Banners

Recently I made a banner for a Blood Angels sergeant.  I was able to take the logo of my favorite 40K podcast Life After the Cover Save and turn it into a banner for a squad of space marines.  Here's how you can make banners of your own. 

 

What you'll need:

1. Digital image, the picture you want on the flag.
2. Microsoft Word or any word processing software that will allow you to place pictures inside the page.
3. Paper, you can use regular printing paper, but I recommend you buy a few sheets of the good stuff so the banners colors remain vivid. 
4. Elmer's glue, the Brits call it PVA glue. 
5. A plastic rod, or stick to turn into a banner pole.  You can use toothpicks, metal rod, polystyrene etc.
6. X-acto knife
7. Pencil
8. Old paint brush
9. Ruler
10. Matt Varnish
11. A Surface to cut on. 

To Begin with you need to have the pictures you want to use stored on your PC.  Create a folder where these images are easy to get to.  You can choose to edit the size of your picture now, or later when you are importing the pictures onto your document.  If you wish to do it now, click on your picture and edit it until the height of the picture is the right dimension consistent with the size of your banner pole.  I recommend 1" in height, the length will readjust automatically.  Save the picture, and make sure you are including the height of the picture in the picture title.  This will make it easier to find in your files. 

Open up a new page on Microsoft Word, click on the Insert Tab, then the Shapes Tab.  Select a rectangle shape, and make a rectangle on your page about 6"x 8".  The color you chose will become the background of your flag, or it's border depending on what your picture looks like.  An example would be if the background of your picture is black, and you create a black rectangle, the picture background and black rectangle will blend together and give you a smooth transition.  If the picture background is different, then your rectangle color you will be able to make a trim around your picture, giving the impression of a border around your picture. 

Import your picture onto the Microsoft Word Doc. Click on your picture and choose the Wrap Text option, then the In Front of Text option. This will bring your photo out to the front of the rectangle  you have created.  Click on your picture and use the Size and Position option, here's the your second chance to play around with the dimensions, remembering that your banner needs to fit your banner pole. You can now import the same picture again, or choose a new one. Keep in mind that the pictures you choose should be close in size, so both sides of your banner will be in proportion.  Aline the pictures side by side, and space them out so that you will be able to create a span of paper to wrap around the banner pole, between 1/4"-3/4" depending on the girth of  your banner pole.  Remember to place the pictures close to the center so there's plenty of room for you to cut material away during the next part of the project.  Save the page, and Print it. 

 

 Take the page and apply matt varnish to it.  I use Krylon matt varnish.  Wait for the varnish to dry.  Take the page and tape it down to your cutting surface.  Use your ruler and pencil to draw the lines of your banner around your pictures.  I created a 1/4" order around everything.  Draw the spacers between the pictures which will be the banner border and material which will attach your banner to its pole.  You can also choose to make pennants attached to the back of your flag by extending lines outward and bring them back to the border of your flag, forming triangles.  Once all your lines have been established, cut the banner out using an X-acto knife. 

Using a old paint brush, apply watered down glue to the inside of the flag. apply glue to both sides.  Take your banner and wrap it around your banner pole.  This is a messy process, bear with it.  Join both sides together and hold them there waiting for the glue to start bonding.  Make sure to press down around the flag material that's attaching directly to the pole, it should be a snug fit.  You need to begin making folds in your flag now as the glue is setting.  Just use your fingers to shape the folds out.  Once everything drys you will see some extra white material here and there.  You can choose to paint over this, or cut it out with your exacto knife.  Take a Sharpie marker, or a good brush and paint the edges of your banner to hide all the white paper underneath. Use the tip of the your brush, not the edge to paint in the white overlap. 

40K Battle

I played a game of 40K vs my buddy Alex.  I ran my orks, he ran his Chaos Space Marines army.  Long story short, I won.  In Alex's defense, it was his first time playing 6th Ed 40K.  He ran a balanced Nurgle host, with Slaanesh demons as allies.  Alex's down fall was that he rushed me, and didn't take into account how important it is to be the defender during a charge.  The pictures posted below are some of the highlights of that batte. 

Blood Angels Update

Last night I finished my pro bono commission for Blake (Big Nasty B) from the Life After the Cover Save podcast.  Blake plays Warhammer 40K and uses a Blood Angels Space Marines army.  A while ago Blake came up with the idea of having his listeners paint up his miniatures.  A few people have already volenteered for the task.  I thought this would be a great way to say thanks for all the laughter he and the LAtCS crew have brought into my life in the past year. 

The following are a few shots of my painting progress on Blakes models.  All that's left is to paint the jump pack engines, add the LAtCS flag, varnish, and oil wash.  This project should have been over with weeks ago, I've just been precrastinating.  I finally found the time, and I'm going to complete Blake's Blood Angels tonight. 

 

Blood Angels Space Marines

I was given a combat squad of Blood Angels assault Marines from Blake (BnB, American Steel) from Life After the Cover Save to paint.  I was glad to receive the marines, and look forward to completing them.  I had to add some bits to complete the miniatures.  I also felt the Sergeant needed a more imposing heroic pose, so I included a banner pole in his left hand.  I will be painting up a LAtCS banner and attaching it to the pole.  I also elevated him above his men by using some cork tile to give the Sergeant a bit more height.  I airbrushed the primary red colors, and will be using my brushes to finish off the detail work.  I plan on using oil paints to shade the models after they have added the decals and a layer of clear coat. 

Taken 2

I watched Taken 2 yesterday for lunch and I have to say it was a letdown.    The lead character Bryan Mills is played by Liam Neeson. Bryan continues to be a Hostage Recovery and Personal Protection bad ass.   The action takes in Istanbul, Turkey, but the begining of the movie takes place in the U.S.  The introduction was very stale and sappy.  The script was to invested in establishing family ties.  I know Bryan loves his wife and daughter, it was clear at the end of the first movie Taken.  I'm not sure why we need to revisit his family and friends for 25 minutes at the beginning of the movie.  The viewers don't learn anything new about Bryans abilties or back story.  We do catch up with him in Istanbul, but we never get to see his skill develope as he keeps a client safe from harm.  All the views gets to see is Bryan being given a fat bonus, and then his ex-wife and daughter show up for no reason.  This is where the bad guys get involoved and the story begins to spiral down to its demise.  

  
 I am not sure why every movie shot in a Muslim country has to begin with a Muezzin doing the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer.  It’s to clique, and I wish Hollywood would stop doing it.  Just tell me their in a Muslim country, I get it.  The movie's bad guys are okay at what they do.  They are typical hairy back Eastern Euros.  I don't blame them for being who they need to be, every movie needs a stereo type to beat on.  All the fight seems one dimensional, Bryan is going to smash all comers.  There's one fight scene that was really good, towards the end.  Bryan fights a little dude Suko played by Alain Figlarz.  The 2 minute fight was great because both characters are using similar fighting abilities, one trying to out maneuver the other.  Of course Bryan defeats Suko, but it was a real hand-to-hand fight to the death.  Bryan pays Suko honors by closing his eyes at the end of the fight, which I thought was classy. 

I'm not sure where Hollywood was trying to go with Taken 2.  I believe the script could have been written to include a darker look into the world of kidnapping and human trafficking.  Instead the movie has over the top scenes where grenades are being thrown out into public parking lots, and The U.S. Marines shoot 50 Caliber Machinegun rounds into a cab and do absolutely zero damage to it.  I couldn't stomach Taken 2, and walked out before the closing credits.  I do not recommend Taken 2 on the big screen.  If you like watch it on Blue ray or Netflix some day in the distant future.