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This month tasked entrants to put aside clanking metal armour, grinding gears and massive artillery, and instead reach for the oldest and most potent forces of nature! We've got aliens from beyond the stars, individuals enhanced by freak science far beyond their natural form and gribbly monsters both big and small, so there's plenty to be voting on!

As always, feel free to vote for as many entries as you feel deserve recognition, and for any reason, be that the quality of the paintjob or modeling, the effort on show, or anything else you think deserves a nod. You're also very welcome to leave some feedback for the entrants, and many of the images link through to the Dakka gallery, so throw them a vote there as well if you fancy. The poll will run for 5 days.


The entrants:



Nevelon: Carnifex


Mothsniper: Tyranid Warrior and Termagants


ShadowsAndDust: Hive Tyrant


queen_annes_revenge: Gandalf and Pippin on Shadofax:


vejut: Griffon


Jamie Shred: Radroach Swarms


Freya: Dragon


SmallChanges: Ogre


theCrowe: Wood Elf Wardancer


Pariah Press: Ork-Genestealer Hybrids


JoshInJapan: Elf and Beastmen heroes



BoringStuff: Necron Royal Warden


KidCthulhu: Cold One Rider


Viterbi: Rocket, Groot and Hulk


MobileSuitRandom: Sylvaneth Archer


Captain Brown: Eldar Warlock on Jetbike


Ezki: Gnome Druids


DV8: Beast


Paradigm: The Hulk


Maharg: Skinks


the_balloon_dog: Celestial Lions Dreadnought


Midget Gems: Mozrog Skragbad


E3DD: Chaos Knight



Jadenim: Escher cats


[/spoiler]

Well don everyone.
Unfortunately I did not manage to finish my guys :(

My top 3 favourites:

QAR -Gandalf and Pippin - Coz LOTR is awesome

Freya - Dragon. Beautiful finish. - What miniature is this?

SmallChanges - Ogre - Awesome dude.

All around awesome work congrats to whoemever wins

Nevelon one is a Carnifex not a Hive Tyrant

Bah, damn space bugs all look the same! Fixed, thanks for the heads up!

Shadow Walker wrote:Nevelon one is a Carnifex not a Hive Tyrant

Paradigm wrote:Bah, damn space bugs all look the same! Fixed, thanks for the heads up!

Someday if he eats all his biomass he might grow a set of wings and start his own little swarm out in the empty black of space. But more likely he’s just going to yell angrily and charge things and stab them a lot.


Lot of great entries this month. Had a hard time narrowing down my picks, wen’t over my usual allotment.

Para, my entry seems to be missing? (Escher kitties)

A lot of interesting entries, but my favourite this month has to be Freya’s dragon. Looks like it came straight out of a piece of 80s fantasy artwork!

Not that it matters much, but this pic of mine was missing:



This round was so hard to vote on because the number of incredible entries was, well, incredible!

Good job lads!
Gandalf and Pippin on Shadofax so good!

Once again, a wonderful selection of cool models. Everyone who entered should consider themselves to be winners.

Nevelon: Solid work on this beast of a model. The red spot colors really pop against the off-white body.

Mothsniper: I love the bright contrasting colors on these bugs. The yellow-to-orange on the Warrior's gun really draws the eye.

Shadowsanddust: Wow, three 'Nids in a row. The gradation on the wing membranes works really well. I struggle with that sort of effect.

queen_annes_revenge: The bright foliage makes a lovely contrast to the almost-all-white model in the foreground. I like the different tones of white (is that the correct phrase) on opposite sides of the model, as well.

vejut: The various browns on the model really sell the chimeric nature of the beast, and the pattern on the underside of the wings is superlative.

Jamie Shred: One can never have enough vermin in one's collection. The glowy roaches are a fun variation.

Freya: I love those vibrant blues/violets. Every month you make me want to try working with oils, and this month is no exception.

SmallChanges: The dark reb/brown and greens add a lot of color to this model while keeping the menacing darkness intact. The dusty boots are a nice touch, as well.

theCrowe: Dude, that is one colorful polevaulting elf! I'm nowhere near brave enough to try color combinations like that. Bravo!

Pariah Press: These guys are a nifty callback to the garish paintschemes of their era without being outright garish.

me: I feel like I'm getting closer to mastering NMM, but I can't seem to achieve the necessary level of contrast.

I'll write more comments later today. Once again, good job all around!

Argive wrote:Well don everyone.
Unfortunately I did not manage to finish my guys :(

My top 3 favourites:

QAR -Gandalf and Pippin - Coz LOTR is awesome

Freya - Dragon. Beautiful finish. - What miniature is this?

SmallChanges - Ogre - Awesome dude.

All around awesome work congrats to whoemever wins

Thank you! This is called "Young Cloud Dragon" By Lord of the Print who you can find on Patreon and on My Mini Factory. Admittedly, I entered this same mini in another competition last month having painted it for both this and theirs. I don't expect to win a 3d printer or anything though that is the dream.

Jadenim wrote:Para, my entry seems to be missing? (Escher kitties)

A lot of interesting entries, but my favourite this month has to be Freya’s dragon. Looks like it came straight out of a piece of 80s fantasy artwork!

Thank you! I had a lot of fun with colors on this pretty beast. Wanted to really make the cloud dragon look prismatic like a cloud, befitting its name. I feel really proud of the outcome and I also know what I can do better next time.

JoshInJapan wrote:Once again, a wonderful selection of cool models. Everyone who entered should consider themselves to be winners.

Nevelon: Solid work on this beast of a model. The red spot colors really pop against the off-white body.

Mothsniper: I love the bright contrasting colors on these bugs. The yellow-to-orange on the Warrior's gun really draws the eye.

Shadowsanddust: Wow, three 'Nids in a row. The gradation on the wing membranes works really well. I struggle with that sort of effect.

queen_annes_revenge: The bright foliage makes a lovely contrast to the almost-all-white model in the foreground. I like the different tones of white (is that the correct phrase) on opposite sides of the model, as well.

vejut: The various browns on the model really sell the chimeric nature of the beast, and the pattern on the underside of the wings is superlative.

Jamie Shred: One can never have enough vermin in one's collection. The glowy roaches are a fun variation.

Freya: I love those vibrant blues/violets. Every month you make me want to try working with oils, and this month is no exception.

SmallChanges: The dark reb/brown and greens add a lot of color to this model while keeping the menacing darkness intact. The dusty boots are a nice touch, as well.

theCrowe: Dude, that is one colorful polevaulting elf! I'm nowhere near brave enough to try color combinations like that. Bravo!

Pariah Press: These guys are a nifty callback to the garish paintschemes of their era without being outright garish.

me: I feel like I'm getting closer to mastering NMM, but I can't seem to achieve the necessary level of contrast.

I'll write more comments later today. Once again, good job all around!

Honestly, I hop between oils and acrylics to use each where their strengths lie. So while I did use both again, I did the finish work in acrylics here. Method was: Acrylic base airbrushed (+ some small work with a brush on acrylics), Oil wash, Acrylics again using inks mostly to create complexity and texture, Final highlights done in alcohol based compounds. (Moss and stuff on the rock was Down and Dirty Moss which is REALLY cool btw)



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, my pics for the month:

DV8: I love this piece very much mostly because of the way its framed. The newspaper was the perfect touch of nerdy and scene. Hope that guy loves his new paintjob cuz I'm certainly geeking out over it.

QAR: Hard choice to do a ton of whites and try to make each one unique and separate. Yet you succeeded quite nicely.

Midget Gems: I do see the skin on the ork as being a bit hastily done though that's a minor issue. The mini otherwise is pretty sweet. I love the greys and the details you've added. Might try to add some contrast to the recesses on your flesh to make it really pop. I think that would finish the model perfectly.

 Freya wrote:


Honestly, I hop between oils and acrylics to use each where their strengths lie. So while I did use both again, I did the finish work in acrylics here. Method was: Acrylic base airbrushed (+ some small work with a brush on acrylics), Oil wash, Acrylics again using inks mostly to create complexity and texture, Final highlights done in alcohol based compounds. (Moss and stuff on the rock was Down and Dirty Moss which is REALLY cool btw)

I have yet to even try oils, but some day... In the meantime, keep doing this inspirational work.

More comments:

BoringStuff: One doesn't see pink necrons very often. That and the off-white "cape" and gun make this model a joy to look at.

KidCthulhu: I'm glad you managed to get this model finished in time. Did you base his colors on a real-life reptile? The blue scales are nifty, either way.

Viterbi: I like the vivid, radioactive green on the Hulk. The comic on his base is a nice touch.

MobileSuitRandom: What a lovely wooden creature. The green streaks in her hair are an inspired detail.

Captain Brown: Will you ever run out of jetbikes? I like the inversion of the usual Iyanden colors.

Ezki: You packed a lot of detail into what must be some truly tiny models. The red gemstone is quite impressive.

DV8: Those are some truly vivid blues. What did you use?

Paradigm: I really like your painterly approach to this model. The transition from brown to yellow-green came out great.

Maharg: Pink Skinks! I don't think I've ever seen those colors on skinks before.

the_balloon_dog: Impressive. Am I correct in reading the streaks as wood?

Midget Gems: Great job on that cyborg squig. He really outshines the rider.

E3DD: I love me some Chaos Knights. I feel like this guy would benefit from brighter highlights on the cloak, but the skull on the horse is superb.

Jadenim: The tiger stripes look quite natural, while the purple makes them look decidedly alien. A great combination.

 JoshInJapan wrote:


queen_annes_revenge: The bright foliage makes a lovely contrast to the almost-all-white model in the foreground. I like the different tones of white (is that the correct phrase) on opposite sides of the model, as well.

I think tone is the right term, although technically tone refers to the grey values of the colour. I shamelessly stole this idea from a painter called Jose da Vinci on Instagram.

Lots of amazing work this month! My top 3 in no particular order other than how they were posted:

queen_annes_revenge: Gandalf and Pippin on Shadofax:

I don't know if this was intentional or not; my initial impression of this piece was that the plinth was too small. Far too much going on for how tiny the base is, but the more I thought about it and looked at the wonderful details, the more I got the sense of intense claustrophobia, of panic and urgency, and it really paired nicely with the models, their expressions, and the narrative I'm seeing in my mind (from the films, where they could be facing off against the Orcs at Gondor, or the Witch King of Angmar). Retrospectively I think the small plinth amplifies that unspoken narrative. Love it!


Freya: Dragon

The pastel color palette in this is just money. Really love the colors, and the red/fuschia shadow nuance you have over the entire piece is excellent.


Paradigm: The Hulk

I love how much color information is happening in the midtones and shadows of this piece. It's not the most technically "neat", but I think that just adds to the visceral, painterly style and if you were to try to neaten it up, you'd lose a lot of the emotion you've managed to pack into this.

Freya wrote:
Also, my pics for the month:

DV8: I love this piece very much mostly because of the way its framed. The newspaper was the perfect touch of nerdy and scene. Hope that guy loves his new paintjob cuz I'm certainly geeking out over it.

Cheers! Yea he's loving all the models I'm painting for him. I've already done about 20 already, and this X-Men/Brotherhood batch is part of another additional 29 models, so we've definitely got a good relationship going.

JoshInJapan wrote:
DV8: Those are some truly vivid blues. What did you use?

Thanks man! It's a blue I've been using for all of my client's X-Men actually; absolutely in love with the recipe.

AK Dark Sea Blue, Light Prussian, Aquatic Turquoise, and Scale75 Pale Skin. Throw in some glazes in the midtones and shadows of Vallejo Air Scarlett Red, Imperial Blue, and Hexed Lichen.

Voted for my favourite 5 for paint & theme.

Time to get on with next (this) month's model!

Absolutely agree Josh never enough vermin for the wasteland. The glowing radroaches actually have their own stat cards and are much more devastating than the regular versions.... unless your a super mutant, they don't really care about rads.

50/50 felt like a good split

 DV8 wrote:


Freya: Dragon

The pastel color palette in this is just money. Really love the colors, and the red/fuschia shadow nuance you have over the entire piece is excellent.

Freya wrote:
Also, my pics for the month:

DV8: I love this piece very much mostly because of the way its framed. The newspaper was the perfect touch of nerdy and scene. Hope that guy loves his new paintjob cuz I'm certainly geeking out over it.

Cheers! Yea he's loving all the models I'm painting for him. I've already done about 20 already, and this X-Men/Brotherhood batch is part of another additional 29 models, so we've definitely got a good relationship going.

Thank you! I did a lot of fussing with colors on this piece and most of what you're seeing is using fluorescent paints and inks mixed in with acrylics. It feels counterintuitive for me to do that... but for whatever reason, mixing fluor paints really brings life into what I otherwise would feel is a plain paint job.

As to yours, I can truly see why he loves them. I've noticed you've been doing a lot of them and it's remarkable, going back and reviewing your piece, how you textured the fur so that he looks almost soft. I kinda wanna touch him and see if he actually is...

@JoshInJapan - thanks man. Though there’s a fine line between brave and stupid. I suspect your colour combinations are the result of knowing better or just letting the mini be what it is. In my case I’d just be damned if I was going to paint another ¥#%~*& wood elf in wholesome natural earthy greens. This particular colour choice was just sheer bloody-mindedness.

I will say though that your own selection of classic minis, while not being so bold or unexpected in their colours were none the less a delight and a highlight of the month for me. Love those old beastmen in particular! Great choice!

 theCrowe wrote:
@JoshInJapan - thanks man. Though there’s a fine line between brave and stupid. I suspect your colour combinations are the result of knowing better or just letting the mini be what it is. In my case I’d just be damned if I was going to paint another ¥#%~*& wood elf in wholesome natural earthy greens. This particular colour choice was just sheer bloody-mindedness.

I will say though that your own selection of classic minis, while not being so bold or unexpected in their colours were none the less a delight and a highlight of the month for me. Love those old beastmen in particular! Great choice!

Thanks-- I find it a lot of fun to go back and revisit the minis from my youth. That said, I really like the bold color choices you make with so many of your models-- everything just seems to stand up and say "look at me!"

 JoshInJapan wrote:

KidCthulhu: I'm glad you managed to get this model finished in time. Did you base his colors on a real-life reptile? The blue scales are nifty, either way.

Thanks! That's actually Sotek Green, but my lighting was very uncooperative.

When I had that model in '96 or '97, I did the scales in Scaly Green. Sotek Green seems to be the current match, although it's bluer than I remembered.

Have put some votes in. Loving all the marvel models, you all did great work with those. Love the hive tyrant too, great work on the wings.

And freya's dragon and QAR's gandalf the white on white horse are fantastic too!

And the results are in!

In third place, Captain Brown's Elder Warlock:









In second, queen_annes_revenge with Gandalf and Pippin on Shadofax:









And tied for first place, Freya's dragon:








and DV8's Beast:




Well done everyone!

Congratulations to this month's winners. I'm delighted that a Captain Brown jetbike got to the podium!

Well done everyone! Fantastic quality on show as always.

Great work everyone and grats to the winners!

Thank you to Paradigm for running the Challenge.

Sincerely,

Phil

A lot of great work this month, and another congratulations to the winners!

Thanks JoshinJapan for comments, and since we're still pretty close to the top of the page and nobody else has, some more of that:

Nevelon- contrast worked well, I like the claws and carapace

Mothsniper- Nice colors, very tropical and eye grabbing.

Shadows and dust- blending on the wings is acting as a focus, and it looks good

Queen_annes_revenge- amazing diorama, I like the change in color feel between the two sides while still being the same colors

Vejut- should have done more with the tops of the wings, and needed to correct the missed spots on the edges. Still kinda like the body, even if it did take about three tries.

Jamie shred- nice osl, and the non glowy ones look suitably grimey

Freya- lovely well painted dragon, not sure what else to say

Small Changes- the repose and the hobnails are some good modeling work, and thebskin came out very well

theCrowe- I like the choice of jade for the spear tip, and it really is a fun old model.

Pariah Press- another entry with well done skin and some of the better side of the old goofy minis. Nice freehand as well. Having a head as a shoulder pad must get awkward for that guy...

JoshinJapan- love the metals and blends on these. The shaman's axe and the elf's moon both came out particularly well

Boringstuff- great color choices on this guy, not a usual set, but they work well.

KidCthulu- the sheild bits on the base are a very nice modeling touch.

Viterbi- a fun set of models, rocket looks like he's having the time of his life, and the little comic on the base is nice. I think you could have gotten away with a bit more color contrast, but they look good.

MobileSuitRandom- the autum hair is a nice idea, and I like how the fronds on the beetle from the base came out.

Captain Brown- the yellows and the sword both came out very nicely.

Ezki- the green cloth and hair both caught my eye first, and they book look good.

DV8- the shading and light on the fur is just aces, as ever, and the rust on the antenna is great too. Another appearance of the comics on the superhero base, still a great idea.

Paradigm- I like the contrast and effect on the skin, reminds me of old frazetta paintings.

Maharg- Love the color choices for these. I think my favorite part is either the expressions on them, or that little feather, because making feathers look good like that is annoying.

The_balloon_dog- A lot of texture on this, both painted and modeled on, very much a personalized dreadnought. I like the freehand bits as well.

Midget Gems- fun ideas as always. I like the squig skin, and I can just about hear the jaws theme when I see this guy.

E3DD- nice classic skull head, and nice dark and intimidating models. I think they could use a little more color to show the shapes and break them up a bit. Fun models!

Jadenim- cute vicious little guys! Love that purple and white combo, and the patterns are also cool!

Thanks Vejut, I’m really pleased with how they came out

Cheers Vejut

Thanks for taking the time to comment on each entry, Vejut and JoshInJapan!