Hello friends - I have been a bit unmotivated of late - no games for a while and not painting anything much in the way of figures, so I have not had a lot to post about (although I should finish off our trip to the S Island at the beginning of November - maybe I will do that next time)
Anyway, here's is an eclectic mix of bits and pieces.
First up, a couple of weeks ago, I bought two packs of oil barrels (20 per pack) from a small 3d printer in Wellington, I suspected they may not be quite right for 28mm but when he reduced his price to $3 per bag, plus postage, I pressed Buy Now! They duly arrived and are really nice, crisp prints - but there was one problem....
They are a tad too big!! After some email comms, he offered to redo them for me at a reduced scale - 15mm high and 12mm circumference - for $15 including postage, he would send me 60 barrels, some crates and some weird sci-fi type of terrain - I assume they all come together on the same STL file and he had to print them all anyway. The result arrived today - the purple barrel on the right!
I have about thirty of these crates I think
And 2 or 3 each of these odd things - I am sure I will find a use for them!
Today's haul above - and below the "large" barrels - I still reckon I can find a use for them as industrial terrain scatter.
And here are a couple of 3d bridges from Temu - about $10 each thanks to Black Friday sales!
The one above is the same model I already have - I just painted it different shades - grey rather than earthy browns
Side on views of the second, single span bridge
And finally, with the Temu order, I got a couple of fountains for all those town squares everywhere in the last 2-300 years!
The first is a kind of concrete grey
And the other a warmer shade akin to sandstone
Next, we have a picture of my wife (who had her 61st birthday yesterday 8 Dec) aged about 24 when we first met in the UK in 1988
Why you ask - well I have used her as a basis for a few AI images - and you need to know what she looks(ed) like to judge the AI results!
The German one is the greatest likeness, for sure! (I did try to get it to put her face in a Bund Deutscher Madel poster - but it apologised and said it wasn't allowed to do that!)
Here are a few more "live action" images I created
Soviet sniper
Fighting Girlfriend in a T34 turret
A Night Witch Soviet bomber pilot
Luftwaffe Signals (not sure on the accuracy of the uniform or radio equipment though!)
A WAAF during the Battle of Britain
British Ack Ack Gunner
Russian Gunners (I don't know why the middle one is black and white, I didn't ask it to do that!
A Soviet scout - the last four below I used a different photo when she was aged around 40, I think!
And to finish off, here are a few of the TWENTY FIVE dahlia plants she has bought and planted over the last 6-9 months
The upside is, she has cut flowers for the house on tap so she (or occasionally I) won't have to shell out buying any for a while!
I am sure most realise these ones are actually sweet peas!
Bonus shot of our 14-year-old dog, Sam.
OK that's it - I hope no one thinks it's too weird, me posting a whole series of pictures of my 35+ years ago wife in various WW2 guises - I just thought it was interesting to see how accurately the AI can reproduce an image of a real person.
Here is one final one - I don't think even she would realise this wasn't genuine - although she didn't really smoke very much, it wasn't completely unknown in 1989 or 90!
Nice scatter terrain and the larger ones are definately usable in an industrial context I think? The bridge and fountains are great too.That's some AI rabbit hole you've gone down, see you on the other side!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks Iain - yep - I think the AI rabbit hole may have a bit to do with the lack of gaming stuff getting done - I blame Mark for leading me astray!
DeleteNot sure where you’re going with the AI thing old fruit, but welcome to the world of overscale - (the barrels might work for 1:35 Tamiya stuff I reckon?) the fountains are lovely especially the way you’ve painted the water.
ReplyDeleteCheers JBM - I am not sure where the AI road will lead either - but nowhere too dark, promise! I think the barrels are probably a bit small for 54mm type figures - more like 1/48 I would say - but I will use them as small storage tanks or something probably....
DeleteEnjoyed seeing your latest 3D prints from Temu. I may give it a try one day. Your water in the fountain is well executed. I agree that the German farm girl could be your wife. The last rendering with the cigarette is an uncanny likeness.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jon, hopefully some figures or a game next time!
DeleteThe fountain looks good and the oversized barrels would be good for mounting figures on while painting …. Like my painting corks!
ReplyDeleteCheers Norm, that is a good idea re the large barrels.
DeleteGlad to see new stuff from you!
ReplyDeleteExcellent stuff.
Thank you Michal.
DeleteSome interesting terrain and all should be very handy although the sci-fi stuff may take some thinking to incorporate them, the small ones could possibly make explosion markers? Interesting stuff with the AI, there is a lot you can do with it that's for sure. Flowers look lovely beautiful colours.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough Donnie, I thought that about the Sci fi things too! I can also probably use them in Pulp settings. Glad you liked the dahlias too!
DeleteThe bridges and fountains are useful terrain additions.
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed, thanks Peter!
DeleteGW makes barrels for 40K and they look about the same size as your original purchase. The pink stuff looks way more in scale for Bolt Action though. Would love some for my own Air strip table decor, but I'm sure shipping from NZ is atrocious.
ReplyDeleteLove the Temu purchases tho! Fountains will stand out nicely on your tables and I really need to get a few bridges for my collection. Maybe Temu isn't the devil afterall?
AI is a funny thing. I dislike it, but somehow have found it everso useful for my DnD games!
Thanks Dai, I am very pleased with the second iteration of the 3d barrels etc.
DeleteTemu has been about 90% succes rate for me so far, I would recommend it, for what thats worth.
The AI has been a bit of fun for me but definitely a time thief!
I enjoyed my first foray into AI over an evening but have basically given it up for the time being as I managed to invest three or four hours for not much return, and became annoyed at the constant paywalls. Fair enough, they have to monetise it, but I'm just not at the point where I would part money for it. Lovely work on your part though Keith, and you and Mark are obviously becoming masters of the medium.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lawrence - yes, I have found it quite a fun activity, but it definitely burns through the time, as I have alluded to in other replies!
DeleteNice terrain stuff... once size was resolved!
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard - yes, the original barrels are lovely prints, but no way they are 28mm!
DeleteGreat scatter terrain Keith. The extra bits can help bulk out the bits box until needed.
ReplyDeleteThe fountains look great and will be a useful purchase.
I might try the AI on myself.... doing dashing things like jumping out of a chopper in 'Nam, landing on the moon, some James Bond stuff, wrestling T-rexes, etc. Tell the grandchildren how tough it was when I was growing up and how well I did 🤣🤣
Thanks Ben - the scatter terrain is definitely a useful addition - now I need to get it painted, of course.
DeleteI have done a few AI images of myself too - maybe I will use me as a model for some WW2 images next?!
Great idea Keith. Maybe planting the NZ flag over the burnt out remains of the Reichstag 😂
DeleteHaha - or even a Scottish saltire?!
DeleteInteresting Barrels and bridges. I don't share the AI enthusiasm, but I am sure that's just me being a Luddite.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joe and no issue with your attitude to AI - I used it at work for something practical for the first time a couple of days ago - it was a real time saver in that environment - and it wont replace me, it just means I don't have to spend 15 o\r 20 minutes writing a short description of something myself, the AI in Teams did it for me in about 20 seconds!
DeleteThose extra scatter terrain are very nice you should get plenty of use out of those.
ReplyDeleteThanks Scotty and I am sure I will.
DeleteNice update. I'm in a bit of a slump as well. It happens. I'm doing bits here and there, but trying to cobble a blog post together on top of that is a bridge too far. I'm both impressed and alarmed at the AI images: I think my favorite is the non-AI of her in 1988: I remember those days and that look!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ed, I was feeling pretty much the same way! I understand the mixed feelings about the AI....if I can do this with a free programme, what could a government create, if they wanted to?!
DeleteI like the original image too....that's why I used it as a basis for the AI creations!
I think governments have always had the resources to deceive (if they wanted to). What I'm really concerned about is that bad actors, when confronted with what used to be hard evidence of malfeasance, be it audio or visual, will be able to dismiss it as AI generated "fake news" (even more so than they already have).
DeleteYou don't have any particular "bad actor" in mind there, do you, Ed?!
DeleteGreat scatter terrain Keith. I like the fountain. What does your wife think about all the photos? I think my Mrs would kill me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray....and I think you know the answer to your question re the images.....
DeleteA great mix of terrain there Keith:). Those AI images are incredible and as mentioned before, how could you know whether they were real or not? Quite a scary prospect for those will ill intent! Nice to see the dahlias and sweet peas doing well, as both struggled with our very hot and dry Summer this year.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking terrain, and love the AI images of your lovely wife too!
ReplyDelete