Reentering Realspace!

Wow! It have been SOOO long since I updated this blog! I didn't realize it had gotten away from me like this! A lot of changed since my last post... I've lost at several tournaments, but won another "best painting" award! I've added a huge Necron army to my collection (posts incoming!) and had started a CSM army before getting sidetracked. My carpal tunnel has really started to flare up when I paint, so I've recently invested in a airbrush (a Badger Renegade Velocity), in the hopes that it with reduce workload and time. I'll be starting a Horus Heresy: Betrayal Imperial Fists list to break in the airbrush, I've been wanting to challenge myself with a yellow project for a while now, and shading light colors seems like it lends itself to airbrushing. For now, you'll have to make do with some pics of my last (probably) completely hand-painted model, a CSM Helbrute!

 

I was working on a small Emperor's Children army, using some of the Dark Vengeance stuff as a starting point. Since my wrist issues have flared up, I'm moving on to the airbrush project. This one was very time and effort intensive, but he is probably some of my best painting work.

 

I spent a lot of time wet-blending and working on zenithal lighting by hand, and I really think he came out great.

 

 I also did some conversion work: adding a Reaper Autocannon in place of the Multi-melta. I used plastic rod and jeweler's chain on that, and, if I recall correctly, a Necron Immortal gauss bit for the bayonet.

     

I also added a missile bit to the maw on the other hand, so that I could play it as a Missile Luancher if needed. The nice thing is, the conversion is subtle enough that it can still be played as a Powerfist if desired. I also did the base in cork, something I've been itching to try. It was really simple, and worked really well. I plan on using this method in most or all of my future projects. As always please let me know what you think of the model and paint! Sadly, I'm selling this one on eBay. :( Since I am switching to airbrushing, and I am a stickler for cohesive painting, I abandoned the rest of my CSM plans. I can't paint an entire force the way I did this model! It will take me ages, and I will likely ruin my wrists! ;) If you're interested in the model, here's a link to the eBay auction:

  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=181122617312#ht_500wt_1288

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

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

Space Wolves HQ Conversions

I finally found the time to snap some pics of a few of the HQ conversions I've done for my Space Wolves force.  They are in various stages of painting, but I wanted to share them from a conversion point of view.

I'll start with my favorite conversion so far, my take on Logan Grimnar:

I'm not too impressed with the official Games Workshop model for Logan, I think it needs an update.  In this conversion, there are bits from a Space Wolves Terminator box, some Chaos Lord bits, lots of green stuff (mostly fur) and a but of plasticard.  Oh, and the Tyranid in his grasp there.  Logan is still a few steps from final paiting, though.  Here are some more angles:

Next up, we've got Ragnar Blackmane:

Again, I found the Games Workshop model wanting, so went my own way.  I tried to ape the official model's pose a little, though.  Also, this was the first conversion I attempted, so it isn't very ambitious.  It's a fairly vanilla model, all parts from the Wolf Pack box.   There fur cape and the fur on the figure's left shoulder-pad are hand sculpted in green stuff, though.  Here are a few more shots:

More recently, I worked on a conversion for Arjac Rockfist:

For this model, I used a torso and shoulder pads from Scibor's Monstrous Miniatures which give Arjac a really unique look, and I feel fit his fluff.  The Foehammer and Anvil Shield are both custom made, from combinations of green stuff, bits, and plasticard.  Here's some more detail:

I've posted a pic of my Bjorn the Fell-Handed before, but I've got some new angles this time.

Bjorn is mostly made up of Ironclad Dreadnought bits.  I wanted to give his chassis a tougher, older look, but I wasn't into the Venerable model as much.  There are tons of random bits from the Space Wolves terminator kit, as well as the Wolf Pack box, and the claws on the Dreadnought CCW are custom sculpted.  The Lascannon arm is from a Venerable Dread box.

These last few conversions are not painted yet, but I wanted to show them off anyway.  First we have two Rune Priests:

Nothing too fancy, just a bit of kit-bashing on the Runic Staffs.  I wanted them to stand out a bit on the table, and I thought the long staff helped a lot with that.  I also have a Wolf Priest (with Jump Pack):

You might be starting to notice a bit of a theme to my Space Wolves: I hate Tyranids, so, by extension, my Space Wolves hate them, too.  There is a small amount of green stuff on this model, on his right leg.  Other than that, it is all Wolf Pack bits and some brass etching from the Forge World Space Wolves brass kit.  And, of course, the Jump Pack.  Here are some more shots:

These last models are not HQ choices, but I spent a lot of time on their conversions, so I wanted to share.  Here are my 3 Thunderwolf Cavalry:

All three of the mounts were made from the Knorne Bloodcrushers kit, with liberal amounts of green stuff fur and tons of bits form various Space Wolves kits.

That's it for this week.  Feedback and comments are welcome!  As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Space Wolves Mech units on Parade

So, if it wasn't clear, I play Space Wolves.  As much as I enjoy modeling infantry, I really get a kick out of Warhammer 40K vehicles.  So, I figured I'd start things off with some of my tanks and Dreadnoughts.

First up, my Rhino and Whirlwind models:

There's not a lot of customization on these, but there are lots of bitz from the Wolf Pack kit, and the Forge World Space Wolves brass kit and Space Wolves Icons kit.

The Rhino was the first vehicle I painted, it was a lot of fun.

Next up, we've got my Predator:

I originally bought this kit with plans to magnetize it, and use it optionally as a Rhino.  After some painting, I realized that the sponsons and doors were too tight to work easily.  So, I ditched that plan.  However, I was able to keep the magnetized set up on the actual sponson weapons and the weapon on the turret.  Here's the the other options:

I have a Land Raider and a Land Raider Redeemer as well, but they are not far along.  I hope to share them in a future post.  I can share my Dreadnoughts, though.  

Some of my first customization work was on my Bjorn the Fell-Handed model:

I started this one with an Ironclad Dreadnought kit.  I think it lends the chassis a bit of age, without the guadiness of the Venerable model.  The claws on the CCW are custom sculpts, as is the wolf-pelt on the banner.  The arms are magnetized, so I can switch out weapon options.

My 2nd Dreadnought is based on the model in the Assault on Black Reach starter kit:

Since I rarely actually play a list with Bjorn, I actually use this Dread more often.  I love the Tyranid Gargoyle in the CC arm!  A friend donated that bit to me, and I had fun cutting it up and using it for this model.  The arms on this one are magnetized, too.  Here's the autocannon variants:

The last model, for now, is my Drop Pod:

This was a real challenge to paint!  I assembled the whole thing first, which made painting the seats a real pain!  I think it cape out pretty good... though, when I build my next one, I think I'll paint it when it is partially assembled...

Thanks for reading!  Hopefully, I'll post next week with some more tanks, or some terrain...

-Dave