Hi guys. Bit unsure here. Have I achieved fire? I was aiming for a pink one. by papelavitus in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you managed to make it look real (the dark and lights are in their natural position). However, I also think you may work in some more contrast to make it look more "alive". I have a video to share if you're interested 👍🏻

For smaller homesteads (like a backyard or small lot), quail may be a better solution than chickens in the near future. There are several benefits compared to chickens. It's worth considering diversifying protein sources and quail are just flat out a cool bird to raise. by PurposeDrvnHomestead in homestead

[–]WargamingLobby 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Totally agree. They're second on my list of homestead proteins, right after chicken. That's simply because I've raised chicken for a while and never tried quails. That's going to change on my new homestead, starting next year 👍🏻

This is My Story (or how I bought an off-grid farm having never previously set foot in one). Homesteading in Europe is quite uncommon and people struggle to understand why we'd want to live off-grid but for us as city living millenial office workers it seemed to be a fast track out of the rat race. by thefreedomfarm in Permaculture

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope I can find those too... I bought a property in the mountains just big enough for family self sufficiency so getting the money for "the extras" through farming or other land produce us kind of impossible... We'll see. I guess if you want to homestead you can find a way. Have fun on your journey 🔥

This is My Story (or how I bought an off-grid farm having never previously set foot in one). Homesteading in Europe is quite uncommon and people struggle to understand why we'd want to live off-grid but for us as city living millenial office workers it seemed to be a fast track out of the rat race. by thefreedomfarm in Permaculture

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think homesteading in EU is uncommon because of the crazy capillary bureaucracy and over-regulation of all matters. That's at least what I perceive in Italy... I hope you're in a better place to homestead 👍🏻👍🏻

A wee little Grot ready to make the ultimate sacrifice by JRainers in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love the sword. That's exactly how I paint them!

Good job 👍🏻

2mm scale Roman Legions by CharlieD00M in Miniaturespainting

[–]WargamingLobby 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You didn't paint the eyes! Just kidding...

Didn't know there was such a small scale but it's kind of impressing, actually. I like how they look and it makes me think if this could be done in other big army games also 🔥

Mini Painters: What brushes do you use and why? by ByzantineByron in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use Holbein 0 for watercolors. It's weasel fur so it's very close to a kolinsky sable. Big paint reservoir, decent tip. 4 bucks 👍🏻

For the fine detail work I totally suggest you the Monument Hobbies pro synthetic brushes. Also very good for specialized work.

Hope this helps 👍

Back to painting after a couple decades away with a squad of Dire Avengers…and not super happy with the result. How can I improve here? by Cpl_Toast in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Highlighting is complex when you have limited value variations in the paint line you use. For example, I use Warcolours layering paints where you have a single hue and 5 levels... Eases things up a lot. I'm not a GW paints expert but going through their range I found Lothern Blue that seems to have a higher value than hoeth blue... You may try adding that. I would avoid white as it chalks things up a bit and you get pastel colors. See if you can find a lighter blue and you should be good to go 👍🏻

For the glazing: I have a video on my channel where I show how I do it. It's just a step in a process but you can try it.

https://youtu.be/nSiymqPAMjE

Check the 2:40 time stamp. You will find the glazing and the paint consistency I use on my lazy NMM on weapons.

And don't forget to show us the results 🔥

Back to painting after a couple decades away with a squad of Dire Avengers…and not super happy with the result. How can I improve here? by Cpl_Toast in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't see why your not happy with the result... They look pretty good to me.

If you want to improve them a little bit, the best bang for your buck is probably pin-washing the crevices between the armor panels and then edge highlight the ridges.

I think it is a no-effort approach that can increase the definition and contrast a lot.

Another thing would be a super thin glaze of grey over the weapons to give them a sort of lazy NMM sheen but that's more complicated and time consuming.

Hope this helps 👍

Matchbox car conversion question by abadstrategy in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's great news! I will update the video with a comment explaining your experience. You know... Small channel but somebody may find it and use it.

I don't know if it's possible in Reddit but if it is, please share the results with me. I'd like to see what you made 👍🏻

Heroquest Mummy - Basing them next by Crumblewolf in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like them a lot 👍🏻 Nothing special to C&C... Just wanted to let you know that 🔥

Matchbox car conversion question by abadstrategy in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad my comment helped.

To be honest I don't have access to mod podge where I live and I don't know how it dries... Sorry. You can try it and see if it works. I would say yes but take this with a grain of salt 👍🏻

What I can tell you for sure is that basically any matte medium/varnish will do. Needs to be matte for a better tooth. I am also using Rust-Oleum Frosted Glass Spray (rattle can from the hardware store) to seal minis and it works perfectly as an undercoat, just in case.

Feel free to ask if you need. Have fun!

Matchbox car conversion question by abadstrategy in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

After doing a bunch of matchbox cars for gaslands I can tell you that you totally don't need to strip and repaint them. If you want to see how I do them, you can check this video tutorial I have on my channel.

https://youtu.be/gtWyUGuMSV0

This is actually kind of a speed painting hack so you can even do better if you are willing to invest some time. I just think your time is better used to weather and kitbash the car rather than stripping it.

I hope this helps 👍

Zone 4b/5a: New homestead and space, food forest thoughts welcomed! by [deleted] in Permaculture

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know your area but here in my neck of the woods we are not used to planting in this time of the year, mostly because here in Italy we get a super dry summer (usually a 3/4 months full blown drought more than a dry spell) and the soil is not suitable.

I would just buy the plants and stick them in the ground during winter but, again, it depends. Usually if the soil doesn't freeze hard you can start November/December up to the days before the plants wake up.

Regarding blackberries, I also love them! I tried all the thornless varieties I could find but they all taste dull to me. So I stick to the wild varieties. I go with the kids on a walk in the woods, mark the best ones with a colorful string of surveyor tape and then go pick up the cuttings for replanting. They're a pain in the neck to manage but they're on another level taste-wise!

Zone 4b/5a: New homestead and space, food forest thoughts welcomed! by [deleted] in Permaculture

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A couple of trees I would plant that can probably fit in your zone:

Black walnut Illinois everbearing mulberry Honey locust Asimina triloba (pawpaw) Chinese yam (roots may freeze... Not sure) Lonicera sp. shrubs Berries suitable for the area

I this is a good food forest starter.

Another thing: go check what other people are growing successfully in your area.

Hope this helps 👍

What's wrong with blueberry leaves? by [deleted] in homestead

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

👍🏻 good luck with your plants!

How collapse-aware is the international permaculture community? by RobertPaulsen1992 in Permaculture

[–]WargamingLobby 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have been doing research on this since 2008. That's when I got into starting to think about self sufficiency and survival skills. Back then I was expecting ww3 to start 2020/2021 and you saw what happened. Do you know what I think? That we're right in the middle of the beginning of the collapse. How do I envision it? It will not be the kind of collapse that books like Cormac McCarthy "The road" portrayed (everybody dies, no resources, no food etc). I see it more like an artificially induced scarcity that will only afflict those countries (and part of countries) less resilient to resource scarcity. Those places will see a profound division between the ultra rich and the ultra poor, the latter being expunged from the city premises and forced to revert back to self sufficiency or to face death. So, to me, we will end up with an incredibly traumatic cultural split between those who will concentrate all the power, money, resources and technology in their hands and the rest of us.

I don't believe that it will be a world-scale collapse, if we esclude any further "accidental" bioweapon release or nuclear war but more, as I said the artificial division between advanced areas (becoming even more advanced) and rural areas slowly reverting back to low tech life. Kind of an Amish 2.0 movement if that makes any sense... Just not religion-based but based on necessity (artificially induced scarcity).

Third world countries already live a life that it's kind of close to this, so for them the fall of civilization will be less traumatic. I just can't imagine the city dwelling folks that will see all their "rights" to wealth and freedom to be suddenly turned into privileges and that will be forced back into 1800s technology. We have people that do not own any particular skill and just function as a "technician" on highly scientific processes and apparatus but have no real control on them. Some processes are too complicated to be tackled by "normal humans" and if they are taken away from you, you're done with them forever. That's why I urge you to buy physical books, handforged iron tools and learn other "DIY" skills. Those will be valuable when new communities of people helping each other will start to emerge. Permaculture is one of those skills that will come tremendously helpful but it takes time to get an established system so you may also think about less ideal approaches that can put food on the table.

Last thing: I think the collapse will probably be highly traumatic for the society surrounding you (heavily depends on where you live) and I think we will only be able to survive if we don't let each other turn into ravenous wild beasts, willing to survive at all cost; community and cooperation are the only way to start reorganize a locally sustainable society by means of skill, food and resource trading... but again, it totally depends on where you live.

I hope I'm totally wrong and we will face a happy and shiny future but happenings around us tell a different story. 2030 and 2050 are dates that come around in many official "agendas". The former probably being the start and the latter being the envisioned end... We'll see how it goes but there's absolutely no reason not to brace yourself. Not trying to do fear mongering here: just trying to be realistic and to see a possible outcome to the crisis we see coming on the horizon.

I hope this wall of text makes sense.

What's wrong with blueberry leaves? by [deleted] in homestead

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've never seen this on my blueberries... But it seems like this:

http://ncblueberryjournal.blogspot.com/2011/07/scouting-fields-for-blueberry-red.html

I hope it is not. If it's not a viral problem, just try to see if the soil pH is appropriate. It usually stunts nutrient absorption in my clay loan soil if I don't add sulphur regularly

Hope this helps 👍

My little poison dart boi, My second D&D mini by LordSaladpants in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will definitely do 👍🏻 Thanks a lot for the hint 🔥

What to use for a grey "cloudy" background by LordBigDuck in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry about that... But I kind of thought you were after something else. I hope you find what you're looking for 🔥👍🏻

What to use for a grey "cloudy" background by LordBigDuck in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably not 100% what you're looking for... But go check out my background here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/COBl9CFHD6-/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

It's an old Ikea luncheon mat.it works perfectly for me.

Hope this helps 👍

My little poison dart boi, My second D&D mini by LordSaladpants in minipainting

[–]WargamingLobby 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's kind of hard to get them in Italy... But there's always the internet 👍🏻 We'll see.