Paint Nerd

Saturday, 27 April 2013

Special Effects

By The Megapope Posted at 14:49 Ultramarines 2 comments

Hello there, sports fans. Or people who hate sports, you're also welcome.

This week I've been trying out some new things! First up, inspired by the ridiculously awesome Khador models by Robin that I showed you all last post, I've been testing some glow effects on the Behemoth.

I think it's come out okay for my first try, I've found the main difficulty is getting a good, uniform brush mark in the feathering effect. Obviously you want an airbrush for a really amazing smooth blend and I'm pretty sure that's how Robin paints his minis, but I reckon with practice I can get mine looking better.

But wait! There's more! Here is my Ultramarines chaplain. I wanted to get the jump pack model for ages to lead my assault marines into battle, and then happened to see him on the shelf when I picked up a new ~~boltgun metal~~ leadbelcher from GW.*

See this clever thing that I did! Turns out that two of the muzzle flashes make for really awesome looking jump pack exhaust. I went with blue to give it an extra hot plasma/gas flame look, which I think works pretty well.

The model isn't quiiiite finished, I want to see if I can make the OSL effect on the back of his boots and scroll parchment a bit better and more uniform.

Soooo yeah. Ongoing diversion from the Stenguard, but fear not I'll be getting back to them soon.

*I really hate the new paint names and also other new things like that band the youth are into.

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Smurf and Steambot Inspiration

By The Megapope Posted at 23:52 painting No comments

I thought I'd do a short update on two painters that I basically go back to time and time again for inspiration and also a distant star to try and aim for (if not realistically reach any time this century).

The first is the Ultramarines painter known as Hazchem on the Relicnews.com forums. They haven't updated the thread for quite a while, but this is the kinda stuff that was produced.

While stylistically their work is very obviously 2nd edition inspired (and not a direction I've chosen) just look at those beautiful crisp lines. Not a dab of paint out of place, fantastic highlighting. This army would look absolutely amazing all assembled on the battlefield. The rest of their work can be found here, I really do recommend you check it out.

For the best Khador painting in the colours that I've chosen, I've never found anything that can beat Robin's work on the Warmachine forums.

I just don't even. They did a headswap on Sorscha! The battle damage! The subtle blending! And those glow effects! The gloooow! These go beyond Hazchem's fantastic work and into the realms of true showcase painting and yet there's also pics on the forums of these models trundling around a tabletop battlefield like some peasant's gaming models. Ridiculous.

For the rest of Robin's work, check out the thread here.

Do you have particular painters that you keep tabs on for inspiration? Drop me a line and let me know!

Crossing the Beams

By The Megapope Posted at 17:35 Warmachine 4 comments

Just when you all thought I'd completely reverted to smurfs BAM suddenly it's raining green soviet steam powered robots.

Needing a break from painting up my Sternguard, I decided to ink up my Khador Behemoth, which then prompted some more work after the ink was dry.

I really love the look of a warjack covered in a dirty ink wash.

Here it is after I'd started working the green base layer back up.

DURING THE MEANWHILE here is the second Sternguard Ultramarine, pretty much finished except for the base.

And that's today's work in progress!

Sunday, 21 April 2013

Veterans & Feeling Blue

By The Megapope Posted at 18:58 Ultramarines 3 comments

So I was all finished with my veteran squad sergeant and then suddenly I remembered that I have a pack of muzzle flare attachments that I haven't even used yet. What the hell, Megapope. What the hell.

Soooo here's the finished product with said muzzle flare attached. I also attempted my first ever colour reflection on the front of his bolter. It looks okay (better than this photo would indicate, anyway) and I'm keen to try again and better the technique. Mainly I just carefully layered up some watered down orange, trying to make sure you could still see the grey still underneath.

Another angle. Because this is my blog and I'll do what I like.

And now I am onto some more of the squad. Getting through that initial three step blue phase is really tedious! And I still have 6 more squad members to go, groooooaaan.

Having said that, I'm pretty pleased with the new blue recipe. After the three steps of Macragge Blue base, Drakenhof Blue wash and Altdorf Guard flat highlight, I then add another two line highlights of Calgar Blue, followed by a 50/50 mix of Calgar Blue and Space Wolf Grey. Then I use the Gulliman Blue glaze to tie it all together.

I tried using the Etherium drybrush and to be honest I just found it kinda messy and not really to my liking. Much better to just add another line highlight and then finish with the glaze in my opinion.

I'm finding that the extra step to Space Wolf Grey then blue glaze really makes the model stand out a lot better, without the brighter highlight being too eye-bleedingly ridiculous.

Hurrah, tea and crumpets for all.

Friday, 19 April 2013

Sternguard Work in Progress

By The Megapope Posted at 23:15 Ultramarines No comments

Sup? So my next project is a squad of Ultramarines Sternguard, who I think look pretty badass. I got the 5 man box for my birthday and decided to make another lot of 5 out of marine parts. Because odd numbers are for communists.

So let's start out with my sergeant on the basis that he's almost finished and you are, after all, here for the shiny blue and gold.

"I'm sexy and I know it."

I really love the amount of detailing on these resin models and the Sternguard are basically one of the best looking squads that Games Workshop have put out. Good on you, GW.*

Here's one of my made-up guys, he has a cybernetic leg that you can't really see from the Forgeworld character set, plus a bunch of other extra bits to make him stand out like a pauldron banner, extra purity seals, a pistol and a knife attached to his backpack. I also strategically tore up his left shoulder pauldron a bit to make him look more ruggedly handsome.