I'm Ready for my Close-Up Mr. Demille

So there I was, painting the shingles on a roofing section, and for some inexplicable reason I became obsessed with photographing my models.  This, I reasoned, would let me get on with the Fate Deck for The Rules with No Name.  Atfer all, without this excellent set of rules, this project would never have begun in the first pace.  And to be completely honest, it wasn't entirely my fault.  All this scenery building had prompted a painting spree from my fellow gamer, who offered his excellent miniatures for photographing. Why would I not jump at the chance to oblige my best mate?

Then of course I realised that unlike his minis (the ones with the brown bases), mine weren't based.  Oh sure, they had been stuck to bases and filled in with polyfiller, but they needed painting let alone flocking.

So, after a trip to the loft to find everything, the basing began in earnest. First with a paintbrush...

Then along came my special base mix.  For the uninitiated, this is taken from two pots of Woodland Scenics.  The first has their excellent Earth Blend in it.  The second is my own mix of Earth Blend, Grass Blend and some Noch Spring Grass static flock, which gave the following results.

Then, to finish off, some tufts of Noch static flock were added to the bases.  You'll note this is all done on a transparent plastic bag.  A great trick to keep your loved one happy.  This one was originally found on some Kallistra river sections. So its an advert for recycling as well. And here's the results!

Then began the elaborate construction of the photography studio.  No expenses spared here.  An angle-poise lamp with a daylight bulb, balanced somewhat precariously on a chair because I couldn't find either its base or desk clamp.  Flushed with the success of my gravity-defying lighting (I knew there was a reason I loved the design of my dining chair backs!), I grabbed the Really Useful Box the miniatures are kept in and used it to raise a base for my models.  Two of my scratch-built buildings, one of Kallistra's Hexon boards and a 4Ground two-wheeled wagon later, and hey-presto! A perfect background for my models.

And I must say, I'm rather pleased with the results.  Even if I did get carried away with the whole thing!

And to make sure everyone gets their due credit, the miniatures are by Perry Miniatures and Artizan Designs. The quality of both these companies are clearly visible.  Pictures of the finished cards to follow soon!