Reaper Bones: Gruff Grimecleaver, Dwarf Pirate

With the elf pirate out of the way, I decided the dwarf pirate had to come next.  The second of four figures in the Bones I Pirates set is 77133 Gruff Grimecleaver, Dwarf Pirate.

First Look:  Unlike the elf pirate, I have seen dwarf pirates (such as Long Drong Slayer's Dwarf Pirates from Games Workshop).  That said, I really like this figure and I think it stands as an excellent example.  When the original metal figure was converted to Bones, they replaced a chicken in the left hand with a pistol (the original version was a dwarf cook).  I think it's a good change, as it makes the figure more viable as a combatant, while retaining the cleaver can allow him to still pass as a cook.

Painting:  With the large, blank "canvas" of this figure's shirt, I decided I wanted to try something a little outside my comfort zone.  The figure reminded me of the Lego pirate minifigures I had when I was younger, so I decided to paint him in a similar color scheme - striped shirt and all!  I chose blue for the pants (VGC Imperial Blue, Magic Blue, AP Strong Tone Ink), and a blue and white striped shirt (VGC Imperial Blue, MSP Linen White, AP Soft Tone Ink).  The bandana was painted red (VGC Gory Red, AP Strong Tone Ink) as that was becoming the unifying color for my crew of pirates.  The leather bits (boot, belt, pouches, cleaver grip) were painted a medium-dark brown (MSP Ruddy Brown, Oiled Leather, AP Strong Tone Ink), with an even darker brown for the wooden bits (pistol, peg leg, and pipe) (MSP HD Umber Brown, AP Dark Tone Ink).  The metal bits were painted silver (VGC Chainmail, AP Dark Tone Ink), and I opted not to use any gold as this seemed to be more of a "working class" dwarf that hadn't yet made his fortune.  The skin was painted a reddish tone (MSP Rosy Skin, AP Soft Tone Ink) with a black beard (VGC Coal Black, Sombre Grey).  Finally, the base was painted a sandy color (VGC Ginger Cookie, AP Soft Tone Ink).

Conclusion:  This is one of the best figures I've painted recently, and I am extremely happy with how it turned out.  I'm still surprised that I was able to paint so many straight lines on the figure's shirt!  Everything came together very nicely on the figure, and the Lego pirate color scheme worked great.  This is definitely a piece I am proud of, and I think it's a milestone of how much my skills have improved in just the past two years.

- M:M