Let’s start with some good news this week and then we can discuss the not so good. Hellboy is finally done. It didn’t take as long as a typical display piece does but three weeks on a single miniature is still plenty of time and I have to admit that I’m looking forward to painting something a little lighter now that he’s finished. For the final parts of the mini, I referenced Angel Giraldez’s videos on painting Hellboy and while I didn’t copy exactly what he did because I don’t use Vallejo paints, I tried to take inspiration from it which helped me improve my painting on this Hellboy (more on this later). The sword, which reminds me of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII due its oversized nature, was a tricky one. I wasn’t trying to make it look gold as it is a very unique color in the comics but thankfully, a painting friend gave me a tip to tone down the gold look and give it a distinct look. I’m happy with it in the end thankfully. Here’s a look at the mini from nearly every angle.
It was weird finishing this miniature because I only used matte varnish on it because I’m afraid that if I miss any spots of gloss varnish that will be judged against me in the painting competition (and rightfully so) but at the same time, the mini is top-heavy and prone to falling over. I plan on using this in games so I may have to varnish it up a bit more later on. Its definitely an unusual problem to have. I have to admit, this version of Hellboy really blows my old one out of the water. I wish I could go back and repaint stuff on the old one now. Its an unfair comparison since one was painted with speed in mind and the other I took way longer on but look at the old one versus the new one and the difference is stark. The higher quality of the second sculpt is apparent as well.
Outside of finishing Hellboy, many things that could go wrong have. My dishwasher gave up the ghost on Sunday so my wife and I are going to buy a new one tomorrow most likely. My camera is starting to act up and its possible that I may not be able to take pictures in the near future which would mean taking a break from updating this very website. Its hard to explain but something is causing it to repeatedly flip between different photo taking modes which makes actually taking a picture harder. The camera is getting older and I’ve been thinking about replacing it but with a new dishwasher taking precedence, I can’t really swing a new one in the next couple weeks to a month. Lastly, its a much longer story than I have time to share but there are some big issues going on with my condo and basically there is a spat between two of the owners (including myself) and another who started renting out their unit. That is causing quite a bit of stress and could go in many different directions so one day down the road, I’m sure I’ll talk about it more later on.
Finally, I finished reading another book recently, The Silmarillion, and it was not an easy read. I tried to read the book when I was in elementary or middle school right after devouring The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and I’m almost positive I didn’t get through it and I know I didn’t enjoy it. So why did I give it another try? I was curious if I would like it more as an adult but more importantly, I wondered how much of what is in the Rings of Power show was influenced by this book. The short answer is not a whole lot. There is a small amount about Elrond and Galadriel but we’re talking a couple of sentences each. There is also information that could spoil what happens to Numenor beyond what the Rings of Power shows so I won’t say too much about that. Instead, the book is basically a mix of biblical-style stories about the very beginning of Tolkien’s world. The tone and writing is very somber and dull, especially in the beginning. Tolkien pretty much bludgeons you with names and references to locations that have little to no meaning and exist in a world separate from Middle Earth proper. After 100-150 pages of that, the book shifts to short stories that are Fantasy Shakespearean tragedies. I’m an English/Literature major in college and grad school so I know my way around Billy Shakes and can see his influence on Tolkien here. Truthfully, I like the content of Shakespeare but not the act of reading it. I would say these are somewhat similar. Its striking though because unlike in LOTR, there is a lot of struggle which result in great triumphs like tossing the Ring in Mt. Doom. In The Silmarillion, people fall in love or try to do something brave, struggle horribly, and die tragically. Such is the life of those who resist Morgoth (Sauron’s predecessor). One other thing that is jarring is that Tolkien uses names like Denethor for elves that were alive hundreds of years before the Denethor in Lord of the Rings. I guess it is easy to see some of the names that he liked well enough to use them twice. While I’m proud to have finished the book and relieved to be done, I can’t say I recommend it highly. It is interesting to see just how far the backstory for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit goes and it truly is jaw-dropping how much heart and soul he put into his works. I really doubt there will ever be an author who can top what he does but I’m a bit biased, I suppose.
Kuribo's Painting 
When I first looked up that Hellboy miniature, I thought that is going to need a weighted base. I usually use a washer or a nut (or two) depending on the base.
That sword looks outstanding! You always save the best for last!
It must have been a bad week for appliances, we had to go buy a refrigerator.
I plowed through the Silmarillion once, kept it on my bookshelf next to my other Tolkien books until I realized I would never read it again and only occasionally referenced it. I found myself referencing the appendices at the end of The Return of the King more of I sold my copy of The Silmarillion to make room on my bookshelf.
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A washer is a great idea for the base. I never use them but this is an ideal place for it and I should be able to fit one under the base pretty easily too. I saved the sword because it was easy to access with a brush and would be the most likely to get damaged if I painted it first. I really don’t think about how to paint something in the most interesting manner but I’m glad it worked out that way all the same.
I hope you’re able to get a new fridge quickly! That is more of inconvenience than a busted dishwasher, I would think.
I’m glad to hear you had similar experiences with it. It is not really a fun read and it is too disconnected from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to matter which was disappointing. I think in many ways, Tolkien wrote that stuff for himself and I doubt he intended for it to ever be published. Though it is cool for all of us to be able to access it at the same time.
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When I saw the WIP images I was impressed by your work on the cloak, but seeing the finished article that sword is amazing! Excellent work once again!
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Thank you, Dave! I’m glad to hear you like the sword and the cloak. Hopefully, it will impress the judges at the competition as well.
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Very, very nice work on Hellboy mate, he looks excellent. š
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Thank you, mate! Its a great feeling to have him done and I look forward to entering him in the competition in March š
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Awesome work on the miniature. We have had neighbour hassles so I feel your pain. As for the Silmarillion I definitely feel your pain. When I tried I increased the weight of the book by half by adding scrap paper bookmarks. I donāt think I actually finished it.
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Thank you, mate! I’m sorry to hear about your neighbor troubles. It can really upend your day or week which is unfortunate. I hope it gets better for both of us soon.
I’m glad to hear that others didn’t enjoy the book either. It is a really tough read compared to Lord of the Rings and lacks much of the appeal too which is a shame.
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Luckily most of my neighbour troubles are past. My house actually is 75cm shorter on the inside than on the outside. It was the only way the seller was able to legally sell it. I was renting it and moved to buy it and got caught in the crossfire. Love and light to them. Karma dropped on them from a great height. Hope yours is sorted soon.
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That does sound like a difficult situation and I’m glad that you got it sorted. In my case, one condo owner out of three in the building is putting their interests above everyone else and the other two owners are tired of it. I have a feeling this will take a while to sort out but hopefully not.
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Fingers crossed
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Sorry to hear about those things that aren’t going so well and hope things will resolve themselves! Hellboy is brilliant (of course) and I think the sword looks good in its own right! But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you older Hellboy mini and it’s nice to have two different models of him! š
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Me too, John. I think at least one of those is going to be a longer term thing and will have more unpleasantness but I’ll see what I can do about the situation anyway. Thank you for the kind words on Hellboy as well. I’m happy with how he turned out and the character is certainly worth of having a quality paint job like this too š
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Hellboy looks awesome, and that’s a quick finish for a display model.
Hope you get your tech issues sorted soon, and the neighbours, as that can be very stressful.
Good that you got through the book, I think one of the most jarring things in it, are the constant jumps around the timeline, you almost need a notebook next to you, to work out the chronicle order.
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I’m really glad you like him and you’re spot-on. It usually takes me longer on a display project so I shouldn’t complain about it taking too long I suppose!
A dishwasher has been purchased and will be installed this week so that’s progress. The neighbors issue is going to be a protracted thing and we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.
The timeline is strange in the Silmarillion and it is always confusing what is going to connect to what. A lot of stuff like names of characters and locations end up being meaningless which is a little frustrating as a reader. The book really lacks most of the things that makes Tolkien’s writing so great which was very surprising.
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You always impress me with your painting, and this was no exception. A masterpiece. Bret makes a good point about a weighted base.
Sorry to hear about the expensive dramas. Hopefully you can find replacements that are not too expensive.
I tried a couple of times to get through the Silmarillion and failed. I respect your discipline mate!
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Thanks, mate! I will certainly add some weight to get it stabilized. We have a new dishwasher coming on Thursday so it will be nice to get that resolved anyway. I talked openly to my wife about quitting the Silmarillion (I don’t know why because she had no stake in the matter) and I can’t really say it was worth persisting with. I guess “it builds character” or “puts hair on your chest” as my Dad liked say to my brother and I growing up!
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You are a better man than Iā¦ or at least one with a hairier chest. š
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Haha, personally, I’m shooting for the first option since it isn’t the 1970/80’s any longer where a hairy chest was considered desirable!
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HellBoy is mind blowing. Really nice. I second using a washer underneath it to make it more bottom heavy for gaming.
Good luck with all that other stuff. Real life is the pits. In the meantime you could just use the cellphone camera.
I tried TWICE to read the Sim and gave up both times early on. It is not a good book. They all canāt be gems. š
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Mind-blowing!? I’ll take that compliment for sure and a washer it is! Real life is the pits, that must be why we all blog regularly š My iPhone camera would probably work. I’ve never taken as good of pictures with it, but desperate times may call for desperate measures… In regards to the Silmarillion, I read it and I wouldn’t say I regret but having done so, but I can’t recommend it to anyone and I question how smart I am for powering through it š
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Hellboy is astonishingly well painted, and the sword is a masterclass in NMM, such a beautiful shade of gold with perfect highlights and shading. Wonderful stuff, and you should be rightly proud of the work and effort you put into it; it was worth every minute.
Sorry to hear about your dishwasher! Ours is an older model (it just turned 51) and is prone to not working every now and then. If you haven’t guessed already, it’s me LOL!
As for the camera, try replacing the batteries with fresh ones, and if that doesn’t work see if there’s a way of doing a hard reboot or reset on it. You might be out of luck but as for buying a new one, check Ebay for used cameras. My DSLR is nine years old but in terms of picture quality there’s nothing wrong with it.
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Thank you, mate! I’m glad you like the mini and I wish you were judging the painting competition too š
Does Alicia pay a good salary at least? Hopefully there is good insurance and benefits that come along with the job! š
Those are some great pointers, I’ll give them a try and see what I come up with. I think I am due for a camera upgrade when I have some money to spend as mine struggles in a few key areas as I talked about a few months ago (not that you or anyone else should remember that!). We’ll see if I can keep it going for a little bit longer and save up a few nickels to buy a new one.
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You’re going to hate me for saying this, but I actually like the older Hellboy mini better. Not because of the paint job or the sculpt, but the pose reminds me more of the Hellboy from the comics. I do like the darker shorts and leg wraps on him. On the new mini, the painting is super nice and the trench turned out wonderfully. However, the gold on the huge sword is amazing and my eyes are continuously drawn to it. Almost like “a job too well done!”. Will be interesting to hear of any feedback you received in the painting competition. I think you have a great entry for sure! The Silmarillion *sigh*. So I read The Hobbit when I was younger (age 9?) and was just starting the Lord of the Rings. Then I found out the Silmarillion took place before. So being the completist I am, decided I should read that first. Well, I tried and tried to get through that book, and it just never happened. Since there is so much other stuff out there, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to it either. I’d rather read something that is more accessible and doesn’t have to be deciphered. I do enough deciphering in my day job as a coder! š
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All I can say is you better not judge the painting competition or I’m hosed! š I did reference The Wild Hunt volume of the comics for painting the latest Hellboy so he’s fairly comic accurate or at least I think so. Hellboy’s coloring does change depending on the artist and colorist too. If I could redo the fist and the horn stumps on the older Hellboy, I think I’d be a lot happier with it. I think I just about nailed those parts on the newer one but you may disagree on that š I’ll let you know what feedback I get on the model, if I receive any too.
I completely agree on the Silmarillion. Its just a tough read and it is missing an element or two that would make it more readable. Personally, I think an editor willing to tone down the references and put the emphasis more on the plot of the stories would really help. Sadly, I think it is a pretty skippable book and is probably best left to Tolkien scholars and academics who can enjoy delving deeper into it.
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Iād vote for Hellboys and then flip a coin! šš Youāre right, coloring changes in comics and Iām sure the colors from the movies has leaked into my memory too. This reminds me that I really need to read my Library edition volumes sometime soon. What matters the most is that youāve improved on the original and youāre more happy with the colors. I donāt think anyone could argue against them both being great paint jobs! š
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Haha, that works for me! Definitely give those Library Editions a read. I’ve been rebuying them digitally because I used to own them all in trade paperback and its been fun to revisit them. They hold up really well after all these years! š
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I had the original comics and then the tpbs before upgrading to the library editions. Iām not sure where I had stopped reading, it might have been as far back as the The Crooked Man. Part of the reason I need to get to reading them, so I can finally catch up.
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That is an impressive collection arc! I really enjoyed The Crooked Man and I found the Hellboy in Hell stuff to not be quite as enjoyable as what had come before it. I hope you enjoy reading it all when you get the chance.
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You have smashed it with hell boy, the sword really finishes him off, absolutely great work. Sorry to hear the bad news regarding the breakages and neighbours hope things work out!
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Thank you, mate! I’m glad you like the final results and we’ll see how life outside of painting pans out over the next couple of weeks. A new dishwasher is coming in a couple of days so that won’t hurt.
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Man, that sword is something, let’s say, spectacular, to behold, mate, great work!
The colour looks gold/green, at least on my computer, is that right? Very nice, either way.
Sorry to hear about your issues, hope things sort themselves out.
Lol! I had the same experience with the Silmarillion. I tried reading it several times before I finally conquered it. It has a lot of interesting things in its pages but it certainly isn’t easy to let them out!
If I remember rightly, it was put together after he died by his son and I think that’s why it is like it is and not an easy read. For anyone into Tolkien’s lore it’s a must read.
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Thanks, mate! There actually is no green used on the sword. Its shades of brown and then desaturated with some ivory at the end. I used a lot of the usual colors I use for gold minus some of the reddish colors, if you can believe it!
I think you’re right on Silmarillion being put together by Christopher Tolkien. In a lot of ways, the book feels like a bunch of notes and ideas that his Dad was trying out but didn’t necessarily intend to share. It definitely gives insight into Tolkien’s writing and we can thank his son for sharing it with us š
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Wow, that sword looks incredible! Good luck in the painting competition. I suspect that being your manager for painting would be more lucrative than being mine for gaming š
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Thanks mate and don’t be so sure, haha! I don’t paint anything for commission because I am a true artist that can only follow his muse š Having said that, there are times where I think, “I wish I could just paint for my job all day instead of the actual job I have” though for sure!
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Painting for a job would be rubbish though, because you’d have to treat it like a job and not like a fun hobby. I like being able to dip in and out as the mood takes me.
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I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know how you stay motivated working with someone else’s miniatures. I’ve never done a commission and I can’t imagine I ever will.
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Excellent work on Hellboy here. The sword in its final form is certainly a unique part of the model – doesn’t look like metal at all really – more like some sort of strange amber-adjacent crystal perhaps? I also like the gradient of colours on his cloak with the touch of brown added toward the bottom as well as the foot details. Still, the original one you have there is no slouch – and in a lot of ways I prefer it to the new one (sorry!) which I think is largely due to the model being much more of a “classic” Hellboi.
Good luck on the applicances. Our fridge-freezer died a couple of days before one of the early lockdowns, so I certainly feel your pain. I’ve also had neighbour trouble with some morons who have little regard for the others around them with very loud music late at night, so I have empathy there (and we’ve had some real shockers in the past). Luckily these ones have (mostly) settled down more recently but still manage to be annoying in the earlier hours once or twice a week. Hopefully yours gets sorted out for the best sooner than later…
I’ve had the book of The Silmarillion for years but never gotten as far as reading it – I recently picked it up on Audible using one of their “3 months for $1 each” but can’t say I’ve gotten as far as listening to any of it there, either. Maybe one day – or perhaps not if your comments here are anything to go by… š
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Unbelievable, mate! I don’t know why I let you and Brian hang around here if you aren’t going to blindly support my opinions! š In all seriousness, I’m glad you like both Hellboy minis and I will look forward to you painting yours one day. If you’ve got the resin version, then consider me jealous!
That doesn’t sound good at all, mate. It sounds like you’ve had somewhat similar issues to me. The new dishwasher is great now that we’ve got installed. The neighbor issue is only marginally better with no solution in sight, unfortunately.
The Silmarillion might be best used as a sleeping aid. It is a tough read and while I’ve heard some people love it, I’m not even sure I could say that I enjoyed reading it. Take that for what you will š
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