WHFB

OGRE IRONCUTS
I have wanted to paint models from the ogre line since they were released. I really like the look of the models and feel they have lots of potential for future projects. That being said, they are not that easy to alter due to the way the shoulders join to the model. I had to do some deltoid and lat resculpts to alter the models for this unit. I also added a chain mail coif, extra armour bits and a large unarmoured belly to the models. This unit looks to be on the move, as if advancing on a battle field. I really like the depth I can get with the Valejo line of reds and feel that the red tatoos and face paint really make these models stand out. More pictures can be found here.

KARL FRANZ, EMPEROR of MANKIND
This model turned out great. While it is obvious that this is one of the older character sculpts left in the GW range it is still pretty solid. The griffon provides a great sense of movement to the regal, albiet 2D figure of Karl Franz. The free hand brocade on the banner really makes the model look like the emperor that he is. More pictures can be seen here.

LOUEN the LIONHEART, KING OF BRETONNIA
This model was done in a similar scheme to the one used by GW since I wanted him to be easily recognized as the king. The major difference is the quartering of the caparacon [correct spelling, minus the squiggle under the 'c' provided by an avid watcher, thanks] into gold and blue on the left and gold and red on the right. I really like this as it gave me a tonne of options for patterning. More pictures can be found here.

CHAOS BEAST GIANT OF SLAANESH
This massive model has been a real treat to paint. He is so big that I decided to take some WiP pics during the painting process. More pics and a description of what I did can be found here.

TECLIS
This model has got to be one of the most complex and detailed models done by GW. It seems no matter how well you organize yourself for this model little bits keep cropping up. The complexity of the sculpt combined with the cool 'power pose' is likely one of the main reasons why I like this model so much. I decided to try to illuminate the top of his staff and I am happy with the way it turned out. More pictures can be found here.

ELTHARION
This blind character has been sitting on my table for some time since I originally intended to paint him when he was released. I really like the idea of a blind model and the sense of movement is pretty good for this character. I posed him on a green marble base and added pattern to his inner cloak, outer cloak hem and sword. I am pretty happy with the look generated by the 4 patterns, as it gives the model more of a 'for real' look. More pictures can be found here.

DUKE TAMARIND
I really wish I could find the time to paint more of these new Bretonnians. The colours combined with the potential for pattern work is amazing and very satisfying. This model is done with a red and gold caparison with the gold being richly brocaded. The red portion has a small amount of embroidery at each corner. His device is a blue and silver [white] flure de'Lis on an oposing blue and white field. This device combined with the caparison make for a very striking model. I have also patterned the broad straps found over the caparison with a subtle swirl. More pictures can be found here.

SLANN MAGE PRIEST
This model is very large and quite a heavy piece of work. I had a lot of fun with the South American style art on the walls of the throne. The Slann himself was painted to look as though his brain was kind of showing through the thin skin on his head. The spikes on the bottom combined with the icon display on the top made for an awkward model to paint. This is because the number of spots to hold the model are greatly reduced by these aspects. While I am happy with the final product I can honestly say that this model is one of the most painter unfriendly models I have worked on. More pictures of this massive model can be found here.

CRALLAQHAN BATTLE STANDARD BEARER
for OVERLORD CYTHON
This mode was done in a truly striking pallet. The deep emerald green combined with the gold armour and the NMM blades makes for a regal character. The serpent on the banner was sculpted onto a banner that I made. The serpent adds a lot of depth to the model and the over all effect is one of noble power. The Overlords rune is the purple one on the right side of the banner. The green pattern work represents the ocean waves of the Overlords costal fortress. The emblem on the back of the standard bearers cloak tells the story of the standard bearers name. Crallaqhan was the first monster that died according to legend and when he died the gods cried out and night was created. The small grey and black orb in the center of the emblem represents the night that was created and the green drop at the tail of the serpent represents his blood [death]. More pictures can be found here.

DUKE EDWARD LEONCOEUR
As you can see this model is pretty detailed. I think my love of detail on these models stems from my interest in medieval Europe. On a lord such as this, rare would be the cloth that was not brocaded or richly embroidered. This is why almost every scrap of cloth has a pattern or a symbol. Over all, the effect is not overpowering since this model is very much the sum of it's parts but it gives the model a great depth. This sense of depth captures your eye as you try to see everything and makes this figure seem so much more alive. This model is another figure poised over waves in a dramatic scene. In my own defense it is not as though I am stuck for base ideas it is just that it looks so damn cool. More description and pictures can be found here.

MANTICORE AND ELZAK'IR 'The HEART WRENCHER'
This model is one of those projects that just kind of came together. After he was built it was pretty easy for me to get into the Dark Elf painting mind and turn out a dark yet bright model. The waves on the base really help to provide some lightness and to really enhance the theme of the figure. The blended purple of the wings is not so evident from the front due to the position of my lights and the angle of the wings. However, from the back you can see the nice depth that comes from blending the deep purples with the browns. More pictures can be found here.

The WHITE DWARF
The White Dwarf is a limited edition model that is made to represent the special character of that name. As you can see he is a dwarf that appreciates a large drink of beer after a hard days fight. I found the beer in the helmet to be one of the most characterful things that GW has ever done for a model. I also really liked the way the axe rests on his shoulder, due to the head being a separate piece. I placed him on a narrow rock ledge to accentuate the model and add to his reckless nature. More pictures can be found here.

BRETONNIAN LORD ARGYLE the CRUSADER
The swirl brocade on the caparison along with the pattern on the caparison holding leather make for a special looking lord. The heraldic dragons on the caparison shields and the fluer de'lis on the smaller shields further enhance the regal nature of the model. Knights, especially those with high station, had very fine cloth to wear and to cover their steeds with. This was the idea of the brocading of the caparison [horse cover], cloak and trim. He is obviously from an old and established house in Bretonnia since his device is a single rampant dragon on a field of red. The older the house the less cluttered the heraldry of the knight, in general. The armour worn by this knight is a nice blend of historical armouring. The padded coat he is wearing is the Aketon and when combined with the simple knee cops [covers] and the chain elbows he is somewhere in the 12th century [if memory serves]. The presence of the grieve [shin armour] was reserved for cavalry at this time IIRC since they were more prone to leg wounds. The sabaton [plate feet] were not actually present until late in the period. This rambling about armour is from my foggy memory so if I am wrong please feel free to let me know so I can correct myself. :)
His steed is simply amazing. One of the best, if not the best, heavy draft sculpt at this scale going. I have access to a heavy draft horse that is 18.2 hands and 2400lbs and he looks just like this guy. It was a treat to paint the horse and I am excited to paint another one since this one looks so real. I went with a Belgian Draft paint scheme since the deep rich browns look good with the blue caparison. More pictures can be found here.

BLOOD DRAGON DISPLAY BASE
This piece was made for a client that wanted both a display base and terrain he could use for playing. To this end the terrain in the wooden frame is able to be removed and set as an objective in a WHFB game. The three models were built to his specifications for playing and the mounted models are the result of some conversion work. The idea behind the piece of terrain was based on the history behind Vlad the Impaler. More pictures and thoughts behind the pieces can be found here.

NECROTHEPIUS, DEFILER of CRYPTS
This is a crazy model, from the hanging guts to the strapped on claw this model is truly nasty. My first thought when I did this model was that the wings looked too clean. They are stock dragon wings from GW and look out of place on this rotten dragon. I ground out the lower wing tissue, added some textured green stuff in parts and replaced one of the top talons with a broken claw. The rest of the transformation took place once I added the mottled pattern to the wing tissue. The rider was done with brooding dark colours and bright NMM for his robe. His face was painted to look like the flesh is stretched across the sharp bones of his skull. This model sees me continue the green marble look that I used in the Griffon band in Gallery V. It adds so much to the model to have a built up base that is painted crisply. More pictures of this rotten dragon can be found here.

LORD of CHANGE, GREATER DEMON of TZEENCH
This model was a serious undertaking from a design point of view. I had decided early on in the sculpting and build of this model that he would feature a lighting effect. I had wanted to do two effect originally but in the end I decided that it would have looked too cluttered. So, I kept the spell effect, washing the right side of his body in eerie blue green light and dropped the lava lighting effect. The hint at the hot colours in the lava cracks balances the cool colours used on the model very well. The horrors were a treat to paint since I have, for some reason, never painted them before. More pictures can be found here.

BLOOD DRAGON VAMPIRE
This model was done to be the foot version of the mounted battle standard bearer below [minus the standard]. As you can see the model is painted exactly the same so it is easy to transpose the anti hero from a mounted unit to a foot unit. The sword was swapped out for the blade from the =I= Eldar scout. This makes his cutlass look way more impressive. More pictures can be found here.

BLOOD DRAGON VAMPIRE BATTLE STANDARD BEARER
This model has got to be one of my most recent favorites. The raised detail of the dragon on the banner, the red armour and barding combined with the pose on the base make the model very dramatic. The red armour took a fair bit of time with approx 10 layers of red highlights to the edges and 4 layers of orange/red to the center of plates. This gives the armour real depth. While the model is bright it also manages to maintain a sense of depth and darkness as befits a vampire lord. More pictures can be found here.

DARK ELF BATTLE STANDARD BEARER
This model is one of my favorites. I have now done it three times, the most of any single figure I have ever painted. This particular model has a large sculpted banner with twisted souls screaming forth from the arcane cloth. The paint scheme is crisp and dark with only just enough colour to give good contrast. More pictures can be found here.

DARK EMISSARY
This model is a highly converted Halberdier of Dirz. I have used the staff end from a chaos sorcerer, the head from the chaos mutation sprue and skulls from the chaos vehicle accessory sprue. These additions combined with the sculpted detail I added [scroll standard, hanging rune cloth, loin tabard, arm bandages, cloaks] create a unique and ominous Dark Emissary. The base sees three different types of terrain, combined for a realistic effect. I used dark base colours, shaded with purples and brought up with yellows. This creates a dirty yet sharp paint scheme that makes the model look almost real. More pictures can be found here.

2002 GAMESDAY CHAOS CHAMPION
I have had this model for over a year now and I am very glad I waited to paint it. I only just discovered a way to achieve bright reds without using orange or yellow. This means the models armour could be bright red without looking washed out. I wanted this figure to jump out at you and so the golds are also very bright. I painted the axe with a purple base and then added red and grey to the purple to achieve the final look. The elf was painted brightly and in a woodland scheme since he looks like a wood elf glade rider. More pictures can be found here.

When a friend showed me this model I was very excited to paint it. The pose is very regal and the shape of her body is very well done. I went with simple clean lines and I ended up with a striking model. The gold NMM was done entirely differently than normal, using Vallejo paints, and I am much happier with the look. It is amazing that the Ochre Brown [856] has been sitting on my table for over a year and I have never even opened it. I tired to do the light blue shawl as translucent in the back and while it looks good it was likely not the best model to try it with. This is because the shawl is just too thick [model wise]. More Pics can be found here.

This model was done in a very dark scheme with some real light focal points. I did the armour in a dull reflective style that doesn't really show up very well in the pics. Perhaps I shall have to increase the highlighting so that it is more visible in the future. This model was done as a gift for a friend in Vancouver who has been asking nicely for a figure for some time. He is always cheerful and positive when I see him and a great person to show new models to. He is usually one of the first to see my GD figures since I depart for the US from Vancouver. Well, I finally decided to do a model for his army. More pice can be found here.

I have had this model in my bitz bins since he came out. I actually used his axe arm in my Golden Demon Duel in 2001. I decided that, in true ork fashion, he would be big, bright and bold! When my wife saw the finished product she was like, 'Wow that is great, but it is so much brighter than your normal figures.' This model is very bright and literally jumps off the base at you. It sees me using more green and reapplying the line texture technique that I have not used in some time. More pics can be found here.

The new Silver Helm models are very well done. Since they were released I have wanted to do one and I finally had the time in January. I tilted down the lance arm so that it looks like he could be attacking infantry and positioned the horse in a slight rearing pose. I also added the seat back from the old High Elf dragon since it carries the dragon motif so well. I painted him in a classic High Elf scheme while trying to incorporate NMM gold on the scale barding and reflective metal on the plate armour. There are also pictures from the right and front.

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 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.

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 was done for the on-line painting challenge called VIC [Visions in Colour]. A group of painters form the Yahoo mini-painter list all did the same figure. Then when everyone was done it was show and tell. Very cool experience! The model is from the Dark Elf range by GW and is called the Corsair Champion. His back can be seen here and a close-up of his face here. I am very happy with the way the model turned out. His face was amazing to paint and I really went to town on the use of colour. The highlighting is extreme to emphasize the dark brooding, and yet regal nature of the figure. The cloak was done so that each scale looks to be reflecting an inner light.