[PLOG] Dumbledore's Army

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Dumbledore
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[PLOG] Dumbledore's Army

Post by Dumbledore »

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Only the important things are done: the metal is finished and the colour scheme for the cloth etc is laid down but not completed. The cloak etc will have a contrasting trim and the cloth as a whole will be more blended.

The metal is in metallic paint, although painted in a style normally seen with NMM. Due to the paint being metallic, my light being awful and my camera being a phone the pictures are of a very poor quality. The metal is much darker and colder (the process is a bit complicated to describe but not that hard to do, the metal is basically tinted with shadow grey and hawk turquoise). The blue cloth also is far far more subtle and the red is deeper in real life. I will try to get a proper camera soon, but it will not be easy.

Later today I'll pick up a dreadlord on foot with GW and 5 COK (which will be converted to have BG torsos and heads). The army as planned is tentatively themed as a Black Guard procession, the list so far being here. The style of metal was inspired by the GW version of the dreadlord that I will soon collect, seen here.

Feedback is most welcome.
Last edited by Dumbledore on Thu Apr 15, 2010 12:57 am, edited 7 times in total.
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Saori_nightstar
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Post by Saori_nightstar »

Nice colour sceme! makes it stand out nicely, and the detail is really good considering you used a camera phone! How do I make a PLOG? is it like a normal new topic post?
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Post by Phierlihy »

What colour are you going to do the skin?

I see the same red on the helmet, the rope-wraps on the halberd, on the armour, and on the skirt - you might want some variety unless you're trying to tell us they are all made of exactly the same material.
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Post by Blaznak »

I think it looks pretty nifty! It definately makes the weapon look extremely heavy. I'd like to see some deeper colors (maybe even as dark as black) to really seperate some of the areas (like the shaft of the weapon, maybe the belt). Just my thoughts. It looks great!
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

The dark parts of the metal are much much darker than in the image (shine lightened the metal loads). I've not had much free time lately, but just spent the last half hour trying out a crystal sword on my new dreadlord. He will go in a unit of 14 BG:

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Since the GW is painted without metallics you can see it more or less properly in these photos. My BG's weapons and armour looks much the same, except much darker and with a metallic sheen. Regarding the BG, I painted the wood and changed the colours of things here and there... it looks much better now. I'm going to try making a slight change to the armour technique when I do it on my dreadlord and if it works it will not only save me a lot of time but also marginally improve the armour.

I think I will do some light effect with the crystal sword, making it cast an icy blue glow on my dreadlord and the BG models near him. What do you guys think?

PS the sword is just a quick attempt, I will neaten it up later and maybe tint the colours a bit. It actually is far neater in the flesh as the swordtip and other parts do not have those weird blotches in the blending.
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Post by The avenger »

That GW is just giving me goosebumps 8) Very well done ;) What colours did you use? :)
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

First I basecoated it in a quick wet blend of regal blue (the dark bits) to shadow grey (the mid-tone bits) to hawk turquoise (the light bits). I spent a good while glazing it in regal blue mixed with shadow grey (the dark), shadow grey mixed with hawk turquoise and skull white (the mid) and hawk turquoise with a lot of skull white (the light). Finally I highlighted with skull white mixed with a little bit of hawk turquoise.

Do you reckon I should make it cast a cold blue light on things? I'll ask again once everything else is painted, as the way I like to do things the glow is the last stage of painting.
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Lord_azoth
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Post by Lord_azoth »

beautiful NMM, keep on mate!
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

Thanks Azoth.

Some progress, seen in my dreadlord's natural habitat:

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The purple is just an undercoat, only the red bits and the armour are complete now. Progress has been swift and easy so far. The GW is 'ardcoated to preserve it from splashes of paint.

I think I won't do source lighting, it would get too messy since the blade is so long. I'm not quite sure how I'll end up doing my skin, but I want it to be very pale...

Edit: did one more layer of highlighting on the dreadlord's armour - it pops a lot more now, I can see the detail from halfway across the room.
Last edited by Dumbledore on Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Rkhatzar »

awsome
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Post by Desmodeus »

The Dreadlord has a very menacing demeanor, I think actually helped by the 'shadowed' face. Perhaps keeping the highlights (of whatever colour you decide on) limited to extreme edges like the nose bridge etc. when you paint it?

I agree, you really don't need the lighting from that blade, you could perhaps get away with some small and restrained skull white reflections? (Think of a wine glass on a kitchen table during a bright day.)
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Post by Steam »

cool!
http://newhammer.freeforums.org/ painting competiton os online

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Post by Tribun »

A nice effect in the coloursheme would be some elements of gold or copper (perhaps on the skulls or the rivets), to have a counterpart to the cold grey and blue and to harmonize the red elements...but so far very nice work!
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

Tribun that's exactly what I've painted last sunday and am just in the process of finishing off now. I painted some very warm wood and leather here and there and it really brings out how cold the armour etc looks. The main colours of the scheme are the cold blue of the armour/sword and the deep red, both complimented with yellows and purples. It's actually a lot less loud than it sounds, especially as so much is muted, eg the armour is a very muted blue (shadow grey/hawk turquoise).
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

I've not painted for ages - lots of work and a stolen phone and friends to see as well as watching the sopranos, pretending to be a mighty wizard in oblivion and reading books ate time. My desire to paint is back with a vengeance. My new phone has a better camera but a fixed focus, so it can't focus on little bits of metal. Here are taster shots taken with my macbook's in-built chatroulette-cam, proper photos with a borrowed (but still not amazing) camera will follow once finished:

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The purple bits (the drake and some of the inner cloak) as well as some details (the sheathed dagger etc) are all that is left, along with touching up of the basing.

This will probably be put forward for the comp once properly photo'd. I've learnt so much that I'm tempted to "do a GeOrc" and strip the whole damn thing to start afresh with all that I've learnt. GeOrc's threads have been a constant inspiration, as has Wappellious, the LM equivalent (he's an equally godly painter with quite a different style).

I have the sculpting test for my next project nearly completed, my heavily converted cold one knights...

edit: Everything apart from the crystal blade has changed - the metal is darker in the dark bits and lighter in the light bits etc
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

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Well, due to the weeks painting break finishing him actually took a while. Hope you like the result - I think I will enter him for the Maelstrom competition.

He came out pretty much as I aimed - that strong, almost "red era" red is the linking theme of the army, although played off of cold, dark armour. I wanted really big contrasts in the armour, from almost black to almost white. From the start I wished it to be both bleak and containing some very strong, bold colour - this is fantasy, after all. Originally I intended to mute the wood and leather to much darker, less warm colours and I had no plans to use purple at all - the purple drake and cloth would be cold blues like the sword and other cloth. I will keep purple out of the rest of the army in the main so that he stands out, maybe having some elsewhere only on banner freehands or other characters or monsters etc.

Feedback welcome and desired. Regards.

PS - the lighting is from a broad source, so in the pictures all shadows other than those in really deep recesses (eg his face or behind his feet) are due to blended shading etc :)
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Post by Archangel »

damn the Dreadlord looks wicked, now i feel like brushing up on my layering techniques :P
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Post by Shooter »

Mate I have to agree with everyone else that great weapon looks fantastic.
Really nice painting.
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Post by faeli-n »

Love the colours and the model!
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

Glad you guys like it.

The Cold One is done, only the metal, leather and base is left to do (I might twiddle with the horns too though). The metal and leather I will do at the same time as the rider.

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Here is a sneaky peek at the rider on his beast before painting. His arms are ready but will be painted before gluing on.

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Post by Durloth »

The cold one looks brilliant! My only tips would be to clean up the light skin a little bit and maybe give the eyes some yellow or orange to make them a bit more alive. Great job!
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

Thanks Durloth. I'll paint the rider and make a start on the banner before tidying up the cold one. I know which bits I think need attention, but what parts do you think need tidying? It always helps to have another set of eyes. Oh speaking of eyes - there is a red->orange->yellow highlight on the eyes! I'll re-do them with a white basecoat so that you can actually see my efforts. I might try and be more adventurous with the vertical pupil (more detail, other colours, proper lizard references...).
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Dumbledore
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Post by Dumbledore »

It's freehand time...

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This is my first freehand attempt. A few thing's I'd do different and a few things I'll change. What do you guys think it needs?
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Post by Dark apostle197 »

I hate when people are like ya this is my first attempt and it completely pwns whatever I'll probably ever be able to paid :P Looks good to me.
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Post by Lachlan »

Oh my god that is fantastic! Can't believe it's freehand!
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