Excommunicate

+++_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _...+++

...access granted...

+++DATE M 42 - detail hidden+++

=== Recipient: _ _ _ _ _ & Lord Demo, Ordos Terran, Ordo Malleus ===
+++ Inquisitors: Lord Demo, Riekens, Von Mendell, Rybikov (Late) +++
+++ Condensed Notes : Excommunicate Traitoris A435B_HDM +++
+++ Hereticus Diabolica Majoris: Silas Alban, Inquisitor +++






Spirit of noxious immateria, be gone from hence, for as the Emperor of Mankind, manifold be his blessings, watches over me, so I will not fear the shadow of the warp


Of Heinous heresies, thrice damned, Alban Silas, rogue Inquisitor.

Targets “Red Kraken, Red Rat and Red Raven.”

My Lords,

Penned and attached is a detailed report of the operation as the third anniversary of our task dawns.

Today we caught and exterminated “Red Raven” at a cost of Brother Stermon, Chapter 666, most of Kill Team Fleshborer, Inquisitor Rybikov and Interrogator Junger . May the Emperor bless them. It appears there might be two of them, but we definitely killed this one and have the remains stasis shielded and in transit. It is a peculiar thing. Target “Meatloaf”, (see datasheet attached, and thus named), is believed to have been killed too. Apart from significant tissue and liquid collect (estimate 8% of body mass), no body was recovered however.

Full report is being drafted, but I thought you should know of the feat and some fresh disturbing findings.

We have a reason to believe “Red Raven” was being hunted, assisted, or someway aligned by an unidentified Xenos element. It seems they left us a message. A card not entirely dissimilar to those in the Tarot Deck. Two sage’s have died processing the information. The most accurate translation we have managed to put together is: “He who walks with daemons, now masters the anathema. The Immateria incarnate, the key between realms”. See the pictograms. Be advised, the symbols cause severe nausea and risk of cardiac arrest. (according to sage 1 & 2, on scene post mortems)

We think we have a tail on “Red Rat”. Target yield probability 87%. We are tracking three prospective targets, with Kill Teams on stand by (on the scene) and the 666th element in transit.

I am asking for urgent Officio Assassinorum dispatch. Both Culeux and Callidus Temples. Your immediate support is greatly appreciated and requested.


Several new leads and alignments have been grouped under a new majoris target named “Red Seer”. Interrogators Levenson and Bache are on it, with several assets from my team and your militia.

I would bet my mansion there will be an exterminatus severe incident within months. If the sick freak really has an anathema that incident could happen anywhere. Indeed, we have drawn blank for 8 months now on his where about. Last sighting is still on Reef C779, attached for your convenience)

When can we meet?


Yours,

Riekens & Marco







BLOG restart


Inspiration, focus, hard work, talent, discipline, stamina, flow, joy, pain, excitement...

All words that can and do describe an artists struggles and strengths in the hobby. Focus is a wonderful thing. It is often the difference between good and great, between chance and repeat. Hits and dynasties.

But sometimes marvelous things happen when you lose it. The very best work often stems from losing focus. When working on something manual, already imagined, when your mind can wander freely, sometimes it jumps to unexpected places. Alpharius was born that way - during Jade Vessel responsibilities and my commitment to build Shaddes offe Greye. I just brought in the giant marine to one of our sessions and everyone loved it. Legion hence became my focus and my first bigger than squad body of work I consider “great”. Actually the Shaddes off Greye being the only other decent thing I’ve done.

Greatness is obviously about context - and the context of this blog is about gothic, heavy impact miniature imagery that shows originality, clever use of plastic parts, strongly themed paintwork and repeating and relentless creativity.

Rather than making very nice renditions of Warhammer 40000 themes, I’ve wanted to push and magnify the imagery and the miniatures in to new extremes and with very strong visual themes. Like the legion - Massive Warrior Gods, Frail but stubborn humans, bizarre constructs of the Mechanicum, War relics of the Astartes - all fighting under pale, cold light of twin moons.

So a few days ago I lost focus.

And it was brilliant.

And now it’s time to return to a dear side project. Reincarnated. Reborn. Raw, fresh, and with similar singular strength.

The Red Storm is rising.

Shaddes offe Greye was part one of my Inquisitor Trilogy - The Ugly. The work that, again from my biased context, was my first feeble but resonating move from good to great. The theme was strong - to study the greyness of Inquisition and the universe. Everything you have been told is a lie. This was a bunch of freaks, bunch of twists, mutants, fighting the god emperor’s war. Hated, despised. The conversion work exhibited a new ambition and sense of scale and physiology. I mixed grey to every single paint sans metallics. It gave them a very uniform look and feel. It made all of my old work instantly suck.

While working on Legion, I started on part two of the trilogy. The Bad. Friends at dakka run a “Pimp my wizard contest that was a great inspiration and excuse. Conversion work came out nicely, new ideas came from nowhere - and obviously feeding from the great work others produced and I started to paint. I went for red.

The face was perhaps the best, most singularly powerful thing I’ve painted. Exactly what my new context in the hobby and art was all about.

But EVERYTHING else about the paint work sucked. The fact that the model had a hammer sucked. Most decisions I made after the face were uninspired technical exercises that lacked any real intent. And to make it worse, the red was so hard to photograph that the little technical good disappeared. By then I had produced a flow of great potential. Some of the best conversions I’ve done (Borsus and Valencia) some of the best stories... but I failed to connect the dots. The man at the centre of everything was a flop And the project stayed in the designated drawer of my beautiful desk.

Until a few days ago.

When I opened it, to see if I could fit in a few Legion primed models. I picked up Silas (Alben to Alban, for Bad 2.0) and saw his face. And finally it was all clear. The face would dictate everything else about the Bad. The theme was clear, that thin red line between end justifies the means, and total, utter damnation. Only the red line is not thin, but a crimson whirl that hits with the force of cardiac arrest, until things are reborn. If Ugly was about “Shaddes offe Greye”, the Bad and Silas is about mixing the warp and blood to every stroke of paint! (no humans or other living things are harmed in this process)

It was all so clear. All so bloody finally.

I painted in a frenzy, reworking every area of the model (except the face), with boldness gained from John’s paintings, his description of how he paints and his miniatures looking down on my efforts. I used inks over shades, over the top rather than just enough. I cut off the Hammer and attached the only suitable weapon for him. The Anathema.



A Red Storm Rising


I traveled in the rotten carcass of a long dead elevatorum engine. All 244 floors of the derelict hab block flashing through where the doors of it once were. Glorious wave of sparks shot down after the engine like an afterburner. I like to make an entrance, that is why. Slight psy frost begun to cover the engine, a side effect of my telekinesis. 


I knew what awaited me at the top. Because I was there as I am here. I willed the murdermake, or rather directed the absolute onslaught. I tasted the blood and watched every single one of them die.


A beautiful mechanical chime announced my arrival and I walked in to the main hall. The smell of blood was quite intoxicating through two separate noses. The cohort of witches surrounded my price, tightly packed behind a wall of vortex brought alive through their dark sorcery. My Alter-Daemon paced around the warp barrier. Such brilliant tool, such a cost to acquire it. 


He cost me, it cost me. It cost me in resources and in the trust of much of the Ordos, narrow minded as they were, are, in the face of new, groundbreaking weaponry. Ignorantly labeled as a Daemon Host. They do not understand the forging of an Alter, of the genetic link and chain of control I project on the beast. It cost me much of my war-band, great warriors all of them. Oh yes, it also cost some dozens of collateral lives before I full mastered it. It cost me most of all. 


But such a daemon. A bargain. 


I burned through the feeble wall. They were powerful psykers, but not close to what power I posses, not close to the training they gave me, and I made their hearts explode. Not taking any chances, too eager to start.


I entered his mind, he and I blinked. 


And I saw through his eyes. Through his eye to be exact. Into my eyes. I felt his terror, but it was overpowered by intellectual thirst. It was sublime. Such a clear and purposeful mind. The Mirrormaster, Lord Seer, Hereticus Diabolicus, sector threat three. There was I, cowled in ethereal alien robe, a veil of blood. Cream and sanguine in color, projecting the symbols of my trade on its surface. Encased in crimson carapace, wrought by master artificers to protect from harm and to provoke dread in equal measure; and to integrate the incredible psychic hood from Titan. A compact seismic hammer in hand and the vampire blade sleeping its endless nightmares in its protective alloy scarab. That another special piece made in the forgeries of Titan when such places would still cater for me. 


I felt them before hearing them, before seeing them through his one eye.


Nevvie & Chaide set down besides me. Their huge, impossibly complex, synthetic wings a whirl that ultimately suspended them a few feet from ground. I was to make a job offer. Chaide carried the reward I would promise. Nevvie the tools for signing. 


I blinked back with an understanding.


Lets begin. 


More and HD pics without aggressive compression of the gang: http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/11/alban-silas-sister-valencia-borus-aka.html


Motley Crew

+++

It cost us dearly. Not all my warriors agreed, or coped. Vhystor killed the Chaplain. Saved me the work I pain to admit. Nanda and Jahrl Wurst were caught by the Grey Knights. The Ordos all together killed 47 of my staff and erased the assets they could find, The Cliffloft on Terra, safe houses on Dressen, Melior and Necromunda. Eventually the Traders were brought down by the Navy. They killed Borsus twice, yet there he stands. I believe all of the Ordos declared us Heretics, Malleus Diabolica Majoris I believe. Quite a career move.

They are wrong.

No team can match our tally. No other Inquisitor meet our ambition.

and I still have a heart. 

It’s pure and 6’3”. Sister Valencia, Repentia Illuminati, Fugitive and master pathfinder. Trained seraphim first class, before her incident. She took a wrong turn. They took her eyes. But she is resourceful and an escape artist. She learned to track and hunt with the Kroot Mercs and ended up in the hive game, syndicate business. She is invaluable. Hardcore. I love her.

Borsus, the weapon smith. The team always called him Meatloaf. I blame my upbringing for not sticking with the name.  Tough as they come, stitched together more times than he can care to count. 300 pounds of instinctive cunning, gangs over school, violence over words, speed beyond all that mass. Over weight, over powered.

Borsus has a way with guns. They make him smile. He makes them smile.

The Master can cheat death - a gift in this trade. Peculiar, ancient being. A recluse, a seer. Mirror into the pantheon of future. They all want his service, the cults, the ordos... Works for me now. I am sanction to cross boundaries and means to cheat the immaterium. 

Lewis is the pilot. Never see him around. Even with the massive cutter around him. His way with flight keeps saving us. Maybe the Master is overkill? Ha! Posh and well articulated, Lewis loves his craft and never seems to leave it.

“Chaide”, nicknamed after the classic refcast strip. Master Orsos made two before he was killed. Nevvie was caught recently. They are psychological hardcore warfare. That hollow steel can take and deal a beating. Lewis loves to drop them from the cutter.

That’s us, the core team, re-focused and re-arming.
[/i]


+++

I like the model and the paint job, but I especially love the presentation: the photography and the story are excellent, you clearly have both a superior camera and a knack for writing.

In the second story you say he has a compact hammer - that's been replaced now right? What exactly is an Anathema? That's the same type of curved bladed sword that Alpharius uses right? Is there a story behind it? Also what is 'Chaide' - I don't get the refcast reference.

All this =I= stuff is too cool, I have caved in and will be posting my own contribution soon and it's posts like this that really have encouraged me and motivated me to make an extra effort.

I am looking forward to Chaide and Meatloaf.

The HD images at Legion of Plastic really show the miniature well.

The lure of =][= is a difficult one to resist... like the call of a Psiren perhaps...

As always, your work is outstanding.

Thank you guys.

From the first sampling, looks like I should keep my focus on the blogger blog, as that's where the traffic and discussion tend to happen these days. It kind of makes sense - my artistic musings and other ramblings are hard to get without some context of the blogs and work I've done in the past. But I will try to keep this blog updated with links and then put more effort in if the conversation picks up.

Bruticus - yes the hammer was replaced. It didn't fit the feel of the model. The Anathema is an ancient, Xenos / Chaos dagger that with the right lore and knowledge can cut through to allow passage to the warp and web ways. The legion weapons on the other hand are Called "Falx".


Here's a WIP pic of both Mirrormaster and Chaide.
http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/11/chaide-mirror-master-and-solar-cultist_14.html

More to come!

A lot of new stuff on the way. Plus reading Pariah, which is great inspiration. New pictures tomorrow.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Pelicanne / Chaide / Horificus


Hunt, hunt,

Run, run,

Fly, fly,

The Girl with the machine eyes and the Pelicanne.

Feathered pan, wide like a Russ. Oh it can. Kill them no fuss.

Tall and thin, she carries his every whim. Together they say, none can get away.

Mirror, mirror, where is the pray. Mirror, mirror Reveal the way.



http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/11/pelicanne-chaide-horificus-wip.html

....hmmm

Well it's hard to make him out exactly but the bird dude looks especially great - I can't tell if it is a mask or a bird head but he is cool either way, very gothic and eerie. Reminds me somewhat of Father-Mother from Zeno Clash.

Bruticus, I just uploaded a bunch of HD pics and edited the first post too.

http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/11/alban-silas-sister-valencia-borus-aka.html

Your work is so inspirational.
I wish I worked more and dreamed less, then I might be able to achieve a tenth of what you do.

Damn, i hate it when i miss the start of things.

The bad..... im salivating already Migs.

The repaint is great, that robe really sticks out as something special there. The daemon weapon just looks plain mean, a sickly dark colour, like the manifestation of evil.

The fluff is of course entrancing, penned masterfully as i have come to expect from you every single time. You really are channeling Blanche and Abnett with brilliance, yet managing to keep everything truly unique.

The mirrormaster sounds very intriguing indeed, i can;t wait to see what you are planning with the actual mirrors on that one.


Its great to have you back posting, even better to have the prospect of fresh =][=Munda for us all. Are you going to do another jade vessel type campaign then? Assuming you've managed to find a new group of crazed loons to join you of course My appetite is well and truly whetted, and i now have incredible motivation to get back to my own =][=Munda project, so a big thankyou there!


Also, please dont neglect Dakka! I know the P&M forum has seemed a bit slow lately, but you really are a Dakka legend/treasure, it would be such a shame to lose you.... There are still a good many people who clamour over your work, and i will now go and spread the word to them all, screw letting them find this the regular way, time to spam them

Found this only thanks to Vit's PR campaign for it...
Inspiring work as always Migs!
Will have to read it all at a less inhumane time of the day.

The new pics look great, I am really looking forward to more pics of The Pelicanne (is that it's name?)

Bird headed dudes are just so creepy and I've always been fascinated by the concept, even have a couple of half finished ones sitting on my desk in various states. I'd love to hear his background and maybe my bird headed dude could be a distant relative. I think my fascination is caused by being traumatised by the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal as a kid.

By the way, I watched a film called Thale the other day that had a Scandinavian mythical creature called a Huldra in it. Do you ever look to Scandinavian folklore for inspiration? Seems to me like it is full of fascinating ideas.

Couple of points on some of the names you have chosen - Meatloaf reeaaally makes me think of the singer and Mirrormaster is a Glaswegian comic book villain.

Loved your previous warband and am loving this so far. I'm a big fan of the chain gun and the girl with mechanical eyes...

With her especially and the red based palette, I am also reminded of John Blanche's Femme Militant project, which I loved.

/subscribed!

Migs - the reds in Valencia are amazing - the legging and gloves, and that skirt, especially the back, just gorgeous.

It's interesting to compare the HD pics on the Legion of Plastic blog and the compressed Dakka imagery - I can definitely see now why you choose the blog format for your main posting.

Thanks for linking from your other thread, otherwise I would have missed this!

Excellent fluff as well!

Cheers,
Rawson

Beautiful work as always, look forwards to seeing more.

grrr

Guys,

Thank you! You made my morning Put a lot of effort in to those photos, so the feedback was of special benefit.

Vitruvian XVII wrote:
Its great to have you back posting, even better to have the prospect of fresh =][=Munda for us all. Are you going to do another jade vessel type campaign then? Assuming you've managed to find a new group of crazed loons to join you of course My appetite is well and truly whetted, and i now have incredible motivation to get back to my own =][=Munda project, so a big thankyou there!

Also, please dont neglect Dakka! I know the P&M forum has seemed a bit slow lately, but you really are a Dakka legend/treasure, it would be such a shame to lose you.... There are still a good many people who clamour over your work, and i will now go and spread the word to them all, screw letting them find this the regular way, time to spam them

That's fantastic. Very happy to see more stuff from you then. Please let me know when you have some!! (PM, email, heads up here...) It's impossible to find stuff here nowadays. =I=munda this time will involve a group of diehard international inquisitor visionaries and will involve sending miniatures in the mail and whatnot!

The reason for sharing this is for people who like to see stuff and talk about it. If no-one replies, eventually it may be time to concentrate on the blog only. But I've been at dakka since 2000 and love what it represents.

Bruticus wrote:The new pics look great, I am really looking forward to more pics of The Pelicanne (is that it's name?)

Bird headed dudes are just so creepy and I've always been fascinated by the concept...

Do you ever look to Scandinavian folklore for inspiration? Seems to me like it is full of fascinating ideas.

"Chaide Pelicanne". I've never really liked bird headed dudes. I've found them too damn weird... so then this project became a place where that weirdness fit and this model I find quite a succesfull rendition on a birdman concept in gothic universe.

I am from Finland, which technically and somewhat culturally is very much from scandinavia. Our language and history is distinctly different from the rest of Scandinavia though. But I am deeply integrated in that folklore and tradition, and I think it shows in some of the work. The finnish National Epoch is called Kalevala. A series of folklore worthy of many great WH40K concepts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala

MeanGreenStompa wrote:
With her especially and the red based palette, I am also reminded of John Blanche's Femme Militant project, which I loved.

/subscribed!

Thanks. I was a big fan of that body of work. What a brilliant venture that was.

Lamby wrote:Migs - the reds in Valencia are amazing - the legging and gloves, and that skirt, especially the back, just gorgeous.

It's interesting to compare the HD pics on the Legion of Plastic blog and the compressed Dakka imagery - I can definitely see now why you choose the blog format for your main posting.

Thanks Lamby!

Yes, it's pretty evident isn't it! I need to email legoburner again.


Everyone - Thank you for comments! Much appreciated.

Gorgeous!

I'm loving Chaide especially, but the other two are really great as well.

Great to see some new stuff, Migs.

 migsula wrote:

That's fantastic. Very happy to see more stuff from you then. Please let me know when you have some!! (PM, email, heads up here...) It's impossible to find stuff here nowadays. =I=munda this time will involve a group of diehard international inquisitor visionaries and will involve sending miniatures in the mail and whatnot!

Yeah, i will make sure i do Me and HF Izanagi are still working on a campaign booklet to give to players, but new stuff should be incoming soon.


Ooh that sounds intriguing, not to mention totally crazy Im looking forward to seeing how you're going to manage gaming with people not in your immediate vicinity, have you got some kind of computer representation of a board, or am i just misunderstanding? Either way, sounds fun.

Well seeing that your blogs are what got me into warhammer 40k years ago I'm very eager to see more from you! I really love those 3 so far, and your writing is great

Awesomely painted minis - Chech
Compelling and well written backstory - Check
=I=Munda - Check
Migsula - Check
All the ingredients for a fantastic blog. Count me subscribed.

Thanks guys!

Subscribed.

I've been reading Pariah this week - OH YES! - and feel incredibly energized to do a hole host of new models. If only my hands could work with the speed of mind

Any of you guys picked it up yet?

migs

Very cool stuff Migsula. If you don't mind, I'm just going to pull up a chair, sit down, and enjoy the show.

 migsula wrote:
I've been reading Pariah this week - OH YES! - and feel incredibly energized to do a hole host of new models. If only my hands could work with the speed of mind

Any of you guys picked it up yet?

migs

Haha, yeah, I read it in a binge the other week when heading up north on the busbus.
It inspired me to entirely change direction of my inq28 warband, going plainjane cloak n dagger instead

also I really loved the lovecraft/dunsany hat-tips all over the book

Oh this is exciting. So happy I haven't missed months of this!

 migsula wrote:
If only my hands could work with the speed of mind

migs

I know just how you feel...

ps: I know they are moon-lit (right?) but I can't help feeling that they are a bit washed out in the pics. Is it just me, or was that washed out look intentional? The effect is strongest on the mostly white sister-repentia.

Taking a look at your blog, there's a close up that does them more justice.

Pariah like completely ticked my dream scenario box...

I guess I have to wait for more people to read it to not to spoil things.

The Good Green - these guys aren't under the moonlight, imagine a some surreal warp red mist over a vast, dying metropolis... that's the world these guys live in.

Wow, you've posted some really great stuff lately. It was really interesting to compare your new work to the eisenhorn warband. Especially your skintones have really improved. *envious*

That Warband was done in 2006. It was the last piece I ever did on black undercoat. I changed everything about my painting since then.

But that was a different time and it was nice to try the daemons, get one and realize it really was not my thing.

Ok, so... red fog lighting... works

Also, those other "henchmen" minis that are hanging out with the warband (in the blog pics) look pretty awesome.

I noticed you saying in Bruticus' blog that you may have to do some more terrain... got any plans yet? I need to do a whole set myself (or near enough) and i really cant decide what direction to take it in. Part of me wants to do a fully intact gothic to the hilt board, but then the dingy underhive continues to call.

Vit,

First I need to finish detailing the three peieces I have made from Necromunda terrain. Then finish the new Trench system and the landing pad..., but eventually, it's WALKWAYS that I need! Several different heights and lengths

Okay, I have a small update, getting close with the next three members!!

http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/11/chaide-pelicanne-mirror-master-and.html

Awesome work. Glad to see you're still having fun and letting your imagination run wild!

That desk really is beautiful, an inspiring setup indeed.

Very much looking forward to seeing the subtle queues you seem to have put on all your models, not to mention getting to see the gang as a whole! I am stupidly intrigued by the mirror master now, he looks amazing, i need close ups!


Oh and yes, walkways are always in demand, i could do with a buttload myself.

I used a toy car race track for my walkways, they are sturdy which is pretty important when they are about 20" from the board and covered in fragile models. I think cheap toys are the answer to a lot of terrain questions and you can get them so easily on eBay as I guess they are frequently grown out of.

That desk is really nice, I now feel like I really need to clean mine.

I love your threads. They are awesome to behold.

Mat

Thank you gentlemen.

I've had a little bit of more free time lately, and hence there is a real surge of produce. So I have two more very exciting and different conversions underway. An Arbite Chastener and a Cultist of the Mechanicus. The Chaos Cultists from the Dark Vengeance set are proving out to be such a treasure trove. I'll try and get pics to you sooner rather than later.

The big thing to balance is how much this lot is taking time out from Legion. Single characters don't really add to what I need for the legion, so even if some of these new characters ended up that way, it doesn't make enough of a difference. Soon I need to find the time and resolve to assemble a bunch of IG armor. Funny how with this little free time, such effort becomes almost a criminally bad way of spending time. (compared to creating new character typologies and exciting painting solutions)

 Bruticus wrote:
I used a toy car race track for my walkways, they are sturdy which is pretty important when they are about 20" from the board and covered in fragile models. I think cheap toys are the answer to a lot of terrain questions and you can get them so easily on eBay as I guess they are frequently grown out of..

What a great idea!

Love your blog man, I was wondering when your new gang members are coming up? I'm excited to see Chaide and the Mirror Master! I also love reading(about), and looking at your painting, it inspires me to try harder.

I only have the wings and all three bases to finish now.

Give it a few days

But we want updates now!

Outstanding work migs, the xenos pelican looks suitably disturbing.

I hear you about the single character thing. Almost all of my AdMech force is made from single projects, amalgamated together into some form of unit

 STC_LogisEngine wrote:
But we want updates now!

Outstanding work migs, the xenos pelican looks suitably disturbing.

YEAH MIGS. NOW!

Looks like I got back here at a good time... I'm excited to see these more of the Red Storme characters. (damn you and your cool names, Migs...) I've seen them before from the PMW and beyond, but yea... lookin' sharp! Like the changes to your entry figurine- very big improvement to an already stellar conversion...

-Remi

Okay guys, worked a little over time to get you some photos.



Mirror Master - Where is the mirror? Old, Wise beyond law, Erudite Extraordinaire, but how to remember thy minutia?

Tobias the Curze - Caretaker, Make sure master see no harm, solid slug for everyday, Enuncia for ordnance!

Chaide - Pelicanne, Man Bird, Haunted Hunter, The Weather!







At long last, The new additions are here. Well new and old. I had tremendous fun painting them. Taking fifteen minutes here and there. I still have some finishing work to do after varnish, but 99% they are done.

I've kept going back to the original +I+ rulebook for guidance. I've worked hard to maintain that feel and for these characters to be something if rendered by Blanche, Kopinski, or Dainton that they would totally fit in. For each new character I had unique considerations, but ended up also wanting a somewhat common look for the three of them. Like I had for the first three.

It is now time to start planning how to play with these guys, where to find a new gang of crazy hobbyists to create a world and storyline worthy of the energy.

Next comes.

The Mirror - mirror mirror, dead or alive...

The Devout - Burn the Ministeric!

and of course, The Alterkin

and a boat load of pictures:

http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/12/inquisitor-silas-and-new-recruits.html

Holy crap! That bird-thing is phenomenal! (Pelicanne or Man-Bird?) I see Cairn Wraith in there, DE Scourge Wings(?)... but what really catches my eye is the beak-face you have on there. What kit is it from? GS work? Framing the monotone color with the red halo/collar is also a nice touch.

Maaan... I gotta get back into it. Time to step away from the XBOX for a bit and commit to finishing my outstanding figs and build scenery. Keep it up, Migs. These new =I= Blogs on Dakka are slowly bringing me back into the fold. And seeing as how Jade Vessel is what got me into the whole game, another one by the same author/creator is like an adrenaline shot to the heart!

-Remi

Wow, just wow.....


Chaide is wonderful, like a 40k version of a Plague Doctor. The work you've done on his base is extremely striking, and looks utterly realistic as you seemingly pull off with consummate ease. Oh My God the paintwork on his plumage as well, sheer breathtaking.

While Tobias seems a bit drab next to the other two, he's still fantastic. Even more so because that's exactly the look you were going for with him. Next to the Mirror Master he looks plain, beaten up even, yet he looks like a Thug bodyguard, too stupid to think for himself but loyal to the last. The fact he's got a mask on only serves to accentuate his status of muscle in the gang.

The Mirror Master is definitely my favourite of the three though, he looks like a crazed old Victorian serial killer, or a deranged geriatric straight from the pages of Lovecraft. The hat is wonderful, and goes so well with the skulls. I have to admit that i was expecting some actual mirrors, some intricate array of flect-like substance that captured souls or something. Where is the mirror indeed......



Finally, this shot just leaves me awestricken:



For me it encompasses everything i love about 40k/ =][=Munda, two teams of highly trained operatives, tooled to the teeth and ready to exact death in the name of whatever purpose they believe to be right. All thats missing from that is some glorious terrain

I just love the Pelicanne, it's head is perfect. I can imagine it's beak clacking as it tries to talk. I like the others as well, particularly Mirror Master's face and his excellent hat, but the bird man wins it for my money. Really reminds me of something (in addition to the things I already posted before) and it's driving me nuts trying to figure it out.

Inspiring as always Mr Migs. A real pleasure to see you working on some truly original models.

That Pelican man is beautiful! Can i borrow the idea for a Sorcerror? Really love the head where is it from?

Many thanks for the comments guys!!

It's been such pleasure to work on this project and I think it shows.

Pelicanne's head is a bretonnian bowman banner top. I ordered the kit to get some more fantastic Bret blitz in the command sprue and saw the part... Voila!

Looking at the hi-def pics on a good screen the water-color-like technique really comes through - Chaide Pelicanne's ghost-like cloak is a sublimely beautiful piece and those wings... glorious.

Wonderful art.


Addendum:
Just spent 15 minutes (at work on a BIG screen) staring at the Mirror Master - the OSL from the candles on his robes are fantastic!

Cheers!

I dont know what it is about that bird creature but it has put a spell on me... its fantastic!

Thank You!!

Made some really good progress today.

Quick picture of a bunch of stuff underway:

You see here models that will end up in the Bad retinue, (the very first concepts for) the Good Retinue and Legion project (Space Marine squad and Von Lochov's retinue)

I've since worked hard and focused on two of them, pics tomorrow, and am very excited about them. One is a Devotee Zealot and the other one a Praetorian of The Von Lochov Chamber Militant.

See also how badly scaled the DA Librarian is to the Cultist models most of whom are actually a tad taller. This plays nicely for my project though. My own marines being "correctly" scaled to GW Background, I get to make good use of a lot of Space Marine parts/models for =I= projects. The Librarian will be a fine canvas for one.

The glass domes create a fantastic ghosting effect, separating the completed art from the WIPs!

The new builds look equally as intricate and dramatic as your other work - looking forward to more colour!

That white primed model in the back looks very interesting! Is it an =][= model?

that's the Alter Daemon.

Nice work

New models primed and ready to go / a split between this project and Legion.

Both the Von Lochov Praetorian and the Devotee have since gotten fitting shoulder pad detailing that completely hides the Cadian feel. The trio, together with the Chastener (the dual pistol guy) and Servo-skull, both shown earlier, received a coat of primer today.

I like how the B&Ws hide what I sculpted and what is standard parts.

Devotee is heading for the BAD retinue. The +I+ not decided yet, the Praetorian is Legion, Von Lochov's personal Praetorian.

... stories will be written ....



more pics

http://legionofplastic.blogspot.com/2012/12/wip-update-heroes-and-villains.html

that cultist in the center is my favorite, to me it looks like a 40k saucier from san antone and I love it

Thanks.

Awesome. As ever, we wait with bated breath for your next update.

Little teaser, still very much a PIP

Holy wow!

I adore those hazard stripes, really nice touch. Is that lots of wet blood as well? Looks amazing whatever.

Oh that looks nice love your blog, it's a big inspiration for me and my gang!

Pelicanne is still, obviously my favorite though, I really must emulate it when my student loan comes in!

+ Illuminati Aquila + Coram Iudice +

+++Pious Honorius+++

+ Consilio et animi + By wisdom and courage +

The first time I saw my master, I was blinded. We had had the renegades cornered when the Warp bled on to Terra.


Here comes – The few first images of nearly finished members of the Illuminati Aquila, Lord Inquisitor Caius Celestine Pelagius. and Interrogator Oswald that will forever define what this project is all about. It’s an anxious moment, photographs will fully never convey the new found metallic radiance the miniatures possess. This has been perhaps the craziest new effect I have tried to achieve.

Drawing inspiration from Orthodox Catholic Icon art (where some of the richness in color comes from painting over gold) and the Cover of the collector edition 7th ed. rule book (which is the brainchild of a good friend, painstakingly executed for incredible sheen, matte yet reflective) I wanted to produce a group of miniatures that quite literally bring the Emperor’s light to the grim darkness of the far future, where there is only war. This is also the final installment of my Inquisitor Trilogy, my personal effort to celebrate and redefine the hobby and leave some kind of a mark. The first one “shaddes offe greye” had mixed grey into everything, and produced an Ugly, rag tag grim group of twists around the pariah Inquisitor Haag. A few years later, an adventure of gore and contrast for the Bad exploded around Inquisitor Alban Silas. Good was always going to be the hardest. It had to be the most sinister in its own way, and would need to compliment the blood and grey into a whole.

This would not have been possible with out an airbrush to get a super smooth and incredibly bright gold canvas to work from. So even the leather, or the clothes on the models, show some metal sheen trough. I then employed the incredible scale 75 metallic paints, windsor & newton inks and a bunch of my own mixes and the usual vallejo acrylics. Final oomph was achieved by Humbrol 11 metallics, a trick passed on from the Danish Grand masters a decade ago. The idea for the light in the group, is for everything to bleed out from Pelagius’ Hammer like it was burning with the golden soul of the Emperor. The Inquisitor’s left side is in shadow, face shaded to purple, the gold toned down a lot.

Without further ado, the art work that inspired and will provide the color palette (so expect muted oranges to follow to compliment the greens on Oswald) and the two heroes them selves, very very close to finished. I took these images in daylight after trying about everything. Have to say the iPhone 6s Camera is incredible and yet again performed better than more expensive and much bigger hardware that has now been permanently ignored for the bliss and speed of our iOS photo process.

The Emperor Protects!





And more pics at Iron Sleet, just click the link in my signature.

Is the big guy based off the Special Edition FW Captain? He looks brilliant.

EDC

Yes he is

I'm trying to figure out how you get away with using all that gold without making the figure look silly or cheap. Must be talent...

That is some astounding gold right there, i've always struggled getting metallics to look good.

 Gitsplitta wrote:
I'm trying to figure out how you get away with using all that gold without making the figure look silly or cheap. Must be talent...

Believe me, I was in despair on the way! Care, passion, time... more than talent and the end result is I think both striking and shocking, but also very business like and valuable looking.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Vitruvian XVII wrote:
That is some astounding gold right there, i've always struggled getting metallics to look good.

I whole heartedly recommend the SCale75 metallic paint line. And using plenty of inks


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I thought I'd share a post where I talk about building these retinues from a visual and narrative perspective and this concept called the HHH, or Humble Human Henchmen!

http://ironsleet.com/2015/11/18/musings-building-a-retinue/

 migsula wrote:
Yes he is

I though I recognised those legs. Fantastic worm, they're really characterful conversions and the paint jobs are great too. Especially the gold, he's both regal and bad ass.

EDC

Interesting thoughts in the blog, thanks for sharing. I'll certainly have to check out scale 75.

Got the first two done and WIP to share!



Big update at IRON SLEET

Works of art.

Thank you!

Finished the "sentinel" and adjusting the painting plan for the reminder of the retinue :0

so that's fething AWESOME!!

Cool Sentinel. Really like how you've done the stone bit at the top.

EDC

Thanks Guys,

I have another one to share

Capturing humanity in service of the Ordos. A humble image in the middle of the night, of Corporal Cornelius getting paint. It shows something I’m capturing for the first time. Something so human about the models. Notice also the metal showing through! The gold in the interrogators jacket, silver sparkle on Cornelius. Notice how each model has such distinct shade. the interrogator of the glowing Hammer side of the Inquisitor and the humble guardsman in the shadow, gold vs. silver, reflective vs. shaded, yellows vs browns, hero and hero…

The change in the "feel" of each model is very startling. What draws them together though (for me) is the resolute determination on both their faces. Those are men with a unifying purpose.

Well put, thanks

I love the contrast of the glowing gold and the cool blue silver. Can we expect each henchmen to have his own shade of sorts?

Here we go, the retinue is done and I'm happy but tired. Full set of photos through my signature link to Iron Sleet, but here are two to begin with

Let me know what you think!

This is insanely brilliant, each on of em is a masterpiece.
Really worth getting tired over ^^ !

That's an amazing mechanized group. I love how the figures seem to compliment one another, either by size, shape or form. Really makes the group more than the sum of it's parts.

Absolutely gorgeous. you're metalwork is sublime. A really fine group

Any day with new Migsula models is a good day.

Your metals are amazing, what paints do you use?

Fantastic as always Migs!

Magnificent work. Absolutely jaw dropping.

EDC

Thanks guys! Much appreciated.

I use Scale 75 metallics, but the effect on these is much harder to achieve / layered from starting with airbrushed metallic undercoat and has been well documented in the blog and several forums, so just takes a bit of reading if interested