5 parts Baking Powder
5 parts Woodland Scenics Water Effects
5 parts Water
0.5 part white paint

Recorded to ensure continuity

Recorded to ensure future additions to the gang colour match:

Brown Leather

1) Under coat Black
2) GW Desert Yellow
3) GW Brown Ink

Green Webbing

1) Under coat Black
2) GW Catachan Green
3) Drybrush 25% GW Green Camo/25% GW Catachan Green/25% Vallejo Grey Green/25% GW Kommando Khaki

Recorded to ensure future additions to the gang colour match:

Snow Camo:

1. Black undercoat
2. Vallejo Grey Green base coat
3. Black detail
4. White detail

Green Camo:

1. Black undercoat
2. GW Camo Green base coat
3. GW Dark Flesh spots
4. GW Catchan Green spots
5. GW Desert Yellow Larger Spots

Cheers, Craig

Recorded to ensure future additions to the gang colour match:

1. Black Undercoat
2. GW Regal Blue
3. 50% GW Enchanted Blue, 50% GW Shadow Grey drybrush
4. GW Shadow Grey drybrush

Cheers, Craig

I ve just started painting my latest street gang which consist of a mixture of Em-4 miniatures, some copplestones and some TAG. I always struggle with flesh tones, but have played around and got a fairly good result with this combination:

1. Black undercoat
2. Vallejo Basic skin tone
3. Wash 20% Vermin Brown, 20% Bronzed flesh, 20% Basic skin tone, 40% water
4. Highlight Vallejo Light skin
5. Wash 20% Kommano Khaki, 20% Graveyard Earth, 10% Scorched Brown, 50% Water.

Pics to follow shortly.

Cheers, Craig

It's been a hugely long time since the last update due to work and family commitments, but the good news is that my OU Degree finishes for the summer in 2 weeks, and I have got loads of updates to post. I ve written a complete add on for Combat Zone which covers rules for Squats (Scifi Dwarves) in near a future settings (I was getting fed up with waiting for GW to resurrect them!), the 1st part of the squat biker gang is finished (complete with some conversions and some very sexy Bob Ollley Scrunts) and Ive got a ton of new buildings and scenery I'm working on which will be ready to show you soon. I'm also about to embark on a couple of new sculpts/conversions; a squat dog handler and a Squat Druid.

So for a taster, heres a low res pic of some of the Squat biker gang, ready for action.....in scenery shots to follow in about a fortnight.

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeups.....

I wanted to have a Radio Op to accompany my squat street gang so I created one from bits and greenstuff. It's mainly an an old GW model with a different GW arm (left) from my bitz box and a new one modelled (right) from greenstuff. The phone shaped handet is also a greenstuff creation made from 2 small balls that have been slightly squashed. The radio pack is a connector ripped from an old pc with a curly lead between pack and handset being made from thin wire. The aerial is also wire and the SMG on his left side is from Hasselfree miniatures, attached with a piece of wire over his shoulder to represent a sling.

Another one to be painted in leather and denim!!

Cheers, Craig

I ve been selling these on Ebay for a little while along with a few other models, miniatures & accesories suitable for conversions such as weapons and heads. The new UrbanFuture website is imminent and will include "a proper shop" selling all manner of modelling bits and miniature accesories, in the meantime you can contact me by emailing craig@urban-future.co.uk

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeups....

Finally the Greenleaf Chemicals ruined offies are finished!!! I set out to build a very distressed building using some new techniques such as weathering using washes and pastels and I'm very pleased with the results. I think the best bits are the rusted girders, made from snapped plastic cutlery handles and a rusted paint finish using layers of black, boltgun, red and orange.

The unpainted shell can be seen here: http://urbanfuture.blog.co.uk/2007/01/01/work_in_progress_of_new_ruin~1500840

Next up work starts on the garage and oil tank shown below...

Cheers, Craig

My Map & Mission generator were so good I'm throwing it all away and starting again!!

All joking aside I am re-building the map and mission generator from scratch as I've learnt a lot of VBA programming over the last couple of months which means I can now make a really interactive mission generator and some nice maps with different graphics dependent on the environment you are fighting in.

Expect it to take a few weeks but it is comming....

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup....

As the Greenleaf Offices project are comming to an end I thought I would start on the gas tank and garage I have been planning for a little while. The garage is a large corner piece of polystyrene I found augmented with some foamcore and corrugated card to make the offices and shutters, and the tank is an odd mixture of a sweetie tube from Xmas a lid from a shaving foam can and a childs fire hydrant from a defunct firemans kit!

My plans are to go with a dirty white and rust look for the tank and grimy concrete for the garage walls. More of this to come in due course....

Cheers, Craig

Ollies Armies do some great sculpts (Bob Olley is the man who sculpted many of the early GW squats), and these Texan "Scrunts" are no exception (see the whole range at http://www.olleysarmies.co.uk ). These guys along with some recent ebay purchases of Bob's earlier works will make the bulk of my squat street gang. Added a Hasslefree Axe to one as I have some specific axe rules for Squats that I play in Combat Zone. Bases have been augmented by milliput which has had a texture applied ready for painting.

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup.....

Well both bikers are finished and ready for sending to http://www.paintedfigs.com for their denim and leather look. Biker 2 was finished by sculpting a new hand from greenstuff and adding a cut down Hasslefree Miniatures Power Axe (great weapons packs for conversions by the way go to http://www.hasslefreeminiatures.co.uk ). As you saw previously new hair had already been added. Biker one was a simple arm build and a pistol made from some thin copper tubing and greenstuff.

Comments very welcome...

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup......

Well my latest ruin, the now delapidated offices of Greenleaf Chemicals PLC, is almost finished. For the first time I tried weathering using pastels over the washes and drybrushes and it seems to have worked pretty well. Just got the washes and weathering to finish on the collapsed roof, touch up some over paints and a few small details like the rusted corrugated metal and some pipework.

If you've got a new model you've built or painted that you would like to have on the blog, send it in and we will add a readers gallery and feature your work.

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup.....

Started on the 2nd biker conversion by adding some locks (he was bald previously).....I ask you a greasy biker without long hair !!! I think I'm going to arm this one with a power axe so he can chop at people as he drives into the troops on his hog :-)

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup.....

This is going to be a bugger to paint but should look good once finished. Scratchbuilt from foamcore, balsawood, matches, cardboard, plastic cutlery (I kid you not, the handles make great girders), straws, and a broken pen.

Will post more WIP pics once I get cracking. Next step is adding some gravel and grit before some grey base coats on the rubble.

Cheers, Craig

PS Happy New Year!!

http://www.tabletopterrain.com/archives/2006/08/26/656/

Click for closeup....

I ve been thinking about a few tiny but very nasty worms to inhabit the sewers of the Urban Future city and the other night whilst working on the squat sniper I had some greenstuff left over and started to fiddle about. These are dead easy to make and with the additon of a few fangs might well become the basic worm of our nightmares.

Cheers Craig

Click for closeup.....

Shown without arms (will be inlcuded) these Bob Olley old GW squats are perfect to compliment the militia I am putting together. I reckon these guys may end up going to Sri Lanka wih the troopers for a pro-paint job.....it would be a shame for me to cock them up!

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup.....

As usual it's taken a few weeks but I have finally finished painting and basing "Morben" my 1st ever attempt at a green sculpt (pics above). The next green, a Squat Sniper is already on it's way, however I have learnt a few lessons from this first effort, & I am hoping to loose the chubby arms and overly thick clothes by using greenstuff rather than milliput ......will post wen finished.

Cheers, Craig

Click for closeup.....

I am about to send 16 of these Future Wars Troopers off to PaintedFigs in Sri Lanka for a pro-paint job, knocked the one shown above out as a reference for them so the colours are right.

Flesh - Vallejo basic skin tone, Bronzed Flesh Wash, Vallejo Light Flesh Highlights.

Boots - Chaos Black, 50% Chaos Black 50% Codex Grey Highlights

Trousers - Graveyard Earth, Scorched Brown Wash,50% Graveyard Earth 50% Kommando Khaki Highlights.

Shirts - Shadow Grey, Regal Blue & Chaos Black Wash, 50% Space Wolves 50% Shadow Grey Highlights

Armour & Helmet - Chaos Black, 50% Chaos Black 50% Codex Grey Highlights

Weapons - Chaos Black, light drybrush Boltgun Metal, wooden grips/stock Scorched Brown

Comp Term - Codex Grey, Chaos Black Wash, Fortress Grey Highlights.

Sometimes it can be tricky to know what new colour scheme to give your latest troops or gangs, to make them distinctive but not garish.

Make a simple outline of a man in your preffered paint package, and then you can try different combinations of paint without all the hassle of painting your minis. As you can see above, I wasnt sure whether to go with GW Shadow Grey or Scab Red for my new troops tunics. Having tried out both I think the Shadow Grey is more suited to an Urban environment and will be using that. This is a very simple outline but you can, given time, include webbing, overlayed clothes and other detail.

Cheers, Craig.

I ve just finished knocking up this sandbag position, made from a little milliput some corrugated card and an old blister pack from some miniatures. A full tutorial will follow, but I am sure you get the basics from looking at the pic. To be painted when milliput has cured.

Cheers, Craig

I thought I would add this quick tutorial regarding painting generic camo. Its a simple 4 step process; I use this on many models and it works fine.

Step 1. Base coat in Black, then cover with Vallejo English uniform.

Step 2. Next cover with blotches of GW Kommando Khaki

Step 3. Mainly in the blotches of Kommando Khaki now add blotches of GW Green Camo, with a few areas overlapping into the English Uniform

Step 4. Finally add blotches of GW Catachan Green, this should be the dominant colour of the scheme, but leave some of the other colours showing

The finished camo design can be seen on the newly sculpted "Morben" by clicking on this link:

http://urbanfuture.blog.co.uk/2006/12/29/1stt_squat_sculpt_painted_and_finished~1491453

Cheers, Craig

As you can see the 1st green is finished, and I ve settled upon the name "Morben"; a name which I found using an online Dwarven name generator http://grey-starr.ca/Tools/random-male-dwarf-name.htm . The final stages of the sculpt were simply removing from the old base, adding a pair of boots, a new base and a few creases scratched into the surface of the clothes to try and give it a little more lived in look. The creases are very white and obvious at the momment but once painted they'll look fine.

Well for a first sculpt I'm pretty pleased with the results considering it taken just 10 days or so, including a couple of days away due to work. I'm certainly going to have a crack at a few more sculpts (particulalrly the squats) as it allows you to get exactly what you want in terms of character and pose. It's really no more tricky than doing a good paint job, it just takes plenty of patience.

In hindsight the arms a probably a little long and a little too rounded, and the jacket a bit bulky....but hey for a first sculpt Im happy

Things I've learnt in the process:

1) Milliput is a bitch for detail, going to try proper greenstuff next time.

2) Walk away when you're eyes are tired, you'll make mistake.

3) Make the weapon and then add it to the model (I made the axe handle stuck it on and then tried to add the axe head ....duh!!)

4) Use plenty of water to smooth the milliput, use an old small paintbrush loaded with water and go round and round in circles to smooth the clay.

5) Read plenty on the web first, and make photos/drawings of the pose you want before starting. Invest in a small manaquin if need be (12" manequin is just £5.00 at Hobbycarft at the mo).

6) Dont give up, what can seem like a lost cause one minute can quickly change for the better.....the opposite is also true so keep your chin up!)

7) Join the Yahoo sculpting group and search the archives, there's plenty of info on how to do all sorts of detail such as faces and creased clothing.

8) Spend £8.00 and buy a couple of rubber tipped shapers from a craft shop. I started last week with a really nasty plastic scraper and it was too stiff for most things.

9) Take photographs and make notes as you go through the process they make a great reference for the next sculpt.

10) Make several minis at once, I just made one and there is loads of down time whilst you wait for the green to harden...I've since seen a website suggesting you work on 3 minis at once so you can work on one whilst 2 are hardening.

Paint job to follow shortly....and the next member of the Squat Squad....Tungren the Sniper.

Cheer, Craig

Made a very simple pistol from milliput, left it to dry overnight and then scratched away to form a suitable shape. Stuck on with a little blob of milliput, and then when cured, formed a hand around the grip with a thumb to one side....very tricky, but looks OK.

As you can see the bottom of the trousers and boots need a complete re-model.....then ther's just a few minor details and the all important paint job. I'm thinking red hoodie, woodland Camo jacket, green trousers and brown leather bags and belt.

Cheers, Craig

As my first miniature is comming to a close I ve started to think about my next civilian squat and I am going to try a prone sniper.

One thing I found with my first mini was getting the pose right was very difficult despite taking photos and making plenty of sketches. To help I managed to buy a very cheap 12" posable anatomical figure from Hobbycraft yesterday (£5 )and have started to play with different poses based on photos I ve found on the web. Im already finding it much easier to envisage the final sculpt.

My intention is to go for a well camouflaged individual with a cloak and hood covering much of his back, so sculpting detail should be limited to his arms and hands and upper torso. Again his head will probably come from one of my many 28mm heads I had sculpted earlier this year, as will his snipers rifle which I had cast in the early summer.

Cheers, Craig

A slight change of heart. Despite my intention to have him holding a pistol aloft, I thought I would go with something a little different, a 2 piece shoulder launched rocket on his back and an axe in his hand. I'm guessing it's one of those things that once you start making minis they take on a life of their own and you get a feel for what would look right. Perhaps I was worried he would just look like Father Christmas with a Beretta?

Anyway, a 1/16 x 0.14 brass tube makes the axe handle, and a couple of chopped up old weapons make the 2 piece rocket launcher strapped to his back. I had to remove one of the pouches but that seemed a small price to pay. The axe head is on but needs a litle sharpening and curving around the edges.

The right arm looks a bit chubby in the photo, but in real life it seems OK. Some jacket detail, maybe a holster, and a re-modelled base and boots and were done :-) Can't wait to paint him and get him on the table.

No doubt more tommrow, Cheers, Craig

After a few days away I'm back to the squat civilian, and I've started his coat and baggage. I gave him a little bit of a chubby belly as he ws looking a little svelt for a dwarf and then slowly worked a smooth coat on to him which will be detailed later by adding pockets and etching out detail. A simple thin sausage flatted out for a belt and a couple of bags added to the back for detail. Finally I added a beard...which makes him look a bit Santa Clausy . This was about another 2 hours work to get from the last pics to this stage.

Cheers, Craig

Earlier in the year I got a modern weapons pack and a couple of Argentine Commandos cast for use with my Falklands games. The weapons are good for converting existing dull models into unique ones. I ve sold a few sets to other gamers via ebay and the like, and they seem to have been pretty popular.

As a result I'm going to dip my toe into the SciFi arena in a very small way and I'm planning the release of a near future weapons pack for post Christmas. All will be 28mm (same size as Warhammer 40K, Copplestone, EM4 Etc). At present each pack will include:

2 x Bull Pup Blaster with Thermal Imaging Scope
2 x Heavy Pistol
1 x Sniper Rifle
1 x Near Future Battle Axe
2 x Thermal Imaging Binoculars
2 x Demolition Charges

As you can see there is a leaning towards night ops and despite modern technology the Axe is still deadly in a confined space (anyone for tunnels and sewers rules Combat Zone?)

The first bit of artwork is shown above (helps having a wife who works in graphic design who can transform my scrawls into proper images!)

All comments, suggestion for other inclusions very welcome,

Cheers, Craig

I ve created a little excel application that creates a random terrain layout everytime you load it, giving you variations in urban and natural terrain and objective markers. There is also a full random mission generator. As you can see from the screen dumps above it provides a terrain layout for a 6 x 6 table, and full information on the mission type, the grid ref for the primary objective, the troops starting locations and strengths and even the time of day (allows you to play additional rules for night fighting).

You can download the application here:

Cheers, Craig

I thought todays job would be a simple one....add a pre-made head and a home made hoodie to the squat. I have around 500 heads that I got modelled and cast earlier in the year for another project and decided that using one of these would be the best option given that much of the head would be obscured by the hoodie, and that as yet my modelling skills aren't upto a decent head. As for the hoodie, what should have been a simple fold of milliput seemed to cause no end of hassle, but on my third attempt I got a reasonable shape.

I am slowly realsing that this is totally absorbing and addictive and that you're never quite satisfied with what you achieve. For a control freak like me it's frustrating but must be good therapy! Looking at the feet I think I will have to change the stance it doesnt look quite right to my eyes.....I can re do them later (this is mantra I now chant regularly :-)

Next up will be the coat, although there may be a delay of a day or 2 due to "proper" work :-)

If anyone wants any heads for similar projects(8 for £1.00 + postage), or present day weapon packs (2 of each SLR, ammo box, sniper rifle, LAW 66 and Carl Gustav in each pack for £1.50 + Postage) just let me know.

Cheers, Craig

So, todays progress, a rough torso and arms and a pair of trousers.......they weren't joking when they suggested you need patience :-) The hardest part is only having the one model to work on at the momment and having to wait for long periods between work. I dont want to start another one as I have some E Bob armatures coming this week.

I ve taken a few photos of my son dressed in a hoodie and coat holding the pose I want to achieve so I can see exactly where the creases are in the cloth and how it all hangs. I am starting to realise I didnt pick an easy subject....why didnt I go for something like "The Blob" to start with?

I've done some more research on the web and found a few ways to make weapons and pouches, these dont look too ticky. More tommorow.......

Cheers, Craig

I had to try it sometime. The last human greens I had made cost me nearly £100 each, and squats cost about £75, so I thought I would try my hand at some simple sculpts, working on the theory that even if it takes me a year to get it right it still will be infinitely cheaper, and only my time I have wasted.

I ve ordered a set of human armatures from Ebob Miniatures (to make life simpler), but in the meantime I've started a squat sculpture to accompany the baddies below ground in the sewers. I want something that I cant find easily; squats in civvies so they can play sewer gangs rather than troops. As suggested on various websites I drew a couple of very poor sketches so I could get an idea of pose before launching in:

A simple squat wearing a hoodie and a pistol held aloft.

So, with my drawing in hand and a couple of Hasselfree and Bob Ollie squats alongside for size comparisons, I tentatively bent my first wire and got a bit of milliput around it....this is how far I've got.....a rough skeleton pair of legs and feet on a base! No doubt more pics to follow......hold your laughter until you see tommorows efforts.

Cheers, Craig

Well after a slight pause....here are 2 squads of painted Sub Recon Unit troops, both 4 man teams made up of Ollies Armies Scrunts, and Grymn. I have rules for squats as sewer fighters, which didn't make the final "What's That Noise" add-on. Please let me know if you would like a copy

All Colours Games Workshop unless specified.

1. Chaos Black undercoat
2. Clothing - Regal Blue with Enchanted Blue Highlights.
3. Armour - Chaos Black, Drybrush Codex Grey.
4. Webbing - Codex Grey with Brown Ink Wash
5. Pistol and Rifle Stock - Scorched Brown.
6. Hair - Various Browns and Yellows with drybrushes.
7. Flesh - Vallejo Basic Skin Tone and then washed with 50/50 water and Bronzed Flesh.
8. Paving - Codex Grey, washed with 50/50 water and Chaos Black.
9. Cap Badge - Blood Red

The S.R.U. all wear dark blue clothing (jump suits, trousers, jackets Etc) with dark grey body armour (matches the dark and damp sewers they work in). Members from the same platoon wear the same colour flash on either their helmet, or webbing for identification purposes, in this case red. Webbing is standard issue brown leather pistol holder, ammo pouches and pack where appropriate. A 4 man squad consists of a Squad Leader who acts as spotter, a Trooper (who is trained as the squad Medic), Radio Op and a Munitions Officer (who may also double as the BATS controller). Weaponry is typically Auto Shotgun, Machine Gun, Machine Pistol or Rifle with thermal imaging scope.

Cheers, Craig

After many a late night the Combat Zone rules add-on "What's that Noise?" is finished and is available as either a PDF download (ready to print) or in web format at the Combat Zone chronicles. Just click the file below to view or download the 1.3Mb file (20 pages of new weapons, squads and combat rules):

Please see the entry below for full details of what's included in the add on which provides additional rules for fighting in the sewers below the cities of the near future. Unfortunately the planned inclusion of Dwarves (Squats) didnt make it :-( However I have started work on a set of rules, specialist weapons and trikes for Squats in Combat Zone.......to be released.......who knows when!!!

As always feedback is useful and appreciated.

Cheers, Craig

Well I admit it hasnt been the quickest ever turn around since conception but the "Tunnels and Sewers" add on for Combat Zone will be finished this weekend.

What started as a small rules expansion now includes all the following:

1) Full rules for M.O.S.T (Military Operations Sub Terrain) including adapted coherency, movement, shooting and reaction tests.

2) A new military unit (the S.R.U. - Sub Recon Unit) with specialist rules for movement and combat.

3) Specialist rules for gangs fighting on their "Home turf".

4) New Recon drones called B.A.T.S - R (Battle Aware Targeting Systems - Recon) which allow the battlefield to be scouted pre troop deployment.

5) New Combat drones called B.A.T.S - C (Battle Aware Targeting Systems - Combat) which can be controlled remotely to carry payloads of gas and mines into enemy territory.

6) New weapons and their use in M.O.S.T, including Gas, Sonic, and Flashbang grenades, Spider Mines, Flame Throwers, and Flechette Guns (thanks Danny Stevenson for the last 3).

7) New equipment such as mobile scanners, thermal imagining scopes and goggles, "SubUp" radios and B.A.T.S. controllers.

8) Rules for traps such as claymore mines and trip wires.

9) "Ready made" lists of S.R.U. squads and gang members (with points values attributed).

15+ pages........and all of this costs.......nothing!!!!!!!

I could do with a good artist to help me out if there's anyone out there who can draw drones, weapons and kit?

Let me know ASAP if you can help.

Cheers,

Craig

Just won these on Ebay......thought they would be a good rival gang to the Urban Camo Crew:

Looks like my table going to be busy over the next few weeks with all these new troops to try out.

Cheers, Craig

I had an idea of using the Games Workshop Tallarn range to make a gang for Combat Zone, but I didnt want to do the standard desert camo that most seem to be painted in, but an urban twist on the theme. I finally settled on an urban camo scheme and painted the first 3 gang members as a test to see what they looked like, using a single Tallarn and 2 TAG SAS to add some variety. Some gang members wear the camo, some only partially wear it with Khaki or street clothes, but all members must wear the blue headress which seperates the gang from the enemy in the thick of a firefight.

Urban Camo

1) Black undercoat
2) Space Wolves Grey
3) Regal Blue
4) Skull White
5) Chaos Black

Boots & Gloves

1) Black undercoat
2) Scorched Brown
3) 50% Kommando Khaki/50% Scorched Brown drybrush

Headress

1) Black undercoat
2) Regal Blue
3) 50% Regal Blue/50% Space Wolves Grey drybrush

Webbing

1) Black undecoat
2) Catachan Green or Desert Yellow
3) As above + 50% white drybrush

Weapons

1) Black undercoat
2) Boltgun Metal drybrush

Faces

1) Black undercoat
2) Flesh mix (see below):

3x light flesh
2x kommando khaki
1x scorched brown
1x dark flesh
1x desert yellow

3) 50% Brown Ink/50% water wash
4) 50% Light Flesh/50% Kommando Khaki drybrush

The all important camo in close up.....

Will finish the remaining gang members over the forthcomming weeks and post a group shot up with some terrain so you can see them in action.

Thanks to the guys at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/CombatZone for their suggestions and help with the Urban Camo scheme.

Cheers, Craig