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Ever since I saw the model for the Hellbrute, I've wanted to paint one up. My only issue has been the exposed face on the front, so I decided to try something different. My initial idea was to have a head floating in some kind of container and set it where the face is, but it kind of evolved from there. I decided to really challenge myself on this model and so I'll be trying some things that I've never done before. Here's the breakdown of the plan:

- Remove the face/head
- Replace with some sort of clear container
- Smooth out the armor
- Insert a suitable head into the container
- Wire an LED light within the container to make the head easier to see
- Fill the container with a clear resin to simulate liquid *
- Create a suitably aquatic scenic base

* I'm currently not sure how this will effect the LED light, so this step may be skipped

After searching around, I decided on the round cockpit from an Ork Bommer and began working on steps 1 & 2. This is the result so far:



If anyone here has played the game Bioshock, you can see why I settled on the name Big Daddy.


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Here's a better view, with the clear plastic section on:



The clear plastic section has a missing panel for the gun, but for me I need it to be a solid piece. I cut up a space marine pack to see what it would like like if I added some sort of respirator, but I'm not entirely sold on it. I was thinking of adding some tubes and looping them under the arms and attaching them to the back. My alternate plan is to just use a smooth, solid section.

I green stuffed the back of the helmet chamber to appear fleshy and cover up the Ork feet. I left the two holes, because that is where I plan to run the LED wire through. If I keep the respirator, I'll mount the LED onto the back of it - it will hide the light/wire and allow the head to be lit from below.

I also started smoothing out the armor. Once that's done, I'll probably add some barnacles and other encrusted gunk.


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I picked up the LED, switch, wire and battery pack today. My plan is to drill out the leg standing on the rock and then run extra-long lengths of wire from the foot to the neck opening. Then I can glue together the body, finish the green stuff and prime. Later, when I attach the head, I can just pull the wire tight through the foot. I have a 3V CR 2032 battery to power it, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get it and the switch into the base. I can either raise it up by creating more of a rim underneath, or cut a hole in it and sculpt some kind of hollow rock formation or such above to give the battery room from below.

I wanted to see how the LED would look inside the helmet, I think it's pretty nice:



I'm still not sold on the ventilator in the front. It might look better with just a smooth piece.

I have to wait until I go back out, because I need to get thinner wire than I have and I need some more grey primer. In the meantime I worked on the head a little more.





I painted the helmet a bronze color and used some watered down Hawk Turquoise to give it a patina. I ended up changing the breather in the open panel to something a little more subtle - it's actually the back of a space marine scout, if anyone is interested.

Here it is with the LED:





I also started sculpting some encrustation on the body. Going with the theme, I added some barnacles and coral growths:



I drilled out some rivet holes along the secondary plate, but I have to find something to stick in there to act as rivets. I also considered leaving the holes empty, so it would look like this portion of plate was removed from something and fused to the flesh instead of riveted to another piece of metal.

I'm still debating on whether or not to fill the head with epoxy. From what I've read online, it's perfectly fine to seal an LED in epoxy - I just don't know if it will ruin the effect or if it looks "head floating in a jar" enough without the epoxy. Thoughts?

This looks awesome. I love the Idea and the bits used. Are you going to continue with the 'Big Daddy' theme and give him some sort of drill arm or are you going to just keep the power claw?

From your photos, I don't think you need to add anything under the clear plastic, it seems liquid filled as is to me.

This looks amazing! Great work ;D

This is one of the greatest things I have seen in a long time.

 tarar2d2 wrote:
This looks awesome. I love the Idea and the bits used. Are you going to continue with the 'Big Daddy' theme and give him some sort of drill arm or are you going to just keep the power claw?

I hadn't even thought of that, but looking online it seems I could use a Killa Kan's Drilla arm fairly easily. I don't have the Hellbrute's rules in front of me, so I'm not sure what the drill would proxy as. Also, I was under the impression that most people ran the Hellbrute as it's modeled. The Drilla bit is on Ebay for about $2, so I'm seriously considering it...

 Slaanesh-Devotee wrote:
From your photos, I don't think you need to add anything under the clear plastic, it seems liquid filled as is to me.

I don't think filling it in completely would look any better than it currently is, but then I was thinking of filling it just below the top of the head so the water line is visible. My issue with this is that the holes in the back are on the bottom, not the top. I'm pretty sure with epoxy that if I placed it face down, filled it in, blocked the holes and turned it up the epoxy would already be stuck to most of the front/top of the chamber and not exactly flow down off it. Unless I can figure out how to get around that problem, it's looking like a dry chamber.

That is really cool!! Can't wait to see the finished result.

 fenshysa wrote:

 tarar2d2 wrote:
This looks awesome. I love the Idea and the bits used. Are you going to continue with the 'Big Daddy' theme and give him some sort of drill arm or are you going to just keep the power claw?

I hadn't even thought of that, but looking online it seems I could use a Killa Kan's Drilla arm fairly easily. I don't have the Hellbrute's rules in front of me, so I'm not sure what the drill would proxy as. Also, I was under the impression that most people ran the Hellbrute as it's modeled. The Drilla bit is on Ebay for about $2, so I'm seriously considering it...

 Slaanesh-Devotee wrote:
From your photos, I don't think you need to add anything under the clear plastic, it seems liquid filled as is to me.

I don't think filling it in completely would look any better than it currently is, but then I was thinking of filling it just below the top of the head so the water line is visible. My issue with this is that the holes in the back are on the bottom, not the top. I'm pretty sure with epoxy that if I placed it face down, filled it in, blocked the holes and turned it up the epoxy would already be stuck to most of the front/top of the chamber and not exactly flow down off it. Unless I can figure out how to get around that problem, it's looking like a dry chamber.

If I'm understanding the problem right just drill a hole in the top, put your epoxy in then cover the whole when finished instead of trying to fill it from the bottom and flip it. I'd recommend looking into modeling practices used in making miniature villages as most people will use some kind of water effect mix with a led so you could probably get some ideas there.

Wow, this is really cool! A rusty, slime-covered paintjob would suit this perfectly.

This looks bad ass!

What a cool idea. Very characterful!

I would recommend leaving out the epoxy, it looks great as is... though the epoxy could bubble which may look good...

The drill arm would be perfectly acceptable as a counts as powerfist IMHO

 Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:
If I'm understanding the problem right just drill a hole in the top, put your epoxy in then cover the whole when finished instead of trying to fill it from the bottom and flip it. I'd recommend looking into modeling practices used in making miniature villages as most people will use some kind of water effect mix with a led so you could probably get some ideas there.

You know, that answer seems obvious now, but I probably never would have come up with it until you said something. Thanks.

 killykavekommando wrote:
Wow, this is really cool! A rusty, slime-covered paintjob would suit this perfectly.

I've been looking at a lot of pictures of shipwrecks to get an idea on how to paint it. I was originally thinking of making the armor white with bronze trim, then show the white heavily rusted and slimy, and the bronze with a heavy patina. With Nurgle, I always liked the weathered white color on metal rather than straight green. My second thought was to make all the armor bronze, then heavily patina the interior portions and paint the trim shiny bronze. This would be much easier and more aquatic, but I don't think it would look as good. I'll probably run a paint test on some random model I have laying around.

I finished the encrustation. I wanted it to be visible but not overpowering, so I stuck to only the armor sections and more towards the top. I also set the LED and back filled the holes that the wires run through. After it sets I'll paint it the same pink fleshy color as the surrounding area. In this shot you can see the black wire I have behind the head to make it "hang" in the air.



Here's another shot with the face plate on, showing how it hides the LED.



I still have to pick up the wire, but I drilled the holes through the leg for it. I'm trying to decide how to set up the base, and I think I'm going to have to cut a hole for the battery, place it so that it's flush with the ground and then green stuff over the top of it. I'm going to try to make it look like the same rock that the Hellbrute is standing on, but we'll see how it turns out. I thought about sticking actual rock on top, but I don't want it to get too high or it will hide the back of the model. Thankfully the switch can just be glued sideways to the underside and it will fit fine.

 fenshysa wrote:

 Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:
If I'm understanding the problem right just drill a hole in the top, put your epoxy in then cover the whole when finished instead of trying to fill it from the bottom and flip it. I'd recommend looking into modeling practices used in making miniature villages as most people will use some kind of water effect mix with a led so you could probably get some ideas there.

You know, that answer seems obvious now, but I probably never would have come up with it until you said something. Thanks.

No problem, I really like the model it's the best Hellbrute conversion I've seen yet. If it's ment to have an actual aquatic theme you could always use some of the seaweed from the HE Lothern models

If you're still looking on ideas of how to paint this, try this blog!
http://eyeoferror.blogspot.sg/search/label/Mariners%20Blight
It has a really good sunken theme going on (Cthulhu-esque, too!)

Oh wow this one of the best conversions I've seen in a long time. The nautical theme is awesome for the Hellbrute. I also love the way you've painted the head, it looks incredibly eerie.

Big Daddy needs a little sister on the base!

great stuff!

Awesome. I can't wait to see the finished model.

That is absolutely fantastic; I've seen some great Hellbrute conversions, but this takes the cake. It's going to look amazing when you paint it up, if the already-painted sections are anything to go by.

If you're worried about the bulk of the battery-and-switch assembly, take a look at this tutorial by FaceofChaos, where he lights up a Chaos terminator lord. He uses a reed switch and a rare earth magnet for a switch. I've tried the same approach myself, and it works fantastically; if you use a 2mm reed switch (which you can pick up for under a buck at most electronics shops or on eBay), and a 3v button-cell battery (ditto), you can hide all the electricals in the base without increasing the base height at all. The only external evidence is the RE magnet that gets positioned on the outside of the base to turn it on.

Also, I second BLACKHAND: I think a Killa Kan drilla arm would be perfectly acceptable power fist proxy.

Keep up the brilliant work!

Awesome conversion. I love the way that it lights up. Some LED lit models look like christmas trees the way they light up but this IS nicely done. Cant wait to see how it finishes up. !

Know No Pear wrote:If you're still looking on ideas of how to paint this, try this blog!
http://eyeoferror.blogspot.sg/search/label/Mariners%20Blight
It has a really good sunken theme going on (Cthulhu-esque, too!)

There is some really nice, inspiring stuff in there. I'm heavily leaning towards going all bronze with the patina heavier in the inset sections. I'm not sure about the fleshy parts. A grey/blue would contrast nicely, but the pickled head is a bone color with a green wash. I'm not sure what color a body turns when it sits in water for a long period, and frankly I've been afraid to do a Google image search...

Jehan-reznor wrote:Big Daddy needs a little sister on the base!

A nurgling in a torn dress and a wig?

I purchased the Kan drilla arm online, so it should be here in a few days. Now I have a problem. I don't own a chaos army and so most likely won't be playing with this Hellbrute, just showing him off. At the same time, I'd like him to be functional if I decided to play him or sold him. The actual Big Daddy from Bioshock has a drill on his right arm and his left arm is an open hand. So do I replace the giant hand with the drill, giving him a drill and a melta (better to play with?), or do I replace the melta with the drill (looks more like a Big Daddy, but now has two CC weapons)?

The melta and hand may be more in keeping with Bioshock but I doubt many people would play a Helbrute as a CC platform as they are fragile like all walkers, might be worth magentising the drill and mounting it on the gun arm while magnetising the melta barrels. That way you can switch between the drill for showing off and the melta ( or other weapon type) for gaming?

Thats....fracking awesome

So I got the drill in the mail (finally) and found that it was too small to replace the hand...and too small to replace the gun. Finding this drill was a pain, so finding a larger one and then waiting for it to arrive just isn't an option. I kept thinking about the decision to have the drill or the melta...then thought, why not both?



I used an old ork bike tailpipe for the gun, then mounted the drill beneath like a bayonet. I don't see an issue with an opponent accepting the gun portion as a melta and the drill as decorative (like how a bayonet doesn't grant you another CC weapon). I'm happy with the compromise.

Tonight I'm going to run the wire through, assemble the body, glue it to the base, fill in the gaps and work on the base. After the GS is done drying tomorrow I'll prime it and get painting.

That's freaking sweet

 fenshysa wrote:

Know No Pear wrote:If you're still looking on ideas of how to paint this, try this blog!
http://eyeoferror.blogspot.sg/search/label/Mariners%20Blight
It has a really good sunken theme going on (Cthulhu-esque, too!)

There is some really nice, inspiring stuff in there. I'm heavily leaning towards going all bronze with the patina heavier in the inset sections. I'm not sure about the fleshy parts. A grey/blue would contrast nicely, but the pickled head is a bone color with a green wash. I'm not sure what color a body turns when it sits in water for a long period, and frankly I've been afraid to do a Google image search...

Saving you some trouble, even though it's a little late and dark here. They turn extremely pale, verging on greyish white. Also, there's more here. These Plaguebones are my favourite army... Ever. I hope you get some idea as to how your flesh is going to be!

Well, I'm back with some updates. I finished gap filling, sanding and priming, as well as basing and wiring. Special thanks to AzraelHunt for his help with the last part - this was my first attempt at wiring/soldering and it was definitely a learning process. This is what I ended up with under the base:



I skipped the battery mount because it was too big and just ended up using electrical tape to secure the wires to the battery. Not an elegant solution, but it saved me from having to carve the base up.



Here you can see the switch where it protrudes from the base. I'm going to add a skull or something on the switch and flush with the ground to hide it. Flick the skull, turn on the light. This was my first attempt at using baking soda as basing material. I mixed it up with PVA glue and a little water, then slapped it on. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I wanted something more mucky than sandy, and this fit the bill perfectly. This is only a base coat on the base, not the final version.

I started painting around the neck so I could wire in the head piece, so the body isn't finished yet either. After the wiring, though...



Switch off



Switch on!

The arm plate isn't on all the way (I'm painting it first, then attaching it so I can get at the hand better) and the barrel holes are only guide holes, I have to dig for a bigger bit to widen them. Other than that, it's just painting and throwing on the water effect on the base. I'm going to try to mix some paint/PVA glue with some torn up tissue pieces and see if I can model some seaweed hanging off him, but we'll see how that goes.

That is looking amazing, I really like how you made that. Will be fun to see when it's painted.

That's one crazy/cool conversion.I love it.