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Can't help but suggest a Tallarn called East a Cadian called West and maybe a Catachan called South to go with North there. Some lovely charismatic work here can't wait to see some squad shots!

Thanks guys! No real model update, but I've got a first picture of my 500 pt force, in many stages of WIP.

I'll have been painting models for a year in a week or two, and if you click the image you can zoom in a little and see my painting progress from 'abysmal' to 'abysmal to terrible'



Next up is Ridgeway himself, the aged leader of this dog and pony show. Stay tuned!

That's a very nice and characterful army you've got coming along there.

nice!

Nice job!

Nice work man, again loving the fluff. Check your inbox buddy

Thanks so much guys! Apologies for the delay, but here's a command squad member I've just painted up
Tried out a bunch of new techniques in terms of weathering and stubble, plus a new base that I feel needs some work. Do you like him?




Would love any feedback you might have!

Lasfire - I'll get right on that! Sorry, I'm pretty terrible at checking messages


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Oooh, also, I'll get some fluff up for him tomorrow - It's pretty late where I am right now

You're doing an outstanding job. Most of your minis are really full of personality.

I had a hard time figuring out what Fin's head was supposed to look like. Even when I zoomed in, I couldn't make out her features. The neckerchief over the lower half of her face didn't help.

Loved the Marbo guy!

Farnham looks good! - i especially like the subtle stubble and the speckled cloak; are you going to keep that camo pattern for all the cloaks?

Only thing i would change is the cigarette - would try and get a little orange glow on the end of it. Otherwise good stuff mate.

Vlad

incredible stuff! so much character. i love it!

JB - Thanks so much, that's a wonderful compliment! I know what you mean about Finn, but her face was actually a complete bodge - The head's from a Necromunda Escher model, and I absolutely mashed it trying to get it off. The bionic eye and neckerchief were damage limitatiion more that anything! I'd like to say it looks better in person, buuuuuut... y'know. Thanks for the feedback though!

Vlad-X7 - Great to hear from you again! Thank you, and yeah, I'm thinking I will keep that camo pattern for the cloaks - It's easy to do, and really fun too, though paint does tend to go everywhere

Alarmingrick - Thank you so much! I hope I can keep that going with new stuff!

As promised, here's a little fluff for Farnham, and a little more background on Caitiff, the home planet of the Remnants. It could use some work, but it's gone 2am and I need to revise tomorrow, so meh

Hope you like it!

" Farnham smiled. Flannigan’s boys could hold their own on the open field, but they really ought to leave ambushes to the experts. A lone waster stood in the centre of the ruins of the general store, stock still. There were no weapons on his person, not even a blade or a pipe, and every few seconds he would glance nervously side to side, presumably looking to his captors. No one on the planet would leave their shelters unarmed of their own volition, and no one who’d survived this long would be stupid enough to stand in the open in the middle of Pinewood. Poor bastard had probably been caught scavenging for food.

Flannigan must have caught wind of the new recruits Ridgeway had taken in last week - a younger lad and his mother who had been caught trying to break into the armoury back in Old Oswick. They were willing and capable, and both would be wielding a rifle with a few weeks of care, training and half decent nutrition. Didn’t mean he was stupid enough to fall for a stammering vox call offering six months of supplies for shelter. Wanted to meet them alone. In an unsheltered building in the middle of the city. Even if it had been real he‘d have been killed for his gear long before they got there.

Farnham and Jeep had come in from the South, looping well around the building and approaching from behind. Their cameleoline shimmered through browns and greys, rippling gently in the dustwind, and concealing them nicely in the office ruins a block down from the store. Farnham clicked his comm bead twice, whispered to Jeep.

“Just like you said, mate. Scope ‘em out.” He looked again through his binos, scanning the buildings around the grocer. A flash of light caught his eye, and he zoomed in on a collapsed wall just off the road. Two kids crouched behind the rubble, some kind of launcher tube on the ground between them. Their stolen PDF armour was crudely daubed with a blue cross front and back - Flannigan’s men. One of them was smoking, still thinking himself concealed. Clearly not the best recruits. A voice in his ear whispered.

“Three hostiles at the windows, building east of the road, might be more inside. You got anything?”
“Launcher team. South West, by the entrance.” Movement caught his eye. “Two more of them, look like autoguns, in the store itself.” He considered. “Too many for us. Shall we call it?”
“Yeah,” Jeep replied. “Let Stoat bring his lot, come in from the South. They can breach, take ‘em all down before they even realise how stupid they’ve been.”

Farnham chuckled. “Alright, sounds good. Let’s move.” He crawled away from the floor edge, hefting the pack he‘d collected as he went. A bedroll and a couple of tins of peaches - hopefully swollen little enough to be botulism-free. Nothing to be sniffed at, anyway. Walking towards Jeep, he thought again of the scavver in the shop - no way the guy would survive the operation, however it went. It scared him how little effect the senselessness of such deaths had on him anymore. Moving at a crouch, he joined Jeep in the dusk light outside."

A regular shakesperean masterpiece!

Haha, Good work Scarp. I do a little writing myself. Sadly i have no time for it at the moment.

-Lasfire

Thanks Las, though I think that's going a little far I realise my writing isn't amazing, but it's fun to dom and hopefully a few people might enjoy reading it!

This is Captain Ridgeway, the leader of my motley group, along with his faithful mutt, Lobo. I've been working loads on armour weathering - I hope it shows up!






I was going for more of a 'sit back and plan' style of command than the seemingly more popular 'run screaming at the enemy with a big glowy sword' technique. Hope that comes across!

Would love any criticism you might have - I'm really trying to improve my painting

p.s. Ignore the book! My gran sent me it, as apparently rural GPs are thrilling to her and hence must be for me too It happened to be the nearest flat surface to hand, so no snarky comments

This is actually an older HW trooper I had to ditch after I removed them from my list. I've modified him and then touched up the paint on a bit after my friend introduced me to gears of war, but the painting is still a bit bodged

Still, makes me wish sergeants could still have lasguns...

Would love to know what you think! Apparently people were pretty indifferent to Ridgeway...

You painted Ridgeway really nice. I also like his dog. Morrigan has a much better face though. He seems more dynamic than Ridgeway.

I did get a Julius Caesar flashback when I first saw Morrigan. He has that strong nose and the do-rag on his head looked like a laurel wreath at first glance.

Farnham is dripping with character! I love it! The first thought that came to mind was Snake from Metal Gear Solid 3. Excellent work and nice photographic skills!

I love this army. Ridgeway is one of the best-looking IG commanders I've seen. Keep up the good work!

Thanks again for all the compliments, folks, you're way too kind to me!

I've painted up a lieutenant now (he's on the far right of the picture), which completes my company command squad for 500pt games (though I've still got a dog to paint up and tag on!). The pics aren't the best, but it's dark and I'm lazy, so no retakes! The pics are small on this forum, but if you click them, you can zoom in (and rate them too!)

I've ordered them in the order I painted them - Harkness was the 5th model I ever painted, just over a year ago now. Hopefully you can see an improvement!






Would love any more of your wonderful feedback

Wow man, looks awesome. Your theme is really coming along.

And contrary to what you thought, i liked your captain even though he seemed to be less popular than you may have liked. However, i think that comes with the territory of the character you've given him.

Everyone loves a charismatic, gung ho commander willing to throw his life aside in a glorious hand to hand duel but your character, seemingly cold, methodical, and meticulous has nothing of this macho bravado people like to see.

...People other than myself that is ;] I think this is an awesome character, unique and well thought out.

Since you're writing background info for all of your men you should definitely let this factor shine through. Real people, the dakkaites, have been turned off by this man's cold, well-thought out demeanor...so too should the men he commands be turned off by his character.

You should then make his second in command the gung-ho, gunslingin' junior officer that everyone loves to see and hear about. The kind of soldier, war hero, everyone loves to envision... pit them against one another in a silent power struggle? The young buck constantly trying to out do his methodical superior.

Oh it sounds so good...

-Lasfire

PS Check that Inbox lol

Apologies for the model delay - just finished another set of exams (if you like exams, study medicine - seriously!), so going's been a little slow. Almost didn't post this next guy, as he was more greenstuff practice than a show model. Still, hope you like

I was thinking 'civilian soldier' when I made him - a survivor who was never part of the PDF, handed a gun when he fell in with the Remnants and told to scavenge whatever else he can. The GS work is pretty clumsy, but I'm working at it!





Anyone got any tips on how I could make my GSing smoother? I can never get it flush with the model... Ooh, and I have some fluff in mind for Donovan! You might see it in a day or so

Wait until the greenstuff is setting, take some lubricant on your finger (water works in a pinch, saliva works better than water) and rub it over the join, mostly from the greenstuff side to the plastic. It's not perfect but it works okay. Sanding down protruding greenstuff works too. I tend to do both.

Thanks a lot for the tip Morgrim, I really appreciate the input! Hopefully the GS work on this guy is smoother - here's another member of Ridgeway's command squad.





I'd love some criticism - please post, even if it's just to say it's crap or something! Be brutal - I really want to know how I can improve

really cool, i like the heltan model alot, but the mask is a little iffy and the arms are WAY too buff lol

Can't belive your blog got more comments! IMO this is awesome, every single model got an own personality and an own history. The smal conversions on some models also work to tell a tale about the models personality.
Your painting is also very nice, lot's of earthy colors that work well with the bases.

So the only thing I got to say is keep up the good work mate


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"Can't belive your blog not* got more comments" **

Love Ridgeway's chainsword bayonette, and Lobo. Is he a bought model or did you GS him?

Have you tried using Clay shapers? I find them easier to manipulate into smaller spaces than my fat fingers.

I like the worn dirty look of the clothing and armour you're doing, however, to me the flesh looks too clean in comparison (this is only a minor niggle) otherwise they look great!

keep the stories coming.

Vlad

Love the models, but gotta ask where did the dog come from, I have to have one for my penal legionares.



Keep up the good work, FM

FM Ninja 048 wrote:but gotta ask where did the dog come from,

I second this. I've a plan brewing in my mind for using dogs for something. This particular one would work well as it looks somewhat feral, and is in an alerted "pointing" stance.

I have to say, i really like some of your subtle conversions, particularly the commander and dog, just looks right. for something a little extra on the Hetlan character, i would recommend some arm hair, its quite easy to do with a nice fine detail brush and looks great. The splash effect on the camo capes is a nice touch too. If you are looking to progress painting wise, my big recommendations would be practice on a variety of minis (this does slow down army building, if thats what your into) and have a little read up, there are some great books around - http://www.scribd.com/doc/23270615/THE-ULTIMATE-MINIATURE-PAINTING-GUIDE and http://www.scribd.com/doc/20569867/How-to-Paint-Citadel-Miniatures are good places to start. All in all, nice work keep it up.

The problem with armies like this is you love every mini to much. Dont want to loose any in battle!!

Awesome work mate really enjoying these...

Malice

Really great stuff, cool theme nice execution and you can see how much care and attention you have put into every model, keep it up!