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Greetings all!

Hello all.

I'm painting this amazing model for the upcoming Tomb King line. GW has really outdone itself with this kit. I may have to get a few of these for myself.

Anyway here are the pre-primed pics so you can see the scale of this glorious kit.

Paint concept can colors to follow.

~Note~ I started this project a few days ago but forgot to post it on this community. Sorry 'bout that...



Automatically Appended Next Post:
My original concept was to follow the style GW’s heavy metal team provided except to paint the body as if it was carved from onyx instead. The blue while completely beautiful seems a little out of place to me. So I opted to change direction for this kit and challenge myself at the same time.

Here’s my concept:

Base

* 60x100mm resin base from Dragon Forge’s Temple line.
* Onyx paint scheme with directional highlighting.
* Gloss varnish


Body

* Sandstone scheme for contrast against the gloss/black of the base.
* Claws in gold


Armor/Wings

* Antiqued gold with multiple highlights.
* Blue/Red gem detailing
* Wing ‘feathers’ and body surrounding the abdomen cartouche will be in onyx to tie the model to the base.


Hood/Face

* Death mask will be gold matching the body. Someone knocked of the false beard at the store so that’s out.
* Hood will be in onyx with gold detailing


I’ll be trying to knock this out in phases:

1. Sandstone body and base
2. Body armor, tail, & wings
3. Torso, hood, & face


This concept will focus on contrast, color control, and balance. I have not challenged myself in a long time so this will be fun.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Phase I down.

Phase II underway and I’m having a blast painting this thing. My initial goal was to get this beauty painted by Sunday but that’s not going to happen. lol

I grossly underestimated the scope of this phase. I’ve burned quite a few hours and I’m barely scratching 50% completion and that’s not even including the wings & tail. There is a tremendous amount of metal detail to cover so to keep the updates for this project rolling I’ll be moving the wings/tail to their own section.

New Phase Schedule:
1. Sandstone body and base
2. Body armor
3. Tail, & wings
4. Torso, hood, & face

I’ll be away from the house for a long while today so I’m unsure if I can get this phase done today so here’s where I am at the moment.

I stuck him to the base with some blue tack so you guys can see the contrast I was referring to in the concept.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Thanks for the interest people!

@ Just Dave - I designed this scheme to be stand alone. I agree that the onyx base design would break down quickly if you had to do this in large scale unless you had a diorama/display to set them in.

Shawn G. (SoI)

~Quick update~

I finished the turquoise sections on the back claws yesterday morning but I've been unable to put more work on it as I've a paper due tomorrow and I need to get it polished.

I'll be free to continue/finish this phase after class tomorrow.

Shawn G (SoI)

Phase II continues!

I’ve been busy as hell for the last 4 days. I had a paper due Tuesday and had little time for painting. Things are coming back down to earth so I can continue with this awesome piece.

My wife recommended that I take more pictures as I go so here are some more from Phase II.

I have not done complex gems in a long time. I like the way the turquoise sections are coming out but I’m not quite satisfied.

Let me know what you think so far.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Thanks dude! I'm not sold on the gems. I think I'll need to see how the whole thing will look on the base when all is said and done.

I started back in '97 when I was in the Army. Didn't know I'd develop a talent for painting but I did. I went to school in '04 for web design and took some art classes and they drove me to paint more. I've just started school again to get a degree in Fine Arts.

I may try to compete soon. Don't know if I have the 'chops' yet.

Shawn G. (SoI)

@Foxtale – I ‘primed’ the model in a Krylon spray paint ‘Satin – Almond’. I sprayed it right over the grey plastic. With practice this stuff goes on fine like a power coat. I’ve grown quite fond of that stuff. After it dried, I drybrushed the body in skull white then washed it in GW Sepia. The drybrushing phase allows me to see the high points after the sepia dries. The white comes from using Vallejo MC Ivory (918) watered down to a milk-like consistency applied with a GW Large Brush. In fact I don’t paint with anything smaller then that size anymore.

@Alpharius – Thanks bro!
Here’s my color palette:

Body – Almond spray, white DB, VMC Ivory (918)

Armor – VGC Bright Bronze, Tamiya Clear Orange (X-26), GW Sepia, Vallejo Air Gold (71066)

Turquoise – GW Hawk Turquoise, GW Asurmen Blue, GW Skull White

Base – Black Prime, VMC German Grey (70995), VMC Sea Grey (70870), GW Skull White

The armor takes time because I have to wait till the 1st wash (Tamiya) is dried before I can move onto the 2nd. I highlight the edges with VA Gold mixed with Bronze then pure VA Gold.
I don’t know if you’ve ever used the Air series from Vallejo line but they are simply amazing. Best metallics on the market. The orange metals are a too ‘sliver’ for my liking, but that can be worked around.

Phase II Complete!

Holy crap did this phase take forever! I really underestimated how long it would take me to get through all that metal. It’s done now and I’m happy with the turquoise.

Here it is blue tacked to the base again. I think I may glue it down here soon. I don’t want to handle the body while I’m working on the wings and torso.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Thanks for the feedback people! The first wash on the wings/tail is drying right now. Takes like an hour for both washes to dry. /bored

@Melkhiordarkblade - The model comes with 5 sets of legs 4 down & one up.

Shawn G. (SoI)

@Jackal - The base I have it on is 100mm x 60mm. I highly doubt this would fit on a 60. It should go fine on one of the monster oval 40K bases but not much smaller.

Shawn G. (SoI)

~Quick Update~

I've decided to do a slight color rotation on the wings. I found that the onyx feather idea I had was not suitably impressive for this paint scheme.

I'm going to make the triangular areas on the wings (normally blue lapis) into onyx to tie it back to the base. The feathers will be in lapis. It looks MUCH better.

Stay Tuned.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Here's what I mean. 1/4 of the wings done-ish.

I'm thinking about washing the it one more time and applying some more highlights as well as 'gem' reflections. I don't know how well that will translate to the feathers.

Not sold on it yet.

Shawn G. (SoI)

@tehbarry - Sorry but I sold all of my TK units back in '03 or so. I'm thinking on starting another army as I've grown really bored of Chaos/Daemons. If I do start another force it wont be this detailed.

I have some of my painting methods and the colors I used on the previous page. Painting just takes patience and practice. You'd be surprised what you can do when you slow things down.

Feel free to use the scheme if you like though I don't recommend trying to build an army around it. It would take forever.

Shawn G. (SoI)

I’m coming down to the last phase of this awesome model. Where I’ve loved painting it, I need to get it done so I can move onto other projects.

I’m saving the tail tip for the very end as I have something special in mind and I need to practice to pull it off.

Phase 4 Finally Begins!!!!

Shawn G. (SoI)

~Small Update~

Sorry people for the lack of progression but I'm in the middle of finals for this class I'm taking and it's eating into my hobby time. The torso will be the fastest phase to complete. I'll start on it after class tonight.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Yeah that's a sticking point for me as well.

Unfortunately the only stipulation the GW manager has was I had to build it in the store. Since I don't tend to carry my files/glue with me I had to build it with what they had.

Shawn G. (SoI)

~Small Update~

The torso is coming along nicely. I should have this whole model complete today.

Shawn G. (SoI)

On the home stretch!

Just the Arms + Tail left.

Shawn G. (SoI)

I was going to make the hood black, but opted to make it the sandstone color of the body.

School finals have been eating into my paint time like crazy and it appears that I've run out of time with this model. I need to deliver it to the store tomorrow so I cant do the cool Star Sapphire effect I was planning.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Well he’s done.

I have to turn this beauty in today so I could not give the arms and tail the attention they deserved. And to tell the truth I’m more disappointed about that then I thought I would be. But alas this model does not belong to me. (Why am I rhyming?)

This was a real pleasure and I’m sad to see it go incomplete. Perhaps if I get him back I’ll put some more work on those parts.

I hope you all enjoyed this journey as much as I did.

Shawn G. (SoI)

I had it on there when I built him but someone from the store knocked it off.

Shawn G. (SoI)

I'm glad you all like.

@Tehbarry - Yeah. The GW manager's boss is coming in for a visit on Friday. He wanted to make sure the Sphinx was there in case he asked for it. I hope to get a little more time with it in the future.

@Alpharius - Well that model kind of gave me a real painting bug. I've been brewing over painting another TK army since I sold my old one and these new models are so damn cool.

I think I'll start a new PM Blog featuring the TKs.

Give me a few days and I'll have a new concept/pictures.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Thank you.

I've been a background lurker in Dakka for years and finally made an account recently. I really love the modeling community here. (Your Blood Angels are a true inspiration).

Expect to see me often.

Shawn G. (SoI)

Backdraft005 - I sent you a PM. Blue and white would look a little bleached to me.

~Small Update~

I'll be taking this mini and another to Blob's Park for the painting comp (if there still is one).

I've gotten quite a few pings on how I did the sandstone skin and I plan on creating a tutorial showing my process. I even have damn cool mini to do it on.

Keep an eye out.

Shawn G. (SoI)