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These just keep getting better! Sheeeeesh

This is awesome thanks for sharing! Man I miss drop guard.

Damn, he's one tough and grizzled looking colonel. Every time I look at him I notice some other little detail.

Thanks for the recipe on the blue. I may have to give it a whirl on a titan casualty

The tau looks excellent, love the Colonel's bolter, he looks like he means bidness.

Many thaks folks!

So Easter is here and I've managed to avoid eating any chocolate eggs whatsoever... Ah life without kids... its great you know...

I got a start on four of the Filey droptroopers too.
Alas, I've had to stop, as running out of Steel-legion-drab has thrown a spanner in the works for now.
I got a lot of them done but I'd previously (and foolishly) bought some paint on ebay.
turns out it was steel-legion-drab Equivilant. SIGH...
t'was in a strange bottle but I simply decanted it into the dregs of the S-L-D I had left...
Its a 100% colour match for sure but the opacity is pathetic, so, no coverage over black.
I could do several coats for sure but I'm in no mood for that and you just know that it'll end up obscuring too much of the crisp resin detail if I do. SO let that be a lesson to you all to rember its not just colour, but coverage to consider...
I can still use it for my highlight stages of the wood/leather for sure, in fact its probably better for this in truth but just no good for the fatigues themselves...

So yeah, nothing painted today...
However I did make some changes to Riley I thought I'd share though...

Decided I didn't like the helmeted head and I felt the GL needed work.
You know me, right? got to have something special or different about everything I build...
This time I decided to reference the old 2nd Ed style grenade launcher design.
you know, this 'un:

used by valhallan, tallarn, mordian, pretorian and even that one catachan girl that had one, the arbites of the time also had a version as did the cawdor,redemtionist and goliath gangers of necromunda.
Ironically the cadians never had one till the 2003 plastics... odd that.

still, I digress...
To do this I used some aluminium tube (and a bit of gs to fudge the joins) and replaced the original barrel with this, leaving the ammo drum as-is as its very integral to these arms on this mini and I felt it unnecessary anyhow...
A bit bulky yes but it matches the old ones some and should look pretty good when all done...

Colonel Sumner looks great, that bolter definitely looks like an issue weapon now.
New guy is looking cool, the GL modification helps take away from the almost stock look to the model...

Yeah, that was the problem... too Standard issue and not cool enough! LOL

anyway...

coming soon...

What year is it?

Yup, new project, Rogue Trader themed Crimson fists for 30/40k


Inspired by the original art for RTB01 and the excellent work buy Curis/Ninjabread. (see here https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/)
This conversion was a simple matter of swapping the head out for one of the ravenwing beakies as they look so damn RTB01 boxart it would have been a crime not to on this model.
I raised it with a bit of GS at the neck and the proportions now look spot-on.
As aforementioned, the paintjob is inspired by ninjabread's blue-grey scheme he's done on his actual RT era marines. I have a memory of the gw studio army looking that way too but that might just be the effect of nostalgic fog colouring my memory to all but his marines...
I know not how he did his, but mine is simple as can be:

Basecoat The fang.
recess wash nuln oil.
Cleanup with The fang again.
Initial highlight/weather with Russ grey
Secondary highlight/weather with fenrisan grey
dot highlight with white ink.

the red for the fist is just as simple:

basecoat Gal vorback red
initial highlight/weather with khorne red
secondary highlight/weather with MeFISTon red
then dot with an orange (pick one, I had to mix one up!)

did the orange eyes suggested at by the old RT era swatches of marine colourschemes and as also used by curis.
I was tempted at one point to simply do them black with gloss like on the RTB01 boxart but decided against it as I'd done this already on my spacesharks and with the detailed almost cartoonesque vibe I was going for the proper eye-lens' seemed appropriate. these are a simple transition from red to orange to yellow and a dot of white in the red bit.
The freehand classic fist icon was a must.
t'was all we had back in '87 as it was a little while before the transfers came to 40k. plus, this way I got the lovely yellow background I wanted and it's just better to paint it on anyway. I used the foundation paint (inyanden yellow? I dunno) I'd previously used on the tau conversion for this but any will do I suppose
Now, I know these icons don't feature on the shoulders in the box-art either but I felt it needed on this one to make it clear his loyalties and I fancied the challenge. I weathered the hell out of it too, as well as the rest of the armour. Using my classic edge-scratches, I always do on armour, but also the HH studio army stipples too, as its a nice finish I fancied replicating. These three "blues" I chose made the highlight transition easiest yet on any armour I've ever painted. They really are perfectly formulated to work together.
I added the 'kill markings' to reference the old minis that had these on that you always saw back in the old WD mags of the time, just as Curis has done...

The base was done in ad-mech grey sloshed on with steel legion drab whilst still wet. Then washed with agrax earthshade and then drybrushed zandri dust and then ushabti bone
This was all with the intention of matching that boxart some. not easy in truth as its a bit vague but its a nice counterpart to the desaturated blue and is a pleasant change from my dingy old brown trench-mud.
rt-era crimson fists always make me think of dusty enviroments anyway...

more to come?

youbetcha!

What a sight for sore eye!

Can't go wrong with the OG Crimson Fists. If you will be doing more of these, please consider making at least one with an edgy text written on the armour a la Kevin O Neill comics

Ooh, liking the Crimson Fist paint scheme.

Wow what a cool idea for an army. First mini looks fantastic, looking forward to seeing more.

The beakie looks really excellent, beautiful send up of the most classic of marines. I'm surprised by how simple the paint recipe is but maybe that's part of why he's got such a great tone going on.

Many thanks indeed fellas, yes I can confirm there wil be more and yes, 'edgy' graffitto with spelling that'd make an ork blush will also be included! some classics from the period and some personal favourite puns and quotes will make an appearance, methinks!
as will some stuff very specificly inspired from the rtb01 art and earlier metal marines of the time period.

Talking of which, here's the latest one at the WIP stage:

greenstuff and a savage pillage of kits gets results...

this project will not take itself too seriously and, as such, will have some humor amongst the conversion and painting. as you will all find out soon enough...

Stunning work as always OSJC! Not to mention inspiring! I might have to nick the paint scheme if/when I get my hands on mk6 models... That freehand icon came out brilliantly.

thanks man!

Got a second painting sitting on those four droptroops in today, so thats just four more troopers to do and and then four of the drop-grenadiers to do and thats the Filey 42nd done.

nothing special by any means but items worth of note are the mix of carbine and full-length rifles, the bino's and the tiny knife on the grenade thrower's chest from a catachan arm...

I've also still got six of the 151st infantrymen to do too though so there's still plenty of guard to share the thread with the new crimson fist's project...

Talking of which I've got more wips to show on the marine front too:

used a mk4 marine missilelauncher on one for that RT look.
Is a nice rebuild of the rt era gun and has a lot of nice design features that fit with the new stuff very well, too; the size/shape of the missiles, the vents ports and symbols all look contemporary but the overarching theme of RT is retained.
was a bit of a cowson to get the pose witht he backpack as the mk4 one uses the oddity with the cut-off backpack vane, but thats why I had it held it low, also looks like hes posing up a storm and thats always fun too...
The other guy uses a chaos belt fed bolter pose and tor garradon's head to evoke some of that box art some more. The one handed gun pose was all the thing back in rogue trader days and belt-fed weapons are so 80's action hero
was quite the job to splice a mk6 bolter to the chaos one to make it umbra pattern... you cant see it here but you'll see more once hes painted and I get more angles. he also has his lid on his waist.
But most of all, that flat-top? man could you be more 80's?

Awesome work on the drop troopers and I love the poses of your Crimson Fists, the lad with the ammo belt looks bad ass.

thanks bud!

So, last week I decided to get my head out of my ass and finally go through a bunch of my metal-minis-to-strip box.
within was this gem (and more than a few of his brethren too which will likely feature soon).

Shotgun scout.
Anyone who knows me or follows my work will tell you I have an unhealthy passion for third edition Space marine scouts that borders on the obsessive.
Ok scratch that, Its looking at the obsessive border in the rear-view mirror. I just love 'em! This one in particular. This and the other scouts, In my opinion, the very best work that Jes Goodwin ever put to Greenstuff...
Its the model that got me from casually buying/trading old minis here and there from buddies and actually going into a GW store and buying a blister pack of them.
I first saw it when I bought my first WD mag 227 back in november 1997 and I was instantly smitten!
Dispite its obvious casting error on the chest eagle (which in hindsight I suppose I could have fixed but chose not to as I wanted it classic, all casts of this mini had it anyway.), I love it nonetheless and have painted this mini in some form at least nine times over the years. often as doomguy! LOL


The RT inspired CF scheme translated over to a 90's mini quite well. I decided on the same three tones of brown leather I always use on my guardsmen for extra realism against the cartoonesque blue armour and went for a cool grey for the fatigues to keep them rather neutral.
I did the banolier in olive green for the same reasons.
As he had no helmet I did the lens on his shotgun (light? scope? camera? you tell me) in the orange gem.
The shotgun, I went for the studio-army black with metal bits as i feel that scouts look good this way. Sorta standard issue gear for the new-kids.
I nearly went blind trying to paint the tiny chapter badge and added a RT inspired 'KIL', because Rogue Trader... thats why...


And here he is alongside his full battle-brother. This is a great way to show off his smaller stature/the beakie's larger sature (the raised neck joint helps there). Also, It shows how the scout's armour have a LOT more in common with beakies than they do with mk7 marines. I mean, Chest eagle aside, the smooth pads, the pipework (around the neck/rebreather not the chest, but still its there isnt it?) and the ribs onthe back matching the ribs on a mk6 backpack? its perfect really.
Now, I know he's not the same era as the RT beakies, being introduced in 97's 3rd edition, but have you seen the older scouts, sheesh...

Aww yeah! I've got that model as well. Hadn't even realized that with the MKVI rescaled, the old metal scouts actually look great scale-wise! Time to scour ebay for more metal scouts methinks.. Regarding the first SM scout models, I can understand why you'd not want to use em LOL, IMO they always looked more like Necormunda gangers than anyone having anything to do with Astartes..

Thanks Man, nice to hear that I'm not alone in that sentiment.

I think that next, I'll d. .ome.. ore mari..s an. then get on with ..me mor.

++++OSJC signal interrupted!++++

++++ ...processing.... processing... please wait... ++++

++++... Incoming ... faint Astropathic message from Rynns World... ++++

++++Text reads; "He is coming..." ++++
++++...end transmission... ++++

Hmm, not sure what happened there, lost comms there for a bit but rest assured that the OSJC is back in control for now...

anyway, Next one done.

You wanted edgy graffiti, you got it
The delightfully misspelt kill in the 'kil 'em all' is a clear reference to the old RT days stuff but the CND badge on the opposing pad was intended as a deliberate absurd irony in counterpart, a joke shamelessly nicked from full-metal-jacket, as I'm sure you all remember. If not go watch it. You should anyway, its a great film...
Actually now I think of it, it also works as, of any of the astartes chapters, the Crimson Fists should definately be one for nuclear dissarmament, having accidently nuked their own fortress-monastary and all that...

More RT box-art references include the round bulge on the pad, the earphone-like ear sections on the helmet, the oldskool looking bolter (made from a tigrus pattern with an umbra bloter's magazine on the foregrip position and the pistol grip moved forward) and the bandaged hand, made from a corpse-cart hand and some greenstuff bandages.
I used the corpse-cart hand as it has thin splayed open fingers which both made it easy to apply the bandages and also made it a better match the the artwork as much as possible:

Awesome! The scout looks really good and I love the graffiti! The red olive branch is such a good choice. Love it

Heads keep on nodding over here. Great stuff!

Just for the sake of adding at least a bit critique, accessories such as nades, extra clips etc, seemed weirdly absent this time..? I've just come to expect them on a OSJC build is all I guess

 Olthannon wrote:
Awesome! The scout looks really good and I love the graffiti! The red olive branch is such a good choice. Love it

Thanks but, What in hell's atrium is a red olive branch when it's at home?

 tauist wrote:
Heads keep on nodding over here. Great stuff!

Just for the sake of adding at least a bit critique, accessories such as nades, extra clips etc, seemed weirdly absent this time..? I've just come to expect them on a OSJC build is all I guess

Ah, yes this has been noticed at last... I Can honestly say It's an intentional absence due to the distinct lack of pockets etc... In the original box art. However after these initial box art inspired firstborn are done and the project evolves, I can't rule out primaris intervention, leading to tacticool levels of kit hoarding and pocket bestowing upon the resultant minis there onwards... But we'll just have to wait and see...

 osjclatchford wrote:

 Olthannon wrote:
Awesome! The scout looks really good and I love the graffiti! The red olive branch is such a good choice. Love it

Thanks but, What in hell's atrium is a red olive branch when it's at home?

I meant the CND badge on the left pauldron.

I always thought it was meant to look a bit like an olive branch and when I looked it up it's because it's Semaphore. Every day is a school day!

I really love OG marine graffiti, got that wonderful Space Nam flavor. Two more great entries, scout is a classic sculpt and appreciate the marine's wounded-yet-still-crimson fist

Gloriously old school. I love it so dang much - utterly embodies the old rule book cover! The badge on the shoulder pad - us tgat part of the current kit it did you graft the plastic on from something else?

Brilliant painting dude!

many thanks folks, the appreciation for the comments and support is great indeed, let me assure you! Drives me to do better...

 Boss Salvage wrote:
...appreciate the marine's wounded-yet-still-crimson fist

yup, worked out well in the end. in fact if you look closely you can see the rim of the actual red gauntlet still in place (its a different colour red to the bloodsoaked bandage.

 Ragsta wrote:
...is that part of the current kit it did you graft the plastic on from something else?...

the CND badge? just a section of sprue cut from the upright on the mk6 marine sprue (you know the bits that point upwards) all I did was slice off a sliver and plasti-glue it on as the badge, then paint it neon pink for 80's flair...
If you meant the big bulge on the 'smooth' pad, thats GS and paint-lies to make it look like there's a reccess around it when it is in fact just slapped on the surface...

 osjclatchford wrote:
many thanks folks, the appreciation for the comments and support is great indeed, let me assure you! Drives me to do better...

 Ragsta wrote:
...is that part of the current kit it did you graft the plastic on from something else?...

the CND badge? just a section of sprue cut from the upright on the mk6 marine sprue (you know the bits that point upwards) all I did was slice off a sliver and plasti-glue it on as the badge, then paint it neon pink for 80's flair...
If you meant the big bulge on the 'smooth' pad, thats GS and paint-lies to make it look like there's a reccess around it when it is in fact just slapped on the surface...

I love that CND slice! Thank you for confirming. I may have quite a lot of these in my shed after a disgustingly well priced score. Maybe some decade soon I might harness your idea...

Next guy done:

totally ready to Kick ass and chew bubblegum...

Now you can see all the work that went into slicing the chaos bolter in half along its length and grafting the umbra one on from the mk6 sprue.
Its +/- seamless so I'm happy, I did the foregrip wood as it was sculpted that way but, in truth, its a nice additional colour and texture so why not?.
The Tor Garradon head was a blast to paint, so much character, you just know this guy is definately going to win next years 'galaxy's grimmest chin' competition.
Decided to do the chaos glove/gauntlets as full-red (both, so hes a super-duper veteran and all that) as it matches the artwork really nicely too, the onehanded pose helps with that too...

Absolutely spot on mate! That chin could have saved the Titanic. It's funny how much a simple thing like the wooden foregrip makes it scream retro 80s.

Are you going to recreate the marine waving the Ork head about?