That Guy James

Salamander

2012-02-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

This model is being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist.

This sternguard veteran is the last of a broken family. Of the initial box of 5, one became an Ultramarine, a Space Wolf, 2 Black Templars, and now finally a Salamander. I admit when I got this box I wasn't even thinking of how I could use these guys, only that they were shiny and new. Now, 3 years later, we finally put this box to bed.

Space marines present me with an interesting challenge, mainly due to the fact that I've painted entirely too many of them. It's a real effort just to find something I haven't done yet. I've painted four complete space marine armies, as well as dozens of the emperor's finest for other people's chapters, roughly 500 in total. But for as many variants as I have painted, there are still many canonical chapters that I have not. So I cracked open my 5th edition codex and flipped to the first chapter to grab my attention: the Salamanders.

Micro-Lesson: Green
Ever since foundation paints came out, I've used them in virtually every project; they're just too good to pass up. The range of colors that GW offers is prolific, but there are a few notable exceptions. While the 3 greens that foundation offers can cover a large range of natural subdued tones, getting that rich vibrant green can be a tricky proposition.

Here we have our marine with a watered-down coat of Knarloc Green over a white primer base. Interestingly, you can see where the water pooled it separated the pigments, showing just how much blue is sitting in this color.

Watering down is the key here. You want a fairly even tone throughout the model, but you don't want to go overboard. You'll avoid the thicker foundation paint building up, and keep the tone brighter. Snot Green streaks like crazy over pure white, and loses it's saturation over the Knarloc. Once you've gotten the consistency you want, you're free to work in some shading.

Looking to the above pic with the blue remnants, you'll find that we've actually been given a clue as to how to shade this model properly. In a previous post I had talked about using colors besides black and the base color to create more interesting shadows. The same rule applies here. I worked blue into all the shaded areas and even bought it into the highlighting for the black armor (more about that here). Since the Salamanders only have two major colors (green and gold), I was able to introduce blue without making things look busy.

A good rule of thumb for miniature painting is to try and keep the major colors at or below 3. Shades and tints don't count, and neither does black or white. Some models will have extra gadgets that require a new color, but for the purposes of this rule we're only talking about a surface area that accounts for more than 20% of the total model.

I also took the opportunity to go to town with some custom freehand work. A word to the wise: if you're going to work on the underside of anything, do yourself a favor and get the work done before you glue it together. You'll save time and stress, trust me on this one.

Well, that's enough of this far-future nonsense. Next week we're kicking it old school with shiny knights and high-flying banners!

The Archives: Black Templar Venerable Dreadnought

2012-02-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

I painted this guy in 2008 before I even considered playing a Black Templar army. A friend of mine got a Templar Venerable Dreadnought mis-shipped from forgeworld and had no use for it. I quickly snatched it up, and (several toothbrushes worth of scrubbing later) I was in business.

Servo Skull

2012-02-17T13:15:00.000-05:00

This model is being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist.

This one is a real mystery to me; I just can't remember where I got this guy from. I flipped past this model so many times in my bits box wondering what I would ever use it for. I always assumed it would be a secondary element to a larger model, floating next to a techpriest, inquisitor, etc. But in typical fashion, a much more interesting idea was spawned from a conversation with a very good friend of mine.

I mean really, even the greasy spoon has to advertise in the 41st millennium somehow, right?

Micro-Lesson: Source Lighting

A lot of people will tout this technique as a indicator of a higher level of skill. Don't buy into the hype. This is an easy step you can take with any model that adds to the result without requiring hours of your time or an MFA. The first step is to get your model painted up like you would normally. We're going to built this effect layer by layer.

Layer 1: Ambiance

When you've gotten all the basic colors down, your first choice is about the environmental or ambient light. Subtle shadows will push the highlights back resulting in a more balanced look to the model. Here I pushed the shadows way back to illustrate how far you can take this technique. The other consideration is color of the ambient light. Think about the world that you're putting this little guy in. In this example I wanted him to be on a lonely cold street well after dark, so I added a ton of blue to the shadows.

In practice, what you'll be doing is washing/dry brushing (your choice) with the colors you've established. Here I was drybrushing successively darker layers of a mix of Chaos Black and Necron Abyss. I also gave the underside of all the surfaces a wash of Asurman Blue.

Layer 2: Shadow

This is where you really push the dark parts back, all the way to pure black if you want to. The key to a good shadow is knowing where the light is coming from so you paint only where it isn't hitting. In this case the light source is a obvious one, which makes it simple to see where the light would and would not hit.

The execution of this layer is the same as the previous one, you'll just be doing heavier coats with more repetition. It's always good to go less subtle on a given pass of the brush. You can always add more pigment, but taking it away is nearly impossible without some amount of destruction.

Layer 3: Light

Here's where it all comes together. With successively brighter pigments, work your way closer to the light source. Every time you switch to a brighter pigment for a new pass, try to cover a smaller area inside the one you just completed. You will create some nice gradients that get brighter as they approach the source.

Like any technique, this requires practice, but if you keep it broken into these three steps, you'll have it down in no time.

And don't forget to Eat at Joe's. Every Thursday they have Hamburger and Egg for a nickel.

Imperial Guard

2012-02-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

These models are being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist.

I remember being in my BLGS (Belligerent Local Game Store) and seeing the box of 5 troopers, thinking to myself that I should really get it. I must have had a good use for the box, as I only have 2 of the original 5 models left. What happened to the other 3 is a complete mystery. If anyone reading this has any clue as to where those models ended up, I'd be fascinated to hear how and when they made their way to you from me.

Cadia is an all-time favorite of mine from the Warhammer 40k universe. I've always been intrigued by the idea of a group of regular every-day men being trained to fight off the horrors of the universe with little more than rigid discipline and a reliable if slightly underpowered firearm.

I knew the first model had to be a traditional Cadian Shocktrooper. If I had the time I would paint a million of these guys. I love the simple aesthetic of this model and how well it translates into the game. It's clean, well stated, and direct; a noteworthy contrast to the overly verbose space marines.

Micro-Lesson: Khaki with depth.
Beige is a deceptively tough color to get just right. Yes, you can throw down a coat of Dheneb Stone, wash it with Devlan Mud and call it day; I understand IG players have a ton of dudes to get painted up. At least consider this tutorial for your Junior Officers and above.

The idea when adding depth to this color is to do it in stages. It also helps to do this before you paint any other part of the model, so you don't have to worry about messing up another color. This model starts with Dheneb Stone, and all the steps will be a 1:1 ratio of wash to water. Remember: baby steps.

Ogryn Flesh: whole model
Devlan Mud: undersides/shadowed areas
1:1 Mix of Devlan Mud and Thraka Green: where the uniform meets plate armor
Badab Black: Darkest areas
Highlight the top level areas with Dheneb Stone

With a little practice, this technique will give you nice smooth transitions in your cloth.

I had my basic Cadian done, and I wanted to really push the weathering / battle damage with the second.

This was essentially the same paint style, except when I was done I took it a step further by adding the wear-and-tear. I really enjoy this paint style personally, but it isn't for everyone. It reminds me of one of my hardest-learned lessons: Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

This guy looks great, but so does the first model. Which one should you paint? Whichever makes you happy. Unless you're painting for competition, there's never any tangible difference between techniques, only the value you assign to your own work. You are going to see these models more than any other person on the planet; make sure you like what you see.

Another two models down for the 2012 CS Challenge. Next week, a model that I literally have no idea how I got. It very well may have been put in my bitzbox by gremlins... but hey, a challenge is a challenge!

Priest of Ulrik

2012-02-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

This model is being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist.

This Priest of Ulrik was acquired from a friend's bitzbox. I believe he originally got the model thrown randomly into an ebay auction lot. It passed to me, mercifully in one piece, and spent a year in my bitzbox. Time to finally give this poor guy some recognition for so many years spent in neglect!

The first challenge in painting this model was simply identifying it. It's been a long time since GW has formally acknowledged the followers of Ulrik; something that will hopefully change with the rumored Empire updates.

Once I found out what this guy was, I was able to find some good examples of similar models in old empire army books and the outstanding GW publication: Uniforms and Heraldry of the Empire. This book is a must for any hobbyist, irrespective of whether or not they play the empire. The same goes for the Skaven equivalent book.

Micro-Lesson: White Fur

GW fur is a pain. Trying to paint that fur white is an even bigger pain.

I started with a coat of Astronomican Grey, washed down with a 1:1 mix of Asurman Blue and Badab Black. The issue with this is that the fur is modeled too deep, which means there's too much wash and the finish is too dark. It took two drybrush passes with Astronomican and a half dozen drybrush passes with Skull White to get the fur where I needed it.

The fact is that when you're painting fur, it should look a little flat, because fur is flat in many instances. It sits tightly packed against the skin, forming a protective barrier against the cold. The texturing is nice, but it's a little too much for real fur. I'd be interested to see what GW fur would look like after a light wash of the new liquid green stuff to even things out a little.

Another model for the 2012 CS Challenge is finished. Next up, a little action with the Imperial Guard.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: British Freelancers

2012-01-27T13:00:00.001-05:00

These models are being painted for the 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge, an attempt to paint all the forgotten models accrued over the years by an enthusiastic hobbyist.

This particular box was bought hastily a year ago but never ended up painted for the intended project. I saw the outside of the box said "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang!" and I was happy enough knowing that I was getting some snooty looking guys in suits.

The 2012 challenge is officially underway, and the first model on the table is...

This guy: affectionately named Colonel Harumph.

I had no idea who these characters were or who they were supposed to represent. Usually I do an extensive amount of research into the source material, but I purposely avoided it this time around. I wanted an unbiased perspective on how the models would come to life. If I started reading I would eventually see images and the project wouldn't be the same.

Micro-lesson: Shadows of a different color

Consider using a different color to form the shadowed area of a model. Very few things are purely one color in real life. The brown of the fabric in the Colonel's suit is shaded with brown, purple, and black. The purple gives the suit a new dimension, while the brown pulls it back toward a believable hue, and the black provides the deepest shades.

So how do you determine the colors to use?

Take a look at the color wheel.

If you want to push a shadow especially hard and in a realistic manner, use the adjacent colors on the wheel. In the case of the good Colonel's suit, he's wearing brown, which is a shade of orange and red. Therefore our best bet for a new shadow color is either purple or yellow, depending on your taste and the situation. Here purple wins out for the shadow, and I mixed some yellow in for the highlight.

What about grey?

Grey is both your best friend and your greatest enemy here. It can take almost any color on as a secondary, which gives it ultimate flexibility, but also forces you to make some hard decisions. My recommendation to look at the rest of the model and pick a color that compliments the other non-grey colors you're using. If you've got a warm color scheme, keep it to the right side of the wheel, cool keeps to the left. But if all else fails, go blue.

Here I used a softer blend of green and blue to form the shadows for the Lady's jump-suit. I wanted her to have that pleathery look, so I didn't push the shadows too far. The slightly flat color helps to give the fig that impossibly synthetic look that we've all seen in the movies.

I decided this guy should be named "The Crimson Parasol" for obvious reasons.

I admit, the pinstripes were an act of pure masochism, but the ends definitely justified the means. Now that I've seen him painted up like this, I can't imagine him any other way. Here the shadows had a lot of blue mixed in to give the grey some needed depth.

You can find the manufacturer's website here.

This project was a fantastic start to my challenge and I'm excited for the next few models I have lined up. 2012 is going to be a good year for painting.

Dear Mantic Games, Stop it

2012-01-24T15:49:00.000-05:00

I saw your new Goblin artwork today, it looks good. I'm sure the minis will be good too. You know what? No one cares. You know why? Because you can get better Goblins right now from Games Workshop.

You see, Mantic, Games Workshop owns Goblins. They have that mess locked down. They made so many Goblins they literally had to go and invent different types of Goblins, Gnoblar, just as an excuse to make more Goblins. Then they went and made Gretchin, more Goblins, and snotlings, aka Goblin Goblins.

Do you understand Mantic? Games Workshop made Meta-Goblins

Why would you then turn around and make Goblins unless you were prepared to stage some sort of Goblin-revolution (Goblinution?) You're a business, and as a business I presume you're interested in making money. Why in the world would you try and engage GW on the Goblin front? I'm not saying never make another Goblin ever again, but you need an angle that GW hasn't considered.

IE: I'm in good shape; I'm a martial artist, a marathon runner, and a weight lifter. Does that mean I'm qualified to challenge the world pushup champion of 2011 to a pushup contest? Hell no. Hell no. If I need to beat that guy, I'm challenging him to a game of chess.

One of the biggest advantages you have over GW is that you are a small company, which means you're faster and more reflexive. If GW is busy making the best Goblins ever in a Tolkien-esque setting, get your butts in gear and make a Roman-Legion inspired Goblin force. Show the world what would happen if the Goblin King was an ingenious inventer and blacksmith, who manufactured the best armor and weapons the old world has ever seen. For the love of god, set those little bastards on fire and make an army of Magma-Goblins.

But there they are, some beautiful renders of Goblins that look exactly like GW's. It makes me sad to see them, knowing that someone who had a real love and talent for his or her profession designed these soon to be forgotten models.

Yes, your product is cheaper. Yes, Games Workshop is an evil mega-corporation. Yes, people who are obsessed with GW are elitest jerks. You know who else has these same problems?

Apple.

You don't see the i-Pad/Phone/Pod going anywhere do you? Not happening. Apple did it first and Apple continues to do it best. Sony, Microsoft, Samsung; it doesn't matter how big the competition is or how deep their pockets are, they can't beat Apple at the iPod. So what do they do? How does a company like Sony stay afloat if it's doomed to fail against Apple at making a mobile music player with mass appeal?

They diversify away from what Apple can do.

Just the same way you did Mantic, the exact same way you made a hard-right in 2011 with the Forge Fathers. Now there are some models that have staying power. It was brilliant, filling an existing gap with a product that a lumbering giant like GW was far too slow to cover. You have space-dwarves all to yourself, a total win.

And then you put out the corporation, which looks exactly like the Imperial Guard.

Stop.

And now you're getting ready to do some Goblins.

It.

I want to see you do well Mantic. I want there to be a third miniature company out there on the level of Privateer Press and Games Workshop. But if you keep picking a fight with the biggest kid in the school yard you're just gonna keep getting a black eye. You've got a insanely talented core of dedicated guys and the resources to do something amazing that the world will remember. Stop retreading the same ground and start blazing your own path.

Just stop it.

Love,

-James

The 2012 Clean-Slate Challenge

2012-01-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

Another year, another army put to bed. I was looking at the list and realizing that I haven't committed to painting anything major in 2012.

Let's fix that right now, shall we?

If you're like me, you've accrued more than your fair share of random figures and pieces as you've ground through more important projects. Little ideas and pockets of inspiration left unfulfilled in a little box in the closet. Time passes, as it tends to do, and one day you realize that little box in the closet says Rubbermade on the side, and has a capacity measured in gallons.

Typographic logo please:

Thank you.

The 2012 CS Challenge is simple: find every wayward model that has fallen by the side and paint the hell out of it. Every space marine, every goblin, every little "I'll work on that later" project. It's all coming out of the bits box and onto the painting table.

Da Rules:

Painting will take as long as is necessary. If I'm happy with a model after a day it's gone. If it take 2 months, so be it. I want these models to reflect the highest standards I am capable of putting forth, and I'm willing to take as much time as is necessary.
No fair just giving stuff away. If I get rid of a painting obligation, I need to trade it. It's okay if I don't feel like painting a fig anymore, so long as I can find someone willing to trade for one that I want to paint.
It's called the 2012 challenge because it started in 2012, not because that's how long I anticipate this will take. It might take 3 months, it might take 3 years. I've been hoarding stuff for a long time.
There is NO RULE 4!
When it's finished, there will be a party. With cake. No lies.

Every Friday post will be a progress report on whatever I'm working on, and you're invited to come along and witness firsthand my battle to leave no model unpainted.

It begins.

Sanguinius

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

I recently had a chance to paint up a Sci-Fi Archangel (aka Sanguinius) from Scibor Monstrous Miniatures.

It's been awhile since I worked with a resin miniature. Each material has it's own quirks and oddities you can work with or against depending on your attitude. For me, resin is a close second to metal in terms of difficulty to work with. The universal problem with resin is air bubbles, which crop up with virtually every figure I've ever seen.

Today's air bubbles reared their ugly heads half way down the sword blade and in the knuckle of the hand gripping the sword itself. The knuckle was an easy fix to fill with greenstuff, but the sword blade was beyond repair. My solution was to cut a notch in the blade to create an interesting design, and mirror it on the other side to make it look intentional. Remember: It's only a mistake if you let it become one.

This is the first time I've worked with a resin piece that didn't come from forgeworld, and I was relieved to find that the notorious film that requires a regimen of scrubbing was not present at all on this mini. I was able to prime the surface without any preparation at all.

What did require some work ahead of time was fitting and drilling the holes for pinning the model. The wings for this sculpt were heavy and bulky. With nothing to hold the wings to the back save for a flat contact point, I knew it would be vital to pin the wings into place. The sword blade by contrast had a minuscule contact point that was also sure to break if the model got any pressure. Finally I drilled a hole in the base of the model to anchor is firmly to the uneven surface of the base.

I glued the pins in place before priming, which would give me the added advantage of having a point I could hold the pieces by without having to worry about ruining the paint job.

The model itself was well detailed, had a dynamic pose, and mirrored the artwork of the Horus Heresy. I did some research to find my subject was clad entirely in golden armor. I'm not a huge fan of single-color armor; you tend to lose details and depth. I focused on pushing the shadows back to the let the landscape of the places come through with the natural shine of the gold paint.

The base that came with the model was outlandish by any standards. It seemed like the sculptor didn't really know what look he wanted to go for, so he just smashed a little bit of everything together into one base. The individual elements that make up the base are highly reminiscent of other Scibor bases styles. I tried to keep the palette neutral with a few minor detail highlights to let the viewer concentrate on the model.

The only real complaint I have about the base is that it forces Sanguinius off center. This isn't a problem in itself, but the massive weight of the wings anchored to his back make the model extremely prone to tipping. I compensated by pushing him further toward the center, but holding the whole piece, you can still feel the lack of true balance.

Overall this is a fantastic figure with lots of great detail, as Scibor is business of making awesome Space Marines. If you're playing a loyalist chapter and want a special model to lead your forces, they have quite the selection of powerarmored badasses to choose from.

Scibor Monstrous Miniatures

Dreadfleet Part 12: Conclusions

2012-01-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

The concluding piece of a series of articles containing thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop.

The Grand Alliance
Overall the more complex half of the game pieces to paint. I enjoyed the creativity and vision that went into each sculpt. It's more work, but ultimately more rewarding to see it all come together. The diversity of the models really helps push the sense of individual identity.

The sails alone are worth talking about. From a painting standpoint the represent the largest time sink but from a modeling standpoint they are a technical marvel. Getting such a high degree of precision on a curved surface with no mold-lines and nearly limitless detail shows everyone else out there who is boss. Games Workshop doesn't make the best rule systems, their tournaments could use some help, and their PR policies need to throw a hard 180. That being said, no one, and I mean no one, does models better than GW.

The one complaint I have about these ships is the heavy repetition the painter has to deal with. I get that we're working on a very grandiose scale with lots of over-the-top moments, but 176 cannons is just too many.

The Dreadfleet
I would say offhand that it took roughly half the time to paint this half of the box as it did for the Grand Alliance. Practice was definitely a factor, as I did these models second. But where the alliance ships relied on rows and rows of neatly arranged cannons and bolt throwers to convey a sense of power, the ships of the Dreadfleet instead look to overwhelming scale of force. It's appropriate when you consider the armies they're meant to represent from Warhammer Fantasy Battles. The Empire doesn't get to bring monstrous creatures, but instead packs in a metric ton of soldiers (except for Nuln of course). But when you think about the massive warmachines of the Chaos Dwarves, the towering monsters of the Tomb Kings, it makes sense that they would bring equally impressive titans with them on the high seas.

The variety of influences in the sculpture really help to keep things fresh. I worked on this project for roughly ten weeks, but I never felt the standard battle-fatigue I usually get when working on other projects of this scale. What kept it from becoming painfully repetitive was that every week I knew I was getting into something that was brand new, which really ups the value for potential painters out there.

In the negatives for this part of the box I really only have two nitpicks. The Bloody Reaver is a pain to assemble, and no where in the book or the box or the website can you find images of the auxiliary ship for the Black Kraken.

Everything Else

The rest of this box is a collection of awesome tokens, islands, and a few monsters to boot. I really have nothing to add about these pieces, except that they really are something special. My big tip for potential painters is to definitely break it up by throwing in just a few pieces alongside each ship you paint. That way when you're finally done with the 10th ship you don't have a mountain of mountains to paint.

Who should get this box?

I feel like this is a box every painter should work their way through. For a long time I've heard a lot of guys complain that they don't want to work at this scale because the models are garbage, but the rules have changed with this box. GW has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is possible not only to make sub-28mm scale models in plastic, but in razor-sharp detail. Anything that would have held you back with older metal models just is not a factor here. If you're looking for a fun challenge that will help grow your artistic skills, this box has a lot to offer.

What does this mean for the future of Warhammer Fantasy Battles?

I think that given the high degree of correlation between each of these ships and the factions they represent, we can expect to see this box as a roadmap for GW moving forward for the next few army releases. There are already rumblings of an updated to the empire, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Heldenhammer and Flaming Scimitar held clues to future design elements.

But more importantly, I see this box as a further acknowledgement that Chaos Dwarves are returning to WFB proper, and I'm not just talking forgeworld. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this isn't the last time we'll be seeing Evil Stunties from the Citadel.

What does this mean for the future of miniature wargames?

If you're producing plastic miniatures, consider the bar raised. Plain and simple, this is going to serve as the standard by which all other miniatures are judged for a long time. Unless these other companies pull off a miracle, I just don't see anyone measuring up.

Conclusions?

This box is filled with awesome and win.

Teh End.

Dreadfleet Part 11: A Spirited Performance

2012-01-06T19:00:00.000-05:00

Part 11 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article deals with the Shade Wraith.

Having worked my way through so many different pieces, I felt I should save something special for my last ship. I wanted something as a treat for finishing such an extensive box. So I moved the Shade Wraith to the back of the queue, giving me something light to help put the final pieces in place.

Despite its nearly monochromatic color scheme, this ship does not fail to impress. The key to a successful paint job is pushing the contrast between the darker greens and the pure white that you find at the very tops of the masts and sails. The contrast is further heightened because of the open sides of the ship, letting you create a big difference between the pure white of the frame and the forest-green of the underside.

Don't be afraid to use several different shades of green. I used Orchide shade for the underside, a series of Thraka green washes for the main sails, and Scorpion green for the light sources. Even just variations in the primary color can really help bring the piece to life.

The castle and skull islands came together quickly and added a fun challenge to the end of the journey.

And that's it. Dreadfleet is officially done and I'm very excited about how it all turned out. I'll be posting some concluding thoughts next week about who should consider this box, and how I feel GW handled the whole deal, and what this means for the miniature wargaming community moving forward.

2011: Grey Knights and Blood Angels

2012-01-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

I recently got my hands on some miniatures I had painted in early 2011, which gave me a chance to revisit some of the details I missed the first time through. Here's the results:

Dreadfleet Part 10: Insert Twilight Reference Here

2011-12-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 10 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article deals with the Bloody Reaver.

Let's get straight to it.

This IS the most difficult model to paint and build that Dreadfleet has to offer, hands down. Save this monster for the end; you're going to need all the practice you can get. I've broken this article up by categories of learning.

Painting:

The color of the sails that the 'eavy metal team used can be replicated with a base coat of Mechrite Red, a layer of Leviathan Purple, drybrush the corners down with pure black, and do a soft highlight with a 1:1 mix of Blood Red and Warlock Purple.
The hull is a two-piece core with another two pieces enclosing it. After you assemble the core, double check all the joins and angles to make sure you didn't miss anything.
Don't be afraid to use those green washes to help push the shadows. It adds a needed dimension and is an accurate translation of the 'eavy metal style.

Assembly:

Get help for the assembly. Whether that means having a buddy help out or just a few locking pliers is up to you, but it's nearly impossible to get everything in place at the same time to accurately assemble the model.
Yes, the sails are crooked. I checked the book and they're supposed to be.
There are a ton of fragile joints on the outer hull. Remember that you can't muscle these pieces together; dry fit everything.

Photography:

If you want to document this build properly, take a minute to photograph the sails before assembly. As you can see in the above picture, the main sails completely covers up the one immediately behind it. Once those sails are in place, that's it.

This model seems to be where GW stuck the extras that didn't make the final cut. A lot of the other Warhammer races get their nod here. You'll see Empire, Bretonnian, Chaos Warrior, and other little touches that indicate GW didn't forget them.

Only one ship and two islands left. I feel like I've painted an entire army here, and in some ways I have. Next week I'll have the Shadewraith up along with some concluding thoughts. Finish line here I come!

I can't believe no one has done this joke

2011-12-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

Any excuse to draw evil robots.

Dreadfleet Part 9: Sail Like an Egyptian

2011-12-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 9 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article deals with the Curse of Zandri.

At first, I was unaware of how this ship earned its title. I now understand; anyone who paints this ship will be cursing like a sailor.

Actually, it's a a relatively simple job, save for the alternating triangles that form the trim of the hull. The inexplicably baroque plan of building giant stone statues into a boat still yields an impressive result. After this project, I am going to hunt down a mini or two just to practice the jade/gold combination. The main ship is a paltry four pieces, with no sails to worry about. If it wasn't for the trim, this would be the fastest paint job in the box.

I really enjoyed what they did with the look of the model, working in the brand-new figures of the necrosphinx and ushtabi warriors from the recently updated Tomb Kings range. It's good to see that the sculptors were working closely on this project to make sure it was all in line with the parent range. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few other clues in some of these models that give us an idea of where GW is heading next with Warhammer Fantasy Battles.

This weeks extra pieces were the monsters. It was nice to paint some figures that were a little closer to the 28mm infantry models I'm accustomed to, and the poses even allowed for two of the monsters to be single piece molds. The only real challenge was getting the color just right on the slugs crawling out of the undead serpent. They ended up being a combination of brown and purple, highlighted with magenta mixed with white.

That does it for the eighth ship in the box. Unfortunately, this marks the end of ships I can paint that don't have sails... and boy does next week's ship have some sails.

Dreadfleet Part 8: A Syfy Original...

2011-12-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 8 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article deals with the Black Kraken.

Because the paint scheme was so monochromatic, I was able to save time and effort by using a colored primer, in this case a metallic one. The islands recieved a similar treatment with a 50% grey primer, leaving the models partially done before I'd even lifted a brush.

I have to say, this is probablly the easiest of the ships that I've painted so far. Even without the colored primer, there's only four colors to the entire ship. A couple washes on the metal gave it some depth, and a single round of careful highlighting ensured the black armor looked appropriately vicious.

The Dreadfleet has been much simpler to paint than the Grand Alliance. The complete lack of sails on three of the five ships, coupled with the limited color palette, makes painting faster and easier. The results are just as impressive thanks to the wild sculpts, but the challenge is severly decreased. I know this will not hold true for the Capital Dreadfleet ship, but the other four will be/have been a breeze.

GW continues it's slightly disturbed love affair with the human skull in these gorgeous sculpts. Thanks to the texturing, these islands play well with dry brushing and washes. The dry brushing leaves a very gritty feel, perfect for stone, and different color washes give the finish a multilayered effect. I found the volcano island to be particularly rewarding, second only to the glowing double skull.

Painting lava is tricky, but a little practice goes a long way. I found the key was to get the underlying color just right, especially the gradients. The shape of the pit actually lends itself to wet blending; mixing different shades of paint before they've set. You can mix and swirl the colors to your heart's content without having to worry about spilling. Anything the hits the inner wall of the volcano will become part of the ambient glow of the lava. Only when I was completely satisfied did I very carefully drybrush the top layer with black.

That does it for now. Next up, more evil on the high seas!

Rant: Nurgle

2011-12-11T08:35:00.001-05:00

Dear Sculptors,

Please stop having the belly rotted out of every large scale Nurgle model you make. You've beaten this particular undead horse long enough. Stop it.

I get it; this is not real. Clearly there are a number of biological observations one could make about this situation that would prevent it from becoming so. But there's a saying I've heard from many an author that applies equally well here: Ask your audience to believe the impossible, but not the improbable.

What does that have to do with rotten stomach syndrome?

The core.

The core muscle groups (abs, obliques, traps, glutes, etc.) are the point of origin for all motion in bipedal creatures. Without your abdominal muscles, you'd essentially be stuck where you were, incapable of walking, sitting upright, and certainly not fighting. Yes, it isn't real. You can't kill something and still have it moving around. I don't care if it hasn't got a pulse, nothing that relies on it's muscles to move around can do so without the Transversus Abdominis. Judging by the size of these guys, they're going to need the industrial-strength version of said muscle.

And let's not forget that sometimes, when we play these games, normal people like to stop by and see what we're doing. How do you even begin to explain to someone that you are an emotionally stable human-being when you've got stuff like this covering the table? It's models like these that make other people take two steps toward the door before you've even gotten out a hello.

I think what really bothers me about all of this is the lack of originality. Clearly everyone who worked on these models are superior artists in their field. Some of them really went to town and sought to innovate. The model below is by far my favorite of all these due to the sheer number of extra touches you can see in the model. It makes me want to see what this guy/gal is capable of without the constraint of having to essentially produce something that already exists.

I think it's time to move on; to seek greener (literally) pastures. I challenge the next miniatures company that makes a mega-zombie model to do something we've never seen before. Make the whole thing mechanical and rusty, or a living swarm of pestilent insects, or go for the opposite and have a slightly sickly looking clean-freak who is infested with airborne contagions.

Be crazy, be original, and be in love with what you do.

...

Even if it's making slimy mega-zombies.

======

UPDATE: FURTHER OFFENDERS

======

Willy Miniatures: Beast of Pestilence

5 Tips for painting for an existing army

2011-12-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

I recently got a notification from the facebook that a good friend of mine was having his birthday: Kenton Kilgore of the Jungle fame. I wished him a happy birthday and asked if he wanted a painted mini, to which he (wisely) responded with a resounding yes, just pick an army and go for it. Kenton has a lot of really cool and unique armies, all filled with characterful minis. I thought to paint a space marine for his gigantic 10k point army, but I thought it might get lost among the masses. I elected instead to paint a mini for his space dwarf army, the Dvergar Steeljacks.

Tip 1: Research

It's important to know what elements of the army you're trying to emulate and what key points shouldn't be messed with. You want it to be your own, but ultimately it needs to fit alongside it's brethren.

I spent some time looking at pictures of the existing models, and reading the commentary on where Kenton had pulled his inspiration from. Several things I noted:

Heavy use of metallics
Gold stripe down the center of the helmet
Based on the Pittsburgh Steelers color scheme
Highly reflective black armor

Tip 2: Select the Right Model(s)

When it comes time to select the models, be sure to find something that fits your budget not only in terms of money but time as well. If you're dedicating the resources to supplement someone else's army, make sure you can do it in a reasonable time.

I ended up going with some of mantic games' excellent Forge Father models. They fit the theme perfectly, as they were space dwarves. As I did my research, I noticed that Kenton had yet to get his hands on any Flash Gits or Lootas. I took advantage of this by selecting the Storm Rage veterans, which came equipped with large and deadly looking guns. The only conversion necessary was to clip away the built-in base that they came on so the pieces would sit on a 28mm Games Workshop base. The extra material underneath their boots actually came in handy, as they put the models at the level created by the rock.

Tip 3: Be Original

Part of the gift is what you can bring as a personal interpretation to the existing theme. With the core rules of the aesthetic in mind, do something that you want to do. Have fun with it, and you'll end up with a superior experience and a superior product.

One thing I wanted to avoid was having the black armor simply be black with a glaze over it. That being said, I didn't want to violate my first rule by not having the reflective armor. I comprimised by undercoating the models with several layers of increasingly lighter shades of blue before completing the look with a layer of pure black, leaving the armor with gradient highlighting on the edges.

Tip 4: Get It Done

No one likes having an offer revoked or even worse, simply unfulfilled. Even a 'free' offer should be treated just like the person was a paying client. It will avoid procrastination, keep your paying jobs on schedule, maintain a good working mindset, and generally enhance the effect of your initial generosity. Anyone can make a promise; be one of those rare people who keep them.

All in all this project took me two days. The largest chunk of time was spent waiting for the pieces to arrive from England, but once they were here I was off. I knew it would be a belated birthday present the second I made the offer, so I didn't want to make it any longer than it already was.

Tip 5: Document

Just because you painted the model for someone else doesn't mean you don't deserve credit for it. Avoid the temptation to ship the model out the second you complete it and make sure you've photographed EVERYTHING you want to. It's probably the last time you're going to see that model in your studio, make it count.

It was a great experience and great fun to paint something for someone like Kenton who gives so much of himself to the community. I encourage everyone to undertake a project like this every now and again. It's a good way to stretch yourself creatively, build networks, and celebrate all the wonderful individuals that make up our community.

Dreadfleet Part 7: Zombies!

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 7 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article deals with the Skabarus.

Gloriously disgusting.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the lore, the Skabarus is an undead whale filled with the undead remains of an entire Skaven warfleet it consumed who then promptly killed it from the inside. Noctus raised the whale with a huge necromancy spell and the Skaven popped back to life as well. Thus, we have the Zombie Whale...

Gross, yet awesome.

It's actually not as bad when assembled. The part of this model that really disturbs me is the base. For some reason, GW chose to sculpt intestines and who knows what else on the base of this model, which I painstakingly painted, thinking that the open top would show the work. As you can see in the above picture, even bright lights won't show any of the insides of this thing.

Big tip for painters: just throw down a single color and a wash on the base and be done with it. It's impossible to see all the work I did, save for the copper sphere that's sticking out from the back of the base. After you get that piece done, you're free to move on.

I painted the wrecked ships for my accessory, which was a great highlight to this week's job. The super rusted, dwarven warship is a standout piece, not only for it's color, but the character of the waves that engulf it. Just beautiful.

The bad guy ships continue next time with the Mecha-Kraken!

Dreadfleet Part 6: 168 Gun Salute

2011-11-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 6 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article deals with the capitol warship of the Grand Alliance, the Heldenhammer.

Holy. Goodness.

This boat is easily the most complicated I've undertaken to date (for the record, I have now completed all the ships in the Grand Alliance.) The level of detail that has been added to this model is staggering. I counted 76 guns per side. Add in the 16 on the back and you're looking at a mind-bending 168 cannons and their gilded arches. My recommendation: patience.

The sails of this vessel are particularly difficult to paint as they require a heavy amount of freehand design and shading. Again, patience is key.

My only real complaint with this model, which extends to dreadfleet as a whole, is the warping that has taken hold on many of the masts. It's hard enough to get the pegs to fit just right (in most cases I actually clipped them out), but it's nearly impossible to do so when everything is at an angle.

The weather token is my favorite piece from the entire box. It's stylish, well designed, and functional. This is the gold standard that every game piece should be held to.

The Grand Alliance is now complete. The box is one half done, and I can't help but feel I picked the more difficult half to start off. We'll see next week when we take a look at some truly stomach churning sculpting work from the twisted minds at GW.

Charity Auction: Thank you

2011-11-24T18:19:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you to everyone who made the charity drive a success. Thanks to your efforts, I was able to raise the money I needed to help Ohanamalu Tae Kwon Do. As always, you all amaze me. Have a wonderful weekend.

-James

Dreadfleet Part 5: Feeling Thirsty?

2011-11-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 5 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article is about, you guessed it, water.

Let's just get this out of the way now: The Heldenhammer is a beast. You need about as much time to paint this ship correctly as you would a Space Marine Land Raider. More on that next week. This week we're going to examine one of the most important aspect of any naval-based game: water.

If you look at any picture of the ocean (that isn't photoshopped to death) you'll immediately see that blue is not the only color. In fact, most bodies of water aren't blue at all, depending on the angle and time of day you observed them at. If you've ever seen an ocean sunset in July, you know there isn't a spec of blue in the tides of fire that are rolling in with the evening wind. Sidenote: Someone should totally paint a source-lit version of dreadfleet at sunset, you'd win awards with that done properly.

In any case, the biggest thing is to start with the supporting colors that are going to be showing through after the final washes. I used scorpion green and hawk turquoise as a glaze, laying it on top of the basic white undercoat. After that, I put down several layers of necron abyss and washed it with asurman blue.

The final step was one big layer of necron abyss that covered the entire base. The resulting color was united by the strong foundation layer on the topmost level while still showing elements of the colors that began the project. I then took a brush of space wolf grey and patted down the crests of the waves. A final smaller application of pure white at the very apex of the waves gave it the turbulent look.

Not technically complex, but an important technique for your toolset as a painter.Now, if I could just finish the boat that's supposed to fill this base!

Dreadfleet Part 4: There be Dragons

2011-11-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Part 4 of thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop. This article details the High Elf vessel, the Sea Drake.

This boat has been the simplest I've undertaken so far. If you're just getting ready to crack open this box, you'd do well to start with this guy. You wind up with a beautiful piece with a minimum of headaches. And let's not forget the biggest reason to paint this boat...

Packing the heaviest load of awesome into a single model, the Dragons in this kit have an elegant and powerful look, just like the ship they accompany. Because this ship is built with a fast and deadly aesthetic, you don't have a lot of filler to take up your time. It's a simple, yet effective statement.

Make sure you get the gradients on the sails perfect before trimming out the rings and runes.

Be aware: The joins between the sails create some strange flat areas that aren't really anything but negative space that are needed for structure and support. These areas are on the undersides and backs of the sails, out of the way. You'd do well to throw in some dark paint to keep the area de-emphasized (I used Necron Abyss.)

My game piece for this round, the rulers. I left the contact points bare as any paint would only gum up the works and get scraped off during use anyways.

Painters beware: The tick marks on the sides of these ruler sections are sharp enough to draw blood. Handle with care and refrain from whipping any errant hands with these deadly weapons!

The grand alliance is almost complete, now if only we had a cathedral with sails...

Warhammer Fantasy: Dwarf Warrior

2011-11-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Brian Niro's "For the Love" series, I decided to dig up some of the Warhammer Fantasy mini's that I've painted just because I really wanted to.

I love the look of GW dwarves, and I love how much weight they've managed to put into even the most basic warrior. I don't have the time or money to build an entire Warhammer army at the moment, but if I did, the Dwarves would be in my top tier choices.

Dreadfleet Part 3: Get in the Boat (Fish fish!)

2011-11-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

Thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop: Part 3. This article deals with the Alliance pirate ship: The Swordfysh.

There just isn't much to say about this guy. It's a black ship with black sails covered in skeletal imagery. Yup, that's a pirate ship alright.

Going on looks alone, I actually thought that this ship was one of the bad guys. I wanted to paint up one of the evil ships to mix things up, but when I looked under the auxiliary table, I saw that it sailed with an alliance cog. Oops.

Easily the most time consuming part of this piece are the sails. The slightly raised images are fantastic when they're complete, but a bear to work with. I've tried several ways of painting them so far, and there just isn't an easy way to do this. That being said, a little bit of patience goes a long way, and the results speak for themselves. I got the sea-green color on the masts by putting a wash of Thraka Green over a base of rotting flesh mixed with scorpion green .

These treasure tokens were a fun little distraction one Friday evening. They're detailed just like everything else in the box, but not painfully so.

3 ships down, 7 to go. I decided after this that I'm going to aim to complete the Grand Alliance before going on to the dark side. Next up, Elves! I've cut, cleaned, and primed the Seadrake for it's tour of duty. Thankfully this time I don't have any massive images on the sails, and for a bonus I get to paint dragons!

Dreadfleet Part 2: Game Genie(s)

2011-10-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

Thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop: Part 2. This article deals with the Araby-inspired ship: The Flaming Scimitar.

This was the first time I was working with a ship with sails and they are a very different experience. It took some getting used to, but I found a couple things to help with the process as you're working on this set.

First off, you're going to want to paint the raised symbols on the sails before filling the rest. There are a lot of subtle shade and tint transitions to remain faithful to the box art. Even if doing your own thing, the raised areas are shallow, it's almost a given you're going to bleed off the raised surface onto the sail. Better to bite the bullet and make sure the symbols are correct before you proceed; they're going to command the lion's share of a viewers attention.

I highly recommend you find a foundation color for the sail itself. Filling in the areas around the symbols will be less painful with the superior coating of foundation or black.

Mask your contact areas and pre-fit every piece before gluing. This is a kit that has zero room for error; even a coat of primer will make it impossible for the joins to fit properly. I use a piece of kneaded-eraser to keep the contact areas clean during priming. It's cheap, reusable, and effective.

And don't forget to keep painting those tokens.

Two ships in the Grand Alliance complete. Next up is the Swordfysh.

Dreadfleet Part 1: Dwarves!

2011-10-21T13:00:00.002-04:00

Thoughts and tips on the latest mega-box from Games Workshop: Part 1. This article deals with an introduction to the box, as well as the Alliance ship: Grimnir's Thunder

First off, this box is a monster. It's filled to the brim with jam-packed frames of ships, tokens, and islands. Each ship is designed with an insane amount of detail for it's scale, and the ships themselves are quite sizable. As each ship comes from a different background, it has a color scheme unique to it's origin. Add in the incredible game token designs and you have a box that demands you take your time.

Every ship has a completely unique look and style to it, so batch processing just isn't a viable option. The one thing I do recommend is that you paint the ship at the same time as you paint it's auxiliary. In game terms, the auxiliary is a smaller vessel that some of the main ships have to deploy that can perform different actions than it's mother craft. Some ships get a simple boat for an auxiliary, while others get something completely different, like the dwarves who get a zeppelin.

In this way, you don't have to go back later and try and match color schemes after having painted the main ship. I'm also including a single game piece with each main ship just so I don't get stuck with a monotonous load of work at the end.

WARNING: That innocent looking little aircraft is deceptively sharp. The prongs on the front actually got into my thumb just like a barb. Handle with extreme care.

That does it for now. Next week will be the Flaming Scimitar!

Ork Nob

2011-10-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Coolminiornot was running a contest for a single painted ork/marine/chaos marine, and I wanted to give it a shot. Here's the results.

It's easily the best mini I've painted thus far, but it couldn't hold a torch to the masterpieces that are commonplace on that site. It's a little disheartening to have your work blown out of the water, but I don't paint for glory. Painting for competition is a different beast, and one I'm happy to leave be most of the time. Still, at least my friend got a nice Ork out of the deal.

Kroxigor

2011-10-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

I rescued this guy from a random bits box when I realized there was an entire Kroxigor just sitting there. It was fun to work with an older model and to breathe new life into an otherwise forgotten sculpt. The new Kroxigor's are beautiful, but this guy still holds up. I glued some temple guard bits onto his belt to add some bulk/interest.

Bolter Betty: Day 6

2011-10-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

On Day 6 I put all the final colors and effects in, finishing the project.

I'll post a pic of the printed image on the wing of a valkyrie once my friend has that part finished.

Bolter Betty: Day 5

2011-10-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

On Day 5 I finished adding detailed objects and began the process of converting everything to color.

More tomorrow.

Bolter Betty: Day 4

2011-10-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

Day 4 saw the finished product for the leg details, as well as Betty's right arm. I also worked on some better grenades, which is always a win.

More tomorrow.

Bolter Betty: Day 3

2011-10-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

Day 3 was all about shin armor. With any good pinup girl the legs are featured prominently, so I wanted to make sure I had an appropriate level of detail.

More tomorrow.

Bolter Betty: Day 2

2011-10-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

Day 2 was spent getting the rest of the body in line and adding facial details.

More tomorrow.

Bolter Betty: Day 1

2011-10-04T13:17:00.003-04:00

A Buddy of mine asked me if I would do a pin-up style illustration for the wings of a valkyrie he's been working on. He wanted her to be a sister of battle in full battle gear.

Thus, Bolter Betty was born.

The first day I spent getting the positioning and proportions right for the upper body.

More tomorrow.

Carnifex

2011-09-25T09:01:00.003-04:00

I finished painting my first large-scale tyranid a couple weeks ago. Here's some pictures and random thoughts on painting a Carnifex.

Notes from the field:
The vents on the back are almost always going to need to be greenstuffed. The fit is good, but even an expert assembly is going to leave a bit of a gap that detracts from the final product.

The (chickens have large) talons have damage built into them, but due to injection molding the dents tend to get filled in. Make sure you clear them out for authentic battle damage.

Some of these organic lines require more than just an exacto blade to clean up. Do yourself a favor and invest in a kit of different-shaped files (galeforce 9 makes an outstanding set). They not overly expensive, they work wonders, and they last a really long time. Do it.

Speaking of mold lines, they're so many on this model that you would do well to clean it multiple times. Even if you're OCD like me about your line cleanup, you're going to miss a couple the first time through.

There's a lot of big, flat surfaces on this model; you need to do something to compensate for this. I chose to texture my guys with line work, but I've seen all sorts of great solutions like gradients, modeled texture, and even freehand designs.

Remember to always paint the deepest part of the model first, that way you're much less likely to mess up an existing part of your work.

That's it for now, enjoy!

The Emperor's Champion

2011-09-20T23:19:00.001-04:00

I had a chance to put down some paint for proper (read: black) Black Templars. I was going to buy the Emperor's Champion in finecast, but I've painted that model almost half a dozen times, and I'm not super impressed with the sculpt. I bits ordered this guy off of eBay for about $13 with shipping. I'm much happier with this model than I would have been otherwise.

40 Reasons to play Warhammer 40k

2011-08-30T11:51:00.000-04:00

Warhammer 40,000 is the 800 pound Gorilla sitting at the top of the tabletop wargaming world. If you're a gamer and you're not playing, you should be. If you're on the fence about whether or not to get into the tabletop wargaming, this is the game you want to break in with.

Why?

Glad you asked...

40. Black Templar
Do you like knights? How about guns? Wish you could play an entire army of 8 foot tall super human knights who have guns? I know I did, which is why I built and played a Black Templar army for many years. This chapter of the space marines is unquestionably heroic in their appearance and they have the gear to match. It's only a matter of time before their rules are revisited for 5th edition. In the mean time, they're still a solid army with loads of conversion opportunities and a solid miniature range.

39. Blood Angels
Space marines live a long time, like, a really long time. The ones that don't get killed in battle live well over 300 years. To a Blood Angel that's just getting warmed up. Even the basic Blood Angel can live to be 1000 without breaking a sweat. So what do you do with ten centuries as a soldier in the 41st millenium? A lot of killing apparently, something the Blood Angels do rather well. With a some of the best plastic kits space marines have access to, the Blood Angels are currently top dogs when it comes to an elite power armored force. They're big, they're bad, they're psychic space vampires. Did I mention some of them go crazy and become even bigger and badder? Yeah, apparently that's how they roll.

38. Chaos Demons
Evil? Excellent! Read on.

If you dream of wreaking havoc among the poor souls of a planet, these are your boys, girls, and others. You're actually getting four armies in one, each with their own style. You've got the classic red nasty devil types (Khorne), highly agile speed freaks (Slaanesh), unstoppable hulks of decay and rot (Nurgle), and the quintessence of psychic power and magic itself (Tzeentch). Play up with a pure force of one, go for a two prong attack, mix it up with three, or have a blast and include all 4. Whatever you want, they've got some of the craziest and most otherworldly designs you've ever seen in miniatures, with rules to match.

37. Chaos Space Marines
If you like your evil a little bit more on the human side of things, step right this way. Chaos Space Marines are at an interesting juncture in the 40k universe. Once occupying a single slot alongside demons, they have since struck out to carve their own identity. These dark soldiers carry brands like heretic, traitor, occultist, and renegade. If some or all of these appeal to you, definitely consider this army. You can keep it clean with straight chaos marines or go all the way down the path to ruination with cult troops, chaos sorcery, and demoniacally possessed war machines. You won't find an army in 40k that offers quite so much variety in theme or appearance.

36. Dark Angels
Monks. Robes. Holy Men. Keepers of Knowledge. Gigantic Missile Launchers... wait, what?

The Dark Angels are one of the most secretive and darkest (no pun intended) chapters the imperium of man has to offer. They're steeped in arcane lore, driven beyond all else to hunt down the fallen, marines from ages past who turned to chaos. The current Dark Angel codex was a revolutionary entry for it's time, serving as the bedrock for all subsequent marine offerings. It allows players to take specialist variants of the army, fielding nothing but mighty terminators and dreadnoughts in the Deathwing or an entire force of high speed assault vehicles known as the Ravenwing.

35. Grey Knights
Space Marines are the best humanity has to offer, the heroes of worlds transformed beyond the constraints of their humble origins to become the perfect warrior. What a Space Marine is to a normal man, a Grey Knight is to a space marine. Trained to even higher standards and outfitted with gear that befits commanders of entire armies, even a single Grey Knight is a force to be reckoned with; a psychically empowered super soldier with the resources of the entire imperium at his disposal. Play as the ultimate good guys, the best hope for humanity, the elite of the elite, the Grey Knights.

34. Dark Eldar
How fast do you like to drive?

If your answer involved the words 'rattle', 'impossible', 'cops', or 'on fire', you may have a future with the Dark Eldar. These guys are as fast as it gets, often taking to the battlefield and striking before your opponent has had any chance to react. You are the ultimate aggressor, dictating the terms of the battle, forcing your opponent to react to you, rather than the other way around. They're lithe, deadly killers with a look to match. Freshly redesigned front to back, the Dark Eldar are now as stylish as they are powerful. Plastic sets abound that let you flesh out your force in wicked style. Fast and relentless power is yours.

33. Eldar
The ultimate thinking man's (or woman's) army. Every unit has a distinct appearance and function on the battlefield. You still have speed, but you also have specialized units that excel in their given field. Got an enemy tank that needs sorting out? Why bother with a normal army where you have a single guy per squad who can hurt the tank? The Eldar bring Fire Dragons, every last one capable of turning any armored menace into a hulk of burning slag. It's kind of like the iPhone of 40k armies: there's a troop for that. If played correctly, this army is ready for every situation; annihilating the competition.

32. Imperial Guard
It's all about the guns.

Sometimes you don't really feel like assaulting the interstellar terror on the other side of the board. you just want to lay down a dozen templates and roll countless scores of dice until Mr. Merciless Destroyer is nothing more than smokey swiss cheese. Featuring some of the greatest firepower the current game has to offer, the Imperial Guard has some extra ammunition for any situation. Play the army with all armor and watch as your gigantic warmachines rumble forward, blasting the enemy to. The Imperial Guard also offers great options to the infantry-heavy player, letting you field massive numbers of noble every-day soldiers who together face down the horrors of the universe.

31. Necrons
Remember Terminator? Man, that was an awesome movie, especially the future scenes showing the war between man and machine. The Terminators just kept pushing ahead, wrecking house with the pitiful humans who were trying to stop them and save the day (not a very likely scenario, given just how jacked even the basic terminator was) Now imagine that you can command that army of machines from the dark future. Imagine that in addition to everything that Arnold offered you, you could also gain access to one of the most powerful vehicles in the game, a massive hovering pyramid-like structure that unleashes wave after wave of devastating raw energy. Oh, and if your boys get shot down, there's a 50% chance they just stand right back up like it wasn't a deal. Imagine no more, and welcome to the Necrons.

30. Orks
What's not to love about the Orks? They're big, bad, completely crazy, and did I mention they have cockney accents? These greenskins are several steps of wacky beyond their fantasy cousins, wielding insane technology that only really works because as a race a nascent psykers, they believe it does. They do whatever it takes to get the job done, the job itself being very little more than getting to the next huge fight. Apart from Space Marines, the Orks enjoy the largest variety of plastic kit support, every model characterful and hilarious. In such a dark game, these green skinned psychopaths are a gem of comedic light that lends the entire narrative a certain sparkle. When it comes down to it, Warhammer 40k just wouldn't be the same without it's beloved Orks.

29. Space Marines
What can you say about the iconic warriors of the 41st millennium? They're the first and last thing you see when you play this game. Wildly popular beyond any other army, you'll always be in good company when you're rolling with the finest humanity has to offer. They represent everything that 40k has to offer, bigger than life, powerful beyond all belief, and ready to bring the fight to anyone who stands in the way. They're so important to GW that the company went ahead and developed 4 separate chapters in addition to the dozens of existing official ones to keep the line going, adding new rules, models, and stories for each.

28. Space Wolves
Space Vikings. If you need to keep reading you've missed the point.

Space.

Vikings.

...

In space.

These guys have attitude to spare (but no hair gel, they need the entire supply). With a codex chalk full of pain-dealing options, and an extensive plastic upgrade box, the Space Wolves are a dream for hobbyist and gamer alike. In true 40k style, they blend a wide variety of historical cultures with the dark technology of the far future, resulting in a force of warriors that is truly unique. From their rune covered armor to the gigantic cyber-wolves they ride to the half crazed werewolf-style warriors they roll with, the Space Wolves are the everything you've ever wanted in a norse inspired force that packs a serious punch on the battlefield...

SPACE VIKINGS

27. Tau Empire
Giant robots are awesome; no arguments there. Now throw in an entire force of sleek, streamlined warriors that look like they could fit in the Gundam or Robotech universes and you've got a very unique entry into the 40k game. The Tau Empire opens the door for a lot of sci-fi enthusiasts who would otherwise not have much to get excited over. This is the olive branch that connects the dirty, gothic inspired 40k vision of the future with the ultra clean, modernist alternative. That the story is big enough to hold both is testament to just how much ground this game covers. Beautiful, sleek plastic kits make assembling the force a dream of well engineered design.

26. Tyranids
So far we've only been discussing humanoids, but for the monster movie fanatic in us all, we have the Tyranids. Utterly alien, this army is an essential build for any hardcore H.R. Giger fan. They are a diverse force, able to bring an almost unstoppable weight of numbers down on an enemy, or a force of oversized monsters. The conversion crazy will find a welcome home here, with multiple plastic kits that were designed to fit together in a very organic fashion to create a menagerie of brutal adversaries. Even those who don't want to spend the time to make new beasts will still have plenty of options open to them with the standard issue sets. With more plastic kits than ever, there's never been a better time to join the swarm.

25. Ultramarines
If you've ever heard of or seen Warhammer 40k, then you've most likely seen the Ultramarines. Clad in the iconic deep blues and golds of the second company, the Ultramarines benefit from being the single most representative image of the game. If you join up, you are instantly added to the ranks of some of the greatest players and lore masters of the universe. You will have access to many unique characters, images, as well as video game and movie appearances. You're virtually guaranteed to see your boys front and center. If you are the type who likes getting behind a strong brand, you can't go wrong with these guys.

24. Witch hunters
In a rather unique move for a traditionally male-dominated genre, Games Workshop has created a force that can be exclusively female. The witch hunters epitomize purity, while bringing unstoppable wrath to any who stray from the path of the righteous. Packing fire and sword in equal measure, there isn't much that can stop the sisters of battle once they get rolling. They also have the ability to call upon miracles, divine intervention directly on the table, proving beyond any doubt that they are the favored ones.

23. Movies
Some years ago, the Warhammer community was treated to an opening cinematic to the Dawn of War PC game that transformed our perception of what 40k could be. A fully rendered CG battle that finally did justice to the wars we had been imagining all these years; finally! We watched it again and again, eyes wide with wonder. How amazing it would have been if GW had managed to take such a powerful storytelling technology and leverage it to make a feature length movie...

oh wait, they did that.

22. Comics
Having grown up with the X-Men, it made perfect sense to me when I first heard that Warhammer 40k was getting the graphic novel treatment from Boom! Studios. The larger-than-life attitude of the universe was the perfect setting in which to base a comic-style story. Thankfully, Boom! had their heads screwed on straight and delivered a series of stories that, so far, is absolutely spectacular. Taken from the vantage point of a comic book collector, they make a fine addition to any sci-fi library. As a companion piece to such a deep game experience, these books are fantastic.

21. Video Games
With so many bloody battles and so many visual inspirations, the act of developing a video game for the 40k universe is just too obvious not to do. The surprising part of the experience is the sheer breadth of game types that you will find. Developers give us a range of of ideas and experiences at different levels, offering anywhere from controlling a single warrior through a campaign to entire armies and battles that span the scope of entire continents and even worlds. First person shooter, strategic role playing, and even an upcoming MMO, theres something for everyone in the world of 40k videogames.

20. Books
Warhammer just wouldn't be what it is without the incredible story that ties all it's disparate elements together. While the short stories included in the army codexes are vital to the flavor, the books flesh out the universe as a unified whole. With some serious writing talent behind them, Games Workshop has created an entire library worth of literature on the experience of Warhammer 40k. And better yet, the entire collection is in the process of being moved over to digital publication, so in the very near future we will be able to access the lore of the game anytime anywhere. Throw in audiobooks complete with background sound effects and incidental music and you have more story than you'll know what to do with.

19. Hordes
Sometimes it's just really fun to move a ton of models on the tabletop. Seeing the look on your opponents face when you open the third case of figures to put down on the table is a great moment. It takes a while to hack your way through all that painting, but it always pays off. For the player who really like to have the weight of numbers on his or her side, there are a number of distinct options open to make sure that the battlefield is choked with soldiers, beasts, or worse.

18. Tread Heads
If you're only wish is to take to the battlefield with engines roaring and super heavy cannons ready to shred the enemy, 40k has you covered. Your only difficulty will be choosing between the more traditional heavy armor or the super sleek, high tech, death dealers the universe has to offer. Of course, if this proves to be too difficult a choice, there's always the option to get them all. There's an entire gametype dedicated to letting you play all your tanks at once...

17. Godzilla Fanatics
Warhammer 40k is such a huge game, it has more monstrous creatures than some game systems that have nothing but monstrous creatures. The galaxy is host to demons, aliens, beasts, and mutants of a staggering variety, and if you prefer to bring an army of towering giants, you've come to the right place. Because while there are other games out there where you might be able to find the big boys, only in 40k do you have the opportunity to watch them run rampant and wreak havoc among so many other types of models. There just isn't anything quite like watching a foot tall demon model slam into a hundred tiny humanoids.

16. Robo-Techies
If the giant robots had been limited to just the Tau, then this section would be redundant. However, it would be a mistake to list them as the only source of tech enhanced damage dealers. Gigantic robots and walkers of a variety of origins abound, armed with firepower and close combat gear of a very nasty disposition. Styles span the races with the graceful and elegant wraithlord, massive dreadnought, wicked tomb spider, and insane ork deff dread, not to mention the towering stompa and super-heavy walkers...

15. Terrain Maniacs
If making a scene is your thing, then Warhammer has something for you. Combining the best of gritty industry with a strong gothic style, the terrain kits of 40k and it's cousin warhammer fantasy are easily the best in the business. Once again, GW delivers in terms of scope, quality, and the sheer variety of terrain pieces available to the hobbyist. Such a range of options opens up possibilities for massive conversions, while keeping the price reasonable. Players can even purchase modular plastic game boards for the complete experience. What could have been an obvious oversight turns into a great strength for 40k.

14. Easy to find a game
In such a specialist hobby as tabletop wargaming, a common difficulty to overcome is the social aspect. 40k is a game best enjoyed among friends, and finding a connection with an established community can be the difference between a casual game and a lasting investment. This is where 40k really shines, being at the head of the pack. The odds of finding other 40k players in your area are much higher than some of the smaller specialist games out there. And if you can't find an existing community, there are more than enough resources to help you build one.

13. Battle for Black Reach
One of the hardest things for a new player to do is to try and wrap his or her head around the sheer enormity that is 40k. There are so many things to consider: what books a player needs to play the game, what models comprise a game-ready force, what accessories a player will need, and what to do if they don't know what army they even want to play? GW has all that covered in a single box, the Battle for Black Reach. By purchasing this box, a player has all the rules, models, and accessories for 2 medium sized forces and is ready to play 40k. The models, while easier to assemble than most plastic kits, are of such high quality that the box is still being purchased years after it's initial release for the models alone. This high standard of quality persists for the other elements, from the rulebook to the templates and more. Made for beginners but suitable for veterans, Battle for Black Reach has something for everyone.

12. Plastics Everywhere
Plastic models are just plain better than metal or resin. They're tough, lightweight, flexible, easy to convert, and deeply customizable. With a constantly increasing standard of quality design, plastic molds are rapidly outpacing their cousins. It used to be that you had to choose between the quality of a metal mold or a simpler plastic. Today's plastics have both superior materials and design. GW has plastic boxes available for every one of their armies, and with each update, several old metal kits are replaced. Inside a generation or two, there will be no reason why anyone will have to use a metal model in their army.

11. Deep Roots
It takes a long time to generate this much content; a really long time. GW has had about a quarter century to create everything that exists today, from the stories to the successive generations of models to the massive fanbase to the creative talent that now drives Games Workshop forward. Warhammer 40k is unique in that it was essentially the first of it's kind to build a lasting foundation. It is this foundation that allows it to exist in a class all it's own, with a seemingly endless narrative and a compelling range of content.

10. Never has to be the final frontier
And it is because of 40k's deep roots that the game has the power and flexibility to go almost anywhere. The universe is a big place, and there's always a seat open for you and the story you want to tell. In fact, Games Workshop openly encourages players to contribute, leaving certain points of the story open to interpretation. It is this personal investment in the growing story that keeps many coming back year after year, to see the very thing they helped create become something even more vibrant and spectacular.

9. Worldwide Phenomenon
And these players come from all over the world. Not many games manage to transcend the culture of their origin, but 40k is everywhere. Players from Europe, the Americas, and Asia comprise a massive international fanbase that far outstrips it's humble British origins. The number of warhammer players in other countries varies, but some of the best painters and players have been known to come from countries besides the USA and UK. It's always cool to see a really great paintjob online, only to discover the ensuing discussion is in Japanese. No matter where you hail from, chances are you are living in a 40k country.

8. Gothic Techno
Warhammer 40k has a style all it's own. So often we see visions of the future that are very well polished, literally in some cases. Humanity sails the stars in silvery ships that glow and radiate with energy. The universe is a wide, silent sea, punctuated by tiny deposits of planets and other interests, otherwise a tide of deep blues and purples. In direct contrast, the universe of Warhammer 40k is tumultuous to say the least. Outerspace is constantly boiling over with furious storms and disturbances. The very center of the cosmos swirls with chaos, evil lurks in every corner, and technology is a dark and gritty affair. Humanity exists by the billions, in a state of unending war with countless horrors from beyond the void. The very concept of space itself can hardly be trusted, and one must always be on guard.

7. Ancient Origins
With such a dark setting, it's hard to imagine how such a diverse group of warrior archetypes could have existed or been developed to begin with. For inspiration, we don't turn forward, but rather to the past. Much of the aesthetic value of the Warhammer universe borrows heavily from the warrior cultures of old. Drawing from the beauty of Rome, Egypt, Japan, England, Greece, and many more, the visual style of Warhammer 40k has it's roots in our society, giving it a recognizable and classical feel, while remaining unique. It is a blending of the historic and the fantastic, a world of familiarity, presented in a new light and a fresh perspective.

6. Games Workshop Support
Of course, nothing in the above list matters if GW didn't make supporting the game their #1 priority. They've spent a long time setting up this world for us to play in, and the sheer amount of work that goes into maintaining it would be enough to keep any company busy. But they are constantly expanding their efforts to vitalize the game. Every year players can expect to see 3 or 4 armies updated, old metals replaced with amazing new plastics, and the story continues on. The rules are tweaked and reexamined for the next iteration, grand tournaments are held, and players from the around the world can shop and interact directly with the company via their website. Games Workshop, and all those who share their world, are the single driving force behind the universal experience that is Warhammer 40k.

5. Simplified Rule System
With a game like 40k, the likelihood of the rule system slowing down under it's own weight is a constant threat. However, Games Workshop has done a fantastic job of keeping the core rule system relatively simple and easy to follow. 5th edition was all but universally hailed as a massive upgrade and simplification to the existing ruleset. GW has continued this trend by revamping existing armies to keep gameplay fast and easy to understand, but deep enough to keep players going. As revisions come in, the game gets closer to a vision of an accessible experience that can be enjoyed by novice and veteran alike.

4. Forge World
Rather than let the potential model designs go to waste, GW started an entire company, Forge World, to bring them to life in resin kits. Forgeworld kits comprise some of the highest level of detail as well as some of the wildest and customized items in the game. Forge World also produces their own stories, books, and rules to keep the 40k universe alive and well.

3. Apocalypse
Sometimes with so many great models to collect and paint up there just never seems to be enough points to play everything you want to at the same time. Welcome to Apocalypse 40k. An additional game type, Apocalypse plays just like a game of 40k, but on a much larger scale. Destruction abounds when massive super-heavy class tanks and walkers take to the field. Say goodbye to the force organization charts and say hello to cramming in as many models as you can. You don't even have to worry about what army your models come from. It's all covered in one gigantic book.

2. Planetstrike, Spearhead, Cities of Death, Mission Book
Somewhere in between a standard game of 40k and the madness that is Apocalypse, these further game types keep things fresh. Games Workshop is always hard at work, adding new missions, gameplay variations, and entire new supplemental rule sets to keep 40k growing. If a standard game of 40k isn't what you want, there are tons of different rules to keep you occupied for dozens of games to come.

1. You
One of the greatest strengths of the Warhammer experience is you, the online community. Thousands upon thousands of player congregate in a virtual space to share in stories, ideas, strategies, and collective enthusiasm for the game. No Warhammer player is ever truly alone when he or she is near a computer. There are message boards and community sites for every aspect this game has to offer, and it's growing daily. From internet radio to independent websites to youtube channels to Games Workshop's blog, there's always something new brewing for 40k on the internet.

Doug-Wing Part 2

2011-08-29T11:53:00.003-04:00

I'm out this week, practicing Tae Kwon Do in the mountains of New York with the headmaster, but that doesn't mean the posts are going anywhere. This is part 2 of 2, showing some of my more humble beginnings. Several years ago I painted an entire deathwing army for my friend Doug. This army was affectionately known as the 'Doug-Wing'. We decided it would be cool if the army was painted so each squad looked like it had come from a different chapter, so I set to work on the largest batch of metal models ever to cross my painting table. Here I will be showing what my painting looked like in the mid-2000's, and what lessons I learned from this project.

Lesson 5: The Rule of Three

Painting a color scheme like the original Dark Angel terminator pattern showed me just how potent a limited palette can be. Having bone for the main color, red and green are introduced as a supporting but not overwhelming accent. The key is to break up those big chunks of space with the supporting colors. That way you end up with a model that's easy to take in without having so much variety that you lose your place.

Important note
When counting your colors on a model that you're working on, neutrals are excepted from the rule. In other words; black, white, and grey don't count. It's fine if you're working with those colors as a primary hue, but a section of boltgun metal or pure black will not detract from the focus of your work like a non-neutral color would.

Lesson 6: Experience Counts

This squad was by far and away the easiest of the ones I worked on. I needed zero reference material and I knew exactly what I wanted to do before I even cracked the box open. Prior to this army project, I had painted over 3,000 points of Ultramarines, and with that level of experience under my belt to begin with, there was no stopping me. Though I do advocate branching out and trying minis from different systems and styles, there is a huge advantage to having a solid base of knowledge and practice with a specific army. Take a look at the last mini you painted from your current army versus your first one; it's amazing to see the difference.

Lesson 7: Risk vs. Reward

It's a little difficult to see from this picture, but the ribbing on the back of the leg armor on these terminators was painted black against the stark white/blue of the main armor. I have no idea why I did this, but I distinctly remember the amount of pain it caused me every time I made a mistake. As I said in part 1, this was before foundation paints, so any mistake was several coats to correct. I shook my head as I went back over and over again to fix the inaccuracies that stuck out like a sore thumb. The worst part? It didn't even look that good. Consider the result before indulging in the process. Just because a technique is difficult doesn't mean it's going to result in a superior product. In many cases, simpler is better.

Lesson 8: Don't Shade Yellow with Black

Just don't; use brown or tan. That way you won't have to go back to clean up every single last armor panel and basically have to repaint the entire model. Painting a model once is fun, painting the same model again is just painful.

And that about does it. Next week we're back with Project: Stranded as we finally get to start unveiling all the work that went into it!

Doug-Wing Part 1

2011-08-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

I'm out for the next week, practicing Tae Kwon Do in the mountains of New York with the headmaster, but that doesn't mean the posts are going anywhere. This is part 1 of 2, showing some of my more humble beginnings. Several years ago I painted an entire deathwing army for my friend Doug. This army was affectionately known as the 'Doug-Wing'. We decided it would be cool if the army was painted so each squad looked like it had come from a different chapter, so I set to work on the largest batch of metal models ever to cross my painting table.Here I will be showing what my painting looked like in the mid-2000's, and what lessons I learned from this project.

Lesson 1: Highlighting Red

One thing that never really sank in with me the first time I painted red was that it needs to be highlighted a little differently than other colors. There's a whole explanation that goes along with this that has to do with lightwaves, the human eye, and color theory, but it doesn't change the solution. The fact of the matter is that to avoid flat red tones, you need to go to a different color, instead of a brighter hue like you can do with every other primary color. When I did the Howling Griffons, I used a razor-thin line of orange to pick out the highlights that I had done with blood red, and the depth it added was critical.

Lesson 2: Solid Whites:

Another problem color, white is simply a pain to get right, especially on dark surfaces. My solution is to simply start with white, so you don't have to try and built it on top of a dark color. If circumstances don't afford you that plan of attack, a coat of foundation grey will do wonders to help you out. These models were painted before foundation paints and magic washes existed, so I didn't have that luxury. It really is a world of difference to now have those products readily available.

Lesson 3: Purple can be Your Friend

I'm a guy, and even as a guy who went to art school, I'm still a guy. Purple and pink were two colors I stayed away from at all costs for many years of painting before I did this squad. When I had a chance to see the test model painted up with the white and gold trim, I was pleasantly surprised. Purple and even pink, under the right circumstances and with proper complimenting colors, can be really nice. Just take care not to overdo it, lest you wind up with a "Hello Kitty" army.

Lesson 4: Trim and Dark Colors

I intentionally didn't paint my Black Templar army black because I didn't want to try and break up all that dark space with color. Little did I realize how potent the red and white trim effects could be until I saw them in place on these models. Yes, when painting black armor, highlighting is very important, but it makes the rest of the model extremely vivid in comparison. It's a bit of a misnomer in that regard; for a low contrast color, you get a high contrast model.

And that's it for now. Enjoy the pics and the lessons, and next week we'll pick up where we left off with the other half of the Doug-Wing!

Tackling Large Projects: Land Raider Redeemer

2011-08-29T11:52:00.003-04:00

We all have our comfort zones. Some people are right at home when they have a month and half to spend on a single HQ, while others are more content to hammer out 30 guardsmen in a weekend. Inevitably, when working on a full army, we run into a model or series of models that push us outside that comfort zone. All too often this can lead to a staring contest with grey plastic, still on the sprue, while your mind tries to wrap itself around what to do first. Here's a few tips that I picked up to help with the biggest kit a marine hobbyist can stare down: The Land Raider.

One Room at a Time

This is the fourth Land Raider I've painted, and it's still intimidating to look at the mountain of bits still on the sprue. I start thinking about all the detail that needs to go into just one piece, then my eye shifts to the next one and my thoughts follow suit. I can spend hours just staring at the project, lost in thought. It's the same problem my dad deals with when he's renovating a house.

When my dad is working on a huge project like a house, he concentrates on one room at a time. If he is working on the master bedroom one day, the kitchen does not exist. If he's working on the bathroom, the living room belongs to someone else. This way he keeps himself sane and on-task, two things that are constantly in danger of slipping away when faced with such a huge project. As wargaming hobbyists we don't have as many things to keep track of, but the strategy works just as well.

In my case I base coated all the individual pieces I would be working on, then set them in a box, which I placed above my eyeline so I couldn't see all the pieces I had yet to work on. I could only see the pieces I was currently involved in, and I stored the finished pieces on a lower shelf so I could see I my progress. This saved my brain.

Go Big or Go Home

I like to leave the "showcase" elements of an army for last.

There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, it's too easy to get the exciting models out of the way first and then get stuck with the 50 troopers that you I never end up finishing. I get the grind done with first, and earn myland raider.

On a more practical level, I know that when I bring an army out, there are certain models that people are going to look at first. The basic troops almost always get glazed over in favor of the big shiny elements. I want to be as well practiced as possible before I bring a brush to the flash I'm going to be packing. I had painted the Howling Griffon logo well over 50 times before I put it on the side of the raider, and the experience paid off.

Which brings me to one of the main reasons to wait until the last few models to paint.

Whether or not I realize it, the whole time I've been painting the army, I've been defining the visual scope of the armies appearance. In essence, I've written the rules on how to paint the Griffons. Now is the time to break those rules.

I realized that I had never done an oversized griffon on any of my tanks. The Land Raider was the perfect opportunity to break away from the mold as paint a large-scale detail of the icon. Where I had stayed fairly utilitarian in my design of the freehand , I now had the room for scripture. In this way, I was easily able to keep the main battle tank within the bounds of what made the Griffons vehicles their own, but also with a distinct identity.

Fight the Fatigue

But no matter how hard I try, it will eventually become a slog sometimes. It's summer and I have no AC, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I really want a coffee (okay, I do break for coffee). There are a million excuses the mind makes up for not getting things done. My rule is that it's fine to contemplate quitting and doing something else, so long as I'm painting while I contemplate. The only way to finish a project is to get it done.

And so the last tank of the Howling Griffons project is done.

Back-to-back Razorbacks

2011-08-29T11:52:00.001-04:00

Another week brings us closer to the successful completion of Project: Howling Griffon.

This time through I chose to focus on the mainstay of a flexible marine army: the transports. The Razorback offers a cheap and reliable vehicle with some decent ranged combat options. Though it doesn't have the ten-man capacity of a Rhino, it more than makes up for it with the 36" range of the heavy bolter. Throw in the fact that tactical squads can combat squad and deploy the flexible arm in a transport and you've got a lot of options for a very reasonable investment.

Assembly

This is the second and third time recently that I've assembled a Rhino chassis and it's easily one of the best kits I've worked with in a long time. Everything just fits. There's no fiddling or guessing here, this tank was built to be built. It's a good thing too; it serves as the foundation for the Rhino, Razorback, Whirldwind, Predator, and Vindicator tanks all at once.

It's just a shame the Razorback turret doesn't follow suit.

The heavy bolter turret is in five pieces. The two half bolters end at the top with a tab that's meant to "plug in" to the underside of the cover. While this sounds simple, this requires spot-on gluing and positioning on an already awkward assembly. If this doesn't line up properly, the turret cover will not fit.

My Solution
When this problem reared it's ugly head on my second Razorback, I cut the tab off of one of the bolters, but only as far as the slot it as meant to occupy. I essentially split the difference between the top of the bolter and the top of the tab, which gave me an even surface. I was then able to put the turret cover into one of the tabs, while leaving the other as a support. This solution works well, as the top piece covers any corrections you may have to do.

Harmony and Variety

A big problem a lot of hobbyists run into is how to introduce variety into their models without breaking too far out of the mold and causing a distraction. It's a tough line to tread, because you don't want to be boring, but you do want coherency.

My Solution
Here are a few items that I was able to mix up while still keeping the tanks as a unified whole.

Reposition the Logo
But still keep it in plain sight. I made sure the large Howling Griffon icon appeared on the left, right, and back sides of the tanks respectively.
Mix up the extras
I have been adding bits to my tanks to give a more urban feel, and I kept going here without repeating myself. Antennae, radio bands, weapons, and more were glued on for interest.
Numbering
Numbering is a great way to visually separate two identical models. Not only does this serve your aesthetic goals, it also makes gaming easier when you can name a vehicle by number.
Positioning
Perhaps the easiest way to add variety, just switch the left and the right. In this case, the radar dish and the hatch switched places. Just make sure it doesn't affect the usability of the model (ie: true LoS from guns.)
Color
Sometimes just a little bit of color mixup can really make a difference. In this case, I let the black from the side panels bleed over on the front panel of the second razorback.
Freehand
In a universe as rich in iconography as Warhammer, it's easy to add any number of appropriate and varied images via freehand.

Beautiful Scars

For me, the thing that really sets a vehicle above and beyond the norm is the damage and dirt. It adds much needed variety to the large flat surfaces, and helps to immerse the model in the narrative you are creating when you paint an army.

The formula I use for armor pocks:
I start with a line of light color, in this case I used Dheneb Stone, as I find foundation colors easy to work with. I don't worry about keeping the line ultra thin at this stage, and just let the paint flow as it wants to.

I go back over the first line with a dark color (Scorched Earth here.) I push the bottom of the dark color just to the edge of the light , so the dark sits just above it. The light color always needs to be on the underside of the chipped paint in order for this illusion to work, so it looks like the edge of the damage is catching the light. I then push the upper section as high as I want the damage to spread, although I've found jagged edges covering a smaller patch of the model works best.

And there we have the last of the Rhino-Chassis models for the Griffons. Only a few key sections remain before the project is complete!

The wind beneath my wings

2011-08-29T11:51:00.001-04:00

Intro

Bases

I chose to build up an urban rubble base using some left-over bits from a cities of death box. If you're planning on making an urban combat themed army and need broken stuff for your bases, you can't get a better deal than a single small building from this set. Even with liberal use, one box will give you enough panels, architectural details, and wall sections to last an army or two.

I also chose to leave the peg unglued for ease of transport and replacement. It also leaves things open for the future if I wanted to created a tilted pin for the speeder to be displayed at an angle.

What Not to Paint

As I paint everything before assembly, I made a couple mis-steps with the first speeder that I was able to correct for with the second.

You can see in the image above that there is a dividing piece of plastic that the speeder uses for structure that you will never be able to see once the speeder is assembled. Also notice that the back side of the panel that has the seats on it will also be closed in and needs no paint.

The other thing to pay attention to is the area directly to the right of the diving panel. I had already painted the area for the second time when I remember that it too would be covered completely. See the image below to get a better idea of the complete assembly.

Assembly Tips

I noticed with both of the speeders that there was a problem getting the top/front panel to sink all the way into position. You can see what happened here:

I realized that there was a small nub on the controls that was not allowing the top to sit correctly. You can see the worn down point where the two pieces didn't fit correctly:

I chose to solve the problem by simply cutting the nub off:

Once the cut-off surface got a coat of boltgun metal, the top fit perfectly. The missing piece leaves no noticeable gap. It's something to bear in mind if you're having similar difficulties.

Detailing

Though there were some flat panels that got some freehanding love, I chose to focus mainly on weathering and damage to push the sense of speed like I did with the bikes. Though some marine chapters cover themselves in script and ornamentation whenever they get the chance, I wanted to keep things tuned down for that minimal urban design. Not only does it keep things simple, but it really helps focus the eye in on the details that matter.

Conclusion

These models are a very cool addition to any space marine army, paint up fast, and look great on the battlefield. With these pieces of knowledge, you can get yours finished even faster, and always just a little better.

On a Steel Horse I Ride

2011-08-29T11:50:00.003-04:00

Often overlooked because of their points cost, space marine bikers can be a potent asset in any army if deployed properly. In an urban combat themed army like the Howling Griffons, even a small unit of space marine bikers is a natural fit.

What not to paint

Due to the complex nature of the final assembly, it's almost required that you paint bikers in pieces. This suits me just fine, but it's been quite a few years since the last time I pained a loyalist bike. I forgot about the strange angles that really don't need to be painted at all. It's because of the way things assemble that many of the details end up being covered up. It's good they're there, but if you're going for a standard build, you can flat out ignore several areas.

The first and foremost offenders are the inner rims of the wheels. There is a mounting bracket on the front and the back of the bike that will cover the rims up completely. Second up is the engine block located near the center of the main body. Though you'll still be able to see it all, the large power armored legs of the rider will cover up most of the detail here. A simple wash and highlight will look just as good as an extensive detail job once the rider get in the way.

The pads where the feet will rest are all but covered up completely by the giant boots of the space marine; simply wash the outer edges. The forward shield the bolters are mounted to have these tricky looking interior panels that you can safely ignore, as they will be covered up by the aforementioned bolters once they are in place.

Note:When assemblng the final build, make sure you glue your marine's backpack on before you glue the upper torso to the lower torso. The proximity of the seat back makes it likely that something will be caught if you wait.

Easy custom poses

I knew I wanted to do something unique with the bikers, and I found two alternate poses for them that turned out to be easy and effective.

Banking
For this first pose, you're tilting the assembled bike to the side until it comes to rest about halfway between upright and on it's side. The footrest will naturally stop the bike from falling, and will serve as a good new base for your guy. For this shot, I took an extended pistol arm and cut it so he was holding a meltagun. This sort of drive-by shooting gives him a cool, characterful look without having to spend an excessive amount of time converting.

Rearing up
This pose has two main components: the pin and the base. Once you determine what angle you want your guy rearing up at, you're going to drill straight into the rear tire for a good solid pin. Make sure to use a heavier gauge wire; you'll want the strongest possible reinforcement, and you can really take advantage of the extra-wide tire.

The second component of the pose is a piece of secondary terrain. Most of the time a space marine bike takes up so much of a base that there isn't really room for extra stuff on a base or much call for that matter. But when you have a bike popping up in the air, it exposes much of the base. The extra piece of terrain not only adds interest, you can slope it to provide a visual explanation of why your guy was airborn in the first place.

Weathering for speed

Not much says raw speed like a gigantic motorcycle, and a little bit of extra care can really push the g-forces. Even a few extra streaks when it comes to weathering can make all the difference. Consider extending the length of your weathering lines, while keeping them horizontal. With all the pock marks and mud stains clustered on the front of the model, you are adding that little bit of realism and extra care that separates a good model from a great one. Keep up the hard work and soon you'll have your very own group of (hells) angels ready to burn.

The Sons of Hephastus

2011-08-29T11:50:00.001-04:00

One of the main reasons for starting this blog was to bring inspiration to the rest of the world, but I never imagined my work would have such a direct impact.

After developing a cool homebrew marine chapter, one of my readers surprised me by asking that I take his vision into reality. His request was that I read the fluff and look over the color schemes he had generated. Based on this information, I would produce a marine that would serve as a template for the rest of his army. This was entirely too cool of a proposition to pass up. After reading all the obvious care and dedication that went into the Sons of Hephastus, I knew I had to do this project.

Colored Primer

Normally I'm not a huge fan of colored primer, but in this case I was okay using a grey primer to get things started. Black, white, and grey primer are all good colors to keep handy, as they come use in a variety of situations. As the other major colors of the scheme were red and black, I wasn't afraid of losing the vibrant saturation of the paint color, often a pitfall of starting with grey. Black is all but impossible to mess up, and red is a powerful color that doesn't fade easily, or at all.

After starting with grey primer, I used foundation grey to create the base coat of the armor. By applying two successive layers of roughly the same hue, I had a perfectly smooth finish after a single coat of paint. Even with the advent of foundation colors, this is rare.

The only reason I'm not a huge fan of colored primer is that if you plan on painting a whole army, you are forevermore anchored to that primer. If the color goes out of print, or your favorite hobby store stops stocking the color you need, you have to resort to the internet and pray that whoever is running the store on the other end of the world isn't asking for too much money.

In almost every case, I highly recommend white primer. It coats clean, smells less than black primer, and forces you to be a better painter by not covering up your mistakes like black and grey do. I used white primer on this model for the should pads only, but that made a huge difference with what I was about to undertake.

Bright vs. Dark (extreme contrast)

The color scheme called for flames to be painted against a black background. Rather than try to paint over black, I elected to start with the colors I needed for the flame and go from there. With a blank space, I was free to be as messy as I wanted, which livened the colors up considerably.

Once I had the gradient the way I wanted, I painted in the edges of the fire, blocking out the area that would remain colored. It was a much simpler and cleaner job to block out the black areas. This method allowed me to finish the shoulderpad in a very short amount of time with a high degree of precision.

This technique was ideal for the white anvil on his other shoulderpad. As hard as it is to paint yellow on black, it's ten timers harder to paint white.

Color Palette Limitations

Normally I highlight my black armor in tones of blue, but with this color scheme, it seemed another color would confuse more than define. I elected to keep the highlights grey to match the rest of the model and limit the color palette to four basic colors (Black, Grey, Red, Yellow/Gold)

Once you get past the third of fourth color, things can get ugly, if not gaudy. Yes, if you plan on doing a Harlequin troupe, add colors to your heart's content. But if you're looking to push a strong visual color theme, keep it simple. Less colors means easier recognition and less time spent painting, not a bad deal.

Overall, it was a great experience. Sharing in someone else's inspiration is a wonderful thing, and it tells me this site is heading in the right direction. I look forward to seeing what models this single marine inspires in the future.

3 Keys to Painting Under Pressure

2011-08-29T11:49:00.004-04:00

What's that? A painting contest? sponsored by GW? For a gigantic tomb kings poster?

I sat up a little straighter in my chair. My RSS feed told me there was a competition afoot at the GW website, something to do with the elite. I began scheming what I could do to bring the pain, what models I could paint up to compete for the trophy. I was thinking of breaking into the terminators, maybe the lost and the damned...

due in a week.

Oh.

I immediately felt my carefully laid plans of several seconds fall away. How could I paint something up so quickly?

Here's how.

Know your resources

I considered everything I would be doing in the next week. Between a full time job, sports practice, spending quality time with my wife, and all the normal stuff I do, there wasn't much time to maneuver.

It's important to think realistically about the resources available to you. The number one rule: assume nothing. Don't depend on what might happen in the future. Moore's law is real. The guy who was supposed to get you the sword blade bit you needed so bad will flake, the store which had 2 crates of gorilla glue will be closed for inventory, and the client who hasn't emailed you for the past 3 weeks will be doing so. All of this and more will happen the one weekend you have to make this happen. Be prepared for the absolute worst, and you'll be ready or pleasantly surprised.

Be realistic

I only had one model on hand that I could paint up in a single weekend; the Ironclad Dreadnought. I had clipped it all up for an unboxed article a couple months ago. I knew for sure that I could paint a dreadnought in a single weekend, having just completed the more elaborate Furioso in the same timeframe. If anything I would be done early!
...
Yeah, I didn't believe that either.

Know your limitations as well as you resources. If you've never painted a carnifex before, don't assume you know roughly how long it'll take because you painted another model of equivalent size. In this case, any estimates you make need to be apples to apples; no oranges allowed.

In art school, one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to take the project you wanted to do, and divide it in half. Consider that half by itself, let it really sink in, dedicated yourself to doing an amazing job with just that half... then divide it in half again and go do that. This method has never steered me wrong.

Crush it

With my resources gathered, I stayed up a little extra every night to make sure I stayed ahead of schedule, and could really dedicated some extra time to every facet I wanted to. After all, once this guy was done competing, he would become part of the Howling Griffons charity auction.

No matter how prepared you are, working under extreme deadlines will eventually result in you having to sacrifice something, usually sleep. Do yourself a favor and lose only half an hour every day for a week, rather than five hours the night before its due. You'll avoid the inevitable crash, your work will be better, and for you mathematicians out there, yes I just compared three and a half hours to five. You work will go faster when you're not exhausted.

And there it was, all shiny and ready to take to the field after less than a weeks work. I wanted to take some time off from such hastily executed paintjobs, but that would have to wait. DeviantART, one of my favorite communities on the interwebs, was hosting a custom character competition that was due in less than two weeks!

Here we go again...

The Results

While I knew I had created a model that would sit well with the rest of the Griffons, I had no idea that my submission would net me an honorable mention from Games Workshop. In between writing this article and today's posting date, GW announced the winner and gave out several honorable mentions. I was floored to see my dreadnought sitting on a page owned by Games Workshop, on purpose no less! I am grateful beyond words, and my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who have helped me get this far. Here's to another successful model for the Griffons!

Massive Honors for Project: Howling Griffon

2011-08-29T11:49:00.002-04:00

In what has to be the biggest news yet, a model painted for Project: Howling Griffon has won an honorable mention on the Games Workshop website!

Congratulations to all who entered, I am flattered to be shown in the company of such great painters.

Grey Knight Terminators: Conversion Options

2011-08-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

I got a great question from one of my readers last week, asking about the possibilities of adding a power armor chest piece to a terminator librarian back piece. I test fit the two pieces per his request, and the next thing I knew I was making all sorts of kitbash conversions. It turns out this is a very versatile box.

This is with no scraping or greenstuffing at all. You can see there is a small gap at the belt level, but that is easily closed with a couple minutes of cutting/filing. It fits a variety of heads and helmet types as well.

As I said in an earlier post, the Grey Knight Terminator helmets actually fit well on power armor marines.

Templar players are definitely going to want to get their hands on this box.

Especially in light of the fact that Games Workshop is discontinuing it's metal range with no announced method of replacing said models, plastics are rapidly becoming the best and only way to construct space marine HQ units. Thankfully, we have plenty of options available to us. This box can easily convert to make a Terminator Chaplain...

or Terminator Librarian...

of nearly any major chapter.

I hope this gives you some ideas of how to overcome the current lack of support for metal character models on GW's part. Let me know if you have any other good ideas or test fits you would like to see done.

Painting the Dreadknight

2011-08-29T11:48:00.001-04:00

Putting the final touches on the model, I stepped back to admire it. The Nemesis Dreadknight.

It was taller than I envisioned, probably one and a half times taller than a dreadnought. The gigantic sword gleamed in the true-day lights, as did the clock, which read 1:21 AM. As I pulled my camera from its bag, I knew I wouldn't be going to bed until quarter to 2, which meant I wouldn't fall asleep until 2:30. In my college days this wouldn't have been cause for concern, but things are different now. Not to say I'm old, but when I stayed up all night in college I didn't have to be up at 6.

Construction

This model is a beast. The legs alone total eleven pieces per side, and that's with virtually no pose-ability. The lower torso is essentially stuck in one position, except the feet plug into the legs with a ball-and-socket joint. This is limiting in the extreme, which explains why every dreadknight in this month's White Dwarf is virtually identical in pose. The strange part is the upper torso itself is brilliantly constructed, allowing for a fully realistic range of motion. While appreciated, it does beg the question of why the dreadknight couldn't have been given the same flexibility below the belt.

The rest of the kit is pretty cut and dry, save for a modular arm mounting system built in to support the different gun builds. Each of the three guns is constructed with flexibility in mind, allowing two of the three designs to be fully constructed and fit on either arm, largely without the need for extra bits.

It begs the question of how the designer of this kit could have gotten the formula so perfect on only half the model. Unfortunately, the static legs ultimately prevent this model from being a must-paint, much like the often neglected Eldar Wraith Lord.

Nemesis Greatsword

What a weapon. I remember pulling the plastic from the sprue for the first time, wondering if I had gotten the right kit. For those of you who are curious, the answer is yes, this can double as a letter opener. I just had to make sure the paint job lived up to the standard set by such a magnificent sculpt.

If you look at the way a lot of people paint sword blades, it's a pretty simple formula. They fade from brightest to darkest and back a couple times and then do the opposite on the other edge.

I started with two coats of Ice Blue to give the blade a clean, solid base color. I then hung the sword upside down and gave it a wash of watered down Necron Abyss. The spiked loop on the end of the pommel made this simple. I then went back in with ice blue to build up the base tone in the highlighted areas.

The easiest way to build a gradient is with thin layers of pigment, in this case I was using a modified version of basic drybrushing. I then used washes and watered down paint to push the tones down on the blade shadows.

The Painting Mojo

So why was I literally losing sleep to finish this guy?

First and foremost, I was on a roll and I knew better than to try and stop. It's a waste of time and energy as I end up returning to paint regardless. I'm a fan of doing what works for you.

As humans, we work in cycles. I've realized in any given situation I have two choices, work with the cycles or suffer. If I wake up wide awake at 3 AM and I absolutely need to paint, I don't waste any time getting the brushes out. The sooner I get it out of the way, the sooner I can get on with other thing.

A painting hero of mine refers to this as the "Painting Mojo", the drive that keeps you joyfully on task. As painters, part of our job is to make sure that the mojo is flowing and ready when it comes time to paint. How and where we accomplish that is up to the individual, but it is certain that once that wave comes in, you ride it to the very end.

Painting Grey Knight Terminators

2011-08-29T11:47:00.005-04:00

In this post I'll be covering some of the finer points of painting this new plastic box set from GW. I've found the best and the worst this box has to offer, and you can read about it all right here.

Conversion Paradise

When the new plastic grey knights were announced, I gushed about the thought of having access to a good supply of knight-style helmets for marines. I thought I would be getting the majority of the helmets from the power armor box, but that box has a mere 5 helmets. Not only do the GK Terminator helmets fit fine in a normal suit of power armor, you get 11 of them per box, plus 2 bare heads. Check it out here.

Looking at the instruction booklet that comes with the box, it says that there are two types of helmets, one with a slightly larger mouth guard for the two-wound paladins. Apparently they get get that extra wound for having an enormous chin. Bruce Campell would be proud.

The fact is this is your box of choice if you want to go all out with your conversions. 13 heads, 15 swords, 20 tilt shields, 5 halberds, guns, ammo, you name it. You also get access to the coolest bit I've seen in a long time from GW, a decapitated bloodletter (in Soviet Russia, marine beheads YOU!)

CLIPPERS BEWARE
There's one notoriously weak piece on these sprues. One of the chest pieces has a skull and bone chained to it, hanging from the front. This isn't quite as bad as some of the new dark eldar chain bits, but it's a microscopic link.
Take.
Your.
Time.

How about the banner?

Let me tell you, this piece is one tough customer. It's not as soul-crushingly difficult as the ultramarine standard bearer that comes with Calgar, but it's close. As an experienced freehand painter, I found it time consuming but not overly difficult. My main concern is for the novice who has purchased the box and hasn't faced any difficult pieces, this banner could be a nasty surprise.

I guess that's what really took me back when I was working on this piece; it's just so much more difficult to paint than any of the other pieces in the box. All told, my painting muscles really didn't get flexed until I hit this bit.

PAINTERS BEWARE
The bottom of the embossed illustration is very confusing in terms of what's what. The demon's wings are shattered, and it looks like it's dissolving into magma-like stones. You will want to look twice before you decide what you want to do with it. This isn't just a two level affair (raised level and sunken level.) There's a large fold in the cloth towards the bottom that divides and merges the raised areas in different ways, causing a fair amount of ambiguity as to where the color should be placed. Thankfully, this also makes it difficult for the painter to really mess things up. Just remember to keep your lines clean and everything should turn out fine.

I chose a bright and colorful illustration, though I think a limited palette with a heavy emphasis on contrast would be equally appealing.

Bases, mix it up

One of the things I've been working on are freehanded urban bases, which I've been having mixed success with. I like the fact that it is unobtrusive to the model, but even a small height variation with some ballast makes all the difference in the world. The color of moss or debris also breaks up the space nicely.

It was a bit of a head-smack moment, as I had worked so hard on the previous bases for the power armor grey knights. With such a small addition of time and materials, the quality improved vastly. Even a little bit of planning ahead can change everything.

Speaking of which, this box comes with a lot of arms, much like the power armor version. Take two minutes and make double sure these are the arms you want to use. You don't want to find out at the 11th hour that you've picked the wrong arms. I was very lucky to find that in spite of my poor choices, I could make all the arms work.

After all was said and done, I had myself a handsome squad of paladins ready to cause trouble among the enemy ranks. Hopefully I can make my feel-no-pain save this time... hopefully.

I'm always interested to hear from you, what are you looking forward to the most with the new grey knight models? Gonna build a new librarian or 5? Or are you going all out and starting up a force of the emperor's finest? Let me hear from you in the comments!

Like what you see? Subscribe now to make sure you get my weekly updates.

Painting the new Grey Knights

2011-08-29T11:47:00.003-04:00

Now that I've had a chance to work with this box, I have some info for when it's your turn.

First thing's first

When you're clipping plastics from this sprue, please be careful and take your time. There are two big reasons for this:

There are some seriously delicate pieces in this box. It feels weird to say this about a space marine box, but there are some connections that are simply paper thin. While it's impressive and appreciated see such precision molding, it translates to some tense moments trying to liberate said piece from its sprue. Do yourself a favor and use a sharp blade to weaken all the joints before any clipping occurs. When, not if, the multiple joins to the sprue begin to pull against each other, you have a much better chance of walking away with a whole piece.

The other reason to take your time in the clipping stage is to make sure you didn't miss anything. These sprues are jam packed; I doubled checked my work and still missed two purity seals. Every last chunk of space, no matter how minuscule, has been given a little something.

Help me out here guys

Which brings me to my major complaint with this box. Can someone please explain why, with so many options that could have been fleshed out, Games Workshop chose to put out a whopping 8 storm bolter arms for 5 guys? The worst part is there are only 5 ammo clips, ensuring you end up with 3 useless storm bolters. I understand some of the arm poses had to be switched up to allow for the multiple two-handed grips, but this seems a wasteful and less-than-elegant solution.

NOTE
Be extremely careful when test fitting your arms for two handed weapons. The difference in angle for these storm bolter arms are very subtle, but they can make things infinitely more difficult for you down the road, especially if you paint your model in pieces before assembly.

Personally, I can think of at least 3 other pieces that were not included in this box that I would have loved to see over some extra storm bolter arms: a backpack banner, more helmets, and enough halberds to equip the box.

Minor griping aside, this is a beautiful offering, one GW can be proud of. You can create three different squad types with a single box, which creates serious value. This also opens up the door for plastic librarians in normal space marine forces; expect the justicar model to be a hot seller on your local bitz ordering site for the next year. Do yourself a favor and get the whole box. This box is a fantastic resource for plastic honor guard in a vanilla space marine army; relic blades, knight helms, and wrist mounted weaponry that could easily convert to a number of special characters or elite infantry.

You're definitely going to want to bring your bits box with you on this journey though. While it may be well and good to reuse the shoulder pads over and over, you're going to get sick of the same 5 pairs of legs with the same 5 bits of gold lettering stamped in them. Fortunately, there are a variety of great plastic boxes out there that you could draw on to add some unique and memorable flavor to your grey knight force.

Quality paint in less time

Painting canon colors couldn't be easier. After hitting the entire pile of bits I was painting with a coat of Army Painter: Plate Mail Metal, I only had to wash the lot with asurman blue and I was essentially done with the majority of the armor. One the blue wash dried, I was able to apply a single coat of shining gold, rewashing with flesh wash ink, which took me even closer to being done. Essentially, if you plan on painting these models as they were intended, get ready to do a lot of details and not much else. All told, I was able to flip a squad of 5 in about 24 hours, including a full nights sleep.

I'm still working on the formula for nemesis force blades, but I hope to have a tutorial up soon. In the meantime, I'm working on the Grey Knight Terminators... and you wouldn't believe what a difference they are!

7 Steps to a Solid Freehand Design

2011-08-29T11:47:00.001-04:00
This article breaks things down so you have the tools you need to carry a freehand from vision to reality.

One of the hardest yet most rewarding aspects of miniature painting is having a cool freehand design. It's always a good idea to have your minis neatly painted, shaded and highlighted. It's another thing entirely to have an otherwise flat surface suddenly covered in a beautiful new design. It's one of the most powerful ways you can make a model your own. It's also an intimidating method due to it's complexity.

[caption id="attachment_984" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="A world of potential..."][/caption]
1: Concept
The forgotten step; taking the time to understand exactly what you want to do with your design. This will eliminate your first potential point of failure: trying to add or subtract elements mid-freehand. It doesn't have to be a doctoral thesis; a simple list will do just fine.

In this example, I'm painting a banner for the Howling Griffons. Here's what I want:

The quartered color scheme the Griffons use for their armor

The Howling Griffon icon

The name of the Howling Griffons home planet, "Mancora"

Embellishments in the corners of the banner

2: Sketch
Unless you're freehanding your army symbol for the 50th+ time on the shoulderpad of a rank-and-file trooper, you're going to want to draw a design out at least one time just to make sure everything fits correctly. How complete an effort and how many times you need to do this is your call. It pays to keep a small sketchbook on hand to ensure you always have some scratch paper for notes, ideas, and most importantly, a practice surface.

Now is the time to make mistakes, adjustments, additions, and subtractions. This is another critical step that if skipped can lead to disaster in your freehand.

[caption id="attachment_983" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="(Left: My rough sketch for the banner. Right: My reference sheet for the Howling Griffons logo."][/caption]
3: Base Color
I cannot reccommend foundation colors highly enough for this all-important stage. A solid and easily reproducable background will make your life infinitly easier. If not foundation colors, a paint with equal coverage is absolutely necessary.

This is where you're going to run into your first challenge, straight lines. Without a physical guide on the model, you've got quite the task. If you're working on cloth, especially dynamic cloth, you'll have some room for mistakes. But if you're painting on a tank hull or similar surface, even the slightest mistake will stand out like a sore thumb.

[caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Get the outlines right first..."][/caption]
7 Tips for straight lines

Straight highlights will fool the eye into believing a less-than-perfect freehand is flawless. This only saves you from smaller mistakes, but it can be invaluable if a line is being stubborn.

Focus on the lines first, then fill in the rest later. It's distracting to try have to stop and fill in larger areas. Also, with large patches of wet paint, you are forced to slow down and avoid getting the paint on your hand as you're working.

If you have a line that is pefectly straight except for one little bump where you twitched while painting, consider covering it up with battle-damage. A chipped-up piece of armor will lend authenticity to your work as well as conveniently covering up mistakes.

Just because there isn't a physical guide on the model doesn't mean you can't have one. Any straight edge will serve as a great guide for your brush. Just be sure to use the guide for the brush and not the bristles. Paint can sometimes flow between a straight edge and the surface you're pressing it to, creating an absolute mess. For straight and curved guides that you can easily get your hands on, just grab some warhammer 40k and fantasy bases.

If you're a real stickler for precision and you're working on an enormous freehand, consider using painters masking tape. It may take considerable time to get everything in place, but there is no higher degree of precision.

Make sure you have enough time to complete the job; a rushed freehand is asking for trouble.

Don't forgot to breathe.
[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="... then worry about filling in the rest."][/caption]
4: Freehand
Please note, this step is optional. There's nothing wrong with just a simple geometric design if it's well done.

Here's where you're going to be adding anything extra beyond the initial geometric design. This includes, but is not limited to, text, characters, icons, honors, and patterns. How deep the rabbit hole goes is entirely up to you, but the technique remains the same. Get the line work down how you want it, then fill if necessary.

5: Correct
This is where using foundation colors really comes in handy. Time spent correcting mistakes can be kept to a minimum when a single coat of flat color can fix anything. Make sure everything is exactly how you want it, because the next step is going to make further changes time consuming and difficult.

And for the love of everything, make sure it's dry and set.
6: Shade
A single heavy coat of magic wash is all you need here. Take your wash of choice and have at it. If this is a new color combination for you, test this first, you definitely don't want any nasty surprises at this point.
7: De-Shade / Highlight
With a clean, damp brush, slowly draw the magic wash away from the areas you want to be brighter. Having the wash dry after this point will leave you with a very smooth series of shadows and highlights that go far and beyond any effect you could have done by hand in the same amount of time.

If you have further highlights you want to do, be extremely careful, because any brush marks will be extremely apparent compared to the pigment progression you see otherwise.

Then just let it dry and enjoy. Congratulations, you've done freehand.

Painting the Librarian Furioso Dreadnought

2011-08-29T11:46:00.003-04:00
The last few weeks of painting have been absolute madness. Blood Angels of every description have been crowding my painting table. I have completed 18 terminators, including the 13 models that come with the 2008 release of space hulk, and 5 standard terminators with 3 sets of magnetized arms each.

Needless to say, after seeing so many terminators, I was more than ready for a change of pace!
Faith is Eternal
Compared to the seemingly endless undertaking of multiple nights and weekends to finish the last project, the dreadnought was a trifle. It took less than 2 days to go from grey plastic to gluing the last pieces in place.

Being able to work on every piece individually is a huge boost. I knew the project would be simplified by the straightforward painting angles, but I hadn't considered the mental side of the equation. Having 4 completed pieces after just an hour of work makes it very clear for you to see your progress; it's viscerally satisfying to watch the pile of painted bits grow.

However, I realized on final assembly that I had missed several angles that I assumed would have been covered up by the assembly. I understand much better now that I've completed a "new" style dreadnought (Furioso/Ironclad/Venerable) which panels need to be painted, especially in terms of the exhaust and the main body. This will come in handy when I start work on the Ironclad Dreadnought for my Howling Griffons.
Proper basing
As it stands, the standard dreadnought base is way overused. It's hard to mix things up, especially if you have multiple dreadnoughts in a single force. You basically get two models worth of poses out of this base before you start repeating yourself. Thankfully, with such large flat surfaces, you have an excellent 'canvas' to work with for some easy customized bases.

The beauty of this base are the large cracks that separate the different planes. They let you screw up and no one will ever notice.

Consider the base I just completed.

Looks nice right?

Would you believe me if I said it was a disaster?

I drew the wings way too big for the body of the eagle, leaving not nearly enough space for the heads to fit. The tail feathers are ridiculously out of proportion with the wings, and the body is just proportioned wrong.

But you don't see that, because everything is all busted up.

It's been shown that your eye will 'fill in' information that is missing, which is the basis for an endless variety of optical illusions. In this case, the illusion is that you're looking at a well proportioned piece of illustration that was then broken up and scattered. But if you were to reassemble the pieces, you'd find a rather unfortunate bird. Poor thing would look like a mutant. That's why this base is so brilliant, it gives you a solid surface to mount your model to, and plenty of forgiveness for your forays into freehand design.
Highlighting Red
Red is a pain to highlight. If you look at the cold end of the spectrum, blues and green highlight no problem while sticking within the color itself. But when you highlight red, I've found the only way to really push the shadows and highlights is to branch into secondary colors. In this case brown for the shadows and orange for the highlights.

There are basically two major schools of thought when it comes to highlighting; saturation vs. luminosity. Basically, you can choose to have the color become more intense as it gets 'brighter' or move it closer towards pure white. While the saturation method isn't realistic, it's very pleasing to the eye, similar to the traditional comic-book style. It's my preferred method of highlighting, as it gives the models a more intense color which really helps them stand out on the tabletop.

The trick to a good highlight is to keep your lines clean and subtle. It's supposed to be the absolute peak of color, and you don't want it dominating the base color. Too much orange quickly turns the model orange instead of red. My preferred method of highlighting is to take a flat brush, get some paint on the tip, and actually start painting with the base of the brush where I haven't gotten any paint at all. With each successive stroke, I move the brush a little closer to the tip with the paint. This draws out a very small amount of pigment, giving you a high degree of control over how bold your highlights are.

The Perfect Parchment
I've never been entirely happy with the way my purity seals and parchment came out, until now. I bought my first bottle of Dheneb Stone last weekend and I immediately kicked myself for not having done so before.

If you're painting parchment, you need Dheneb Stone and Devlan Mud.

After using it the first time, I was convinced there just isn't any other way to paint parchment. Here's what I have worked out so far:
1. Base coat of Dheneb Stone
2. Any freehand design you want to do
3. Make sure it's completely dry!
4. Wash the whole thing in Devlan Mud
5. While still wet, use a clean brush to lift away the wash from areas that you want lighter

The result is a smooth shadow that really conveys the texture of paper. By freehanding first, you are able to easily correct your mistakes with a flat coat of foundation color, and the wash will help integrate the color into the shadows, adding another level of depth.

6 Ways to Build a Better Boss

2011-08-29T11:46:00.001-04:00

Headquarters
It's the first model you look for after setup, the one you worry about when close combat begins, and the one you'll risk half your army to protect. We have a strong attachment to the heroic hand that guides our forces, and we take pride in letting them lead the way (sometimes against our better judgement). They are often the most expensive unit in the army, and the benefits they provide are potentially game-changing. So what can the hobbyist do to distinguish their precious HQ from the rest of the pack? What can be done to create a model worthy of the points and the prestige?
1. Do a Better Job

Look at it this way: a space marine costs 16 points, and a blank Chaplain 100. Doesn't it make sense that the chappy should be painted six times better than the standard marine he leads? Now I'm sure we're all thinking if only it were so easy that all I have to do is want to improve. Strange thing is: you're not far from the mark. Just vowing to take your time and really notice every detail is one of the major keys that separate a good paintjob from a great one. Most people underestimate their own capacity for artistic success; I know I have. If you're looking for a couple specific ways to up your game, try this article I wrote about taking your painting to the next level.
2. Build a Better Base

It used to be in 4th edition 40k that line of sight was grouped according to size categories instead of today's true line of sight. Thus, if you wanted your commander looking down on the enemy from atop a ten-foot statue, that wasn't a problem. But today you want someone that can keep their head down as low as the rest of the boys. In some cases it can't be helped (looking at you Hive Tyrant), but it's asking for pain when your boss is the only guy that can be seen by the las cannon devastator squad on the far hill. Factor in that characters must be mounted on the base they came with (aka: no more terminator bases for you!) and you're looking at some pretty severe limitations on how to build a better base. My solution is to keep it simple.

I'm reminded of real-time strategy games like Dawn of War or Starcraft where there's a glowing circle around your selected units, and I don't see why it couldn't be done directly on a base. In 40k you already have the circle drawn for you, and you can use simple geometric objects (such as other bases) to stencil all manner of interesting designs on your base. This way you can paint a base that fits with the rest of the army, but still stands out. This can be adapted for any number of circumstances. Psychic characters could cause the ground around their feet to glow, a more burly character might be lit from below by lava, and any model could be lit up on a suitable technological base.

In this way you add plenty of depth to your creation while keeping him/her/it at the lowest vertical point possible. Check out this article for a step by step way to texture a flat base for the best of both worlds.
3. Make a Custom Model

Every time Games Workshop puts out a warhammer plastic release, I dive right into the sprue pics looking for conversion opportunities. There are so many options, even an adamant collector won't find every possible combination. Take a look online at some of the bits ordering sites and you know there are plenty of conversion opportunities out there.

A growing option is forgeworld. Although the company is largely known for their oversized models (demons, titans, tanks, etc.), they have also been putting out a number of kits specifically to customize existing GW HQ models. Forgeworld is still rare enough that it may be worth it to order that great monstrous creature, or a space marine modification kit. Shipping is always a hassle with international orders, so consider getting some buddies together to chip in and reduce the individual shipping cost to something more affordable.

But don't forget, even a custom pose can sometimes be the difference between Bob McMarine and Crog the Conqueror. Just because you spent money on your HQ doesn't mean that you've got an automatic winner. I've seen plenty of cash all but thrown in the trash on fancy forgeworld models with a subpar paint job. It's more than okay if your librarians custom bike is just a regular bike with a couple plastic shields glued on. Remember, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is how your leader looks, not the price tag.
4. Give it a Custom Color Scheme

Sometimes the best solution is the simplest. You have 100 guardsmen wearing black camo with red armor. How do you make the general stand out? Paint him white with green armor!

Take a look at a color wheel and see what colors are opposite the ones you've been painting. These are called complimentary colors, which provide maximum contrast when displayed next to each other. It's especially convincing if it's only applied to a few models, so try to use this technique sparingly.

Another easy way to make a model stand out with just color but without such a drastic difference is to flip-flop the color placement on the model. This was the theory that game developer Relic ran with when they made the first Dawn of War games. Going back to the black camo/red armor example, a commanding officer wearing red cloth with black armor would certainly stand out, but would also keep much more closely in line with his fellow Guardsmen.
5. Make it Shine

Perhaps the most convincing way to denote importance is to do just that. A marine in power armor will get someone's attention if he's the only one also wearing a billowing cape with a gigantic skull and laurels emblazoned on the back. Signature weapons, ornate armor, unique helmets, personal heraldry, war trophies; all of these send a very clear message to your opponent: don't mess with this guy!

Sometimes it's taken care of for you, as with the master of the forge. This Space Marine HQ has a special ranged weapon called a conversion beamer, essentially a gigantic laser cannon. As there is currently no official model, it's full of possibilities for the hobbyist. After all, how easy would it be to notice a marine who has a giant gun that is modelled with 4 gauss tubes from the necron warriors box?
6. Be all Sneaky-Like

Not everyone wants their commander to stand out. After all, with some forces, the HQ would rightfully be hiding as best he could; it's a dangerous universe out there!

There are some gamers that would rather not make a big deal of their HQ, in hopes that their opponent forgets or misses his presence altogether until it's too late. After all, as long as they're equipped correctly, there's nothing to say your boss man has to be bathed in neon lights at all times. Especially if you're playing a low toughness/wound model, having someone blend in with the crowd wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.

It builds an interesting narrative of an everyman/woman hero or a junior officer of some sort who is just starting their career. There's tons of good reasons to keep it humble, but do keep it honest.

10 Plastic Boxes for Customized Grey Knights

2011-08-29T11:45:00.001-04:00
With so few models, there's no excuse not to have everyone stand out in some way. However, chances are we're only getting 2 plastic infantry boxes to work with. With only a power armor and a terminator armor box to make models with, things are going to get stale quickly.

You're going to want something to help your boys stay unique, but why torture yourself with extensive green stuff and plastic card work? There are a ton of good plastic boxes out there that can lend a serious helping hand to your forces. While there are metal offerings as well, I'll be sticking with plastic, as it's more affordable, easier to located, easier to work with, and most importantly, can be bitz ordered.

Enough talk, let's get down to the goodies:
1: Warriors of Chaos

If you get only one box to give your knights a boost, this is it. This box has it all: furs, capes, medieval armor and weapons, giant shields, and all the correct proportions to mesh with space marines. Just one of these boxes has enough goodies to customize an entire army. Scrape off the chaos icons and you have a large assortment of shields to work with, which function as both storm shields or decoration.
Official Product Page

2: Empire Flagellant Warband
There's nothing like a mob of crazed religious lunatics to bring out the character of an anti-daemon force. This box will give your Grey Knights that ancient yet powerful look that 40k is famous for. There's a lot of fire, and a lot of papers nailed to different pieces of lumber, two great things for Inquisitorial forces. The heads, while smaller than a space marines, are still suitably intense in their facial expression for a head swap. Be sure to leave a couple bodies in tact, as their twisted frames and contorted faces make a perfect base for a daemon host.
Official Product Page

3: Black Templars Chapter Upgrade

This box will expand on the medieval theme that we will inevitably see in the new Grey Knight sculpts, but what really sets it apart is that it will do so in a harmonious way. Perserving the purity of the visual theme GW has set out is important to some. This box will enable the hobbyist to add without having to break away from the strong medieval theme of the Grey Knights. This is the ultimate offering for those looking for a subtle way to mix in some variety with their army.
Official Product Page

4: Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard
I was a little hesitant to mention these guys, because they are so overused at the moment, but the fact remains that this is a beautiful box. I see this box actually forming a lot of individual models (ie: librarians). I don't think the highly stylized armor will fit with the normal troops, but when you need to make a single character who really stands out from the pack, this box presents a potent solution. The angelus pattern bolter can easily be swapped for a storm bolter, and the blades of their weapons will convert nicely to nemesis weapons of every type.
Official Product Page

5: Space Marine Commander

This box is practically required for any power armor army in the game, irrespective of chapter or alignment. It's meant to be able to create a single figure with plenty of options available. This means you get some serious mileage from a single box, with unique heads, weapons, and armor options. Taken by itself, this kit makes for a great space marine, but dispersed among an entire army, it adds volumes to an existing force.
Official Product Page

6: High Elf Phoenix Guard
It's all about the Halberds.
It's entirely possible the Grey Knight power armor box will have the optional halberds included, but how many times do you want to have to paint the same 5 blades over and over again? Add some variety to your project with these weapons, oversized for high elves but just right for power armor. Beyond this is a good selection of capes that can easily be trimmed and moulded to fit any marine. Look for the wonderful helms as well, which boast some impressive ornamental wings, wings that could easily be clipped and used for power armor, or weapon hilts, or shields...
Official Product Page

7: Empire Battle Wizards
[caption id="attachment_827" align="alignnone" width="600" caption="The fire blade that comes in this box is sized perfectly for a space marine."][/caption]
This kit has so many cool bits that it belong's in everyone's bitz box, bar none. At a GW retail price of $22.25 US, it's also one of the most affordable options you'll find. Among other bits, you will get: a fiery sword, a torch perfect for mounting on a backpack, several staff heads (great if your terminators are taking warding staves), a giant scythe, some cool robes that can easily become capes and purity seals, and some faces/masks that are loaded with personality.
Official Product Page

8: Vampire Counts Grave Guard
There is a new special character named Mordrack who can take a unit of "Ghost knights" to accompany him. These are described as a unit of spirit terminators who follow him into battle. It reminds me of the lost and the damned models; spectral marines wearing armor laced with bone and fire. So how do you take that idea and apply it to terminators? Get some armored skeletons of course!
Throw in the nice great weapon blades to make nemesis falcions, and you're gold.
Official Product Page

9: Dark Angels Veteran Marines

The Dark Angels box packs quite a conversion punch for your dollar. You get 5 robed power armor suits, some great accessories, and equipment chalk full of character, such as the power mace. You also get terminator pieces, so the box pulls double duty as you begin working on that squad of paladins (and you know you're going to).
Official Product Page

10: Space Marine Command Squad
Based on what we've seen in the Grey Knight rumors so far, there will be a use for every piece in this box, especially the company champion. The apothecary will make for a good conversion on the paladin terminators, and the standard can be added to any squad, or even function as a banner for a dreadnought, tank, or dreadknight.
Official Product Page

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Batch Painting

2011-08-29T11:44:00.003-04:00
Painting an entire army for Warhammer is a pain in the ass.

There, I said it. I don't think any veteran painter can honestly say they've never felt the mid-project slump. Even in today's game where it's possible to build a 2000 point force with well under 50 models, it's still 50 repetitions on a theme. God help you if you play swarm infantry. It's almost too much to even consider building such an army...

almost.

There are ways to combat the half-an-army-to-go blues. Having finished 5 armies now (The Howling Griffons will make 6) I have a couple tricks I've picked up along the way. Here's one of my most effective strategies:

BATCH PAINT

If you've got fifty guys to paint, paint fifty boots, fifty pants, fifty shirts, etc. Paint them stage by stage, all at once. Why subject yourself to what seems like torture? Numbered list activate!

1. Sanity
Yes, batch painting seems like out of the frying pan and into the fire, and in some ways it is. It's ripping the band aid off rather than trying to peel it back just a little bit at a time; just get it over with.

Speaking of getting it over with, batch painting can actually provide a huge psychological benefit when you look out over your work and see all your models with colors on them instead of just a few really well done guys keeping company with grey plastics. This is all about maximum return on your investment, in this case one half sanity...

2. Time
...and one half time. Batch painting takes far less time than painting the models individually, even when you need to break off and finish each model individually. Not having to pause to clean the brush, find the next color, and start in on a new section saves an enormous amount of time. But it gets even better; after painting the same model so many times, you actually become faster and more accurate. Your muscle memory adjusts to the angles and curves of the sculpt; what took you 45 seconds the first time now can easily be accomplished in 20.

3. Money
I remember reading an article that claimed per measurement of volume, printer ink was among the most expensive substances commercially available, far in excess of even the most valued wines. Of course, we don't really think about that when we're replacing a cartridge; we're buying a tiny amount with a large break in between purchases...

sound familiar?

Citadel paints are great, but at over $3 a pot, it is wise to conserve paint as much as possible. Every time you switch colors, you're losing some paint in the process. Minimize the amount of paint you waste, you don't need to replace the color as often, you have more money, and that's a very good thing.

4. Consistency
I clearly remember when working on my Chaos Warriors of Nurgle, I managed to royally screw up my paint job when I mixed up the capes I was working on and couldn't remember how I had achieved the original colors. This mistake ate up a good two or three hours, and caused a massive headache. The source of the problem was that I had stopped mid-project and had completely forgotten how to reproduce the colors. Had I been batch painting, I could have walked away for a year and everything would have been fine, since there were no models to match up.

Even if you're painting something that is blatantly simple, there are plenty of subtle influences to your colors: how much water you have mixed into the paint that day, the humidity/temperature of the room, and even what brush you're using. You're committing yourself to an act of extreme repetition, you deserve to have it come out unified and consistant.

5. Creativity
Another counter-intuitive element that comes into the equation is the creativity you experience while working through something so dense. You get bored after the first dozen anything, and your mind begins to wonder: What can I do to make this interesting again? Let this question sit with you as you work, and get playful with your painting. You'll have not only a cohesive look when you're done, but lots of subtle variations you may have missed out on if you were painting one model at a time.

Looking Back and Learning

2011-08-29T11:44:00.001-04:00
Time and again I find myself coming back to the armies that I painted at the beginning of my career. Just last weekend I gave a painted Ultramarine as a gift; painted in the same colors as my very first army over 5 years ago. Looking at the model, it's amazing just how far I've come, and all the lessons I had to learn to get here...

ULTRAMARINES: Pay Attention
In a previous post I metioned how easily we can fall into the mantra of 'just get it done'. That was definitely my pitfall when it came to the Ultramarines. As my first army, I would work only to the minimum acceptable standard before moving onto the next model. Later I realized that in a tournament environment where painting matters, just putting down your 3 colors doesn't cut it. Ultimately this attitude cost me a major painting competition and several hundred dollars in prizes. There was plenty of effort, but it was misdirected. focusing on freehand details to cover up for a lackluster paintjob.

The commander is well painted, but his paint scheme took the effort and style of a basic tactical marine. If I had been paying attention, I could have used extra colors and details to give such a great conversion a fitting paintjob.

In contrast, the Sternguard is painted with no conversions at all. I played with the standard Ultramarine blue, which I've found to be a dull color. With colored undertones and washes, I was able to reach a vivid blue with plenty of depth. I also paid attention to the details of the model, picking them out with contrasting colors. The result was a better looking marine painted in less time.

SPACE WOLVES: Break all the rules

Space Wolves is on the list of armies I would own if time and money were not a factor. I had been painting Wolves here and there for friends, but seeing my recently completed Wolf Guard side by side with the 13th Company marines I finished over a year ago pushed something to the forefront of my mind.

Breaking the rules is fun.

I painted an entire Eldar army using non-traditional shrine warrior colors, and it was great. The Universe is a big place, and there's plenty of room for those who prefer different colored armor. Space Wolves are notorious for ignoring protocol, opening the door even more to cut loose.

Painting the 13th Company was an exercise in repetition. I simply looked at the 'Eavy Metal color scheme, copying the formula as best I could. The mixed loyalist and chaos armor gave me some room to play, but otherwise I wasn't breaking any new ground.

However, when I went to paint the new plastic wolf guard models, my first thought was "What can I do to make this my own?" I worked the tribal color patterns into individual armor pieces to help the guard stand out. I wound up with a rowdy crew of individuals, and they looked it.

ORKS (orks orks orks): It's not the tool's fault

My camera is a 8 year old point and shoot Nikon. The laws of technology dictate that the same camera today would be 32 times better, and from what I can tell it is. But as I've learned, 95% of the time you are not being held back by your tools. Reading the manual was all I needed to take beautiful macro-scale pictures with what is considered an archaic piece of technology.

Lots of painters complain about their brushes. But the fact of the matter is that it probably isn't the brush that's causing trouble. I actually use cheaper brushes today than I did when I started. Properly cared for, even a $3 brush from a local craft store can produce beautiful results.

It all comes down to skill and education.

I was able to work extremely complex checker patterns and incredibly sharp gylphs with the same brush I've been using for half a year, still sharp as ever because I took the time to learn how to clean it properly.

But enough about what I've learned. What have you learned? How many of you have gone back to try out the old color schemes you started with? What is the one thing you would recommend to a beginner? I'm curious to hear your words of wisdom, so drop a line in the comments and let me know.

Why You Need to Compete this year

2011-08-29T11:43:00.005-04:00
We all want to be better painters. No matter how good we become, there is an ever-present desire to improve. Also present are the obstacles that can derail progress, be they time, technique, or otherwise. Here's one secret to guaranteed improvement:

Compete.

I just finished painting an Assault on Black Reach Captain for competition; ten inspired and focused hours spent on a single miniature. Even as I finished, I was invigorated and eager to see what my fellow painters had come up with.

Here's why.

Fuel your creativity

So often we find ourselves painting miniatures just to "get them done". We get into a rhythm and lose the drive to innovate; to seek new solutions to old problems. We just spam that one solution until there are no minis left to paint. Just 7 more marines and I'll be done.

Competition brings a cascade of ideas that flips this attitude on its head.

Resignation has turned to joyous panic; suddenly you only have 7 more marines to paint. With far more ideas than you can fit, you have the envious task of choosing the best among them. Compare this with coming up with one idea on the spot and hoping it all works out.

I had painted the Assault on Black Reach Captain twice already, but this time was different. Every detail that had previously caused me grief was now an opportunity...

Get deeply involved with the community

Competition can bring out the best in us. If you channel your competitive energy into a positive effort, you will surprise yourself.

This applies doubly to your fellow painters.

Sharing a goal can be a unifying experience, and is a great way make new friends. It helps tremendously to think of them as partners, not competitors. We're all in this together, so we may as well enjoy the company. If you see an awesome entry, let it inspire you to new heights. You will find yourself browsing websites that sell custom bases, looking at how other painters handled the project, testing color schemes, investigating new techniques...

I wrote a blog post about 3 Ways to Improve Your Technique, but if you're truly inspired, the improvements will happen naturally.

The Golden Rule
This is all assuming that the other competitors are supportive. The only way to ensure this reality is to be one of those people. Even if the match is hopelessly uneven, either way, try your best to leave supportive comments and encouraging critique.

Remember, the person on the other side of the monitor needs your support just as much as you do theirs.

The Howling Griffons logo is very complex; requiring even more detail at a larger scale. I didn't mind putting in the extra effort, because I wanted this marine to be an inspiration to the other painters.

Get stuff done
Peer pressure is a powerful motivator, use it to your advantage.

In an age rife with distractions, it's hard to put down the shiny and concentrate on the lump of grey plastic that's been gathering dust on your paint table. Use your natural competitive spirit to get motivated. Knowing that there are others watching will keep you honest.

Even if you don't have the time to properly finish the model(s) for competition, consider working along as a sideline participant. That way you can accomplish your goals guilt free.

Otherwise, you owe it to yourself to throw your hat in the ring. Having others out there working alongside you, even in spirit, will get you through the hours much easier than just toughing it out. If you perceive your effort as part of a unified whole, painting can be a joy instead of a slog.

Keep painting in competition and let the results bring you encouragement, win or loss. There's inspiration to be found no matter where you finish. The process of improvement can be engaging and celebratory, and you don't have to do it alone.

40k: Bringing New Life to an Old Friend

2011-08-29T11:43:00.003-04:00
This week the Griffons go mobile with their first transport, a Rhino APC.

The Rhino Chassis
This is the sixth time I've painted a vehicle based on the Rhino chassis that GW introduced about 5 years ago. It's an amazing kit, in that it is truly scalable. All space marine ground vehicles, loyalist and chaos alike, are built on this one design, land raiders excepted. If you're painting marines, you're going to be spending some serious time with this kit. It's a clean and simple assembly, but it's ubiquity is a double edged sword.

The fact of the matter is that Rhinos are boring. We're so used to seeing the chassis brimming with guns, armor, and other goodies, that when we see the basic Rhino it becomes rather lackluster. It is up to us to take this humble kit and make it interesting.

Why bother? Because, depending on the game, that Rhino may be the only thing you have to represent the ten marines that are riding in it.

Think about that.

If there's ten well painted space marines you're leaving off the table, then your Rhino should be ten times more interesting than a single space marine. That's a pretty tall order, but with a strong visual theme, it's possible.
Urbanize Vehicles: Modeling
Urbanizing a vehicle is all about function.

Before you add anything past the basic build, ask yourself: Why would they bring this? The purity seals and banners can stay home, but a couple tarps could come in handy, rope or cable is always good to have around, as are repair kits and medical supplies. Communication is key, so maybe an extra antennae or two is in order. The idea is to give the impression of a self sustaining field operative.

Urbanize Vehicles: Painting
Once the vehicle is modeled completely, there are several elements that can be added to the surface of the model to reinforce the established theme. Some of the most popular Rhinos on the net are from people who use the tank as a canvas to create wild illustrations. While the skill set is impressive, it's not really in line with the urban combat theme, unless you want to have the tank camouflaged as a graffiti-strewn wall (email me if you've done this: thatguyjames-at-gmail-dot-com). It is possible to have interesting freehand without being ostentatious.

Again, functionality is key.

In this theme, vehicle markings are meant to convey pertinent information to the viewer. Here are some examples of what a marine would need to know when looking at a vehicle:

Loyalist or renegade

Chapter of origin

Squad designation

Weapon capabilities

Model and make

These pieces of information can be conveyed in a number of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. In this Rhino, the aquila and colors show that it belongs to the Howling Griffons, a Loyalist marine chapter. The prominence of the arrow symbol as well as the number 1 indicates it is transporting marines from the 1st tactical squad. When combined, these elements will add a strong atmospheric element to your model. You begin to build a micro-narrative for the vehicle with every extra detail you add. Every scar on the armor is telling of the battles it has seen, every piece of equipment where it has yet to go.

Balance is vital. Just as an underdetailed model does not hold interest, an overworked model becomes messy and difficult to look at. Take your time and reevaluate frequently; you're the only one who knows when it's done. With these ideas in mind, you'll end up with a transport you can be proud to have represent your boys on the tabletop.

3 Ways to Transform Your Technique

2011-08-29T11:43:00.001-04:00
Sometimes it isn't enough to simply take the next step.

Sometimes the next step has to be a running leap.

1. Do your homework
If you want to improve, you need a goal. A tried and true way to know what you're aiming for is to study the masters. In the case of toy soldiers, golden demon award winners are a great place to start. These dedicated artists have spent hundreds of hours planning, working, reworking, and re-reworking their submission. Learn from continual observation, and incorporate the techniques and ideas you like the most.

Good artists borrow. Great artists steal.

While researching Dreadnought paintjobs, I made a list of common elements among the top minis. This became my go-to guide; a miniature would not be complete until the checklist was filled.
2. Reflect
Remember, you are always learning, most of all from direct experience. Self-analysis is a great tool to reveal areas that need improvement. If something about your work isn't up to par, figure out why and take appropriate steps to fix it. If you're fortunate enough to have someone else to provide a critique, so much the better. That being said, learning how to look at your own work objectively is a crucial skill. Be honest with yourself, especially if it makes you uncomfortable; that means you're hitting on something important.

I painted this Black Templar Dreadnought a year ago. It was an average paintjob that relied on additional bits and freehand designs to compensate for a lackluster base coat. Taken on their own, the panels of armor were flat and boring; the overall color scheme uninspired. The base color was taupe for god's sake. Lesson learned: a model has to be able to hold it's own.
3. Jump!
It doesn't matter how difficult the technique is, just do it. It might work, it might fail miserably, but you will learn volumes.

The fear of failure is paralyzing. Many would rather commit to a paintjob they know will turn out okay rather than try for a new technique that might ruin the model.

Enjoy the mistakes; they are the stepping stones to greatness.

Painted battle damage lent another dimension to the armor. Increased shading and highlighting gave the flat panels depth. Clean freehand and basecoating created a professional finish. In the fine arts, this is referred to as gestalt theory, the unified whole being greater than the sum of it's individual parts. By improving the weakest elements of my painting, I had raised the quality of the strongest.

Take the time to challenge yourself and there will be no limit to what you can achieve.

WFB: Vampire Counts Grave Guard

2011-08-29T11:42:00.005-04:00

The first thing that really struck me about this box was just how microscopic the parts were. Granted, I'm used to painting space marines, warriors of chaos, terminators, dreadnoughts, and the like, but I am a miniature wargaming painter and I shuddered to think how on earth I would even find these bits if they were to spill. Beyond the problems of simply keeping track of the bits, the other major problem this poses is with assembly. Without any real points for super glue to bond, the model itself becomes very fragile. Even with the special impact resistant super glue I use, I was very careful any time I had to handle the minis.

As I have found, using the magic wash mixes is absolutely key to successfully painting these miniatures. The areas sculpted into the definition of the bones are beyond minute. Painting an area like that by hand would be excessively time consuming. Of course, if you're just painting a single mini for show, by all means go for it, but for the hobbyist with an army to work through, there's no telling how long it would take to finish a unit of these guys, especially in 8th edition where big blocks of infantry are the order of the day.

I chose the sword/shield combo because I found the great weapons to be uninspiring. For such a characterful unit, the great weapon designs are quite bland by comparison. I would highly recommend the great weapons for conversions as the blades are actually very well designed. Still, if you're intending to run a big block of great weapon grave guard, you could do far worse than what's offered here.

By contrast, the shield designs are fantastic, and the sword blades would fit a myriad of conversion opportunities. Anyone playing Chaos Space Marines would do well to consider this box. The skeletons would make for nice remains of victims, and the weapons would all convert nicely into a very 40k-friendly baroque close combat arsenal.

All-in-all a very inspired box for the fantasy lineup, easily one of the best skeleton boxes out there. For Vampire Count players, this is essentially a required purchase (several times over), but don't overlook it if you're not running the necromancers from the north. There's a lot to be found here, and a single box would go a long way to adding flavor to many armies from both fantasy and 40k.

WFB: Vampire Counts Grave Guard

2011-08-29T11:42:00.003-04:00

The first thing that really struck me about this box was just how microscopic the parts were. Granted, I'm used to painting space marines, warriors of chaos, terminators, dreadnoughts, and the like, but I am a miniature wargaming painter and I shuddered to think how on earth I would even find these bits if they were to spill. Beyond the problems of simply keeping track of the bits, the other major problem this poses is with assembly. Without any real points for super glue to bond, the model itself becomes very fragile. Even with the special impact resistant super glue I use, I was very careful any time I had to handle the minis.

As I have found, using the magic wash mixes is absolutely key to successfully painting these miniatures. The areas sculpted into the definition of the bones are beyond minute. Painting an area like that by hand would be excessively time consuming. Of course, if you're just painting a single mini for show, by all means go for it, but for the hobbyist with an army to work through, there's no telling how long it would take to finish a unit of these guys, especially in 8th edition where big blocks of infantry are the order of the day.

I chose the sword/shield combo because I found the great weapons to be uninspiring. For such a characterful unit, the great weapon designs are quite bland by comparison. I would highly recommend the great weapons for conversions as the blades are actually very well designed. Still, if you're intending to run a big block of great weapon grave guard, you could do far worse than what's offered here.

By contrast, the shield designs are fantastic, and the sword blades would fit a myriad of conversion opportunities. Anyone playing Chaos Space Marines would do well to consider this box. The skeletons would make for nice remains of victims, and the weapons would all convert nicely into a very 40k-friendly baroque close combat arsenal.

All-in-all a very inspired box for the fantasy lineup, easily one of the best skeleton boxes out there. For Vampire Count players, this is essentially a required purchase (several times over), but don't overlook it if you're not running the necromancers from the north. There's a lot to be found here, and a single box would go a long way to adding flavor to many armies from both fantasy and 40k.

Howling Griffons: Tactical Marine

2011-08-29T11:42:00.001-04:00

A bolter-toting member of the first 10 man tactical squad, his total squad will include 6 more bolter marines, a marine with flamer, a missile launcher, and a vet sergeant with combi-flamer. The squad will come complete with a rhino to get them around the field in a hurry.

I made this guy especially for a painted model contest for the Eye of Terror group on deviantArt. I'll be posting when the voting poll is up.

Preparations for Project: Howling Griffon are in full swing despite the extreme rush of the holiday season. We are currently sitting on enough models to create 75% of the planned army! Most of these models have been donated, and many thanks goes out to those generous individuals who are making this project not only possible, but the absolute best it can be.

Look for the upcoming announcement of the competition poll to show your love for the Griffons, and get ready, because 2011 is almost here! The year of the Griffon approaches, and I couldn't be more excited.

Space Wolves: Part 2 of 2

2011-08-29T11:41:00.003-04:00
I grabbed this box almost a year ago from a friend and finally got around to painting some boys from it for his wolf guard. Here are my samples and impressions on GW's plastic overload offering.

The first thing I can safely say about this box is that it is full. There isn't any wasted sprue here (unless you count the exposed faces and their haircuts, more on that later). You are just inundated from beginning to end with what seems like an endless variety of bits to make a marine wolfy. You can definitely take this kit and slam it face first into a tactical squad box and end up with 20 really nice space wolves, grey hunters or blood claws.

And I really do recommend doing just that. I think that in order to get the most out of this kit in the context of an entire space wolf army, you really do need to spread the love around to make sure those pieces don't become so standard issue that you end up with absolutely no originality in your marines. As I've said before, it's only when you show the full scope that the value of the various items becomes apparent. A great example is the legs. There's only 5 legs in the box, so make them count. Standard issue armor will repeat, and to the viewer, that's fine, but when you see the same custom job a dozen times in a row, it is no longer so.

And after having painted these custom items, I can safely say you don't want to have to try and paint them up a dozen times anyways. My GOD these things have a ton of detail in them. Every time I went back I was finding details I had missed. I wasn't rushing, but my mind can only grab so many details at once before it overloads. And when you try and cram them all together in a single model, it can very easily end up looking too busy. Simpler is usually better, so I recommend mixing in a healthy dose of vanilla with your norse stew just to tone things down a little bit.

The other criticism I have for this box is that some of the options are just... well... stupid. I get it, they're space vikings, they have several dozen gallons of testosterone running through their genetically enhanced veins, and nothing to do but drink and kill for several hundreds years. Inevitably, some oddities are bound to crop up, but do we really need an exposed head that looks like James Hetfield circa 1996? That said, there are some outstanding designs for some of these faces, and the helmets are universally good or amazing.

I just feel like at some point they had room left, and didn't know what to do with it, so they threw in some of the B- designs. This would be fine, except that there's stuff they could have included, and in my opinion should have included, that would have easily fit there. Like what you may ask? Oh, I don't know, how about some meltaguns?! Come on now, this is the age of a mech IG dominated metagame, everyone needs melta weapons, why you letting your boys down? I simply can't understand how in a box that brags of having over 25 heads per complete sprue (you get two complete sprues per box), they can't find the room for a meltagun. Truth be told, they should have included two, but that's neither here nor there.

Overall, this is a great box. Lots of cool pieces that can really turn up the appearance of a unit, but in my opinion was rightfully constructed to enhance an entire army. If you're looking to build a 2000 point wolf force from scratch, just one box should suffice. If you're going for a more troop heavy build or higher points, maybe two boxes would suit you, but after that it's just signing up for a ton more painting or tiny little details. If that's your deal go for it, but most people will find one box is all they need and then some.

Tau Crisis Suit

2011-08-29T11:41:00.001-04:00
So it's Christmas time and yet again I find myself in a mad panic as I dash towards that fateful day when all presents must be completed, wrapped, and delivered. And, of course, that means that a ton of models have to be painted up in a very short amount of time. So this weeks project is a gift, one of many this year, for a friend who doesn't know the first thing about 40k, but he's a total tech head. I was thinking a gift certificate to an electronics store, but I ended up picking what I thought would be a fairly simple project in a Tau Crisis Suit.

I have to say straight up, I really like the look of this box. The Crisis Suit is a completely plastic model (always a big thumbs up for that) that comes in an easy to understand box that has all the options you need to build a suit. One of the things that impressed me a lot was the use of articulated leg and arm joints. As you can see from the finished model, all the joints are ball-and-socket. This means that you're able to come up with virtually any pose without the need for an endless variety of custom created legs ala space marines. With this guy I had him standing with one foot on the two different levels of the base and there was no problem at all. What would have been hours of cutting, gluing, green stuffing, and remodeling with a traditional model was done with no need for special construction of any sort.

Putting everything together was a snap, literally when it came time to put the legs and feet together. I noticed that the model also included several different 'slots' that were designed to fit within the build of the model itself. This presented multiple ways to mount weapons and special items and have them look as if they had always intended to be a part of that model. The beauty came in the fact that there wasn't anything that need to be done to fill the unused slots, as they were designed to also look intentional. Combine this with the fact that every weapon had multiple mounting points so it could sit any way I wanted, and the model became infinitely more flexible.

That's the real clincher of this kit, it's well designed, simple, modular, and incredibly strong. The mechanics of the design fit the anime-esque East Asian aesthetic perfectly. While the armor itself is angular, the edges are rounded slightly, giving it a much needed organic influence that carries well through the whole model.

Painting was very easy, with clearly defined areas that I could mix and match primary and complimentary colors. There weren't any super small areas to create confusion as to what should go there, just clean, open design. It reminds me a lot of the art direction that used in the PS3 game Mirror's Edge, ultra futurist to an unparalleled level of functionality, blurring the lines between art and industry.

I can understand now why some people question the Tau's place in the Warhammer 40k universe. Their models are the exact opposite of everything else that exists within this space. Anyone who has painted a metal space marine from yesteryear can attest to the small, muddled, difficulties and unnecessary details that plague most models in GW's current range. The Tau are the opposite of this 'ye olde' aesthetic, bringing an elegance that even the elven eldar models have yet to match. Bravo I say, the Tau are a breath of fresh air in this regard.

I have painted fire warriors, and I was not impressed, but having painted this crisis suit, I will seriously consider making an army of these guys in the future. There are many more options yet to be explored, and I am eager to do so.

Ork Boss Snikrot

2011-08-29T11:40:00.004-04:00

The Setup
My initial concept was simple; to take a model and paint it in a light scheme that didn't invoke a cloudless day at noon in the middle of an empty field.

So many times we as painters can be drawn in by the 'norm' or standards of a game system. I'm a GW guy by default, so my painting career has been based on the 'Eavy Metal method. Like any fledgling artist, my first inclination was simply to replicate what had already been done, mainly through the photos in my codexes.

There's nothing wrong with this. All the great masters of art started off as copy cats. It's just part of the process, and it should be regarded as one of the necessary steps to proficiency. But as time wears on and the hand that guides the brush becomes more experienced, the mind begins to wander and to wonder. What else is out there? Is this really the best way to paint this mini? What if I have a different idea?

When those thoughts begin to crop up, it is critical that you act on them. It's only by breaking away from copying that you begin creating. Sticking with the same dictated color schemes and painting methods will, at best, result in a perfect copy.

Remember: everything in moderation.

Stay by the side of your favorite artist(s), but don't dwell too long, you are too important to spend your whole life treading in the footsteps of others.

Boss Snikrot

This sculpt, while well executed, hasn't won any popularity contests among the ork player base. I wasn't crazy about it, but I liked it enough to give it a shot. Given his nature, Snikrot wouldn't be caught dead (or rather he would) out in the open on a bright day. He'd be much more likely to be sneaking around in the shadows, or even better yet, at night…

Let's get this out of the way now, Splinter Cell was an enormous reference for this guy.

Painting
I started as I would any model; defining the basic areas with foundation colors. I preferred grey over true metallics, which gave me tighter control over the highlights and shadows. To push the night time color scheme, I painted his skin with Necron Abyss.

I am accustomed to starting at a medium hue and working a little bit in both directions for shades and highlights, but in this case I found myself on opposite ends of the spectrum. The skin was almost black after having been washed andI only needed to highlight, where the rest of his gear required several shades of progressively darker paint. It was a very new and very interesting experience for me.

One of the coolest parts of this project had to be studying the actual way things look in bright moonlight.

One night I realized the moon was so bright that I could clearly see my shadow on the ground. I went into the back yard with my wife, away from artificial lights, and walked around her, watching the way the moonlight hit her, and where the shadows fell. It was fascinating to be walking around at night and yet seeing clearly, something I wanted to bring to the model.

Pushing the Paint Further
I worked in very thin layers of paint, which allowed me to apply many times over without losing detail or control. This was time consuming, but rewarding. It allowed me to push the shadows and highlights to the extremes, giving the model a great sense of depth.

The big breakthrough was the base. I realized the neutral browns of the initial base color where completely throwing off my perception with such a dark model on top of it. I painted the base the same Necron Abyss color as Snikrot's skin.

No pun intended, it was the difference between night and day.

My advice from this project: experiment like crazy. You only stand to lose if you don't learn from your experience.

Chaos Space Marines: Part 2 of 2

2011-08-29T11:40:00.002-04:00
In this article:
Noise Marines
Rubric Marines
Obliterators
Chaos Dreadnought
For a person who doesn't actively own a chaos space marine army of his own, I sure do paint a lot of chaos space marines. This is mainly due to the fact that I have a friend who owns a lot of unpainted miniatures... like a lot a lot. There are also occasions where he has money and I have time to paint; I would definitely blame these factors for the current situation.

Before we dive into the nitty and the gritty of individual squads, I have to give much respect to people who have painted whole armies of these dudes. It isn't until you paint a chaos space marine that realize just how many little spikes and trimmings they have, and how much of your time said spikes and trimmings take up. I swear 1 chaos marine = 1.5 loyalist vanilla marines in terms of painting time. This may or may not hold true for some of the other loyalist chapters, I'm thinking robed dark angels are by far the fastest to paint while the new space wolves and blood angel kits definitely might come closer to a 1:1 ratio. Anyways, my point is, chaos space marine generals give yourselves a pat on the back for a job well done. Just finishing an army of these guys is a monumental task.
Noise Marines

I. HATE. PINK.

There, I said it. I'm a modern man who is comfortable with his masculinity, but by the cruel star gods I hate this color. It's not so much the hue itself, that I can take or leave provided it is used sparingly and in the right context. But painting pink has to be one of the most painful experiences I've ever had in this hobby. It just doesn't cover, and yes I was stupid and tried to cover black with pink. Actually I take that back, I didn't even try to cover black with pink, because I built it up over several layers of foundation paints before I finally tried to apply the pink, and it still didn't cover correctly. Oh well.

I think the main problem is that as a person who only really has access to GW paints, I'm forced to use a very old tentacle pink that I'm sure isn't mixed up very well anymore. I'm actually looking forward to the day that thing dries up so I never have to use it again. I can just picture myself sitting in front of the paint pot with it open and a hairdryer on full blast.

My advice to those who want to paint pink: prime white. The only way you're going to get a smooth, vibrant finish is over a smooth vibrant white.

This was when I first started hitting the aforementioned trim and detailed bits of the armor. Even though I was fortunate enough to have the model primed black, hardline highlights took a lot of extra time. The hawk turquoise provided a nice contrast though, and the addition of a little green here and there really pushed things forward. In the end I had the super-high contrast I was looking for, grumbling about pink aside. I set the noisy boys aside and turned my attention to...
Thousand Sons Rubric Marines

A much welcome breath of fresh air from the Noise Marines, the Rubric Marines were clad in a lovely blue. This not only made the process of painting faster, but also much more enjoyable. Painting golden trim on the armor really showed me just how detailed even the basic chaos space marine can be. Even though I was painting in a very measured and consistant pace, it seemed like every time I turned a model over I would find another patch of trim that I had missed the first time through. Since my gold trim takes a whopping 5 steps to paint, I seeing double by the time I had everyone fully trimmed out.

Speaking of trim, I wanted to take a moment to point out the trim on the crest of their helmets. The horizontal stripes would have been nearly impossible if it wasn't for micropens. I know some people like to be hobby snobs and insist that it's a pale imitation of a 100% acrylic paint job, but I must say I don't know how paint could have compared in this situation. The problem that you run into with these older sculpts is that things aren't as crisp as they used to be, and what should be a very nice neat row of colored stripes ended up looking a bit messy, even after a careful repainting. A single pass with the micropen straightened it all out, leaving things looking very well organized and showing the good paint job that was always there. It's like Ray Charles said when talking about music (paraphrasing), it doesn't matter how you made it, it only matter how it sounds.
Obliterators

Talk about coming out of left field with this one. I took these guys on thinking they would be a cakewalk to paint. Sound the buzzer, because that's a big fat wrong answer for me. I didn't understand just how difficult these guys are to get right until I had to do it myself. Blending skin directly into armor and making it look like anything besides a big blob of crap is not a simple task. If anything, I'd like to try it one more time to see if I couldn't do a little bit better after everything I've learned. Still, it was and still is an amazingly entertaining proposition to paint a guy like this. The insane nature of obliterators really shines here, bristling with weaponry they conjure out of nothing simply because they can. It was a fun paint scheme, though the biotech is still new to me. Maybe some day I will give it another try, but for now, we'll just stick with what we know: Armor.
Chaos Dreadnought

Now THAT is what I'm talking about. Big old robot with big old guns stomping around on a big old base. None of this frilly dark eldar nonsense, just several tons of rawr and go git 'em.

The model itself is the world eaters dreadnought from forgeworld, as are the arms. I have to say of all the models I've seen from forgeworld, the dreadnoughts are my favorite. Whoever designs those things has a talent for bringing the walking robo-coffins to life (har har) in a way I have yet to see from GW's plastics, impressive though they may be in their own right. The base is actually from a sample tile I got in a white dwarf mag advertising the warhammer fantasy campaign system. Those mini landscape markers make great additions for basing.

The only thing that drove me crazy about this piece was the hour of scrubbing I had to do to clean the model.

If you've never painted forgeworld models, you need to read this:
Forgeworld models are resin, and when they are done being case they are coated in a special releasing agent that lets them come out of the mold without being damaged. This is well and good, but forgeworld does not clean the release agent from their models, and if you don't do it, it's almost guaranteed to ruin your paint job. All you need to do is give a good scrub with an old toothbrush and some warm soapy water. I recommend dish soap, as that has the strongest cleaners in it to cut through the tough, greasy shell. Once you've given it a once or twice over, you're good to go, but make sure you hit every angle.

If you don't, there's a chance that the paint will not adhere completely to the release agent, causing it to roll off when your trying to work. Even worse, there's also a chance that it will initially accept the paint, but it will randomly flake off later when you think you're done. This is almost the worst feeling in the world, just watching your hours literally fall off the model. I'm shaking my head just thinking about it. My point: don't let this happen to you.

So another group of chaos hit the proverbial dust, too bad they would be used against me in the future, but such is the price you pay for working for others. At least I got to lose to some pretty models.

40k Tutorial: Painting Black Armor

2011-08-29T11:40:00.000-04:00
As I was getting ready to paint up the character model I had built for my first game of deathwatch RPG, I realized that my Blood Angel Assault Marine would be wearing mostly black, not red. As a quick note of fluff, the Deathwatch are pulled from various marine chapters from across the imperium, and while every marine is allow to maintain the badge of his home chapter, the rest of his armor is black, save for his left arm and shoulder guard, which is silver.

I've never really had a tremendous success with painting black armor. Either it ended up looking too flat or too dirty or too clean, etc. So this time, rather than just push blindly ahead with no real plan, I found a friend with a couple old models he was willing to part with in exchange for a quick and tidy paint job. The models were space wolves, but it didn't make much difference. The point was I had a method to test out various ideas on how to paint black and keep it interesting.
Method 1: Magic Washes

Maybe one of my favorite GW products of all time, the magic wash can do almost anything. So when it came time to paint black, I decided to put Badab Black to the test by giving several heavy washes to an already dark grey model.

The results didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. The finish was nice and smooth as I had expected, but the highlights I thought would be left just weren't. I am curious to see what the results would be like starting with a lighter grey or even a white, but for this guy, the details just kinda vanished, leaving him looking a little flat, though I was able to compensate by making the rest of the model pop a bit more.
Method 2: 'Ard Coat

This guy represented two firsts for me, as I had never worked with 'ard coat before this project. I was pleasantly surprised to see how easily it applied and dried, leaving him nice and glossy. The entire process was quick too as it only required a single coat of black, and a single coat of gloss. Visually I found this way to be my second favorite. If I had to paint an army of black armored soldiers in a hurry, I would definitely favor this method.
Method 3: Drybrush

I had to cheat a little on this guy just to see what would happen when introducing the element of cloth as well as traditional 'hard' armor. I quickly discovered that while the soft effect of the grey on black looked great on soft organic material, it just didn't quite hold up on the rigid surfaces of standard armor. Definitely recommended for robes, but leave this method at home for the real stuff.
Method 4: Hardline highlights

It should be pretty apparent by now which method I liked best. After having relatively good success with the first three models, I knew in order to push the quality up of the fourth, I had to pull out all the stops. As always, the most time consuming method ended up being the best for my needs.

The first step was to coat the model head to toe with Necron Abyss where the black armor would be. After that, I visualized where a single source of light would hit the model, and made a mental note of those locations. I went back with black and painted the shadows where they would fall, leaving the darkest parts pure black. I then went and built up highlights on the edges of the armor up through the blue tones, getting smaller and tighter with the lines on each further pass. Was I was left with was the impression of an almost mirror sheen under harsh lighting conditions, rigidly and neatly defined. I loved it.

Of course, as I said earlier, one of the chief considerations for any project is time. If you've got a couple weeks and you only need to paint a single model, go for it. I plan on using this guy for months to come, so I knew having a quality model would pay me back many times over. But if you've got an entire army that needs covering, and you want to be done in a few months, leave the fancy paintjobs for the HQ. Remember, you can always go back and improve, but not having your boyz done in time for the tournament never goes away.

Chaos Space Marines: Part 1 of 2

2011-08-29T11:39:00.002-04:00
In this article:
Lucius the Eternal
Chaos Sorcerer
Slaanesh Lord
Super Bitch of Doom
The great thing about the game of 40k definitely has to be the social aspect of the hobby. While it is important to be in it at least a little bit for yourself, being able to share all the hard work that you've done over a good game is probably the best moment the game has to offer.

Among other perks, when you start interacting with other players and making friends, you find yourself with opportunities to paint for armies other than one(s) you own, which in turn allows you to grow as a painter without having to break the bank on a new army. Some of my friends have a model or two in their active army that I've painted for them... some have a lot more. Chronicled here are some of the big boys I've painted for a friend's Chaos Space Marine army over the past couple years.
Lucius the Eternal

I don't know why people hate on this model so much. I think the sculpt is a very fitting representation of the endless warrior. Sure he's ugly, but in a good way. He's supposed to be all banged up and ritually scarred and so forth. His armor is sculpted with the faces of those who have opposed him and triumphed, only to undergo a hideous transformation into the man they just stood against.

I love the whip too. It was a pain to paint up and have it look right, but once I figured out the formula, it went pretty fast. The key was to paint the entire whip in one color, in this case red, and then work down length of the cord with the alternate color, in this case blue. Once I had picked out the opposed hues, it was simple to wash and highlight, leaving a nice, neat paintjob. So no more hating, let Luscious... err Lucius alone.
Chaos Sorcerer

My friend runs an army theme very similar to the World Eaters (Khorne heavy), and when I was going through his models trying desperately to find something he didn't have already, it stuck me that he had no sorcerers. So it was a simple matte r to find a nice sorcerer model and paint him up in the theme of my friend's army. His color scheme is darker and grittier, which I tried to push in spite of the fact that the sorcerer can look a little...frilly. Okay, not really, he's a 8 foot tall evil psychic super soldier with a sword the size of my upper torso, but it doesn't change the fact that he's wearing a skirt. I worked around this issue by dirtying up the cloth, and basing it in the intense red that forms the core color of the army scheme.
Slaanesh Lord

I expanded on the ideas of Lucius with this guy, seeing where I could take the idea of an dark elegant warrior among a pack of nearly uncontrollable berzerkers. Just because he worships Slaanesh doesn't mean he can't venerate Khorne as well, as I imagine the idea of "Skulls for the Skull Throne!" would provide at least some primal appeal to a potential champion of the gods. After all, in an age of aliens and super heavy armor, how much higher a level of sophisticated death dealing can one achieve than a mid-battle decapitation? It's the perfect balance of smooth and brutal, which I tried to bring out with the colors of this unique model.

I've been experimenting with black armor colors lately, and I thought it would be cool to see a model that had armor so dark that you could only see the color when it was fully illuminated, fading to black with the shadows. The highly reflective silver trim helps to keep large chunks of dark armor broken up and easy to take in. The turquoise of the blade and cape finally tie it back to the standard noise marines that the army has. I was thinking to use some of the signature red, but combined with the deep purple would have made this guy a little less "epitome of murder" and a little more "red hat society". Funny but not exactly what I was shooting for. But if you want to talk funny models..
Super Bitch of Doom

There just isn't any excuse for this guy. He's complete nonsense and we all know it, and at the same time we all love it. The Super Bitch of Doom (SBOD) is dreaded above all else on the battlefield, because you know there just isn't any recovering from such a toxic level of humiliation as that of losing to the SBOD. I went for the throat on this bad boy/girl with duckies, bunnies, and hamsters on the armor. The colors speak, that is to say they scream, for themselves. Of all the Christmas presents I worked on last year, this one made me smile the most. I don't think I've ever giggled while painting, and it is an experience I hope to repeat in the very near future.

40k Tutorial: Speed Painting Imperial Guard

2011-08-29T11:39:00.000-04:00
It was a dark and stormy... afternoon when I found myself settling in for a good old fashioned round of speed painting. I grabbed my foundations, washes, metallics, and prepared to wage war on a heap of unpainted mini's. In just 6 hours there would be nothing left but a table ready squad of soldiers, with no bare plastic to show. The clock started ticking, and the paintbrush descended with unbridled fury... or something like that.
Hour 0: Preparation is Crucial

If you're going to undertake a speed painting challenge, the last thing you have to spare is time. Make sure everything is 100% ready to go when you sit down and start painting. That means all the mold lines are clean, everything is primed, things are as assembled as you are comfortable, and you have all your materials on hand. You can't waste 10% of your time looking for the brush you thought you had with you or wondering what color to do next, which transitions nicely to my next point:

Always have a plan. Know what you want them to look like when they're done and what colors you're going to need to get them there. Dilly dallying will not help here (it rarely does).
Hour 1: Skin is In

As these bad boys are Catachans, most of them left the full armor and shirts at home, that means the first thing to get painted up is this skin. Why?

Because you always want to paint the deepest element of a model first.

It's much easier to get down a layer of green on the coat my guardsman is wearing than to try and sneak a brush full of Tallarn Flesh into the recesses of the perfectly shaded and highlighted vest I just finished. Start with the greatest depth and build your way out. This will also come in great use when painting mechanized models.
Hour 2: Cover up

Turns out the boys from Catachan did remember a little bit of the old wardrobe, and when the skin was done being highlighted, that was the first thing to get a coat, as per my previous instructions. I had originally wanted to do some camo effects on the pants, but I quickly realized that this would not be viable given my time constraints, which transitions nicely to my next point:

To hell with the plan. If you don't have time, you don't have time. Executive decisions must be made on the fly, and it's important to be conscious of your resources as you're racing ahead. Remember, it's always easier to cut extra weight loose early, but once you've committed to something, you have to carry it out. Most details can be reintroduced at a later point in time, which you should feel free to do if you have too much time left over before the end of the challenge, but most of us never have that problem.
Hour 3: Heavy Metal

Now's when things get interesting. Picking out the metal on models like these really brings them to life. That and it provides a major morale boost to see so much of the model covered already. Your mood will have a huge influence on you later on in the challenge, when the continuous effort of painting begins to wear on you both physically and mentally. Give yourself the opportunity to celebrate each step as it's completed before diving into the next one. After all, this is supposed to be fun, don't let it become a slog.
Hour 4: The Dark Side

GW magic washes are, well, magic. I can't understate just what a difference it is to see the model go from flat to detailed in a single stroke of the brush. It makes a tremendous difference, and it also helps to point out any mistakes you have made up to this point. Just because this is a speed painting challenge doesn't mean it has to be sloppy. Keep things neat and simple, and you'll be very very impressed by the results, especially after a coat of Badab Black.
Hour 5: The Devil and His Details

This is what separates Da Bosses from Da Boyz. It's the small touches here and there that will really bring out the best in your work. A tattoo here, some extra detail around the eyes there, and suddenly things just pop. Always keep a fine detail brush on hand for all those tough spots where you need just a little paint in a small spot. The smaller brush will not only provide a great source of detail, but also prevent you losing all the work you just did when a larger brush bumps an already finished surface. You already painted the model, don't make yourself have to do it twice.
Hour 6: Flockkin' Ink

The final touches bring out the best in the model, and nothing unites what were once disparate elements like a common basing scheme. If you know your terrain ahead of time, go ahead and mix up a combination of the flocks you're going to need to finish. Gluing and flocking twice instead of five times makes all the difference in the world. And before you know it, the timer rings that last time and like it or not, you're done.
Final Shot

Speed painting is great fun, and a great way to produce a playable unit in a single evening. Especially in armies where you have infantry counts in the hundreds, having a fully painted unit is essential to a cohesive impression. That one command squad might look great, but people will still remember you as the guy with one painted squad in his army. My thanks to my friend John for volunteering his boyz to go triumphantly on with a solid, speedy paint job.

Warhammer Tutorial: 5 Step Snow and Stone Bases

2011-08-29T11:38:00.003-04:00
Yes, it's tutorial time again!

This time we have a play by play of how to paint stone tiles onto an otherwise "blank" base, and as a bonus, get it loaded up with snow.

So why take all the extra time to paint a boatload of blank bases? Several reasons.

First and foremost, the obvious fact is that the models we're painting were meant to sit on a flat surface. Custom 3D bases are all well and good and worth the time for the special Skaven Warlord who heads up your army, but you don't want to have to custom pose all your slaves and clan rats over and over and over again. Custom painted flat bases are done when they're done, no more effort required.

Second, you have complete control over how the base looks. While the bases you order online are gorgeous, seeing them repeated 20 times inside a single army diminishes the overall effect. Even when I was batch processing bases for blocks of 20 guys, each base looked slightly different; different enough to keep the look of coherency without redundancy.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, it's cheap. If you don't want to spend an extra $100 custom basing an entire army, this is a relatively fast and painless option. It may take time to paint the textures, but remember, you'd have to paint the 3d pieces anyways. And in almost all cases, 3D take more time than 2D.
Step 1: Blank Out

To establish a good foundation for your stone, clean and prime the bases you want to work on. Take the extra time to make sure the bases are squeaky clean when it comes to flashing and sprue nubs. If you're going to expend so much energy to make it look good, you might as well start with a clean slate.

Also, since this is stone, don't worry about getting the coat to be 100% perfect. A little primer showing under the paint will help add extra detail by giving the illusion of texture. For this demonstration, I'm using Adeptus Battlegrey for the dark grey and Astronomicon Grey for the lite grey. If you're feeling like taking extra steps, feel free to mix in extra coats with other similar hues like Dheneb Stone and Charadon Granite.

A quick note: Attention Warhammer Fantasy players; Adeptus Battlegrey is your friend! At full strength, it's the exact same hue as sprue grey, which means you don't have to do anything to your movement trays but assemble them!
Step 2: Broad Strokes

Next you want to get a feel for what's to come. With a relatively large brush of watered down Astronomicon, I paint out the general shape of what I want the stone to do. This soft grey will serve as the blueprint for what's to come. This is the stage you want to make mistakes with. If you don't like something, the paint should be wet enough to just wipe off and start again, and any residue left behind will simply create another layer for your finished stone.

If you want to get all fancy and add in geometric designs, be sure to keep around items of the size and shape you want to see. For example, the circles on the large square base are just other circle bases laid down and painted around. The rest is freehand, but you can see how having various bits and bobs around could lead to a nearly infinite number of designs just by mixing and matching concentric shapes.
Step 3: Refinement

With a much smaller and less watered down brush of Astronomicon, trace out the exact shape of what you want your tile to look like. Be sure to paint inside the existing lines, but try to stick to one side or the other. This is where you'll begin to define the light source.

For example, I've got a stack of three vertical lines from the previous step, and I trace over line one on it's left side. From the point on, I'm going to stick to the left side of any vertical lines I've created, and I would do the same for horizontal lines. The consistency is going to make the process easier and add a visual lever of believability to your project.
Step 4: The Devil and his Details

Now for the tricky part. This part is optional, but really adds a lot to the project if you have a steady enough painting hand. I say painting hand because I do not have steady hands at all, but can maintain a good level of control over them when I'm laying down paint. You're going to need a very fine brush, the finest they have at your local craft store. With as much care as you can muster, re-trace the strong grey line from step 3 with dark grey or black. If your hand drifts or you go off the line, you can cover it up by adding some extra squiggles to make it look like a crack in the stone. Finally, to add one final level of depth, grab your wash of choice (Devlan Mud in this case) and hit the other side of the black line to crate a shadow. Those of you not basing your army from the frozen north can stop here. For the rest of us, let us proceed to...
Step 5: Chilly Bits

This is a two step process.

Step A
This is where we form the "bulk" of the snow drift. What you want to do is find a snow flock that uses rough ballast, which is to say, bigger and bulkier individual pieces. Woodland Scenics makes a great snow flock that I have been using for several years. You pony up $10 and you'll never need to do so again. There's so much of this stuff that I've split it evenly four ways and I still have more than I'll ever need, and I've based several armies with my existing supply.

As for the actual process, what you want to do is to mix the rough snow with simple PVC 'white' glue, until you have a paste. Put some of the 'snow paste' on your base and cover that bad boy in a light coat of white glue again. This is also a good point to put any glue down for small drifts as well. I like to trace some thin lines in between the stone tiles where the snow would have settled.

Step B
Once everything is down on the base and sufficiently coated in glue, just dip the whole lot in a lighter, fluffier snow. I've been using Games Workshop Snow. This works very well for that sparkling, freshly fallen look. If you want sludge, try giving the snow paste a wash of Devlan Mud or Gryphonne Sepia around the point where it meets the base (only after the glue is completely dry.)
Conclusion
So there you have it. Stone. Snow. The Works. This process may seem intimidating, but I highly recommend it. After your first dozen, you'll be able to batch process these bad boys in stacks of 20, and the skies' the limit from there. Don't be afraid to experiment either. You can always cover up and ugly paint job on a flat surface with ease. Just remember patience and you'll do just fine.

Space Wolves: Part 1 of 2

2011-08-29T11:38:00.001-04:00
In this article:
Ragnar Blackmane
Land Raider
Lone Wolf
Grey Hunters
13th Company
I've you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, it should be fairly obvious that I have a minor obsession with space marines. In addition to having painted 3 whole armies of space marines, I'm also in the planning stages for a 4th, and have painted models for all the other chapters I haven't even played. One of the nice things about having friends who play chapters I don't is that when the bug bites me to paint up a model or 3 of their chapter, they're more than willing to provide me with a fitting subject. That way I don't have to go spend money on a model I can't use in a game, and they more often than not get a free paint job. It's a nice arrangement to say the least.

Having 2 friends with Space Wolves means I've painted quite a few of the boys in blue/grey. Here are some examples of what's been done:
Ragnar Blackmane

The first Space Wolf I ever painted, Ragnar serves as a nice benchmark for how I am progressing and how the overall wolf aesthetic has progressed. I based the color scheme off the model shown in the old Space Wolf codex, when the boys were armored in the powdery blue instead of the harsher grey's of the modern space wolf codex. This is a reflection of GW's overarching revision of it's models and colors, a unified new vision of the 40k universe. Nowadays you will be hard pressed to find the bright, bold colors that defined warhammer for the 80's and most of the 90's. The new world of 40k is a darker, grittier, one, filled with metal, dirt, blood, and stone.

But as time has gone on, this guy maintains a sort of nostalgic tint for me. It's an archaic model with an old paintjob in an all but forgotten paint scheme. It's nice to see something so bright in today's game environment, and it always helps to look back at your old stuff to appreciate just how far you've come.
Land Raider

Speaking of progress, this bad boy is the latest and greatest wolf piece I've completed to date. The detail of the hull was the hardest to achieve, especially the celtic knot. I'll think twice before I make one of those things again. I painted this piece for a friend who plays one of the fire-happy space wolf great companies. So it made sense that his land raider would be a redeemer style build. I tried to work in some extra fire details and color suggestions here and there to really push the theme. The giant flame throwers on either side definitely helped with this as well.

For those of you who haven't or are considering building a land raider for your force, a word of advise: glue it shut. I know they give you detailed inside pieces and all the mechanisms to make a working front hatch. Just throw those extra inside pieces out and glue it all shut. You'll be glad you did if you ever see someone's land raider where he built a working hatch. The problem with plastic working parts is that eventually they wear down and become smooth with repeated use, and eventually offer no resistance at all. I can't count the number of land raiders I've seen where the doors won't stay closed. This not only impedes movement, it just looks bad, and if you're going to sink the time and money and points into such a gargantuan vehicle, you don't want it coming back to bite you. I know it seems counter intuitive, but ask any veteran player; glue is your friend when it comes to doors and hatches.
Lone Wolf

One of the new units the space wolves get is the lone wolf, a born troublemaker out to get himself killed in battle. After reading about them, I couldn't help but envision this as an ideal Ork unit, but then realized it would be extraordinarily redundant to refer to an Ork as suicidally violent.

The photograph doesn't quite show it, but this guy is a very very dark shade of blue. This is more along the lines of the new vision of 40k I was referring to earlier; dark and brutal. I wanted to give this guy more of a somber tone, given the nature of his unit and his personal mission. I like that GW chose not to issue specific models for these guys, leaving the vision up to the player. In my case, I definitely wanted to see a warrior out in the field, pausing only to take another shot to try and get the enemy's attention. The new sternguard models served as a great addition to several units, and this guy was no exception. I love this sculpt, and I would paint it again several times over.
Grey Hunters

Bits, bits, bits, bits, and more bits!

My god this box has a lot of bits. I thought I was inundated with bits when the Black Templar upgrade box came out; I had no idea what was coming. It's so extensive that it slowed me down for a while while I tried to figure out what to use and where. My only complaint about the box, for all the special options and weapons and bits and bobs, there weren't any melta guns included. Come on GW, you stuffed dozens of heads and helmets in there, leave room for at least one melta gun huh? I'm willing to bet the player base would be willing to sacrifice one or two of those zany haircuts for a bit they really need, especially in the armor-heavy 5th edition world.

Another note, although I was very happy with the way these guys turned out, if I was making an entire Space Wolf army I would be a little more vigilant in spreading the wealth so to speak. I feel like a single box of these bits would be enough to wolf-ify at least half an army. I think one of the problems in a hobby situation with too many options is you end up taking too many of them just to make up for the huge variety you have to pick from initially. Plus nothing will look special if you keep repeating your favorite helmet selection a dozen times over the course of the army. Plain old space marines can be okay. In fact, I feel they're entirely necessary to define what really shines out in the rest of the army. You need a visual base to work from, something I detailed in my previous post.
13th Company

These guys were a blast. I painted them back in the days before the 5th edition codex came out, when the 13th company was still a viable selection. They can still be run in a wolf army, they just need to be spread out a little. And as I was saying, having a few members of the 13th company popping up in your army here and there will add interest without distracting. The other nice thing about these guys is you can make them really distinct without having to resort to overused loyalist bits. A simple chaos shoulder pad and a different color scheme is all that is required and you're in business. GW did the smart thing by making the ranges physically compatible, opening up a variety of conversion options for those open minded enough to seek them out. Nothing is quite as easy as kitbashing when it comes to making a custom model, and nothing comes as close to an accurate interpretation of a characterful unit like the 13th company.

Howling Griffons: Display Squad

2011-08-29T11:37:00.001-04:00
I was in the middle of several projects, chugging along, when I came upon an invitation to a 1-on-1 single elimination style painting competition. I've competed in several painting contests before, but never 1-on-1.

I was immediately intrigued.

It's one thing to submit your work into a pool of entries. If you do poorly there's no real sense of personal loss, you merely are ranked among those who did not win, which if the competition is large enough, puts you in good company. But to be compared directly to another single entry with the threat of removal should you fail; that's a very intense situation to me. It waxes of the kind of scenario that can bring out the very best, and possibly the very worst, in people. Needless to say, I was in.

The theme of the first round was to create a troop squad of at least minimum squad size from any major gaming system. My mind whirled with possibilities, but in the end, I settled on my old standby's: the Space Marines. Space Marines are just classic, instantly recognizable to the wargaming community, with plenty of options to really expand them into new territory, the perfect balance of old and new. For my chapter I wanted that same balance, a canon chapter that hadn't been done to death by a thousand other players. I settled on the Howling Griffons, drawing on the strong visual combination of red and gold to make my guys stand out.

One thing I learned very early in my days of competitive painting was that craftsmanship was not everything. I lost a competition against another player who hadn't spent nearly as much time painting or customizing the individual units in his army.

So why did he win?

His army was unique.

If you want to get a judge's attention in painting, you have to have a hook, a visual difference that immediately sucks the viewer in and makes them want to know more. A good friend of mine plays a space marine army that is painted with tiger stripes. They aren't the end-all be-all of craftsmanship, as a matter of fact my armies wipe the floor with his in that department. But when we played a game in a store, everyone came up to him, complimenting him on the look of his army, saying nothing to me. I don't begrudge him for this at all, as it only served to reinforce this very important lesson.

With that in mind, I really wanted to make these guys stand out, to ensure that not only were they very appealing, but the left a strong impression on the viewer. For this, I decided to take the otherwise immaculate looking space marines and plunge them right into the dirty, rubble-strew streets of an urban clash.
The Action

The first concept, and perhaps the simplest to grasp and execute, is the action. Not everyone has to be posed like they're shooting their gun / swinging their sword all the time. Watch a good war flick like Blackhawk Down. There's lots of shooting but there's lots of other stuff going on. Sometimes the soldier has to take cover, sometimes he has to throw a live grenade out of the way, sometimes he has to *gasp* reload!

Showing something out of the ordinary, but reasonable for the model in question, is a great way to draw the viewer in. Especially for the jaded hobbyist who has seen a million "about to chop your face off" poses, it's an instant highlight to see the two seconds when the action has cooled down just a bit for the marine to hammer in a fresh clip before the beatings resume. This can work for any race in any game: a medieval soldier wiping blood from the side of his mouth, a futuristic biker making an adjustment to a critical lever, an orc picking his nose, all of these would make a great point of interest.
The Pose

Sometimes the pose of a model is everything. The suggestion of an intense action, leaving the rest of the movement up to the viewer, is a great way to again invite that interactivity; to begin to build this fictional world inside their head; to encourage the buy-in. And it isn't impossible to achieve. This model was reposed with a single cut at his left wrist to allow the hand to go straight. Again, movies play a huge roll in figuring out exactly how you want something to look. You can mess around with the idea in your head for hours, or you can turn on Commando and hit the pause button (okay, not Commando, but you get the idea.)
The Narrative

One of the big reasons for all this extra detail is to reach a point where you're transcending the idea of a single image. If I paint a model of a guy holding a gun and looking at something, then I've given the viewer almost nothing to work with. But if his back is to the wall, and he's peering around the corner, now there's a real moment. And the best part is that the one moment tells of all the moments before it, and hints at the ones to come.

IF you can pull this off, then you're moving into a territory where a single dynamic model has the same effect as a dozen static ones. And why waste your time painting a dozen static models when you can save money, time, and space?
The Base

Up until now I haven't had many kind words for the old standby: marine with gun model. Here are my kind words: at least one is absolutely necessary in order to make the scene/project work. It may sound counter intuitive, but consider that the viewer need a point of reference for the rest of the piece. If everyone is doing gymnastics and all these incredibly detailed actions, no one is going to know how much that means until you show them at least once what they could have been getting. Who better to appreciate an a well prepared meal than the person who has been eating nothing but white bread and water?

And don't forget, grizzled veterans are never your sole audience. You need something for the newcomer, something to let them know that what they're looking at is really special. A perfect example is the new Space Wolf Pack box that GW released last year. It chalk full of amazing bitz, but the squads that get nothing but those bitz just crammed onto every available spot look overdone and the individual items lose their interest. But spread out over several units, suddenly everything takes on a very strong and dynamic life of it's own. You need the rain to appreciate the sun, the dark to appreciate the light; always bring a tasteful frame of reference to let them know just how hard you've been working.
The Details

I'm sure you've noticed by this point that these guys look like they've been through one hell of a fight. The intense weathering and chipping on the armor really brings it all home. It also humanizes the conflict; they may be the greatest humans of all time, but they are still human. They take shots just like the rest of us, they're just too tough and well armored for it to matter much. Again harking back to that frame of reference, it really speaks to a much tougher and durable warrior who is still standing even after obvious signs of physical damage (base). He's seen some action (narrative), but he's still going strong (pose). This is a fight to death, and he'll do anything it takes to survive (action).

So those are some of the general ideas behind a highly customized project. I highly recommend entering painting contests anytime you can. You may win, you may lose, but you'll never work harder. Because it's only when we're pushed outside of our comfort zones that we become capable of something truly remarkable.
The Result

Chaos Possessed: Part 2 of 2

2011-08-29T11:33:00.003-04:00
In this article:
Alpha Legion
Black Legion
Iron Warriors
Night Lords
Nin's Glorious Destroyers
Proceeding from where I had last left off, the next big part of project: possessed was to cover the various legions. While not as well known as the cult legions, these guys have a very strong history in the 40k universe, and are just as important as their zealous brothers.
The Dragons: Alpha Legion

I remember when I was first playing 40k, one of the guys in my club had an Alpha Legion army. It was a pure demon bomb cheesed out list (good old 4th edition with the 3rd edition chaos codex), but it was a pretty and well presented demon bomb cheese list. He wasn't the best painter, but he could make his models clean, and he always had a little something extra to help his guys stand out. Easily the most memorable model in his army was the greater demon, a model he represented with a hydra from a different range. Just seeing the multiheaded beast was enough to give an inexperienced player (ie: Me at the time) a healthy dose of fear.

I see this model as a loving tribute to those days gone by, a respectful nod to the army that crushed my poor Ultramarines time after time. The one thing I really wanted to draw on was the hidden beast in the Alpha Legion history, the darker side that always stayed hidden. As well painted Alpha Legion marines have the dragon scales carefully embossed on their armor, I figured the transformation was a fitting one. The original plan was to have multiple heads, but in the modeling stage I determined it would be too much and cut the project back to a single head.

This is a very important stage that many hobbyists skip over. You've got your custom model all cut and ready to paint, all the fits are perfect, and you're about to take him out to prime. Take 5 minutes and do a complete dry fit of the entire project. I've discovered that some custom conversions don't totally fit together only when I'm gluing the painted pieces together! That is not the stage you want to figure that out, trust me. But even if everything fits, take a step and look at the project. This is going to be the easiest time to add or subtract something, and in today's 40k hobby world of a billions of extra bits, sometimes subtraction can lead to a much superior project. Maybe a single well placed purity seal will give a much stronger impression than 10 seals making the guy look like he just tossed a frag grenade into a Yankee Candle Factory. Remember, as is often the case, less is more.
The Favored Sons: Black Legion

Wow, talk about pressure. How do you even begin to epitomize the legion that covers all the bases? They're the biggest, most active legion in the Universe, calling on all four powers, and lead by the heir to Horus himself. The Black Legion is just too big to smash into one model, but hey, a guy can try right?

Black Legion armor is (pardon the pun) boring as hell. Black and gold... yep, that's all you get. Thankfully this guy is no ordinary legionnaire, and it was easy to pile on some extra colors, namely red and turquoise. The red of his skin breaks up the large patches of black, adding some real interest to otherwise ordinary armor, while the turquoise becomes a nice highlight for the black and a few tertiary objects (cables, details, etc.) For the face I just went for pure evil, the classic image of the devil inspired the skin tones, and faded nicely to black for the horns. Toss in some bone for the weapons and armor and he's ready for anything, just as he should be.
Relentless Endurance: Iron Warriors

Another army of good memories. My very first attempt at a 40k army was a battle box of CSM painted as Iron Warriors. I didn't have the rules, the codex, or any info from the interwebs. All I had was 4 or 5 paints, clippers, some glue, and some cheap spray paint. It was glorious. I spent countless hours building and painting units, oblivious to their in-game functions. I gave guys weapons because they looked cool (double bolter!), bought single metal blisters of stuff I didn't have (3 terminators!), and loved every second of it. Obviously, they turned out looking as though I had no clue what I was doing, big surprise.

This was my shot at redemption, my chance to see just what almost 10 years of painting could do to improve one's skill. Turns out it can do quite a lot. I still have one original model from that first "army", and holding them side by side is always cause for a good laugh.

This guys was actually pretty easy to paint. He got a layer of boltgun, washed with asurman, and highlighted with mithril. From there I went in and picked out the details, since 75% of the model was now complete. I went a little crazy with the chevrons, but I was driven to really pour everything I had into this one guy. Ignoring my own advice, I made sure everyone knew he was there, and shamelessly dressed him up at every chance I got. Thankfully I pulled back just before it became entirely too much, and I was very pleased with the result. Still hilarious to see him next to his older brother.
The Very Stuff of Nightmares: Night Lords

I hate the helmets that the current Night Lords have. They're so cheesy, and not in a good way. I think bat wings can be successfully incorporated into armor (Vampire Counts, Batman, etc.), but the helmets don't do nearly enough to make this idea work. I understand they're ancient, but hey, so are the Dark Eldar at the moment, and the new models I've seen on the net are amazing. If GW can resurrect the DE range, then anything is possible.

Removing the wings from the helmet and putting them on his backpack made this guy work almost instantly. Once I had him mounted on his base, I knew I had a winner. He just looks like he's about to tackle some poor unsuspecting loyalist and shred them. The other trick was the lightning on the armor. I've never painted lightning well, and I looked into several tutorials before I settled on a technique that worked.

The easiest way to paint lightning is in layers. I started with the highlight shade for the armor, tracing the basic path I wanted the lightning to travel. From there I built it up over 5 layers from dark blue to pure white. With each successive layer, I made the paint brighter, thinner, and more jagged. By the time I was applying my 5th layer, I was literally just dabbing white at the the intersection of the bolts, and a little extra here and there. This gave the lightning the simultaneous sharp-yet-soft feel.
Nin's Glorious Destroyers

I happen to have one of the rarest gifts a gaming nerd can claim, a wife who shares in his interest for little toy soldiers. It was only a natural fit that my possessed champion be of her custom legion, Nin's Glorious Destroyers!

Of all the models in this project, this guy was the easiest to make look good, simply because the color scheme is immaculate. The rich greens and golds merge perfectly with the black and red accents. The head and backpack icon were pulled from the warhammer fantasy range (khorne lord and marauders respectively). I also had a very high standard of paint quality to match, as my wife is a very talented artist in her own right. Leaving the best for last, I wrapped the project with the true best of the best.

And that was that. I am interested in trying this project out with other box sets that light my imagination on fire, and hopefully I'll be posting about it in the future!

Chaos Possessed: Part 1 of 2

2011-08-29T11:33:00.001-04:00
In this article:
World Eaters
Death Guard
Emperor's Children
Thousand Sons
Word Bearers
Games Workshop does some things right. Games Workshop does some things wrong. But every once in a while, Games Workshop does something amazing. The chaos space marines: possessed box is one of those times.

Featuring two sprues jam packed with creative and characterful bits, this is the quintessential box for every chaos player, no matter what army he or she plays. Even if you're not running any possessed in your army, a single box of these guys will provide kitbashing and conversion opportunities to easily customize a 2000 point force. If I was assembling a chaos space marine army from scratch, this would be the first box I buy, no two ways about it.

I found this box to be so inspiring that I bought them just for the joy of painting them. Not having a particular army to paint them up for, I decided it would be fun to paint them up for all the major chaos legions out there. And so it was that project:possessed was born.
Blood for the Blood God: World Eaters

With such a wild variety of stabby and slashy options available, picking something that was even more close combat oriented than any other option was almost impossible. In the end I settled on the limbs that looks like human hands, as the World Eaters would probably be the first to drop their weapons and tear things apart with their bare hands. The helmet is a shaved down warrior of chaos helm, which I wanted to allow the rest of the huge spikes and blades to speak for themselves. In my opinion there just isn't a face out there that is insane enough to fully convey a berserk blood rage, so rather let the mask hide the expression and leave the rest up to the viewers imagination.
Let the Universe Rot: Death Guard

I've said it before, but painting Nurgle well is very difficult. It's so easy to lay down a few highlights and shadows on a nice clean armor scheme and call it done, but weathering and especially rust are incredibly time consuming. I've seen many young chaos players at tournaments hide behind the excuse of Nurgle being the god of decay, so they wanted their soldiers to look messy and sloppy, but I don't buy it. If you're gonna roll with Papa Nurgle, you gotta be ready to spend the time. Otherwise that giant mound of sentient feces you just finished is going to look the part a little too well.

I went for a very high contrast color scheme on this model. I wanted all the details to really stand out, all the slime and grease dripping from between the armor, all the rusting, the rotting bone; I didn't want to leave anything out. I basically wanted to go for broke and have him look like he was just as likely to fall apart of his own accord before reaching the fire line. But either way, I wanted to leave the viewer with the impression of something that you really didn't want getting any closer than was absolutely necessary.
For the Ecstasy of Pain: Emperor's Children

This guy is just as creepy, but in a completely different manner. If the Death Guard is a filthy vagrant, this guy is a used car salesman. I also wanted to add in at least one of the 'armed' arms, as the Emperor's Children are the absolute peak of vanity. Of course he'd hang onto his precious sword even as his hand swelled and grew over the hilt. It's his freaking sword and he's not giving it up without a fight.

I love the face too. I saw it on the sprue and I immediately knew who was getting it. No question, a smile that big and that perverse can only be a product of too much time in the company of Slaanesh. I also spent some extra time detailing the armor with tribal and gothik inspired patterns just to push it to the outer limit that the noise marines are known for. Gaudy and yet highly focused, I kept the color palette very tight, which helped to push the look. If you know your chaos legions, you know exactly who this guy's boss is.
All is Dust: The Thousand Sons

Okay, let's just get this out of the way. Fluff wise, there's no way a rubric marine from the thousand sons can become a mutant. I've read the books and I know that Ahriman sealed them forever in their armor as nothing more than incorporeal souls that could never possibly mutate. So who is this guy? My answer is he's either A) A sorcerer that was not targeted by the Rubric, B) A new recruit (The legions are still gaining members), or C) A daemon that Tzeentch molded to resemble a space marine (All mentions of shapeshifting daemons in 40k fluff point to them being a disciple of the Raven God). So take any or all of these suggestions as canon approved possibilities.

That being said, this guy was a blast to work on. I love the idea of a marine with sorcerous magics just overflowing and running wild. To me it's the perfect representation of everything chaos stands for. I inscribed extra runes on his armor to push the Egyptian feel, and painted the actual plates nice and clean to give him the impression of a powerful but ultimately uncontrollable master of the dark arts. The head is an alternative from a model made for the Avatar's of War range. These guys are highly detailed metal models made some really talented people, and I highly encourage everyone to check them out. In this case, I had swapped the head on the original model, and what says Tzeentch more than a third eye?
For the Gods of Chaos: Word Bearers

This guy needed to be as mutated and twisted as I could get him without completely becoming a spawn. If ever there was a chaos chapter that would look so highly upon the gifts of the dark gods, it would be the Word Bearers, so I grabbed every weird, twisted looking bit I had and got to work. I painted the chest plate to make it look as though the daemon inside was being given the reins, and the ever willing host was more than happy to oblige his devilish cousin. More script work gave him the apostle vibe, and even the face just made him look ready to get in there and do something bad for the gods.

So that's the first half of the story, but the non-god specific legions still are out there, lurking around the corner. Night Lords, Black Legion, and Iron Warriors, oh my!