Gallery VI

This model is one that I have been waiting for for some time now. After seeing it in person at USGD 2002 in Baltimore I knew I would be painting at least one of these massive models. I decided to make him more upright and in doing so was able to add the bloated belly. He is painted in a mottled/rotting scheme that works so well in real life. I also sculpted him to have a single eye like the Plaguebearers. This helps to emphasize his allegiance and makes him look even more menacing IMHO. More pictures can be found here.

If it isn't chaos it is Dark Elves. I just love the brooding colours that can be used and the theme for both armies. This model is created from a number of different models to create a very unique looking Dark Pegasus. I didn't want to do anything over the top to the base as I wanted the model to the focus. The model was done using a dark pallet that encompasses a wide array of colours. 3 types of purple, 3 types of blue, 2 blue/green, red, grey, black and gold. I also tried to keep the focus on the rider by not highlighting the Pegasus too much. Often I find that black is highlight too far but I think this black turned out well. More pics can be found here.

Another great model from GW. This model has become one of my favorites since it is so colourful and yet not over the top [at least not to me. ;)]. My first thought was that I didn't want that dorky plastic pole sticking into the disc. This motivated me to imagine that the disc was going to be modeled in movement but the problem with this is that the disc is heavy and large. So I gave the semblance of movement by creating a flame trail as if the disc had just executed a sharp turn in the air. More thoughts and pictures can be found here.

What a crazy model! It was so much fun to paint something this bright with so many colours. I used almost every colour under the sun while maintaining a consistent look tight pallet. Until I was painting the model I had no idea that there were two faces, I just assumed it was hair or something. I must say that the gold NMM for the trim was a serious pain since it has all those tiny runes and highlighting it was a long process. This model is very bright IRL and this was done on purpose since I imagine that Tzeench is about bright colours. More pictures can be found here.

This model is part of the possessed war band below. The one in the White Dwarf was not very intimidating and so I decided to alter the model. It is a possessed with the tail, tentacle and claw mutations. It was a great model to build with a fair bit of it being scratch sculpted. The pieces I used were: the body of a Tyranid warrior, Scyla's head, KoS claw and the tail end from a forest dragon. It is darker and more earthy than I normally would have painted him but that is so he fits in with the war band better. Pics of his back and side can also be seen.

This band was done with an emphasis for recreating the one found in White Dwarf and the Best of Town Cryer. The fellow who made the original band was a converting master as I found out once I started to build the models. Little details that will never be noticed were added to the models and made for a very challenging puzzle for me. In the end I managed to copy most of the builds with small changes to some of the figures. This was a very fun project, although I did curse the builder at times as I scavenged for bitz. More pics can be found here.

This model is roughly inspired from the art in the new Chaos codex from Games Workshop. The model was done as a test example for a friends army after we had discussed a paint scheme. While the new Bloodletters are a vast improvement over the last ones they are still too static. This conversion/re-sculpt creates a bloodletter that is bounding into combat and is so much better for it. I had to place him on a 40mm base since the reach with his axe was just too much for a 25m base. Pics of his face and back can also be seen.

This model came together in an evening. A wonderful Keep of Secrets that my friend will paint and use in his 40K Slaanesh army. The bitz list for this model can be found here along with more pictures and some insight into the model.

I took the pics and then promptly sent the model to a client prior to inspecting them. I had the wrong setting selected and no amount of post processing would eleminate the yellow tinge. NOTE: The images now are fixed thanks to advice from visitors to my site. Thank you. It turned out to be a great model. It is a librarian from the Soul Drinkers chapter [see Black Library fiction section for cover art] that is in the Death Watch. I did the figure without using any metal paints. More pics can be found here.

What a great model. I can't say enough about the models from Rackham. I am sorry the picture is so bright but my camera is seemingly causing me all kinds of trouble at the moment. I went for a dark look, with black to red armour in 20 successive highlights. The base is a swamp base with a snake, lily pads and murky water. The face is such a strong focal point since the silver chrome is so much brighter than the rest of the model. For the most part the chroming worked well. It is a pretty hard technique as you have to imagine how light will interact with the surface to create a reflection of the horizon. More pics can be found here.

This is an amazing figure. The composition of the sculpt is really amazing so that it is pretty easy to bring this model to life. Some of the detailing is very small, like less than a brush width at the tip. As a result parts of the model were a real challenge to paint. I tried to do something different with this model, hence the grey skin and the turquoise hair. As I was painting her I was torn between two concepts, she was an undead spirit playing above her grave marker, or she was a fey creature. I am still not sure which idea I like better but I am very happy with the model in the end. More pics can be found here.

This figure is quite the deviation in colour pallet for me. It is a client specific pallet and as such I had to adapt what I would normally do. At first I was not all that fond of the colours requested but in the end I really like the way it turned out. It forced me to take a look at how I do colour and opened my eyes to almost a different style of painting. I added a third fin to the back of his helmet and posed his left arm so it looks like he is using some psychic power requiring great concentration. Two more pics can be found here.

This model came together well at the end. She is so dark [kinda unusual for me] that until I added the brighter silver and gold I wasn't sure if she was gonna be a keeper. In the end she turned out very nice with really deep blue armour and a rich red cloak. The armour was done with Storm Blue [a Citadel colour] that provides one of the greatest dark blues. The spear head turned out very well [for me] for NMM silver and the gold on her cloak worked great as well. A picture of her back can be found here.

A much more 'classic' looking Dark Elf than the other standard bearer I did [also in Gallery IV]. This brooding/dark scheme was surprisingly difficult for me to do. I guess I have really started to burrow into a certain niche and it was good to step outside and stretch my skills. Instead of NMM silver on the banner topper I went with a deep red to complement the cloak of the figure. I thought that the NMM silver would brighten the model too much as I was trying for a very dark look. The blade of his sword provides enough 'lightness' and looks really good on a model that is so dark. A picture of his back can be found here.

Now this is a Lord of Change! I did the sculpt of the base in such a way as to look like a warp vortex. I wanted it to look like he was surrounded by warp energy and this seemed to be the best way. The model is extensively converted and sculpted so that he looks more like a serpent/dragon than a bird. The staff topper was also built by me as I don't really like the original one. This one is just the symbol of Tzeench with some old school Realm of Chaos detail inside. To see more pictures have a look here.

This is the first vehicle I have done in quite some time. I am still sculpting on the rhino I have so I decided to do one of the new predators as soon as it was released. I went with the Annihilator variant as I have found it to be the most useful on the battle field. I decided to paint it in the Space Wolf scheme for a number of reasons, it is the closest to 'real' armour and I have always liked the look of Space Wolf vehicles.
I airbrushed the grey using GW paints. The depth and feel of airbrushed armour is just not possible with paint and brush. I then did the line highlighting and the paint weathering with white. I then added the metal chips and rust marks to complete the battle worn look. More pictures can be found here.

He is called, The Great Skull and is an undead minotaur for the game Confrontation. This model is a serious piece of work. The illustrator for Rackham must be one messed up fellow because this is a very disturbed model. The sculptor created a fantastic undead creature that is sure to appeal to anyone that likes the 'dark side'. The pose is so epic and his cloak is just stunning. I actually purchased the model just so I could paint the cloak. While he is very dark and brooding his two weapons and horns act as a trifocal point. This really gets the eyes moving over the figure. I attempted to follow the colour scheme of the actual model pretty closely since I really like the look they were able to achieve. I did a lot of work on the base as you can see. I carried his undead theme all the way with skeletons littering his base. I also mimicked the work on his cloak by sculpting it into the ground. This really serves to tie the model to his scenic base. More Pictures can be found here.

The new Chaos models are a sight to see. I am impressed with the attention to detail and poses that they have captured in the sculpts. Everything from the composition of the pose to the gothic style plate armour helps to make this figure so full of character. I decided to put a banner on him to emphasize his nature as a true champion of chaos. The banner is sculpted to resemble twisted screaming souls. The scenic base is done in a sandstone but twisted as befits the chaos waste. I also did axe head swaps with both axes. I found that while the ones he came with were pretty historically accurate [size wise] they were just too small for a chaos champion. So, I dove into my weapons bitz and found two larger heads that do wonders for the model. With the larger axe heads, scenic base and the banner he looks like a powerful champion of chaos. He is painted in a dark scheme but the marble look of the armour really draws the eye. I am looking to incorporate some marble into future GD models and so this is a dry run. It turned out great and I am very happy with the result. The back of his cloak bears the star of chaos to symbolize that he is undivided. The star is painted in a NMM gold and looks very good against the black of the cloak. More pictures can be found here.

The Dark Elf range is truly amazing in its ability to be dramatic and imposing. The limited edition standard bearer is a great example of the 'evil' that permeates the race. While it is not a busy figure it has great form and paints well. I added a few details like the runes on the cloak and the blue pattern on the banner pole to give him a more 'full' look. I also did a total NMM effect on the model, from the silver chainmail, sword and banner top to the gold of the plate armour. While this model falls short of GD quality the composition is striking and I continue to learn the technique of NMM silver. Don't be surprised if this model creeps into my GD entries in the future as I very much enjoyed painting him. More pictures can be found here.

This is the High Elf arch wizard, Teclis. It is a GW model and the composition shows the excellent sculpting skill of Gary Morely. I really did very little to this figure because I found it so appealing. I altered his staff to make it longer, so that he will stand out on the battle field that much more. I also clipped off his base tag and positioned him on a rocky base. This worked very well since his already lunging form was perfect for the new pose. I used all the primary colours on this model while maintaining a predominately blue and white scheme. There are over 6 base shades of blue highlighted to different points to give the model a cohesive look. More pictures can be seen here.

This figure is my first historical figure. It is also my first painted miniature where I was painting with a desired source of overhead lighting [above and to the right]. This effect, while commonplace among historical painters, is not done to any great degree in game figures. It feels kind of odd to leave part of the figure 'undone' so that it conforms to the desired lighting source. The left side of his face is the most striking example of this. It was very hard not to continue highlighting that side as I did the right side. The cloak turned out well and was vastly different from what I would normally do on such an article of clothing. I tried to mimic the effect of a heavy woolen fabric so the highlights are more subdued and the shadows are deeper. All in all the highlights were not as striking as most of my figures because in real life things do not glow. The 'stubble' is done by diluting the Vallejo colour Green-Grey [886] and applying in many layers. It should be subtle so that the skin tones are still visible. More pictures can be seen here.

This figure is one of the last that was built prior to my injury and has been on my mind for the past 4 months. It is a 54mm figure for the game Inquisitor and is actually two inquisitors combined along with extensive sculpting and design work. It is a piece inspired by Japanese medieval warriors, the samurai. He is shown here fighting in the two hand style of katana and wakazashi. The pose was quite a challenge because I wanted it to look like he was in realistic motion with his blades. More pictures can be seen here.

This is my second Confrontation figure that I have painted and it was a real treat. I extensively resculpted the chest and shoulders so that he looked more 'primed' for action. If you look at the actual model and compare you will see that I have enlarged the shoulders added 5mm of thickness to the upper body but I have done this while maintaining the original look of the figure. This model was started before my finger injury and has been sitting for 4 months on my painting table. Pictures from all the angles can be seen here.

This figure was also sitting on my table for some time and I thought I should finish it up as well. It is from the GW line of Inquisitor figures. I went with an ultra pure look with the purple to add to the royal look of the inquisitor. His face is done in an =I= tatoo to show his extreme devotion to his cause and he has a lock of white hair to signify a terrible event in his past. More pictures can be seen here.