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Update: was wiring on the dread while traveling for work, when the table lamp fell ON my dread, smashing it into several pieces. Luckily it broke apart at the joints and is repairable. Hope to have a photo of progress in a day or two.

Also been working on marine for swap with styrofoam... going well so far. No pics due to storm taking out home Internet (stupid satellite dish). Only have phone access to dakka.


GS

Friggin' assassin lamps

Yeah, darn them!

Assasin's Creed III: Rise of the Lamps

pie_2054 wrote:Assasin's Creed III: Rise of the Lamps

I lol'd

very nice stuff. probably the badab heresy chapters never get enough attention so well done

Like the assassins creed thing.

Thanks moonshine. I agree, but all the more glory for those of us who pursue them eh?

Still no real Internet, but I'll soldier on & keep working in hopes eventually having something to show and a way to show it.





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Automatically Appended Next Post:

I hope this posts as a new message...

I need some advice.

So, I'm working on my Venerable (rifleman) dreadnought painted in the tranquility sniper pattern (yellow). Got the base yellow and wash done, then I work my way blending up for the reverse highlighting... not rocket science. Here's the quandary... In real vehicles that are camo'd (at least modern ones), they camo everything... barrels included for obvious reasons. I started doing the hoses and barrels like I normally would, with a black base coat to be "metallicized" later. But now I'm thinking that perhaps I shouldn't do that, instead, go with full camo like on a real military vehicle.

My quandary is that a fully camo'd figure will be very visually boring & lack the contrast to really give it impact.

I have several options as I see it:

1. Go with full camo, and pick out the details, edges, etc. with subtle but different colors in hopes that it provides enough visual interest. Look at my existing snipers... I tried to do them this way (more-or-less).
2. Since the camo pattern is rather stark (yellow and black), I could do the other parts (barrels, hoses, etc) in plain black...and just run with the contrast & not worry about if it works as camo or not.
3. I could paint the black areas some other color.... not black, not the camo yellow... perhaps a buff or leather of some sort... something that provides contrast without blowing the camo effect clear out of the water.
4. ????

I'm kind of stuck so would greatly appreciate everyone's opinions on the matter. Please give your reasoning too... as you know from reading this blog, logic is a major motivator in my decision making process.

Many thanks!

GS

Option 2 for me... With a twist : for lascannons, for instance, paint the "shoulder" and "muzzles" in camo, then barrel & details in black : that should prove enough for contrast!

The main vehicle armament is usually camo'ed indeed, but extra weaponry (such as .50 machine guns, or smoke launchers) often comes unpainted...

Plus I tend to see Dreads are large foot soldiers, and most soldiers don't (or aren't allowed) to paint their weapons!!!

Eventually, from my current point of view (which can change from time to time), having some sharp contrast on the mini is better than trying to stick to what it would be in "real" life (well, in "real" 40k Universe) and have it look boring & dull...

Just my opinion anyway uh!!!

I'd echo the above ideas. Go for what is the most visually striking (option 2, imo), not what makes the most sence in real world applications. If you were doing an Imp Gaurd Leman Russ in Vietnam Tiger Stripe, I'd say do it all, but as the tranq pattern isnt what I'd call a "true" camo pattern, I'd treat it more as a color scheme for your veterans (like bone white for Deathwing, Gold for Sang Guard, etc)

Gitsplitta wrote:My quandary is that a fully camo'd figure will be very visually boring & lack the contrast to really give it impact.

Sort of the point, no? I would go for how you started (which you didn't list as an option) - agreeing with Yggdrasil (his comment, not his preference!):

Yggdrasil wrote:Eventually, from my current point of view (which can change from time to time), having some sharp contrast on the mini is better than trying to stick to what it would be in "real" life (well, in "real" 40k Universe) and have it look boring & dull...

It's my only complaint (just a minor one) with your Mantis Warriors really too

the dreadnuaght i wouldnt think that it would be blazed in the chapter colors and not camoed. because the spacemarine hero inside would want to be a source of insperition and pride for his brothers.besides a big hulking machine would have a hard time being stealthy and sneaky its just my thoughts i really like how your MW are coming along Gitsplitta

Arakasi wrote:

Gitsplitta wrote:My quandary is that a fully camo'd figure will be very visually boring & lack the contrast to really give it impact.

Sort of the point, no? I would go for how you started (which you didn't list as an option) - agreeing with Yggdrasil (his comment, not his preference!):

Yggdrasil wrote:Eventually, from my current point of view (which can change from time to time), having some sharp contrast on the mini is better than trying to stick to what it would be in "real" life (well, in "real" 40k Universe) and have it look boring & dull...

It's my only complaint (just a minor one) with your Mantis Warriors really too

@Arakasi: Not sure I follow where your preference lies... You mean paint the autocannons as I painted the sniper rifles (silver barrels, yellow muzzle and shields)? Please let me know. Though you are correct, there isn't much contrast in the snipers beyond the camo pattern itself... which is pretty stark. When I get beyond the tranquility pattern, the normal rank-and-file will hopefully be a bit more visually diverse. There will also be more color variation when I get my shoulderpads in from Chapterhouse.... have an interesting twist for those that should add a needed spot of color.

Thanks all, my path is clear.... I'll get back to work and get a WIP shot up ASAP so you can provide further commentary & guidance.

Gitsplitta wrote:I started doing the hoses and barrels like I normally would, with a black base coat to be "metallicized" later.

This is my personal preference

i'd go with painting the entire thing camo and leaving no metalics or details at all except black scannar unit (to represent they've been tinted or turned of as not to have the lights spotted)
btw you could even stick grass to the top of the dread like modern armies add netting and leaves to the top of their vehicles

I think ultimately tread the path between pseudo-realism and looking good. One thing you could do is an option (4): totally different camo. They're dreads - they're ancient - even more variety.

Now you tell me....


Actually, the idea with this dread specifically is that he was one of the tranquility snipers, mortally wounded & encased in dreadnought armor and still seeking to serve his old unit. Thus is painted appropriately.

However, I just got an Iron Clad from my chillins for my birthday... so he's unique enough that I can go way off the reservation with him if I choose. BUT.... I'd need a reason *and* a decent scheme. What would an *ancient* mantis warrior dread look like? Something even older then the venerable.... perhaps a survivor from the days of the chapter's founding. Stretch your brains my friends... find an alpha-pattern iron clad paint scheme for the Mantis Warriors!

well firstly you could use a very bleachy green and take the protective plates of also you could add some wires hanging out everywhere. also add a tone of purity seals. if ye good at converting maybe you could use parts from the pentint engine

Maybe a nice rich brown color, like how manti get when they get older, but before they die (morbid I know), but for the ancient look it may work.

I like WhaleMusic's idea. I mean, you never see brown marines!

I think you should change it up a bit and maybe go with a slightly upgraded dreadnought camo design, stick with the yellow but add a little something else.

Perhaps more like a Mantis Warrior...................... in a lingerie store?

LIKE SO!

Hmmmm... quartering does present some interesting possibilities... though I'd mentally taken whalemusic's idea down an interesting direction too. Let me think about it... and keep those ideas coming!

you could go with a metalic yellow and some hand paint iconography

What the hell did you do to that poor SH Termi Ice?!?!

whalemusic360 wrote:What the hell did you do to that poor SH Termi Ice?!?!

lol, i didn't do anything. A couple months ago I had a discussion with a good friend of mine about what would be the most obnoxious marine color scheme and that was what we came up with. He painted up that terminator and it's probably about 80% done in that picture, but it looks great, IMO. All of this talk about yellow marines made me think of it.

As for your dreadnought Git I think you should work on the body of it first because you know what that will look like, and then see what feels right as you do the guns. I think most of the options people are posting would easily work and look great. I personally like the gun tips in yellow and the barrels black. It would look cool to have camo gun tips.

whalemusic360 wrote:What the hell did you do to that poor SH Termi Ice?!?!

Make it stop!!!!!!!!!!

I thinks this chapter gene seed needs to be re-tested!

Shiny, polished metal would be right out for the weapons on the rifle dread- but perhaps a metallic black (not nmm, but a mix of black ink and something like mithril) would provide an interesting contrast, help pick out the weapons visually, but also not depart too much from the color scheme of the dread?

In case you haven't been following the "Great Marine Swap" thread... here's my progress on Styrofoam04's chaos Mantis Warrior...

Meet Benedictus. A member of the vanguard and liaison officer to the Tiger Claws during the Badab War. He was corrupted by chaos during that time and fled with the Tiger Claws (now Red Corsairs). The final model will have a Chapterhouse pre-herasy jump pack and a chaos shoulder pad on the cybernetic arm (left), and one of my original free-hand mantis warrior pads on the right arm. Depicted in a flying Bushido kick (the right leg is actually bent at a sharp angle to simulate the leap, you just can't see it from this angle).

I wanted him to be a little chaossy but not over the top. He's not a traditional chaos marine, as with the Red Corsairs... having "turned" relatively recently (100 yrs or less). Since the original Mantis Warrior badge had large mandibles, I've included them in the build. I figure things like chainswords would wear out, so I used chaos swords instead of imperial models. He has one cybernetic arm and on that shoulder will be a chaos pad, as if he'd lost an arm in a battle and had to repace it (and the equipment) with what was at hand.

It's a really rough build at this point, but will get more refined in short order.







I had to put him on a 40mm base (termie sized), tried and just could not make the "leap" plausible on a smaller base. The Chapterhouse jump pack is built and fitted, but I'm kinda hung up until I get the shoulder pads I need, which may not happen until some time next week (why is it so complicated to get a simple chaos shoulder pad?) Getting the MW pad on the right arm is going to be a lot more complicated that I originally planned for as there is so little space in there, a standard pad won't fit. I'll have to cut one down considerably and then come up with some kind of plausable reason for the size change... some kind of battle damage I expect. I also need tow work on the mantis arm joints to make them plausible, but I think that's a pretty straight-forward job. He looks good with the jump pack on (very cool design), really anxious to finish the build so I can start painting.

I also want to spend some time working on the base so I can disguise that flying support rod a bit. I'll have to talk with Styro about what kind of things would be appropriate for him to be leaping over. He'll do the flocking so that it matches the rest of his army, but I figure I can add a little interest to the base without messing up the feel of his unit.

Lastly... there is method to the madness of the pose. This is actually my second prototype for what will become my Vanguard (I guess Goto calls them the "Mantidae" in his stories.) The double chainswords are supposed to resemble the primary hunting limbs of the preying mantis, and will (eventually) be connected by cables to the arm armor. As the arm extends, so does the "arm of the mantis" as I call them. As the arm bends, so does the mantis arm. Very intuitive, very practical. You'll note that the chainsaw teeth are specifically set so that it pulls the victim forward and down. This prevents the saws from binding and puts the victim in a very vulnerable position (face down on the ground). The normal versions of this will be integral to the actual arms of the marines (see earlier prototype), but I figure Benedictus here has been away from his chapter a long while without access to the Mantis Warriors STC or techs, so the Corsair's have made him as close an approximation of the original gear as best they could.

I may have reccomended a wire to hold him up (I use paperclips cut up) rather then the flying peg. Looks promising tho, keep it up!

Yeah, nice pose (maybe a bit too "flashy" for me, but don't worry, I'll get over it lol)...

As for the Red Corsairs, I reckon they were Astral Claws before turning renegade...

They were Tiger Claws in the earliest versions of the fluff and for some reason for changed to Astral Claws later.

As such, I always accept the first answer, so Tiger Claws is correct!