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Hiya fellow dakkaites!
After years raising the foul undead I found myself called to the World's Edge Mountain where I became enthralled with the stoic dwarves!
It all started with a single Slayer.


On Saturdays I teach the basics of Warhammer, both painting and gaming, down at the friendly local gaming hall. Every saturday there's about 10-15 regulars and upwards of 20 newbies to the hobby (sometimes more!). Due to the variable amount of work to be done and the sortof "wave" nature of new arrivals I often find myself with plenty of time to paint abit for myself! I also like having something to work to show those that are interested a few techniques and tricks.
I started to bring a single model to work with. I set myself the parameters of only being allowed to work on the model on saturdays while at the gaming hall and I could only use materials and tools available there (except for a detail brush I always bring along =D).
So far I've painted loads of fun single models; a River troll; a Dark Emissary; Waywatcher Lord and a Goblin Shaman to name a few. Some took just one day and others took several. The Slayer was one of those single day projects.

I had never painted a dwarf before, or even really thought about collecting them as an army. But this stout, angry, bearded, grudgefilled engine of destruction kindled a love that just burns stronger with each new dwarf I paint.
Following the Slayer, I picked up a copy of the Dwarf army book and started reading. I also borrowed a copy of "Grudgelore" from a friend of mine. I had read omnibus 1 and 2 of Gotrek and Felix so I already had some idea about what the dwarves were about.

I decided that my throng was to be involved in the reclamation effort of Karak Eight Peaks. I felt that the hopelesness of the effort, the stubborness of even trying would be great to attempt to model and portray. Being quite stubborn myself, I felt this would be the perfect fit! =D
I named my throng "Karak'Odro Karaz" an attempt at Khazalid for Karak Eight Peaks (though being new to it, this may be wrong =p). I'm still looking for a parent hold that my dwarves may mainly be drawn from, so I'd appreciate any ideas you might have!
Following the Slayer model I rummaged through my order from Hasslefree Miniatures and work started on my Thane!

Coming up:
The throng gains a leader!
First boxed set, Quarrelers enter the fray.

Nice style, can't wait to see more stunties here, enjoy fighting the mouldlines off the quarrellers!

Hi again folks!
More dawi have gathered to my banner, this time a Thane and some Quarrelers!

After painting the Slayer I rummaged around and found a model from Hasslefree Miniatures I'd ordered about two years ago. The model is "Haela", and I'd originally got it since I just really liked the model! She was the colortest for my army, I decided on a somber red color with lots of grey metals. I also try to use gold very sparingly. They're here for business, to reclaim Karak Eight Peaks, not to show off their bling
I think by limiting the use of gold I can use it to draw attention to certain things, a sortof "LOOK AT THIS!" color.
Anyways, on to the models!

Thane Freya Vansdottir.


This was the first time I ever really did freehand as "complex" as this. My usual reaction to a large flat surface would be to just drybrush and be done with it. Here I just felt that it screamed for some kind of detail work. The rune on her hood is a modified rune of Valya, which I thought would be fitting. The freehand on the axe is just a design I felt would look nice and make the axe pop abit.
I didn't use metallics to paint her armor or axe (used metallics on the helmet however) mainly because I felt the model was too small to make them work, if that makes any sense. I started off using GW metallics but the model didn't carry it well and I switched to something I hope isn't too pretentious to call NMM =D
Something that the lighting on the picture flattens completely is the shading on the hair, which is nicely visible in meatspace.
Her base was made by covering it in greenstuff, cutting out patterns in it then brushing it with super glue. The super glue is really important since when it dries it pits the tiles giving them a nice rocky effect (discovered this by accident. I brushed it with glue so I wouldn't accidentally leave fingerprints on it =D).

Having an idea of the color scheme for the army I assembled some Quarrelers. After hours of moldline scraping I finally started painting!

Quarrelers



Here's two of my finished Quarrelers.
I'm really happy with the end result. At first I didn't do any edge highlighting but that made the surfaces and colors look really flat.
Like with my Thane and Slayer I went with inverted eyes (Thanks go to Aury for that one), which I think really works and its easily visible even once they're on the gaming table. I used Mousekillers slayer hair tutorial for the hair and beard of the second quarreler, thanks alot Mouse! =D
Ofcourse you notice a dozen things once you've actually taken a picture of the model and uploaded it. I notice some color fading here and there (due to me not varnishing them before gaming methinks...impatient mistake) and then some color transfer between surfaces. You can be sure this is all fixed by now =D

Next up:
Quarreler command

Hi once again fellow Dawi!
The weather has been great, computer has been on the fritz and I've been attending System Admin courses! All adding up to a lack of updates! ^^
But enough excuses, lets launch into the nitty gritty of it.

I painted up a champion and a standard bearer for my Quarreler unit. I wanted the champion to look like a veteran, like someone who's relaxed even though all hell is breaking loose around him. What just radiates confidence...hmm...a pipe! I also had fun with the large space on the back of his cloak, making the link pattern I'd already had some practice with on my Thane. His beard took a few tries to get right, but I finally managed to get the color smooth ^^. (Realize now how dark the picture is, one with the color levels turned up can be seen here)

The standard bearer is inspired by Doug Braun's Longbeards (First place at the 2005 Chicago Golden Daemon). I loved the design and wanted to have a crack at recreating something like it. This is the largest and most complex freehand work I've ever done and I'm quite proud of it! I also drew a modified "Rune of Penetrating" on the back of the banner as a kind of inspiration for the rest of the quarreler unit (and to distinguish that unit from any other Quarreler units I'll be fielding). I've been using gold very sparingly in my dwarves so far and the banners was an oppertunity to stop being so sparing. I figure the standards are ancient heirlooms, brimming with power and extremely valuable.

Coming next:
More Quarrelers!

Looks good so far. How big is Thane Freya Vansdottir compared to your other dwarves?

@FlammingGaunt
She's alot more petite than the other dwarves but is otherwise about the same size. With the base I made for her she's the same height.
Her proportions are alot more realistic than the Warhammer dwarves, though instead of clashing with the rest I find it just makes her stand out abit more ^^

I'll post a shot of her next to other dwarves soon!

I deviated from my schedule a tiny bit. Recently a kid that attends the weekly painting and gaming event that I host down at my friendly local gaming store donated a Runesmith model to me! It was a gnarled thing, covered in paint, some sticky substance and uncleared flash.
I took the old grumbler, gave him a scrub down with a brush and some detergent, a bath in some acetone and loving attention with toothpick and modelling clippers.
He rises again as Runesmith Alviss Gormbrandsson.


He's paler than my other dwarves a result of long months spend pouring over tomes underground! (and as a result of my trying some new skin highlights!)

I also got my hands on some tiny rare earth magnets (Thanks Gorfinnur!) that I used to magnetize my Cannon/Organ gun set! I made a Youtube video on that which can be viewed here. Be gentle, its my first video =D

I took a 1000 point game against Ogres recently where Alviss and the magnetic Organ cannon of doom made a debut appearance. I deployed an all gunline list versus all melee ogres. It was a messy slog across the board for the ogre player until he was poised to charge me with two units of bulls plus a nasty unit of Ironguts with a bruiser. Runesmith Alviss saw the oncoming ogre brutes and raised his rune staff high into the air and with an invocation to Grimnir brought it hard into the ground. The Rune of Dismay flared up brightly, faltering the entire ogre charge and stopping them just shy of tearing into my gunline. A great victory was won this day lads, a pile of ogre skulls left as a warning to any other Ogri that wander into Dawi lands.

I've blocked out alot of the major colors on my Thunderers and Siege engine crews. Expect updates with them soon!

Update: Better picture!

The freehand looks awesome. Nicely done. I like the female character, where do I get my hands on one??

Nice to see something else other than MEQ and GEQ

Bash

Excellent work man, your hair and beards have got real depth these days! Liking the skin tones as well, I think I need to start painting more non-masked models soon...

The freehand is nicely done too, it´s something that I´m also attempting these days, so I feel your pain.

Oh and the Runesmith? Nice!!!

Good to see an old dingy model get a complete make over.

@Bash the Bosh
Thanks! That's Haela from Hasslefree Miniatures. She's a great model!

@Xanthos
Thanks, I'm trying to improve my freehand technique! Seeing the Runesmith born again is great, wish I'd taken a picture of the old, dirty, sticky model!

Lots of progress tonight!
I finally finished off my Quarreler squad and I've got some pics of the whole squad as well as their bases (which I've totally neglected to photograph up until now).
Lets get to it:
Front shot


Angled down shot (check those bases!)


Quarreler squad close up: 1


Quarreler squad close up: 2


Quarreler squad close up: 3


I'm almost done with my Battle for Skull Pass cannon and crew, so expect updates on them soon!

Next up:
BFSP Cannon!

Wow, real amazeing work with the dwarves

The freehand on these is amazing! Look forward to seeing more of your work good sir.

Excellent stuff man, the bases are very very good. The cobblestone effect is good, and the paintjob brings the unit together very nicely.

This Dwarven army looks like a fine challenge for my vile ratmen at some point!

Your atention to detail is incredible, keep up the good work

Nice work on those dwarves there! You've chosen great colours and they fit very well together.

Wow, a flood of comments, I thought this thread was just sailing through mostly unnoticed! =D
Thanks for the kind words folks, its really encouraging!

I've finished the Battle for Skull Pass Cannon and crew and they were a pleasure to paint. Despite being single-pose casts they're actually very nice!
The only thing I have against the BFSP casts are the weird sides they tend to have. If there's a belt pouch on their side for instance, it'll sortof elongate and look weird. The models also tend to look nice from the front and back and completely lack detail and depth from the side. That being said there are some great models in there
The crew is finished aside from basing since I'm making a movement tray for the warmachine and crew, so I'm holding off the basing for now so it'll be easier to tie it all together.

Enough chatter, more pictures!

The crew and the cannon.


Front shot and proposed lineup of the models on the movement tray, leaving a space for an Engineer and Master Engineer.
Note the runes I added to the front of the cannon, thought it looked abit flat as it was.


Crew member 1.1


Crew member 1.2 (I really like his nose and mug ^^)


Crew member 1.3


I'm working on some BFSP Thunderers now, making some good progress. I've also been playing around with another Thane for my army so expect an update on that next ^^
I really appreciate any questions or comments you might have, keeps me on my toes!

Next up:
Thane

Very nice job. I continue to be impressed by your work. I love your freehand, and it's getting better with every model you paint. The basing is simple and fitting, with colors that suit the models. I really like the red you have chosen as your theme color, and the colors you use to supplement it are excellent. I'm very glad you chose to have the beards different. It brings a lot more life to the units, and makes them much more interesting to look at.
I always thought dwarves were dull little nuggets of boredom that weren't any fun to play, or play against, on the battlefield or in painting and modelling. (No magic, no cool over the top poses, no "nothing of anything worth spending your time on"...) When you said you wanted to collect them I didn't understand why at all, since all that was interesting with them, (In my eyes) was the lore.
Now I understand, and I've come to realize that dwarves are actually quite fun on all the previously mentioned aspects, and that the models are much more interesting when they're painted well, with attention to every detail, like your models are.

Are you staggering your updates? I sense, through my use of the warp, that you are witholding pictures from your devoted fans! We demand more delicious dwarves so that we may plan all the better how to kill them ruthlessly in battle. ^^
(Edit: And then you update while I'm writing my post! xD Go warp, go!)

Another good job. I certainly see what you mean, in regards to the poses, but I think you did well with these.

Your skin tones are great too, the nose on that one dwarf looks great too! I think you´re getting good at the subtleties between light and shade also.

@Gerbrith
Dwarves are a lot of fun. But I know what you mean. They didn't seem all that interesting to me either until I started reading about them, read Gotrek & Felix and started to really look at the models and their rules.
I do stagger my updates. This is for everyones benefit really. If I just post all I've done in one massive post people might see it but then I won't have anything to post for a week or two, meaning updates drop off, interest wanes and people forget what it was I was doing exactly.
Its abit of a modelling tease too, keeping people interested in what I'm doing without giving too much ^^

@Xanthos
Thank you kindly! I'm having alot of fun with shading and skin tones. I don't think I've mentioned it but all my models are intended for the tabletop, so I'll often use methods that are intended to make the model look good from a tabletop distance. I'm so OCD however that I tend to make sure they can stand up to close up inspection too ^^.
--------------

Now, for content!
As a slight distraction from painting rank and file troopers I went to work on my second Thane; Ulf Vansson. Ulf is Freyja's brother ^^
I had a LotR Gimli model lying around that was donated to me when I was teaching basic painting and gaming at the local gaming store (I've been doing that for about four years now, very rewarding!). Its a great looking model, but he was a tad short!
I built up his base with the now almost signature flagstones so he's the right height for a dwarf, though certainly he's a small dwarf! (and with his reduced stature his FEROCITY grows in a contrapositive manner! xD)


I think he looks pretty snazzy! The red on the cloak is really lush and I'm also quite happy with his tunic! I decided to copy the cloak design from his sister, also giving him a modified rune of Valya on his hood! (I figure its a kind of common protective rune for the royal family)
Here's a pic of him next to his sister!


Freyja's flagstones look rougher since that was my first attempt at this kind of basing. The "less" realistic way I do them now looks alot clearer on the tabletop.
The chain pattern along the sides of his cloak isn't entirely even, this is partly on purpose. I started doing very even and "samey" links but this looked...stuffy somehow. Then I tried to just let it flow, making them more curly and looping them around each other. I ended up liking this alot more, so I kept it!

I kinda see a family resemblance between 'em! =D

As I've mentioned before I'm working on my Thunderer unit, I've almost finished the command so expect some Thunderous updates next!
I've also made a tutorial on how I paint my dwarves, using a Thunderer as an example model. Would people be interested in seeing something like that? (lots of pictures ^^). Lets say that the next update will be the tutorial, posted in the tutorial section and then linked here ^^

Bryn un Drung my fellow Dawi!

Next up:
Karak'Odro Karaz Painting tutorial

Hiya folks!
Inspired by Mousekiller and from playing some games with my army I decided I'd need a movement tray for my cannon!

I'll be making one for my organ gun/cannon kit but I decided I'd start with the BfSP cannon to get the hang of things!

The idea is that much like I imagine dwarves using cairns to mark out paths in the mountains I can imagine them making these "Artillery cairns" to mark out good shelling spots in the approach to dwarven holds and such. In the heat of battle gunnery crews can quickly relocate in predetermined patterns along the approach to the hold to put down some withering artillery fire.

Since I was making this gradually I didn't take any real WIP pictures of the thing as it was being assembled. I used masonite that I bevelled with a Stanley surform grater as the base. I used extruded polystyrene to make the rocks and then sand-spackle and sand to give more texture to the piece and to tie the XPS rocks in with the base. I marked a spot for the crew using a empty base and then spackled around it.
I then took some BfSP dwarf fence pieces and made the fence. I felt that the dwarf axehead that is lying up against the fence was too small so I replaced it with a larger one from the Dwarf Quarreler/Thunderer sprue.

Here's the tray primed.


And the engineer stand-in primed.


And here it is abit later ^^










Here's the entire thing disassembled


Here's a close up of the engineer stand-in


Here's a close up of the fence


Here's a shot of the stone next to a dwarf.


And finally here's one using a Thunderer champion as a engineer ^^ (abit of a sneak-preview of the upcoming Thunderer update)


10 points for those that can spot all the runes in the piece (excluding the ones on the cannon) =D

Hope you enjoy folks!
I'm very happy with this piece, looks very characterful and "dwarfy". Also nice practice since I'll be doing more terrain stuff in the coming weeks ^^

Next up:
Thunderers

Fan-freaking-tastic!!!!!!

Awesome mini-diorama! love when people to that to their armies, gives them more character

Really nice work. Any chance of a group shot of your competed models?

Really looking nice, the only thing I can spot is that the sister has a bigger axe than her Brother! I guess its true what they say that it dosent matter how big somthing is, but isntead how you use it!

Hiya folks!
I've been sticking to a pretty regular one update per week or so for awhile but as is obvious that has slipped considerably.
Reason for that is that I'm working out in the countryside (in a small cluster of islands actually) and have little time, space and opportunity to actually get any decent work done.

I expect to be able to get back to my regular update schedule in about 6 weeks to 2 months or so.

In other news I won a local painting competition with a dwarf entry!
Here's the winning entry with an 8.8 average. (link to a larger collage here)




I've got some WIP shots of the dwarves I'm thinking of making into a basing tutorial, I've got Thunderers on the verge of completion, I've got miners on the way as well...but thats all coming later, once I actually get back from working away from my workstation =D
Until then, enjoy the Slayers and keep those forge fires burning!

Congrats, keep up the good work.