Miniature Monday

[Wymondham]

The metallic glaze looks wonderful and the detailing on the leg pieces is superb. I wish my painting skills were half as good as yours

[Malphe]

Good stuff! I def like the inclusion of the skink crest as a fin, definitely helps exacerbate their fishlike appearance a lil more

[Tethys 13]

For this week's Miniature Monday we are heading back a few years and returning to my Astartes Turbidus Chapter Master collection, with the Chapter Master of the Silver Palatines.



A fair few of my invented chapters are Loyalist successors to Traitor Legions, and this one is no exception - they trace their origin to the Emperor's Children. I changed the gold in their scheme to silver, partly just because I prefer it, but also to give the impression that they have learned a bit of humility. The Emperor's Children were originally the only legion allowed to bear the Palatine Aquila on their plastrons (which is where this chapter's name originates), and my goodness does this model have a lot of aquilas - see if you can find them all (there is indeed one on the plastron, but it is hidden by the arms).
In terms of painting, I am not pleased with how the armour looks - I feel it became too thick and splotchy, especially the silver. The face worked out far better than expected however, and i do feel that darker skin tones are easier to do well. I chose to paint the gems in a wide variety of colours, as while they may not be as gaudy as their traitorous predecessors, they still enjoy the finer things.

Spoiler

Initial:
Texture Astrogranite
Spray Chaos Black

Purple Armour:
1. Base Naggaroth Night
2. Wash Druchii Violet
3. Highlight Xereus Purple
4. Edge Highlight Xereus Purple:Ulthuan Grey 80:20
5. Extreme Edge Highlight Xereus Purple:Ulthuan Grey 50:50

Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Druchii Violet
3. Highlight Ironbreaker
4. Edge Highlight Stormhost Silver

Joints and belt:
1. Base Eshin Grey
2. Shade Nuln Oil
3. Highlight Dawnstone

White:
1. Base Celestra Grey
2. Recess Shade the Fang
3. Highlight Ulthuan Grey
4. Edge Highlight White Scar

Hammer Lightning:
1. see Metal
2. Glaze Guilliman Blue
3. Designs Ceramite White
4. Glaze Guilliman Blue
5. Highlight designs White Scar

Face:
1. Base Mournfang Brown
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
4. Highlight Doombull Brown
5. Edge Highlight Doombull Brown:Pallid Wych Flesh 80:20
6. Scar highlight Doombull Brown:Pallid Wych Flesh 60:40
7. Teeth base Ceramite White

Hair:
1. Base Celestra Grey
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Drybrush Celestra Grey

Pouches and straps:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Highlight Baneblade Brown
3. Edge Highlight Screaming Skull

Parchment:
1. Base Mournfang Brown
2. Layer Ushabti Bone
4. Highlight Screaming Skull
5. Edge Highlight Pallid Wych Flesh
6. Writing Abaddon Black

Purity Seal Wax:
1. Base Screamer Pink
2. Highlight Pink Horror

Gems:
1. Sapphires base Macragge Blue
2. Amber base Jokaero Orange
3. Ruby Base Mephiston Red
4. Turquoise Base Stegadon Scale Green
5. Emerald Base Waaagh! Flesh
6. Quartz base Celestra Grey
7. Sapphires Highlight Teclis Blue
8. Amber Highlight Troll Slayer Orange
9. Ruby Highlight Evil Sunz Scarlet
10. Turquoise highlight Sotek Green
11. Emerald Highlight Warboss Green
12. Sapphires highlight Hoeth Blue
13. Amber Highlight Flash Gitz Yellow
14. Turquoise Highlight Temple Guard

Blue
15. Emerald Highlight Skarsnik Green
16. Quartz Highlight Ulthuan Grey
17. White Scar dot
18. Gloss Varnish

Symbols: Ceramite White and Abaddon Black, Gloss Varnish for shoulder badge

Base:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Drybrush Eshin Grey
3. Light Drybrush Dawnstone (heavier on rocks)
4. Rocks Drybrush Celestra Grey

Skulls:
1. Base Mournfang Brown
2. Layer Ushabti Bone
3. Wash Agrax Earthshade
4. Highlight Ushabti Bone
5. Edge Highlight Screaming Skull

[Tethys 13]

For this week's Miniature Monday we have my proudest aerial assaulter, my Blitza-Bommer for Waaagh! Ugerekka.



This beauty served me very well thanks to its bombing runs, which could deal with threats otherwise far too resilient for my Orks, mostly elite infantry. In one battle, my opponent was using a 'cheese' list of small units with high Invulnerability Saves, making most of my attacks useless, but a single bomb from this dealt with more than half of a unit. The wings may be wonky, but after all, they are Orks. The fins along the edges of the wings were aesthetic additions, as was the exhaust smoke. The trick for the smoke was one I thought up more than a decade prior, using leftover black foam from the carry cases and carefully applying glue to make it shrink.

This model looks rather different in shade to the rest of my Ork army, though it was painted the same, simply because it was too large for my photo studio, so the lighting was very different. Blue and white are the colours of the Deathskulls clan, known for luck and looting, and that was the only army of mine that had any of the former. Painting the cockpit was rather tricky, as I had to carefully prime and paint without touching the windows.

Spoiler

Initial: Spray Model Leadbelcher
Spray Base Mournfang Brown

Hull:
1. Base Macragge Blue
2. Layer Lothern Blue
3. Recess Shade Nuln Oil
4. Edge Highlight Lothern Blue:Ulthuan Grey 50:50

Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Drybrush Stormhost Silver
4. Wash vents Seraphim Sepia

Ork Pilot Skin:
1. Base Stegadon Scale Green
2. Wash Drakenhof Nightshade
3. Highlight Kabalite Green
4. Edge Highlight Sybarite Green

Grot Gunner Skin:
1. Base Stegadon Scale Green
2. Layer Sotek Green
3. Wash Drakenhof Nightshade:Biel-Tan Green 50:50
4. Highlight Temple Guard Blue

Straps:
1. Base Rakarth Flesh
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Pallid Wych Flesh

Teeth:
1. Base Mournfang Brown
2. Highlight Ushabti Bone
3. Edge Highlight Screaming Skull

White details:
1. Base Ceramite White
2. Recess Shade Nuln Oil
3. Highlight Ulthuan Grey
4. Edge Highlight White Scar

Shell Casings:
1. Base Screaming Bell

Exhaust Fumes:
0. Carefully apply superglue to foam and mould to shape
1. Wash Bloodletter (stronger towards the base)
2. Drybrush Abaddon Black

Base:
1. Texture Stirland Mud
2. Drybrush Tyrant Skull

Base Scrap:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Texture Typhus Corrosion
3. Drybrush Ryza Rust
4. Edge Highlight Stormhost Silver

Base Wraithbone:
1. Base Ceramite White
2. Wash Drakenhof Nightshade
3. Highlight Ushabti Bone
4. Edge Highlight Screaming Skull:White Scar 50:50

Toxic Pools A:
1. Base Caliban Green
2. Fill Nurgle's Rot

Toxic Pools B:
1. Base Macragge Blue
2. Fill Nurgle's Rot:Teclis Blue random half-mixed

[Malphe]

! I like the basing and highlighting especially, really clean. It does forever amuse me that ork planes are drastically more aerodynamically plausible than imperial aircraft, seeing as they actually jave wings rather than just [flying brick]

[Tethys 13]

For this week's Miniature Monday, we have the first of my Fangmora Eelkin!



This was certainly one of my riskier conversions, as I was not sure if it would work out - and I am not sure if it has! I gave a lot of thought to how I would convert them, and initially I was planning just to swap out the heads as I did with the thralls. However, I wanted them to be distinct, and could not find suitable heads to use. Then I had the idea that, being 'nobles', they were at a far further along stage of the process, and this was the (un)natural result. In The Shadow Over Innsmouth, there are the mostly-human residents with fishlike features who go about their lives relatively normally, and then the far more advanced fish-hybrids who emerge at night to hunt the protagonist, so that was the aesthetic progression I went with.
I knew the arms would be too small, and decided just to use that to add to the unnerving aspect rather than find more suitably scaled appendages. On this miniature, I had to convert the arm, as the third spear arm in the kit is positioned overarm, which did not look right, so I clipped away the spear and then pinned it through a hand from which I had removed the sword. The legs are from the Skink models I had already butchered for their heads, ending in the fins that would normally go where the arms are. I cut away the backrest of the saddle, then added the helm as a back-crest - the sculpted join designed to attach the faceplate to has a vaguely similar curved appearance to other parts of the model, easing the clash a little.
I did a lot of mixing with the paints. Not only did I add metallics to each stage of the skin, I tried many combinations to get the shades I wanted, so the below guide is a vague estimation at best. I decided to blend from dark blue at the spine to pale green at the belly, though that resulted in the brightest part of the model being mostly obscured. My other idea was to blend a rainbow in seven stages down the length of the body, but I do not trust my painting skills to be able to pull that off, even disregarding the fact that I lack the paints I would want in order to achieve that. Finally, rather than constellation patterns on the cloaks, I decided to add them to the eye-covers - I knew I wanted something there, and they seemed the perfect level of cosmic horror to have occluding the eyes yet permitting the creature's sight.

Spoiler

Initial: Spray Leadbelcher

Skin:
1. Glaze lower Plaguebearer Flesh
2. Glaze upper Drakenhof Nightshade:Nighthaunt Gloom 80:20
3. Layer upper The Fang:Retributor Armour 50:50
4. Highlight upper Fenrisian Grey:Stormhost Silver 50:50
5. Blend back Kantor Blue:Stormhost Silver 50:50
6. Blend middle Temple Guard Blue:Warboss Green:Hoeth Blue:Stormhost Silver 30:10:10:50
7. Layer lower Warboss Green:Stormhost Silver 50:50
8. Highlight lower Moot Green:Warboss Green:Stormhost Silver 30:20:50
9. Blend belly Moot Green:Warboss Green:Stormhost Silver 20:30:50
10. Glaze spine Basilicanum Grey

Fins:
1. Base Stegadon Scale Green:Stormhost Silver 50:50
2. Layer Temple Guard Blue:Warboss Green:Hoeth Blue:Stormhost Silver 30:10:10:50
3. Highlight Sybarite Green:Baharroth Blue:Moot Green:Stormhost Silver 30:10:10:50

Metal:
1. Glaze Plaguebearer Flesh
2. Wash Nihilakh Oxide
3. Edge Highlight Retributor Armour:Moot Green 60:40
4. Drybrush Sigmarite:Moot Green 80:20

Straps:
1. Base Caliban Green
2. Highlight Waaagh! Flesh:Caliban Green 50:50
3. Edge Highlight Warboss Green:Waaagh! Flesh:Caliban Green 50:25:25

Constellations:
1. Lines Ulthuan Grey
2. Blue stars Baharroth Blue
3. Green stars Moot Green
4. Yellow stars Yriel Yellow
5. Outline Stegadon Scale Green

Fangs:
1. Base Ulthuan Grey

Base:
1. Texture Stirland Mud
2. Drybrush Gorthor Brown
3. Drybrush Moot Green
4. Apply Mordheim Turf
5. Patches Nuln Oil Gloss:Hexwraith Flame 60:40

[Dragonian Alliance]

My first thought was DRAGON!!! But I am loving the Innsmouth vibe. I like the look of it overall. I am curious why such a long creature would have such a short in comparison spear, but o well it looks great.

[Tethys 13]

It is the day after Valentine's, so what better for this week's Miniature Monday than the Chapter Master of the Heart Rippers, Betarius!



The Heart Rippers claim descent from the Ultramarines, which must surely be the case. They cannot be descended from the Alpha Legion, as everyone knows there is no such thing. They are specialists in hunting Dark Eldar, with their most common foes being the Kabal of the Black Heart. One of their notable tactics is to hide aboard transport freighters to lure the Dark Eldar in, at which point they spring their trap.
To fit their theme I wanted a dark colour scheme, and red was the obvious choice given their name. I have a fondness for dark reds and pinks, and it was quite fun to paint as I recall, though the result showed up a little darker than expected in the images. It achieves as stealthy an appearance as a Space Marine can generally hope for, but that by design means that it does not stand out as well. The hooded helm is from a Dark Angels kit, while the left pauldron is from Heresy-era Power Armour, to add another hint to their true origins. I designed the base how I would imagine the deck of a Dark Eldar ship, but having both it and the model be dark further dulls the image. I tried to give it a slight shine, but perhaps should have gone further. The simple technique for darkening metal was one I remembered however, and have put to good use since.

Spoiler

Initial: Undercoat Imperial Primer

Red Armour:
1. Base Scab Red
2. Recess Shade Scab Red:Abaddon Black 40:60
3. Edge Highlight Screamer Pink:Pink Horror 50:50
4. Edge Highlight Pink Horror

Black Armour and Details:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Edge Highlight Eshin Grey
3. Extreme Edge Highlight Space Wolves Grey

CLoak:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Highlight Eshin Grey:Abaddon Black 60:40
3. Edge Highlight Eshin Grey
4. Edge Highlight Dawnstone

Joints:
1. Base Eshin Grey
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Highlight Eshin Grey

Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Wash Nuln Oil
4. Wash Nuln Oil
5. Edge Highlight Stormhost Silver

Pouch:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Edge Highlight Baneblade Brown

Rope:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Baneblade Brown
4. Light drybrush Screaming Skull

Bone details:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Layer Ushabti Bone
3. Wash Agrax Earthshade
4. Highlight Screaming Skull

Parchment, book + straps:
1. Base Rakarth Flesh
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Kislev Flesh
4. Writing Abaddon Black

Armour scrolls:
1. Base Mechanicus Standard Grey
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Dawnstone
4. Writing Abaddon Black

Purity Seal Wax:
1. Base Waaagh! Flesh
2. Highlight Goblin Green

Gems:
1. Base Macragge Blue
2. Highlight Teclis Blue
3. Dot White Scar

Not at all suspicious Alpha symbol on gem: Goblin Green

Chapter Symbol:
1. Base Screamer Pink
2. Layer Pink Horror
3. Scar base Ceramite White
4. Scar inner Mephiston Red
Turbidus Symbol: Ceramite White

Lenses:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Insert Teclis Blue
3. Insert Hoeth Blue
4. Insert Space Wolves Grey

Base:
1. Base Naggaroth Night
2. Wash Nuln Oil Gloss
3. Wash Nuln Oil
4. Wash Nuln Oil
5. Highlight Naggaroth Night:Abaddon Black 60:40
6. Edge Highlight Naggaroth Night
7. Extreme Edge Highlight Xereus Purple

Dark Eldar Blood:
1. Base Blood For the Blood God!:Pink Horror 70:30
2. Layer Blood For the Blood God!

[Malphe]

! i do particularly like this one. Painting full/majority black colour schemes is def very challenging and they usually show up even worse on camera, but this holds up really well imo

[Tethys 13]

My other idea was to blend a rainbow in seven stages down the length of the body, but I do not trust my painting skills to be able to pull that off, even disregarding the fact that I lack the paints I would want in order to achieve that.

...Why did I not just leave it at that? For this week's Miniature Monday, we have my Fangmoran Prince.



So, as you can see, I gave it a try. Two people had told me that my miniatures in this project were dull, lacking colour, so I decided to somewhat indignantly overreact. It was also inspired by another Lovecraft story, The Colour Out of Space, in which a rock of a colour unlike any seen on Earth starts corrupting and sapping the life from a landscape and its people (likely one of the inspirations for Warpstone).
I decided against the full rainbow, primarily because my colourblindness gives me great difficulty in that area - when I look at a rainbow, I only really see a blur of blue and yellow. Thus, I chose to start with blue, combine indigo and violet into one, and end on green. Even I can manage blue-purple-red-orange-yellow-green, thanks to paints having their colours written on the bottles (though I would not be surprised if a non-colourblind person would find the blend from blue to purple and orange to yellow stark and ugly). I went with a dark turquoise set of fins, as the front of the model has plenty of shade and colour contrast already with the metal, while the rear half is lighter and stands out more strongly. I am not particularly with how the metal turned out, as it looks rather too messy - I feel that, like with the chapter badge of my Space Mammoths, I was deceived by how it looked on my first test model into thinking it would be straightforward to make it look good on the rest.
To paint the stages, I made good use of a wet palette using an old tub lined with sponges, half-filled with water with two sheets of paper on top. I then laid out stripes of the paint for each colour, with a band of metallic paint along the bottom. This let me blend them in many different ratios, far too many (and rough) to detail below.

Spoiler

Initial: Spray Leadbelcher

Skin:
1. Base:
a. Kantor Blue:Stormhost Silver 50:50
b. Naggaroth Night:Stormhost Silver 50:50
c. Khorne Red:Stormhost Silver 50:50
d. Jokaero Orange:Stormhost Silver 50:50
e. Averland Sunset:Stormhost Silver 50:50
f. Caliban Green:Stormhost Silver 50:50
2. Wash Basilicanum Grey
3. Layer and blend:
a. Kantor Blue:Stormhost Silver 50:50
b. Xereus Purple:Stormhost Silver 50:50
c. Khorne Red:Stormhost Silver 50:50
d. Jokaero Orange:Stormhost Silver 50:50
e. Yriel Yellow:Stormhost Silver 50:50
f. Waaagh! Flesh:Stormhost Silver 50:50
4. Glaze and blend:
a-b. Guilliman Blue
b-d. Bloodletter
d-e. Cassandora Yellow
f. Waywatcher Green
5. Highlight:
a. Altdorf Guard Blue:Stormhost Silver 50:50
b. Warpfiend Grey:Stormhost Silver 50:50
c. Evil Sunz Scarlet:Stormhost Silver 50:50
d. Troll Slayer Orange:Stormhost Silver 50:50
e. Yriel Yellow:White Scar:Stormhost Silver 25:25:50
f. Warboss Green:Stormhost Silver 50:50

Fins:
1. Base Stegadon Scale Green:Stormhost Silver 50:50
2. Wash Drakenhof Nightshade:Basilicanum Grey 50:50
3. Layer Stegadon Scale Green:Stormhost Silver 50:50
3. Highlight Temple Guard Blue:Warboss Green:Hoeth Blue:Stormhost Silver 30:10:10:50
Metal:
1. Glaze Plaguebearer Flesh
2. Wash Nihilakh Oxide
3. Edge Highlight Retributor Armour:Moot Green 60:40
4. Drybrush Sigmarite:Moot Green 80:20

Straps:
1. Base Caliban Green
2. Highlight Waaagh! Flesh:Caliban Green 50:50
3. Edge Highlight Warboss Green:Waaagh! Flesh:Caliban Green 50:25:25

Constellations:
1. Lines Ulthuan Grey
2. Blue stars Baharroth Blue
3. Green stars Moot Green
4. Yellow stars Yriel Yellow
5. Outline Stegadon Scale Green

Fangs:
1. Base Ulthuan Grey

Base:
1. Texture Stirland Mud
2. Drybrush Gorthor Brown
3. Drybrush Moot Green
4. Apply Mordheim Turf
5. Patches Nuln Oil Gloss:Hexwraith Flame 60:40