Foodhammer 2K11 Best Painting

Everyone,

Just a quick update today, time is limited!  Last week, a friend and I made the trip up to Flint, MI (4 hours!) to play in the Foodhammer 2011 charity tournament!

A big "Thanks!" to all the guys at Fresh Coast 40K and Gamers Sanctuary for hosting this awesome tournament!  We had a great time, and met some great people!

Alas, I didn't fare very well in the gaming part of the tournament.  But, I did take home the awards for Best Painting!  Here's a pic of the army I took to the tourney (credit goest to Fresh Coast 40K for the pic):

Thanks again to all the guys at Fresh Coast 40K for the kudos!  I've spent a lot of time and effort on my Space Wolves over the last 2+ years, and if is awesome to think that other appreciate it, too!  There were several armies at Foodhammer that were super-well painted; I'm honored and humbled to have been awarded Best Painting from that field!

That's all I've got time for this week... please check out my Commissions page if you're interested in some work.  I've recently simplified and reduced the pricing structure, so now is a great time to get some work done!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Contemptor Dread Update, Death Company Stormraven WIP

Hey all,

I've made some serious progress on my Angels Sanguine Contemptor Dreadnought.  I've still got some weathering and stuff to finish, and the base only has a basecoat, but it's starting to come together.

I also still need to finish environmental effects, like sand on the Dread, and blood from the Dark Eldar Scourge.  

This model has been a ton of fun to paint.  There are lots of details, but they aren't overwhelming in the way they are on some infantry models (I'm looking at you Wolf Pack).  Kind of purely by chance, this thing sort of ended up as a test for my Angels Sanguine paint scheme.  I think it's working really well.

The Dark Eldar Scourge on the base has been fun, too.  It isn't a model style I'm used  to, which is a nice change.

I've also made some significant progress on my Death Company Stormraven.  This has been the most enjoyable vehicle model I've done from GW.  They have made serious strides in model design and mold processes, even since the Land Raiders and Rhino that are out now.  

Some people seem to be put off by the look of the model, but I actually like it a lot.  It's a bit on the small side, but I think it fits the overall Space Marine aesthetic really well, and it is intimidating on the table.

I still have another few X's to paint on, but I've been debating on their location.  I want to put one somewhere on the tail, probably on the top of the stabilizer wings (or whatever they are), and I think I'm going to put one on the front of the assault ramp.

All the weapon options are magnetized (though they aren't all painted yet), so I can change the Melta/Bolter on the front, and use any of the top-mounted turret options.  I magnetized the Storm Bolters on the side doors inside the model, and did a little bit of modding, so they just pop on and off.

More Dark Eldar details on the base here, this one is a chunk of a Raider.  The base is from Secret Weapon Miniature's Desert Mesa series.  I can't say enough positive things about Justin and the crew over there!!  They offer a terrific product line, with great prices, fast shipping, and great customer service!  

I also use their Flight Stand Widget to mount the Stormraven, which includes the 1/2" thick acrylic bar and a mount that glues to the bottom of the model.  It works great, and I find it far superior and sturdier than the standard GW stand.  I also inserted a magnet into the rod, and one on the base of the model.  This keeps the Stormraven in place a bit more securely, and still allows the base and model to be separated for transport.

I used masking tape to make the X's on the wings, I think they came out really sharp.  You might have noticed that the Stormraven is more heavily highlighted than the Contemptor.  I did this for 2 reasons: it's a flying vehicle, so is exposed to constant wear when used; and its a Death Company transport.  In my mind, the Death Company wouldn't have a lot of time to spend worrying about their transports aesthetics, so it would get worn out fast.

That's it for this week!  As alsways, comments and critique are welcome!  Keep in mind, though, that these are works-in-progress! 

If you like what you see, consider hiring me to paint your models for you!  See my info page here!

Thanks,

Dave

Commission Update and Continued Discounts

Everyone,

I've finished a recent commission of D&D figures, and thought I'd share the results.  First up is a pair of some sort of Lizard-Men with a flamethrower.  These guys were a lot of fun to paint, since they're a bit of a departure for me.

Next, we have a pair of Orcs.  I painted both, and actually sculpted the axe that the smaller one has from greenstuff and plastic card:

Here's a close up of the shield on the big one's back, with a freehanded symbol that the client requested:

I also have a wolf-man paladin, which I painted and did some sculpting work on:

The model was originally an ape-man of some sort, but I sculpted a new face from green stuff, to make it look more like a wolf-man.  I also freehanded the wings on the shield.  It is, apparently, a shield of throwing, and the client wanted something to indicate that on it.  

The last painting work on this set was on a swordmage character:

I also did a bit of model repair on a model he'd already purchased painted, as well as basing:

That's it for this week.  I'm still plugging away at my Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, and putting the finishing touches on my Angels Sanguine Death Company Stormraven.  Hopefully, next week, I'll be able to share more.

Remember, I'm still running a sale on commissions!!  If you order 5 or more models worth of work, you'll receive 20% off!!  See my commissions page for details!

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Contemptor Dread WIP, Lone Wolf, and Discounted Commissions!

As you can probably tell, Space Wolves is my army of choice in the world of 40K.  I love the fluff, they suit my play style, and they have a terrific codex.  But, sometimes, I get tired of painting blue all the time!  Over the last few months I've been planning a totally fun (that is, not competitive at all) Angels Sanguine list as a side project.  It has been pretty slow moving, but painting red and black is nice for change!

Once I saw the Contemptor Dreadnought from Forge World, I knew I had to have one!  So, I decided to pick one up to use as a Librarian Dreadnought in my Angels Sanguine list.  It arrived on Wednesday, and I got a chance to assemble it this week:

This model was an absolute joy to assemble!  Basically, every joint on this model is either a ball socket or a rotating wheel joint, which makes is extremely poseable.  You can really get unique stances and poses with this kit.  I've got him stepping on a Dark Eldar Scourge, and he is on a Desert Mesa base from Secret Weapon Miniatures.  

Since I'm using him as a Libraran Dreadnought, he is equipped with a Force Weapon.  I had one left over from the Blood Angels Furioso kit (which I used to make a Death Company Dread), so I used that.  I modified it a bit, since the Contemptor is so much taller than a standard Dreadnought.  I cut the shaft in half, added some plastic rod to the middle, and sculpted a bit of green stuff for a handle.  I think it looks pretty cool, and the added height is definitely better.

I still have to add a ton of Librarian details (Psychic Hood, icons, etc.), but I'm pleased enough with the start to show it off.  I've also taken some pics of a Space Wolf Terminator, which I usually use as a Lone Wolf:

I finished this guy a while ago, but I like him a lot.  I love the wolf pelt/cape thing, and really like the Space Wolves Storm Shield, too.

The shoulder icon was drawn on with a Micron pen, all my Space Wolves have Ragnar's markings.

Also, I've decided to run a promotion on my Commission Service!! For the next 30 days (through 10/24), any commissions that are scheduled (with a minimum of 5 models per project) will receive a 20% discount!!  That is like getting work on one model for free!  

Please check out the Hire Me page for prices (please not, they do NOT reflect the discount) and contact me if you are interested!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Kitbash Rune Priest

Hey all,

Been a bit busy with a commission this week, so I am a bit behind on updates.  But, I've finished a kitbashed Rune Priest, which I'd like to share.

This Rune Priest is entirely from the Wolf Pack box, but I used some plastic rod to make the Runic Weapon a but unique.

I also went a unique direction with the shoulder-pad markings, using the same fang theme that my entire army has, but with a different color scheme.  I went with Enchanted Blue, to tie him to the typical Librarian color that most Space Marine Chapters use.  

I used the same technique as I did for Logan Grimnar's Axe Morkai on the Runic Weapon.  I went with a purple effect, so it would stand out a bit on the tabletop.  

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how he turned out.  I think he has a really aggressive look, and he looks great on the tabletop.  Of course, this just make him draw even more fire than usual...

I've got some commission slots open.  If you're interested, check the details on the Hire Me page, and contact me!

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Now taking Commissions!

I am proud to announce that The Thirteenth Company is now taking painting and modelling commissions!  You can find all the relevant information on the "Hire Me!" page, but in summary:

The Thirteenth Company offers  full-service painting and modelling for gamers without the time or desire to paint their own models.  I can take on projects of any size, from a single model to an entire army.  I pride myself on high quality painting services at a reasonable price.

One of my first commissions was for some Dungeons and Dragons miniatures for a friend of mine.  Here are some examples (with an Ultramarine for scale(:

I've considered offering commissions for a while, but it took some time to figure out the logistics and economics.  I'm excited about the opportunity to paint something other than Space Wolves!

I hope you'll take a look at the "Hire Me!" page and consider my services!

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments and critiques are always welcome!

Dave

Njal Stormcaller and Canis Wolfborn

A bit late posting this week, I've been busy with a D&D miniature commission for a friend (update forthcoming!)...

This week, I thought I'd show off a couple of Space Wolves special character models.  First up, we've got Njal Stormcaller:

This actually one of my oldest Space Wolves models, and the first metal model I ever painted.  Finecast wasn't even rumored at the time, but I wish I'd knows it was coming.  I find metal models a real pain to work with, and I like the sharpness of the Finecast models.

I played a 2000 point game recently, and fielded Njal in place of a vanilla Rune Priest.  I had 2nd turn, so a couple of his buffs weren't in effect, but he was pretty valuable anyway.  Unfortunately, he took wounds in the game when I rolled perils of the warp, killing him in turn 4.  Statistically, I don't think that would happen often in a game, but I'd like to field him a few more times before I make a final judgement call.  The model is great, though.

I went a bit heavy on the snow effects for Njal.  I really wanted him to look like he'd been in the elements for a while, fighting implacably for the All-Father.  

In the same 2000 point game, I fielded Canis Wolfborn, too.  I've played with him a few times, and he seems to die a lot before he can get into combat.  Truthfully, I think the size and look of his model make him a target in games, but he was really valuable in this match.

Again, I wish I'd waited for the Finecast version.  He's a seriously heavy model!  I learned in this last match that, if he survives to make in into combat, he is SUPER vicious!  A minimum of 7 rending attacks on the charge, with a 19"-24" assault range is a pretty tough combo.  Ultimately, I think he is probably only worth it against horde Orks or Tyranids, where his attacks can decimate a larger squad, and he is more likely to not die to shooting.

I really love the level of detail on Canis' model.  The fur looks amazing, and he is positively huge!  He even has his helmet hanging from his belt!

That's it for this week.  Next week, I hope to have some updates to the gallery page, and to get my commissions pricing and policies up as well.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments and critique are welcome!

-Dave

Logan Grimnar Conversion

This week, I've decided to show off my Logan Grimnar conversion.  I posted some WIP shots a while back, but I've since completed him.  Here he is in all his glory:

I really, really dislike the official GW model for Logan, and when I started this model it was only in metal.  Finecast wasn't even a rumor yet.  I didn't want to try and kit-bash a metal model, so I decided to make my own.  I used some arms, legs, a torso, and a head from the Space Wolves Terminator box, but I sculpted his bear from green stuff.  I used the fur cape from the Chaos Terminator Lord box, and added a wolf pelt from my bitz box to the top.  I then sculpted the arms of the pelt by hand as well.

I wanted Logan's Axe, Morkai, to be special, and stand out on the table.  I used 2 Chaos Power Axe blades, which fit the fluff about the weapon nicely, and attached them to a Power Weapon arm from the SW Termies.    The double-headed wolf icon is cut from plasticard, and appears on both sides.  

I decided to paint the Power Weapon effect in green, since my Space Wolves Army has no other green in it.  This makes the Axe Morkai, and Logan, really stand out when I field him.  I am really pleased with the Power Weapon effect, as well as the free-handed shoulder pad icon.  All my other Space Wolves feature Ragnar Blackmane's iconography (except for Arjac Thunderfist), but Logan deserves his own pack marking on his shoulder!  I think it is officially supposed to be white, but I painted in in Chainmail, so it would look a little cooler.  You might have noticed the Hormagaunt in Logan's left hand:

I use Tyranids as details for several of my Space Wolves HQs and Special Characters.  I like the flavor it adds, and it is another awesome detail that helps powerful units stand out.  Logan is grasping this 'guant in his fist, which was an interesting modelling challenge.  I ended up using my Dremel Stylus to drill out holes for the fingers of Logan fist to fit into, then sculpted some "guts" oozing out, to add to the effect.  I also added the wrist-mounted Storm Bolter, which Logan Appears with in some illustrations.  

A bit of bark to make the model taller, and some snow to finish the scenic effect, and he was complete!  I'm really happy with how he turned out, and I love having a unique model for this character.  He's always a conversation starter in games, too.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments always welcome!

Dave

Wolf Scouts & Wolf Scout Snipers

This week, I decided to show off my 2 Wolf Scout squads.  One squad is pretty basic:

It's a 5-man squad, with few upgrades.  But, there is one Scout with a Meltagun:

The Meltagun is kit-bashed a bit.  It is a Bolter, with the barrel of a spare Dreadnought Multimelta glued on.  I also added the fuel tank (or whatever it is) towards the rear of the gun.  Last, I glued a small length of guitar string for the tubing slung underneath.  It isn't perfect, but I didn't want to hunt down Meltagun bits or buy the metal set GW makes. 

Next up, we have a squad of Wolf Scouts with Sniper Rifles:

No major conversion work here, but I added another homemade Meltagun to the Scout with the rolled up cloak (on the far left).  It is glued to his back, you can see it here (on the far left, poking out about the Scout in front of him):

This one is a Bolter with some plastic rod acting as a Melta barrel.  I didn't have another spare Melta laying around, so I had to improvise.  I had planned on painting a camouflage pattern on the cloaks of this unit, but I couldn't find one that didn't look "toyish" to me.  And, since Wolf Scouts don't have access to stealth cloaks, I let it go.  I like the look of the simple, white cloaks, though.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments, criticism, etc. always welcome!

-Dave