Progress Report 10/28/13 - Halloweenies.

Yowza! It's almost the end of October and I haven't managed to paint much at all. Let's see what this nerd tally says about my productivity:

• Started a Streetbowl pitch.
• Lost my first Streetbowl league game. 
• Saw Obituary play live. 
• Spent a week recording new SEPLOPHOBIA stuff. 
• Played a live show.
• Painted a commission piece.
• Played an Arena of Death scenario in the D&D 3.5 campaign and killed 7 of 9 PCs.
• Played another Pathfinder Society module and saved the party from a couple ugly situations. 
• Painted up a cool They Live mask for Halloween. 
• Drank a lot of beer. 
• Started working on two more commission pieces.

There you have it. Very little in the way of proper "miniatures" painting but plenty of gaming and other nerd related stuff. Between my games and radio shows I find less time to paint all the damn time! Working hard to give myself at least 15-30 minutes each day. Here are a few photos of my progress from the last few weeks:

Started off with this mask made of two masks, paper mache, and a bit of sculpty.

Blocked out the main colors.

Added some washes and layers (stuck on the eyes here for a quick look)

Highlights on the exposed areas and mouth/jaw.

Final highlights on the skin and glossy bits on the exposed areas.

Rawrrr shirtless warriors are go!

Beer Review - Greenbush Dunegras.

Not my image! It is a nice shot of the beer though.

Greenbush Brewing Company - Dunegras

Beer Type: American IPA - 6.70% ABV

Appearance: Another unique looking label in what I now think of as the Greenbush style. 12 oz brown bottle with the beer pouring a cloudy reddish brown. Just a little bit of head but it left some nice lacing.       

Smell: Pine and resinous hops, a bit of grassy smell, something a bit spicy and citrus? Smells good.  

First Drink: Malt up front then a bit of sour citrus followed by a little of the grassy flavor I smelled in the aroma. Not bad!  

Mouthfeel: A little oily and sticky for me, but the overall feel is medium bodied, and the carbonation is nice.   

Last Drink: More of the same just bigger! More sour citrus, more sweet maltness, and a hint of peppery/grassy flavor with a solid bitter finish.          

Drinkability: Oddly drinkable but not particularly memorable. We're spoiled for tasty Michigan IPAs here and this would not be my go to any time soon.           

Notes: Second been I have had from this brewery and I am still not "wowed". It's not bad but I'd take some Short's over this right about now.          

Verdict: 3.75 out of 5. Love the theme and look of this brew but the price is a bit steep for this level of complexity.              

Beer Review - Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine (2013)

 
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale (2013)

Beer Type: American Barleywine - 9.60% ABV

Appearance: 12oz brown bottle with a cartoony bigfoot kinda thing going on. This label needs an update, something more like the Narwhal label which is pure badassery. Beer is a clear copper color with a fizzy biege head.       

Smell: Spicy hops and sweet malt are in the front with something just a bit smokey coming through as well (and then the high ABV).   

First Drink: Malt, hops, yeast, repeat. A very nice balance between the three and you can taste the distinct "cycles" maybe? There is a lingering bitter hops flavor which helps cleanse the palate.     

Mouthfeel: Thick and sticky with nice carbonation. If you like your beer tacky then you'll wanna try this.     

Last Drink: More sweet malt now and something almost a bit "metallic" but not in a bad way? Probably the alcohol? Big flavors all around!            

Drinkability: Barleywine is not an especially drinkable beer type in my experience. That experience has changed with Bigfoot. I have downed multiple of these in one sitting and didn't regret it.             

Notes: Had this beer last year too but I guess I didn't review it? Took me a long time to get ahold of this here in Michigan this year but I am glad I did! Great stuff.           

Verdict: 4.5 out of 5. Want an introduction to Barleywine? Look no further. Get kicked in the arse by a big foot. 

Progress Report 10/2/13 - Taking It To The Streets.

I win KUBBL. Everyone quits playing!? Looks like our league will perhaps be taking a "break". In the meantime I hope to run a small Streetbowl league because... why not!? To that end I started building a Streetbowl pitch. Here is what I got done. 

Step 1: Cut out lots of 25mm squares for spaces/cobblestones/tiles

Step 2: Cuss and cut foamcore, then glue squares to board

Step 3: Cuss when the board starts to bow a bit as it dries

Right now I am flattening the board and working on the street walls which will have a raised stone/brick texture on them. Having a lot of fun working on this and I hope it turns out great! In the meantime... what team should I try running in a Streetbowl league? I am thinking Khemri or Lizardmen would be fun.