This week I’ve been experimenting with painting realistic skeletons and bone. That meant looking at a lot of reference images of ancient mummies and desiccated corpses. The final look is the culmination of that macabre research. The good news is that this naturalistic look is actually quite easy to achieve.

You might find this realistic stone tutorial useful when painting a herdstone as shown here, when painting up scenic bases for your Warhammer or Middle Earth models, or when painting other fantasy wargames scenery and terrain.

I’d set out to create an army. But with just ten ghouls and a Crypt Ghast Courtier complete, I got distracted by other things for a while. But the work of two first-class hobbyists conspired to revive my interest in the project.

When the Flesh-eater Courts battletome emerged I was inspired. Here was a concept that fused all the morbid horror of the undead with the heraldic finery of lost Bretonnia - and in a spectacularly original and gory fashion. This army is a converter's dream.

Maggotkin of Nurgle manages to evoke some interesting ideas beyond the standard rotting flesh and rusty axes. The shift in focus to incorporate the cycle of life opens up new possibilities, and there are lore fragments that could inspire a very distinctive force.

For me, one of the most exciting things about a new army, faction or battletome is the opportunity to put my own stamp on the models in creative ways. The Hobbyist’s Review series will review Age of Sigmar battletomes based on the scope and opportunity they offer for the creative hobbyist.