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Here's a few tips for motivation, other than what's mentioned above:

- If you play regularly, limit yourself to a max of 1 unpainted squad per game. You'll want to play bigger games, so will paint stuff faster.

- Put something on in the background. I find that stuff you can listen to and still appreciate without watching is best, like some sitcoms or panel shows or the like. There's no need to watch them, but it helps to break the silence and monotony.

- The shelf-migration tip is a good one. If you have 2 places you can put models, then have an unpainted and painted area, and just move them across as you do them. I like putting my recently completed stuff on the top shelf so I can easily see what I've done. Seeing what you've already achieved and how it expands is a great motivator.

- Also, never force yourself. If you are too tired/distracted/stressed to paint, it's the worst thing you can do to make yourself do it, as you're bound to miss bits or not give the models your full attention.

Excellent advice.

Everyone!

Your advice is invaluable as usual.

5 works for me, 20 certainly doesn't...
I've spent £80 based on your experiences, I've purchased the Honour Guard w/ Calgar, using the Champion as CM as planned. Once I've done 5, I'll build him, then another five, and I'll build my new Centurion purchases, etc etc.

I'm quite looking forward to Centurion-Tiggy star, which is why I'm going to dust off the half done Raven and get move on! Drop Pods, tearing through the atmosphere, smashing up lines with orbital assaults. Purge the heretics!

This blog is a proper motivator as well though.

I'll seperate my done and to do piles, as a show of what needs doing - perhaps I'll show it here too.

I'm really surprised guys, I was kind of expecting this to be a "look what Dan can do" journal, but this is more of an education for me. Thanks!

Looking forward to what you do with the Honour Guard. Any plans to do up Calgar as well?

Combined with the Drop Pods, the Tiggy-Cent Raven-bomb (that needs to be an official unit designation), you should be able to do very well in terms of being able to pick when and where you fight. You've got a lot of early-on mobility, which is always a boon.

Sounds like a plan as far as mixing up your painting goes.

@ Para

No plans for Calgar though and no real plan to either. I don't like the model/rules though.

Of my entire list, the TCR bomb (now it's definitely a thing), is what I'm quietly confident about.

Right... here's my Chapter Master with power weapon (burning blade) and storm shield (shield eternal). What do you guys think?
I've picked the combat shield over a storm shield, I reckon it looks more elegant for a sword fighter as opposed to it's chunkier variant. I've had to modify it as well... as apparently there's no such thing as a right handed shield :/

So.. all in all, does it work. Does he look captain/chapter master-ish?

Yep, I think that works well. That model is easily as decorated as some of the Captains and CMs before the hyper-bling days, and especially with the rest of the army so understated there should be no confusion as to what he's meant to be.

If you have a back banner spare from anyone and feel he needs just a little more to set him apart, banners are great ways to designate leaders and show off with freehand.

Burning Blade and Shield Eternal is an awesome combo, if expensive. Hitting with 5 S7 AP2 I5 attacks on the charge should wreck most stuff, and the shield should keep him alive long enough to rinse and repeat.

I might have used an eagle-head backpack from the captain kit. Or one of the slighty fancier ones from the sternguard kit.

But he is more then fit for the job of leading your forces.

Very appropriate.

Following this

Today's efforts.

A bit of building something new refreshes my will to paint, which is good. I'm gonna spray these and captain searches and get back to my tactical marines.

Those look good, and will surely look even better when put under the brush!

Looking forward to what you come up with next.

Update time.

Chapter Master completed, though I'm really not sure whether I like him or not. There's so much detail on there and I don't think I did it justice. Comments and criticisms please! Doesn't help that the photo isn't great either.

Also, a 5 man combat squad is done too, though the bases aren't finished.

So nice Smithy...

There is something about him that strikes me as a little off, but I can’t put my finger on it. It might be the bright green contrasting with the otherwise matte marine. The red leather belt thing seems to contrast poorly as well. Either one separately might not have bothered me, but both together strike me as “off”

Obviously, as the 4th, you need to keep some green highlights. So I might try a more brown, rather then red, for the leathers.

Just some random thoughts, overall he’s not bad looking. The problem is as your captain, he’s a focal point of your army and you want him looking his best.

Agreed Nev,

I've dulled down the green on the plume with washes as well as adding some flock and snow to the base. He looks better, though not as good as I'd hoped.

The problem was I was thinking of "red-ish leather" and started off with red, rather than brown. Earthshade can only do some much. I've learned a fair amount with this model, so overall it's been a fairly positive experience.

Thankfully he's an expansion on my current list, so he's not crucial. I can do him again at a later date if he's not grown on me by then. The threat of theFairy Power Spray looms.

Centurions next and I expect to have them done within the week. No issues this time, promise

I have no idea what the modern equivalent is, but I have a pot of “Vermin Fur” which is a very nice reddish brown. One problem with all my old brown paints is that they don’t cover well, so I need to do a number of coats to get anywhere.

I would not strip him, he’s not that bad. Give him some time to grow on you. If instead of growing, he just irritates you more, then you can toss him in the drink. But I’d focus on getting more stuff done the tweaking the last guy to “just right” Who knows, by the time you get back to him, you might have improved and learned new techniques, and he’ll end up better then you can imagine now.

The Chapter Master is looking great, but the one thing that struck me as 'off' was the helmet. I know you're trying to avoid overdoing the ornamentation, but personally I'd go for painting the grille of the helmet the same gold as the wreath. With the strong green of the crest and the strong red of the belts, the eye is drawn away from the centre of the model, which is usually the focal point. Might be something to consider.

Also, the green power sword is awesome.

Alright,

I've toned down the green a little and made some changes as well as completing the basing.

I'm a little happier with it now, but what do you guys think?

Thanks for the feedback Paradigm, though I'm really reluctant to add more gold unless I reallllly have to :/

I like him smithy. The muted, earthy blue sets them apart from your typical ultras, and the red and green are good compliments. For color balance... I might have gone with a red crest rather than a green one, that way you'd have red top & bottom and green left & right. Nice and... symmetrical.

OK EVERYONE! FINE!

*bows down to peer pressure*. This is the last rendition of this model, but I think the major issue has been ironed out.

Gits, I think the red works a lot better now, and re-dresses the overall issue.

I have to chuckle smithy... you have no idea how many times I put up a mini that I thought was done and ended up changing it because of the ceaseless pressure and browbeating I was taking from the readers of my blog. The good part is, they're usually right. Usually...

Looks fantastic mate, well done.

Yeah I agree with Gits on the red crest. Looks really good.

To be honest guys, as soon as I added the basecoat of red, I knew that I was going to be a lot happier with it. Looks loads better.

Thanks for the feedback. I can actually get on with getting stuff done.

Yep, that's nailed it. Great work. The eye is far less distracted now.

A bit of a delay, but finally an update.

I've done two drop pods, and 15 marines in the form of a tactical squad and a 5 man combat squad.

Here are some photos of my just finished 1200 point list.

3 drop pods, 10 Sternguard, 1 tactical squad with melta, 1 combat squad with more melta, tigurius and 3 Stormtalons.

I'm trying to make the units look good together, without them looking boringly identical.

Comments and criticisms welcome

Dan

Those look fantastic as an army. Love the flashes of color amongst the blue/grey.

Great-looking army, should look absolutely epic on any tabletop. The grittiness and execution are both awesome.

That is an army to be proud of. Love the way it is coming together.

Man that army is looking great!, Love the grittiness you've been able to achieve!

Thanks guys, appreciate all the positive comments.

The grittyness wasn't my main goal, but it seemed to have been a fortunate by-product!

I'm onto the centurions now. My WIP pile is shrinking xD