By the power of Grayskull…

Hello there!

So, as you've probably noticed, this isn't one of my usual Five for Friday posts. The reason is simple... I’ve had my head down hammering away at my latest novel to hit the upcoming deadline, and that hasn’t left much time to read anything to recommend.

So, instead of delivering a half-arsed list of recommendations, I’ve decided to make Five for Friday fortnightly (or every two weeks if you’re American), at least until Easter and the manuscript is done. I managed another 15,000 words this week, taking me past the 60k milestone. Only 40,000 to go!

Which is why I hope you understand this little change to the newsletter schedule. I try to keep the Cavletter as regular as possible, and I’m looking at ways to make it pay so I can justify spending more time on it – but when I’m in the last throes of a novel, all plans have a tendency to go out of the window.

Normal service will be resumed soon!

The power of painting

Thankfully, my hobbies are keeping me sane, even if I'm barely reading anything but my own words. I've started a new project in lino class – printing a duckling for my duck-mad youngest daughter – and have also been unwinding by continuing my miniature painting journey.

However, as I mentioned in my last post about the hobby, the ’miniatures’ seem to be getting bigger, not smaller!

Case in point: the image I posted last week – my recently slapchopped Castle Grayskull dice tower from the Masters of the Universe Battleground game.

(Slapchopping, in case you're wondering, is the practice of spraying a model with black primer and then building up white layers using a brush barely loaded with white paint to highlight the detail. I hope I've explained that right. To be honest, I didn’t know it was called "slapchopping" until my pal C. Robert Cargill said that's what I’d been doing on Bluesky. Yes, I'm that much of a painting noob!)

Once Grayskull was drybrushed, I got to work, largely making it up as I went, with help from various YouTubers I discovered on the way.

And here's the final piece, ready for action just before Monday’s session with my D&D group — the mighty Orc-Botherers!

For the most part, I used speedpaints, a type of colour wash that seeps into the nooks and crannies, bringing out the shading you’ve already picked out with the slapchopping.

(I might have to start a band called The Slapchoppers, you know. Or The Slapchopping Five. I just love the name!)

For those who get excited about these things, I used Absolution Green from The Army Painter Speedpaintrange for the main colour, and Satchel Brown for the wooden details, including the tops of the turrets.

For the teeth, I went for Ashen Stone, with a splash of extremely watered-down Absolution Green over the ends once the grey had dried.

Then it was the turn of some watered-down Blood Angel Red from Citadel (lent to me by George Mann) to add a little flash to the eye sockets, along with dabs of Army Painter’s Dark Tone wash around the base to darken the rocks at the bottom of the castle.

Before finishing off, I picked up the dry brush again, adding some subtle – perhaps too subtle, looking at it now – otherworldly highlights using Citadel's Kabalite Green. A little Dirty Down Rust added detail to the metalwork, while the company's Moss effect dirtied up the wood and crept into the castle's crevices!

Job done.

And do you know what? I loved every minute – exactly the distraction I needed from my screens.

Why on earth – or should that be Eternia? – have I waited so long to give this a try?!

You gotta roll with it

The proof of the pudding, of course, came in how well Grayskull performed in the session.

Well, George made me film my first attempt using the tower, so you can see for yourself...

I may have got a little overexcited there! But a critical 20 on the first attempt? Come on!

Clearly the power of Grayskull was with me, after all. I'll take that as a good omen for the rest of the manuscript.

Until next time, look after yourself and each other – and let me know in the comments what hobbies you use to relax, as well!