The recent lull, for the last year and this recent fortnight, was due to my work on a history book covering 150yrs of the Ashburton Fire Brigade in New Zealand.

One of their oldest and most foundational stations. They literally wrote the rules for firefighting in New Zealand.

Working with the editor, we compiled and completed a 320pg book covering this Brigade since 1874 till now, in 2024.

Amidst some big celebrations in the town this week; which I have been invited to attend – I was just notified, this is going into the National Archive of New Zealand and Fire New Zealand (FENZ) archive.

To say I’m a little gobsmacked and additionally really satisfied after two years effort is putting it lightly. And amazing band of men through time and up to today, who volunteered their time, it has been a privilege to tell their tale (also in my free time) and get feedback from their community this week.

This has been a lifetime highlight.

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He’s a 3D miniatures sculptor “..and a sucker for orcs, trolls, goblins and any other ugly creatures.” – his words.

For the last 4 years I’ve been working for Big Child Creatives and CMON on lots of projects, such as A Song of Ice and Fire Tactics, Zombicide, Marvel United, DCased, Mordred, or my favourite, Paul Bonner’s The Dead Keep.

Paul Bonner you say?

So he has a Kickstarter active right now (click here).

A few examples:

Way more on the kickstarter page.

Expect to see some of these on Eastern Empire soon!

– Sebastian

The post The Longsnout Orcs appeared first on Eastern Empire.

In a few cases, also for parts to complete classic kits. Which had me happen upon this model kit:

Well, that is clever. In many respects its like the precursor to the wheeled vehicles the Votan have today. Akin to the first Rhino and the modern kit we now have.

So impressed was I, that I commissioned a printing:

Forgetting to ask for doubles in certain files, hello headlights, – I have spares so this is a small problem. Note the exhausts have upward pipes (see layout image). Overall, a tight, close to original parts, model. As you can see I’ve already fitted classic parts.

A bit of cleaning up to do, and some extra details – I’m pretty happy. Sizes up well with a classic Rhino, yet takes that STC down a different route, as the more pragmatic Squats would have done so.

More from my Retro Collection soon.

The post Remixing a Classic for Squats appeared first on Eastern Empire.

Get yourself a painting note book, super handy.

The post Dear Painting Diary.. appeared first on Eastern Empire.

So, how did my paints do without being used for a little over three years? Not bad, not good.

All my Vallejo are fluid and completely fine.

I lost four Citadel pots, with seven marked for probable replacement. Unsurprisingly, not a single classic paint pot failed. Here, we have all my dried Boltgun Metal paints, alongside my stalwart and still usable 1990’s pot I bought in the UK around 1999.

Other than this, overall, not totally unexpected.

I also added cheap glass beads into all my paints as an agitator – very economical compared to metal and other “agitator” products on the market. These have already stirred up some of my settled bright colours – additionally I put pairs into my AK Interactive Matte Varnish and Vallejo Grey Primer – they were fine, but I really want to stir  these prior to use.

The post Old paints vs New paints vs time. appeared first on Eastern Empire.

Thought to myself, well that looks handy. Quick internet purchase, small wait and finally set up.

Well.. this is handy. As you can see now, I used Squig rider head, Empire Wizard hood, Bretonnian bowman chest and arms, Dwarf pouch, and clipped Gloomspite bow ends.

Should have done this way sooner. Likely about to update my quality of paint jobs, with details no one will ever see on the table top.

I jest, to be sure, greenstuff work will be even more accurate now I believe.

I have to complete gaps and fur on the new wolves, perfect project to get my sculpting skills back in line and try out this new tool.

The post Well this is handy.. appeared first on Eastern Empire.

After some fiddling with the original, then a form of Orc kit crossover, I settled on simply, scratch building the entire thing.

The toughest part is converting the crew. Identifiable with my army, and fit on the chariot, as a team. Accompanied by my usual wolf conversions, with a focus on a sense of hauling weight forward. The leftmost being a good indicator.

Parts are sourced from:

• Front wall of an Orc chariot.
• Ogre Tribes lookout tower
• Goblin Chariot base
• My usual Chaos Hound, Fenrisian Wolf head kitbash

So far we have the quite unsure stabba, a zealous stikka, with the driver being worked on next.

The eventual straps etc are likely to be the fiddliest parts of this build. Then add various decor bits.

Unfortunately, old Chaos Warhounds are becoming increasingly rare to find. So a second in lieu of two more Wolf Riders is a tough call.

The post Warhammer Goblin Wolf Chariot appeared first on Eastern Empire.

Judiciously flocked bases on 25mm The Old World compliant squares. Luverly Guv’

For my static grass I used Army Painter Battlefield Grass, a nice middle ground between the Out of Production GW Static Grass and other popular brands aiming for a summer look.

Now, to complete a few extra Wolf Riders (20 > 30) and a surprise model. Then it’s time to march out and get some loot.

The post Axe Bite Tribe TOW ready appeared first on Eastern Empire.

The latest iterations are below – filling out my Empire based Unaligned goblins – usually riding grey and black wolves with a tendency for hoods and skulking about the forests, as opposed to the Axe Bite Tribe’s charging mountain wolf riders that plague the tundra of the Grey Mountains.

A few mold lines, some basecoating (the current eBay wolf bits isn’t too thick thankfully), may spend some time on fun hood patterns. I have a standard bearer and drummer to complete next.

The post Warhammer Goblin Wolf Riders Grow appeared first on Eastern Empire.

Well, I have two rooms, in a renovated 1950’s farm cottage in rural New Zealand, dedicated to my creative pursuits. One is my pro design studio space and the room featured in this post, with paint splattered floor, is my creative space for hobby and art painting in general.

It took me a month to renovate all the rooms I needed initially, just a large lounge to finish off. But finally, I had two rooms filled with handmade items, graphic design decor and usual items of absurdism that surround designers. My favourite being a vintage typography tray, where molded typeface print keys were kept in the printing press days – I have way too many of these.

After a couple of years, I moved all my design gear into one room and dedicated the the above space as my hobby room. So, what are we looking at?

Left to right; Designer faff chair then handmade drawers by a retired woodcrafter I hired to support local business (this has all my models in each drawer) atop which The Axe Bite Mob sit right now as I reorganise the army (organising goblins is such a paradox).

Next to that, shelving kit for my bits boxes (all semi-transparent trays) a few figures out for prepping new regiments, all the black containers with yellow lids are holding stored projects, terrain and game boxes. Atop all this is my accounting archives, a miniature case, a spare commercial art canvas, spare keyboards for staff – alongside a tower of boxes holding IT gear.

Being a MAC studio, I have a plethora of Apple product boxes to be destined to hold vignettes like this one.

And yes, thats big to small in size. (look forward to posting these)

I move the mat around wherever I am working as it proves the ultimate bits catcher if something falls.

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