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So after a break from fantasy subjects (having focused recently on aircraft and AFV Scale Models) I decided to go back to my roots and try a project a little more fun and dramatic!

I found myself browsing through forgeworld's website (as I fancied something resin), and thought that the warpfire dragon was an excellent sculpt. I think it has real character! I know a lot of people on different forums gave it quite a chilly reception, which really suprised me because I love it! It's a little different from Citadel's other Dragons, and the name really intrigued me as well... Warpfire Dragon. Something even more magical and ethereal than regular dragons.

I remember from many years ago when I first started modelling, I got the very old Citadel Zombie Dragon that had a wight as a rider. I always loved the idea of that, and remember lots of great artwork from various fantasy universes and novels that featured undead lords on daemonic or magically mounts. The idea of a Wight king leading an undead army always appealed to me much more so than a Vampire.

So since this was a project just to build and paint, and to do just for fun, I decided to model my warpfire dragon with a Wight rider. Since the Warpfire dragon already looks very exotic, and freakish with its four eyes, and becuase I imagined mine as more of an ethereal being, I decided to leave the Dragon as it was (rather than zombify it with bits of bone and peeling flesh).


The Dragon took some work, clean up and repair work took a great deal of time, and the fit of the parts was pretty bad too. I also had to remodel it to accept a rider. Making the Sadle for the rider was actually really fun.

The Wight himself is converted from Forgeworld's excellent Wight Standard Bearer. Which is just equiste!

Here are some pictures of the work in progress (apologies for the poor camera):


















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Next up I added some cloth to the saddle with green stuff:






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I then continued working on the rider, working on the sash with some green stuff:

This is very very cool! I also really like the old zombie dragon with Wight King rider. I can't wait to see your paint job. Any ideas for color scheme yet?

Thanks for posting!

It's been real fun for me building it too!

As for colours I'm still thinking on that. I got a bunch of the new Citadel Colours today, but I will also mix in my painting tools and tricks from my Scale Modelling too.

Airbrush, pigments, oils, inks, acryllics. All sorts of different mediums and techniques!

I was considering dark greens for the Dragon... or very dark purples.

Definitely something suitably sinister!


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I did some more work on the rider, mostly experiments with chainmail.

I used some fine link chain to try to actually make the chain mail instead of sculpting it from green stuff.

I'm not entirely sure to be honest. It gives a nice natural effect, and hangs and sits well on the model, however the chain links are slightly too large. I'm not sure if I can pull it off in it's current form. I am considering trying to source some smaller and finer chain, and try to match the link size more closely to the chainmail in the resin. This is just an experiement and can be easily removed.

I'd be interested to hear other peoples thoughts and opinions on this.

So after some feedback from other modellers, and a lot of thought. I've decided I am definitely going to try the chainmail again with a smaller finer link chain.

Does anyone have any ideas where to source different thicknesses of cheap chain?

I was thinking maybe a cheap jewellery store or market?

This chain is from Forgeworld, and I think trying to source alternatives from scale model shops I know would end up being quite costly...

Looking good (for a dead person), the chain needs to be smaller I agree, but I have no idea where to get that. Why not sculpt it btw?

Thanks!

Yes I considered sculpting it. But I wanted to super detail it up if possible as the resin chains on the wight are so amazing. I thought why not have an experiment and see what happens .

I actually managed to find something this morning. I was looking into finding very fine chain, and I found some excellent resources on a scale model Boat store called White Ensign Models!

I have ordered a few different sizes of their finest chains

https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/p/...h+CH+250/9998/

Should be interesting to see how it comes out


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Managed to make a start with the painting tonight, prepared and primed the model. For the resin I use a specialist resin primer to adhere to the surface and allow maximum paint adhesion later on.

However the Primer is not nice to plastic and can eat it, so I had to prepare the plastic first. I did this by giving the plastic areas (the body, and the base) a light protective coat of paint first, using my airbrush. This allowed me to give a nice even coverage via spray in the smaller concentrated areas.

I used a light grey paint to better allow the light grey resin primer to blend everything together later. In this case Tamiya colour XF-23 light blue (which is actually a very light grey) I thinned this with Tamiya thinner at a ratio of 8 drops thinner to 4 drops paint.

Once these areas had dried I then moved onto priming the entire thing with Gunze's Mr Resin Primer straight from the rattle can. I gave two light coats leaving half an hour between each coat.

The end result is a beautifully primed Dragon ready for the next stages! I will inspect the model tomorrow to see if I need any last minute touch ups or sanding. Then move onto painting proper.

After the first primer coat I did a little sanding, then re-primed again, and finished it off.

Leaving me with...

Fully primed Warpfire Dragon!



I then moved onto painting over the weekend. I've decided that the colour scheme will be something similar to this example (copyright to whoever owns it, reference only):



So I'll be using some flesh tones and lots of dark purples.

Great to see someone painting this model, I really like the head, and was surprised by the reception it received too.

I really look forward to seeing how you go making the chainmail, its such a difficult thing to sculpt in my experience so genuine chainmail sounds insanely difficult.

Thanks Sheep!

Yeah I saw a lot of forums, of all different backgrounds, where this sculpt got a really chilly and sometimes quite harsh reception.

I remember somewhere seeing someone write that it was a rubbish sculpt!?!

I was shocked as I think it brings something very different and interesting to GW dragons. The head is really excellently done I think.

The only place I have seen this painted so far was an entry at CMON. And that was very simple. Just a few colours and loads of washes... I think it was a lower priced commission or something for a client maybe.

Sadly I am still waiting for the fine chain links to come in the mail. I'm really looking forward to playing around with them when they do turn up!

Wow, Amazeballs! Really digging the conversion, two fantastic models smooshed into a one.

Did you say where you got the legs? I really like them, they look all withered and atrophied. really suit the wight.

Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

The legs and the Shield are from an old Rackham Undead model. here is the box:



Sadly these are long since out of production :(

Aaaah, the gold old mort-vivants... Still some of the best zombie horses ever made imo, so I'm hoping to see them in other model projects you do.

Yeah they are amazing horses. Don't worry I am definitely using them for future projects!

Looking forward to how you paint this beast, what saddle did you use? Looks like a downcut version of the dark elf black dragon.

Hi IronBars, thanks for posting.

The saddle is from a Dark Elf Cold One. A Cold one gave it's life to give up his saddle.

Once I chopped it off the Cold One torso I thinned it out and adapted it to fit onto the dragon, and filled the gaps with Miliput.

Delighted to see you back and I'm especially delighted to see you deal with this as the Warpfire Dragon's a favourite of mine.

Have to say that looks pretty damn cool - look forward to seeing the model done

I look forward to seeing it with the wings on (the front on shot with the rider looked amazing even without them ).

Pure sexyness. Enough said right there

Very nice, really looking forward to seeing this painted up. I think its a great model.

Sir, this is EPIC! Nice conversion with clever choice of bits. I too remember owning the classic Zombie Dragon and its nice to see a "Modern" version of this. Keep going!

Thanks for the kind comments guys, I appreciate the feedback and your taking the time to post.

I know Fantasy isnt exactly "in vouge" in DakkaDakka!

It's nice to be back posting and I had this bug for a fantasy project after doing so much AFV and aircraft modelling!

I've been doing a lot of painting work on this beastie recently. But it's all rather slow and tedious and boring at the moment. I painted on a base coat with Hormagaunt Purple (Demonette hue or whatever its called IS NOT the same colour), and I have been giving it lots of washes and glazes with Agrax Earthshade, Devlan Mud, and Nuln Oil.

I've found it very interesting comparing the new washes to the old washes. I've also been experimenting with Lahmia Medium. I've never used a glaze medium before in my painting. So thats been a real educational experience.


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SilverMK2 wrote:
I look forward to seeing it with the wings on (the front on shot with the rider looked amazing even without them ).

Me too! I decided in the end to paint the wings and the Wight seperately and glue them on afterwards.

My scale modelling habits creeping back in!!!!