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Wanting to get some Tree Kin for my daughter's Wood Elves, but wanting something less anthropomorphic.
So thought that if I can make trees, I can make Tree Kin.

The Army Book says that they are spirits that inhabit dead trees. Sorry to disagree with that but I like to think of them as a vital entity and will be in living trees.
It fits my aesthetics better that way.

Also being vegetative, they have no back or front, but instead have 360 deg perception.
To symbolise this they have "masks", for want of a better term, distributed over the trunk/limbs.






While am showing drawings, another project will be to sculpt Ariel


seen here with her "hounds" or uberspites.

apologies for the quality of the pics taken with my camera.
Big thanks to RiTides for advise and encouragement!
Thanks for looking, comments and feedback most welcome.

Wow, very cool! I'm not personally a fan of the existing treekin/treeman models (though I've seen them done well). I think they don't sell the tree angle well enough, and instead look like a bundle of weird spiky logs. I like how much "tree" you've kept in these concepts, and think they'd make brilliant models. My favorite, I think, is the last picture of the treekin. These are great.

Thanks Red

The pics are in chronological order so they show the ideas developing. Am therefore glad that last one is the one you like most!

It has been kinda interesting thinking it through. Trying to retain a treeness while allowing for the Tree Kin to be able to walk and bash enemies has its difficulties. Also one has to try and keep it all within a 40mm square extending upwards, if you see what I mean.
Otherwise the unit won't sit together and worse, get all tangled up!

I love the pic of the treekin tossing the guy and I also really like the layout of in the last pic of the treekin, where they don't just look "humanoid" but still very tree-like, yet able to still tear people up!

I'm going to point Jin to this thread and see what he thinks, as he's also an artist

As far as making the design dynamic, yet fitting on a 40mm base, I think you've got it laid out great!!

Thanks RiTides

Just need to realise it all in three dimensions now.
Need to pop to the LFGS soon so will try and pick up some bases ready to start.

Do you guys think they ought have foliage? That is another design question that would be easy to get wrong imho.
It's a question of balance between sharp point skewerfingered branches and foliage.

I like the idea of having some, partly to get away from the dead log look, partly because I like the idea of the texture variation.

Looks fething awesome, I want to see this happen!

Again, me too!

It will one day. I tend to work veeeery slowly at things and have a billion other things to work equally slowly on.
Hopefully these will get some serious attention in the new year. Want to get a couple of Dwarves scratched first. However I may keep picking away at it and start the process soon if I can get some bases from the LFGS.

Thanks for the encouragement btw Vargtass it is much appreciated

Those are nice concept art pictures, hope the models look just as good. As you said the book says dead trees so I would go with a no on the foilage but maybe some spanish moss or something.

Thanks. It's a fair point but am not bothered what the book says WarWizard!
Am going to treat it as though the fluff is inaccurate due to misununderstanding the mysterious ways of Tree Spirits.
That and the fact that not too many botanists have come back alive from Athel Loren

Just a personal feeling about how Tree Spirits work and the aesthetics so if you prefer the book fluff that is cool

At the moment am thinking of Hawthorn in flower with red blood contrasting poignantly against the may blossom.
probably won't do that but the image is in my head of gentle petal showers like snow falling amidst the carnage!

Looking cool

I like these ones the most.

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Do you guys think they ought have foliage? That is another design question that would be easy to get wrong imho.
It's a question of balance between sharp point skewerfingered branches and foliage.

I like the idea of having some, partly to get away from the dead log look, partly because I like the idea of the texture variation.

I think foliage helps tree models a ton. Although I didn't do it, all of my treekin / treemen have it, and people comment on it all the time! Really, really helps the tree look, and as you say, adds texture variation and gets away from the pile ' o sticks with a face on 'em look which all tree models are susceptible to.

I can post up what is used on mine, it's good stuff!! And stays on for the most part

Wanna see wanna see

Il liked the ones Luna did with the foliage, thought they looked the part.

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Wanting to get some Tree Kin for my daughter's Wood Elves, but wanting something less anthropomorphic.
So thought that if I can make trees, I can make Tree Kin.

The Army Book says that they are spirits that inhabit dead trees. Sorry to disagree with that but I like to think of them as a vital entity and will be in living trees.
It fits my aesthetics better that way.

Also being vegetative, they have no back or front, but instead have 360 deg perception.
To symbolise this they have "masks", for want of a better term, distributed over the trunk/limbs.






While am showing drawings, another project will be to sculpt Ariel


seen here with her "hounds" or uberspites.

apologies for the quality of the pics taken with my camera.
Big thanks to RiTides for advise and encouragement!
Thanks for looking, comments and feedback most welcome.

Wow. I wish I had loved ones who loved me enough to sculpt entire units for me. The Scetches look absolutely gorgeous, I'm gunna go out on a limb and guess you are a professional artist? or scuplter. I'll definately be interested in seeing the results. good luck, I know your daughter will treasure them.


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Especially if you can pull off ariel as you have drawn her, absolutely stunning.

Thank you for the kind words

I wish I was a professional artist. Would be great to live off my paintings, but sadly not the case.

Which at least gives me the opportunity to play around with fantasy minis!
looking on the bright side!

Did Fine Art (painting) a while back and Mastered in Landscape Design fwiw. Sadly not been able to practice for health reasons.

I really want to get back into painting. My preference is for non-figurative(abstract) work. Would like to get my eye in though and attend some life classes, but they start too early for me :(

My daughter is worth making units for, but then I'm biased. She will doubtless be my princess when she is forty odd with kids of her own!