opinion I give you part of my vision:

An "ask misterjustin" segment. This would start monthly and focus on a question on techniques sent in from readers. I love making tutorials and I'd really like to make a regular thing of it. This would likely include video.

If I can get enough interest in this segment I will archive the current posts (all of them) so that the new labels are easier to navigate.

I'll still post what I'm working on but I'll focus on the techniques I'm using rather than just "here's a model" posts.

So, what say you, my invisible audience, do you want me to launch an "ask misterjustin" blog?

Hello Toycutter

This is just a quick hello to anyone coming to the site for the first time via TOYCUTTER. Thanks for the write-up of my commissar!

http://www.toycutter.com

http://www.misterjustin.com/2009/05/commissar-01.html

I'm adding this blog to the BoLS blog roll....

Product Update: Maybe

I just finished pouring silicone over my first batch of truly marketable bases. My previous bases had all used the GW plastic rounds as a starter - these use rounds I picked up from the local plastics shop.

I spent about three hours sculpting, preparing and now moulding these. Each matches a ruined temple theme: damaged 1 meter tiles and rubble. I kept them simple, clean and, I feel, dynamic without the worry of having the base distract from the miniature.

I plan on basing my Black Templar army on these bad boys...

Assuming I didn't mould them with a fatal flaw.

I won't know until tomorrow morning whether I have a new batch of bases... or simply wasted silicone.

Here's hoping....

UPDATE: All ten bases came out just fine. I have twenty cast and ready to use for my first squad of Black Templar. I'll get a photo of them up some time next week.

Army Blog Update

Scorched Archive is a new 40k resource created by Andy Pearson. He has some good ideas and really wants to create an article based community for hobbyists to share tips, techniques and thoughts with the hobby community.

I was invited to participate and will be double posting my tip/technique articles there -- but have moved the army blog, chronicling my (attempt to) return to the gaming table, over to the SA web site. The first post is up now and provides some background on the project.

Hobbyists: keep your eyes on this Web site; good things will come of it.

Maybe it's a little silly....

By this time next week I will own one of every colour in the Vallejo Game Color range.

There were six I thought about passing on - but after a year of constantly ordering paints because I keep finding a project for that ONE MISSING PAINT! I decided to give in.

My current commission money is officially spent... and I'm feeling, for some unknown reason, just a touch naughty.

I can live with that.