Wicked cool stuff Meade. As for the river of molten gak... Spackle mught not give you the finish you want... Honestly I'd say use hotglue (if your substrate would take it.) then you would have those odd crinkles like the magma/slag river has.
Galorn wrote: Wicked cool stuff Meade. As for the river of molten gak... Spackle mught not give you the finish you want... Honestly I'd say use hotglue (if your substrate would take it.) then you would have those odd crinkles like the magma/slag river has.
Thanks dude,
The nickel tailings river is currently mothballed not molten, just like orange from chemical/rust. I did the secret weapon mini's tablescapes kickstarter and am waiting to get the terrain set, at which time I figure it will be more efficient to do a nice board based around those plastic tiles... that I can easily pack in the car and cart around to the club and stuff. I will most likely transfer my wrecked crawler onto those tiles as well and build some more industrial ruins.
So in other news, I've started converting a Leman Russ tank for the Renegades... of course I am not happy with the way the model looks as it is, so I'm doing some modifications. First off the tracks will get lengthened, extra rivets and armor plates will be added, and I'm going to install a special assault cannon in the turret. Because the battlecannon just looks goofy, and chaos likes to use bullets for some reason... rather than pew pew lasers. So more bullets the better.
Rather than some other solutions, such as using a malcador body and sticking a leman russ turret on it, I think this method of lengthening the tracks works well.. it is just enough to achieve that WW1 look and at the same time you only need to use the parts from one kit, and there is no need to change the body of the tank at all... merely lengthening the tracks makes the tank look a lot better. And Meanwhile it helps the tank look slightly bigger than the chimeras around it (as it should), and slightly smaller next to a Malcador (I am restricting myself from buying Malcador until I get 2-3 normal tanks finished!... it helps to curb spending)
So I'm posting pics here that document the steps I'm taking, maybe it will be a good tutorial in the end and if anyone has any tips that can improve this conversion feel free to share!
The mutants are also coming along nicely... I made some changes and I'm pretty close to finishing 8 of them at once.
So here is the latest batch of progress... another commission job that I thought I would post because I got to paint some of the HiTech Terrorizers.
My review of the model: I had only ordered one thing from HiTech before, and wasn't that impressed with the details, they were clunky and ill-cast in a way that you can easily tell how they had been sculpted, which are inferior to GW's old metal or new plastic stuff.
However, after getting a chance to just paint them (they came pre-primed) I must say I think some of the details on them are pretty cool... I like the way the gun-arms are constructed, I like the bald head, the screaming faces on the armor, and the legs are well done with the robes. I don't like the clunky looking gigantic bolts and there is a skull on the one guy's pauldron that has metal sunglasses... not my speed... and also there are faces built into the robes that I couldn't tell whether they are trophies or just like weird stylings or spirits trapped in there. But here's the thing.... these guys would look awesome with a little love... they're good bases for conversion. They were a pleasure to paint however I also painted up some Oblits I had lying around in the same paint scheme because why not... so it's interesting to compare.
I also did a Daemon prince that I tried some tattooed skin on:
In other news, the 8 spawn I've been working on are done with the building, and painting is underway... here is one guy that I have been pioneering some of the style I want to use on them... he just has a basecoat but I'm really trying to modulate the skin tone with the airbrush to get that mottled, color mapping effect and creating more vertical patterns of shadow. I want these guys to come out very moody. I converted them to all wear different kinds of gas mask with glowing eyes... to be more in line with the FW style chaos Ogryn style.
I also bought some minitaire paints and I'm in love... with the ghost tints in particular and oil discharge in particular! However, I can tell already there will still be some Vallejo colors I prefer... and even some GW things once in awhile.
At first I had wanted them to look kind of cyborg-like, but it's difficult to get across.... now I'll be happy if they look like bizarre science experiments. I'd like to do some kind of tattoos or barcode on them kind but haven't decided what to do yet...
The 8 chaos spawn models are nearing completion... and I had a nice photo shoot today outside, it was a cloudy day and I made a background so I think the pics came out better. Enjoy, and remember I'm still in the process of painting these spawn models... any input is appreciated. I am happy with how they are progressing and currently I was experimenting with using the airbrush to spray some tiny droplets of mud (pigments mixed in water) onto the model... that will probably need some cleaning up but my philosophy here is to give these models the same treatment that I would give a tank, trying to make the feet look like the terrain and to express the effects of the terrain (a dusty, muddy, toxic, polluted industrial ash wasteland) on the model... I am still conflicted on how to do their robes however, so they are mostly just black at the moment but the skin tones are coming out well I think.
Not loving the Hi-tech minis but good grief, that's some awesome painting. The skin tones on the the fat lad are just fantastic - is that done with the ghost tints? I was looking at getting a set of those. I also love the Giger-esque tattoos on the daemon prince (although again, not so keen on the model).
For the robes I think you are best off keeping them black, maybe with a hint of brown. The almost monochrome colour scheme looks amazing and it would be a shame to distract from it with any other strong colours. In fact, I think the rust on the chains is possibly slightly distracting as well. Your glowing eyes are a fantastic focus point, but the chain draws attention somewhat.
By the way, the armpit hair is perfect. Is that done with flock? I love the excess of wires too. You are really making the models that I want to be making here, inspirational.
Love your use of the Chaos War Altar muties... And your personal touch adds so much to them !!!
Keep it up mate !
Thanks Yggs!... yes I have to say I enjoy working with those chaos warshrine models. And thanks again to Biohazard for giving me the original idea and trading the models. It pretty much follows the same pattern as most of the new stuff GW has been coming out with. Conceptually the kits are derpy, but the detailing and craftsmanship of them is excellent, the bits taken discretely are great. Therefore they need conversion work to be good.
Whereas stuff like the Terrorizers, it's the opposite problem... OK concept (taken as a base) but crappy detailing that needs a lot of work to mend it.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bruticus wrote: Not loving the Hi-tech minis but good grief, that's some awesome painting. The skin tones on the the fat lad are just fantastic - is that done with the ghost tints? I was looking at getting a set of those. I also love the Giger-esque tattoos on the daemon prince (although again, not so keen on the model).
For the robes I think you are best off keeping them black, maybe with a hint of brown. The almost monochrome colour scheme looks amazing and it would be a shame to distract from it with any other strong colours. In fact, I think the rust on the chains is possibly slightly distracting as well. Your glowing eyes are a fantastic focus point, but the chain draws attention somewhat.
By the way, the armpit hair is perfect. Is that done with flock? I love the excess of wires too. You are really making the models that I want to be making here, inspirational.
Thanks buddy! Yeah the Hi-tech and DP were from a commission... I was just doing the paintjob! Nevertheless It was interesting to do so I thought I'd put it up here.
The robes will be blackish/grey I think... its true I don't want them to distract too much from the rest of the model but I need to put highlights on them. I struggle with that part sometimes, I find flesh easier for some reason. I also agree with you about the rusty chains. I constantly move back and forth from trying to put color into my models in these ways but for now I like the bright red eyes the best...
I would recommend the ghost tints, although due to the way I work I don't think I could say I did it with ghost tints alone, when I work it is never by formula and I pretty much put whatever I feel like. There are layers of ghost tint in there, but also a lot of the Vallejo Model air colors, especially the grey-greens and such, and also secret weapons miniatures washes.
If you get any minitaire ghost tint just get a bottle of oil discharge. It doesn't really look like oil (that would be more brownish)... but really it is a dark bluish color that is perfect for adding dark moody color to an otherwise monochrome scheme (especially the shadows) and therefore enriching it. I would compare it to prussian blue but it is transparent and extremely rich. I'm really trying to put every color of the rainbow into them, except it's all in the shadows and pastels and some focal points.
Armpit hair... I used some of those little fuzzy pom-poms you get at the craft store, cut it up a bit, superglued it on and then primed over everything. I figure with all the random hormones that are being pumped into these guys some of them will be growing hair... and some will have it fall off... I probably could have been even more liberal with it
The converted warschrine mutants are so fantastic that I want to run out and grab that warshrine kit right away! Brilliant!
The Terrorizer models are not my cup of tea, because I think they just rehash an idea that was not that great in the first place, but your paintjob at least makes them look presentable Would choose any of your custom body-horror/tech mutants over these any day of the week, though.
The paintjob on that DP is nicely to the point, although it has to be said that the bog-standard model seems completely out of its league and, dare I say it, totally pedestrian on this thread of conversion madness
Always a joy to read your updates, mate! More please!
I hope this isn't a thread necro because the models shown here are awesome. The skin on the mutants is absolutely fantastic, I really like those muted, sepia-like tones; not sure how I would go about replicating them with ordinary GW paints but I am inspired to try on the Chaos Cultists I've just got with Dark Vengeance box. Really like those colours.
The orange/red OSL is great too, the exact sort of colour I've gone with on some of my own models although I don't know if they 'glow' quite as well as yours. One tip I picked up on another forum was to use Tamiya clear and I've just used the red version on some ork eyes and he looks alive! Would I be correct in assuming that you've only used two or three colours for your OSL? Having had a go, I found that limiting the amount of shades used enhanced the effect.
Gogsnik wrote: I hope this isn't a thread necro because the models shown here are awesome. The skin on the mutants is absolutely fantastic, I really like those muted, sepia-like tones; not sure how I would go about replicating them with ordinary GW paints but I am inspired to try on the Chaos Cultists I've just got with Dark Vengeance box. Really like those colours.
The orange/red OSL is great too, the exact sort of colour I've gone with on some of my own models although I don't know if they 'glow' quite as well as yours. One tip I picked up on another forum was to use Tamiya clear and I've just used the red version on some ork eyes and he looks alive! Would I be correct in assuming that you've only used two or three colours for your OSL? Having had a go, I found that limiting the amount of shades used enhanced the effect.
Thanks Gogsnik, I think I described it before elsewhere here but my method for the glowing eyes is quite easy... paint on top of a white background so the transparent paint goes over it, and I only use Vallejo scarlet red and occasionally mix in light red if I want a fiery red. And airbrush! Thanks for the compliments!
Not more stuff to buy! Thanks for the tips I don't have an airbrush, out of my price range, but I will certainly give this a go as the effect you have achieved is pretty damn good.
So a bit of an update, It's been awhile but I've been swamped by work and superbowl and other random things. This is a teaser:
It's for a project I've been working on but things are super secret right now. And I might eventually start posting stuff there before here...
In other news I've been busy at the club, playing x-wing! I'm very fed up with standard 40k at the moment and it's refreshing to play a fully functioning ruleset in that other universe we all know and love. Here is a link to the battle report on youtube, that's one of 6 the rest are there on Fritz's channel. We played a scenario I designed myself, and my brother Phil is also featured on the rebel side:
Wow, really moody and atmospheric creature. The dirty, oil stained skin is great and the little stencil tattoo on the back is a nice touch. I really, really like the gungy, rusty tool/weapon parts and then there are the mottled mutated sections... So much detail both in the sculpt and the painting, just such a great piece.
Thanks! The little tattoos were done with micron pen. I have remember to get a red micron pen now... and I added lighting to it of course, because it is a teaser and eventually a sort of banner
I'm pleased to announce a new blog, a collaboration between myself and Bruticus (who also posts here on Dakka). It's called Ex Profundis, please click on the link in my sig to go there!
I'll write a little about the blog, and my plans for it. It's a collaboration, which to me means the same as being in a band... except with minis! We've been trying to develop a shared background setting for our miniatures, and a general theme the blog will be based around. At the moment if you click on the gallery, you can see I have two galleries set up, my forge thralls and shock mutant, while Bruticus has the rest of his stuff up (the minis with the white backgrounds).
I'm excited to be working on this, Bruticus has been a great help with the blog (thanks buddy!) as his trade is in web design. I've been hard at work for the past month or so trying to get all my dark mechanicus force done, and I really feel it's nearing completion, I'm happy to say... anyone tuning in to this blog, I apologize if I've been neglecting Dakka recently!
In the future I hope to do more graphical type stuff based on my minis, using photoshop to place them in context and with cool lighting, background and special effects (you can see the beginning of my efforts on the blog). I think it helps bridge the gap between what is in our imagination and the miniatures we have crafted.
I also plan on focusing more on skirmish games in the time ahead, especially try to get some Necromunda/Inquisimunda games going... and anything I can do with the guys at the club to play a detailed setting for the miniatures I make, and sharing my exploits on the blog. It's been tough cranking this stuff out while working a full time job, and dealing with winter in general, but eventually I'll get my time to really focus on artwork. Here on dakka I will be posting stuff too, probably focusing more on the crafty, WIP side of things and other random shiny things. Think of it as the blog is my art gallery, and this is my meeting place with peers.
"In their constant search for the perfect weapon, no twisted possibilities are forbidden to House Tekslav. This example, nicknamed 'threeface' by survivors, sports three heads: one head for main decisionmaking and locomotion, one to control the massive buzzsaw arm, and one to control the 4 servohands. The servohands are used to immobilize and distract the enemy, while the buzzsaw arm is used to eviscerate.
This subject's efficiency rating was sub-optimal. The head controlling the buzzsaw arm, despite conditioning and a neural link with the other heads, still has a tendency for independent thought."
For me, these models capture a feel for 40K that is expressed with difficulty in the background and almost not at all by Games Workshop in either their models or the way they paint and present them. Over the years I've written a little fan fiction which has tried to tap into that aesthetic but it isn't something I find easy to do so, to see it expressed so well in model form is something that I really get and I've really enjoyed reading this thread.
If you are going to use photoshop to further the characterisation then that will be really great to see. I know Forge World do something similar but it seems like something peripheral to me and that those images are not taken as pieces of artwork in their own right. I definitely think you're on to something with this though.
Bruticus has some pretty nifty models too, noticed them I the gallery section over the last few days. I like that his models have warmer skin tones which contrast nicely with the sickly, polluted look of the mutants and Dark Mechanicus figures you've done.
So, a micron pen, I've seen people saying about the use of them before. I've used pens on models in the past and found the ink to look a little out of place but then, that is just using a regular pen. Does the micron pen put ink onto the model fairly straitforwardly or do you have to use something else over the top of it to set it in place? May I ask what colours you use generally for your flesh tones and metals? I don't do much painting, I prefer sculpting minis and converting, but I'm building up the supplies for when I finally get around to actually finishing some models and I want to do my best with whatever colours are out there, other than just relying on Citadel as it doesn't seem fair in the model to put loads of effort in to making it, only to spoil it with a basic paintjob.
So, a micron pen, I've seen people saying about the use of them before. I've used pens on models in the past and found the ink to look a little out of place but then, that is just using a regular pen. Does the micron pen put ink onto the model fairly straitforwardly or do you have to use something else over the top of it to set it in place? May I ask what colours you use generally for your flesh tones and metals? I don't do much painting, I prefer sculpting minis and converting, but I'm building up the supplies for when I finally get around to actually finishing some models and I want to do my best with whatever colours are out there, other than just relying on Citadel as it doesn't seem fair in the model to put loads of effort in to making it, only to spoil it with a basic paintjob.
Thanks for the great response Gogsnik!
as for the micron pen, I think it requires the same trick as with transfers... I lightly paint over it with an airbrush, go back and pen it again, then go back with the airbrush again.
as for painting, I've been dipping into a lot of the vallejo military colors, which are giving me lots of earthy or grey tones and I've been working with grey, then adding different colors and washes to it. The minitaire oil discharge has been very helpful though.
so yeah, i'd recommend the airbrush to anyone... especially those not into painting, but I think there's no right or wrong way to paint, experimenting and allowing yourself small mistakes is key, if you believe there is a right perfect way you will only end up doing one boring thing fairly well.
I was in an model shop today to get some Typhus Corrosion but they stock several other makes of paints so, I was looking at them and that's what made me think you weren't using Citadel colours, same again with the oil discharge. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction on those.
I read someone on here asking recently if the airbrush was the next evolution in common miniature painting and whilst they may not be the case, a lot of people are using them so, perhaps something to invest in. I have no outside space in which to use a paint gun which is the biggest drawback for me, not so much over fumes but the possible noise of a compressor. I think the GW gun uses a can but I think a compressor is a better piece of kit no?
can't use the airbrush inside because of noise? there are ways around it I think. Certain compressors are quieter, and you can also get some kind of refillable canister I think. Don't get the GW gun though, it is basically like using a spray can.
don't get me wrong, you can pretty much achieve the same sort of effects by thinning your paints, and blending, it just takes time.
Compressors aren't very noisy - maybe you are thinking of the ones used for car tyres but airbrush the one I have is not loud enough to be heard in the next room. A bigger problem is the paint fumes I think, I'm never sure how seriously people deal with those but I hate wearing a mask and the extractor booths seem excessive.
Yeah I wear a good mask and goggles, and do it with an open window. I look like one of my models
It's not for everyone, just people like me who are nerdy about art supplies and different tools... I have 3 airbrushes by now and a pile of different random paints by various manufacturers. I mix everything up.
Bruticus wrote: the one I have is not loud enough to be heard in the next room.
That's good to know. I didn't think they would be excessively loud but I wasn't sure. If you can get a quiet one then it's something I'll have to think about. Certainly I've seen a lot of good work done using an airbrush and there are effects you just don't get with ordinary brush painting.
Meade wrote: Yeah I wear a good mask and goggles, and do it with an open window. I look like one of my models
Ha! I see the militaire paints are described as brush usable and they have a website for the products in the UK so I may well order a bottle of the Oil Discharge as that sort of effect on a model is something I really like.
These are amazing just been through from the start. The Dark Mechanicus are brilliant but my favourite of your work is the Noise Marines a pretty goofy concept made awesome by your work.
Back with some more WIP's! It's been awhile since I've been posting here but I want to get the fire burning again. I've been working on some Killteam/Inquisimunda/skirmish stuff. To start with... mutants!
thanks weirding! Yeah I'm quite proud of how that one came out. Just need to add more veins to the brain and more tokens/bones and feral looking stuff to his little stick!
Spider Skulls! More details on the profundis page where it's been up a week.
And the Mutants are ready for painting... final details were to add some facial and body hair, as well as some cool basing. If you zoom in you can see their tiny beards... personal grooming is not a priority. If I'm up to it I will begin priming them tonight... but I will have to do one test model before I go on painting the rest. I want to do primitive tattoos on them, and then add little feathers and some extra gore at the end!
So the muties are nearing completion... I've tried to go the extra mile with the paintjobs, still figuring out the camera too. Here are some test shots I took today!
It probably needs a black background to see the feathers properly... so we shall see. All of the 20 mutants are painted up to a high standard thus far, just that this is the only one I'd call close to 'done' at this point. so I guess it'll be another week for me to put finishing details and take pictures of everything, unless i go back and want to change more things.
I don't know what's up with his skin but it looks incredibly painful, that, along with the tattoos makes it a very 'realistic' paintjob; this isn't a mutant with nifty extra appendages but a human who is horribly distorted and twisted. Great Stuff.
Gogsnik wrote: I don't know what's up with his skin but it looks incredibly painful, that, along with the tattoos makes it a very 'realistic' paintjob; this isn't a mutant with nifty extra appendages but a human who is horribly distorted and twisted. Great Stuff.
Thanks man, yeah that's what I'm going for, realistic but expressive. This is a faction that is intended to occupy sort of a grey area in the 40k background... they are bad guys because they're cannibals and they're disfigured savages, but they also have a lot of human qualities and basically their main crime is that they were born freaks in a world that would burn you at the stake if you have an extra toe... and then trying to survive in that world.... so some mutations are useful (only the ones with some kind of useful mutation survive, really) but there are also a lot of just random skin boils/bloating and their bodies are in a state of flux as extra appendages/horns or eyestalks grow. They all have tattoos I'll be getting better shots of that for sure, I also wanted them to have their own sort of culture, kind of like the 1932 film Freaks if you ever saw it. So anyway while my dark mechanicus are sheer evil, these guys could play different roles really. I really want to make a bearded woman mutie now.
Gotta love those skull spiders just gives me shivers looking at them
Your skills with the brush always leaves me impressed you manage to create a very dark atmosphere but some how induce a all be it strange of sense of life and colour.
Take the latest mutie for example it is a very muted pallet but some how still jumps out at you, the skin is diseased and blistered but at the same time full of life.
I also love the way you represent rust and deterioration of metal you have a great style for that, I also must add the touch of organic matter stuck to the mutants axe/club is a stroke of genius
Meade wrote: This is a faction that is intended to occupy sort of a grey area in the 40k background...
Well when everyone believes that 'form follows content' it is easy to see how they would become exactly as you describe. I can also see how cannibalism and the tattoos would all be part of a culture that, naturally, focuses completely on the body; marking it, eating it et cetera. I think that is why the tattoos really make it a character model, without them it would be very easy to see the mutant as just a gribbly creature but with even the most simple tattoo you instantly have history, culture, community and life. That's why I'm so fascinated with models like this any anything else that fits into that Inquisimunda niche, every model tells a story and gets right into the world of 40K. A bearded lady sounds like a fun model and I can imagine just how warped that could become.
Meade wrote: This is a faction that is intended to occupy sort of a grey area in the 40k background...
Well when everyone believes that 'form follows content' it is easy to see how they would become exactly as you describe. I can also see how cannibalism and the tattoos would all be part of a culture that, naturally, focuses completely on the body; marking it, eating it et cetera. I think that is why the tattoos really make it a character model, without them it would be very easy to see the mutant as just a gribbly creature but with even the most simple tattoo you instantly have history, culture, community and life. That's why I'm so fascinated with models like this any anything else that fits into that Inquisimunda niche, every model tells a story and gets right into the world of 40K. A bearded lady sounds like a fun model and I can imagine just how warped that could become.
That's a good point, I suppose the tattoos (and they have piercings made from huge bones) are also a way for them to celebrate their own bodies. As mutants they also have to be proud of their mutations and view them as gifts. I'm kind of torn as to what to do with the leader, though. His skin turned out good and I don't really want to put tattoos on it... but usually leaders have more adornments... although he just leads by mind controlling everyone.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
lone dirty dog wrote: Gotta love those skull spiders just gives me shivers looking at them
Your skills with the brush always leaves me impressed you manage to create a very dark atmosphere but some how induce a all be it strange of sense of life and colour.
Take the latest mutie for example it is a very muted pallet but some how still jumps out at you, the skin is diseased and blistered but at the same time full of life.
I also love the way you represent rust and deterioration of metal you have a great style for that, I also must add the touch of organic matter stuck to the mutants axe/club is a stroke of genius
Thanks LDD! hmm we may have to see the photos i took were a little washed out, i suppose the palette is muted compared to other paintjobs out there but it's not really what I'm going for. The rusted metal is very simple, i paint on a dark orangey red-brown and then overlay different rusty shades of pigment.
Update time! This is a Witch Engine... it's been up on Ex Profundis for awhile but now is going up on Dakka and elsewhere. Mutants are done and going up on that website (link in my sig), being released in waves with a short story.
If you like it... please vote on the first image pls. I just need 5 votes! It's very appreciated.
My plans for the future now that the mutants are done.... terrain! I finally got my secret weapon tablescapes in, so I need to get those made up and do something with my wrecked crawler to finally incorporate that into it. Also I'm busy with commissions... hopefully I can get some pics of those up on this thread soon.
Witch engine is fantastic, do you pour resin in the mould and then clean it up or is it resin in a clear tube? I think a vat creation of some kind should be every modellers aspiration. The atmosphere this piece evokes is superb. Well done.
Calibanite Lion wrote: Witch engine is fantastic, do you pour resin in the mould and then clean it up or is it resin in a clear tube? I think a vat creation of some kind should be every modellers aspiration. The atmosphere this piece evokes is superb. Well done.
Thanks man, the process was to make the miniature first, insert it into the glass tube upside down and then allow the liquid resin (mixed with red dye) to cure. It was my first time doing it so I made a few small mistakes, like scraping the mini a tiny bit (that i can never repair but thankfully it will only torture my OCD soul) and making a lot of bubbles in there. but it looks good still.
Making a clearer tank would be less forgiving I think.
How do you think of these things!? I'm a sucker for the colour scheme, especially the orange but the whole model is just so spot on; there's a vast scope for horror in 40K that is completely overlooked by GW at the minute, particularly with the very bright and pastel colours they're slapping on minis at the moment, I think it's worse than the 'Red Period'.
Gogs: the color schemes annoy me too. I love all the mechanicus stuff (except the big stompy robots... I hate all big stompy robots) but the paintjobs make them look horrible to me. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!
Another WIP update. the moon karsts are growing... I'm using foam to make the basic shape, sticking random pieces of foam together to make the basic shape, then covering it in toilet paper saturated with watered down PVA glue (cheapest i could get). Some people might be familiar with the process. I'm going to add more and more to the Karsts to make them more cathedral-like. As long as they look rocky and weird, like they are the process of a strange weathering process, I would be happy. I want to put plenty of caves in there too for bizarre worm creatures.
Any suggestions? so far the toilet paper method is best I think for what I want to do, it's got a good mix of durability, cheapness, and it allows me to go on adding more and more stuff.
The other problem I'm having is that I'm trying to think how this terrain might function in an Inquisimunda game, which is difficult because I've never played an inquisimunda game. But I am working with the assumption that you need lots of terrain, as well as areas to perch and move on catwalks and higher surfaces. One solution is to make improvised catwalks and industrial refuse (this will be like a wilderness area of a ruined forgeworld), or to make caves in the rock formations that models can perch in and move around on, or to make flattop-style areas on the top of the rock formations.... not sure if I like the last one because I want them to be like gothic cathedrals (ok, a Gaudi cathedral).
After I get the rock formations done I'll need to paint the worm creatures I have, then add some bizarre alien plantlife growing off the karsts. Also thinking about doing some fumaroles, and I have a giant bendy pipe section that I may or may not make into a cyclopean venting system leading under the surface somewhere.
Two techniques I've seen that look really, really effective and mean to try would probably work well with this terrain. Note though that these methods I've seen, were used on miniatures and not terrain so I don't know how they work out in terms of expense but I'm sure you could use them just to add an extra bit of detail here and there. The first is very simple, microwave PVA Glue for 30 seconds (not tested by me as I don't have a microwave!) and then glue it down. I saw this used to make obliterator style flesh.
The second take is also very simple. Actually it's two techniques but anyway... The first is to drop superglue onto wet PVA glue which dries in odd patterns and the person using it mixed it around more with the handle of a paintbrush. They all put a drop of superglue into water, making a long, gel-like string which can be moved about as needed.
I never got chance to play Inquisitor although I did play Necromunda and yes, lots of terrain was pretty essential to keep your gang alive. Industrial walkways sound great, but then I imagine that even if you aren't chopping up GW terrain pieces and just making things from plasticard then it won't help to keep costs down if that's an issue. Perhaps there could be one or two industrial pieces with the rest a bit more hand made, wooden walkways, shacks and the like. Corrugated cardboard and, I would say ice lolly handles, but my advice would be, go to Burger King/McDonalds and swipe a big handful of wooden stirring sticks; you might want to purchase a burger too so it doesn't look so weird!!!
Hmm... well i do plan on having a lot of rock formations, enough for 40k terrain density on a 6x4 and for a higher density on a 4x4, and then some....the raw materials for catwalks and stuff is not as much a problem and is dealing with the third dimension really. I just want them to look like karsts and kind of overwhelm everything.... perhaps caves is my best bet, but I'm going to try for some improvised ash waste type structures. maybe shacks built on the karsts?
love the weird ways of working with glue. I tried microwaving the PVA and it made a very interesting texture.... I'm simply making to much terrain for that to be an efficient method but it might be useful in adding textures in detail spots. I like the idea that the rock formations are not all uniform and different parts might have different rock or patterns of weathering.
i really like the rock formations a scale shot might be good to get a sense of them i woould base them in small groups so that you can scatter them about and treat them much in the same way as a woods or area terrain.
i think the ledge on the piece nearest to the camera is great and when you get to adding small details some litter added to that spot and maybe some sort of improvised ladder up to it, like metal poles jammed into the rock face or hand holds carved out would make it a nice perch.
kencotter wrote: i really like the rock formations a scale shot might be good to get a sense of them i would base them in small groups so that you can scatter them about and treat them much in the same way as a woods or area terrain.
i think the ledge on the piece nearest to the camera is great and when you get to adding small details some litter added to that spot and maybe some sort of improvised ladder up to it, like metal poles jammed into the rock face or hand holds carved out would make it a nice perch.
by the way i love the mutants on the site.
They are big! I'm looking to make up some tall, 2-foot to 3-foot ones. I'm going for dramatic effect over all other concerns, really. The man made elements will have to come after the rock formations are more or less done... right now I'm leaning towards chinese Karst style shacks perched precariously on them, mixed with caves infested with giant worms, and I have an idea in mind for a curious native inhabitant after watching Fury Road... anybody can guess?
Wip's of my latest creation, this is for a friend of mine, sort of like a commission. A Khornate cultist warband for use in Inquisimunda (or as fodder in a 40k game).
This is the whole company:
Some 'crusaders of Khorne':
A beastman freed pitslave:
Another shot featuring the Khornate ratling.
And a new battle report/narrative summary up on Fritz's wargaming channel featuring a lot of my stuff. The Noise Marines featured were also painted by me, the Ultramarines are painted by Brother Captain James, and Fritz's Khorne models are painted by Wing Smooth Painting. Very well done!
Mutant pics are up, and also Khorne warband pics. There are a lot more views of the Mutants on Ex Profundis, as well as a short story and fluff so if you're interested, check it out!
Here is the leader, Yag the Wyrd, and the rest of his gang: Please vote on Yag! Just need 5 votes!
And here is the Khornate warband, it was done as a commission for Fritz over at Wargamer: Fritz on youtube.
@ Kernelterror: Nah there is no particular meaning or source to the tattoos, aside from spirals being featured heavily, which is a pattern i think looks cool, and has some mystical qualities.
Happy New year everyone! Some new WIP photos up, I'm working on an Inquisitorial warband:
So far im pretty happy with the skull horse conversion (probably make another one), and the flying babyhead. I also have a ton of other inquisition stuff to paint up like the crusaders and a bunch of Inquisitors! I plan to take them to Adepticon. I still have to make the head Inquisitor, more little goons, maybe one big arcoflagellant type guy, and maybe a servitor type guy. any comments appreciated!
That psyber-baby-eagle is monstrous, that is a custom sculpted head right ?
Very fond of the brontosaurus horse, that is a brilliant idea definitely in need of stealing ^^ !
I am also very intrigued as to what you will produce in order to lead that warband...
@evildrcheese: the rock formations are still WIP, probably will be for the foreseeable future while i double down on this warband and hive terrain.
@Kernelterror: the psyber baby eagle is not custom sculpted, it was just a mold i picked up at the art store he will need a little more grimdark bling before he is finished.
Thnx Weirding, I'm looking forward to Adepticon as well. This is just the beginning stages but the ball is rolling at least!
the horse started out as a horse, i was wavering between giving i wings and centaur-like arms, but in the end i just wanted to keep it as a simple beast of burden type thing. then i figured hey why not give it a tail, gives a nice flow to the mini... and ended up with what looks like a tiny dinoasaur zombie. Still thinking about how to actually use it in games though.
The first cyber-giraffe I have seen. Amazing, the star of the show for sure. No idea what you can use it as, maybe just scenery! It reminds me of a neil101 creation. My only suggestion is to give it one of the nicer oval bases, they are a nicer shape.
That one tech thrall has that odd stances, where the feet point inwards a bit. I widened the stance with hot water and I think it looks a bit better. As it is, they look a bit clumsy (which I guess is the intent, like robot zombies).
Medium of Death wrote: I like that cherub thing and the horse is pretty grim looking. Could do with a better picture of its head though!
i Like what you've done with the Assassin but i'd love you to do more with it.
You can move the arms quite easily and you've got better sculpting/modelling skill than me by miles!
That's a good idea. I was actually thinking about just cutting off the arms and resculpting in different poses... originally wanted to make some sort of telekine assassin, but like more serene and composed rather than angry and acrobatic.
The horse head is basically a head from the scyllax automata. its a little tough to photo
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bruticus wrote: The first cyber-giraffe I have seen. Amazing, the star of the show for sure. No idea what you can use it as, maybe just scenery! It reminds me of a neil101 creation. My only suggestion is to give it one of the nicer oval bases, they are a nicer shape.
That one tech thrall has that odd stances, where the feet point inwards a bit. I widened the stance with hot water and I think it looks a bit better. As it is, they look a bit clumsy (which I guess is the intent, like robot zombies).
Yeah, I like the Elysians a little better I think. I like the thrall bodes but i was going for some heavier infantry with those dudes.
Hey guys, not a major update but I'm making some progress on stuff I'd like to share...
I have a better idea of the characters in my retinue, which will include:
-Inquisitor (depending, he might involve some kind of mobile throne or immersion tank)
-Interrogator or acolyte
-goons (all based on elysians... can be expanded)
-Arco-flagellant
-Chirurgeon
-Autosavant
-Telekine assassin
-Heavy servitor
-various critters and servants... including the horse, 'babyhead eagle', and some kind of tiny cute character, haven't decided yet!
So started work on the Arco-flagellant. Had to sculpt him from the chest down, I am going for something based on the original Damien 1427 art, that is basically just a naked dude with injectors and flails coming out of each finger. The anatomy of my sculpting isn't perfect but I hope to cover that up with the combo of wires and devices on the body and painting.
and made plenty of progress on the chirurgeon. Aside from more wires and tubes, and developing his back a little I think I'm pretty happy.
and the Autosavant. He will have a long flowing robe, and im considering giving him a clear helmet:
Hey guys! I made some more stuff. (Sorry the images arent cropped but they are all very detailed if you just use the zoom in function.)
Current state of the assassin: I decided against the pinhead and I'm going for tentacle hair, also repositioned the legs and arms and added a cloak. Still might make some changes but I think it's coming along nice... need to figure out her left arm.
Progress on the autosavant: he's got cool staff and a computer. Also, i picked up a cool link from Weirdingway's thread for bubble helmets.... ordered some and it turns out the helmet was just the right size to fit on his suit. So very happy! Still need to cover him in more parchment and purity seals.
So I scrapped the other Chirurgeon... was just looking at him and thinking, not creepy enough! Here is the new guy. I lengthened the ruststalker legs with some plasticard tube and it looks good. Originally i wanted to give him some kind of nose-like appendage but i figured, why not give him some kind of artificial waxen face that precedes his real face (a device that along with narcotics, helps to make up for his poor bedside manner and calm down patients). The idea being that he is like that creepy doctor, who kind of also enjoys recreational torture and there are quite a few shades of grey with him. But he is super good at what he does!
Current state of the Arco-flagellant, not so much flagellating now. After giving him the tentacle hands i just did not like how it looked with his pose, I think with the flagellating hands he needs to be running and in action. Something I hope to be able to sculpt eventually but for now I think he looks better with sword-hands.
And another shot of the Horse.
In other news, I'm working on a brain in a bubble.
Current state of the assassin: I'm pretty happy at this point, fixed the arm although i still need to fill out/cover the upper arm. more purity seals! and more cable dreadlocks
I'm working on this character, replaced his helmet with a bubble-brain head. Still have to decide on the background of this guy.
Another shot of the arco-flagellant. Finally got some feet on him and the rest will be just small fiddly details.
The autosavant is coming along nicely. I replaced the normal staff-head with something a little more interesting. Haven't thought of a name but i imagine it's some kind of stave he uses to take readings of everything as the retinue explores, and keep in touch with the mothership. The second pic shows it with the enclosed helmet. I think at this point i want to work on making the helmet detachable, so when it's off you can appreciate the paintjob a little more.
]
And the Chirurgeon, as you guys can see i replaced his servo-arm with something a little more natural... now it seems like he is clutching a big needle or some other tool.
Changed the servitor again! I figure he is holding some kind of heavy radiation weapon, or some other thing so i gave him a little extra protection on the front.
Here are my inquisitorial stormtroopers. The dude leading them is probably going to end up as an acolyte, who basically commands the stormtroopers.
And last but not least, Inquisitor Xodde. Not so complex as i originally conceived him... but i want these ready by Adepticon and maybe its better that he's not so much larger-than-life and is more usable in games. His face will probably get a beard and certainly all the little wires and tech details. in the end he will be in a very stocky exo-suit with plenty of crazy details on it. Also, i think this retinue might be better suited to being ordo xenos, partially exiled but used to exploring odd places.
So almost ready for painting! Although i still have the final stretch of finishing the inquisitor, and a lot of busy work building up the encrusted little bits everywhere... and basing. But at this point i think i have all the figures I want... 14 dudes in all. I better stop now!
sorry no more updates until after Adepticon... I'm into full crunch time mode. Too late to do the whole retinue, but I am painting some up to participate in the crystal brush comp... as for the ones that didn't make the cut, will have to do so in a second wave.
not molten, just like orange from chemical/rust. I did the secret weapon mini's tablescapes kickstarter and am waiting to get the terrain set, at which time I figure it will be more efficient to do a nice board based around those plastic tiles... that I can easily pack in the car and cart around to the club and stuff. I will most likely transfer my wrecked crawler onto those tiles as well and build some more industrial ruins.
I also painted up some Oblits I had lying around in the same paint scheme because why not... so it's interesting to compare.
Would choose any of your custom body-horror/tech mutants over these any day of the week, though.
