Viktor von Domm wrote: dunno why i did overread that part... ... i had a slight suspicion that i overread it... but i didn´t read back too... why i can´t say
Happens to the best of us
Viktor von Domm wrote: and if this diorama is inside a complete black cube... (one side open of course! ) this might work
Or instead of a cube, a piece of PVC pipe (or whatever) to make it look like the scene is actually being viewed through a NV scope!
Maybe remove one of the weapons from the dead ork's hand and place it on the floor? I think it's kinda weird dead things kling to their weapons so thightly after dead.
@Rawson - yes I agree the double mags are not yet satisfactory. Even though in the dark, they will be hardly visible anyway, mostly black I guess, since they are under the rilfe, but I will see if I can find me some SM Bolters/mags.
@Dr H and Rawson - I thought a lot about the knife, but since the troopers are already built and they all have their rifles in hand (Do you know how hard it is to find good weaponless arms for IG??? ) I won't really be able to change much. I added a knife in the sheaf to the two standing troopers last night. The kneeling trooper received an empty sheaf, and a knife that's stuck in the ground in front of him....I hope this will work out.
@Vik and Rawson - wow, that cube/tube idea is rather slick But I'm not sure if I can really pull this off. I need to spend some thinking time on this...
@Chelnov - well, I couldn't find any weaponless/open Ork hand in all of my bits. And since he came as a late addition to the scene, I didn't really want to spend that much time on it.
Other than the knifes I didn't have much time last night, so I didn't get anything further done. However this mornign I had some computer time and I did some testing on existing photos to see how the Dencara pattern colors would look via NV:
Some of the medium colors (Dwarf Flesh) in the camouflage is completely lost, many of the darker colors look pretty identical...
This will be a challenge :-P
Hey guys!
Thanks for your feedback.
I did a painting marathon, and I *think* I'm done.
It's a bitch to photograph, so I'm not sure if the photos really show the result.
So what do you think?
Cheers
the models look very good... where i have my problems is with the base... no NV effect there, which is akward...as the whole scene should then be done in NV without any exceptions...
Thanks guys Did you watch the video? I think there you can (at least on some frames) see the green effects better.
It's really hell to shot a good photo of this babe...
totally over read that link it seems... nice vid... specially as you gave a little tour over all your recent dio´s... and seeing then the swift and deadly one on a jar...priceless!!!
by the way... i wanted to see the boreas walker vid again... it´s blocked in germany due to music used in the background... any way to fix this?
Well, there were still some images missing, so here's the update.
First I created some new magazines for my troopers
and mounted them
Then I got the colors ready
and started spraying
Consulting with my reference images everything red or brown is really dark, while metal and bone is very bright in color
It's really a bummer to photograph, but I think this image shows it best
So the diorama found its new home
and is in good company
So, what's next?
Hmm, I'm really not sure
a) I could obviously continue with the ATHENA, incorporating the lights.
b) I could complete the Can Opener, finishing the paint job
or I have some potential new projects
c) The workshop - a kind of humorous scene
d) Beach Landing - building another PONOS, this time in an amphibious assault
e) Taking a Break - a completely new scenic diorama, involving a pilot (not sure if walker of aircraft) taking a break in front of a real background...
f) Deadly Team - building a group (4 or 5) "Heavy Jaegers" with the experimental armor, as used in the Can Opener
g) Excavation - also a more scenic diorama involving some archaeologists digging up a wreck of an old vehicle, tank, or the like
Most of these new projects are so far only vague ideas, I did some preliminary Internet research and have some foggy thoughts on how to realize them.
So, what do you think?
Cheers
Klaus
dunno what project comes next... i wont suggest that... BUT if possible... would love to see something with some humor involved... your stlye is way too professional when it comes to gim dark
Thanks guys,
thank you for your feedback - and ideas, keep them coming. Spaceship boarding party?
Sounds like a good idea
While in between projects (more further down*) I'm in contact with a "3rd party" manufacturer based in UK (small, independend, relatively new), looking into the creation of a multi-piece resin kit for a PONOS and a small version of the HERCULES.
The idea is that both vehicles use the same track section.
While the PONOS could be done pretty identical to its current version, the HERC will be a complete new design.
So here's your chance to influence the project!
A) would you be interested in such a kit?
B) what would be your "threshold" for the price?
C) any improvements you'd like to suggest for the PONOS?
Since there's a lot of resin involved, I will try to shrink the PONOS by about 10% - not much really - and instead of solid blocks it will rather be many pieces and open sections.
For the track sections I will try to have Sponsons build (either only for the tank, or for both vehicles), the tracks itself will be a re-build, without the GW-Skulls and Aquila's but rather new, unique insignia.
The tank will be renamed AKTROS and will shrink down considerably. It will no longer be a heavy, but rather a medium tank. It will still have the sponsons, probably still both hull mounted weapon stations (currently Bolter), and a completely new turret.
So, what do you think?
Please comment and suggest! I look forward to your feedback.
*New project?
Yeah After the completion of the SSD diorama I was doing some non-hobby stuff for my family. During this I had an idea that would best work with the title "Tomb Raider" - but not in the direction of Necrons - or "Indiana Jones".
The currenty (still very fuzzy idea) involves an old, hidden temple in the jungle, probably at night, or in a cave, a troop of IG soldiers, maybe accompanied by a Terminator or a Dread, lots of Flashlights and a surprise attack by some Nids.
In a nutshell, more OSL, more cinematic effects
Please provide me with feedback, suggestiosn, ideas on the PONOS and AKTROS.
well klaus... you know we all love your work... to have a tank at home on my shelf done by you... yeah i woould consider a buy later on to be highly possible tho i am way out of touch to say what pricecap you should aim for... i never bought me a kit... so i can´t really say for sure what would be a good and for me then again an inspiring price...
also... i am not that much looking forward to see your cool tanks get shrinked... that is one of the main reasons i like your stuff.... it looks truescale and really like tanks that could be used by those lil soldiers.... smaller tanks... naw... i prefer them big... thank you so very much
I would certainly be interested in picking some of the kits up. In fact the first thing I thought when I saw the diorama was "I want that tank!" So yeah, consider me interested!
thanks for your feedback.
So it looks as if the PONOS and AKTROS would be worth getting produced.
Still details to be settled, but I'm sure we'll get that squared away and I can start building the new masters for both models.
In the meantime I started with the new project "Tomb Raider".
As mentioned it will be in a dark, hidden, old temple in a jungle, involving some flashlights, muzzle flashes and Tyranids.
For the temple I used the broken cast of a madonna I had at home.
Of course I had to modify it to make it more 40K-ish, but some Inquisition ][, a tear and an eye patch did the trick
I casted a lot of bricks and floor tiles using my Hirst Arts molds and Stewalin.
While setting things up I decided to finally use the dead Spacie from Space Hulk as a central piece of the temple.
I think this will work nicely
And to make it more jungle like, I strated to sculpt some first vines.
I will see how these work out on the temple wall and then decide if I do more.
Since I had a lot of left-over material I also decided to take a quick dive into base building.
So I created a set of 23 temple based bases.
10 Terminator size, 10 trooper size and 3 HW size:
Some closer shots
And here are the first cast results:
On these first cast is still some residue, but I'm quite happy with them
Well, that's all for today.
THank you for your time reading and I hope you enjoyed todays update. I look forward to your replies and feedback.
Cheers
Klaus
Off to a great start! I always wanted to get some hirst art molds, this might just make me do so very soon.
Any ideas who will be producing the PONOS? Anvil industry has some of the best casting abilities I have ever seen so you might want to consider him as well!
Automatically Appended Next Post: Bases are great as well, I thought the stone parts were little slices of swiss cheese until I took a closer look!
the last week was very busy at work plus a lot of private things to do, so work on the Tomb Raiders diorama was very slow.
While building I thought a bit about the fluff behind the scene and couldn't really get anything useful with Tyranids. So I changed the setting a bit and it will be Necrons instead.
Also I exchanged the Imps against my Crimson Guardians.
As you can see, the temple changed slightly too. There is now a opening in the floor, leading down to a seperate crypt.
Plus a broken pillar on the front corner that will set a visual border to the diorama. I will add a painted background for the large opening.
I will add lots of rubble and many vines, but the actual temple build is now completed.
And here we have the first casuality This is Brother Janus receiving a mortal hit.
Just as Brother Erbas reaches down to grab the sacred chalice the Necrons attack.
There will be Scarabs attacking from the top, coming down the wall, there will be one or two Necrons emerging from the crypt (which shoot Brother Janus), and there will be another Necron on the broken pillar.
As you can see I use Grey Knights for my Crimson Guardians.
This time the Crimson Guardians are on a active relic hunt ala Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, trying to recover the sacred chalice of Lord Mathias von Schultz on Tiber. This will then tie in to the "Bying Time" diorama where Brother Bertan and Sister Emilia will do the final sacrifice and hold back the attacking Necrons at the Corellian Base, while the rest of the party makes their escape, with the sacred chalice in their posession
Here is a close of Brother Erbas reaching for the Chalice as the carnage starts.
So, what do you think?
Suggestions, improvements?
Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoyed todays update and I look forward to your feedack.
Cheers
Klaus
Looks as if I'm catching a cold, so despite having my first real hobby evening in over a week I got relatively little done :(
I started off with placing a lot of rubble on the base.
Which also enabled me to position the Apothecary Brother Chelnov higher, so he will be better visible later on.
Then I started with my first Necron.
Its also my first Finecast....
I have to say I'm not very much impressed - there is a lot of cleanup to do.
Since he got his head bowed down, the only logical position was really on top of the pillar - but I think he fits perfectly there.
Since this is my first Necron experience I'm still trying to get the feel for the models. They are pretty much stock (no Santa modifications) and I have to rely solely on the pose to give them something unique.
As you can see I will have one Deathmark shooting Brother Janus, another Deathmark is being shot and flung back by Brother Jaccus, and a Praetorian is emerging from the crypt.
This is a closer shot of the Praetorian.
Next I will add a bunch of Scarabs - some emerging from the crypt, some on and around the pillar with the Necron Lord, and a whole bunch (thanks to a generous offer by Chelnov) coming down the wall, emerging from behind the throne etc.
And then the remaining vines, plus some more rubble and debris.
But, I need your help now. As mentioned I'm new to the Necrons, so I'd like to get your feedback on them. What do you think, do they fit, how do they look, is my combination of weapons OK, poses, positions, improvements, any fancy modifications or poses?
Also paint schemes!
Any idea besides the standard? I will use green light effects for them, that's for sure, but what about the rest? As mentioned, the scene itself will be relatively dark, the Crimson Guardians will be red and black, the energy weapons most likely standard blue-ish and the Necron light effects will be green.
But, I need your help now.
As mentioned I'm new to the Necrons, so I'd like to get your feedback on them. What do you think, do they fit, how do they look, is my combination of weapons OK, poses, positions, improvements, any fancy modifications or poses?
Also paint schemes!
Any idea besides the standard? I will use green light effects for them, that's for sure, but what about the rest? As mentioned, the scene itself will be relatively dark, the Crimson Guardians will be red and black, the energy weapons most likely standard blue-ish and the Necron light effects will be green.
I don't really know a lot about Necrons, so no help from me about weapons and such, but I think the fluff fits well: that whole dead race awakening thing.
A few things I'd like to see:
The scene doesn't really have the ambush feel to me yet. What about a door in the corner (or a balcony on the side) with more necrons emerging? 4 necrons (even if 1 is a lord) and a lot of scarabs aren't really a match for 7 Crimson Guardians in terminator armor.
Also, maybe adding some more incoming fire would help with the feel. What about a Crimson Guardian with a storm shield deflcting a gauss beam? That would be sweet!
The necron lord on the pillar I'm a bit confused by: that's a resurection orb he has, right? Is he resurrecting these necrons? What role will he play in the battle?
As for schemes, maybe something not "Boltgun metal". I've really enjoyed seeing the non-metallic necron armies out there. Ghostly white necrons would be pretty cool in this scene...
Rawson wrote: I think you've got a great start here, Klaus!
But, I need your help now.
As mentioned I'm new to the Necrons, so I'd like to get your feedback on them. What do you think, do they fit, how do they look, is my combination of weapons OK, poses, positions, improvements, any fancy modifications or poses?
Also paint schemes!
Any idea besides the standard? I will use green light effects for them, that's for sure, but what about the rest? As mentioned, the scene itself will be relatively dark, the Crimson Guardians will be red and black, the energy weapons most likely standard blue-ish and the Necron light effects will be green.
I don't really know a lot about Necrons, so no help from me about weapons and such, but I think the fluff fits well: that whole dead race awakening thing.
A few things I'd like to see:
The scene doesn't really have the ambush feel to me yet. What about a door in the corner (or a balcony on the side) with more necrons emerging? 4 necrons (even if 1 is a lord) and a lot of scarabs aren't really a match for 7 Crimson Guardians in terminator armor.
Also, maybe adding some more incoming fire would help with the feel. What about a Crimson Guardian with a storm shield deflcting a gauss beam? That would be sweet!
The necron lord on the pillar I'm a bit confused by: that's a resurection orb he has, right? Is he resurrecting these necrons? What role will he play in the battle?
As for schemes, maybe something not "Boltgun metal". I've really enjoyed seeing the non-metallic necron armies out there. Ghostly white necrons would be pretty cool in this scene...
Anyway, hope those ideas help
Rawson
Oooo, maybe you could make "statues" around the edge of the room that are Necrons being woken up by the Lord. That would explain the resurection orb and the ambush...
Or instead of statues, maybe just "dead" Necron bodies laying amongst the rubble, dust covered, and being woken up...
As for schemes, maybe something not "Boltgun metal". I've really enjoyed seeing the non-metallic necron armies out there. Ghostly white necrons would be pretty cool in this scene...
I agree, a light-colored Necron force would stand out in the (grim) darkness of the diorama
This time the Crimson Guardians are on a active relic hunt ala Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, trying to recover the sacred chalice of Lord Mathias von Schultz on Tiber.
Looks as if I'm catching a cold, so despite having my first real hobby evening in over a week I got relatively little done :(
NOOOOOOO.... he is getting ill and i was that close for getting immortal!!!!!!!!!!!!
i am so flattered mister...choosing that name for the diorama...
and i like everything...tho i have some ideas i would like to issue...:
1. i think the ´cron coming from the trapdoor... hmmm...
2. the Scarabs should rather emerge from the trapdoor AND the walls... closing in from multiple directions...
3. the resurecting cron is the right direction... maybe just one more robot that is dealing the killing blow on brother janus... but then no more... more of the creepy critters and less of the walking robots...
4. i like necrons with ceramic schemes too... they are by far the creepiests...or go totally rotten metalics... for the energy... hmmm green is still the eeriest looking in my book...but it needs to play well in the overall scheme i guess... so i think your ideas will be the best
I think the ambush idea is played out with the hordes of scarabs from everywhere and the lower level crypt - that's the equivalent of a door with necrons behind.
Light coloured 'crons sound good to me - maybe go for a more ceramic look rather than metallic?
And if you're going to crouch around on driveways with no top on you're bound to catch a cold. You need to wrap up Klaus - if you get sick we'll be staring at a non-moving thread
..In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only Vik's Thread!
.>Simpletons will have read our League words here, misinterpreted them as serious, and started a real religion/cult of the -=]_=-
well as expected I did get a cold, and it hampered progress quite strong.
Nevertheless I dis make some progress. And many comments stated that the Necrons were too few, and not "ambushy" enough. Like Rawsons comment:
The scene doesn't really have the ambush feel to me yet. What about a door in the corner (or a balcony on the side) with more necrons emerging? 4 necrons (even if 1 is a lord) and a lot of scarabs aren't really a match for 7 Crimson Guardians in terminator armor.
So the idea is that the Necron Lord with the resurrection orb is awakening some more Necrons. To simulate this, I decided to place several statues in the scene, that are in various stages of "resurrection" For this I'm using some old Tamiya tankers
Unfortunately the Necron range has a very limited offer of arms, so I have to experiment a bit.
In addition I had to remove some of the rubble again, to make room for those statues along the walls.
It looks a bit crowded now, but I hope that the darkness and light effects, that will pick out some members, while others remain in the shadows, will organize the scene better.
Damn!
My desk really is a mess after this
To make the statues look a bit more like stone I gave them a rough coat with a mix of deluded plaster, some PVA and fine sand.
Then I added some minor details to the Crimson Guardians.
So every Bolter now has a small light on top (taken from the Space Hulk Termies).
Even though this part of the scene will hardly be visible, I will add some greenstuff to make this Necron look like he's morphing out of the wall, thus surprising Brother Janus.
Which takes some mortal shots in return.
Then I positioned the first 12 Scarabs (hopefully another 24 are in the mail), looking like they exit the tomb.
And I placed the final vines.
Some still taped in position till the PVA is cured.
So this is as far as I got - all that's still left are the remaining Scarabs and then I will start painting.
Also common feedback was "not to use the standard Boltgun pattern". To which I agree, and I will most likely try a porcelain, bone color pattern with lots of weathering, rust etc.
I am pretty excited about seeing this one Klaus! it seems to be your busiest piece yet and i'm sure it will be success! I am looking forward to seeing the scene in full and all the minute details we'll find like some 3D where's Wally!
I have no doubts that this scene will look as good as all before it but may I sound some of my concerns:
The temple (am I right?) looks of human architecture to me: the giant bas-relief on the wall with obviously human face and even the inquisition marks kinda leave few options... So the 1st question is how such a structure can be a necron tomb?
The statues are also human in appearance so the 2nd question - why on Terra necrons are concealed inside? Not to mention the appearing necrons are much bulkier than the original statues....
Overal looking on this I have the feeling of WTF is going on? O.o And my brain can't make sense of the plot.
@storag - hehe.
Well many of my dio's don't make much sense. But I like to produce an Ambush setting here, where the temple is actually a human temple with a sacred relic in which both sides are interested. So the Necrons are setting a trap for the Crimson Guardians, not only trying to snatch that one relic but rahter some more...
Information is very sparse as everything is highly secret. Many even believe that the Office -censored- to which the Crimson Guardians report is just a myth.
But here is a little information that we were able to retrieve....
The Legend of Ka’An and Operation “Ultima Preces” It is believed that one of the key missions of the Officium –censored- (OX) is the rescue and collection of sacred items for the Emperor. Rumors indicate that the final goal of this treasure hunt is the resurrection and revival of the Emperors body, freeing him from the Golden Throne and enabling him to truly rule his empire and crushing his enemies with his strides.
A key instrument in this project seems to be the Space Marine chapter of the Crimson Guardians. Their Supreme Grand Master Geller is unrivaled in his loyalty to the Emperor and the OX and under his regime the chapter of the Crimson Guardians was forged into a ruthlessly effective fighting machine combined with the best researchers and archeologists of the whole Imperium. Their success in discovering and recovering some of the most valued and venerated items seems to be beyond belief. Chief Librarian Zastavus who has access to even the darkest and most secret archives on Terra and Mars, as well as the chapters own secret archives on –censored- which are rumored to rival even the Inquisitions secret archives is captivated by the legend of Ka’An and follows its implementation with complete single-mindedness.
According to this legend he who can gather the 13 sacred items of the Ka’An and can combine them in a complicated rite of utter complexity will gain the power to heal and revive any corpus, be it merely human or even divine, and bring it eternal youth and vitality.
So he and the Supreme Grand Master send their companies on the hunt for these items time and again.
No exact reports are known outside the Officium –censored- and the chapter’s headquarters, but it is believed that the Crimson Guardians are rather successful and more than half the items are recovered and safely harbored on –censored-.
Recent events and encounters seem to indicate that at least one other race is aware of the legend of Ka’An and also seeks to rein its power. If these rumors are to be believed then the Silent King himself ordered a large group of his Triarch Praetorians to hunt for the 13 items of Ka’an. For him, the Silent King, the completion of the ritual would grant him the power to free his people from the C’tan curse and while maintaining their eternal lives they would regain their souls and become the real Necrontyr again.
So the treasure hunt of the Officium –censored- has now become a race with Szarekh and his Praetorians and maybe even with the C’tan, hoping to be freed from their shards. Chief Librarian
Zastavus has called his forces to Operation “Ultima Preces” in which they are to find the remaining artifacts at even greater speed.
Latest reports indicate that a large contingent of Crimson Guardians under Captain Erbas has landed at Corellian Base on Tiber together with a company of Sisters of the Golden Bolter. Maybe here, where a once large Imperial sanctuary was located, the Crimson Guardians can find the sacred Chalice of Lord Mathias von Schultz, one of the few remaining items of the legend of Ka’An.
But will they find it in time…?
I'm sure there are logical holes larger than a barn door in this piece of fluff But I hope you can enjoy it nevertheless Cheers
Klaus
Hi guys,
finally!
The damn cold had me longer in its fangs than I ever expected plus there's some family stuff I have to sort out, regarding the "seriousness" of the hobby.
But at least the Tomb Raiders diorama is picking up speed again.
As mentioned, the Dutch postal service somehow wasn't able to send a small envelop with Scarabs to me, so I had to "create" some myself. Took a few days, but at least I got all the Scarabs I wanted...
Here you can see all the Scarabs assembled - scurrying
All actors on stage
and ready for priming.
But then, really last minute, the Scarabs from Chelnov arrived, so I was able to replace my "created" ones against the originals.
My desk after priming - everything set to start the big adventure
I started with the Temple in a dark beige and the mural on the back wall.
Still very early, but it looks promising I think.
So what do you think so far?
I will place most parts in the shadows - only lighted by the OSL effects of the Scarabs and some Muzzle flashes. The statues will also have some green light effects around the cracks, where the Necrons "peel" out.
And the "throne" will be in a ray of relative bright daylight.
I look forward to your comments, feedback and suggestions.
Cheers
Klaus
Been Far too long since I have been here. Everything is looking amazing, Klaus. I really like the Necron Dio. Where ever did you get that Bas Relief of the Virgin Mary?
Don't know how I missed this thread; oh right I don't usually have time to browse. Anyway I am in awe of your scenery and look forward to exploring this thread.
Shame on me for leaving you alone for so long. I'm really sorry, but I guess you're used to that from me by now - kind of dropping off the face of the earth for some weeks or months.
Some of you may remember from my last updates that I had some discussions with my wife on the future of the "hobby" and its seriousness. It was triggered by the offer for a cooperation with a miniature producer to get some of my models and tanks produced.
This would've meant some serious changes and the hobby become a lot more important and professional.
I've been there before with a very different game (board game with counters), where I also worked with a so-called "3rd party publisher" and I designed mapboards, counters, and even game covers and magazines.
I had a lot of fun, earned some money, but then it became very serious, and I got "burned" badly.
I no longer play this game, I don't even talk about it anymore.
My wife supported me during this time, helped me to get back up, and find a new hobby.
So now she's tring to prevent me from making the same mistakes again.
I can't even express how gratefull I am for her support
Well, for now this cooperation and model production is off the desk, and I don't think I will get into it.
I DO feel honored by the requests of two publishers asking me to produce some of my tanks and models, but I will not mix the hobby and money making again (hopefully!).
So I have an arrangement with my wife.
To see if I can't re-route my creative juices to a more mature aspect of the hobby I do attend arts classes for 12 months to see if I can't re-focus my creativity.
I can still do 40K and stuff - if I'm interested - but currently the drawing and painting is really taking my attention.
I still think alot about 40K and models, I have ideas for a complete game system, and so forth. But currently this is all kind of second rate. I read a lot about art and artists, techniques and so forth.
I have a lot of fun with it.
Who knows what will happen?
So, now you know how I spend my time these days.
I don't know what will happen to this blog, but I'm pretty sure I will continue to update it. the focus may shift a bit.
I don't know, its all still floating.
Kind of exciting for me to see which way I'm driven...
Thanks for reading and your time.
I hope you stick around.
Cheers
Klaus
kuk -dot- fischer -at- tesionmail - dot- de
well klaus... live is a rocky road... you never know where there will be bends and bumps... but whatever you do... do something you enjoy! not really worthwhile the other way
best of luck...and we hopefully see you back here sooner than we thought...
Yeah Klaus..please don't give up miniature work..just don't get all commercially involved. It's a lot easier to build something than it is to draw it in my experience...
by the way... looked at your paintings... all very good looking... just hans...albers... well he looks a bit weird to my eye? because all the other stuff looks already very expert like...
My appologies for the lack of updates.
I've been following all the posts of you guys, but somehow I just couldn't find the energy to comment and reply. Pretty sad :(
My appologies, I try to be better
Well currently there is a short seasonal break in my arts classes as we switch from drawing to painting, and my drawing esprit lost a bit of its momentum (as usual).
So I have a bit of time on my hands that I need to waste. I'm not sure how much time I'll really have and if it will be enough to complete a project (be warned), but I'll try...
I didn't really want to pick up any of my never ending WIP projects but rather start something new (also as usual)
Normally I'm not a fan of walking tanks.
Well I did "Da Spida" for my Stachelnschweinz Orks, but somehow I never thought of walking tanks for IG would be a good idea.
But something inspired me and got my thought process moving into that direction.
So I scribbled some notes and plans down.
The idea is closely aligned to the HERCULES, as I want to use a similar turret as main armament.
So it will be larger than the HERC, but still smaller than the ZEUS.
So between ZEUS and his son HERCULES would be...
MARS
Again, using the HERC turret as a guide I started sketching the hull shape on a sheet of plastic card.
I started with 1.5mm plasticcard for the base and build on top of that.
Together with the turret
And side-by-side with the HERCULES
So next I will have to determine the height and length of the legs.
Armament wise the MARS will have the twin Vanquisher turret from the HERC, 1 or 2 AT-Missile launchers on the side of the turret (like the TOW launcher on a Bradley), two rocket launchers on the hull, 2 Flamethrowers on the front hull, and most likely some Bolters on the sides.
I am considering a Demolisher gun for the nose, but will have to see how it looks.
Walky tanks you say, well I did this not too long ago, I have no doubt yours will blow mine out of the water, but here are some pics on the off chance they give you any ideas (having quietly observed your phenomenal stuff i doubt it!) , I ended up magnetizing my legs just for transport reasons, might be worth considering? Keep it up by the way, I will be making more of an effort to comment when I come here to steal ideas!
I have stoped MARS again.
Somehow I'm no longer convinced of the concept and design *sigh*
And while being bored on Friday night (after the doubts on the MARS came up) I doodled around in the internet, browsing through YouTube, and I stumbled into a snipped from James Bonds "You only live twice".
The scene was the actual attack on Blofelds underground base (well IN a vulcano) with the rocket in the center.
Ah, fond memories I really like the idea of those old fashioned super-villains in their underground or remote island bases, plotting to take over the world.
This got me thinking...
and then I spotted the "Swift, Silent, & Deadly" team in my display cabinet.
And I wondered, what kind of Ork outpost would they infiltrate, and what would they do there....
Hehe, can you guess?
Right!
I need an Ork underground base, where the super-ork-villain creates the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.
Sooo...
I started building.
The base material is mostly cardboard and then plasticcard on top.
The depression in the center will hold the weapon.
I think something like an ICBM will do.
The bottle in the center will be the ICBM.
Next I created the (or at least one of the) opening through which my strike team will enter. Its only a small section, so it doesn't limit the visible area too much.
Then I worked on the actual ICBM - Ork style.
Next I considered a catwalk to the missile, but I think this will block too much and limit visibility
So I will have to do without it.
Steps leading up to the small platform
I think this could be fun And a finally a top view.
Still lots of details needed.
Instruments on the platform, cables from and to the missile, some scrap-metal junk maybe?
And then I will have to think of the scene itself.
Currently I envision a 4 man strike team entering through the breach on the right.
The point man could be holding some kind of shield and only be armed with a pistol, while the 3 men behind him fire rifles one maybe shooting up to the walkway on the rear wall?
And I really fancy the idea of some troopers rappelling from the ceiling - guns blazing!
So what do you think?
Any good?
Suggestions, feedback?
Oh, I also need a name for the scene.
Something like my "Orkalypse Now". Any suggestions?
Currently I'm thinking "Zero Ork Thirty"....
Thanks guys - I really look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Cheers
Klaus
For the time being I call it "Zero Ork Thirty" ... lets see if we can find a better name for it.
Based on feedback from the forums (thank you Fireball, Eyescream, Vex, Colonel Hessler, dsteingass, Vimes, and Garanaul the Black) I got a lot of new ideas and began adding some extra details.
First I created a simple ladder form old sprues.
Then a lot of little bits here and there, including some of the main cables and a crane.
The science station
The crane and floor area
and then it was time to make rivets (didn't get far, but its a start).
So, with the main scenic components in place I had time to plan the actual action and actor positions.
(The green shapes are Orks, the blue ones are Imps and red indicates muzzle flashes)
At the science station we have Dr. Nork with his white pet squig. On the far left is the boss of the guards trying to organize some kind of defense. Two of the guards are returning fire in the foreground, while two technicans are hit and in process of going down.
On the ladder is a Grot or Snotling, also being hit, and finally a guard or technican on the gangway on the right rear wall.
On the right we have the actual strike team, most likely 4 men, attacking through the breach. Center man with shield.
And in the rear center we have one or two agents rappelling down and firing at the guards. So, what do you think? Anything still missing?
Improvements, suggestions, other feedback?
Oh yeah, for the repelling agents I'm looking for good photos. I'd like to see details of the harness and how the rope works, as well as some cool poses.
That would be awesome Thanks guys, I look forward to your C&C.
Cheers
as this is some kind of "bond" related theme... i think the title should use something out of the vast bond-iverse... but what i am at a loss... will this dio be more a lighthearted scene or bone hard grim dark? with orks i am always expecting something more humor related...
other than that... i love the new project... beside... mars can always get revisited
Can you carve out a space for a Warboss to be gloating over an agent about to be tortured to death, ala Goldfinger? Oh, and I think you should have the rappelling agents head down, holding the ropes only with their legs. I'll look for a pic, but I think if you google "Australian Rappelling" you'll see what I mean.
I love how you have a brief fit of boredom and out pops a diorama. It's cool to see how quickly you build. Those are great conduit lines, btw. Nice detail.
What an update! Really incredibly diorama you have going there, eager to see what the rappelling agents look like.
Might I suggest you try adding some smoke grenades into the mix? You could have them just being thrown by the guys up above and just have the starts of a smoke cloud shooting up from them. Could look great!
yesterday I didn't get much done other than rivets, but you provided me with a load of ideas and suggestions.
I'm not sure how much I can really implement, but I will try
First off, despite being Ork themed, I will have my usual grim dark setting like with the Orkalypse Now, or Stemming the Green Tide. There will be humerous spots and references to James Bond, but in general I'll try to keep it grim and serious.
References to James Bond brings me to the project name.
Zero Dark Thirty is kinda cool, but isn't really James Bond (on the other hand, I won't have a JB character in the scene - it is only JB inspired), so I went through the list of James Bond book titles:
Casino Royale -
Live and Let Die -
Moonraker -
Diamonds are Forever -
From Russia with Love -
Dr. No - Dr. Nork
Goldfinger -
For you Eyes Only -
Quantum of Solace -
Hildebrand Rarity -
A View to a Kill -
Risico -
Thunderball -
The Spy who loved me -
On Her Majesties Service -
The Man with the Golden Gun - The Ork with the Golden Missile
Octopussy -
Living Daylights -
As you can see there is room for some Orkifications, please provide your ideas The first new item I created is the countdown timer, which will show 0:07 (thanks Spacecat)
Then I started to add rivets.
To the Missile,
to the science station,
the floor and walls,
and then put everything back together.
I think with this I have most of the scenic props in place.
Lets look at some of the suggestions:
A grey suit ala Blofeld for Dr. Nork (Chris the Invinvible) - I think this can be done and would look cool. If not I can still use the white labcoat idea
Use a shield with a weapon support slot - ala Forgeworld (Fireball) - yep, I think I can do that for the shield guy.
Captured and maybe tortured agent - ala Goldfinger (Mars2024) - I would love to add that, but I'm afraid I simply have no room left.
Smoke Grenades going off (Commander Cain) - another excellent idea, but I'm really not sure if I can pull it off, and where to position them - but I'll look into this some more
Australian rapell (head first) - thanks for the details Vex! One of the agents will definately go head first Metal teeth for the guard boss (Sorry can't find who suggested that one) - hell yeah!
Tonite I have arts classes again, which means very little time, but next step will be to assemble the actors and get the first poses.
I will most likely start with the strike team, then position the Orks and finally Dr. Nork and the 1 or 2 rappelling agents.
and seeing all this... no wonder you are perfectly in line with the rest of us riveteers...(there might be a pun hidden in the last part of that comment)
Orc second can vary anywhere from a millisecond to an hour real time... its probable even the Mek-Doc doesn't know exactly when those 7 seconds end Who knows, maybe the timer stopped centuries ago...
7 seconds in a movie lasts about 3 real minutes as the dramatic music gets louder and they fit all those close up sweating shots in
Now get into kids cartoons and that's a different story. two grown men can jump into the air and they have enough time for a long conversation and loudly announcing their attacks before they clash 6 minutes later
as anticipated I didn't get much done on Wednesday due to the arts class, but yesterday I was able to make some progress.
Thanks for all the valuable feedback. I got some very cool title ideas:
The Grot who shoved me (Atreides127)
Grotfinga (Da Masta Cheef)
Moonrokkit (Da Masta Cheef)
ThundaBOOM (Da Masta Cheef)
Octosquig (Sam Buman)
Ork and let die (Chris the Invincible)
Thunderork (Chris the Invincible)
Orkraker (Chris the Invincible)
The living Orklights (Chris the Invincible)
Orktopussy (Nighthawk)
Diamonds are Forev-WAAAGH! (Nighthawk)
For Red Eyes Only (Spacecat)
As planned I started with the Strike Team.
I decided to make a 4-man team consisting of a front man with shield and pistol, two troopers with the assault rifle (as used in the Swift, Silent, & Deadly), and one trooper with a combat shotgun.
The first guy I worked on is the Trooper with the Shotgun. You may notice that there is some green stuff work here.
I want him to be larger (and maybe a bit heavier) than the others. First go was just the "extension", when it is cured today, I can work on the Green stuff details. The Shotgun is based on the heavy flamer from the IG Command sprue.
Next was the trooper with assault rifle that will be shooting up to the gantry on the rear wall.
This is the trooper that will be carrying the shield. I found the arm of the wounded trooper to fit the positioning best. The Bolter was cut from another arm and still needs some love and care.
Finally in the rear center will a trooper with assault rifle pointing at Dr. Nork (thanks Colonel Hessler)
Once I had the arms in position I started to detail the modified weapons.
As in the SSD diorama the Assault rifle has a scope and silencer.
The "sergeants" rifle is the folding stock model.
Then I worked on the shield for the front man. As suggested by Fireball I added a weapons slot on the side.
However in the final position the shield is slightly tilted,
and so the pistol is not resting in that slot, but I think it will still look correct (I hope).
Well, and then the evening was over way too fast.
Only time left for some group shots (I realized I forgot to make a detail shot of the finished shotgun, I will provide that with the next update).
So what do you think?
I really look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Cheers
Hello, hello.
I hope you all had a nice weekend with a lot of quality time for you and your hobby.
Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions - great stuff!
From what I can see in the poll, "The Ork with the Golden Missile" seems to be the most accepted title for the dio.
Since the last update I gathered the remaining actors and positioned them on the stage.
This dude here, the boss of the guards will act as "Jaws" from James Bond.
Dr. Nork, the super-villain with his white pet squig.
The mandatory hostage.
I'm not sure what the sign around his next will say, but I'm sure you have plenty of good suggestions, right?
So, everyone is in position.
The guard for the hostage, with an electric zapper and an evil grin
The third grot with a special dodad-tool....
He's looking up, as the rappelling attacker will be right above.
And Jaws got his steel teeth! Stainless!
Time for some rope action.
I started with the head-first rappelling trooper.
Took some extra work to make it look right (but still had to sculpt a mechanic hand)
Shooting on the way down!
The second trooper will come down in a more relaxed position...
shooting at the Ork on the gantry.
Second rappelling agent - with muzzle flash
And everything on the set!
I think I'm quite satisfied!
What do you think?
I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Cheers
Klaus
The speed you churn this stuff out sir is flabbergasting! As far a dioramas go this is one of my favourites, and with paint is set to be my all time favourite! Do not falter in thy brush strokes.
So here is now the re-cap of the Dread build phase.
First I assembled the driva
I really like how the goggles make him look totally surprised
Next I assemble the cabin, aligning the driva with Cpt von Schneider and his Bolter
For the base I ripped an old Leman Russ apart and decoratively scattered the pieces around
Then I started on the legs - I decided against the standard Dread legs and rather went with the chicken-style legs of most titans
The arms were next, and gave Cut'n'Crush the name
The one arm with the claw is crushing the barrel of the hull gun, while the arm with the blade is trying to get at von Schneider
Of course the driver cabin can't be really open (just for painting and display purposes), so the cabin received a propa plate
nice ugly face, huh?
Since the diorama was intended for the "Summer of Heroes" contest, I needed someone in need of a hero rescue So here is the wounded crew member hiding behind the wreck of his crushed and cut tank
Slowly the pieces came together
and the final result:
I hope you like it Cheers
Klaus
This looks increadible, Your work with plastic card still continues to amaze me.
again thanks for the valuable feedback!
The diorama is nearing its build completion and I'm eager to get it wrapped up and ready for painting.
Based on feedback from Spacecat I "snazzied" up Dr. Nork.
It will be a white (or rather creme colored) suit and hat with a black tie.
Based on feedback from Paladin7221 I removed the Space Marine as hostage, and replaced it with an IG officer.
He looks as if to yell at Dr. Nork: "See, I tould you they'd come to rescue me!"
Not sure if I should hang a sign around his neck. What would you say?
If he's getting a sign, it will read "Hostij - no shoot" (Thanks Harkon Greywolf)
So now all actors are in position.
Note I moved the head first agent a bit to the right, and the Orks got their muzzle flashes.
Anything else?
I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Cheers
klaus
Stunning and great to see you back in Action (or should that be orkshun?) My only suggestion is that the hostage should be on a table with a zap gun pointed at his crotch, goldfinger style. Oh, and maybe an ork about to throw his hat.
I mean you could go crazy, and have a copy of the emperor's tarot lying around.
And a grot butler.
And a necron in a top hat.
And so on...
Mate, you look after that. I ended up with a stint in hospital and my arm like Hellboy's that way. Not good. Take the time, and be aware you'll need a couple of weeks clear before you have full strength/grip back.
oh klaus...i can see how this affects your hobby time...
my sister got attacked by our cat back then when we were just wee kids... the cat litteraly jumped in her face...claws first...it was a panic reaction of the cat too...
i hope it heals well ...your thumb AND the cat as well... such moemnts can redefine the relationship sometimes...
Thank you for your patience On Sunday the doctors removed the cast and exchanged it for a more flexible dressing - fancy red
I was really lucky, as the infection was very good contained by the antibiotics and slowly but surely the hand is getting down to its normal size again.
Freed from the cast I started to slowly paint the Dr. Nork diorama.
All the rocks are in the orangy-brown that I also use for all the Dencara surface stuff.
Then I started to paint the first metal panels. Since the Dencaran Orks use any kind of scrap metal - including looted enemy armor, there are many colors and camo schemes in use.
Right now it looks very colorful :-P
But the first wash of dirty brown starts to tone down the colors
On Wednesday my right hand was flexible enough to hold some pieces, so I started to add details
I added another two washes of dirty brown and one wash of deluded black.
Then I added some more details, like these welding seams.
And then it was "sponge time"!
Dirty, messy, gritty.
I think now it looks quite Orky, doesn't it?
So what do you think?
I will still have to add a lot of metal spots, where the bare metal in the scratches comes through, and maybe some dust pigments....
We'll see.
Again, thanks for sticking around and taking the time to read I hope you like this update and I look forward to your suggestions and feedback.
Cheers
Klaus
Good job Klaus. Good to see the hand is working fine.
One thought I had on the weathering. The metal plates on the floor will likely show worn paths if they've been there a long time from where the orks walk about, whereas the walls would only show random paint chips etc... Something to keep in mind when doing the bare metal work.
These look awesome, I am a huge fan of diorama work. You know work is really good when it inspires others! I might be to big of a grimdark fan, I think you should tone down the colors in the Ork cave. Darker and dirtier, how are you with source lighting painting? the muzzle flashes would work as great sources as they break into this dark dank place, light streaming in the wall breach....
Thanks for your feedback!
Since the last update I got several comments, that readers are concerned about the colors. Too distracting.
Hmm...
So I got my pigments ready
and applied them generously
In addition I used the airbrush to set some preperational light effects.
and I painted the count-down timer
Not sure what it really shows seconds, minutes, days, month?
Who knows
Also the "science station" in the corner got some light effects.
Still, I was wondering why so many commented about the colors.
To me they look very toned down.
But then I realized it must be the images and the camera.
If you look at these two shots with daylight and flash, but not focused on the scene, you can guess the real colors.
I'm pretty confident you agree with me, that this isn't as colorful as you all thought, is it?
I hope you like today's update.
I look forward to your comments and feedback.
Cheers
Klaus
P.S.: I will be off the net and out of my workshop for a week. So no updates till Easter.
yeah... the change of perspective sure did it for me... also the addition of AB effects and the pigments did work great for the whole scene...the counter looks great...same goes for the science station...
I can totally see what you mean by the lighting. It looks really dingy and dirty (excellent) in the wide shot. I think the camera is trying to white balance in the up close shots but there isn't a true white in the scene so the camera is blowing all the colors out a bit.
The Ork with the Golden Missile (8)
Hi all!
Happy Easter, April Fool and that
Today it looks for the first time, like there really is a sun in the sky and spring is not just an urban legend.
It's been pretty cold and the winter seemed endless, but yesterday and today the sun is shining - still far from last years temperatures, but an improvement.
Now that I'm back from my short vacation and the hand is back in working order I went back to the "Dr. Nork - The Ork with the Golden Missile" diorama.
As the name states the missile should be somewhat golden. So it received a dirty yellow base coat.
Did I tell you yet that I hate yellow? It takes a million coats to look half-way decent.
But after a while I had the basic colors down
Then I added some details...
And this is how it'll look in the diorama.
So I added some shading - due to the breach in the roof, through which the rappelling agents will enter, most light will come from top down.
And first highlights and light effects.
Now the golden tip needs some more love and then I will do some weathering.
Once the missile is painted I will start with the actual Orks of the scene.
Cheers
Klaus
That looks stunning! I cannot wait for the rest of the scene!
I know how you feel about yellow, I foolishly attempted an army of it, not alot of fun, I can say
ha! i usually do it like that... but then i discovered a certain thing called learning curve
took me ages to make my first quite crisp looking white details...then GW came out with their new ceramite white... bugger... now it is damn easy... almost like cheating really...
but i bet you wanted a "warm" yellow feel...thus the long road to yellowyness
progress is slow these days, but some progress is made
The Golden Missile got some more attention
and in the dio it looks really nice I think.
But shooting without messing up the lights is hard...
With the missile completed (except the final OSL effects) I started with the Orks.
Dr. Nork is getting a yellowish/white suit and the guards will get a "Flecktarn" camo pattern.
The basic pattern.
Some more details as of last night:
"Jaws" with his red Beret and Dr. Nork in the suit.
As usual I will complete all the base colors first, add some washes and then start with shades, highlights and details.
So, what do you think?
I look forward to your suggestions, feedback and comments.
Cheers
Klaus
flecktarn orks look nice!... you had me confused for a moment with all those muzzle flashes^^... at first i thought...: what´s with all these maces at the barrels?...but then i started thinking again^^
Great looking stuff! The rocket looks great all painted up and I am liking how it stands out among the rest of the diorama. Orks are splendid of course, I really must try to make those muzzle flashes myself one day...
Hi guys,
thanks for your feedback @Lord Ashram - yes, the blue shine form the science station and the blue Ultramarines panel kind of blending into each other. I have to admit it was due to lack of planning on my side.
But in the live piece it actually looks rather decent.
And since I have to extend the shine some more anyway (it is too much concetrated in the corner), I will see if I do any changes. - Thanks for pointing this out!
In the Da Waaagh-Forums Harkon Greywolf was wondering how those camo pattern will look against the various colored panels.
Honestly:
"I have no clue"
But I really look forward to see the final results.
Here you can see Jaws in his position - only base colors, no shading
And Dr. Nork in his spot - also only base colors, no shading
So I spent the weekend completing the base colors for the Ork gang.
The two hit guards (only base colors, no shading or highlighting)
Jaws and Dr. Nork (only base colors, no shading or highlighting)
The other two guards (only base colors, no shading or highlighting)
And the gang after the first (still wet) wash.
This weeks update will be even slower, as the various washes do take some time to dry, Tuesday is my Birthday, and I have a huge pile of work to do in the office.
But I'll keep working on this dio - it gets harder by the day, by the slow updates and a new project lingering in the back of my mind (you know how dangerous this is!). I have already ordered some parts from Mad Robot Minis and am really eager to start.
But I must be strong and FINISH this diorama first Cheers
Thanks guys.
@JB - welcome to this little journey and I hope you'll have a lot of fun here
Hi all,
progress was actually faster than I had expected.
The washes built up very good and dried in reasonable time.
Once the washes were dry I did the shading and highlighting, and in some cases a first preliminary OSL.
The first to be completed was Dr. Nork (without OSL as he will be in the intersection of several light sources)
And in his final position.
Then I did Jaws.
And in position
Next was the guard on the far left, hit by one of the rappelling agents.
In position, he creates some minor OSL effect on the wall.
The other guard, pretty much center, hit by the large guy with the shotgun (code name Larry C.)
In position.
And lastly I was able to complete the guard firing at the agent with the shield.
Well, this is as far as I got.
So, what do you think?
I look forward to your comments and feedback.
Cheers
Klaus
Thank you @Commander Cain - thanks, but I have to admit I'm not so convinced yet. I'm afraid the scene is actually too busy, and I'll have to work hard to structure and order it properly with light...but we'll see
Progress, progress Last night I was able to complete the Orks!
This here is the last guard - the one on the gangway at the missile nose.
And on stage at his position
Next I completed the "3 Stooges"
And then assembled all of the Ork actors on stage, in their final positions.
There are still a lot of OSL effects to be added, but I have to wait until all units are on the stage.
Right now it is hard to really focus - quite a lot of action - so I will have to try to set some focal points with light effects.
I will definitely add a focal point (spotlight?) on Dr. Nork and the "hostij"
As well as on the Imperial team at the breach.
The rappelling agents will most likely be their own focal point, just because of their pose and position, but most likely I will also paint them a bit brighter (as they are closer to the roof breach and thus the light).
To add some additional order I will also try to add a different camo pattern to the IG team.
Instead of the Dencara "Tiger Flash", which is very close to the colors of the Orks and the background
I will most likely to try something more urban camo style.
Maybe like this here:
So, what do you think?
I look forward to your suggestions and feedback.
Cheers
Klaus
the problem i have with your current project is all parts are very good looking... lots of pure awesome character in everything.... where it worries me is when you put everything together it gets as you too put it...too busy.... it is really hard to focus on anything for more than a fraction of a second... the eye wanders from here to there and you get flushed with input...
maybe it is the desk that attracts also attention when you take pics... and i am not able to filter that... or it is the use of blues, yellows and reds against the browns all around...all your details are pure win... but the sum of it all will spoil a bit of all the hard work you do....
It looks fantastic!..But like Vik said..perhaps if you give all of the background a unifying coating of dirt/grime/rust or something, it'll neutralize it to make the figs stand out more? I dunno. Still fething Amazing Klaus!
Thanks all,
I definately do share your concerns - as mentioned yesterday, but I still have hope to get the diorama into halfway decent scene (fingerscrossed like crazy)
Now that the Orks are complete I'm ready to start with the IG team. Here they are primed and ready to rock.
as mentioned yesterday, I will go for a different camo pattern. I have no name for it yet, but it is a urban camo.
I started off with Heavy Bluegrey from Vallejo for the cloth parts of the uniform.
The armored pieces got a base of Astronomican Grey
Then I added some angled stripes of Shadow Grey.
Which were followed by irregular stripes of Fenris Grey.
The pattern is completed by dots of Fortress Grey.
For the accessories I used my mix called Imperial Navy Blue (but I can't remember the recipe)
Base skin tone for this guy is Elf Flesh
After cleanup the urban camo looks like this
Ready for the washes.
The Skin is done with Gryphonne Sepia and the other pieces get a coat of Devlan Mud, finalized by a liberal coat of Badab Black
And this is how the trooper looks in the diorama
I think the Urban Camo looks good (still need a name for it) and will be a good contrast to the Ork colors).
As mentioned I will have to do a lot of ork with the light to order the scene and set spotlights. The plan is to add some lighter areas with the airbrush (probably a light blueish tone) in the area of Dr. Nork and the attack team. The missile top is already brighter, so there is a natural center and focal point here.
All other areas will get a airbrush coat with black, to darken these areas down further and allow for the OSL effects of the Science Station, the muzzle flashes, and the rear right corridor mouth to come forward some more.
I hope this will work out....
As usual I thank you for your time and I look forward to your feedback, suggestions and comments.
Cheers
@JB - yes, I still use the Rai-Ro stuff. I get the stuff via DHL to the Packstation (even though it cost a bit more).
I use this Silicone
and this resin
I hope this helps
A relatively short update today.
Real live keeps me pretty busy, so progress is slow. Nevertheless I was able to complete the camo on the IG assault team.
After the camo I did some cleanup, added the Dark Navy Blue for the webbing
and completed the basic paint job.
Ready for the washes....
The hostij needed another coat of skin color...
And the washes applied, drying and waiting for highlights, details and OSL.
I really hope I can complete the diorama this week.
The next project - code name "The Victors" or "Nachtmahr" - is really demanding my attention, so many ideas, so many details already in the back of my head Cheers
Klaus
Thanks Klaus! I will use the same resin and silicone that you used to see how well it works for me.
I have no idea what the Packstation is so I may try to buy the items from the company in person. It is not far from me and that area is pretty. I also need to visit the Klosterhof over on that side of the river and eat lunch there.
I love the action poses for your IG assault team. I am also curious to see how you will shade/highlight/OSL the diorama to focus the eye of the viewer better.
The final stretch!
As mentioned previously, I really want to finish this babe.
And I did it Here you can see the first two IG troopers in their final attire.
Commander Cain was a bit concerned about the camo pattern on the attack shield,
But I think with the shading and OSL effects form the muzzle flash it works quite well.
I finished the other IG troopers, without taking any progress images
As a final step I added light effects to the background, in an attempt to sort the scene and set focal points.
Here you can probably see, the lighter area where the attack team enters and on the science platform, while the entire floor area is considerably darker - as well as most of the walls.
The very last thing I did was create a tag for the diorama
So tonight I will spend a most of my time to get some good images,
as these simply don't show the final result and the OSL.
It's going to be hard to get good images, showing details and atmosphere
But I'm D.O.N.E!
Desk is cleaned and ready for the photo set up.
The first project of 2013 Thank you all for your support, comments, feedback, suggestions and simple spiritual power that helped me finishing this up Thanks, without you I wouldn't have finished it.
Cheers
Klaus
Sir this is a triumph! I really love it, I see what you mean about the pictures though, in some shots it seems really grimy and dark, but then the in the lighter pictures the colours seem massively exaggerated. I am thinking in reality it is somewhere between the two, in which case I can imagine it looks absolutely stunning! The shot of it in the cabinet with the light coming down is lovely, I'm very envious of you for having space to not only make such lovely scenes but also display them!
Honestly I have not got any criticism for this at all, the OSL effects really draw attention to the keys parts, and the muzzle flashes really bring the whole thing to life. (the OSL from the ork power sword is another nice touch)
...Not to be impatient or anything, but what wonder can we expect from you next?
when i see your OSl... i think you somehow are cheating on us looks like you used a small light (taschenlampe) ...only kidding of course... the subtle OSL of the muzzle flashes is something i really wish i could do myself...
congratz to your awesome looking diorama... what a huge achievement!
Thanks Vik As promised I spent a lot of time yesterday getting some decent images of the diorama.
I think I was successful, but I will let you judge for yourself.
You can also vote for it on CMON - http://www.coolminiornot.com/330603 With the more details, you'll see there is not much magic and some pieces may ba a bit sloppy...
I hope you can enjoy the images.
I hope you like them Next update will be with my new project - "The Victors".
Cheers
Klaus
the victors....*looks around for aproval* victors???
still enjoying your new pics as ordered...
BUT... i have one issue still to solve with you that has been itching me...
i have a slight problem with your scratchbuild gunbarrels... they are either too thick, too bland or too long...especially for those orks... i think you need to find a way to get around that issue... it draws a bit of the grandeur of your otherwise flawless works...
hope i didn´t tread too heavy on your toes with that one...
First project of 2013 finished - on to the next, shall we?
This new project was in the back of my mind for quite some time now (end of March), since I came across this image on the Facebook page of HobbyShopLebanon, which has some excellent research photos - especially on the war in Syria (I can highly recommend them, if you're interested in wear and tear and weathering).
According to "Military in the Middle East" it depicts a Yemenite T-62 returning from a successful operation.
I'm not really sure what exactly strikes me in this image, but I knew I had to build a diorama from it.
While still working on the "Dr. Nork" diorama I spent considerable "brain time" on this new project, which I named "The Victors".
My version shall depict the return of a Dencaran tank from a successful operation against the Stachelnschweinz Orks, maybe even with a captured Ork, walking behind the tank? They will be on a victory parade through the streets of Xanthium (I won't add any bystanders, but hopefully the poses will show them waving and greeting at the populace....)
So I looked at my available tank designs and stumbled onto an old project of mine from January 2008 - the Actros.
The Actros was to be a family of 3 vehicle types based on the same chassis. One was a standard tank, one a recovery vehicle and one a tank destroyer. I still had the 3 hulls in my cabinet and when examining them I realized the tank design no longer fits the Dencaran style.
But the TD!
The basic shape is very Jagdpanther inspired, and I hope my model will look just as cool
Instead of casting customized stuff, I decided to use more existing WH40K pieces than usual. So I'm using the GW roadwheels mounted in pairs.
Together with the GW tracks it looks rather decent.
And with the superstructure I can see the "shape of things to come" - and I'm rather pleased.
To keep the vehicle within the 40K and Dencara environment, I added track skirts.
To complete the basic layout, I had to create a gun.
As a potent tank destroyer it needs a big gun
For the detailing of the gun I cut several strips of thin 0.25mm plasticard, which I wrap around the basic gun tube.
With this one can easily create wonderful main guns This baby is very similar to the guns used on the HERCULES.
With rivets, compared to a standard Guardsman.
In another step I added four exhausts to the rear - a powerful engine At this stage the AKTROS looked like this.
Please bear in mind that all this was done over the course of 4 days - and my wife is on a short trip, so I was able to constantly work on this baby No magic at all.
The next morning I add more details.
Since I want to call this TD the "Nachtmahr" (Nightmare), it will be a special night fighting version of the AKTROS. For the night sight equipment I looked at the old German UHU and FALKE infra-red equipment.
The gun also received an IR spotlight.
Ah, there is no better sound than that of a rivet gun in the morning *chuckle*
As proud member of the "League of Extraordinary Riveters" my vehicle needs a good amount of rivets.
Together with the other details such as these spare road wheels
or extra track sections.
But this scene needs soldiers!
So here are my IG trooper bits aligned, together with a Commissar, fresh out of the Simple Green bath....
I always loved this one pose found in many WWII images of the tank commander in his hatch.
One of the guys will be sitting on the bow gunners hatch, one leg dangling down.
Another will be standing on the rear deck - he will be holding a large standard (flag). Another soldier on foot will accompany the vehicle through the streets (or the victory parade)
Speaking of the standard.
I have prepared this flag already a week ago from thin 0.25mm plasticard. And I designed the flag already, so it was rather easy to add the design to the plasticard.
Remember the Commissar that just had a stripping bath?
Well, I thing he will lead the parade, goose stepping in front of the Nachtmahr - lol.
I love the idea So the metal Commissar had to say farewell to his lower body via the means of a mean saw.
Checking through my bits box, I realized that Dencaran Guardsmen seem to live very dangerously, as I had many individual legs or lower bodies with just one leg. Hmm, many amputations on Dencara, I guess.
The first rough assembly of the parts seem to capture the pose rather well
While these pieces cured I finished the Guardsman sitting on the side of the AKTROS, and pinned the other two Guardsmen standing on the rear deck.
- Please be aware the original post on my blog contains 62 images with many more details - Head over to Dei Greci to see them all
Well, this is as far as I got.
So, what do you think of this new project?
I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.
Cheers
Klaus
Nice progress Klaus! looks excellent and will be a little different than your normal stuff! that last diorama with Dr Nork was so good and quite a firefight with the IG that you pulled off perfectly!
Ah, there is no better sound than that of a rivet gun in the morning *chuckle*
As proud member of the "League of Extraordinary Riveters" my vehicle needs a good amount of rivets.
Love all the little details, including the engine bay and vents, but shouldn't you have painted inside there before sticking the top on?
Good job on the posing as well.
today's update is mainly around the soldiers accompanying the Nachtmahr.
However, here is one image from the Dr. Nork diorama I didn't want to hold back, as it shows the colors of the scene very well I think.
This here is one of the soldiers walking besides the tank.
He's obviously wounded, but still fit and happy enough to show the Victory sign with his right hand.
I also mounted the standard to the flag bearer.
In the meantime I prepared the base with instant plaster.
I use this plaster, since I know that it cracks up while drying - giving it the ancient look I want.
I think I mentioned it previously that I want to have an captured Ork tied to the rear of the tank.
I used this model since it is rather bare and tiny, combined with the larger head, he looks a bit strained and starving.
But still energetic enough to snarl his defiance to the audience...
The flag bearer is raising his fist in triumph
The driver is limited to his controls - ensuring not to roll over the goose stepping Commissar in front of the Nachtmahr.
The commander, cool and in control.
The loader also makes a (very limited) appearance and waves at the crowd.
And the group shot
Compared to the original
Tonight will be Commissar time.
I have to cleanup his boots and sculpt the coat.
If the plaster is completely cured, I can start on scribing the cobblestones (oh, sore fingers lie ahead...)
I hope you like today's update.
Cheers
Klaus
Love the ork dio. Great subtle touches an d I am a huge fan of rappelling troops. The touch of the timer in the background being at 007 is an excellent nod
All around great paint job especially the gun flares and the osl.
Is this new project for the brothers in arms competition?
Klaus, where are the shoulder tassels from on the tank commander? I haven't seen them before and they look flexible. I don't do a lot with guard so it might be a very common piece?
you are still making quick progress here... your wife still absent?
one question... why is that one headlight on top broken? is that planned?
the shoulder of the commander looks really cool...
victory signing fingers... raised fist and the lil ork all are cool looking details...
i asked in my thread if you could maybe point out where you made a banner from scratch? as you mentioned these should definatly be included to my fortress......thanks in advace!
One issue with the new diorama is that imperial doctrine for war against the ork is to destroy and burn all orks (unless your trading with them on the side cough *bloodaxe* Cough.... so the prisoner should really be a pile of ashes somewhere to stop the spread of spores which orks grow from.
Thanks for the feedback guys.
Yeah, fluff-wise my dios often make no real sense, but yeah, fresh from the battlefield and on to the central marketplace to have a Orkbecue
The banner used in this dio was created from very thin 0.25mm plasticard, which I bent into shape - it helps to use your breath to warm it up a bit (maybe taking a swig of hot tea first?). For the basic "flow" of the flag I used this image of the Joan d'Arc staqtue in Paris
I hope this helps a bit - if not, keep asking
Last night I began to sculpt the longcoat for the Commissar.
Still needs many details and the right shoulder area needs cleanup.
But the pose comes together nicely now.
While the coat cured, I started on the road.
First I did a final positioning check to see where all the protagonists will be
to determine where to draw any ornaments.
Then I started to scribe the cobblestone pattern into the plaster
After that I drew the first ornament - a stylized Griffin -
and scratched it into the plaster
The other end of the road received the lower part of a skull (nothing spectacular)
Last thing yesterday night was to place every piece in its final position,
You may have realized that there are no heads on the troopers yet.
The reason is that I waited for a delivery by Mad Robot Miniatures.
It just arrived!
So with any luck I will be able to select heads tonight (I have art class though, so not sure how much time I'll have).
SDKFZ on Warseer was inquiring about the camo pattern I plan to use on the Nachtmahr.
My initial plan was to use the standard Dencara Tiger Flash, like on the HERCULES, but there are also suggestions for a parade paint job (like on the ZEUS), or a more sinister, dark "Night Camo".
I found this "Fiddler" on CMON by Darkmessiah and I could envision this camp pattern for the Nachtmahr.
What do you guys think?
Cheers
Klaus
oh....my cup overflows....many thank yous klaus! eaxactly what i was looking for and even more of that!!! ... you are a cornucopia of awesomeness!
now after having smeard hiney all around you... here comes a bit of sourness
as much as i like your goosestepping commissar... the gun is first: hold wrong... the hand should rest under and around the stock:
and it should definatly not be hold by the stock in the current fashion... also... i would totally skip the gun... maybe go for a sabre instead?
as for the look of the tank... i wuld rather see a similar parade scheme like the herc... much better to tub it in that they captured and defeated these orks...
and have those cords where the ork is tied to tied to a hook rather than around the exhausts? looks a bit too foolish for me...
and...funny you used the joan d´arc statue... i didn´t knew that one at all but it took me one second from just seeing the banner to think... oh... that must be her...^^
Hey Vik,
glad I was able to help The cable from the Ork is tied around 2 hooks between the exhausts (open your eyes! ).
I get you on the rifle for the commisar....hmm...will probably change to sword then, huh?
Thanks
Klaus
As mentioned yesterday, my order from Mad Robot Miniatures arrived.
I had ordered one set of each
-Beret Heads
-Bald Heads
-Boonie Hats
-Tanker Heads Classic
-Colonial Defense Heads
-Heads with Aviator Sunglasses
-Marine Utility Heads
-Personalities Set
Here you can see a close-up of the Heads with Aviator Sunglasses.
Absolutely sharp details and excellent cast.
The first soldier to get his head was the driver, with a standard Tanker Head.
Perfect fit!
For the TC I selected the Bruce Willis head from the Personalities Set.
Due to the shoulder ornaments, it looks a bit funny - like missing his neck.
A small blob of Greenstuff, sculpted to a scarf solves this quickly.
The flag bearer got a yelling head from the Beret set - fits the pose so naturally, almost like custom made.
The guy with the drink got a head from the Sunglasses set, cool pose, cool head.
The loader got another standard Tanker Head.
This is a standard GW head from the IG Command Squad sprue.
The well known and well used Sergeants head.
Another head from the GW command sprue.
For this wounded soldier the friendly Sunglasses Head was the natural selection
And a Sentinel Pilot's head completes the troop.
The Commissar gave up his rifle (Thanks Vik for the feedback)
The Commissar still needs sculpting work, everything else is now complete.
What do you think of the Commissar? Is the pose proper now with the sword?
Finally I exchanged the wire cable for the Ork with a Greenstuff rope.
I think this is better now.
So, what you you think?
Suggestions, feedback, comments?
Cheers
Klaus
I have to say I really like this Klaus, you churn stuff out so fast I didn't even see you'd started this until now! I actually have something to add for once rather than pure praise, im struggling with the commissar atm, in theory the goosestep is a great idea, but currently the vibe i'm getting is more slipped on a bannana skin and is about to fall on his deriere, (no offence meant of course, it could just be the angle you've photographed him in? Whilst I'm being negative, although i agree with Vik on the sword idea, it currently looks a bbit awkward, maybe a slightly thinner sword resting on the shoulder like the gun was before might look a little less cumbersome? Just my two cents! Otherwise, as always, stunning!
only one small issue still with the sward... let the blade rest as upright as you can on the shoulder... OR... have it poited forward...
the new rope looks waaaaay better than before!
and the new heads have been worth the wait every minute... the character set i need to have in my bitzbox for sure too... are they almost the same plastic material GW uses? looks like that... also the scarf for necktransplantation on willis is brilliant and top notch!
and i agree... like dave said... the more the merrier^^
dsteingass wrote: Fantastic! I really love all the V vor Victory fingers up!
I think maybe the Commissar needs a formal Jr. Commissar or Color guard companion..maybe?
Hi all,
I hope you had a nice weekend.
I had a very productive and busy weekend.
Based on your feedback I took the Commissar apart again and looked for better arms and poses.
One possible option is the arm with the cane form the Command Squad sprue.
Looks rather natural.
Another option was this sword hand from the Forgeworld Tallarn sprue (but it's a right hand)
I finally settled on the sword and hand from the mechanical arm out of the IG Command Squad sprue.
Satisfied with the pose I added more ornaments.
And then the crew was ready for priming and painting!
I started with the road as this piece determines the light and most of the situation of the scene.
After the initial coat with (Vallejo) Khaki, I added streaks of Terracotta and Green.
The ornaments were painted in Terracotta, Dwarf Bronze, and Bubonic Brown.
Time for washes!
I then positioned the tank and the Ork to determine the shadows.
While the troopers received their first licks of paint, you can see the road in the background with the shadows of the tank, gun barrel and foot soldiers.
Since I goofed up the flag while priming, I decided to start with the flag.
It took me most of Saturday afternoon and night to do the flag
Especially since I had to do both sides.
But I'm very pleased with the result.
Sunday saw detail work on the troopers.
Base colors applied,
and ready for washes.
The first to be completed was the tank commander
"Hey Bruce!"
Next was the loader.
And finally I completed the bow gunner.
I hope I can make more progress today.
What do you think?
Cheers
Klaus
This is turning out to be monumental. Really liking the "Bruce Willis", one o my favorite actors, looks like he's saying "I get o drive because my cholesterol is a little high." (Guess you have to see the new gi joe movie) I know it. Little late, but maybe you could add a guy sitting facing the back watching the ork, or a little kid on the street throwing one thing at the losing force. I was thinking the kids from this GW set, either the one with the slingshot, or th girl with her arms crossed, have hem staring at the ork like "so you thought you were so tough"
It may not fit since our having he crowd off board, but the kids could have gone onto the street incentive mom and dad were killed by the war.
Excellent work indeed! I like the cane arm, as you say it's very natural looking. The flag looks stunning, btw, and I'm very jealous of your Vallejo layout!
to say this is an awesome sight would be an understatement...
the commissar is now truly the man he was meant to be... you did the best on him... and that is not easy said... he is one of a kind!
bruce is very cool looking... tho he could look a bit more older in years
the current rest of the crew is also looking spiffy as it gets...
but where you burst through the roof is when you showed the banner... man... that is some clean lines... so cool looking... i am over and over green with envy....
You work so fast Klaus! One minute you are putting the finishing touches to one diorama and the next time I check your blog out, there is a whole other one nearing completion!
Great work as always, incredibly characterful and all the little details on the tank are excellent.
Looking good Klaus! while the picture that inspired it is a Russian T-54/55 series tank, the Tank Destroyer you made looks more awesom with "Not Bruce" all braided up and medal covered in command.
sorry for the lack of updates....but I've been busy.
Really busy The Victors - or "this is why we need such a Long gun"
The ACTROS heavy tank destroyer 331, also named Nachtmahr, of the 758th heavy tank hunter detachment belonging to the XIX Dencaran Guards returns to Xanthium after successful participation in Operation Sawdust.
Commandeered by CPT Robert zu Wilhelms the Nachtmahr scored 20 verified kills against mechanized Ork forces. Most kills were scored at night when, due to its superior night vision equipment Type UHU the Nachtmahr was able to secretly prey on its enemy while remaining itself invisible.
The Nachtmahr inflicted considerable fear among the enemy – especially at darkness, when with each destroyed vehicle its name was whispered among the ranks of the Orks:
Der Nachtmahr – The Nightmare!
The vehicle is lead back into Xanthium by Commissar Albrecht von Lucke, a member of the noble house of Drachenstein. He received his Commissar honors traditionally via heritage among the noble families of Dencara.
amazing.... i knew if you wouldn´t show up with more updates for any length of time you then would come up with a finished peice...and i was proven right
the nachtmahr looks very good...i specially like how you did the nightvision equipment... the red lenses looks simply stunning!
and i like your fluffy background to the tank and it´s crew!
It's the simple things like the bolt on plating behind the guy walking that do it for me. The orks got in a lucky shot but these guys overcame the battle. Excellent execution.
Thanks guys!
I can tell you the new project already begun (wow, so much energy these days).
I think it will be a lot of fun.
Can you say:
"Raid on St. Nazaire"?
What a great diorama Klaus, really good storytelling here, as all your other stuff. Looking forward to the next one especially if it's based around the Raid of St Nazaire...
Klaus, not Santa wrote: Thanks guys!
I can tell you the new project already begun (wow, so much energy these days).
I think it will be a lot of fun.
Can you say:
"Raid on St. Nazaire"?
ohoh.... this sounds as if it could be something really big again...
Raid on Port Corinth (1)
Hello all,
sorry for the long silence, but the last week went by in a frenzy.
I got so much done, that I'm sure some of you will accuse me of witchcraft, elven slavery, magic or the like. But really the model almost built itself.
I worked completely without plans, really building on the fly, simply working off some reference photos of a German Schnellboot S-100.
So what is it all about?
The "Raid on Port Corinth" will be a diorama displaying the raid action of a special team of Dencaran troopers and sappers at an old underground mining facility that was captured some 150 years ago by the Stachelnschweinz Orks. Some of you may remember that Dencara has absolutely no rivers or sea, but lots of lava streams So the attack will be delivered via a special boat, that can travel these lava streams and thus catch the Orks hopefully by surprise...
Operation BLACKOUT When Port Corinth was captured by the Orks of the Stachelnschweinz Clan over one-and-a-half Centuries ago it wasn't of great concern to the High Council of Dencara. At that time Port Corinth was an already aged underground mining facility located at one of the major lava streams that traversed most of Dencara. The power plant, utilizing the heat of the lava was never really state of the art, but sufficient to power the entire underground facility.
The ores and precious earths mined at Corinth were precious, however the loss of the facility was more of a mercantile nature.
Over the last decade Imperial forces on Dencara encountered more and more Ork vehicles and aircraft that used new and very effective alloys as well as new armor piercing ammunition's.
The Dencaran intelligence service has identified Port Corinth as point of origin for these new ammunition's and alloys, where the new Mek of the Stachelnschweinz seems to make very good use of the power plant and the mining and processing facilities.
To remedy this situation Operation BLACKOUT will target the power plant as well as most of the mining and processing facilities of Port Corinth. Participating forces in this operation will be the 1st Fast Attack Craft Flotilla, 272nd Combat Engineer Battalion and the 11th Infantry Battalion.
The attack will be delivered via the 10 special THALASSA attack boats that will travel up the Xantha Prime lava stream to the northern entrance shipping docks of Corinth. There the forces will split up and each boat will deliver a team of sappers from the 272nd that will position demolition charges at their assigned targets while the boats and troopers from the 11th will provide covering fire.
Once all demo charges are positioned all teams will retreat to their assigned boats and move to a safety perimeter awaiting the explosion of the charges. While in the safety perimeter the boats will provide covering fire with their heavy stubbers and MEDUSA gun turrets to ensure no Ork will be able to disarm the charges.
After the successful raid the flotilla will head back to Xanthium. So much for the fluff The diorama itself will show a team of sappers carrying a heavy charge, while the THALASSA attack boat and troopers provide covering fire.
As mentioned above I used a German S-100 Schnellboat as reference.
I had a nice sheet of wood (that perfectly fits the DETOLF cabinet) as base, which also determined the size of the THALASSA. I created a crude plan based on the available space.
For the port facility itself I wanted to use my true and tried HirstArts bricks.
Styrofoam for the base - on the right you can see the area that will have some machinery, while on the left will be some steps leading up to the dock.
Based on my little plan I cut the basic ship shape from plastic card, as well as the upper decks.
The upper forward deck will have a little bunker from where the heavy stubber can be fired.
A boat that can float on lava?
Hmm...
I decided rather early that it will have heat tiles to protect it from the lava. Initially I planned to use hexagons, but that was too much work, so I rather went with a diamond shape instead.
Since it will be partially open, I started to add details, like an observation platform and doors. The rear deck will accompany the turret for the MEDUSA gun turret, a launcher for water bombs (or mines) as well as the access to the lower decks.
To ease access for later detailing and painting, all sections are removable
A view from above along the dock.
With the MEDUSA gun turret.
One of the final tasks was to add guardrails. And a forward pylon.
Everything is detachable for painting.
With the THALASSA completed I switched my attention to the dock area. Here you can see the "orkified" piping. Some crates and boxes complete the dock area.
To provide some good lava I positioned several bubbles (Greenstuff balls cut in half) and then filled the area with GW Water Effect. Unfortunately my construction wasn't tight enough and most of the Water Effect leaked out :(
So I will have to re-do this...
While the base is now waiting for the initial Water effect to cure I began to work on the troopers.
Here you can see the troopers figthing on the steps to the dock. One trooper is down and being dragged to safety by a fellow trooper while the other two provide covering fire.
On the bridge we have an observer as well was the officer in charge (hmm...he somehow reminds me of Sly Stalone)
A sniper also provides additional firepower from the THALASSA.
Viewed from the dock area.
Well, that's as far as I got within the week.
Now I still have to do the two sappers carrying the demo charge, a lot of cleanup and greenstuffing, as well as a second attempt with the Water Effect for the lava.
Is there going to be an Ork in the scene? At least one would heighten the tension and allow the viewer to immediately recognize the foe.
Perhaps one Stormboy jumping in from above, anchored to a pipe, column topper, or box? Or maybe just a fallen Ork in front of the boxes on the right side?
This build really does look excellent already. And I can just imagine Sly lighting a cigar of the lava somehow! More importantly I'm really excited by the osl possibilities there.
hmmmm! enjoyed the vid... that is often the only way to fully apreciate your stuff mister!...
already so much cool details amassed there...
also... seeing all these bitz and masses of PC... what was it again what you did for a living? whoa... fortunes of PC on that table already!...
aside from all the praise and envy ... a question...
the bow of the ship.... you choose to do in a rather strange way... what are your ideas and plans for this? that plating is something i haven´´t seen before.... is it to get the ship through the lava? also the bows shape is more suggesting a structure that goes down way more than i would have thought for such a rather smaller vessel...my brain needs more explanations^^
Am I the only one that can't help but think that a boat built to withstand such temperatures could be steam powered this would
A, cool the hull down,
B, provide energy via turbines to run the boat....
it just seems too brilliant an idea not to use.. even nuclear subs run on steam power
Viktor von Domm wrote: hmmmm! enjoyed the vid... that is often the only way to fully apreciate your stuff mister!...
already so much cool details amassed there...
also... seeing all these bitz and masses of PC... what was it again what you did for a living? whoa... fortunes of PC on that table already!...
aside from all the praise and envy ... a question...
the bow of the ship.... you choose to do in a rather strange way... what are your ideas and plans for this? that plating is something i haven´´t seen before.... is it to get the ship through the lava? also the bows shape is more suggesting a structure that goes down way more than i would have thought for such a rather smaller vessel...my brain needs more explanations^^
cheers, vik
Thanks Vik!
yes, true that's a lot of plastic card on my desk - I made two resellers quite rich I think *chuckle*
In regards to the bow I wrote:
A boat that can float on lava?
Hmm...
I decided rather early that it will have heat tiles to protect it from the lava. Initially I planned to use hexagons, but that was too much work, so I rather went with a diamond shape instead.
So, yes, these are "heat tiles" - similar to what wasn't working on the Space Shuttle
Hmm, the actual form of the bow, it was part lazyness (straight down instead of curved), but also to aknowledge some other Imperial designs - like the Imperial Space Vessels
But in the end, lava has a different viscosity than water and so the bow needs to be more sturdy and rugged
ah.... yes... with your explainations you wriggled yourself out of my vice like grip...again
no really... I can see your point here... makes sense... but now theo has raised a valid point too... I think all need rebreathers... those fumes and not to strain a point here the heat of the lava can make a mere mortal faint or even die... masks for compensating that would make sense... but... your fluff... so you might skip on these^^
and surprisingly... laziness for skipping hex against square tiles was a good decision... I think hex ones would have look funny...
Yes, rebreathers are on the schedule, however, I don't want to cover up the excellent heads and faces by Mad Robot, so the rebreathers will be off the faces, just like here
For this I use Elysian heads that I shave off, to leave only the rebreathers.
I started with it last night....
but unfortunately I forgot I had a new blade in my knife, so after 4 masks, both thumbs had some nice new "notches", my desk was rather bloody, and I lost...hmm...the drive to continue Tonight I have arts classes anyway, so hopefully by tomorrow the cuts will be healed enough for me to finish the mask business Cheers
Klaus
And I added connecting hoses between the re-breathers and the air-filters.
And then it was time to prepare everybody for priming
I started with the base for painting.
The stones received a dirty, rotten greenish grey, the piping area some dirty, dark rusty color and the lava was based with a dark red.
I'm relatively disappointed of the GW Water Effects - after more than 36 hours it seems to still not completely cured....
But other than that, the lava comes together nicely...
Hot,
hotter,
the hottest
I think I will start with the boat next.
Since it isn't on sea, but rather underground and on lava I plan an giving it the standard Dencara Tiger Flash pattern.
What do you think?
Cheers
Klaus
Thanks!
Hi guys,
starting with Atreides127 on my blog and others in the forums, many of you raised concern about the planned paint scheme.
Thanks for this very important and valuable input!
So I spent several hours yesterday afternoon (lazy day at work, but PSSST don't tell my boss) google'ing and researching camo and paint options, like these historical Schnellboot patterns.
But I have to admit, nothing was really convincing. Even a suggested (by SDKFZ) Space Shuttle black and white or some urban camo, didn't fit the situation.
After all, these 10 boats are specially crafted for this operation, built to navigate the lava and strike at the underground port facility.
But, also I wasn't really sure if the Tiger Flash would work either. So I gave it a first try by positioning the PONOS,
and the HERCULES on the lava board.
Not too bad.
The idea is to paint the forward heat tiles in Boltgun Metal, have the entire lower part of the hull be dark and blackened from the burns and soot, plus some heavy weaterhing, and add some reflected shine from the lava in the lower area.
IF I can pull this off, together with the relative darkness of the scene (it is underground), the light effects from the gun fire and the shine from the lava, THEN I think this will work.
If not, this will be one of my many uncompleted and abandoned projects
So I started with the hull in Terracotta - So far so good.
Bridge and superstructure were next.
(some of you may realize I forgot the turret - I didn't)
Next were the wide tiger stripes with Ocre
and the inner stripes with Mahagony.
I finally realized that I forgot the turret, so I did that one too.....
When looking at this last picture, imagine now the Boltgun heat tiles, the soot and burn marks, plus the shine from the lava....
What do you think now?
Well, while cleaning the airbrush I broke the nozzle, so I have to see if I can fix it, or if I have to continue with my older, cheap model :(
Again, thanks for your feedback and suggestions!
This helps me to get better.
Cheers
Klaus
Sir, I just read your blog and I'm hugely impressed! Your work is hugely inspiring and of immense quality. I'll be following your progress for sure, I only wish I'd found you sooner. Keep up the astounding work!
Viktor von Domm wrote: the lava is plain sexy klaus!... about the camo... i wait for further shots... also... i am eager to see what you do about the bow of the ship...
Hi Vik,
hmm, maybe I'm a bit slow today, but what is it you're looking for "about the bow of the ship"?
I guess I don't get it Cheers
Klaus
If its not too late, I'd like to toss in a suggestion.
The ork climbing the pipes, his foot that hands off should bend down just a bit I think. Following the curve of the pipe. Other than that this is amazing.
Yeah, sleep depreviation** makes me think slow... :(
I hope I can sleep better soon...
**our waterbed (now 13 years) has some of it's internals loose, and now its not as compfortable as usual. We ordered a replacement, but not delivered yet....
Automatically Appended Next Post: Thanks guys!
Thanks guys,
your continued support is very important to me and I'm always positively surprised that some take the time to digest the whole blog - WELCOME TO THE SHOW To keep the project moving I started painting the heat tiles with Boltgun Metal last night.
Still very plain and simple, but with the proper weathering and highlighting this should look good
The parts that represent "interior" spaces received a coat of Astronomican Grey,
and the railing received paint - Scorched Brown for the supports and Boltgun Metal for the cables.
Its nice to see how the lava reflects on the heat tiles
As usual I will continue with all the base colors, then start the first weatehring and damage effects and give it some coats of Devlan Mud and Badab Black (or whatever the names of the new washes are).
Cheers
Klaus
On the thought of lava and weathering, I would think that the boat would get some rock being deposited on the hull at the "high water mark" which you could show with a rough line of black sand along the hull still glowing on the lower edge...
Probably have to show chunks have fallen off (due to special low-adhesion paint), as if the rock kept building up the boat would eventually sink...
Its nice to see how the lava reflects on the heat tiles
that´s actual reflection of light and no facy paintjob, right? just a bit fuzzy^^ feeling when trying to follow you through your journey^^
and i only slept once in a waterbed it was a strange feeling.... all that grugling of the water......and my sister killed the bed of her boyfriend...i don´t want to draw a picture here ... the end was rather soaking wet all over in the bedroom...if you catch my drift^^
This is looking stunning! The camo pattern fits perfectly and I like the light grey interior, reminds me of a submarine or battleship (which is obviously a good thing in this case! )
Sorry for the long silence. I had a pretty bad should joint infection (athritis?), very painful, and couldn't do anything hobby wise.
Now I'm recovering, doing a lot of exercise for the shoulder, and generally, coming back to my man-cave.
Unfortunately this isn't really good for the last project "Raid on Port Corinth", as it was sitting too Long, and I lost momentum....
So, last night I packed it away, and it found a (hopefully temporary) shelter in the cabinet
The good News is that I want to work on the Hobby, so it was time for the Qeen of the Air to make a come back.
The Athena is back on my desk
Now I try to figure what Needs to be done:
- complete the 2 Manticore launchers
- build 4 engines and Rotors
- add a second CIWS?
- add lights to
-- the Observation Deck
-- Bridge
-- conference room
-- rear mural window
I also think about adding some "Spotlights" to the ATHENA mural on the rear wall, and to the aircraft landing pad.
Anything Major missing?
Thanks
Klaus
P.S: How can I turn this frigging auto-correction off in IE10? Makes all those funny capitals....
Hi Klaus, good to have you back and to hear that you are recovering good. I'm very exited that you put the Athena back on your desk and yes, spotlights for the landing deck would definitly rock :-)
ah... klaus is back... that was a rather frightening silence on this thread of yours...
i hope your shoulder is soon back to what it should be... if indeed it is arthritis, then i wish you all the luck...! that is a big spanner into your gearbox!
seeing the ship going into the cabinet is not a sight i am eager to behold... but you spoil us soon enough with your big athena... an ho am i to argue against such a treat^^...
Thank you for your well wishes.
The hardest part of daily shots (pain reliver and steroids) INTO the joint are luckily over, so now it is daily progress with some limited exercise in the fitness studio. But an improvement by light-years
As mentioned yesterday, the ATHENA is back on my desk.
The first pieces I worked on were the two Manticore launchers.
The actual launch tubes were pretty much done, so all I had to do was to create a mount.
After the mount was completed I added details, such as rivets, lids for the launch tubes and some minor stuff.
Another open piece was the actual mount of the Earthshaker turret.
Quick and simple...
Of course rivets were needed too...
One item I am not sure about yet is another CIWS.
Do I need one?
What do you think? Is another turret needed for the right side, or will it make the deck too crowded?
Let me know what you think.
Good lord Klaus, this is sheer awseome. Sad to see the lava boat being sidelined, but your Athena is amazing, the sheer amount of detailing is inspiring and a wonder to behold.
For your question on the deck being too crowded, my personal feeling is, for the sake of symmetry I would like to see another turret on the opposite side...
Keep up the good work and don't forget to keep that shoulder nicely oiled...
What do you think? Is another turret needed for the right side, or will it make the deck too crowded?
Let me know what you think
.
i am with ruglud on that issue... first: symetry is always the key
and second: the CIWS (i had to look that one up ) is a gatling -like device... i am all in favor of anything remotly next to a gatling... so definatly yes... and...not to make a much pressing point here... more dakka always wins the day
the murriel was definatly the right decision to be redone in that fashion! looks lovley!
also... the launcher system really shows again how you shine in making detailed works from the most basic shapes! looks very good!
and lastly... do you really mark the positions where you rivet? always? man... i envy you for your time management
and good to hear that your should is almost uphill again^^
Another thread I must go back and read from the beginning. I've watched the last few builds, but the Athena I seemed to have missed that shall be corrected this weekend.
I think the common feedback is that I'll have to build another CIWS - Gatlings for the win
Well, yesterday evening I had arts class again, so hobby time was limited.
Here you can see the LED stuff layed out. It's pretty simple and I really like how this stuff works out.
They are from TSDS Inc.
http://www.tsdsinc.com/ http://www.facebook.com/TSDSMODELING#!/TSDSMODELING Very easy to use.
I started with the lights for the two jump decks and the observation deck.
Sorry for the blurry images, but this was the best I could do last night.
Currently the individual LED still reflect in the windows.
So now I'm thinking about adding some framework around the LED's and also about adding some red clear plastic to the ones on the jump deck.
I think that would look cool, to have red lights in the jump deck. Don't you think?
Well, I hope you like today's little update and look forward to your comments, suggestions, and feedback
Cheers
Wow, I wasn't realizing the size until I saw the led picture, that baby is huge. Also only made it two pages into your thread before I was inspired to start building, nowhere near the skill level or detail, but having fun . I'll keep digging after the holiday (independence day here in the U.S.) family time and BBQ.
yes... red lights for the win... the blue lights surprised me a bit... i actually had thought you would go green or completely red to be frank...
and also this btings me to ask a question... have you already thought about a paintscheme for the athena?... the lights are later on a major aspect of the overall paintsheme ... i think the hue has to be "in line" with the rest of it... so if you go blue-ish with the lights it will in some way affect the scheme... am i right?
Klaus, I just went back and re-read your blog from the beginning as Theo suggested earlier . It was so worth the time doing this, inspiration aplenty is washing over me now. I was going through a dark hobby patch up to today as RL has been keeping me far too busy, but now my fingers are itching to play with Plasticard again... Thanks for the kick I needed
It's sooooo good to see Athena back and no words can describe the awesomeness of this project...
Have you ever thought about adding a little dio to the whole thing with one character kicking the other from the deck? Like shouting: "This is ATHENA!!!" I know it's a lame joke but the epicness is fitting
storag wrote: Have you ever thought about adding a little dio to the whole thing...
So... Athena is the diorama to which you can add a diorama to watch at diorama while you're watching at diorama... Well, THAT'S an epicness of enormous scale!
Have you ever thought about adding a little dio to the whole thing with one character kicking the other from the deck? Like shouting: "This is ATHENA!!!"
Ok, just found you having seen you around some of the blogs, just flicked down through your first page, and I now feel completely inadequate. By the gods man.....your stuff redefines modelling.
... i had a slight suspicion that i overread it... but i didn´t read back too... why i can´t say 
) this might work regadless the "
)
that shall be corrected this weekend.
