[PLOG] Mango's Challenge - Hero on DP

[MangoPunch]

I keep on failing at my self imposed painting challenges. The current MSU army list I am painting towards can be found Here.

Highlights:
Hero on DP - Conversion
Sorceress w Indirect Lighting - Conversion
Beans Inspired Familiar
Cold One Knights
Mango's Blue Steel NMM Tutorial
Master in White

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Images of Completed Units and Models

Hero on "Dark" Pegasus


"Beans" Inspired Unit Filler


Cold One Knights


Sorceress on Foot


Master on Foot


Lone Warlock


Corsairs (first unit in yeeeeeaaaarrrrsss)

[Amboadine]

Nice colours, very vibrant. Personally I am not quite sold on the swords being the same colour as the armour, I like a bit of contrast, but that is a personal preference. But overall nice job so far. Looking forward to seeing the finish article.
Just get those bases done, it makes a big difference to the finish

[Wiggen]

very nice paintjob!, striking looking unit, i especially like the skin and the scales on the cloaks

[T.D.]

Nice colour and paintjob.

But personally I'd like to see a different colour on the blades.

[Thraundil]

Nice colour and paintjob.

But personally I'd like to see a different colour on the blades.

Yeh, agreeing with T.D. here. Its a lot of blue. A little steel or dark colours wouldnt hurt :p the highlighting of the breast plates is fantastic, though.

(Also yuick! Black Guard wearing white? Kouran would have a thing or two to say about that).

I love their hair, I think you absolutely nailed it. Tell us how!

[MangoPunch]

Wow, thanks for all the support!

@ Amboadine / T.D / Thraundil: Totally agree on the swords. I used The Fang as the base and worked up with Dawnstone & Scar White, hoping it would be a steelier blue. On the BG, I am going to try an do a base of 50/50 The Fang and Eshin Grey and work up in the grey scales - If it looks good I will circle back and apply it to the Corsairs... What should I do on the hand guards on the swords? I was going to keep it dark - but it might be too close to the black gloves. Maybe I could try an NMM bronzeish look?

@ Wiggen: Thanks!

@ Thraundil: Thanks for the props on the armor, I am a little woried that it won't be as noticable not under a light - and so am going to work on deepening those shadows on the next batch. For the hair, I think the picture just got some lucky reflections from not using a light filter - it is just a dark dark grey touched up with black / black wash. I am planning on going over it and doing some black and some dark brown hair - I will try and highlight to the picture, since it looks good (I think the faces also benefited from not the best photo set up as the blending definitelly looks smoother in the picture than in person).

[T.D.]

NMM or no, bronze would be a good contrast I think.

[Malikos]

Wow, you've got some brush skills. Those faces are perfect! I'm no expert in NMM, but I think in order to make them look more metallic, you really have to go bright on the edges. Not pure white, but practically white. It's the contrast of really dark and really light that makes it work, at leas that is what I've found. Currently they look pretty good though, it just depends on how time you actually want to put in, and since you are trying to get a unit a month done I think you have done a pretty damn good job!

I think the blades colors could work, it definitely would make your army stand out as unique. I applaud your original color choices, I feel like black guard with white armor could be fantastic looking. Be careful though, white can be terrible to paint. Keep those layers as thin as possible!

-M

[MangoPunch]

Second PLOG Post Woooo!!! This is now Officially a Plog.

So, I finished my first full unit... ever! I am pretty happy with the results, and especially happy with the improvement that I've had in just a short time. There are definitelly some areas that I have identified that I need to work on, 1) extremes of highlighting and shading to really make elements 'pop', 2) thinking out the color and especially the light and light source ahead of time, laying out where my lights and darks will be so it is consistent, 3) technical skills (obviously), blending, getting less streaky whites. I am going to set these guys aside for now so that I can get some more troopers painted up, but advice and critiques are welcome and appreciated!

What is next: I was (and am) planning on doing some blackgaurd up in white armor. I have a bunch of the most recent metals but think I might want the new plastics instead - so while I decide I'll hold off on them. Instead I will be assembling (magnetizing) and painting up my Dark Riders and Warlocks. This month I will aim to assemble all 20 horses and paint up one full unit of 5. I am also working on an awesome Sorcerer conversion that I will post some WIP picks as it comes together... it is my first non-swap conversion and I'll probably hold off on painting until my skills improve.

Without further ado, my first full unit of Corsairs:

[Amboadine]

It is always a nice feeling to finish a unit. Looking nice and a clean finish.

What I might suggest is that you lightly drybrush the snow on the base, in a very pale blue to give it a bit more definition. It might just be the photos but it looks quite flat.

looking forward to seeing the next unit.

[Enkiel]

very nice, corsairs are such fun unit to paint.

a few thing ;

1st ; base look... boring? Just snow works, but it feels unfinished. Not sure what you could add, corsairs are so hard to rank and file, its hard to do anything with their base

2nd ; The cloak are very nice as is, but if you want to go an extra step, tidy up a bit the scales. Painting them one by one then highlighting them really does a wonderful job. I think an extra light blue around would be wonderful...

an example what i did ; http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/613/img3224x.jpg

[MangoPunch]

@Enkial - I see what you mean about highlighting the scales. I did paint them individually, but it was the first part I did - my highlighting is getting better. Probably wont take the time to do it now (as I have a lot more to paint), but agree that it could use a more defined light source. Also, I am stealing your idea of magnetizing my Warlocks and DRs... I have 20 total so will be a pain in the A$$, but will definitelly save money and will actually probably save time versus assembling and painting more horses.

@ Amboadine & Enkial - On the bases I might do a really light grey / blue grey wash to give it some depth. Good call. In the future I might carve out small stones or have equipment half burried in snow. It will be easier if I paint fresh models that aren't yet attached to their bases.

[Sevekai]

These look great! Keep it up.

For the bases, maybe try putting a couple of bases with dirt showing that are only partly snow covered. This along with rocks, sticks equipment would go a long way to make them stand out.

[Enkiel]

or small pond of frozen water. It's pretty easy to do with gloss varnish and blues.

just anything to break the snow.


fwiw, i had the same problem with my first models ; i went with snow, and in the end, i never managed to have it work, until i started using some barks.

[Daeron]

Rocks would work well with snow. And it's fairly easy to get the materials for it. These are my unfinished Corsairs (unfinished bases)


The rocks are made from...

Cork, plain and simple. And you get to drink the bottle of wine first!

This might give some contrast to the bases. Not all our models work well with such rocks though. I noticed our warriors, old and new, and the new executioners/black guards don't have much room to play with this. The Witch Elves could, but they already have some sort of stuff underneath their boots. Works wonders to break the "flatness" of DR/Warlock/Cold One Knight bases though.

[Amboadine]

Good examples Daeron.

Bases are always a tricky part to work out when you first start an army. I have in the past just purchased resin cast bases to good effect, the problem is the cost. Not to bad for 40K, but soon racks up with fantasy hordes.

Cork, Bark, small stones, all work well.

[MangoPunch]

Good call on the bases - Cork looks great.

I need all your help again: Here is my WIP Sorcerer I am working on (alongside my DRs this month) that is being converted from the beast master on the Scourge-Runner Chariot. I need advice on how to convert his right hand. I was going to attempt to put in a hand holding a skull, but can't find a good fit. Also, the angle of the hand from the chariot (holding the bolt shooter) is at a very severe angle, right up against the body and will need a lot of work (and potentially green stuffing beyond my novice skills) to make functional.... What should I do / what kits should I bash?

Front:


Back:

[Amboadine]

Have you considered modelling an orb rather than skull. Far easier and could be just as effective. I am not sure of hand how the harpoon normally links to the arm, I will take a look when I am home to see if I can think of anything.

[MangoPunch]

Here is the first of my Warlocks! It probably took me 15-20 hours, so an unsustainably slow pace. Hopefully batch painting (and having some of the technique improved) will make the rest go a lot faster.

After finishing my first unit ever last month, I am pretty excited with how much my skills are already improving. Advice, comments and criticism encouraged and appreciated!

PS. Happy Presidents' Day!

[Amboadine]

Nice work. First time I have seen a warlock steed in white. Gives it a little edge.
Only comments I would make is that the mane and tail might look better a little darker to give it some differentiation from the rest of the body. Maybe just a chestnut wash.
Also the hoofs might need a little more brown. The black doesn't quite look right.

The warlock himself is looking very nice. Are the trousers finished? Could quite make out in the picture whether it was painted grey or the bare plastic.

Looking forward to seeing the finished unit.

[Dyvim tvar]

Like the colors.

My only thing is that a white horse should not have black hooves. In real life, horses have hooves of a similar color to the hair on their fetlocks (lower leg). This is fantasy, but the black hooves do bother me a bit ...

[Daeron]

The white horse caught me off-guard... lol. The paintjob is really well done! In particular the shading on the Warlock is really nice.

[Rowena]

I really like the white horse, it looks somehow more strange, almost ghostly. The rest of the warlock is nicely done too and the colours go together very well, great job!

[Wiggen]

Nice looking warlock

[Dyvim tvar]

The more I look at this, the more I am thinking of stealing the idea of white horses. I have some unpainted warlocks, and I don't want to make them white-skinned like the GW standard. I want them to have the same skin color as the rest of my army, and I do paint the skin on my Druchii a gray color similar to the gray skin on these guys, and I think the white horses look really good with the darker-skinned elves.