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I've finished my last diorama (http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/381787.page) and am now looking at the vast stock of non-commission figures i have knocking about unpainted.
So as a little side project i've decided to do a diorama again this time using Chaplin Cassius of the Ultramarines and a plastic command squad i picked up, on the cheap, the other day. The scene for the diorama is something i can't really decide on, either a battlefield number or some kind of cityscape? The figure of Cassius is standing on a defeated Genestealer/Tyrannid of some sort so maybe a space hulk theme. Oh i don't know yet but i'm very open to ideas so please chip in with something inspirational.
Anyhow here's the first of many pic's for the collection, i've just buzzed a bit of black undercoat on him and done the base coat for all the black areas so far so he's not at a particularly interesting stage yet. Oh and i've also drilled and pinned his arm joint. I have found that the old copper core of my cable TV cable is a perfect fit for my 1mm drill bits and i have about 2 miles of the stuff around my house from all the previous tenants various subscriptions so happy days, no buying vastly overpriced wire!!

From what I can see of the model it looks great I dont think I've ever seen that model before as very few people at my lgs plays vanilla marienes and use special characters. Can't wait till he gets some color on him as trying to make out the details when hes all black is tough.

Ha ha your right. Black paint on black undercoat is a bit hard to tell the difference. Sorry I just wanted to start another blog and couldn't wait till I'd painted more. It won't be long before my next update though I promise.

Judging from your last this is gonna be so good!
Also, why use overpriced wire anyway when paperclips are the right size? :')

Hey that's true. I hadn't thought of that, paperclips are a great idea. I tend to use copper as it bends easily even when it's in short lengths which is quite handy if your drill holes don't line up properly. Paperclips probably bend easily to but I've found steel wire from the hobby store is bloody hard to bend and well expensive.
Thanks for the really nice complement on my other work by the way. Watch this space for more updates soon.

Next instalment time. I've been gluing and cutting and drilling and generally abusing GW plastic command squad figures to make some slightly more interesting and different dudes for my next diorama. Here's some pic's.

I don't know why but the hand behind there back thing seems weird I understand if you couldnt model it differently or maybe you prefer it this way just seems odd I do like the hollowed out sm helmet thow

The sideways bolter made me LOL. It looks really good so far. I can't wait to see these painted.

The sword behind the back I just liked the way it sat with the model, if your fighting one handed with a two handed sword you get more range of attacks if you hold the weapon backhand like this.
Can't wait to get a bit of colour on them too, probably be this week I hope. Wife permitting.

Fair enough the sword one looks decent behind back the helmet was the weirder looking one but there your guys so if you like them go for it.

Yeah sorry I just re read your other message ha ha. No your kind of right I couldn't be arsed to cut the arm again to turn it out a little but I also thought with the arm behind him it gave the figure a bit more of a dynamic pose. We'll see he may yet be cut again. Ha ha

Ha, that reminds me of one my brother's seargents who has a kill shot stormbolter.

Everyone love a bit of John Woo style sideways gun action. Couldn't resist it ha ha.

And a few more chopped and glued, yet to be milliputed, but i'll do them all in one go i recon to save on clay. i'm trying to get this command squad to look as un-plastic and unique as possible while still retaining their command squad look. One of the helmet less heads comes with the boxed set but the other two are shaved down sanguinary guard heads i had left over and a couple of the arms are from the same set.
Anyway here's the pic's, let me know what you think i can do to improve them before i clay and undercoat 'em.

Not had much time this week but squeezed in a bit of painting to get the Cassius figures head done and start on the base coats of his body. Here's a couple of pic's to peruse.

Another hour well spent doing more base coats on cassius and making an apothecary with a chopped down flamer. Thats the whole command squad done minus a bit of clay work and some cleaning off of mould flash.

I don't know why this isent getting more comments, all your models have great posses and the head on Cassius is coming along really well.

Cant wait to see these guys painted.

Thanks PA. I'm just glad someone pays my work some attention. It's comments like yours that really inspire me to do more. Gunna get the brushes out tonight I think. Watch this space for the next update.

It's been a while and i can only blame laziness for my slow updating and even slower painting. I've now got a little further with my Cassius mini and thought it best to pop up a few more pics.

This is going to be a beast of a diorama.

Now I've got a new baby boy it may be a bit slow but I'm hoping it'll be an epic. Watch this space.

That is one awesome looking Cassius model, and the command squad is looking cool too, can't wait to see them all painted up. Great job so far, nice to see one of my favourite models getting all the love it deserves.

Sir Samuel Buca wrote:That is one awesome looking Cassius model, and the command squad is looking cool too, can't wait to see them all painted up. Great job so far, nice to see one of my favourite models getting all the love it deserves.

Thanks people. I'm happy to say I did say I did some more work on him today. Just got to charge up the camera before I can post some more pics.

Finally a few more snaps of the progress I'm making on my Cassius WIP. Just a few more black highlights and some little detail bits then i can start the other five models on the diorama.

It's been a long time since i've done any work on these guys but finally i've completed stage one of this latest diorama. I'm pretty happy with how Cassius has come out, the macro setting on my camera shows up a lot of sins that you just can't see in actual size but i'm still tempted to go back over some of the black areas to finally tart him up. I'm also gunna temporarily base him so he can sit in my display cabinet till the rest of the model is ready to come together (could be months!) Let me know your thoughts.

Okay so i put a temporary base on Cassius to display him with till the rest of the models are ready to put on a scenic base. I guess this counts as an update.