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I think this is the most WIP pics I've ever posted of a model's paint job.





I just changed camera apps on my phone, which is giving me a little more focus on the small details. Seeing this view actually helps me spot the little places where I need to touch up the paint in the following few steps. One of the things I'm doing with these WIP pics is plotting out my next steps in MS Paint. I suppose I could use photoshop, but this isn't anything technical. Trying out color schemes ahead of time saves me from having to cake layer after layer of paint onto my poor model as I try and fail with different ideas.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 hey801 wrote:
this is AWESOME!

No, this is Sparta. There's a difference

But seriously, thanks for the kind words. I'm all about making with the awesome sauce at every possible opportunity and I hope not to disappoint with my future efforts on this project.

In other news, I just had to bid on this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Warhammer-40k-Tau-Riptide-XV104-Battlesuit-Scratch-Built-Conversion-Titan-/321263164188?&maxbid=40.00&autorefresh=true

I mean, just look at that thing. I don't know why it wound up on eBay, I know just how much sentimental value a megabuild like that tends to have, and if nothing else I intend to drive the price up so that the builder gets a decent payday for it. Frankly, I want to be the new owner and give it a bit of a makeover, wubwub style. Now, this is one of those things that weighs on my conscience a bit. On the one hand, this is someone else's work of art. I can't claim any laurels for the build itself, and it will feel a bit sacrilegious messing with someone else's uber build. But on the other hand, look at it. If you ignore the genius and scale of the build, you notice a few little things, most notably the paint job. It's not bad, not bad at all. But I think I can do better given the chance, and I can't very well have it sticking out like a sore thumb. The same goes for the base, and the tyranids. My tau (it hasn't really come up yet in my builds so far) are fighting Ultramarines as their primary nemesis, in an urban environment. So I can't have this monster smashing bugs in the jungle. Okay, deep breaths. I have to win the thing first before I go crazy on the conversion plans.

I honestly thought the mech in the first picture was Metal Gear Rex at first.

I got a lot of the rest of the suit's orange lining done tonight. All that's left is cleanup and the base, for the most part. And I guess I need to start doing a few little details as well. Almost forgot to add that feather, probably just tack it on the back somewhere so it doesn't clutter it up too much.

She's got wings, don't she?

Also, Carlos13th, the mech in the first pic really is Metal Gear Rex, based on a model kit from Kotobukiya.

I have always used the original Tau Fluff to make Tau as still mostly reptilian slowly evolving to mammal as they have hair as dinosaurs have been found to have had based on fossil mud surrounding the bones has been seen by paleontologists to have had. That being said, the Tau would not show genitalia as it would still be stored inside the cloaca as present day reptiles have. It also meant that they normally would not have mammary glands as yet, so the only way to tell was the "Y" shaped nasal opening, versus the "I" shaped one of the male Tau.

@Anvildude: Yes she has wings but part of my tau cadre's fluff involves a subgroup that wears red feathers as proof that they've achieved a specific conquest. It's Shagnasty's "Order of the Plume."


@shasolenzabi: I respect your realistic view of the biological facts, but I personally enjoy a nice set of alien space boobs, and I take every possible excuse to show more of them.


Actually, on a similar note, I need to order some of the arms for the new Witch Elves. They'll go much better with my various female torso bits than anything I currently have.

Yup this is awesome..

I love your firewarriors

Is okay, each person has to live with their army and how they model/paint them. But knowing my Tau are coed makes me think how progressive they are compared to the Imperium

 bossfearless wrote:
Also, Carlos13th, the mech in the first pic really is Metal Gear Rex, based on a model kit from Kotobukiya.

Well that makes sense.

This thread is genius! Top to bottom, theme, music, love it!

Wow these are some great conversions! Shagnasty looks like he is shooting a squirt gun lol.

Good inspiration. Keep going.

Wow, these are fantastically modelled and painted - some of the best Tau I have seen!

But I have to ask, what the hell have pimps got to do with dubstep?

Getting there. Slowly.


One of the things I've learned doing these effects on various models is that they gain a LOT when you get tot he very last couple of steps and just clean up the lines. So right now, a lot of it looks smudgy as hell, but it will get nice and crisp later.

All three crisis suits are prepped for priming (tack over all of the battery leads and LEDs so the primer doesn't screw them up). As soon as some newly added base details on the support suit are dry, they'll suddenly be very, very purple.

Silvertongue looks great Can't wait to see the Crisis Suits.

Lucarikx

 bossfearless wrote:



@shasolenzabi: I respect your realistic view of the biological facts, but I personally enjoy a nice set of alien space boobs, and I take every possible excuse to show more of them.

well is suppose no one can argue that logic

i like how he ended up. Glad you ditched the purple...for...flame? For some reason it reminds me of matchbox racer cars. Good job on him. My only gripe is that youve kinda pulled away from your current army theme and lost a bit of cohesiveness (perhaps i missed some pics and im talking out my bum) between troops and HQ. Its a small issue if any at all and individually the model looks nice. WEll done

BB

I like it a lot better with the fire/black versus the blue lines before.

Dude, I hate Tau. I find the crisis suits boring and boxy, and the fire warrior shoulder pads and heads look ridiculous. You, however, have made these models look GORGEOUS! Nice job man. Truly well done.

^ This. I hate their aesthetic, their fluff, their playstyle... but you've got a Tau army I'd be happy to watch bombing my Orks off of the table before they can do anything

Double points for Shas'Vre Snowflake and the etheral with the cigar

I usually don't care for tau both painted and not. The only Tau fluff I really care anything for is a certain Farsight, and their playstyle goes against mine (CC) leading to me not really caring for them.....

But you? You have made dubstep Tau which is truly truly outrageous. Have an exalt for a smile on my face and a glorious thing to see.

Wonderful. I almost have to blink away the tears. It's like Hardcore Uprising, Heavy Metal and Pacific Rim had a baby that headbutted his way into existence. I will follow this blog closely.

Got to ask though: How did you build REX up there in the first post?

Awesome, awesome plog so far! The only thing I don't like so far is the mostly white firewarriors. Everything else, brilliant! Especially the "in your face" dub step theme you've got driving all this modeling creativity

Solid work. Great conversions. Very inspirational. I would love to play against this army.

XV30 Undertow Battlesuit, Shas'El Silvertongue, Member of the Order of the Plume:




I experimented with different lighting and a new camera app for my phone. I know, I know. Light box, $400 camera, specially constructed photo studio in a storage shed outside my home. Unfortunately I can't do much with the conditions I have at the moment, so my phone and the blank wall are the best options I have.

Anyway, this is about a 95% done shot. As always, I notice new problems when I take the final photos, so those will get a bit of love later on when I do my retouching on various models. For now, bask in the glory of her 2+ cover save.

Crisis teams are primed and they came out much better than the last couple things I did with a spray can. Protip, don't prime in the dark. I also started on the Samurai who leads my Diplomats. I'd clock him in at maybe 20% done already.



Hey, it's getting a bit flat in here. Would someone mind dropping the bass?

Very nice work!

Thanks. I need to keep trying different lighting because that light just beats my work with an ugly stick.

These are cool. Utterly insane, but cool

Nice conversions, paint looks good too!

I'm just going to say this for everyone viewing, the pictures are better when you have the song at the start of the thread playing.

Can't wait to see more!