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I'm about to make the step into commission painting. Before I do, I need to get a portfolio together for my gallery! I've been scanning the web looking at interesting models, but it's all too much! There's too much to choose from. What's a guy to do? Well, I've decided not to make a decision. I've decided to let other people do it for me! Pick me a model!

Links to challenges:
Challenge 1 - Any Single Model
Challenge 2 - Any Warhammer Regiment
Challenge 3 - Duel
Challenge 4 - Non Metallic Metal

Completed Challenges

<Watch this space>


Challenge #1:
- Character/single model
- Must be relatively easy to obtain - UK supplier/Ebay/FLGS/GW


So, what's it to be? You tell me! What's your favourite single model or character? It could be a particular sternguard veteran, one of the empire wizards, one particular model from warmachine/hordes. Anything really! It doesn't have to be a special character, just something that you think looks like a great mini!

I'm also accepting suggestions for the theme of my next challenge, could be a technique, could be a game system, could be anything. Remember, I'm trying to push as far as I can go with these, so lets make it interesting, there's just one rule - don't be ridiculous, if you want a thunderhawk painting you're going to have to supply me with antipsychotics and flippin' well pay for it!

If there's enough interest, and it doesn't kill me, I could be persuaded to replicate anything on the thread should anyone desire.

Ready? Set? GO!


Challenges accepted:
Eldar Harlequin Troupe Master
Cato Sicarius
Warhammer Daemons
Duel
NMM - Sigvald the Magnificent

Thraka!!!

sickening wrote:Thraka!!!

I agree.

I'd like to see what you could do with the sicarius model

Harlequin troupe master. Go.

Little lord Fauntleroy wrote:Harlequin troupe master. Go.

Evil boy.

So far:

Cato Sicarius x1
Thraka x2
Harlequin Troupe Master x1

I will post tomorrow with the final choice - Keep em coming, I may stupidly decide to tackle more than one at a time!

Harlequin troupe master. Interesting thread idea!

Harlequin Troupe Master. I could paint Thraka well, tis easy, Harlequin takes real skill.

Not making it easy on me are you chaps? My own fault for stepping up to the plate.

This is either going to be awesome or horrific.

Pray for me.

O_o

EDIT

I just bought one.

The challenge is still running! Nominate away!

I think I will be attempting Thraka, but for reasons other than him being an awesome model. I really hate it. Maybe it's just the images I've seen, but it looks dire. Part of taking commissions though, is painting for others what you wouldn't paint yourself, so I think it's important to have a crack at something like that. Consider him backburner for the time being though. I've got a small marine commission and a slightly bigger eldar commission alongside gallery boosting, so plenty of things to be working on! Unfortunately the marine commission does not want me to use his minis as advertising material, which is a bummer. The eldar commission however will be displayed as and when I finish up.

I'd like to post a new challenge every couple of weeks, if not more often, but we'll see how much time I have!

I vote Sicarius if that is still allowable. I've seen him painted very very well (not to intimidate you or anything). If I were a customer, that would definitely be something that would draw my eye.

P.S. I was gonna say Skaven Rat Ogre, but they're relatively easy to do and I wanna make you sweat.

Another vote for Cato.

Harlequin TM is on his way to me. I think I'll start thraka in april and maybe pick up a sicarius next weekend.

I'll post another challenge up in due course. In the meantime, I may as well open the floodgates for theme requests too! I haven't got anything from WFB to display, so I imagine the next challenge will be WFB based, maybe a regiment.

Themes could be anything, from a specific race/faction, through to a technique.

I think sicarious and Harly TM would be two great minis to show off your SKILLZ.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I think sicarious and Harly TM would be two great minis to show off your SKILLZ.

While I wait for the harlequin to arrive, I've been looking at patterns, I've also been planning out the paint job.



I really dislike the GW paintjob, so it's absolutely useless as a jumping off point. It fits well with the character and the fluff, chaotic, showy, but the scheme is just too busy to look as elegant as they are described. I'm thinking maybe an analagous or monochromatic scheme to pull everything together. I want to retain some of the harlequin thematic, but maybe emphasise the grace that's implied in the description in their background material. The diamond motfi stays, as I assume that's why people voted. I think I'll restrict it to the coat though. His suit however needs to reflect his status as troupe master. Nothing too ostentatious, or it's going to mess with the stripped down colour scheme. I'm thinking maybe some kind of embroidery. Myth is that they know the secrets of the webway, so I'm thinking some kind of twisting, swirling repetition.





What I'd really love, is to give him a small ruffle round his neck. While I can sculpt however, I don't think I can sculpt with that degree of finesse. I'll give it a go and see! Maybe a cravatte would be more appropriate.



or this:



Colourwise, I'm stuck, I love eldar in autumn colours. LOVE THEM! So I'm thinking a brown palette.

Ruffles ftw! For WFB I would suggest a Bretonnian such as the Green Knight as they can either look amazing or terrible depending on the effort but in and it also gives alot of room for free hand work.

Let's see how I go with Cato and Harlequinface first! You may not be interested in another challenge if I cock these up!

Good luck with this challenge you are a braver man than I. Can't wait to see the finished products.

Whoop whoop.

Confirmation that Harlequin was posted yesterday, so early in the week I should see him. Considering expanding the Harlequin challenge to a small unit with shadowseer and a handful of normal chaps. Not sure whether fusion pistols are worthwhile with harlequins though, or how worthwhile kisses are, so will look into that before purchasing the rest.

It's as good a chance as any to experiment with adding dimension to a flat surface



I wonder if I can give the impression of a visible face behind the shadowseers mask. I'm hoping to achieve it by graduating from a lighter coloured suggestion of features (though still quite muted, to a darker colou toward the middle of the face. using simple convex principles. To be honest though, the idea reeks of potential for an epic fail.

With Cato, I'm going to be taking some serious liberties. His cape is dying to be embroidered. Unsure whether to go with the helmet on or off. May install a plug onto each head, or magnetise.

Ultras colour scheme, straying a little from the fluff to incorporate better accent colours. He'll probably end up for sale to be honest, as I don't plan on ever fielding ultras. I love my Knights of Praxis too much.

Well, seeing as the postal service is being less than fabulous about getting my stuff to me in a timely fashion, I've been trawling the web looking for another challenge.

Challenge #2 - Warhammer

Pick a regiment. Single miniatures are all well and good, but can the man paint consistently across a unit? We shall see! Throw me your choices!

Chaos Nurgle lord on steed.

this would be interesting to me as i have this model, but for you it would be the steed that would be worth it more, the steed runs from living flesh in some areas to diseased, there are also areas where the flesh is more dessicated and cracked rather than diseased.

here's a link to some pics of the nurgle lord painted by someone else:
http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?196526-Nurgle-Lord-on-steed-(Pics-back-again)

How about a unit of Bretonnian Knights? You've got lots of different parts to tackle painting, metals, skin, cloth, horse. Plus the colours will change between each model.

Empire State Troopers would give a similar challenge too.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this, I totally agree with your sentiments on the GW Troupe Master, interested in how yours turns out. All the best dude!

By crikey! Who's doing the painting down at GW? The state troopers and handgunners look like they're wearing lycra.

Wrong.

Bret knights also considered.

There's some really nice stuff in the fantasy range. Never really got into it though.

What I really need is for people to join in choosing challenges. right now I'm pretty much dictating what I feel like painting, and that's something I can do off my own back!

If people could be so kind as to come up with a few challenges, I'd be very much obliged!

Challenge 3: The Duel.

A small one on one battle sequence can be hero vs hero or troop vs troop but must be made in a dueling pose preferably on one base.
How about that?

The phoenix guard/white lions are lovely kits, maybe check them out.

I totally secomd Killmainburn on the duel challenge, are you going to provide a conversion service too? As it would be an ideal opportunity to test both your conversion and painting.

How about a Non-metallic Metal challenge?

2 more challenges! Brilliant.

Challenge 3# Duel

Challenge 4# NMM

Keep em coming.

My paint order to end all paint orders should arrive today or tomorrow, as the supplier was kind enough to resend it. Various minis are trickling through so we should be able to get moving in the next couple of days!

EDIT - NMM Challenge accepted. I have chosen Sigvald the Magnificent. He's clad head to toe in armour, and in keeping with his fluff as a self obsessed tool, NMM allows for some nice blends that you just can't get with metallics. Ordered and in the post

Duel - Challenge accepted! I'll need to think a little about this one. If I'm making a duel diorama, I think it should be of competition standard, and actually entered. I'll find details of a few painting comps here in the UK and get cracking. I think for now, I'm keeping an open mind as to what it's going to be. I've modified the brief a little though. It's presentational, so no single base, but the models should be tight enough together to give the same effect.

EDIT 2!

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/120/256738.page#1361950 - I want to ask permission first, but I'm hoping to use this as a basis for my piece.

Also - Harlequin arrived! He's a gorgeous sod isn't he? Awesome model!

ANOTHER EDIT!

HAve also decided to open my blog a little early, as I am a stupid, stupid persdon.

Well, the harlequins had his cleanup, and I have to say, I'm liking the details. I can see why people chose him for the challenge. Just waiting on my paint stock order to get started on him. In the meantime, I've managed to squeeze in a few shifts down at my buddies recording studio, so I'll be stocking up on some primo gallery material for my blog. I'll be posting my progress here, but alongside ths challenge, I'll be posting my day to day stuff on Brushbane Studios blog. Feel free to hop over and check it out.

I haven't formally launched my commission service yet, but if anyone likes any of the work I've done, drop me a line. I'll be happy to have a chat with you.

Here's the opening gambit - the first mini of the challenge



and after a bit of a cleanup:

Great idea for duel, small regiment of feral or savage (I think) orc boys versus mega armoured ork. It would be a nice throwback to the oldschool fluff and a great chance to showcase your metals, skin, cloth, plus a wealth of converting options. And with that sleep calls, good luck I'll definately be watching

Paint order arrived. Just reference painting lids at the moment. More Sphess Mehreens for commission this afternoon, and then making a start on harlequin face. Expect some sort of progress this evening.

Well, I've made a start on the harlequin. Rejigged the colours a bit. Still monochromatic, but went for something a little brighter to bring out the diamond pattern. 1st job is to create some depth, as I wasn't sure that the colours i was using would look so hot in one tone.

I've started to lay out where the diamond pattern will be going with a little bit of wet blending. It's the best way I can think of to shade the diamond pattern. Unfortunately, I'm out of drying retarder! Anxious to at least transmit an idea, I've done a rough blend. Black diamonds will be laid over the top. It's not generally advisable to try a wetblend without extending the drying time of your paint, as quite often it can dry before you're through blending, but this is easy to fix. I'm sure my local hobbycraft will carry some kind of retarder. In the meantime, I've shot off another paint order.

Black diamond pattern? Won't that get lost int he dark colors? perhaps something brighter? Maybe i'm speaking too son tho.