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Again, beautiful piece! The grey for the tabard works very well. So much energy and motion in one vignette- truly well done. I want to convey some of the same sense of dynamism in my current project, so you've definitely inspired me. I've been sneaking looks at some of your other builds as well- for tips on OSL, which I'm fixing to try!

Top job, Klaus.

I'm always impressed with your freehand work like these dragon symbols. I can see how it's done, but they are always so nice.

You really nailed those free hand dragons.

Meer_Cat wrote:Again, beautiful piece! The grey for the tabard works very well. So much energy and motion in one vignette- truly well done. I want to convey some of the same sense of dynamism in my current project, so you've definitely inspired me. I've been sneaking looks at some of your other builds as well- for tips on OSL, which I'm fixing to try!

Thank you buddy!
Let me know if I can help

Dr H wrote:Top job, Klaus.

I'm always impressed with your freehand work like these dragon symbols. I can see how it's done, but they are always so nice.

Thank you - I admit I love these little dragons - kind of my personal icon by now

MeatShield wrote:You really nailed those free hand dragons.

Thank you!
It's always nice to hear, and as said above, they did become my presonal icon by now.

Well, it's been a few days since the last update, as my wife and I were struck by the flu - what a succer!
But now that I have risen from the sick bed it's time to start a new project report.
I started this one right as I finished the Ice Warriors and before the flu got me.

For this project I have no name yet, so I will ask for your help later on
This will be none of my usual action scenes, but rather an "after the battle".
At the end of a fierce battle between mankind and Orks, with only a few survivors remain standing on the battlefield. The humans will be represented by a mix of uniforms and types - Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Eisenkerns - to show it was a last stand, united effort kind of battle...

For this I selected the central figures to be a Chapter Master/General dead or dying.


He will be held by a Space Marine and a third figure will be a Eisenkern Valkyr standing by them.


This guy needed some extensive cutting and gluing to get the pose I had in mind.


They'll be surrounded by many dead.


For the dead I raided my "cleaning bath" in which a ton of old models were stored. The Detol cleaned the colors pretty well.


And it gave me enough corpses to work with.


After the dead were positioned I also added some dead Orks.


While the dead piles are glued in place, the central figures are removable.


I really love how the Valkyr turned out.


Together with the head from Mad Robot Miniatures this makes a great character.


And just as the flu struck, I had all the actors in place.


On Wednesday I was finally well enough to leave the bed for a few hours and so I immediately set out to work on the scene.
Here is the primed scene.


Then I used the airbrush to create my light-sketch, which will hopefully set the focus on the central characters.




The idea to support the light sketch is to use a very limited palette, based on the dark blue-gray color I used in the sketch.
So I started off with the green of the Ork skin


Then the "Flecktarn" Ork uniforms.


It's quite challenging to mix the uniforms distinctively enough to separate them, yet keep them in the same saturation range...


Here I'm almost done with the base


And this is as far as I got.


I still have to do some markings on several shoulder pads and I need a symbol or ornament for the shield and then I can move on to the real characters.
What do you think?
Oh, and here are some ideas for the project name:
A) To the Last Man
B) No Better Place to Die
C) Requiem
D) The Bitter End
E) A High Price to Pay
F) Other - please leave a comment

Ideas or suggestions? I look forward to your feedback.
Cheers
Klaus

Yet again, knocking it clean out of the park sir. Excellent concept and execution. Love it.

I would go with B, though I might suggest a F) Bugger!

The base itself is wonderful, great texture and feel, almost a shame to cover it up.


Oh and previous Ice Warriors, truly stunning, just too good for words. Got to say, it is very nice to see you about again.

I really like where this one is going. Like a picture taken in the immediate aftermath of an intense battle. As far as a name, I'd suggest "Invictus" based on the poem by Henley. Unless you already used that for something.

Title: Only in death

You know, I don't think I've ever seen a marine holding their helmet before? They're either wearing them, or just, don't have one.

Looking really good, I vote for the Bitter End!

Thank you guys!

Camkierhi wrote:Yet again, knocking it clean out of the park sir. Excellent concept and execution. Love it.

I would go with B, though I might suggest a F) Bugger!

The base itself is wonderful, great texture and feel, almost a shame to cover it up.

Oh and previous Ice Warriors, truly stunning, just too good for words. Got to say, it is very nice to see you about again.

Thank you Cam!
Yeah, it feels as if the new work room has a positive vibe and I DO finish some projects
There is one project already built and ready to be painted (but it's not yet "calling" me) and I have several ideas lined up...
I hope I can keep the mojo up
The base was actually just a piece of firewood in my garage

whalemusic360 wrote:I really like where this one is going. Like a picture taken in the immediate aftermath of an intense battle. As far as a name, I'd suggest "Invictus" based on the poem by Henley. Unless you already used that for something.

Thank you!
Hmm, Invictus...brilliant idea!
I have "Hill 937", "Bugger", "Damn, where did we park" and "Only in Death"...
keep 'em coming!
Thanks

xXWeaponPrimeXx wrote:Title: Only in death

Thanks buddy!
Title noted

Anvildude wrote:You know, I don't think I've ever seen a marine holding their helmet before? They're either wearing them, or just, don't have one.

Now that you mention it...
The pose itself isn't anything new, but yes, Spacies holding their helmet seems rare

Kid_Kyoto wrote:Looking really good, I vote for the Bitter End!

Thank you!

Ok then
Last night I got a few hours of painting done - my wife is still with the flu, so she went to bed early.
Since I didn't want to risk anything with the ornament, I used the tried and true stylized Wyvern


and this is how my wet pallet looked after completing the base and corpses


I thought alot about the color of the Chapter Masters armour...I didn't really want to do an established chapter, but I didn't really want to do another red armour (the Termie may become a Crimson Guardian though).
I never did blue armour - too much Ultramarines - but let's see how blue armour will do


I hope it is visible that the armour is "fading" to the de-saturated color in the dark areas, while the bright areas have simply more saturation


To avoid the Ultramarine resemblance I decided to give him white shoulders


and he'll most likely get a red cape. Blue, white, red ... the colors of my hometown
So what do you think?
Cheers
Klaus

Wonderful piece abuilding here, Klaus. I wasn't sure about the light stage at first- I thought you were losing too much detail, but seeing it get 're-lighted' as you add things I see the effect you probably had in mind all along. The center pieces will almost look like hey have a spotlight on them, while there will still be tremendous detail in the carpet of dead around them for the eye to latch onto.

The Chapter Master's armor definitely transitions into the blanket color as you move to the edges, and IMO, will never be mistaken for Ultramarines.

As for titles, the several you started with and the several that others have suggested are all very good ('Where did we park?'- very tongue in cheek, that!). I offer:

Last Post

No Greater Service

Duty is Heavier than a Mountain, Death- lighter than a Feather

Vorwarts!

Thank you Meer_Cat!

"To the Last of Their Strenght" came to m mind last night...

Anyhow, I did have some time yesterday and was able to work on the red cape


So the Chapter Master has his little-red-riding-hood


With the cape pretty much done I started on the gold


I think the gold makes him pop out even more


So if everything goes to plan I'll start with the head tonight


So what do you think? Comments or suggestions, critique?
Cheers
Klaus

Inspiring blog!

Nice piece, Klaus. Look forward to how it come to life... death... erm...

I expect each of the bodies to have a story.

I'm looking forward to seeing this epic piece after you're done painting.

Quite brilliant.

Tim 121RVC wrote:Inspiring blog!

Thank you Tim!

Dr H wrote:Nice piece, Klaus. Look forward to how it come to life... death... erm...

I expect each of the bodies to have a story.

Oh yes, each human has his story
The story comes first

MeatShield wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing this epic piece after you're done painting.

Well, check out today

Camkierhi wrote:Quite brilliant.

Thank you Cam!

Thank you for the feedback!
After the Chapter Master was mostly done I thought a lot about the colors for the remaining two characters.
I decided to use a kind of purple for the Terminator


Despite the ornaments identifying him as a Blood Angel, I rather like to call him a "Cardinal"


It's an unusual color, but in good contrast to the deep red cape of the Chapter Master


And with the gold it looks even better and less pink.



So this completed the two central figures


With the Terminator supporting the dying Chapter Master



who fought "To the Bitter End"


So now I had to decide on the last character...
I was initially against a golden armour, as there so many wonderful and perfect NMM golden figures are currently on the Internet.
But since I needed a contrasting color to the other two and I didn't want to use green - too close to the Orks - I decided to give gold a try.


I never did a complete golden armour before


and it took me three days to come close to a pleasing result


Especially since I tried to use different light situations on the gold


It was a lot of work


But I think it was worth it.


Though none of the smooth gold seen so often


The tabbard became red



The Inquisitor has very dark skin


and blue eyes


And finally I used some dirt to do a bit of weathering and splashed a lot of blood on the scene


So here we are



"To The Bitter End"


Most likely I will let it sit a few days and then re-visit it and decide if I give it a little airbrush light - redoing the red and orange shine from the sides.
As a final step I will remove the masking tape on the three straight sides and work a bit with the wood - probably just a varnish...
So, what do you think?
Suggestions?
Thank you

Klaus

Wow Klaus! It looks like an Alternate Dimension 3rd Edition Rulebook cover art!

Try putting some highlights of the same/similar colors to the two other marines, facing them.

Sort of like OSL, but for NMM reflections. Might help tie him into the scene better.

First of all- wow! Another vignette knocked out of the park!

So many features I like or identify with, or both:

1) A lot of the science fiction I read as a boy in the 60's and 70's described their professional 'spacefarers' as having been burned nearly black by their service in space- but often with blue eyes or other features in contrast with their heavy 'space tan'. Authors like Andre Norton, Rex King, and the like. Great stuff. The expression suggested by just the eyes is incredible: exhaustion, great sadness and acceptance.

2) The gold armor is perfect- as it would look if someone had just fought the engagement we see the aftermath of in this scene.

3) I note the entrenching tool with blood on it in the lower center of the scene; we were taught how to fight with an e-tool during Improvised Weapons training. Had a real 'no way!' moment when I spotted it.

4) The three central figures light up just as if a spot light had been shone on them- really subtle light effects.

I know you mentioned some follow-on details you want to address Klaus, but the piece itself is marvelous in the pictures here.

Well done indeed!

dsteingass wrote:Wow Klaus! It looks like an Alternate Dimension 3rd Edition Rulebook cover art!

Thank you!
I'm really glad you like it

Anvildude wrote:Try putting some highlights of the same/similar colors to the two other marines, facing them.

Sort of like OSL, but for NMM reflections. Might help tie him into the scene better.

Thanks for the tip - I hope it fits better now

Meer_Cat wrote:First of all- wow! Another vignette knocked out of the park!

So many features I like or identify with, or both:

1) A lot of the science fiction I read as a boy in the 60's and 70's described their professional 'spacefarers' as having been burned nearly black by their service in space- but often with blue eyes or other features in contrast with their heavy 'space tan'. Authors like Andre Norton, Rex King, and the like. Great stuff. The expression suggested by just the eyes is incredible: exhaustion, great sadness and acceptance.

2) The gold armor is perfect- as it would look if someone had just fought the engagement we see the aftermath of in this scene.

3) I note the entrenching tool with blood on it in the lower center of the scene; we were taught how to fight with an e-tool during Improvised Weapons training. Had a real 'no way!' moment when I spotted it.

4) The three central figures light up just as if a spot light had been shone on them- really subtle light effects.

I know you mentioned some follow-on details you want to address Klaus, but the piece itself is marvelous in the pictures here.

Well done indeed!

Thank you Mate!
Yeah, I really like the Valkyrs expression - too bad the tattoo got covered by the huge blood splatter...
Hah! You did notice the entrenching tool! Yes it is part of the story, where it came down to close quarter and they had to resign to use whatever was at hand - maybe after running out of ammo - Glad I could hide that little "No way! Moment" for you
Thank you again for the support!

And thank you all for your feedback and comments!

Last night after work I looked at the piece again and was still pleased so I decided to finish it up.
Just some minor changes and then I removed the masking tape from the straight sides of the plinth and gave it several brown washes.
Once the washes were dry I applied a coat of gloss varnish and let it cure.

After cleaning up my desk and sorting the colors back into the rack I decided to take some first shots in the lightbox.


These are not the high-quality ones yet.


Just some first shots with decent light


and a black background.


I will do some better photos over the next few evenings. And by then I should also have a bit of a narrative to accompany the scene.


But these should do


and provide some detail shots


without the distraction of my cluttered desk.


I hope you like the shots


and the scene


I really like how the Valkyr turned out!





To The Bitter End


I hope you have enjoyed this rather quick project (I started on 14. Feb).
I did learn a few things, I did try a few new tricks, and I had a lot of fun
Cheers

Klaus

Great job again, Klaus.

Again- very much like this piece. Great theme supported by staging and light effects.

The Valkyr is so good I wonder if there isn't a future diorama/vignette there- a small group with helmets off receiving a mission briefing, maybe from a Fleet Officer, perhaps in front of a light table, so you get some good back lighting?

Fast or not, I got a lot out of watching this one develop- thank you.

Amazing and truly brilliant, I suppose we say that a lot around here. But honestly Klaus, you are such an inspiration, your work is thought provoking, and brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing.

Another winner!

What amazes me is how you're about to paint something this intricate AFTER assembly!

Amazing work, for its quality, its narrative power, and the speed used to show us it growing!

Like a little bee from blossom to blossom, so Santa Klaus jumps from project to project

Currently I'm in a "high" phase and the projects just keep coming - but I have to be aware that I don't start too many at the same time - and I know after such an extended high phase there WILL be a down phase... So I take advantage of the high as much as I can

After the "Bitter End" I started to doodle around with sculpey and BeesPutty, playing with faces, as these leave much desired in my works
Some of the doodles were....well judge for yourself




But it didn't matter, they were just for practice.
But then this dude evolved


It immediately reminded me of an image I once saw on DeviantArt called "Fat Tanker" - unfortunately I can't find it anymore to share.
But the basic idea was there and so I had the start of the next project.


After the basic frame from cloth hangers I added a thick layer of masking tape and aluminum foil


On that I added a first layer of (cheap no-name) Sculpey


Slowly I built up the Big Boy


and the pose became visible


First he got some pants


and boots


and there's always need for a undershirt and an eye patch


A helmet is always useful


which got some details


just like Big Boy got a belt, a cross on a chain and some dog tags


The start of the cigar-hand was sculpted with SuperSculpey


but further detailed with GreenStuff


I didn't really like the position of the right arm - so off it came


once re-attached it became evident that the shoulder now looked a bit off


But a cigar-holster is such a useful accessory for a real gentleman - and it hides a screwed up armpit quite nicely



The shirt got a slogan


and the bionic arm some details


Well, this is as far as I got in 2 weeks
So, what do you think?
Ideas, feedback, suggestions?
Cheers
Klaus

The biological forearm is a little weedy for the size of the guy- and I'd suggest, if you can, to add some more trapezius to his right shoulder (the one with the cigar holster). Maybe a little bit of side-back-flab hanging towards that side of him. His back, right now, is very not-fat for his neck and front. If it were just a beer belly, that'd be okay, but with the way his chin and upper torso are, you just need some more flesh spilling out over the belt in the back, and pulling that whole upper back over to the side a bit. And love handles, of course.

You're a skinny guy, so I'll forgive it.

Impressive work for two weeks Klaus! I'm not sure what amazes me more- the high artistic quality and content of all your work- or the fact that each successive project is so completely different from the ones before. Plastic/styrene work, ork conversions, Tau dioramas, Night Goth busts, now complete sculpture. Very much the Renaissance man!