Drug-Crazed Psychic Vampire Space Elves & Other Strangeness

[Calyptra]

Smashing stuff. Some of these models take me WAY back. Extra points for the outdated fighting against Change irony.

 

Do you favour any particular Chapters or types of Chapter? Based off the Griffons it seems you might have a penchant for the more obscure? Or were they more just to challenge your painting skills maybe...

 

I like diversity.

 

I like almost all the "main" Marine Chapters, but for well over two decades it's felt like Games Workshop was trying to force not just Space Marines in general down my throat, but the same dozen or so Chapters of Space Marines. Dark Angels and Ultramarines and Salamanders are cool, but I'm a lot more interested in Chapters that I haven't been getting clubbed over the head with for 27 years.

 

In terms of setting, if you supposedly have 1000 Chapters, but only twelve of them ever actually do anything, it makes your universe very small.

 

In terms of game experience, I love seeing radically different armies; it's a big part of the appeal of the hobby for me. If everybody plays the same army, it diminishes my game experience. If everybody plays the same army painted the same way, it diminished my experience even further.

 

I'm also tired of the Horus Heresy, for the same reasons. I would like to maybe please talk about a different war for a change.

 

So I love things like the Gothic War and the Badab War. A few weeks back I saw somebody playing a Carcharadons army, and it made me so happy that I may have literally jumped up and down.

 

I feel like if I picked up one of my old 40k books and threw a dart at it, I would probably hit some little compelling, mysterious bit of lore that I would very much like to know more about. Meanwhile, GW is still going on about Ultramarines.

 

 

On a related note, you know that moment when you realize the models you're playing with, which you purchased when they were new, are physically older than your opponent? I'm kind of used to it when I play with some of my Rogue Trader stuff; I was not prepared to have that experience with my Wyches recently.

 

In other news, here's a Mandrake.

 

http://i.imgur.com/NRSBg9P.jpg

 

 

Personal stuff:

I was going to put this in my previous post, but it was late and I was tired.

 

I make my living as a circus or vaudeville performer. Functionally, this means I'm a self-employed independent contractor, and I travel a lot (mostly around New England, occasionally further). I'm a member of the Boston Circus Guild and I co-founded a small troupe. I get booked for corporate events, private parties, town fairs, civic functions, weddings, etc, as well as doing shows. My taxes are a nightmare. I am occasionally able to pay my rent on time.

 

I do what's called object manipulation, which includes juggling, contact juggling, and things like poi and rope dart. I do fire performance, which is basically just lighting most of those objects on fire, plus fire eating and breathing. And I do sideshow, which is things like glasswalking, straitjacket escapes, and the human blockhead.

 

Here are some photos of me at work.

 

http://i.imgur.com/eVCjO6M.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/xFxbGb1.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/nI0Bn61.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/gRxIDUC.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/JgSu2zD.jpg

 

(Since I don't think there's a watermark, those two pictures are by Miles Boyer Photography.)

 

http://i.imgur.com/aHOMRua.jpg

 

If this is something people would like to see more of, I'm happy to make a habit out of an occasional spoiler button full of circus at the bottom of my posts.

[Draakur]

Can understand your standpoint on many of these things. Thanks for your answers.

 

Does your troupe wear a specific set of uniform colours? And if so, are we likely to see them brought to (from?) life in Harlequin form?

[GrandMagnus]

Cool photos man! 

 

Also, I totally understand your feeling about the chapters, I love seeing armies painted in lesser known colours.

[ONDIG]

Having alot off mixed emotions right now .On the one hand your fantastic brush werk is an inspiration especially on the Harlequins! On the other it just further my resolve to cut my losses w/ the BS Wych cult I've been feebly assembling....I just Primed (reprimed) the Raiders +Venom and was considering giving it another go but after seeing this maybe I'll just stick to painting Marines black!

I'm glad you decided to share your werks srsly some amazing technique !

[Calyptra]

Having alot off mixed emotions right now .On the one hand your fantastic brush werk is an inspiration especially on the Harlequins! On the other it just further my resolve to cut my losses w/ the BS Wych cult I've been feebly assembling....I just Primed (reprimed) the Raiders +Venom and was considering giving it another go but after seeing this maybe I'll just stick to painting Marines black!

I'm glad you decided to share your werks srsly some amazing technique !

 

Nooooo... The gaming tables of the world need more than just Marines.

 

(And thank you.)

 

Update!

 

My classic Haemonculus conversion has stalled. I spent several hours trying various methods of sculpting vertebrae tentacles for her, and wasn't happy with anything I came up with. Going through my bits boxes again, I realized that the tails of the old skeleton horses are actually perfect. Progress! Unfortunately, I only had two, so my options were to either cast more or to try to get one of the old Tomb Kings cavalry kits. I opted for the former. I built a 2-part press mold, and while using a c-clamp to pack it worked well, none of the materials I've tried so far have had the rigidity I need, so I did some research and have ordered some milliput (as it was significantly cheaper than Magic Sculpt).

 

All of this was a lot of hours of work with absolutely nothing to show for it, so I got frustrated and painted some Dire Avengers.

 

I decided on the Knights Azure for their shrine because it seemed particularly Alaitocy (Alaitocish?). I also wanted to keep the blue dark to contrast with the helmets, but I'm worried that as a result the yellow overpowers the composition. I've decided to wait and see how much it bothers me before I go back and change it. (Also, the blending on the middle Avenger's helmet is garbage, so I'll need to go back with some glazes and fix that.)

 

http://i.imgur.com/t8dTcQf.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/NYQ5KxL.jpg

 

And the Exarch.

 

http://i.imgur.com/hJtuXsw.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/enY4dZA.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/K6OoEik.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/fwsBylr.jpg

 

His aspect rune came out a little wonky. I'm hoping I can live with it.

[Calyptra]

*crickets*

 

So I, uh, painted some more Dire Avengers. Only 2 more to go, but they're going to have to wait. The Xenos Challenge is on, and I have more important Xenos to paint.

 

 

Also, here are my Mandrakes that I never quite managed to post a photo of for some reason.

 

 

That more or less catches us up. On to the Xenos Challenge!

 

My vow was a Haemonculus, a Talos, and a Cronos. My plan is to post photos every week (at least, for the duration of the challenge) of what I managed to accomplish that week. That is not a thing that I am great at, because it means sharing things before they are as good as I can make them, but it seems like a good thing to do in the context of the challenge.

 

First, action shot!

 

 

I've started with the Cronos. In the first week I've spent 9 1/2 hours painting it, which is rather less than I had wanted, because of boring real life stuff going on.

 

The Cronos is a problem in that I have not come up with a good way to hold it while painting it; there just isn't really a part that I can attach to a handle, at least in the ways I usually do that. My deeply flawed strategy is to paint it in two chunks. I'm tackling everything under the carapace first, while holding it by the carapace. When that's done, I'll varnish the bejebus out of it, and then hold the painted underside while working on the top. I'm probably going to have to apply coats of varnish while I'm working as well, to keep paint from rubbing off from the all the handling. Also, one of the spindly dorsal arrays has snapped off. I don't know what I'm going to do about that yet - I think it's probably too thin for a pin - but I've decided not to worry about it until I've finished the underside.

 

Also, the base is being a pain. I make the bases using a combination of crackle paint and green stuff, and because it's rather time consuming, I try to prepare them in advance. Flying bases in particular take a while, because of the amount of green stuff involved, and because I want to get the thing painted and varnished before gluing in the post. A while back, I discovered that sometimes, long after the base was made (and in some cases painted), the green stuff/crackle paint can start to lift off of it. I solved that problem by scoring the surface of the base before applying the layer of green stuff, but because I build the bases in advance and then drop them in a drawer for later use, I often don't know if any given base was scored or not. The Cronos's base was apparently not, because of course this has to be difficult.

 

I used a pin to shove krazy glue in between the base and the modeled surface. You can see the crack along the edge where it was lifting off, though the worst of it isn't visible in the photo. My plan is to fill that crack with green stuff (I don't want it detracting from all my intentional cracks), repaint the edge of the base, wrap the post in masking tape, and then varnish it again.

 

So here we are. I've finished the base colors, laid down various washes, and now I'm building up the midtones on the flesh. I overdid it with the purple - pain engines' organic elements are usually grown, and I want the flesh to look distinctly different from how I paint Dark Eldar skin - but I'm hoping I can fix it when I get to the glazes.

 

 

 

It's not lost on me that the organic underside of the pain engine, which I am going to spend an immense amount of time on, is not terribly visible from most angles. I haven't decided if I care yet.

[The Traitor]

The flesh is looking good, and I love how your bases look, simple yet elegant. Also very cool work-pics ;), your ramblings are interesting to read.

[Calyptra]

Also very cool work-pics , your ramblings are interesting to read.

 

Thanks! Unfortunately they were deemed not forum appropriate (which is true) by the powers that be, so I guess I won't be posting any more here. If I eventually stumble upon someplace in the interwebs where I can post them (other than Facebook), I'll put a link in my sig or something.

 

It's been another week, and I spent another 11 hours working on my Cronos. The flesh is done now, and I'm quite happy with how the subtle veining on the arms came out. I'm less happy with the vials. Because it floats (and isn't attached to its flying base post yet) I don't have much to use as a horizon line, so I'm having a lot of difficulty painting the surfaces of the liquid in the vials consistently. There's a couple that are still noticeably off. More than that, the pain engine vials are large, and I think my system for painting Covenite vials is looking a little cartoony when applied to these larger surfaces. I have some ideas for what to do about it, like more bubbles and glazing in some color variations; I'll start experimenting with them once I've gotten the remaining vials painted. I think I'm also a bit out of practice painting Covenite models, because the tubing didn't come out nearly as well as I expected. (I'm pretty sure I can live with it though.) Finally, I managed to snap off two more of the dorsal arrays by dropping it. My solution may be to just replace them entirely; if I snip them off and drill out the posts where they're glued in place, I can glue in the same parts that are leftover from my Talos. If I do that, I think the main difficulty will be getting the angles right when drilling and replacing.

 

Here's pictures.

 

 

 

 

Action shot!

 

[NightHunters]

Looks quite relaxing to me.

 

And vials really are a dog, look great in my eyes though!

[Major_Gilbear]

I'm very taken with your efforts in this thread - it's clear that you've invested a lot of effort, skill, and emotion in this project, and I think the results are stunning! :D

 

One thing that I've not yet seen explained is how you do your bases. It looks like a two-stage process with different materials... Can I ask how you do them please? :)

[Punk possum]

Hey Calyptra, long time no see, hope you are doing well. As soon as I saw the title I knew it had to be you!

Your Harlequins still make me cry for joy at the beauty of them and frustration at the how lumpen they make my efforts look just like the fist time over in the Dark City. I'm  personally very glad that Xenos are now B&C OK and even more glad to see you are posting your miniature jewels here. In fact I'm feeling inspired to post my (tawdry in comparison to yours) Space elves. 

[Calyptra]

I'm very taken with your efforts in this thread - it's clear that you've invested a lot of effort, skill, and emotion in this project, and I think the results are stunning!

 

One thing that I've not yet seen explained is how you do your bases. It looks like a two-stage process with different materials... Can I ask how you do them please?

 

Thank you!

 

I'm always happy to explain how I do a thing or make a tutorial. I show how I do the bases, and then explain how I ended up to doing them this way; I'm reasonably sure there's a better way to do this. I'm making them with green stuff and Distress crackle paint.

 

 

Score the surface of the bases.

 

 

Then cover them with a thin layer of green stuff. It doesn't matter if it's on the thicker side (and may help with retention) except that you're using up your green stuff as glue for crackle paint.

 

 

Before the green stuff has cured, cover it in crackle paint. A thicker coat will make bigger cracks, while a thinner coat will make lots of little ones.

 

 

Then leave it alone for several hours while the green stuff cures.

 

Ta-daa.

 

 

These bases are easy to make, but there are cases where they get weird.

 

Sometimes you can't pin the model to the base; models that are metal and dynamically standing on the ball of one foot are like that. In those cases I glue the model into a standard slotta base, fill any gaps in the slot with green stuff, and then follow the process above, trying not to get crackle paint on the foot. When it's fully cured, I can go in with more green stuff and sculpt or smooth out the area around where the foot meets the base as needed.

 

The Finecast Haemonculus needed to be sunk into the base a bit because of how the model was built. I still used the crackle paint, but I ended up completely covering it in green stuff; basically I used it as a template for where to put the cracks I sculpted over it.

 

Flying bases are irritating because they're not flat. I want them to be flat. The flying bases that have appeared in this log so far were done by sculpting green stuff over all the cracks along the edge, again using the crackle paint as a template. This takes forever, and I've been experimenting with other ways of flattening out flying bases.

 

So that's how I do the bases. (If you want to know how I paint them, I can explain that too.)

 

I got the idea from this tutorial:

 

http://www.chaos-dwarfs.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=11743

 

You will note that the tutorial says to use PVA glue. You will also note that PVA glue is way cheaper and easier than green stuff.

 

So here's what happened. I read the tutorial. I went out and got some crackle paint, and applied it to a PVA glue, and it fell off the base. There's a lot of contraction happening when the crackle paint dries (hence the cracking), so you have to make sure that contraction doesn't pull it off of whatever surface you've applied it to. I tried every crackle paint I could find in local stores (including some overpriced 2 part Martha Stewart garbage), and none of it worked, so I ordered the Distress stuff used in the original tutorial online. It didn't work either. Then I tried it on every PVA-type glue I owned, including wood glue and book binding glue. None of them worked, so I started trying it on other things, and green stuff worked. (When it didn't work later I realized that the green stuff needed to still be wet. And later still, when on some of the bases the whole thing started peeling off, I realized I needed to score the bases.)

 

There is, apparently, somewhere out there, a PVA glue that would make this a lot easier, but I never found it.

 

While I'm not actively testing other materials anymore, I do intend to try it with milliput.

 

Hey Calyptra, long time no see, hope you are doing well. As soon as I saw the title I knew it had to be you!

Your Harlequins still make me cry for joy at the beauty of them and frustration at the how lumpen they make my efforts look just like the fist time over in the Dark City. I'm  personally very glad that Xenos are now B&C OK and even more glad to see you are posting your miniature jewels here. In fact I'm feeling inspired to post my (tawdry in comparison to yours) Space elves. 

 

Possum!

 

Post your space elves! The world needs more space elves.

 

I love the Dark City, and I'm still posting over there, but I was seduced by Bolter & Chainsword's more active hobby forums. It's fine; I can be polyforumous. (Though I've also been lurking a lot on Yaktribe and an Oldhammer forum. If I join those too I may have to admit that I have a problem.)

[Major_Gilbear]

Thank you for the detailed explanation - I didn't think you could get such big "flakes" of the crackle medium, which is why I hadn't realised that's what you were using. I imagine it would work on any suitably smooth and slightly flexible surface that allows the medium to contract (hence the PVA), but I hadn't thought of using uncured putty. Very clever! ;)

[Corswain]

Loving the classic Eldar. And the action shots. :)

[Calyptra]

Here's my progress report for the third week of Cronos Hell the Xenos Challenge.

 

This was an incredibly busy week for me - it was the opening week of a show that I'm doing (Cirque of the Dead) - so I had very little time to paint. Also, I'm exhausted and there's still adhesive from the prosthetics in my ears. Nevertheless, stuff still happened.

 

The vials are still wonky, on account of the model not having a clear "down". I've decided to stop thinking about them until I get this thing glued to its base, at which point I'll repaint them as needed.

 

 

 

 

Action shot?

 

[Calyptra]

Another week.

 

Apparently this week I spent seven and a half hours working on the lower tentacles. They are not finished.

 

 

Action shot. (I missed a mold line.)

 

 

Happy Halloween!

[The Traitor]

I like a lot the tone you have going for the tentacles, looks like a grisly version of bone mixed with the flesh colours you painted, appropriately disturbing :P.

[Calyptra]

It's been another busy week without much time to paint, though I managed to get in another 8 hours. This means I've now spent 42 hours painting this thing. It's starting to remind me of Count Rugen's machine in The Princess Bride, which is actually extremely apt, given that it's a Cronos.

 

 

I'm kind of surprised nobody's told me to knock it off with the action shots. But they haven't, so here's another.

 

[Major_Gilbear]

You know, the "wonky" vials actually help to give it a sense of movement I think; I can easily imagine the liquids sloshing around in them. :)

[Studio Silvernale]

LOL the action shots are amusing tho

[Calyptra]

Remember all the bits I accidentally snapped off the Cronos because I can't be trusted with small, delicate objects? Well, I pinned them, using 22 gauge floral wire, and glued them back on.

 

 

The designs on my Covenite vehicles and pain engines are based on diagrams of the human nervous system, because I think anatomy in general and nerves in particular are an appropriate fit for a Haemonculus Coven. Here's what I came up with for my Cronos, inspired by some of the nerves in the brain.

 

 

And here's the Cronos. While I reserve the right to make adjustments to it at some point (particularly to the vials and the head), for the purposes of both the immediate future and the Xenos Challenge, it is finished.

 

 

 

 

 

I spent 57 hours painting this thing. Ironically, much of that time was taken up with the tremendous amount of detail on the underside of the model, which no one will ever see unless they physically pick the thing up and look. I think that work is still worthwhile; if a model is compelling enough to pick up and examine more closely, I want that experience to be rewarding, not disappointing.

 

That said, 57 hours is long time to spend on a model, and I'm more than a little relieved to see the end of it. And now I'm free! I can go out and see friends! I can play with my cat! I can read books again, or watch movies! I can do literally anything instead of spending all my time hunched over a godawful lump of soulless plastic!

 

 

Dammit.

 

(As always, questions, comments, criticisms, and xenocidal threats are all welcome.)

[Sgt. Blank]

Nice work, the freehand you added is very well done and executed in a way that compliments the rest of the model.

[The Traitor]

It might have taken time, but that Cronos is gorgeous. The freehand is just breathtaking, and the white part really makes him pop out. Also really cool basing your patterns on the nervous system, very fitting :P!

[Son of Carnelian]

I knew letting xenos armies on the board was a bad idea... Because they would be beautifully painted and converted, making so many of the rest of us look lazy!

 

Fantastic work all around.

[Calyptra]

I'm a bit behind on my updates, but I've gotten a lot of painting done. In the last two weeks I did 30 hours of work on the Talos, which means it's (theoretically) about half finished.

 

 

 

I also managed to break the chainhooks off the bottom of the model when I was spraying it with a working coat of varnish and it fell off the flying stand peg I was using to hold it. I clipped off the remains of the bit, dug a duplicate out of my bits box, and painted it up. I'll glue it into place last, after everything else is finished, in case there are any more accidents.

 

Seriously, bits snapping off my models while I'm painting them is not a thing that usually happens to me! I don't like it, and would like it to stop.

 

Action shot!

 

 

(Remember, spontaneous combustion is a perfectly normal part of the miniature painting hobby, and nothing to worry about!)