Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Ta chaps.

@Nev: As much as I enjoyed doing this guy, anything more than a squad (I'm thinking of picking up the Kill Team box at some point for a mini-project, the Ultras would be a candidate for that) is probably unlikely. Mainly as the SM army I currently have are Crimson Fists so they'd be a bit too similar, and because after that Deathwatch lot I don't fancy another army project particularly soon. Going to try and paint a lot of different stuff over the next couple of months.

@STG: I've been meaning to pick up some Vostroyans to paint at some point, they are some of the most 40k 40k models out there. I really am not a fan of the current Guard plastics though, the proportions are just so dodgy. Something like Kreig in plastic though, I'd be all over!

Infuriatingly pretty as always. Grim in the best way. And we can always forgive your slide again into spessmehrines

You can always count on the Ultra's to get you through a rough spot. Great looking mini. Hopefully more soon!

Thanks guys.

Where there's one, there's another...


Apothecary kitbashed from a few different bits (Anvil body and legs, DW arm and helmet, Deathwing medicy bits). I deviated from the codex scheme a fair bit (I can already hear Nevelon getting a hit squad together! ) using a lot more blue than usual, but that's just to tie him into a larger force which at this point is almost certainly happening now...

Well, I say 'larger' I mean no more than a dozen models for a Kill Team but it's a start. The plan is to get the Kill Team box set and do up both halves of that as a short project. Grimdark up some Tau, finally paint some Ultras to a decent standard (I've had about 3 cracks at painting UM over the years, never really got them to a respectable standard). Only info I need is what sort of potential the Tau Fire Warrior set has for making characterful, individual models, so if anyone has any experience with them then I'm all ears.

That's all for now, thanks for looking and any thoughts welcome!

Para, you just astound me with your productivity and skill. Wow.

Cheers mate. With any luck, more Ultramariney goodness (and something a little different) coming up tomorrow!

Damn Para, you're going some here! I love the "white" backpacks, but how you've toned them down a lot to be more gritty. Great work.

Love the ultra marines, that apothecary is fantastic. They're always cool, but your guy definitely stands out among the best.

Para, you wound me! I’d never form up a hit squad for someone painting Ultras. I mostly save that for traitors.

And there are many different approved codex paint schemes. For example, in the RT “how to paint space marines" booklet, it instructs us to paint UM medics thusly:

Helmet - Chapter blue with a white stripe; shoulder pads, backpack, gloves and lower legs - White; rest of armor, chapter blue.

As you can see, in the old days, there was a lot more of the chapter’s color on the medics. Some chapters were basically just a white helmet with the rest of the armor in chapter colors.

So it’s all good!

Nice work on the apothecary Para.

EDC

Thanks guys!

As promised, more blue today! A Tactical Marine toting a Heavy Bolter, who's retained the silver right arm having served a tour with the Deathwatch.


And group shot time!


That's not the end of the boys in blue, earlier I put in an order for a Tactical Squad and the UM upgrade sprue (and some filthy Tau Pathfinders to oppose them in Kill Team games... Grimdark Tau is happening!), so expect more very soon indeed.


Meanwhile, I also made good on my promise to revisit the Carnevale line once they restocked a few bits by picking up the starter set for the Vampire faction. Here's the first two models, a vampiric noble and his hapless manservant, off to acquire some more corpses for his master's nefarious purposes...



Very nice models. I don't know precisely who sculpted the line, but whoever it is they did excellently with fabrics and textures, plenty of depth without being too 'sharp'. The faces on these weren't so crisp, but they'll do at tabletop distance. More of these guys to come soon enough.

In the mean time, a) thanks for looking, any thoughts welcome and b) if anyone has any cool Tau schemes, I want to see them, as I'm not sure what works and what doesn't, having never painted any before.

So envious of your cloak skills. Still working on that :/

My personal favourite Tau scheme (not that I find Tau a particularly fun-to-paint army) is the white and beige colours, basically Shadowsun's lot. I bet they would look even better in Grimdark Para style

Great work on the apothecary brother!

Thanks chaps.

Now, I'm no heretic but... Today we're betraying the Imperium of Man for the Greater Good (The Greater Good)* with a test Tau. After trying a few schemes, I settled on just grimdarking up the standard Vior'la Sept colours as seen on the box art. It's got sharp contrasting colours, white and red are great to weather and my homegrown ideas just weren't working out (first I went red and black, but that didn't have the contrast, then I went pale green armour over dark green fatigues, that didn't work either).


I think it's come out nicely enough for a first attempt. I need to do something to make the cloth parts more interesting (might just build the rest with more pouches and such to break up the grey). Any fans of bright, clean Tau are probably hitting the roof right now, but that's kind of the point, the big thing that's always put me off Tau (other than the horrible old Battlesuit kit!) was that they were too shiny is such a dark setting, so I've 'fixed' that here. More to come tomorrow, as well as some Ultramarines jazzed up with the upgrade sprue.

In the mean time, cheers for looking, any thoughts welcome!




*Bonus points to anyone who gets the joke!

Hell yeah! More Grimdark xenos that are normally nice and shiny

Seems more realistic too. How long into a conflict do you think the shininess of your battle gear will last? 10, 20 seconds?

 Paradigm wrote:

*Bonus points to anyone who gets the joke!

IoM your greater good! Now get your super-suit and go save the city!

He looks dirty and grim alright. Always nice to see filthy xenos actually filthy. They normally try to be all shiny and clean. But deep in their foul hearts the truth wins out. At least he’s honest about it.

I love the "action pose" on the drone. Great stuff as always.

"Why is everyone here eating chocolate cake?"
...Hot Fuzz?

Weathering look great on the Tau!

Ding ding, we have a winner! Bonus points of an arbitrary nature and value to Zambro!

Cheers for the comments, guys!

I knew it could be done (Tau always strike me as those OCD cleaner types IMO ) The weathering is great as usual, but it definitely shows that they are designed around bright colours, as I think the model does need a more defined focal point. Not your fault, just how the model range is I suppose.

The Tau looks amazing, especially the drone. I like that the big smooth panels are a bit dingy, but most of the heavy grime is built up around the exhaust port. Great work!

Work on the Kill Teams continues apace!

Few more Tau, I'm definitely sold on the scheme now though I do agree with Warboss that they might need something just to add some pop... no idea what though. Thoughts?





And back over to the Ultramarines, with a Sergeant and plasma gunner:




That's all for now, should have some more soon though. As always, cheers for looking, any thoughts welcome!

Those Tau are gorgeous Paradigm, it's such a refreshing take on the squeaky clean commies of the setting and it looks great. Your style lends itself perfectly to the grimdark, your UM are also a very nice take on the shining boys in blue. Great work, definitely looking forward to more. On a side note have you considered writing a book on how to paint the grim, realistic style you do? There's lots of tutorials out there for painting but finding some similar to your darker style are very difficult to find.

The pink/purple on that power maul looks insane! Love it. How'd you do it?

And yay! I knows pop culture!

These are shaping up nicely. As for the tau, maybe really really bright lenses?

Your Ultramarines Sgt looks Ace Brother. Love the kitbash and bringing in the power mace, it really completes the look!

I like the addition of the sights to the nose of the plasma gun, not seen often and makes it stand out a bit more.

For a "new" race, you've def given the Tau a very 'realistic' feel in a work of fantasy, great job brother, I aspire to your level of shading and detail... well done!

Thanks folks!

@Inevitable_Faith: I have considered writing up an article for the Dakka wiki on how to paint in this sort of style, I just haven't got around to it yet. In the mean time if there's anything specific you're after, do let me know either in this thread or via PM, I'm more than happy to do up a quick tutorial or go into more depth about my techniques and such.

@Zambro: The mace was dead easy. Undercoat back, drybrush white outwards towards the edges, wash the whole lot with a really strong purple (I used Vallejo Royal Purple) and Bob is your proverbial uncle. I used a similar effect on the plasma-gun power pack as well.

@Azalle: The sights on the plasma gun are mainly there to remind me that with the Kill Team list I'm planning to build for these guys, he'll be getting the Eagle Eye trait that gives him +50% range, the scope is a nice way to represent that visually. Similarly, the Heavy Bolter guy further up the page will usually get the Relentless trait, so he gets running legs.

Got another Ultra done this evening, just another tactical marine using the bare head and gladius from the UM upgrade spure. He's technically still a Tactical, but I reckon he could pull double duty as a veteran if I want to run these guys as counts-as Sternguard.



The rest of the 30mm bases I was waiting on came in today, so over the weekend I'll hopefully have plenty more done! In the mean time, cheers for looking and let me know what you think!

They do look like a Vet squad, perfect for a Kill Team. The gritty style you've given the Ultras make me like them more... Only a bit

Great painting, as always, Para.
But the picture looks weird to me. Maybe it's the posing? I dont know. The top right picture is the worse one for it, imo. Looks like he has a tiny left arm and massive right arm.

Thanks guys.

@Warboss: I must admit, I really am glad I picked up the UM upgrade sprue, just having the themed shoulder pads and a couple of heads make them just different enough that they look a bit more unique and individual. Not to mention that some of the parts used together have allowed me to put together something pretty cool, more on that tomorrow....

@Zambro: I think it might just be the pose isn't particularly photogenic. I've not done any reposing on the arms so they do match physically, and there's no noticeable difference in real life, so I reckon it's just the pics to be honest.