The Shattered Heart Warband. Make it louder.

[BrotherJim]

I'm totally flattered and humbled krauty I'm a big fan of your work. Thanks for taking the time to critique.

 

I definitely intend to repaint the BL, they're only half done. I get a little anxious about what colours or techniques to use.

I don't really enjoy line edge highlighting, so the drybrushing is working well for now.

 

The plague marines are boosting my confidence. I would like to have the thread duplicated, or maybe I will start another one in the WIP section.

 

Either way I do really feel like I've got it right this time. I'm seriously considering getting a loan and buying up as many kits as I can and stock piling them!

 

Thanks again for the comment. I'm zoned in on finishing my vow, but once I'm done I will un-pack the army, and the conversions and stories too.

[BrotherJim]

 

Oh man I'm really getting tired of seeing my miniatures in the ETL thread. I think when I update from my phone my concious mind isn't even present.

 

I'm going to calm it down. On Sunday I want to take some time and go through the thread and make proper replys to all the great comments so far. Rather than just saying thanks and moving on. I think it's worth taking the time to do this thing right. I just had lots of stuff to post I wanted to get out.

 

But in the mean time I'll just keep spamming from my phone. I have a puesdo tutorial coming up. I've reached the point where I always move on. Krauty's comment is well timed. Last week I painted the first three, but I ran out of brown paint, so I got distracted building.

 

This week I've started on the next three with the intention of finishing the other three while I'm at it. Problem is, I have no idea what to do next. Maybe the eyes and the weapons? I could also highlight the silver and bronze?

Battle damage? Weathering effects?

 

It's been so long since I've finished a miniature

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/13640F88-242D-471F-AABA-F87D5482E6F1_zps89rsajex.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/A9BD740B-3270-4828-B7BA-3499165C3FA1_zps47dmx6sf.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/6BFCEF85-E08D-47C9-93EB-C6C86F33CD00_zpsd3nh4xdz.jpg

 

 

I feel they are a step above my black legion, so I'm already winning ;)

[BrotherJim]

Actually I still need to go over him with my size 00 brush and get all those little spots I missed, especially the face. Also I need to line in some black shadows and wash the bases...

 

The photos really help. He's MASSIVE!

[KrautScientist]

Well, I think you're off to a great start with those Plague Marines, as most of the colour you need is already there! My personal take would be to now add some rust to the models in order to bring it all together. I always use very thinned down red brown (Vermin Brown, actually) and selectively paint it into the recesses. Once the water dries, the remaining pigment ends up looking like pretty authentic rust. I think that would be a pretty good next step to take.

[BrotherJim]

Thanks krauty, I tried as you suggested and it worked a treat. It was on the tip of my tounge, thanks for pushing me over the edge! (So to speak)

 

I don't have vermin brown though, so I had to mix up some mournfang brown and troll slayer orange. I think I went a bit over the top, and the mix was too thick also. Oh well :)

 

I stayed up too late, so I'll just post my progress and come back and ramble more tomorrow.

 

Got three dudes done and started Diagon. I was attempting his eyes when I noticed a stray hair (probably from the drybrushing.) I instinctively took my knife and tried to flick it off, but it kinda got messy. It's a shame. Oh well.

 

The photos will help me figure it out.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/DEEB4CF6-B4BF-4A23-B411-CDA03A1737DE_zpsgft0bec7.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/57C77EA6-BEBE-49C6-A0BD-BB64A0FF06E6_zpsoktjgikb.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/B7CE31B8-0FEB-4F30-B55A-11146A572020_zpswm7xoabc.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/2F28A248-97CA-4A66-A81B-282D19FAF812_zpsinbtmmgp.jpg

[BrotherJim]

I applied a wash and prepared the sacred rust

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/96F99214-29CD-4D0C-B184-19F52B04D524_zps6uoh2frs.jpg

[Midnightmare]

These are looking really good Jim, the rust really helps take them up a notch too :tu:

 

I know I have said it before, but the he palette you use and the style of conversions is really Blanche-esque. I like be the use of the faceplates on the pauldron; something I hope you don't mind me borrowing in the future B)

[KrautScientist]

These are really looking excellent, Jim! Very nice work! One small suggestion, if I may: For the guy with the bare head, give his head a liberal wash with Ogryn Flesh/Reikland Fleshshade, then add another, selective wash of red and purple to the recesses for some quick and pretty convincing pale/distressed skin -- actually, you can use a similar approach for every "fleshy" part that needs to look suitably organic and slightly icky.

Keep up the excellent work!

[BrotherJim]

Thanks for the comments i'll reply sometime after lunch, I'm really honored.

 

I'm going to take this afternoon off and just relax. I want to sit down and catch up on the etl thread(s) and get inspired and plan out some things. If it takes me one week to complete a unit and I buy one unit every week than I should be finished this quest some time around the year c.027.M40

 

But i think I have a good plan to carry me through the next 6 months at least, and to help me practice my brush work. 

 

had a request for a tutorial on how i make the sprouts. they are super easy.

 

I'll update my wip (perhaps on the weekend) with a puesdo tutorial. But for now I can give you some quick instructions.

If you look at my WIP you'll see I haven't sculpted them at all! They are just lengths of plastic round sticks that I have hollowed out! Easy peasy.

Basically

1. Use your clippers to cut some 2mm tube into roughly 5mm lengths (as short as you can manage to hold and drill out. It's essential you use your clippers as they will pinch the tube forming a V or cone shape.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/00121141-A1D0-499C-8D4D-9C84B93C9178_zpsnjaexgpl.jpg

2. Use your hobby knife to clean the square end/messy end of the tube (or files work too but I often end up dropping them) Using your knife you can just hold them down on your bench and tidy the end up.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/CF23E7DA-3838-4A8C-8F66-033A6EEDDE3C_zpsjmuzgsh3.jpg

3. Drill out the tube with a 1mm bit.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/F62B35F3-94DA-4D8F-8DA9-1711673F0D2A_zpsfgaxzgmt.jpg

 

4. Roll up some greenstuff

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/7984BE0A-0F29-439B-9D72-051323FF3999_zpsu48cqkdn.jpg

5. Place green stuff with sculpting tubes, tidy.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/F6C09F5A-9E77-4386-B29D-C298619BE458_zps5tqzmzez.jpg

6. Place sprouts with tweezers

7. Poke, prod, push and pull until they look right proper

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/AA400FF8-E7DD-42DF-BA30-852BE833DCF7_zpsykbzdeda.jpg

 

 

8. Drown in superglue/plastic glue.
 

I'm in the same boat with my dreadnought. I might try experimenting with thicker tubes, or just outright tubes, that don't need to be drilled out.

The main thing that I have realised is, to embrace chaos. Like Mother Nature you need to spam out as many different variations on the theme as possible.

For example don't fret if - the holes are perfectly centred, too deep, too shallow, different length bits, different angle cuts etc etc all of this things are to be embraced and encouraged.

The last step is to take your hobby knife and run around the inside of the tube. Widening it out and creating the illusion that they are not perfect round tubes.

[BrotherJim]

Just some other progress while i think about it

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/D9C45802-AD91-4AA2-917C-7C9267E1BB40_zpsuwdxp92t.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/C15A6773-B742-489C-A96F-49DEB1977F97_zpseqd2ee3x.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/087EE4E6-D9A8-449A-A66F-597313575AAC_zpstzcs2q4z.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/B664C5FF-C8A2-484D-A794-D4DD4472E14B_zps27lxsat7.jpg

[BrotherJim]

Spurred on by the fraters comments, our hero decides to tempt fate

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/784BBFE2-60CD-436C-A75E-9425ECFEB42B_zpsfa833ull.jpg

[KrautScientist]

The conversions are pure gold once again! I really love the sinister looking cowl on the latest guy, and those Verminlord Horns just work so well on that Dreadnought!

 

Regarding the painting, I think the latest group picture shows that you are really knocking it out of the part with those Plague Marines, and they are really looking great as a group. Seeing them assembled like that, I think the dark grey rock of their bases could definitely do with a contrasting light drybrush (white would do nicely). See, i'm just a nitpicker like that... ;)

[BrotherJim]

These are really looking excellent, Jim! Very nice work! One small suggestion, if I may: For the guy with the bare head, give his head a liberal wash with Ogryn Flesh/Reikland Fleshshade, then add another, selective wash of red and purple to the recesses for some quick and pretty convincing pale/distressed skin -- actually, you can use a similar approach for every "fleshy" part that needs to look suitably organic and slightly icky.

 

Keep up the excellent work! :)

 

I'm just sitting down to try this now, when you say liberal, do you mean straight from the bottle? I always thin my washes and paint with magic water (water + Acrylic medium.) I did wash that guys face, but it was so thin it just ran right off. I don't really have a recipe for faces at all. I'll normally just paint rakarath(sp?) flesh and then apply various washes. It's really telling on my Black Legion -> I have no idea! I just basecoat and wash.

Do you have a basic recipe for white skin you could share? I want them to look quite ghostly and pale.

 

.

These are looking really good Jim, the rust really helps take them up a notch too :tu:

I know I have said it before, but the he palette you use and the style of conversions is really Blanche-esque. I like be the use of the faceplates on the pauldron; something I hope you don't mind me borrowing in the future B)

 

Thanks matey this is a really great comment, probably the best compliment I have been given. It depends on your perspective I suppose. Lucky for me I used to owned second edition (I was 9) and Necromunda. So I love Blanche's work, he and Jes are my heroes, I don't know how else to say it. Growing up we were really lucky, a friend of mine used to collect white dwarf and we would read it cover to cover and count down the days until next month. So I know a little bit about everything, and not much about anything:)

 

Later I got lucky and inherited all of Jacobs stuff when he moved out. It was glorious. I think I ended buying assault on black reach, so it was around that era. From when I was 9 until 15 I was big into the hobby, and then I didn't get back to it until around 5th edition when I was 25. Then I got lucky again and picked up a massive lot of free white dwarfs from the BSS. Honestly man, these magazines just keep coming back to me!

 

But anyway I'm getting distracted, I'll dig through some other comments and ramble at you all, to help me build some enthusiasm for the weekend. I'm going to do the rhinos and the dreadnought, maybe the cultist in the background. Then I'll be one step closer to my vow.

 

I wanted to say thanks to everyone, it's probably too soon to celebrate, but the thread and army has really taken on a life of its own, since I started posting here. Thanks to everyone's support and feedback the army has really accelerated to a place I didn't expect it to go. The mini's look great! I'm totally wrapped. I don't even know how I did it? Where did Diagon come from? Who painted him? I'm in shock.

So thanks buds. I'm wrapped.

 

The creepy cowling seems to have dried ok. I was worried gravity would down its thing and pull the hood down. But everything seems ok. If anything I overcompensated too much, and the hood seems unnatural in its openness. It was a really fun covers ions and conveys all kinds of unexpected concepts. I like that it's a puesdo "physic hood." I also like that the end bits that hang down, kinda wrap around his body similar to the cabling on regular librarians. I wanted it to look wind blown and a little OTT. It gives off the obvious grim reaper vibes, but with the re-breather and tentacle like folds, I'm kinda getting more underwater sea creature, octopus type vibes. So I have decided to call him Octavius. Because he is the first of his line (I don't have time for Roman history tonight, but I'll look more into it later.)

 

He's friends call him Octacon. He and Diagon form two sides of the same coin.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/0A4C8CB8-F959-4350-8494-83E2B8FE8A73_zpsipwg0jcv.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/6C115908-D7C7-491A-A689-7B5B0AF6908F_zps9lgrlzch.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/407A29C1-2A27-4EEF-8C73-7DB588F7B68A_zpsqikrsopc.jpg

 

I actually think it's a little too pronounced. The real deliema will be what colour to paint it? You can see a tried a black hood earlier, but it's not really working out for me. I might go back to dark great and then wash it. Or I might go with bone white like I always do my tabards/cloth.

 

Anyway I'm practicing hoodies on dem cultist. They're really fun as you can just pop them right off and try again.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/E1A11EF7-2DDB-43E6-8398-0B676138A773_zpss23oba5y.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/96D90D0D-07C7-4F47-A1D5-F87DD0EDEB14_zps4nuo5nnq.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/5F23FD2A-999D-466B-A598-545FA794C43E_zpsmenq5clg.jpg

 

 

Really not sure if I like Octacon's one or not. Octavius Noxious the First. High King of Death.

[BrotherJim]

Feel free to borrow any ideas that you like!

 

Could someone teach me how to use the spoiler function?

 

[Pearson73]

Those hoods are looking great, nice idea.

[BrotherJim]

Cheers man :) I just tried my second attempt, I think I like this one more

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/B228D4CD-2A8E-4844-8592-6D42C036AF16_zps1jo1kaly.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/E15C51E7-66B1-4DC5-8FC6-1787046A0434_zpsctusumb9.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/A346EF39-E27A-41CA-9DC8-C6B495E4F60D_zpsfekoothy.jpg

 

It's more wizardy and less squidy than the last. Fortunately I had only applied his head with a small amount of green stuff so it came away fairly easily. (By accident)

 

It's good we have the ETL or I would just sculpt hoods for the rest of my life. I need one of those glass isolation jars so I will stop tinker with it. Maybe I'll use my brush holder.

[Slave to Darkness]

That a great idea putting hoods on the Cultists, deffo stealing that idea. Might even do it on my Cypher conversion to make it look a bit more sinister.

[BrotherJim]

Thanks mate, eventually they will have converted backpack and rebreathers, icons and what not. Probably not for the etl though. I'll just paint them up

[Kierdale]

That's some fine, fine work!

The hoods are excellent.

[KrautScientist]

Love the hooded culstists and the new hood for the Lord (although the old one would already have worked for me). What I think is really awesome is how you use those backpacks as an actual part of the model's overall look and feel, and I have never seen it done to this degree (and quite so successfully, I might add). The fact that the look is really close to all that fantastic artwork from the 3.5 Codex is an extra bonus, of course.

These are really looking excellent, Jim! Very nice work! One small suggestion, if I may: For the guy with the bare head, give his head a liberal wash with Ogryn Flesh/Reikland Fleshshade, then add another, selective wash of red and purple to the recesses for some quick and pretty convincing pale/distressed skin -- actually, you can use a similar approach for every "fleshy" part that needs to look suitably organic and slightly icky.

Keep up the excellent work!

I'm just sitting down to try this now, when you say liberal, do you mean straight from the bottle? I always thin my washes and paint with magic water (water + Acrylic medium.) I did wash that guys face, but it was so thin it just ran right off. I don't really have a recipe for faces at all. I'll normally just paint rakarath(sp?) flesh and then apply various washes. It's really telling on my Black Legion -> I have no idea! I just basecoat and wash.
Do you have a basic recipe for white skin you could share? I want them to look quite ghostly and pale.

Yeah, definitely directly from the pot -- I actually use most of my washes that way, unless i want the effect to be really subtle. You can always carefully remove excess wash with a brush, after all, or keep shifting it across the model with your brush.

Anyway, my simple (and pretty effective, if I do say so myself) recipe for pale and somewhat sickly skin goes like this:

- black undercoat

- basecoat using Rakarth Flash

- wash liberally (!) with Ogryn Flesh/Reikland Fleshshade

- when everything is nice and dry, add highlights with the original Rakarth Flesh on the most prominent features (noses, eye brows, lips, that kind of thing)- if you

want the highlights to be even more pronounced, repeat the last step with Pallid Wych Flesh

- selectively paint Druchii Violet and/or Carroburg Crimson into the recesses/around augmetic implants/inside the eye sockets/... for a somewhat unhealthy and distressed look.

If you want an even paler complexion than this will give you, just exchange Rakarth Flesh with an even paler colour (Pallid Wych Flesh should do the trick).

Hope this helps! :)

[BrotherJim]

Thanks for the comments and info chaps! As ever I will return to them when I'm not so caught up in the swing of things :)

 

I took a week off painting, I even told myself I would take a week off the hobby! Hah! This week has been kinda turbulent RW wise. Hopefully everything will be settled by next week.

 

I finished reading The First Heretic and now I am reading Know No Fear. Holy crap what a book! I'm going to read Betrayer again when I'm done and probably build up my demon prince.

 

I have built the Posssesed marines for my Black Legion warband. Krauty's comment caused me to realised I don't have my copy of the 3.5 Dex here atm, it must be at my mums place. Which sucks.

 

I had fun with the build and probably took too many photos. I think I saw something similar in thamier's bale fire legion thread. I don't steal people's ideas consciously, but they seep in and manifest at the appropriate hour. :)

 

I wanted to take photos of every step and show them all in the order they happened. But I missed a few steps, and dallied too long on others. Either way it was fun and I hope you like em.

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/22C5BA15-DF97-4190-8F44-B6827EB82598_zpsjwegeicj.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/6BA391DD-455E-46BB-B44D-EC27383620A2_zpsbcdb1hu4.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/38B15EEB-1CC1-40C5-A63F-4BB85CC05A0D_zps3kfrlain.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/53D6A55D-0D3A-48B5-8E57-C54AD9BCACE5_zpswqyiuhdl.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/C4341F87-044B-468C-829C-AFCB88F82365_zpsynwlt7es.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/E8DAF5F8-554B-4AFE-B139-224C5E527CA0_zpsfcv8ycq7.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/CF792762-9A8F-4B46-B0ED-DB34E4104F75_zpse8nlxkrh.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/5EA457C5-748E-4940-8FC4-8D856AB95AC3_zpslufpclzd.jpg

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/D1FC7883-EB79-402A-8DCE-F99704CFF7C6_zpstjof6lao.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/4014E30A-6463-4406-AFE0-8F740DB9B755_zpsq9habaoh.jpg

[BrotherJim]

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/8BB55D64-B9EE-44EC-84DD-C2142A1EB222_zpsbmpr8vnj.jpg

 

 

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y400/jimbo196/1D824C53-D100-4152-83C6-1C8FCF16EAAB_zpssuwruol8.jpg

 

I tried to tone down the squad as much as possible. I wanted a bit more asymmetry as possible. Seeing as the champ type is so symmetrical. Largely just cutting away unnessesary stuff and pinning elbows as well as shoulders. I few sneaky swaps here and there. I like the more regular helmets with the open jaw vibe, I will attempt to make my own with the chaos helms I've used.

 

I'm just waiting on the milliput in their waist to dry. I might look at my termies. I'll smash out as much of my vow as I can tomorrow so I can get back to the black legion asap.

 

Cheers! Comments critiques welcome!

[KrautScientist]

I'll probably be in the minority here, but I really like the use of that old bare berzerker head on the champ!

The pose of the model is also really cool -- quite a bit better than what you get with the stock Possessed parts, if you ask me.

[Warsmith Uveron]

They Look fantastic, I +1 the comments made by KrautScientist about the old Berzerker head, its a great bit and looks fanatastic in this unit. The quality of your work is fantastic, from the complete home-brew sculpts to the alterations to kits like the possessed one.. Fantastic! 

 

My only issue with the possessed is the wings on the backpacks, they can look cool on some models. I just dislike them on possessed as they are not jump troops. 

[Pearson73]

Nice readjustments with the possessed, they look great.