Leaders of Eldar and Man..

I've been working on Asurmen while I've been working on the Librarian as they share pretty much every color with one another. I've also been wanting to figure out my color scheme for my Dire Avengers as they still need to be finished up. I just haven't had the energy to paint up some 20 plus avengers. But they need to get done and I figured who better to kick them off then the supreme DA. I won't use his as Asurmen most likely but he's a good looking mini and will be a fine Exarch haha.. I did some more blending and getting everything at least base colored. I still need to do a bunch more on him.. sword, stones, crest, etc.. I've been trying to think of something cool to do with the sword like make it mostly black with white spots like it's containing the entropy of utter destruction but I don't know if that really goes along with the Eldar.. other then the fact that it's pretty much what they are facing as a race.

I also got some more done on the Librarian. I painted up some more of the details and worked on his BP some .. it has very little done to it other then getting it ready. He's almost done thankfully .. I've enjoyed painting him but I'm already getting the itch to start something new. Below I have his BP and then the JP connected. Not much done on the wings yet. While finishing up the Chaplin I figured out how I like to paint them but that doesn't make it go any quicker haha...

Saw um in half wit a hail o lead!

The XArmour Baal is almost finshed up.. I worked on the details a little more and added some ink here and there. I'll be adding some soot to the stacks and vents, I'm thinking about putting some mud on the bottom and tracks as well. Still just haven't deceided if I want to go through all that. Working with the powders just takes so long and is so messy. I may just put a few layers on but nothing to crazy, just give it a little more ...... something. I'm happy with the way the lens and wings came out but I have to finish up some metal areas and the light area mostly. I'm also still deceiding on what I want to do with the rear hatch. It appears four of the tanks I bought around this time have odd shapes in the rear hatch, somehow it got deformed in the creation process. Thanks GW for your quality assuarance. I might try to GS an eagle and see if that looks decent. Like the powders I'm still undecided.

I didn't work on anything last night as I got lucky and made the Beta for Star Wars The Old Repulic and it ended last night. If you like WoW then you'll like this, it's a standard MMO but it was pretty awesome to watch the cut scenes and even the small things like driods moving around doing there own thing was pretty cool. I played for about 5 hours and stayed up way too late haha .. then my daughter made be pay for it by waking up at 4 .. I'm now STUPID TIRED.

Stabby McStab..

Sword Effect by brush

A friend asked about how I painted my blades. For the power weapons I usually blend them with the airbrush but sometimes I will still mainly use the brush.

I was going to use Asurmen’s sword but his isn’t beveled, I looked and I do have a few pictures of the Librarian’s sword in progess and that should be enough.

What You Need:
Black Primer
Airbrush or White Spray Primer
Black Ink
Red Ink (or whatever color you want the blade to be)
Black paint thinned or Black Wash
Tape

Steps:

1) Prime the blade black. Or white (then you’ll be blending with black spray.
2) Tape off the blade. The areas you don’t want sprayed at all and tape off half the blade so you can flip flop the colors on the beveled edges.
3) Spray one end of the blade with white primer and blend from black to white.

4) Apply the red ink to the white area and work into the black. I use ink because it’s thin and covers any color, it’s also very vibrant. This will take many coats and the more you apply the more vibrant the color will be.
5) Apply black ink to the other end of the blade and blend outward. You don’t have to apply too much of the black ink as you are going to be using the wash next.
6) Using black wash blend the black into the red. Again this will take numerous coats.

7) The final product is a mix of both colors blended each way and I sat there for a while until I got the look I wanted. (but that is normal blend procedure so I’m not telling you anything new there). Remove the tape and then clear coat the blended section. Once dry tape up the side you just finished and flip flop the while and black sides so they oppose each other. Repeat the steps above.

8) Once you are happy with the blend on both sides paint the center line of the bevel with red. Be careful and make a straight line down the center. You’re done.
You can also work some white into the blade if you are going for that look. Sometimes I do like the white but sometimes I want to have just the color, to me both have their own merrit. If you want to add white just blend the red a little farther into the black to give room for the added white.

Not hard really, just takes a good bit of blending but I like the look. Hope this helps!

That was your whole plan? Get Her!?

I hope everyone had a great turkey day and got some good shopping deals. It was a pretty hectic weekend but I did get some table time in. I worked on various projects and I even got the light box built. I'll be writing up a how to for it shortly. It's not difficult at all but figure it might show people know how easy it really is to make one (for a simple one at least).

The Librarian got some blending and detail work done. I worked on the armor blends and started to get them where I wanted though it will still require some more time. I also started on the metals and getting the gems done. He's well on his way it's mainly just cleaning up and finishing. His BP and JP both need to be done as well. But I'm just happy I stayed mostly focused .. well I at least worked mainly on him though I also worked on Asurmen, the Vyper, the Baal Pred and HB team haha.. so it wasn't too focused but I did get a good bit done. A friend asked how I did the sword so I'll also be making a write for that as well. I need to paint Asurmen's sword so maybe he'll be the demo mini.

Below are some of the pics of his progress.

Who needs fingers?

Last night while sitting in the living room with the wife I figured I'd work on a few things. But with the day I was having I should have just chilled. I was cutting hesperax's head off for a conversion and wasn't ready for the final cut through. The finecast got me. I went through and jammed my knife over halfway into my finger. I made such a horrible noise I woke up my daughter and scared my wife half to death. Thankfully it was sharp so it was a clean cut but it bled like hell. So now my finger is all wrapped up and is sore haha. Be extra careful when cutting finecast! Oh yeah. I also wouldn't recommend milliput for use with blu stuff. It's too hard once dry and destroys the blu stuff mold. If u are in the US have a happy Turkey Day!!!

One of THOSE days ..

So far it's not been that great a day.. little sleep last night and then this morning while driving to work I picked up something in my tire. I could hear the air escaping when I got out and once I got the tire off I was surprised at what I found. It looks like a mini wrench, like the ones you find in your IKEA boxes. It punched a huge hole in the tire so I'm replacing them. The tires on the car sucked anyway but I really didn't feel like spending $700 right now .. before xmas and my daughters birthday ..  whoo hoo..

But .. as for mini's it was a grey and brown night. I started working on the Libr and put him together so I could start on the shading. While he was drying I picked up snakebite and then started to paint everything close that needed brown.. I then picked up grey and did the same. I didn't get one thing much farther but I did make each one move a little further ahead. I did go back and put some base colors on the Libr like his gold, red and some blues..

I'll start shading him shortly, it really shouldn't take too much longer for him, I have most of the base work done so it's on to shading and highlights. The blends will take some time but he's at least 50% done.

I did pull down one of the IG Heavy Bolter Crews. They were part of the grey and brown whirlwind.

I also worked on the Vyper's seats as well as Big P Lord Asurmen's belt and bits. Asurmen is the guy that is always standing there asking me to paint him.. unfortunately I never have the urge to actually do it haha. But I at least got some more paint on him. I will start to blend him soon. The Vyper needs to get finished as well.

Don't Pull, Squeeze the trigger...

Last night I finished up the Ranger, I didin't' have much to do to finish him. I painted up the BP, added some grass to the base and then touched up some small details on his body. I cleared him with a satin first then went back and using the airbrush I cleared him with Liquitex Matte Varnish. So far I'm very happy with it and I'm hoping this will end my battle with clear coats. I'm going to start spraying it with the Gloss first to give it a good hard coat then I'll be going back and hitting it up with the Matte. It removes the sheen and gives it a good clear finish. It is thick so I cut it 2:1 with distilled water.

I also worked on the weather hatch I was talking about a little bit. It's all just playing around with this so I'm not really worried about it being an awesome finished piece. Just playing with different tech for doing weathering. No powders used yet, just stippling and some hairspray and sand. So far I think some of the tech has worked and I like the look of some of it. But there are also muddy parts that I'm not feeling.

I should work more on the Libr or the Baal but the Heavy Bolter IG squad has been calling my name haha.. so hard to stay focused.



Oh he's a dead eye isn't he..

This weekend I was trying to get the Ranger/Pathfinder done but I was pretty busy and got a game in so didn't get to get him done. He's mostly done though, working on his BP now, then a few more highlights and do up his base. I'm pretty happy with him, the next Ranger I'm going to try a pretty much all black version and see if it looks decent. My latest list uses two squads of PFs so I still have a bunch more I need to get done. Though I don't want to neglect the other minis, I still need to get the DA's done. They just don't get me excited to paint them though haha.. oh well.

I worked a little on the Libr and playing around with a weathering style. I don't know how it's going to turn out. If it turns out well I'll take some pics and post them up.

Also in reguards to the game I need to get new dice! I don't know if it's my luck or those damn dice but I've been rolling poorly now for the last 5 games I've played. The amount of ones I roll is amazing, I rolled 8 dice and got five 1's a 2 and then a 3 and 4. I would hit vehicles but could never destroy them as I'd roll on the damage chart and then roll a 1 or 2. Was a hurtful game but what can you do. Lady luck.. she is ah fickle..

Dusk Wolves

Yeah I've been thinking about making a sort of pre heresy army...

Idea behind the army

I detest traitors, it doesn’t matter what the situation is. I cannot stand the idea of a trusted comrade turning his back on his brothers/sisters and either condemning them to death or taking part in the betrayal itself. One of the reasons I watched Saving Private Ryan once and won’t again, Oppum that punk just let his friends die and that irked me to no end. I don’t know why if bothers me so much even in books or movies but it does.

I started reading the Horus Heresy books knowing full well it would be hard for me to finish them as betrayal is obviously the main story behind it but I wanted to check them out. The fluff in 40K has changed time and again but it appears this is going to be the new approved storyline. The first book is great but as the series goes on I started getting more and more annoyed. The glaring inconsistencies in the Astarte’s character being the worst in the list of issues. Space Marines are supposed to be hard as nails in body and mind; they are the greatest the human race has to offer. And in most cases they are, they are built up in the book to be beasts on the battlefield and incredible tacticians. The crusade has washed over the galaxy reclaiming worlds without issue. Yet a horribly laid out and orgestraited plan to turn the Warmaster happens in under a year. He even knows who screwed him over (and is lying to him about who he is) at one point before he willingly betrays the Emperor. That doesn’t make any sense to me but that is a gripe for another time.

The main thought I always had was there is no way every single guy in the chapter would turn traitor. And in the books they detail what happens to the loyalists in a pretty believable way. And while reading it I was thinking it would be cool to make up a SM legion/chapter of all the loyalist marines. Some of them did live though Istavan III and what if they swore revenge on their brothers for their betrayal. The way the story is going it looks like some formed the Grey Knights but what if their geneseed were harvested and stored and the leaders of the loyalist resistance wouldn’t be put down so easily. With help they reformed and rebuilt what they could.

From that idea I started to think it would be cool to use the four legions that were betrayed and combine them into one force. They wouldn’t be large enough to form four separate chapters but together they could forge a strong force each focusing on what they were known for. So I started to break down what they would be and who would fill what.

So Far:

The list would be more for story and concept than being competitive so how it fits is more of a consideration then how it will perform.
Luna Wolves – Stern Guard as they were considered the best of the Legions.
World Eaters – Assault Marines, that just plain makes sense.
Death Guard - They were the hard as nails do it all guys so Tacitcals would make sense. But I’d like to mix them all in the Tac squads.
Emperor’s Children – They were known for their precision abilities and heavy weapon usage so Dev Squads. And I was thinking of using a contemptor Dread as Rylanor.
Color - They would most likely be a white color and would have shoulder patterns and maybe trim to represent their former Legion. To remember their roots but to separate themselves from the betrayers. Maybe color the right arm like the original Dusk Raiders, and shoulders.
Army Composition –
I was thinking of using a counts as Pedro Kantor for his abilities. Adding Stubborn and Stern as Troops.
A counts as Cato Sicarius as well for his abilities.. Surprise,. These guys have been around a long time and would have that intelligence. Using his leadership, these guys stood up for the Emperor and themselves even though they knew they were going to die. I don’t see them running. The boosted Tac Squad.. they have the skills and it could be from whatever chapter depending on what was added.
Or
The more I’ve been looking at it a counts as Space Wolves army. Blood Claws would make good World Eaters thought wouldn’t be happy with the WS3 but I think the craziness of their attacks could make up for it. Bjorn would be a good Rylanor and if I went with Loken or other respected leader saying he lived and carried on three SW HQs would up nicely. Long Fangs shooting could be a good example of the Emperor’s Children’s perfection of battle. I wouldn’t be using any wolf riders or rune priests, unless I wanted to throw a 1K Son Psyker in there. But that wasn’t really in my plans.

Still undecided at the moment but thinking about both.

As for a name I was toying with either just using Legion or something from the Legions old days like Dusk Raiders or maybe mixing it up to include more than one chapter Dusk Wolves. I’m liking Dusk Wolves as I think it sound cool and makes sense in many ways. The Death Guards original name (Dusk Raiders), adding in Luna Wolves and dusk would be like the twilight of their legions in their opinions. Plus I could use some of the cool Space Wolf add on bits. Actually as I was writing this I was thinking more and more about it. I think Dusk Wolves gets the win, even made up their logo. It’s just a combo if the Luna Wolves and Death Guard Circle.

I've been looking at all the new FW Heresy Mini's coming out and was thinking it would be cool to make a combo army. They would take great pride in their old equipment but would also be using newer Marks of armor. Mini's I'm looking at ..

Deimos Pattern Rhino (FW )
Land Raider Proteus ( FW)
Imperial Eagle – LR Doors, Rhino Doors and Rear (FW)
Mark 5 Assault Squad (FW)
Mark III Squad (FW)
Mark IV Squad (FW)
Special Weapon Pack
Heavy Weapon Pack
Umbra Bolters
Relic Contemptor Dread – w/ CC Claw/LAS/HB

That’s it for now… but more to come.

Private Eyes,.. Watching you...

Rangers are some of my favorite models in the 40K line. From the original minis to the current range, they always seem to have a unique style to them. The sculpts themselves really give me the feeling that these guys are rugged and out doing what the other Eldar won't. Being an outcast carries with it a heavy cost, their spirit stones have the greatest chance of being lost or destroyed. One of the greatest fears for an Eldar soul.

Last night I didn't have the energy to paint any wings or power armour so I pulled a Ranger off the "To Be Painted" shelf and went to work. I only had two hours so there isn't any blending other then some of the leather. I like to apply all the base colors first and then start shading and highlighting. I also try to make the colors on all my Rangers different. They may have left the craftworld wearing the same gear but as they scour the stars looking for threats they will have to replace their damaged gear with what they can. So to me it would be odd that a group of rangers would be outfitted the same. They'd all have their Camo Cloaks and rifles but I'd think the rest of their gear would be more of a personal choice.