Skulltaker....and Rant in GW Major

So, finally getting back to the blog.  I actually tried a few days ago, and Blogger was having issues and wouldn't save anything.  It kept telling me I had logged out.  I decided that someone didn't want me to post that day, so here I am, trying again. 

First, I need to get something off my chest.  Sometimes (more and more often) Games Workshop really irritates me!  The latest reason has to do with coverage from the various Games Day events around the world.  Last week, via a post by Mathieu Fontaine (winner of many, many Golden Demon trophies) on Facebook, I found out that there were a few photos from Games Day France (specifically Golden Demon winners) up on GW's website.  This was about 4 days after GD France.  North America Games Day was the end of July and there's still no photos up from it!  Three months!  Where is the coverage from the other Games Days?  Games Workshop, you make some really great games.  You also make some really good miniatures (don't get cocky, there's LOTS of other awesome miniatures these days.)  The way you interact with your customers/fans; not so good.  You're getting more and more competition all the time GW: better watch out, people are getting tired of dealing with you. 

Now that I've vented a little......here's some pictures of my Skulltaker-on-a-Juggernaught conversion!  I've seen a few of these over the years, and they never look right.  Always, Skulltaker is just stuck on the back of a Jugger and is balancing there like he's a circus act.  I gave him reigns to hold on to; which meant I had to swap his sword from one hand to the other.  It went smoother than I was afraid of, with only a little putty work to finish him off.  What do you think?

 I cut away the flaming skull, and then repositioned his hand so he could be holding the sword.  Swapping the sword; easy.  Repositioning the hand; tricky.  I didn't want to try sculpting an entire hand, so I carved away until I had just the hand with a cylinder shape in it that would look like the sword hilt.  I then cut the fingers at a knuckle joint and bent the hand around the "hilt."  Rebuilding the joint with intact fingers on each side of the gap wasn't too tough.

 

  Here, I had to cut the hand free from the arm so I could reposition it....without damaging his armor!  I then pinned the hand to the arm, and built a new wrist from Green Stuff.  Some plastic chains from the Skullcrusher kit finished off the look.  I'm pretty pleased with the overall look.  This was a pretty fun conversion to do.  This was my first conversion using a Finecast model.  Finecast definitely has some problems, but this project was much easier to pull off with resin as opposed to metal.  Comments?

Silver Demon Winning Plaguebearers!

I should have gotten this posted last week, but I didn't.  Just didn't get enough other stuff done so I could get to it.  This post is the last of the "background" posts.  After this, we're all caught up with past work, and can move forward with new projects and/or commission work.

In my last offering, you saw my Ultramarines army that was entered in Armies On Parade at Games Day in Chicago this year.  Entering AoP was an afterthought.  My main reason for attending Games Day this year was to enter the Golden Demon painting competition.  Last year, entering Golden Demon was an afterthought and I didn't make the first cut.  Disheartening, but I'd read offerings from better painters than I who were shut out in their first attempt as well.  This year I had many entries planned, but as so often happens, time got the better of me.  I only got 1 of my serious offerings finished;  A unit of 20 Plaguebearers which will ultimately be used in my Daemons of Chaos armies (I want Daemons so I can use the minis in both 40K AND Fantasy.)  I'll start the photos off with a unit I painted as part of a trade, which gave me the idea to paint Plaguebearers for Golden Demon based on how fast I was able to get the basic paint jobs done.

'Ere we go!

Here's 4 of the 5 models I painted for the trade.  I knocked these out in one evening and they look really good on the table.  Their owner is quite happy with them.  I figured this basic technique could be built upon to paint an entry for Golden Demon.  Would you be happy with models that look like this if you only had a half hour or so into each one?

Here's the next evolution of the technique!  Push the contrast a lot, and decide on a really bright, eye-catching spot color; check!  Use all of the composition knowledge I gained from Mathieu Fontaine's Master Painting Class a couple of years ago to try to keep the judges' attention on my entry; check!  Try out brand new techniques like using weathering powders to rust the weapons; check!  Try ground glass product (from Secret Weapon Miniatures) to make the snow sparkle on the bases: check!  Nurgle up the command group by adding color coordinated ooze to them; check!  Up the Nurgle factor by making nasty yellow and brown patches of snow; Check!  Result: my first Demon trophy!

A little more table level view.

The unit from the back

Command group from the front.

Command group from the back.

A few random models.

The same batch from the back.

A few more random models for variety.

Rear view of the same group.

The whole gang partying in front of the trophy!

Obviously, I'm pretty proud of winning the trophy.  More important though is the validation of work I've done (in collaboration with a friend) over the past few years to build a set of skills that let me paint good looking models fast.  Ultra high end painters like Todd Swanson (won his 5th Slayer Sword this year in Chicago) put hundreds (plural) of hours into 1 single model.  I can't do that.  I paint armies and play the games.  I need painted models on the table, and I want them to look good.  This entry (20 models) was painted over the course of 2 weeks.  I did not keep close track of my per model time, but I know its well under 3 hours per model.  In truth, I'd be really surprised if it was over 2.5 hours per model.  I normally try to keep my per model time under 1 hour per model.  Two and a half hours per model to win a Silver?  I'm down with that.

So why do I bring up the painting time?  To brag?  Not really, although I admit it will look that way.  My goal is to get people to realize that they can have nice looking models and great looking armies without having to spend hours and hours to get each model ready for the table.  A few basic techniques and you have an awesome army instead of the gray tide.  A few more expansion techniques and a relatively small additional investment in time, and you too could take a shot at the Golden Demon.  Believe it!

Ultramarines!

So, a slightly longer than hoped for delay before this post.  I'm not complaining though!  Work over the past few weeks has been a little bit slower than I would prefer, and this week was busier again.  It's always nice to be able to pay the bills!  This is going to be another photo heavy post, with lots of photos of my most recent army, my Ultramarines.  The Smurfs seem to be a very polarizing army.  People seem to either love them, or hate them.  Me, I used to hate them, but that was due to their color scheme (shuddering at the thought of the second edition uber-bright paint jobs!)  Since their paint job was updated I'm pretty ambivalent toward them.  Why go to the time and effort to build an army I'm ambivalent toward?  I decided years ago that "some day" I would build an Ultramarines army so I would have a vanilla marine army that was obviously vanilla marines.  This past spring, while deciding what army to build and paint for the Alamo 40K GT I decided it was time.  I also built the army with primarily infantry models.  I get SO tired of all the mechanized forces on the tables!  Yes, Razorspam is a good, strong list, but be different!  Show some originality!  As I was building models, I also decided to clean out my bitz box some.  I built 1 full tactical squad from just bitz!  With the help of a friend (a backpack or 2 and a couple of arms if I remember correctly) I also fleshed out 1 devastator squad and built a second.  Toward the end, seriously scrounging through the box, I built a Vanguard Veteran squad too!

A few years ago, I bought a couple of cans of Ultramarines Blue spray paint from some friend's hobby store.  I'd nursed those cans along, shaking them up every couple of months to nurture them until I was ready to paint blue.  The big day came, and after 1 short burst, the first can clogged up!  Nothing I tried got it working again.  I tried the second can: same thing!  I knew I didn't have time to base coat all of those models by hand and still get them done in time for the Alamo in May (this was about mid February.)  Out came the previously unused airbrush.  I re-read all of the articles I had downloaded, and went to work familiarizing myself with this new tool.  After a couple of weeks practicing with ink on paper I figured it was time to bite the bullet and shoot some paint.  Long story short, I sprayed the base coat, and a couple of highlights on over 100 models in about 5 hours.  That time included cleaning the airbrush in between each color for practice doing it.  With all of the time I saved NOT base coating with a brush, I was able to spend more time on detail.  I've received many compliments on these models, and they helped take me to Games Day again this year. I still have 3 or 4 units to paint, but well over half of the army is done.  I'll probably try to finish them off, and be done painting Smurfs by the end of the year; see how it goes.  Here's the boys in blue:

At Games Day!  "Primus Inter Pares," "First Among Equals."  Ultramarines.  A received what I consider to be a HUGE compliment on this army while at Games Day.  I was speaking to Phil Kelly, Games Designer, and having him autograph my Space Wolves Codex.  I mentioned that in addition to Golden Demon, I had an army in Armies on Parade again this year.  He asked which one.  I told him, "The Ultramarines display with all of the columns."  His eyes got big, and he stood up saying he wanted to shake my hand.  He told me the display was , "Spot on. You totally nailed the Ultramarines with that display."  He asked what the Latin on the display meant.  I told him, and he got a grin on his face and said, "Nice!"  That brief exchange made my day!  Little did I know the day would get even better that afternoon! Thanks for the compliment Phil, you have no idea how much it means to me!

"Dirty Steve" formerly of White Dwarf photographing my display.  Youngsters tripping across this won't remember Dirty Steve, but us Old Timers do!  It was a pleasure to meet him in person and chat while he was taking these photos!

The army as it was when I made the trip to San Antonio for the Alamo 40K GT.  The vast majority of what is on the display was painted in a 3 week binge.  The Inquisitorial Drop Pod, and the black (Deathwatch) marines in the foreground are Sternguard Veterans.  I've always liked the Deathwatch, and when I saw the Sternguard rules in Codex Space Marines I KNEW that I would have a unit painted as Deathwatch.

Tactical marines.  Yep, there are 3 full squads of them and the rest look just like these! Well, different squad markings.

The 3 tactical squad sergeants; with banners color coded to their squads.....yeah, its a sickness.

A squad of Devastators ready to provide covering fire!

 
A couple terminators with their sergeant.  Forge World shoulder pads.

Assault Termies this time.  FW pads again.

The drop pod; Inquisition icons on all doors!

Opened up.  Object source lighting inside.  Forge World etched brass above each doorway, and on the floor in each doorway....did I mention its a sickness?

Some of the Deathwatch/Sternguard.  There are 10 total, 11 if you count their Librarian.  Of the 11, 6 of the chapter symbol shoulder pads are ones I sculpted myself.  The muzzle blast bits came from a friend of mine.  Yep, more brass etch on each of their backpacks.  I HAD to help designate them as Inquisition didn't I?  Well, DIDN'T I?

Some assault marines, including a captain with jump pack.

Another view of the captain.  You can get a pretty good look at the "cross hatch" style highlights I used extensively on these models.  Its an artistic technique I've seen in graphic novels and first saw used on models in a GW store that had been painted by the store manager.  Its fast, and looks pretty good on the table top I think.  I get quite a few comments on the style; all positive so far!

The cloak.  I was really pleased with how this turned out.

The 2 Librarians.  One Ultramarines, and one Exorcists Chapter, seconded to the Deathwatch.  I got lucky with this model because the Chapter symbol for the Exorcists is the same horned skull as the symbol for Librarians.  I changed the skull on his belt buckle to a horned skull so he has a Librarian symbol on him and I was set!  Green stuff is your friend!

Heavybolterbob!  In case you haven't noticed, most of the models are on assault legs to look like they are running forward to get into position.  The Devastators are all kneeling since they are holding position and steadying heavy weapons.  All of the models have free hand on them as well.  Litanies, squad markings, and a Roman numeral 13 on a knee pad for the 13th legion.

Another angle to show the kill markings on his Heavy Bolter!

This Land Raider isn't mine!  I traded the assembly and painting of it for some models.  I knocked it out (along with lots of other stuff) the week leading up to Games Day so I could include it on my AoP display board.  I think it turned out pretty well, and the owner is happy with it!  As an added bonus he can say it was displayed at Games Day!

These on the other hand, ARE mine.  Two of the very few vehicles that will be in this army.

 An old school pewter dreadnought that I was given in pieces!  He had 3 or 4 nasty-thick coats of paint on him and he was missing a foot!  I stripped the paint.  I converted him slightly using feet from a Imperial Guard Sentinel I had in my bitz box.  I pinned him all together and pinned him to the base.  I jazzed him up with some Forge World icons, and here he is.  I probably should have named him, Phoenix.

Last but not least, me with the AoP display, and Jawaballs Ultramarines banner.  This was Jawaballs' 4th straight winning entry in the banner contest at Games Day.  He was gracious enough to let me display my army along side it AND he took the photo.  Thanks Jawa!

Yes, that is a Silver Demon from the Golden Demon painting competition next to the army.  That's for another post!  This one is for the Ultramarines!  I learned an absolute TON while painting this army.  They won me my 2nd straight Best Painted at this year's Alamo 40K GT in May.  I also won 3rd Player's Choice at the Alamo.  They won best painted at a local tournament in Montana in June while I was visiting family and friends.  They won me a second Parade Day qualifier, which paid for my ticket to get into Games Day.  Models from this army have also been featured in the Photo of the Day on Bell of Lost Souls.  If that's how you feel about the Ultramarines, you can hate on them all you want, but I like my Smurfs!

Tyranids! 2011 Armies On Parade Entry!

In the interests of 1, getting used to updating a blog, and 2, getting something for people to look at on said blog, here's a quick update with photos of my 2011 Armies On Parade entry.  My Tyranids!  When I first decided to build a bug army I wanted ruined city/rubble bases, so that meant I wanted really bright colors so they would stand out.  I think I managed that goal!  I've heard some comments where people think the bright models are silly, because 'Nids should be more "naturally" colored or have camouflage.  Guess they've never looked at pictures of poisonous tree frogs on the Internet their folks provide for 'em!  Maybe bright green and gold WAS perfect camo on the last planet the Hive fleet stopped off at for a quick brunch.  All I know is I enjoy painting them, they're fast to paint, and I really dig how they look on the table.  On top of that, they won me 1st Best Painted, and 2nd Player's Choice at the Alamo 40K Indy GT in 2011.  They won 2nd Best Painted at Wargames Con 2011.  They won the Parade Day Qualifier at Games Workshop: The Market at Town Center, in Sugarland Texas.  And models or objective markers from this army have been featured on the BoLS Pic of the Day 4 times that I know of.  Yeah, I LIKE my bugs.  I look forward to having them all painted some day (that's gonna be a while!) so I can throw them all down in a huge Apocalypse game. Without further ado, here's some photos....

First up, the entire army with objective markers on the ruined city display board.

Next, 1 of the Carnifexes (Carnifexi?)
 

 Easter Gargoyles!

 Hive Guard and my Doom of Malan'tai conversion.

 Hormagaunts and a Tyrant Guard.

 Mycetic Spore!  I have a different design that I sculpted and cast up, but this one, made by my friend Merlin, was used due to space considerations on the display board.  It gets rave revues, as it should.  Merlin does great work!

 Swarmlord and the best 'Nid objective marker ever!  Converted from a Carnifex, LONG before GW brought out a model for him.

Genestealers.   I like the old Genestealer models more than the new ones, but they never seemed to "fit" with the rest of the Tyranid models.  So I sculpted carapace plates for their backs and heads, learned how to make molds, and cast up enough for my whole army....96 first edition Genestealers.  Thank You first and second edition Space Hulk!  Look forward to having all of them painted and playable!

 Termagants.

 Tervigon.  Also converted from a Carnifex before GW had a model.

 Termigant being born.  This part of the model generates 2 responses; gross! and awesome!  That's the effect I was going for!

Hope you like them!  I'm supposed to play my first game of 6th Edition 40K tonight, and start teaching a couple of guys how to paint better.  What that means is I should have some material for the next update!  Until next time.....