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I had time today to start the undercoat painting for the figures.

For the figures with masking problems, I used a scalpel (I stopped using modeling knifes a long time ago–the scalpels are much faster, and I think safer. See Scalpel) to cut around the feet and tweezers to remove the extra masking. I did rip the mask a bit. I painted some more of the Micro Masking fluid on and that fixed them all up. I also used the tweezers to remove a few spots where I had splatter some masking fluid on in error.

I stick the figures down to a light wooden board. I use basswood sheets. They are leftover from some modeling projects. I use poster wall stick to temporary hold the figures to it. It is essential that I can turn them every which way to spray on the paint–so I use a bit extra on heavier figures. I also wear gloves–I have disposable gloves. I can then spray over my hand. Today I took the gloves off too early and my left hand is whiter than usual.

I had to do this in two batches. The second batch is mostly masked figures.

I then spray the figures totally black. See Chaos Black and White primer.

Once that is dry, no time in our 80F+ day, I spray a light primer of white color straight down to create a 3D look. I also lean the figures left and then right (always having them face the same way when I put them on the board) and spray a quick bit more. This really does a lot of the work for you.

Here is Heroes Undead Wraith with just this spray paint.

So I will now take the night off from these figures and let everything dry overnight.

There are not a lot of figures to do!

That is about 2/3 as not all fit in the frame!

This will be my first blog series on the painting of miniatures, about 28mm scale (meaning from feet to eyes a human figure would be 28mm–as I understand it). The Scythe characters are 28-32mm and a bit elongated by the artist to stand out on the board. The Heroes of Land, Air, and Sea are 28mm or close enough and are oddly hunched a bit.

First, is to select the figures all usually about the same size. I find it easier to do about the same sized figures at the same time. The surface area increases with the cube and so larger figures take more and more paint, and I like my figures to progress about the same speed. It is just a mental thing for me.

Next, wash the figures with dishwashing soap and warm water. I will skip this on fragile figures or ones that must be assembled and hope the primer will handle any “sins.” Surprisingly the Scotts figure from Scythe broke when it fell to the floor when I was drying them with a paper towel. Oops–no way to start! The break was very clean, so I was able to use cyanoacrylate glue from our local hobby store. I used the slow curing thick version for two reasons: It is easy to work with, and it does not run down the bottle onto my hand and glue me to the bottle. I used the tiny swabs you buy at hobby stores (over-priced!) to apply the glue after I put a few drops on a bottle lid. I use spaghetti cause lids for disposable trays and put my paint one drop at a time in them. After the fix, you cannot see the break. I was worried that I would have to drill and pin the parts to make the piece usable, but no it is fine.

After that near-tragedy, I carefully let the piece air dry, and then started the masking.

I use Micro Mask to mask the bases of some of the figures. In Scythe and Heroes, the base color identifies the faction. These are colored plastic with the figures strongly attached to same. The painter can mask or repaint the base. I did the repainting option for my first time painting Scythe miniatures, but I managed to mask the plastic for the add-on figures for Scythe (see Rise of Fenris) and was able to mask for another Scythe set I made for a friend. So I will use Micro Mask.

We are also doing the Undead for Heroes, and there are too many figures to mask, so I will mask the bases of the main characters and repaint the surfs and warriors figures bases. This works as I plan to devise a clear way to identify warriors and surfs from characters. I find this an issue for the undead and lizard factions of Heroes. It is likely I will put an ‘S’ and ‘W’ on the bases. I was also thinking of painting a black ring on the warrior base, so it is effortless to tell apart from the surfs and the characters.

The bases are painted with the masking fluid with an Army Painter regimental brush. I use their brushes as they are always the same. I find other brushes vary in function. Army Painter Insane Detail is just perfect as is the regimental brush.

I wear eye protection at all time. This is safe, and my eye protection has 3x bifocals too. This makes the painting so much easier. I also have a halon light in my bench light to see natural colors better.

The mask will dry hard in a few hours or even a day if thick. It gets all over if you are careless. Let it dry and then use good tweezers to remove any misses. It is water-soluble and hard to remove when wet. I just let it dry.

If you get some of the masking fluid on the feet of the figures, you can try to cut it off when dry and use tweezers to remove it, but that is very difficult without destroying the mask. I just have some undercoat I can paint on, and I paint it on with a tiny brush and then lightly repaint the feet.

As I have noted, the mask is water-soluble, so I will paint it on now before we prime. The primer is a can-sprayed black and will lock the masking fluid in place.

Lastly, I have lacquer thinner to clean-up and misses on masking later. I had to remove a bit of primer on Saxony Scythe figure under the wolf last time.

So later today I will prime. So that will be the next entry.

Everything is home now. We had a fantastical time in Asheville with all weird and unique there. Happy to celebrate with Joyce and Leta and Hope and to see all of Susie’s family again.

We got home after starting at 6AM eastern time at about midnight PDT. Our luggage is still traveling and I am hopeful we will see it soon. Susie’s walker elected to take an extra day in Chicago and may appear Wednesday. It seems that when we changed flights to a direct flight, our bags and the walker remained behind. Our original flights arrived about 2AM with our bags. I have a pile of emails on this and again am hopeful that the bags will be delivered soon. The walker is another day of travel.

How all this started was that once we arrived in Charlotte Airport and we got through all security and boarded our plane we were told that we would be looking at a two hour or longer wait. Bad thunderstorms had hit Chicago. We would miss our connection unless it were also held. We discovered a direct flight had some regular seats left, and most importantly, it did not pass through Chicago. So the aircrew arranged for us to leave the plane and be rebooked on the direct flight.

Susie got a first-class seat. I had to fly economy as that was all that was left. So we stayed a few more hours and then board the PDX bound flight and got home that way. Our bags went by way of Chicago.

We started that day with packing and breakfast. We met at the Five Point Cafe for breakfast. I had cheesy grits and hash and poached eggs. It was all excellent and everyone like their food. We returned to Brooks-Howell and took more photos. We then left for our near three-hour drive.

We did OK until we hit highway 74 about 45 mins out from the airport. All of a sudden, the maps on my phone had me get off 74 and begin to drive farm roads. I could see the stalled traffic. All the cars with me were Florida plates, clean, and driving fast–yes rentals all using maps on their phone. We all followed directions and soon bypassed the terrible wreck of a semi and was back on the road. I did not know the maps on iPhones was that good!

My greatest fear is to leave something important behind when giving back the rental car. I left so many things in so many cars in so many places in the world. Nothing crazier than literally running after a vehicle yelling for them to stop and I have done it. This time only Susie was left.

Susie could not walk the distance to the gates. Instead, we got a lift via the rental company from a former truck driver who missed the west coast and who now worked for Hertz. He was happy to talk about Portland and Oregon. He gave up driving trucks when he had cancer and retired to NC, his wife is from NC. We even talked about how he missed the rain. It was exceptional to remind him of our rainy PNW.

We did the usual things and got a wheelchair for Susie and reached the gate for the first flight–the one we did not take–with two hours to go. So off to lunch.

We found Jose Quervo Tarquilla after a short search. The waiter recommended tacos, and there were really good. Amazing for an airport.

The rest of the story is that we got on and off a plane and then waited another couple of hours at the wrong gate. I noticed finally thirty minutes before boarding and got us in the right gate. Funny, every time I pushed Susie for any distance I saw the guy who we used last time, and he greeted me as “brother.”

I was not expecting to like North Carolina (I was not sure liberals would be allowed in), but the people, food, and well weirdness were much more than I expected. Folks were kind and helpful and happy to see us. It seems to me now a new place to come back to again. I am already thinking about a Spring Easter trip to see Susie’s, Aunt Joyce. But first I need my luggage and Susie’s walker to get back from Chicago!

We said goodbye to most folks as we headed to Lake Junaluska for church service. Barb’s family (Susie’s sister) headed on to Charleston to meet friends and tour a church tower. The rest by plane or car are headed home. Only Leta (Susie’s mother), Joyce (Susie’s aunt), and Gene and Glenda (Gene being Susie’s uncle and brother to Leta and Joyce and Glenda being his spouse) remain here in Asheville. Leta wanted to see the Methodist retreat center at Lake Junaluska, so we did the Sunday service.

We were a bit rushed but made it in time. It is up in the Smokey Mountains and not far from the national park: Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

The service was full of good music and ended with a duet of the organ and piano: Haydn’s The Heavens are Telling (I did not record it: Here is a link if you want to hear it The Heavens are Telling). The sermon, by Rev.Dr. Mark Ralls, was typical old school preaching with numbered points and various retellings and stories to match–but well done for the older style.

Here is the prelude with a pan of the auditorium.

We got to sing Amazing Grace–all of it. Leta was pleased with the music and the service.

We then toured the area and saw the cross that Sunday school kids help pay for.

We headed back for lunch in Asheville and hit stalled traffic on a Sunday! We finally made it back, and Glenda found a place for a late lunch searching the Internet while stuck in traffic: Zia Taqueria. Much later than we planned due to traffic.

The food was excellent and the staff very helpful. I had the hatch chili stew with fried eggs on top and meat, one of their Sunday brunch items. Spicy! The chilis were supplied directly from Mexico they told Gene–they have some kind of special license. We noticed that the folks eating were tattooed and mostly young. Portland really has to up-its-game I see.

Back to the rooms and a nap. We plan for breakfast at 8 tomorrow.

I bit of a quiet day.

We skipped dinner as lunch was a lot!

Travel back to Oregon on tomorrow!