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Hello hello Dakka,

As you can most likely tell from the post count (aren't they such useful things?) I'm new here, first thread and all that gubbins

Anyway, as a long time guard collector- with the occasional flirtation with the inquisition- with a taste for the unusual I figured it was high time for me to give the Tallarn a go, simply because the models are so quintessentially 90's I couldn't resist despite the ridiculous price tag.

The aim of this project is to have an army reflecting only a tiny part of a much larger combined arms force in the form of a good old fashioned Imperial Crusade. I'm also going for a rather retro feel in both the colours and mini's so expect to see plenty of priests, horrendously impractical and oversized weapons, cherubs, flags and purple.

That's enough yabbering from me for the time being, so here are a couple of pics of what I've accomplished so far.


This was the test mini, scheme seemed doable and good so I carried it on...


... to the first squad, along with a priest.


WIP of Sergeant Râmadig, my counts as Bastonne.


A trio of Rough Riders

Plus, a tidbit of background for the priest:

Missionary Tal'Madig first stumbled across the 117th Tallarn during the Jyria Worlds Crusade. At first the ageing Missionary was hesitant about his assignment to the regiment more out of personal pride than the customs and practices of the regiment itself, inwardly feeling that his long and illustrious service in the Ecclesiarchy had at least earned him assignment to one of the more renowned regiments that were present amongst the crusading Imperials.

Tal'Madig slowly adjusted to his posting, attending his duties with an obvious fading zeal. His opinion was soon changed however, during the third push for Shalya Ridge. The 117th's first combat action during the crusade. Despite the 117th's unwillingness to face the enemy head on, preferring swift hit and run tactics that were ruthlessly effective under the inspired leadership of Abdul Al'rahem, great grandson a score over of the legendary Captain Al'rahem of the 3rd Tallarn. Tal'Madig witnessed many a heroic deed that day, enough to stir the fires of faith from deep within his jaded old heart.

The Priest has since fought side to side and indeed back to back with some of the regiments greatest heroes, their names and deeds meticulously recorded upon the pages of Tal'Madig's Chronicle of Bravery. Many a man of Thoth has thrown himself into a fanatical frenzy of destruction in order to earn a place amongst the gore flecked names of heroes past.

As you can probably tell I'm not a particularly fantastic painter (especially compared to 99.9% of the stuff I've seen on here, seriously guys... wow!) but I always want to improve. So please, slam my work with as much criticism as you can. It's the only way I'll get better.

Cheers,

Autumn

Love to see Tallarn on here, they make me very nostalgic

Your painting is pretty good but there are 3 things you can do to make a massive difference.

The biggest improvement will be how you do eyes. This may sound like an odd way of doing it, but try painting over one like this to see how it works...

First, paint the whole eye black. Once dry, get a very sharp, pointed brush and put a tiny bit of skull white that is at least 40% water mix on the brush. Next, dab it into the corners of the eye (left and right). Try and make the sizes as even as possible and make them very small (you can always make them larger if you feel they are too small, but if you make them too big you have to paint over them and start again). This has a few benefits - first it takes away the tiny pupils 'crazy eyes' look that your models have at the moment. Second, the black lining left around the edges of the eye gives the eyes much more depth and character.

Second thing you could to to improve would be to add a few more layers of highlighting/drybrushing to your bases to give them more depth. Brighter bases will enhance the texture, making the models pop more by contrast. Possibly even change the base rim colour from grey to black as the grey kind of blends with the grey in the uniforms a bit and washes out contrast from the minis.

Finally, when doing black ink on books, thin it out or just use badab black wash - what you have there is too heavy and dark in my opinion.

I hope nothing here is taken as offense, they all look pretty good but in my opinion those changes will make them look very good.

Thanks for you criticism legoburner. Eyes have always scared me, however I'm going to try your technique on the next batch of guys I get through, as for the bases, I'll highlight them up again and change the rims I think. I've looked at some other cityfight mini's with black bases and the effect works really quite well .

The boots aren't badab black washed, it's actually chesnut ink over bestial brown, a technique I've used to create leather effects for donkeys years. Unfortunately, they come out dark and drab in pictures, but when viewed for real they look much brighter.

Nothing you said was taken as offence bud, the only way you get better is to have people point out where you're lacking .

Now, updates...

Incoming!

One Master of Ordinance here for you, one of my more... individual ideas









Wanting to add a little more of a crusadey/combined arms feel to the army I figured that the regimental advisor's offered me the perfect opportunity to incorporate knightly looking guardsmen in the guise of an attached regiment, thus Grand Officer of Ordinance Ferdinand Alfonso and the 142nd Calabrian Artillery Regiment was born.

Grand Officer of Ordinance Ferdinand Alfonso of the 142nd Calabrian Artillery was attached to the 117th Tallarn in the opening stages of the Jyria Worlds Crusade due to the overwhelming need for coordinated artillery support to assist the 117th, who lacked any artillery pieces of their own because of their battle doctrine, during their operations.

Alfonso has spent the majority of his time working alongside Major Jiral'iz and Captain Abdul Al'rahem of the renowned house Al'rahem as a part of the regiments 11th company where his expert application of the immense firepower of the 142nd Calabrian's ordinance has saved the company from total annihilation on a dozen worlds. His service has not gone unnoticed by his comrades, whom honoured him by ceremonially re-dying the plumes of the right shoulder of his battle dress to the trademark deep purple of their regiment.

Like all Calabrian's Alfonso is a bear of a man, his size a product or Calabria's high gravity (and a little meddling with growth hormones pumped into the water of Calibria by the Adeptus Mechanicus). Standing head and shoulders above his Tallarn comrades even without his armour, the sight of Aflonso in full battle dress is truly remarkable. The peak of his enormous battle helm, which contains stack upon stack of intricate range-finding, sensors and targeting arrays, at least matches, if not exceeds the height of the mighty Space Marines. He wields his mighty broadsword single handedly with contemptuous ease whilst pumping out shots from his bulky MKVII Calibria Pattern Laspistol. All the while directing the Emperors holy fury upon His enemies.



Here we have a very much WIP Tallarnised version of Sly Marbo. (note that since this pic was taken, the grenade resting unfeasably on his leg has been removed )

C&C welcome as always,

Autumn