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A re-introduction:

Hello and thanks for taking a moment to read my musings.

Incarnation I: Doe eyed

I have been a "wargamer" for nearly two decades now. I've gone through several e-personas, ways of approaching my hobby, and creative visions in that time. I started in 2nd edition 40k and had no bearing or concept of what I was doing. I bought little soldiers and wanted them to look like how they did on the box. I got the starter set of marines versus orks when I was 11, I believe. A few games were played with classmates and I learned an important lesson in those years. I am a hell of a lot better at modelling than I am at gaming.


My oldest surviving model. 2nd edition ork.

Incarnation II: Dice chucker

The release of 3rd edition would probably be the next incarnation of my 40k-self. Through the alignment of some stars and planets, I became part of a good group of internet friends and then later discovered one of them lived minutes from me. I joined his local gaming group and that was that. I discovered the camaraderie that comes with miniature gaming. M:TG had been my game of choice for years at this point and it was something I had never felt before. I started playing weekly, my collection was expanding, and I was painting constantly. In retrospect, I see now that the camaraderie sourced from the miniatures themselves. We had our armies complete with our technical skill on display. It's an abstract sense of validation when you see your friend's eyes light up as the two painted armies clashed in miniature carnage. I had several large armies and small forces for nearly everything else. 3rd edition was a great time for me, until I discovered the specialist games range.


I love this model so much. The sculpt is great and I was particularly proud of the paint job then.

Incarnation III: Self Righteous

As much as I don't want to admit, the next version of my gamer-self was the dreaded hobby elitist. It's a shame, because this incarnation was the longest lasting. Gorkamorka was my first experience with a game other than 40k. I liked the orks from 2nd edition; I LOVED the orks from Gorkamorka. Gangs of rival orks trawling the desert for scraps of tech to build something, they don't know what yet, that will take them off the wasteland and to the glorious battlefields of the 40k universe. It was, and still is, a beautiful game and one of the few relics of my hobby collection I will never get rid of. Like a domino effect, next was Battlefleet Gothic, then Necromunda, followed shortly by Epic, Mordheim, Bloodbowl, then Space Hulk. I even branched out to other systems such as Confrontation, Flames of War, and others lost in memory. I absolutely loved the small scale games and inherent narration, even if on a subconscious level, that goes with them. I cherished the opportunity to expand my painting skills by taking the time I needed to flesh out even the most basic of models. Though, by some cosmic balance, this meant that my gaming suffered. The grips of gamer ADD are strong and no one wanted to play these games longer than a month or two. I never took the opportunity to expand on narration in a more visceral manner. It rarely went past 'these guys are from this faction and they have this loose theme'. This was probably the toughest part of my miniature gaming career. I missed the majority of 4th edition and all but a month or six of 5th edition. Though, even through the pitfalls you can learn some valuable lessons.


This guy is from my Mordheim gang. My first attempt at OSL.

Incarnation IV: Rebirth

The great awakening! In 2010 I moved to a rural setting and was suddenly presented with a LOT of free time. By 2011 I was digging through some old boxes and came across some orks that I had acquired in trade. My passion had been reignited. I consumed as much 40k and miniature painting information as my near dial-up connection would allow. I wanted to be the best modeller I could become. In my gaming group previous experiences, I had always been the one to experiment most. This time around I wanted to break as many "rules" as I could. I painted the first unit of orks and I was thrilled with the results. I drew a lot of my inspiration from the rogue trader/2nd edition era with a gritty contemporary 40k look. I felt I found an aesthetic that I was truly excited about. Then, real life reared it's ugly head and destroyed my free time with a move across the country and two more moves in the years after. The project was still on my mind, but time for it was near nothing. The cosmic balance came around again and blessed me with the free time to start painting on commission. It was not successful for me. I had struggled with lowering my standards just to complete a job. I had heard it thousands of times, but I am stubborn; It will suck all fun out of the hobby. During this time, Games Workshop had waved it's merciful hand and 6th edition descended from the heavens. Oh! Rejoice the Savior! Or that was my initial response. I bought the book, loved it, then saw what was happening to the meta game. Armies that defied logic and flat-out attempts to break the game were all I ever saw. I grew discouraged very quickly. I relapsed and discovered Infinity and quickly shunned all of 40k. (Disclaimer: Infinity is an excellent game/universe and deserves praise and popularity) I spent a lot of time reading up on other systems and trying to decide where I wanted to direct my time.


This is from the ork unit I painted up. I'll detail these models and the inspiration for them in a later post.


Real life and monetizing a hobby:

So far, the majority of this babbling has been about my hobby experience, but I am going to digress for a moment. For my entire life I have been an artist but cursed to never know my true calling. I am a good painter, a mediocre illustrator, an ok sculptor, a so-so photographer, a decent woodworker, and so on. I'm self taught in nearly every medium you can think of. My education is in visual communications/marketing. As life has a funny way of doing, I was shown that was definitely not for me so I was left aimless in my career. I worked several dead-end jobs and that was when I decided to figure out a way to monetize my hobby. I've spent countless hours in the last two decades building a skillset that must be applicable somewhere. I tried the commission painter thing and failed due to lack of self motivation. I spent a lot of time browsing job listings until I came upon a job as a prototyper and fabricator for a design company. Scale models, airbrushing, scenic painting, finish sanding, plastics, sculpting, mold making, resins, electronics, LEDs, and even my use with flocking have all come to use in my new trade and nearly all I've learned as a result of my wargaming and modelling career. I've learned a lot about managing large-scale projects and maintaining a creative focus that I can then apply to my modelling projects. I've worked there roughly a year now and now it's time to shift some focus to my own work.


I love workspace shots! This is my moldmaking/resin space at work. It's a beautiful place.

Incarnation V: Vision Quest
So here I am, with a desire to return to 40k. I'm nearly done reading through the 7th edition rulebook and I like what I've seen change. I've followed a lot of the really inspirational modellers on the internet and I want to throw my hat in the ring. I've drawn a lot of motivation and inspiration from all of the Inq28 modellers (I'll refrain from posting names because I don't want to leave anyone out. I've probably read your entire blog) and other modellers who are really branching out and exploring the true horror of the 40k universe. I'll always have love for the old-school aesthetic (Oldhammer is such a great moniker) and I want to delve much deeper into the idea I had started with for my orks. The stark juxtaposition between a bright and flashy green monster whose main joy in life comes from death and carnage. What does that look like and how does that translate to a model? I want each model to tell a story. Where does the ostentatious intersect with the horrors of every day life in the 40k universe?

Now I said I wouldn't drop names but I feel these two quotes sum up how I feel about my hobby at this point in time.

Think of your favorite Dainton, Kopinski, or Boyd painting. Is your favorite art photorealistic technical exercise or a vivid statement of emotion, color, texture and artistic decision? With key focus points and detail, on a loose backdrop.

From Migsula's blog Legion of Plastic.

I perceive an emergent 'golden age' in miniature painting and a marked shift in the consideration of where to now take this hobby given the level of technical mastery that's been achieved by certain painters - a mastery that has long been espoused as the ideal, and an ideal that needs critiquing. Alongside this, I also perceive that there are certain painters that innately understand the 40k setting, and that it is these people that are spear-heading this level of critique as they seek to remove the disconnect between the presentation of the setting and it's representation in miniature form.

From Fulgrim's blog The Tears of Isstvan

I don't want to emulate either of their style, but I wish to join in this artistic dialogue. I want to see more creative interpretation's of the 40k universe. This is a quest in to my imagination.

Now that I have all of that sappy reminiscing out of the way, let's talk about what I am doing now.

Infinity. I still have some Haqqislam to finish up. Here's what I've got.
1 Jannissarie
1 Naffatun
1 Hunzakut
3 Ghulam
1 Ghulam Hacker
1 Ghulam Medic
1 Djanbazan HMG
2 YuanYuan Mercs

I still plan on picking up a Kaplan Tactical Services box and Scarface and Cordelia box. I'll get photos soon for these soon.

I've also got Super Dungeon Explore and all the expansions. It's a great game and is casual enough that I don't feel I NEED to paint them any time soon.

For 40k, I've got a large assortment of ork models still. As much as I want to dive in the deep end, I am putting these on the back burner until I can decide what I want to do. Orks have always been my favorite and I want to model this army around it being my 'end all be all' army. I'm toying with the idea of doing mostly resin models from the assortment of excellent bit makers out there and a mix of the better GW ork kits with lots of converting/scratchbuilding mixed in. It will be a serious undertaking and I want to have a solid idea of what I want before I begin.

So, in the meantime, I've got a lot of Harlequins and RT/2nd ed Eldar. I'd ballpark the models I have to around 1200 pts, but hardly a playable force as it's only foot models and a few support platforms. The models are easy enough to find on ebay, but the trick is figuring out a Harlequin heavy eldar list without being awful. I've got...
1 Avatar of Khaine
2 Farseers
2 Warlocks
16 Guardians
3 Support Platforms
6 Rangers
6 Dire Avengers
6 Banshees
15 Harlequins

I'll probably drop the banshees, get some jetbikes, wraithlords, wave serpents (I would absolutely love the old armorcast models, but I rarely see them on ebay) My camera battery is dead, so pictures of the eldar will come in a day or two as well.

That was one beautiful introduction. Loved reading through it all and I'm really happy you found your calling

Best of luck with your project, I hope to see some minis soon

Hello again,

After the abrupt end of my last post, I've done a lot of thinking on what I should work on and how I should spend my hobby time. While I like the harlequin models, I doubt I would enjoy playing with them in a game. I could not come up with a fluffy list that seemed it could hold it's own, so I made the decision to plan out my ork army. Chances are I will just sell off the Harlequins to fund the the ork project.

A local gaming group is running a point value escalation league come January and I would like to participate. The league runs for 9 weeks starting at 1000 points and ends at 1800 points. Here's my idea for a fluff centric Bad Moons army for the first week.

Kaptin Badrukk
5 Flash Gitz
Battlewagon w/ Killkannon, Deff Rolla, Ard Case

Painboy
5 Nobz w/ Waaagh Banner, Power Klaw, Kombi Skorcha, Big Choppa

14 Boyz w/ Rokkit
1 Nob w/ Power Klaw, Bosspole

14 Boyz w/ Rokkit
1 Nob w/ Power Klaw, Bosspole

10 Gretchin
Runtherd

1 Kustom Mega Kannon
Mek

This would not be my ideal list at 1000 points, but it's more inline with how I want it to look at 1500 points, which is my preferred point limit. At that point value, the units are beefed up to full size and there is an additional Battlewagon. At 1800, the end of the league, I'll probably add a Dakkajet, Meganobz, or some Killa Kans. My long term goal, since this is the force that is so near and dear to my heart, is to have most units available to me so I can play a variety of lists. I also want some units that could also act as a Gorkmorka gang in the event that I actually find someone willing to play that game.

So, having discussed the "what", let's talk about the "how?"




The images were the main inspiration for the first go at this army, and while I think I did fine modernizing the scheme, I feel like I neglected the true nature of orks and really removed the individuality of each ork. Bad Moons are particularly ostentatious and it only makes sense that they would each try to outdo their fellow clan mates. While not much fluff is written in an orks perspective, there are a lot of snippets in old codices, rulebooks, and specialist games that proves orks are very characterful in their own right, not just as a mob. Each individual has their own story to tell, their own experiences on and off the battlefield, and their own social life when not in battle. I want to use the same theme, but integrate the whole ork into the equation.

The paint job on my previous models was decided on the fly. I wanted the skin to be bright and the yellow cloth the be a bit muted and that was all I knew. When I got around to painting the rest of it, everything else ended up quite vibrant. This go, I'm going to again keep the skin bright, using plants as my inspiration for color and intensity. Plants are generally lively and vibrant and as orks are fungus based life forms, I think that's how their skin tone should be represented. The Gorkamorka rulebook is an excellent resource for ork physiology and reproduction methods. The rest of the painting will be fairly subdued with the exception of any red details I add. This means the two most vibrant colors will be complementary against a muted canvas and hopefully create a very visually pleasing color scheme. So no, yellow will not be a main focus of my Bad Moon army, but it will be present.

As with all my models, I prefer metallics to NMM. My main feeling on this is that the reflective quality of metallic paints add a sense of weight in my mind. I don't know if anyone else feels this way, it's just my preference.

While I think the ork plastic kits are some of the most versatile kits put out by GW, I think the boyz box produces a lot of cookie-cutter looking orks. This is magnified when you have so many on the table at once. My plan to remedy this is to utilize the number of independent bitz makers out there. This will be both for me to keep a list of URLs of things I want to buy and to illicit other suggestions based off what I post here. If you know someone making some cool ork models/bitz, let me know!

Spellcrow:
Armoured heads
Legs
Running legs
Doc kit
Slayer heads
Crew torsos
Shotguns
Heads
Bulky heads
Bulky cyber heads
Revolvers

Kromlech:
Running legs
Backpacks
Kneeling legs
Shotguns
Sturmgewehr
Greatcoat arms
Pilot torsos
Punk heads
Fatties
Tank hunter backpacks
Pilot (Such an amazing model)
Gnaws

Maxmini:
Fur pelts
Tech freak heads

If anyone knows of a tank track maker, please let me know. Once upon a time I had a bookmark of someone selling really nice tracks on ebay, but I've since lost it.

While this seems like a hell of a lot of bits for what I need, this will be integrated with the existing GW kits and spread across all of my army. I've got a lot of old school bitz that I plan on trying to mix in the force as well. Some models such as the Killa Kans will just be magnetized and not much else. The rest of the vehicles will be scratch built and based off of older ork vehicles such as the Lungbursta, Gutrippa, Bonecruncha, and Bonebreaka seen here. The current incarnations of the battlewagon and trukk are just not satisfying enough for me. I'll probably buy a dakkajet as I think it's an amazing larger kit. I've chosen to dismiss the freebooter theme for this army. Pirate orks don't do it for me.

With the aesthetics of this army mostly ironed out, I'll quickly describe the theme that I've wanted to build around. This will continue to be Morbog's household under the waaagh of Ghazkull Thraka during the attack on Armageddon. I've always loved the saga of Armageddon and the 3rd battle for Armageddon worldwide campaign was a high point of my 40k career. I am loosely basing this army off the 2nd battle for Armageddon during the attack on Hades hive. Orks fighting the militia, gangers, and indentured citizens of the imperium amonst their homeland. An ork household is literally just that; a house of orks that live and fight together. At the head of this house is Morbog as represented by Kaptin Badrukk. He's a flashy git with a penchant for the biggest and baddest guns. His retinue, represented by the flashgitz, are the nobz who one day hope to fill Morbogs boots if (when?) his impressive gun explodes and takes his head with it. Morbog likes to flaunt the wealth he's earned or stolen by outfitting his boyz with the best gear, best vehicles, and even the best healthcare teef can buy. His pride comes from his reluctant weirdboy he discovered in his fungusbrew hall after it belched a beam of pure energy right up the middle of the bartender. This weirdboy is kept in line by the nobz of the household who are in turn kept in line by a sadistic dok (also unnamed for now) who wont hesitate to "experiment" on anyone who gets a little too rowdy, even by ork standards. The only thing stopping the nobs from tearing the dok limb from limb is the every once in a while, he'll fix them up right if they are wounded in battle and they may even walk away with a fancy spring loaded kickin' leg. The boyz are your typical orks all fighting for their place in the waaagh and society. While all the orks fight, they may also be mek assistants, dok assistants, food vendors, merchants, scavengers, thieves, tinkerers, laborers, and what ever else is needed to have a functioning, albeit chaotic, society. The wealthy Bad Moons keep plenty of gretchin around to do the majority is disgusting menial tasks the Bad Moons are too good to do themselves.

So, that about wraps up what I have thus far. It's hardly entertaining if you want to scroll through a bunch of pretty pictures, but it's a start! The pretty pictures will follow!



But I do have a pic of something to come.

It's 54mm deathcult assassins, Severina and Sevora from Inquisitor. All the John Blanche lovers will definitely recognize these two. I picked up these NIB minis locally for $20 for the two. Quite the score if you ask me.

Not really sure how the cast quality is on these guys, but there's an extra Ork bitz maker:

http://puppetswar.eu/category.php?id_category=249

Tank treads:
http://stores.ebay.ca/Blood-and-Skulls-Industry

Awesome, thanks a lot. Those were the exact treads I was looking for.

I've seen the puppetswar stuff and none of it really works for this project, but thanks for the link.

I also forgot to add this backpack mix set from Secret Weapon Miniatures.

If buying things can be considered as progress, then I've actually gotten a lot done. I got nearly all of the Spellcrow items on my previous list as well as a few of the Kromlech things. I had planned to use these with the existing ork bits, but the heads did not mix very well with the existing ork kit heads. I've decided to headswap everything with the great assortment of Spellcrow ork heads. The Kromlech heads are wonderfully sculpted and cast, but I feel the scale is a bit off, even for Nobz and other large orks. The basing is Forgecraft Waterworks bases, sand bases, and I will add in some Forgecraft diamond plate bases to add a little variety. I'm imagining a ruined industrial sector of a hive with checkerboard tiles, tech, and rubble. Very slimy and dirty, but maintaining a gothic feel.

All of these models still need gap filling and greenstuff.




The first model to show is my Painboy to accompany my Nobz squad. He's a central character in the theme of this army. The nobz, flash gitz, and character models are all decorated with a myriad of cybork parts and implants. The bad moons have the teef to pay for these operations and the dok has a steady stream of guinea pigs to test his inventions on.




While I didn't originally plan for him in my army, as soon as I saw this model, I had to have it. It's a Kromlech Clanking Destroyer and stands about as tall as a nob, so I plan to use him as a nob with rokkit combi shoota and power klaw. He's going to be the painboy's personal attendant and bodyguard.

This model has become on of my most favorite I've purchased in a long while. The sculpting detail as well as the casting quality are top notch, and that head! The head just makes me happy.




Here's the first two of many nobz. I like them, but I feel as if they could do with a little more cybork parts. Maybe just a few wires and metal plates.




These are the first of my flash gitz and I'm very happy with them. I wanted to depart from the pirate theme as I found it a little too silly for my tastes. They're basically just nobz with a fetish for dakka. These gitz are the personal retinue for the warboss (played by Kaptin Badrukk) and are the biggest and baddest (and richest) orks in the mob. I moved their heads up a little bit to make them appear larger than the standard nobz as well as accommodate their larger guns. I feel I need something a little more than the head implants to represent the git findas and some more armor show their rank.








Here's a few of the boys I've assembled so far. I've got a few more done, but these are my favorites thus far. I tried to make each ork dynamic or expressive. To be able to use some of these models for a Gorkamorka game, I added in shotguns and revolvers. I didn't originally plan to have slugga/choppa orks in my army, but I think I may have a unit or two of trukk boys to represent the yoofs of the household. They have less armor pads, pouches, and backpacks, thus making them appear smaller and skinnier. You've got to pay your dues before you can wield the good gear.




I made this mek a while ago, and while I probably wont use him or his KFF in this army, I swapped his head and changed his base to match.


So that's where I'm at for now. I need to get some more bases to increase the variety throughout the army and I'll soon have enough to play a small game. I doubt I'll be ready by January to play in the escalation league I wanted to join as I would also need to assemble a battlewagon, kustom mega kannon, and the Kaptin. Maybe I can work something out.

Thanks for reading!

This update will be somewhat brief. There's been some exciting new acquisitions, and most of it is resin.

But for now, I just want to show off something I've painted. I was feeling a little rusty lately because most of my free time has been spent assembling orks. I've dug through my box of random models and came up with this metal cadian with a flamer.

It's an updated take on the studio theme for the 2nd edition cadians. He needs a base, but I'll probably just keep it really simple.

Your orks are awesome. I love the mek's big bashy hammer. This guardsman is really intensely painted. The color are so vibrant.

Awesome work. You really captured the essence of the 2nd-ed minis with that Cadian, but still managed to apply some more modern elements. How are those Orks coming along? I'm excited to see how they turn out.

Thanks for the comments!

Here's some of the progress with the orks.



An Armorcast battlewagon! I've always loved this model and I plan to update it to fit the aesthetic of contemporary orks. It's way too small to use as a battlewagon, but seems about right as a trukk. I've got a lot of them in Epic scale, so I'm glad I have one for 40k to match that army.




The ork on the left is my favorite I've made thus far. Very dynamic and just so damn orky looking.








Another Flash Git. Like the others, he still needs more armor and something to use as a gitfinda.




The nob who I may have lead the trukk boys. I'm not totally convinced he is the best fit. (I think I want one with a PK instead)




Here's a not-quite-mecha-nob. He's just a regular nob, but metal. He fits thematically in the squad with the painboy as well. I picked up some more orky resin bits and the torso and legs were among them. I got a few heads as well. You can never have enough heads.




And some more old school goodness. I've got a total of six, but only the three on resin bases. Truth be told, I was completely torn on making an ork army comprised of all RT to 2nd ed models or with all the fantastic resin bits and great newer plastic kits, so I figure this a compromise. I added some styrene to their base to make them a little taller than a normal nob, but other than that, they are staying as is.

These were just quick ipad shots. I'll wait to use the photo tent for things that are actually painted.

Some things not pictured that I have acquired are more Inquisitor scale (54mm) models, a few Sisters of Battle, chaos cultists, and older metal storm troopers. One day I'll learn not to buy more than I can paint. :( On the bright side, I've started to have more time to devote to hobbies and I'll start making real progress.

Thanks for reading!

Here's an update of some of the vehicles.

First up is an old Armorcast Battlewagon*. For those unaware, Armorcast was a licensed third-party producer of GW vehicles in the 80's and 90's. The names and scale have changed a bit from 1989, so I am using this as a trukk.





It's tiny. The crew compartment is large enough to house a single ork and not much else. To imagine twelve orks in the back including the gunner is a bit of a stretch of the imagination. I doubt orks care too much for comfort when it comes to riding in to battle.

*For those curious, yes, this is a recast. I own an original which is pictured in a previous post. No, I will not give/sell you one. No, I will not teach you to recast. I only recast this model because I want to maintain the integrity of the original. I value the history of these models and I would never convert an original. I feel compelled to so that I also refuse to recast the resin bits used in ork conversions. As a professional model maker/mold maker, I respect and appreciate the work they do and believe they should be compensated for that work.




Here is the start of my scratch built Battlewagon with Killkannon and 'Ard Case. It's based of the Epic: Armageddon Gunwagon (which also has a transport capacity) which is pictured in front. I don't really want a deffrolla because they suck in 40k rules, but it's so iconic on the Epic model. I've got the other half as well as some tracks cut, but I still need to assemble them.

As far as the rest of the force, I've got a lot primed and some more assembled, but that's about it.

More photos to come soon.

Thanks for looking!

Hello!







After much deliberating, I finally sat down and put ideas to model and got a test model painted. I'm pretty happy with the results and think I achieved what I set out to. My plan was to keep the blues and yellows understated and paint the reds and greens to be much more vibrant. The straps and belt were painted to resemble black leather that has cracked with age and wear to reveal the natural tones of the leather. The checked base and the model's feet have been dusted with a light sienna pigment and rust for the shotgun. I'd love to hear any feedback anyone has or ideas to improve this scheme.

I think I'll paint the meganobz next so I can work on the yellow armor a little more. I used the sponge technique for the damage, but it seems to be a double edged sword for me. I like the randomness of it but I really dislike the lack of control. I may paint the damage on myself or mix the two techniques.

The next bit is mostly unrelated to my orks, but refers back to my first post in this thread when I talk about what this hobby has done for my career. I have recently been made the lead for a project in which I am leading a team of miniature painters painting for a very large multi-national company. It's not a miniatures manufacturer or gaming company, but in fact an entirely unrelated market. I am always under strict NDA when it comes to what I work on for my employer, so I unfortunately can not post images or describe what we are painting. I really just wanted an outlet where I could share this and possibly inspire another hobbyist. I am beyond excited to be able to add "professional miniature painter" to my resume that is not under the heading of my own studio. It's nowhere near the work that a lot of amazing studio painters are doing for miniature and gaming companies, but it is still quite the milestone for me.

And as always, thanks for reading.

The Ork looks fantastic. It's a pleasant mix of gritty and vibrant that a lot of painters struggle to maintain. The rust on the gun is superb, but I do think that a tiny bit of freehand or possibly a couple of panels done up in another muted color would really show off its details well. As just an individual miniature in one of may units of 10-20 troops, though, I wouldn't sweat it.
Congrats on your work! Is it for prototyping/advertising, if I may ask? That sounds like a dream come true. I myself am essentially doing an apprenticeship in-between my studies to learn metalworking, mostly for custom furniture and appliances. I've still got a lot to learn, but so far it's an incredibly rewarding experience. Sorry if you've already answered this, but did you go to design school? Your career seems like something I'd like to look into.

 youidiotkid wrote:
The Ork looks fantastic. It's a pleasant mix of gritty and vibrant that a lot of painters struggle to maintain. The rust on the gun is superb, but I do think that a tiny bit of freehand or possibly a couple of panels done up in another muted color would really show off its details well. As just an individual miniature in one of may units of 10-20 troops, though, I wouldn't sweat it.

Thanks for the comments. I completely agree with you about the freehand. This first model was mostly about getting the colors down and the overall feel of the scheme. For this particular model, I plan on adding a few kill count hash marks on the shotgun and maybe some blood on his forehead wound. As the models increase in orky rank, they'll have increasingly better equipment, flashier paintjobs, and more adornment. Also, this is by no means a uniform. Each model will use these colors but in different ways. The meganobz on my desk now should be a good example of what I have in mind for the more ostentatious models in the army.

 youidiotkid wrote:
Congrats on your work! Is it for prototyping/advertising, if I may ask? That sounds like a dream come true. I myself am essentially doing an apprenticeship in-between my studies to learn metalworking, mostly for custom furniture and appliances. I've still got a lot to learn, but so far it's an incredibly rewarding experience. Sorry if you've already answered this, but did you go to design school? Your career seems like something I'd like to look into.

Thanks! It is a dream come true, but it's also incredibly stressful when dealing with clients and serious deadlines. That's not something they can teach in school. I do a bit of prototyping for my current employer and I have a degree in marketing, so both of those are definitely in my skill set. I am currently my shop's CNC Operator, but I also do most of the mold making, vacuforming, and nearly anything else detail oriented. The team here is all very multi-disciplined, so I get to do a little of everything. Coincidentally, working with metal has never really been my forte. I can do it, but I prefer plastics and wood. My schooling is only vaguely related to the industry I work in, but it helps with understanding the creative vision and the logistics of the creative team. The hands-on aspect of my job has almost exclusively been fueled by my hobbies and drive to teach my self new skills. The best advice I can give is generic but true. Find something you enjoy, stick with it, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about being a craftsman.



Also in queue for paint is a Blood Bowl team that I bought my self as a birthday present. The game is having a bit of a resurgence here in town and I recently bought the PC game, so this was a bit of a motivated impulse buy. The models are from www.comixininos.com and are pretty good sculpts. The best part is they are all metal. I love resin and plastic, but nothing beats a nice weighty model. I'm a little stuck on a name and scheme for them, so any ideas are very welcome.