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 YourIntestines wrote:


Also, the chair might look good with some kind of weapon slung between the legs.

Ehhh.... I disagree.

First off it would really look like a dick. I mean there's Eldar phallic and then there's actually slinging a weapon between something's legs.

Second the Novator, to me, isn't really the sort to actually *use* weapons. Why carry a gun or a knife or anything... hell why even ride on a chair with a gun... when you're that potent of a Psyker? He's surrounded be minions, all of whom are armed in some way or another, has a master swordsman right at his side, and is a spindly and frail thing to boot. He doesn't need a weapon of his own. He IS a weapon if he puts his mind to it... literally.

Good point. Possibly a tabard or something?

It looks a bit empty otherwise.

Psst, I think you might be interested in this...

Thanks!

The big dog robot was definitely one of my main reference points for the legs.

I don't think I'll be adding any actual weapons — the idea is the Novator's warp-gaze is so powerful he can kill with a stare, tearing open a fissure into the warp itself. In game terms, a direct gaze would count as a blast from a master crafted multi-melta. And in game terms he'd also be able to call down strikes and bombardments from his orbiting ship. I will probably include a lot of antennae and aerials on the back of the throne which will help suggest that ideas as well.

But a tabard between the legs could definitely work. I've been considering a similar idea that I'm not sure about — I could add robes or a cape/cloak that drape down from his shoulders. They could be long enough that they'd drape over the throne kind of like a horse's caparison, obscuring where the man ends and the throne begins. But my cloth sculpting skills are probably not up to the task, and it may be a mistake to obscure things anyway. At the very least, purity seals and wires will help bulk things out.

There isn't much room for a cloak.

Wires plugging him into the chair would look good.

@Malika: very nice!

So I've been distracted by work and life (and the world cup) but have been slowly making progress.

I've got a pile of half-finished henchmen that I occasionally return to as a break from larger projects. Here is the start of a servitor and the psyker from before:



The servitor uses the upper half of a faild crusader conversion, and his bionic face makes much more sense in this context. I'm not sure about the psyker's pose. Maybe his staff needs to be longer? I worry he looks like a drum major in a marching band.

But more importantly, I'm finally getting close to finishing the Novator!




I'm very happy with how his arms turned out, although I may need to resculpt his left hand to be properly gripping his throne. Next I need to add lots of rives, more tubes, and add detailing to his legs and feet. I'm also thinking about tassles or pendants on the ends of the cassocks. And he could use some furs but I'm not sure where they would make sense. The throne will also probably get more life-support and fuel canisters, ornamental wings, and ground-to-orbit antennae.

It's been so much work to get this far and I'm still not 100% sold on the giant head idea myself, but it's really exciting getting so close to finishing. This is when I normally lose interest in projects and start something new (ideas include a hover chimera, a counts-as-bastion landing craft, much needed female members of the household ...) but I'm determined to finish this model and start painting it! I can't wait to paint the skintones on the face. The size should allow for lots of fun detail and color variation.

Here is the current state of the fencing master:




I'm not sure if he's working. I love the mask and coat and sense of movement, but something seems off. Are his arms too long? Just the sword arm? Or maybe the sword is just too chunky for the pose and I should scratchbuild a simple rapier or katana? Or I could always leave the fencing master off this base and use the model as the basis of another psyker (the outstretched arm would be great with an open hand).

Thanks for looking!

Yikes! That thing is crazy! It looks amazing! Just insane.

I think the swordsman looks fine as is, but shouldn't go on the same base. The focus should be Egghead, not split between the two. Hick him on his own 25mm, make him a body guard. Maybe some others to go with him too. I could see a shield warrior and a bigger brute there as well.

The fencing master's sword needs a handle.

The fencing master needs sword handle, less clunker blade, and perhaps move his left hand a.tad bit back.

I love the sense of movement and the navigator is so cool!

That's fething sick man. Looks awesome. I very much like them sharing a base, looks great and helps to represent the actual unit.

Great models, all the way through this thread

As for the question on the swordmaster... I'd say give him his own base, and maybe use a smaller blade. Perhaps something like the Baneblade commander's sword?

 xeno99 wrote:
Great models, all the way through this thread

As for the question on the swordmaster... I'd say give him his own base, and maybe use a smaller blade. Perhaps something like the Baneblade commander's sword?

I think the fencer should stay attached. After all if this is going to be ran as Karamazov (which I'm assuming it is; not much else uses a 60mm base, involves a multi-melta or the equivalent thereof, and a snazzy sword to boot) he should be part of the same overall model.

Although I do agree that the Baneblade commander's sword would look better. While I love the swords and other stabby bits that come packaged in with Grey Knights they're very much scaled for Space Marine models. Not only that but the commander's saber feels much more like a fencer's weapon to me... something with a bit more finesse and delicacy rather than brute force.

I'm back! I haven't had much time for modeling but finally made some progress.

First off, I've added lots of detail, both in terms of GW bits and greenstuff work. I'm very close at this point; I think I'll only be adding a few rivets on the cosmonaut hood and some assorted clean-up. The newest addition is a pair of tufty old-man eyebrows made from old paintbrush bristles. I was worried they'd look silly but I'm pretty happy with them.





I've also been giving a lot of thought to the question of how to base the Novator. The crowd seems pretty split (both here and at the ammobunker) about whether it's better to base him by himself or with a henchmen. I also realized the fencing master just wasn't working and took him apart.

Instead, I've been considering using one of these as my Novator's bodyguard:



On the left, a lavish servo-drone, a type of super servo-skull built for close range combat. It could get a giant needle type weapon or perhaps an articulated talon or claw to represent the power weapon attack that Karamazov has.

And on the right, a new fencing master, more of a wandering swordsman type (Fencing Master Toshirus Mifunii perhaps). I like how transformed he is form the base necromancer body. He'd need to be 40k'd up with some technology; a gas mask, goggles, or some type of solid eye-covering (for a cyberpunk blind swordsman look).

Here's the new swordsman in context:





I think this new model works better with the Novator, but I'm still a little unsure about two figures on the same base.

Right now I'm much more excited about the servo drone:



I could even add a second one:


I worry it could be distracting that the drones and the chair use the same exact blood angel wing bit. But maybe that just shows how much the Novator insists on his artisans staying on brand and hammering home that motif .

If I do use the drone(s) then I would mount the fencing master on his own base as a crusader who will accompany the Novator.

And finally some assorted detail shots:







Thanks! I hope it won't be as long before my next update. I'm dying to prime this thing and will probably do that very soon.

New fencing master does look better on the base than the old one, but the drone(s) feel right. Having the same wings works to tie them together, no issues there.

Novator himself looks great, and eyebrows are a nice touch

Nice work on the eyebrows!

Agree that the new fencing master works better on the base than the last one... but my vote has to be for the servo-skull(s) as well.

Servo-skulls all the way. Each one carrying a hideous rotary-saw powersword or other weapon larger than itself....

Then definitely do the "cyberpunk blind swordsman" thing with the fencing master, on his own base.

Thanks!

I've decided to make the swordsman his own model and combine the servo-drones with the Novator.

So I've added a lot more detail to the masked drone, including more dangling cables and fiddly little claws. I'm pretty happy with the claws! They're made from the hooks at the end of chains that come with the talos, combined with tiny drug injectors from the talos. I was worried at first that the clawed legs made the drone look too cute (like a baby bird) but my wife has assured me it's not cute at all and is in fact scary and disgusting, which sounds good to me:



As you can see the drone is mounted on a stand-alone base. But don't worry, it's magnetized, and will be able to be used as both an individual model and as part of the novator:





I've tried to disguise the magnet join by having the cable curl back away from the Novator's shoulder, making it clear that the drone is not hard-wired, only circling, ready to strike should the need arise. I think paint will help make that more clear.

I'm finding myself much less excited about the second drone, and although I like the idea of framing the Novator, I am starting to think it's too much, and the composition might be better with just the Novator and the bird-mask drone.

---

And finally, some fluff. I've been thinking about the background of my household and its "head" Navigator. I can never decide on names, so these are very subject to change:

The house of Merz-Trismegistus is a wealthy but highly unusual household. Technically they are a splinter-house, who sheared off from the larger house Alcatani almost 200 standard years ago. The precise origin of the feud between this sub-branch and the larger family is unknown, but the increasingly erratic and monomaniacal attitude of Beacon-Scryer first class Constantine Camaqura Merz-Trismegistus was doubtless to blame. With his closest relatives, most loyal retainers, and a small fleet of voidships carrying a trove of valued techno artifacts and other wealth, Constantine turned and fled into the deep warp. Over the years his unique mutation, a result of controlled recursive inbreeding and (alleged) forbidden gene-hacking (and some would go so far as to allege warp-taint) has caused his already prodigious brain and head to grow beyond even typical monstrous Alcatani proportions. The enormous growth of his cerebral and aether-occhial tissue has given him unparalleled warp navigation abilities, and undoubtedly driven him mad.

For decades the new splinter-house behaved much as a typical wandering nomad house, earning lucrative contracts and recruiting a sizable military support staff. But Constantine has turned the household away from mundane warp-navigation, for he believes that his unique ability to decipher and predict the fractal tesselation of the warp-flow allows him to steer much more than ships through space-time; he aims to steer the fate of the galaxy itself. Dubbing himself Novator Omphalescent, Aether Prophet, Beacon-Scryer, Genetosire, and Supreme Tidal Maester, Constantine has recalled his progeny from their steersman contracts throughout the sectors, and now musters his family and their irregular forces for unknown purposes.

It is often thought that the character and temperament of a Navigator matriarch or patriarch will bleed across psychogenetic lines and influence their descendants. This seems to be the case with Merz-Trismegistus, as the Nobilite of the house turn ever more mysterious and hostile, donning their ancient protective void suits and arming themselves for war. Surely such an ancient and powerful patriarch must have a good reason to not only prepare for war, but to put himself and his family in harms-way and even step foot (or throne-foot in his case) on a planet’s surface.

I think your better of with just the one drone, he does seem better balanced that way. I really enjoyed the background as well, great stuff.

Really enjoyed the background.

I'd keep one drone only as well.

how I missed this thread is beyond me. The level of character in these models is fantastic. Not to mention that your Navigator is a one of a kind marvel! Fantastic work!

qoute " Constantine Camaqura Merz-Trismegistus" his name is almost as big as his head ;-)


This model is just amazing , such a great concept that you have pulled of with aplomb. i am glad you are putting the sword master on a separate base too , the navigator model needs little else on his base imo , having said that flying servo skull works well and its cool that its magnetised . you must be aching to paint it by now.

Thanks!

I figure navigators, like all nobility, would be obsessed with heritage and titles and have ridiculously long names. My two main inspirations were the massive head of Constantine in the Capitoline museum in Rome and the great Buddha at Kamakura, Japan, hence the name.

Merz is a reference to Kurt Schwitters, master collagist and a graphic designer, and Trismegistus is from Hermes Trismegistus (or thrice great in greek), a fusion of Hermes and Thoth that medieval Alchemists worshipped as the father of alchemy and esoteric knowledge.

You're right Neil, I am totally dying to paint it but it's 77% humidity and 83°F here in Chicago and I'm so afraid of having a primer disaster. The internet tells me that I need below 65% humidity to prime. It's supposed to be this humid for at least a week so I may have to try spray priming inside ...

Primed! I sprayed indoors in my basement and thankfully the primer worked perfectly. Grey with a light dusting of white from above.



It's so incredibly satisfying finally seeing all the disparate parts brought together. Some of the texture on the face is stronger than I intended it to be, but I think when painted I can sell it as craggy old gross skin.

Now to work out a color scheme. I'm not sure if I should try to play-up the idea that the navigator and his throne are one (by painting his body armor and facemask the same as the throne) or use the color scheme to make it more clear where the man ends and the throne begins. Hmm ...

Cara Delevingne called and wants her wicked eyebrows back

lolololol


But seriously, great, great sculpt and coonversion. That models oozes grimdark nastiness.

I've jumped right in and started painting, despite not having an overall plan for a color scheme. I've spent most of my time on the face, the part I was most excited about painting, and of course the most important focal point.

I'm happy with the skin so far and although the photo is pretty blown out there's already a lot of depth from green and red glazes. Next up will be some bluish purple glazing around the eyes I think.



I'm not sure where I'm going with the color of the throne and armor/mask. Right now it's just roughly washed and dry brushed as an under-painting. One option is to highlight the grayish color up to an astronaut style white. Or I may wash and glaze it with a light turquoise, pale green, or blue — something reminiscent of medical equipment. Or maybe I need more contrast between the skin and everything else and need to go with a much darker color. So many options!


One of these days I'll finish the abhumans. At least I finally managed a clearer picture of them.

I think a dark silver for the chair, and a lighter astronaut white for the body armour.

I reckon you gotta go bronze on the throne. Can't decide on the outfit but i imagine you'd want to tie it in to the other models' schemes, although the colours he has on him at the moment look a bit off. a lighter turquoise might be cool

I've had some free time this past week and have been furiously painting Constantine the Mad (still note sure about that name). It's been a while since I've painted and I forgot how fun it can be! And so much faster than scratch-building.

I've been trying some new approaches. As always, I've been working out the color scheme as I go, which has resulted in lots of overpainting, and the resulting unexpected variations which I like. Unfortunately I haven't documented the process much, only this crude snapshot a few days ago:



There you can see the beginnings of a turquoise armor color and some built-up skin.

Since then I've done a lot of work and now he looks like this:









I'm very happy with how he's coming together, although I regret a recent rust color wash that I applied a bit too liberally, killing some of the jewel-like luster I had going. In addition to lots of washes with ink and paint mixtures, I've been using tons of Lahmian Medium, my new favorite paint. For example, I realized I had gone overboard with dark washes on the skin, so did a series of glazes of Lahmian Medium with just a drop of white or bleached bone. This both smoothed out everything and created a really subtle depth like real skin has. Similarly I painted the chevrons on the hood while it was a mustard color, then followed that with glazes of medium tinted with a drop each of bleached bone and space wolf grey, resulting in the soft worn cloth feeling with lots of subtle variation.

My big question at this point is the relationship of his hood to his robe; are they clashing? I think both colors work with the armor, but maybe don't work with each other. I could tint the hood slightly green to make them match more, or I could just make it a bit darker instead. Or maybe the robe is the problem? I'm also thinking of adding a faded all-over print to the robe but am not sure of what type of pattern I can pull off. I'm also not sure about the patterns on the chair's shoulder-shields, and the drone is a total mess, randomly painted with leftover washes. It may get a white face-plate at the least.