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Been working on turning a Death Guard contemptor into a Dusk Raider version.

Man, I just read through and exalted your blog. There is so much awesome stuff going on on the P&M site, and yours is fantastic! I especially love the eclectic mix of projects you have going on, and how you flit from one to the next--I suffer from that myself, and as I play both Fantasy and 40k, it's possibly even worse!

Anyway, I appreciate all the photos you have posted--I am GS novice, and have now come to terms with the fact that I need to get a tube roller (or whatever it's called) and the proper sculpting tools. And then practice. I love the thin quality of the tissue cloaks, and how they settle on the armour, revealing the shape of what's underneath--I will definitely give that a try!

Many thanks for sharing these fantastic projects!

Yeah, sometimes it seems like my muse has the attention span of a bored house cat. I am trying to focus on my pre-heresy VIII Legion army though, and this new Contemptor is part of a small contingent of Dusk Raider allies.

Like many skills, sculpting, especially in greenstuff, has a high learning curve and when you first start doing it, you should be prepared to suck at it. If you go in knowing it's not going to turn out spectacularly but you will improve, that will help keep you motivated. Some things that can help with the frustration is making sure you use some kind of lubricant with your tools so the greenstuff doesn't stick to them(But not spit! DO NOT lick your tools!), and I would highly suggest reading tutorials and watching any sculpting videos you can find. Learning how to break down complex shapes into smaller, simpler shapes in your mind will make you life much easier. For tools, I can't recommend clay shapers highly enough. I use them probably 90% of the time(and just two shapes), and then I have a single metal sculpting tool I use for the other 10%.

Also, one of the hardest lessons for me to learn has been to slow down and not try to sculpt huge, complex shapes all at one time, or multiple areas on single figure at the same time. I cannot tell you how many times I've done some sculpting job on one part of a figure and then started working on another part immediately after, and a few minutes into the second one, I shift the figure and feel a finger sink in the greenstuff of the first thing, completely destroying it. Sculpt one thing, set it aside to cure, then go back and continue sculpting. I usually have several figures I'm working on at the same time for this very reason.

But most importantly, you need to familiarize yourself with the greenstuff. Try mixing it in different ratios to find the consistency you like. Work with it at different cure times to find out when you like to work with it. Me personally, I do about a 60/40 mix of yellow to blue, and I start using it the instant I finish mixing, where I've seen other people who like to let it sit around for 10-20 minutes or longer for before using it. Try to sculpt something every day, even if it's just pushing some greenstuff around with your tools and trying to get used to making sharp edges or a smooth, flat surface.

Say, that gun for the Contemptor, it seems like the Avenger cannon, right? But I'm wondering what scale, and company. I've been looking long and hard for something somilar but most 3rd party parts companies only sell a 'short' version of only the parts sticking out of the plane...

It's a 1/32 Avenger. I got it out of a clearance bin at model shop some months back. The instructions and the cardboard insert with the company name was gone, so I dunno who made it.


*edit* I meant to say it was a 20mm Vulcan, not an Avenger - the V has 6 barrels, the A has 7.

 Brother Chaplain Kage wrote:
Yeah, sometimes it seems like my muse has the attention span of a bored house cat. I am trying to focus on my pre-heresy VIII Legion army though, and this new Contemptor is part of a small contingent of Dusk Raider allies.

Like many skills, sculpting, especially in greenstuff, has a high learning curve and when you first start doing it, you should be prepared to suck at it. If you go in knowing it's not going to turn out spectacularly but you will improve, that will help keep you motivated. Some things that can help with the frustration is making sure you use some kind of lubricant with your tools so the greenstuff doesn't stick to them(But not spit! DO NOT lick your tools!), and I would highly suggest reading tutorials and watching any sculpting videos you can find. Learning how to break down complex shapes into smaller, simpler shapes in your mind will make you life much easier. For tools, I can't recommend clay shapers highly enough. I use them probably 90% of the time(and just two shapes), and then I have a single metal sculpting tool I use for the other 10%.

Also, one of the hardest lessons for me to learn has been to slow down and not try to sculpt huge, complex shapes all at one time, or multiple areas on single figure at the same time. I cannot tell you how many times I've done some sculpting job on one part of a figure and then started working on another part immediately after, and a few minutes into the second one, I shift the figure and feel a finger sink in the greenstuff of the first thing, completely destroying it. Sculpt one thing, set it aside to cure, then go back and continue sculpting. I usually have several figures I'm working on at the same time for this very reason.

But most importantly, you need to familiarize yourself with the greenstuff. Try mixing it in different ratios to find the consistency you like. Work with it at different cure times to find out when you like to work with it. Me personally, I do about a 60/40 mix of yellow to blue, and I start using it the instant I finish mixing, where I've seen other people who like to let it sit around for 10-20 minutes or longer for before using it. Try to sculpt something every day, even if it's just pushing some greenstuff around with your tools and trying to get used to making sharp edges or a smooth, flat surface.

Hey, thank you very much for this--it's very informative indeed! Clay shapers, huh? I would not have thought of that at all--I will have to hit an art shop and see what I can find. I will also check for some tutorials, as you advise, and watch what's out there.

The "Don't Lick!" piece of advice is also priceless! I will definitely bear that in mind!

I only used GS this summer on a conversion to a Dwarf Lord on shield bearers that I made. I created a large shield for the platform out of a cut-down 40k base and used the GS to create some detail on it, and I used some as a filler/piece of neck armor for one of the bearers. So, like I said, pretty much "Level 0." That said, I am keen to do more, and I am working on converting an OLD Orion, King of the Woods model and I will definitely take your "one stage at a time" advice for that.

I also think you are correct about the practice, and that is something I need to do. Especially since I am getting into this mainly to work on super-cool centerpiece models, where screwing up sucks. Since I don't want my crappy first efforts to be on things that really matter, it totally makes sense to practice on some models where it doesn't make that big of a difference.

So, once again, thanks very much--that is fantastic!

 Brother Chaplain Kage wrote:
It's a 1/32 Avenger. I got it out of a clearance bin at model shop some months back. The instructions and the cardboard insert with the company name was gone, so I dunno who made it.
*edit* I meant to say it was a 20mm Vulcan, not an Avenger - the V has 6 barrels, the A has 7.

Cool. Looks good though. The Contemptor's assault cannon is already looking good but this cranks it up a notch. Personally I would have made the gun a little bit shorter though. Like that it feels slightly out proportion.

You think that gun looks out of proportion...? In the Warhammer 40k setting? In comparison to the original one that would fire bullets as big around as my forearm, and this looks out of proportion?

 Brother Chaplain Kage wrote:
You think that gun looks out of proportion...? In the Warhammer 40k setting? In comparison to the original one that would fire bullets as big around as my forearm, and this looks out of proportion?

That's about how big the bullets would be, though!

 Kepora wrote:

 Brother Chaplain Kage wrote:
You think that gun looks out of proportion...? In the Warhammer 40k setting? In comparison to the original one that would fire bullets as big around as my forearm, and this looks out of proportion?

That's about how big the bullets would be, though!

lol, yeah, 40K guns are a bit outlandish.
The caliber is looking good. I meant more just the length of the gun in proportion to the dreadnought. It seems just a bit unwieldy, but still ok.

The leader of my Dusk Raiders detachment, using the figure and rules for Typhon but going by a different name and changing up the helm and weapon:

Not AS awesome as Typhon's helmet (arguably one of the coolest ones put out by any miniature company), but still awesome nonetheless!

This thread is so very cool. I never noticed Horus had luna wolves symbols still on his armour, very cool!

Working on a new figure that will be a World Eater, and making some adjustments to the torso so it doesn't look so strange and small on the giant Legion MK III legs.

Still very WIP, but making progress:

^ Looks bloody awesome so far! love the pose and the fact we know it's going to be a WE it's too fitting for words!

Good progress indeed!

I really like the Mohawk head and the axe is great. So...sort of a World Eater in repose?

The Nails weren't biting too hard at that moment?

Looks good for sure!

Thanks for the compliments!

Panther, funny thing that you mentioned the hair...



Removed the mohawk and added some hands.

I decided to change up the helmet to make it look a little more sturdy and also as kind of a MK 2.5 that has touches of the II and III in it. I'll have to get some better pics of it, but that crest bisecting the helmet face is actually a blade. I figure a World Eater would be the kind of marine to turn his whole body into a weapon, so why not a blade down the face of the helmet for when both your hands are busy and you still have to tear someone's face off?

In continuing to give the appearance that this guy is a juggernaut, I did a test and filled in the right greave up to the level of the armor trim to see if it added to the walking tank look I want. I think it does, so I'll be filling in the rest of the frontal armor like that.

Getting closer to finished...

I had to include some skulls of his traitorous brothers.

He's coming along nicely. What did the skulls come off of?

A Dark Eldar Raider, iirc.

Aah! Haircut!

No, it looks good. I really like the "bladed helmet" idea--slicing head butts definitely sound like something a World Eater would dig. I also really like the most recent left Pauldron--I've never seen that one before, but it would look good with a little blue-green world inside of it.

 pantheralegionnaire wrote:
Aah! Haircut!

No, it looks good. I really like the "bladed helmet" idea--slicing head butts definitely sound like something a World Eater would dig. I also really like the most recent left Pauldron--I've never seen that one before, but it would look good with a little blue-green world inside of it.

The shoulder pad is from this guy:



And not a bad idea for the world in the inset, but he's not a World Eater anymore. He's gone back to War Hound.

Updated with rivets!

Do you use a special tool for your power cables?

Tube making tool from Green Stuff Industries.

Your skills continue to impress!

Remember, if you ever do decide to take on commissions, I've got dibs on "First Customer"!

I'll keep that in mind, Alpharius.

Starting on the paint: