119 replies to this topic

[Calyptra]

Thanks for the kind words!

That really is astonishing. Did you use anything as a reference, or just make it up as you went along?

I did some Googling, and this is the reference I used.



The studio's Scourges have black wings. I assume they were painted that way to fit with the color scheme (and possibly in order to meet a deadline), but it didn't make sense to me that the flesh on a creature's wings would be a radically different color from the rest of its body. I started work on the wings the same way I'd been painting their skin tones and worked from there.

So... I was going to make a joke here about using the Honduran white bat as a reference.



(There are much cuter pictures of them than this and you should google them.)

But... there's one head in the Scourge kit, which happens to be on the model I'm painting now, that has short, poofy hair.

I think I need to repaint that hair now, because I think the next Scourge really does need to be subtly based on Honduran white bats. (Seriously, they're so cute!)

[Punk possum]

Total painting time was 25 hours. I regret nothing.

This is why you are one of my top hobby hero's, your dedication coupled with your artistic talent is breath taking. And yes yes you really should paint the solarite at least with white bat fut hair. Thanks for doing justice to the lovely scourge models.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Wow. I just wht through this entire thread in an hour. And I lived it. Your dedication, attention to detail, humour, conversions, and generally your style of writing made those 60 minutes time well spent. Thank you for sharing it all!!

Totally subbed!

[Calyptra]

 

Total painting time was 25 hours. I regret nothing.

This is why you are one of my top hobby hero's, your dedication coupled with your artistic talent is breath taking. And yes yes you really should paint the solarite at least with white bat fut hair. Thanks for doing justice to the lovely scourge models.

 

 

Thanks! And I thought you only liked me 'cuz the Sisters of Mercy is one of my favorite bands. :-)

 

Wow. I just wht through this entire thread in an hour. And I lived it. Your dedication, attention to detail, humour, conversions, and generally your style of writing made those 60 minutes time well spent. Thank you for sharing it all!!

Totally subbed!

 

This is easily one of the most flattering comments I've ever received. Thank you.

 

Something I have always struggled with is how to share the things I make with people who would be interested in seeing them. (My issues with depression and anxiety certainly factor into this.) Forums like this one gave me a way to share my toy soldiers with people who want to see toy soldiers, but I haven't really had that with other things that I do. Your comment, and a couple conversations I had with friends about it, motivated me to strike out into Instagram.

 

So now I'm on Instagram. Twice. It's not perfect (what do you mean everything has to be square?!) and I'm still figuring things out about it, but it's pretty great so far. If anyone wants to find me there, I'm andrewinsect for art and circus, and insectandrew for gaming and minis. I literally just set up the latter account, so as of this writing nothing's been posted to it (because my carefully cropped photos aren't square), but that will change soon.

 

In the meantime, I have more photos to post to here!

 

 

 

 

 

This is my Scourge based on the Honduran white bat. (Or cotton ball tent bat or Caribbean white tent-making bat. Common names are stupid. It's Ectophylla albus.)

 

THEY'RE SO CUTE!

 

 

 

Edit: Oh, I guess they don't have to be square. Told you I was still figuring things out. :-P

Edited by Calyptra, 03 July 2018 - 04:56 PM.

[Augustus b'Raass]

I was wondering why you thought pictures had to be square! 

 

Also: AWWWWW tat's such a cute Scrouge!  The bats are ok.  

 

I really like the way you painted the glowy green tubing and the soft texture of the wings. How did you achieve those two effects? Slight OSL and light drybrushing, respectively? Or is there some parlour trick I'm not seeing? 

 

 

Something I have always struggled with is how to share the things I make with people who would be interested in seeing them. (My issues with depression and anxiety certainly factor into this.) Forums like this one gave me a way to share my toy soldiers with people who want to see toy soldiers, but I haven't really had that with other things that I do. 

It's great that you share your hobby here - not only is it a wonderfully friendly and constructive audience here from which to receive and to whom to give inspiration, there's also tons of likeminded people. Also, dude, you're a circus artist performing for an audience - which I cannot imagine you're doing because you don't like doing it. How is that not an outlet for you?

[The Traitor]

The scourge looks amazing! While I must say I think the veins looked awesome on the bat-like wings, it's also very cool you're making each one unique and using different references.

[Sgt. Blank]

The black/dark wings look amazing, almost translucent near the edges, super impressive blending and highlighting (and other magic, I'm sure). Very apropos given your forum handle.

[Dosjetka]

That's some impressive work on the wings. Ironically, it doesn't look like you've winged it at all.

[BadgersinHills]

Had a read through the thread and you've got some stunning work. Loving the action shots by the way.

[Calyptra]

I was wondering why you thought pictures had to be square! 
 
Also: AWWWWW tat's such a cute Scrouge!  The bats are ok.  
 
I really like the way you painted the glowy green tubing and the soft texture of the wings. How did you achieve those two effects? Slight OSL and light drybrushing, respectively? Or is there some parlour trick I'm not seeing? 
 
It's great that you share your hobby here - not only is it a wonderfully friendly and constructive audience here from which to receive and to whom to give inspiration, there's also tons of likeminded people. Also, dude, you're a circus artist performing for an audience - which I cannot imagine you're doing because you don't like doing it. How is that not an outlet for you?

Thanks!

Most of my painting is done with washes and layering. I don't drybrush anything except under duress. Lately I've been using glazes a lot more heavily.

The tubes are just layers, in this case all with P3 paints. I start with Gnarls Green, then 1:1 Gnarls Green & Necrotite Green, then Necrotite Green. Then they get lines and dots in Necrotite Green mixed with white, followed by smaller lines and dots of Necrotite Green mixed with more white.

The wings were done by mixing up glazes and then stippling them on with lots of little dots. If the transitions got too sharp, I applied a glaze over the whole thing to smooth it out a bit.

As for my "day job," yes, I absolutely (usually) love it. I also like paying my rent, so most of what I do are corporate and civic events or private parties. A lot of the time I'm basically a go-go dancer, hired to provide ambient juggling or whatever for the occasion. When I'm brought in to do a stage show, the client typically wants something upbeat, family friendly, and based on spectacle. I generally get to do an actual show in which I have a bit more creative freedom just a couple times a year. The acts I have done that I am most proud of have generally only been performed once or twice, because they aren't terribly marketable as products to accent a client's corporate party or town fair or whatever. And nobody sees my drawings unless I shove them under their nose.

Instagram is working out well for that. It's also forced me to start trial and erroring again on how I shoot my minis. Just transferring the existant photos over didnt look good, and while the pictures didn't need to be square, the range of acceptable dimensions is still pretty narrow (which is to say it doesn't like pictures that are actually narrow). Since pictures that I thought looked good here didn't look good there, I'm curious to see if pictures that look good there will look good here.

Plus I got to post pictures of my Wiz-War models. Nobody cared about Wiz-War, but I think some people might enjoy my Super Dungeon Explore stuff, when I get around to posting that. I'm giddy with freedom.

Also, I'm suddenly motivated to dig out my oils and start doing actual paintings again, which will be the end of any space to actually move in my apartment.

[hushrong]

The scourge is amazing! The colors are fantastic and I love the inspiration you used. I swear those bats are adorable as all get out!

[Augustus b'Raass]

No idea what Wiz-War is, but you should definitely put your instagram link in your sigy then. Gonna check it out if you do.

[Brother Lunkhead]

For one so dark your posts really brighten my day Brother Calyptra. Your work is inspiring as is your generosity in taking the time to share it with us ….. also..... Thanks for sharing the cute bat photos.....awwwww

[Krakendoomcool]

You've got some beautiful models here.

 

I love the colours. The purple shade on the skin and those bat wings. I really like the haemonculus cloak made of the different skins too.

 

Some really nice looking stuff here.

[rednekkboss]

Great looking stuff!! The base color is a great contrast too. The action shots are just too damned funny.

Edited by rednekkboss, 11 July 2018 - 03:20 AM.

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

I'm starting enjoy too many threads in the WIP section and Im running out of time to hobby with all the cool new stuff im running into. These guys look AMAZING. such clean paint jobs and I really like the subtle conversions and the efforts your going to on these guys. Awesome.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Congratulations on having the honour to be awarded the Badge of the Artificer for that stunning Eldaeri completion in  ETL VI. Well deserved!!

 

http://www.bolterand...x-vi/?p=5138323

[Evil Eye]

Holy moly this is an impressive blog! Your standard of painting is absolutely incredible, as is the inventiveness with the conversions and freehand. I adore the nervous system freehand and the coven symbols especially.

 

Do you think you'll maybe do some Grotesques at some point? Rat Ogres are a good place to start if you don't fancy the monopose resin option.

[Calyptra]

Thanks! I've been so busy/tired, I haven't even gotten the last two Scourges posted here yet, though you can see them in the Aeldari outpost. I figured no one would notice while my project log was safely buried on page 10 or wherever it had ended up. :-)

Grotesques. Yes. I have given them a lot of thought. Here's... some of it.

I really strive to make every model unique, so a unit of identical monopose models, particularly when it's supposed to be an elite, centerpiece unit, isn't something I'm ok with. Plus they're finecast, which is the worst. But I really want Grotesques.

There are a bunch of standard Grotesque conversions out there - Rat Ogres, Crypt Horrors, etc - because it turns out nobody wants to field units of identical monopose finecast models. Some of them are really well done, but none of them fit the look that I want. They don't have that touch of weird elegance. They're not wearing corsets.

I actually quite like the design of the finecast model. It is wearing a corset.

And here is where, as a hobbyist, I am a victim of my own ambition and imagination. Because at this point, what's left is basically sculpting my own Grotesques. I have ideas. They could all be flayed, for that Gunther von Hagens/Attack on Titan look. They could be themed, each around a different sideshow act. They could be connected like marionettes to diminutive, buzzing pain engines floating above them, making adjustments and administering to their suffering.

My concern is that a project like that would take so many hundreds of hours of work that I would never manage to complete it.

So my strategy is: I'm putting it off. I'm working on other things, and maybe if I keep stalling for long enough, GW will release a plastic Grotesques kit.

When I run out of other projects to do for my Coven, if GW has surprised no one by still not producing a plastic Grotesques kit, I will start building my own.

[csandvik]

Spectacular!  Love them all.  Clearly you are very talented