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inmygravenimage wrote:Looks good, I like the osl and the shoulders. I think your advice is very interesting; I'm still not sure I'll make the switch but lots to think about.

Thanks! - I must admit oils-only is difficult to master - these Stormcast are experimental painting only, trying techniques.

Tyranid Horde wrote:Wow, that hoplite snake is excellent, love that the shield is scratchbuilt and I really like your medusa too!

The ETB stormcast aren't the most satisfying kits to build, they do need a lot of snipping and gap filling to make them presentable, hence I avoid them in my pile of shame. Looks like you had a good time overall with oils, so far I only use my own for pin washing and weathering.

Thanks!
The ETB Stormcast are for experimental painting only, no intent to use these guys in my Inquisitor projects.
The oils were fun mostly though it is very frustrating when you go to add a brush stroke and it strips the underlying layer off back down to the primer.
I think my painting technique is more suited to an acrylic base coat, then enhance with oils - we shall see.

youwashock wrote:Nice to see something, even if it isn't one of the cool snake ladies. Oil experiments look good. Have fun!

Thanks! I'm still 11300 km from my snake ladies... so it was a good opportunity to experiment.
As for fun... well, see above

Thank you all!!!

O][Ls TOO...

Continuing the Oils-only adventure...

Another Beksinski inspiration for the palette:



This is Telaxia from Artisans Guild in 40mm scale.
Obviously my green (Viridian) got away from me and looks nothing like the Beksinski above:



Trying for that white-to-blue 'magic hands' glow and OSL effect, kept the rest pretty dark and loose:



She was painted primarily in one session of about 3 hours.

I had to go back in after it had all dried (about a week later) to fix the detailing in the face:



One thing I discovered is that Cadmium Yellow Hue - which is a faux cadmium - is not colour fast.
I highlighted the green, especially the face, with CYH but after a week it has almost disappeared. 

Any oil-experts out there want to chime in with where I might have gone wrong?

One of the other pearls of wisdom from James Wappel is:
"If a colour goes somewhere, it must go everywhere."
By which he means, everything reflects light (colour) from it's surroundings.
(FPOA from Ironsleet calls this 'mirror colors'.)
I tried it out, so there's hints of green on the spear facing away from the primary light source, the white 'magic hand'.

Apart from the CYH issue, another fun all-oils paint.

Also fun painting a non-GW figure at 40mm, allowed for using a bigger brush and thus a bit of a looser style.

It's a very interesting piece. I think the work on the hand etc is excellent. The profile side looks amazing. I'm less sold on the green of the belly, it looks almost too consistent? I don't know if that's related to the cadmium issue though?

 inmygravenimage wrote:
It's a very interesting piece. I think the work on the hand etc is excellent. The profile side looks amazing. I'm less sold on the green of the belly, it looks almost too consistent? I don't know if that's related to the cadmium issue though?

Thanks inmygravenimage!

That fethin green!!!

It was highlighted with yellow and when wet it looked fine,

But now - yes, the green has absorbed the yellow and become almost a flat colour, the only deviation is into the shadows where it blends into the pthalo blue.

I have thought about going another round on her but then decided just to post and move on to the next experiment.

Primary takeaway from this one - cadmium yellow hue fades into viridian green.

She's a pretty thing. Too bad about losing some of the contrast. Still, that blue glow looks very cool.

 youwashock wrote:
She's a pretty thing. Too bad about losing some of the contrast. Still, that blue glow looks very cool.

Thanks youwasshock!
- I think it's the Viridian soaking up the faux cadmium - but yes, I was not pleased.

However - onwards!

O][LS go Forth...

Skipping forth to number four model - number three was a disaster - in my Oils-only adventures.

Another Beksinki palette - burnt umber and the gold/yellow being the main inspiration:

You can see the yellow got away from me a little, it has come out too saturated (in comparison to the Beksinski).
For a gold NMM attempt - taking the failings of number three and adjusting my approach - it came out ok:



Limited the palette considerably - Burnt Umber, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Titanium White, and a tiny bit of Burnt Sienna.
Armour technique was simple: a Burnt Umber layer, left in the crevices and shadows and wiped away elsewhere with sponge/q-tip; then white wet-in wet:





Added the Cad yellow over the Burnt Umber wet-in-wet, then deliberately stopped after 2 hours painting.
Waited a week or more before going back in with the white, as the first layer was streaky:



And then another week later, went back with the Cad yellow (mixed with White) to highlight the gold.
Then Burnt Sienna into the the gold 'shadows' to make it more 'gold' and less dirty-looking. 
Finally, a Burnt Umber very dry scumble to regain some of the nuanced shades lost in my over exuberant White layering:



All up, I would say white armour with oils was more enjoyable and far quicker than with acrylics. 
(Though I would use a lighter primer next time.)

Another fun oils-only paint (we shall not speak of number 3!) on my hike up the learning curve!

Thanks for looking!

Test 3 and 4 are pretty great in my opinion, I know you didn't achieve the look you were going for on number 3 but I've always found a green tone to be difficult to blend up to yellow. I've always found that you need a lot of yellow to change the tone of green, even for acrylics.

Number 4 looks great, I like the tones and textures you've achieved. Have you tried the spot technique at all yet? If you wanted smoother results, spotting colours and blending them would be a nice way to unify a scheme, which is what I've done for added weathering over different colours.

Keep it up!

I like this, the armour tones more than the yellows. I think maybe they need thinned out to white?

Tyranid Horde wrote:Test 3 and 4 are pretty great in my opinion, I know you didn't achieve the look you were going for on number 3 but I've always found a green tone to be difficult to blend up to yellow. I've always found that you need a lot of yellow to change the tone of green, even for acrylics.

Number 4 looks great, I like the tones and textures you've achieved. Have you tried the spot technique at all yet? If you wanted smoother results, spotting colours and blending them would be a nice way to unify a scheme, which is what I've done for added weathering over different colours.

Keep it up!

Thanks Tyranid Horde!
- my basic mistake (I've come to realise) was wet-blending the yellow oils over the green - basically the still-wet (for five days) green oil paint just absorbs the yellow.
- I've utilised the 'spot technique' a little for weathering, but not on these models, it's all wet-in-wet.

inmygravenimage wrote:I like this, the armour tones more than the yellows. I think maybe they need thinned out to white?

Thanks inmygravenimage!
- you're probably right, but I'm determined to move forward rather than keep revisiting these experiments

Speaking of...



O][LS Continue...

Onto another Oils-Only paint...

Choose this color palette (image used without permission) - (NO YELLOW!):



To use on the smallest model so far attempted - the Siren from Creature Caster.



Had to mod her a little - ditched the claw-arm-dagger-bone things completely.
And the shoulder armour...
And the cloak parts...
And added some extra hair to cover things up a bit.



Went for a limited palette of Pthalo Blue, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Red and Titanium white:



As per the reference image, it's a two-light source mood piece - 
Dim red light (almost blood-like) coming from top left down onto her face.
A more diffuse white/blue source off to her right.



Red kept to one side only to try to emphasise the dark side vs the lighter side



Wanted the red side to have very dark purple (hard to see in pics) to red (light) and blue (shadows) transitions:



Attempted to really up the contrast a little on the left side, as contrast is something I struggle with in my painting.


Another fun oils-only experiment on a model I would not normally paint.

Thanks for looking!

Very impressive, especially in the reds and the overlap. Still think the top notes of the white/blue-white could do with being sharper (again) - but way better than anything I could achieve!

 inmygravenimage wrote:
Very impressive, especially in the reds and the overlap. Still think the top notes of the white/blue-white could do with being sharper (again) - but way better than anything I could achieve!

Thanks inmygravenimage!
Appreciate the C+C - still higher contrast required, I agree!

Stormcast has a wonderful painterly, aged quality. Not-quite-a-daemonette-but-close looks great in the red/blue.

 youwashock wrote:
Stormcast has a wonderful painterly, aged quality. Not-quite-a-daemonette-but-close looks great in the red/blue.

Thanks youwasshock!
I think the white armour will be the scheme for the next phase of my Inquisitor project.

Meanwhile:



W][P - Wurmspat

Since I'm on the move heading back to Australia (and into quarantine) following this long deployment, my Oils-Only painting experiments are on hold.

Amazon delivered the Wurmspat kit just days before my departure.

Not sure if the trio will be a one-off display unit painted in oils, or painted up as Wretched Sons (acrylics), or added to my Inquisitor project...

Anyway, here's a little WIP of some minor conversions on the spear-dude so far.



Cut down on the fat rolls around the legs, neck and arms, filled in the hooves, and removed the ghastly horns from the shoulder pads (just not my style)
I may yet cover over the Nurgle symbol on the abdomen plate, still undecided.



The top-knot is being converted into more of a Grecian-style helm crest.
Chopped away the wooden branch that was the spear haft - later I'll add a brass tube over the stand-in paperclip section.



The main section to be sculpted will be the rear tabard section where I removed his hideous case of haemorrhoids.

Thanks for looking!

Interesting to see your take on this!

oooh, interested to see your take on this gang. Again, the nurgle models providing the basis for some awesome convervsions. Just like the good old days of my first discovery of Inq28! V excited to see this one develop...

Thanks for sharing

inmygravenimage wrote:Interesting to see your take on this!

Cheers inmygravenimage!

IGtR= wrote:oooh, interested to see your take on this gang. Again, the nurgle models providing the basis for some awesome convervsions. Just like the good old days of my first discovery of Inq28! V excited to see this one develop...

Thanks for sharing

Thanks IGtR!

Hopefully this update won't disappoint

W][P - Wurmspat 2
 
Quarantine - so plenty of time for (re)learning how to sculpt!
 
Decided these three deserve to be a solo project, not part of any of my pre-existng warbands. 
 
Set some build parameters - can only do the conversion work with what I have with me.
Which is: greenstuff, milliput and Apoxie Sculpt; some paperclips; and no bits to kitbash with! 
(Caveat - may have to use brass tube for the weapon hafts when I get them home.)
 
First up, Stabby: 
 
Filled in the belly symbol, cleaned up the legs where I scraped away fat rolls.
Sculpted the 'shark-fin' ridge on the armour (any ideas what that's called?)
It's still wet in this pic, and too fat, and too high - needs to be refined by much sanding and scraping. 
Sculpting medium was a 50/50 GS and milliput mix:
  

 
Next two pics show the sculpted skirt to cover the haemorrhoid surgery previously done. 
Two sculpting sessions, the first being straight GS to build the underlying 'scaffold'.
Which then allowed me to sculpt the ragged detail in using GS/milliput without it collapsing. 
 

 
Needs a decent sandpaper/file to even out the rougher parts.
That's why I use the GS/milliput mix, as it dries hard instead of rubbery-hard like straight GS:
 

 
And so, onto Bob.
 
Originally, Bob was just going to get slimmed down a little, but he kind of got away from me... 
Filled in the gut(s) and third eye hole with milliput (smoothed with water it leaves no tide marks).
Enhanced the vambraces (you can see the right one here) with GS/milliput.
Added the start of the plume to the helmet using cut-n-carved sprue:
 

 
Added another ridge to the shoulder armour.
Not sure if I'm going to add the 'stop-the-axe-sliding-off-the-armour-into-my-neck' bit...
(Seriously, that part must have a name, right?) 
Went over the arm-band that had been damaged by exuberant knifing during his weight-loss session... 
The more I look at it, the more I think that might get re-sculpted into more of a metal torc:
 

 
Removed the head-with-worms that was sitting on top of that lower skull.
Re-sculpted the skirt section - there's a plan in play for how that skull hangs...
 

 
And so, onto Margo. Yes, she will have a head...
First thing was to get her on a bit of a fitness regime to lose the gut.
She also had a bit of a boob-reduction, especially under the right arm where it looked like she had a third boob.
(Did she have a third boob?)
Re-sculpted the front of the skirt - unfortunately, I did this with straight GS.
Started to add to the shawl, using GS/milliput rolled flat onto foil strips (cut from Chobani yoghurt lids!):
 

 
Cut the tentacle off before I broke it, in case you were wondering... 
Went a bit over the top on the shawl - the black stuff is BSI CA glue. 
The curled shawl 'tail' hanging over the shoulder-sack will haunt me for the rest of my days...
 

 
Last two sections of shawl tails done.
Actually, the darker green on the right of image is the first section I did after the front skirt, in GS only.
The section coming from under the pauldron had to be curved just so, to fit the little karambit knife she carries into its original nodes:
 

 
Getting down to finer and finer details on all three now.
Next up, sculpting chains, more armour detailing, maybe some fur, and possibly even a skull!
 
Thanks for looking!

I really enjoy when people clean up or dial back these modern Nurgle minis, and you are crushing these three. Excited to watch the progress, particularly when paint pulls all those shades of green together.

Also on the armor, that shoulder ridge might be called a 'stop rib' (https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m19g1fs8YP1r49ix5o4_1280.gif) (https://www.shadowedrealm.com/medieval-glossary/term/Stop_Rib), just madly exaggerated for heroic fantasy purposes.

 Boss Salvage wrote:
I really enjoy when people clean up or dial back these modern Nurgle minis, and you are crushing these three. Excited to watch the progress, particularly when paint pulls all those shades of green together.

Also on the armor, that shoulder ridge might be called a 'stop rib' (https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m19g1fs8YP1r49ix5o4_1280.gif) (https://www.shadowedrealm.com/medieval-glossary/term/Stop_Rib), just madly exaggerated for heroic fantasy purposes.

O Thanks Boss Salvage!

I'm not a fan of the more modern trend of over-the-top Nurglisation or Chaosification.
(I'm looking at you, excessive-and-tedious-to-paint Chaos armour trim!)

And thanks also for the armour glossary, I googled it but didn't equate that nomenclature 'stop-rib' to the actual part until you provided the glossary link.

Rather liked my term 'stop-the-axe-sliding-off-the-armour-into-my-neck' ...

Cheers!

I'm enjoying the low-key nurglification too. If nothing else, it's interesting to see how to go about modifying the monopose with tentacular explosion (which, tbh, is usually my approach). Great job!

 inmygravenimage wrote:
I'm enjoying the low-key nurglification too. If nothing else, it's interesting to see how to go about modifying the monopose with tentacular explosion (which, tbh, is usually my approach). Great job!

Cheers inmygravenimage!

There may some more tentacle action on the horizon...

Very nicely done with the denurglification of the Wurmspat, I always found the newer nurgle stuff to be a little over the top too and I prefer more down to earth or grittier rot and decay.

Keep it up, keen to see what's next!

 Tyranid Horde wrote:
Very nicely done with the denurglification of the Wurmspat, I always found the newer nurgle stuff to be a little over the top too and I prefer more down to earth or grittier rot and decay.

Keep it up, keen to see what's next!

Thanks Tyranid Horde!

W][P - WURMSPAT 3a

Trying a new format for posting - makes it easier to post to all platforms.






















Margo requires a little more work so she will feature in W][P Part 3B, hopefully soonish.

Thanks for looking!

Outstanding. Your comment about chains made me lol - and I certainly don't disagree The crests are, at a push, my favourite parts, along with the axe haft and nipple ring. And the chains, of course.

Awesome bit of sculpting going on. The headcrests are brilliant.

Great builds, Lamby. Always impressed by your meticulous process.

inmygravenimage wrote:Outstanding. Your comment about chains made me lol - and I certainly don't disagree The crests are, at a push, my favourite parts, along with the axe haft and nipple ring. And the chains, of course.

Thanks inmygravenimage!
O those fething chains... this is why jeweller's chain was invented!

Tyranid Horde wrote:Awesome bit of sculpting going on. The headcrests are brilliant.

Thanks Tyranid Horde!

youwashock wrote:Great builds, Lamby. Always impressed by your meticulous process.

Thanks youwasshock!



W][P - WURMSPAT 3B

And - as promised - here's Margo the Witch Queen.
Including all the robe/shawl work, there was a similar amount of conversion work on her as Bob...
No chains though!











Thanks for looking!

That is some nice converting! Love the helm crests.

+ BYRN +


Another long hiatus between posts, life gets in the way sometimes as we all know too well.

So, new house, new hobby area, and a new Inqu][sitor character – Byrn!









Ms Byrn is first of a new Imperial warband joining the pursuit of the heretical Inquisitor Kallatar…

Thanks for looking!

Great kitbash! Very characterful.

That's sweet. Ready to turn n' burn.