Walls fail! Fists do not!

[Inquisitor Engel]

As is tradition between units, a Custodes was completed. Here we have the squad leader for my Sagittarum Guard. Yes, that's Ixion Hale's body, which um, isn't designed for other arms.

 

Still, pretty pleased with this, especially the cape. Adding some details from the Custodes vehicle transfer sheet added some nice detail.

 

 

You can see the weird additional bulk on the arms the way it interacts with the details on his chest making him hold it at a weird angle. 

 

Another victory is that a 3:2 Lahmian Medium to Reikland Fleshshade GLAZE makes the gold exactly the same as the others without the pot being weird.

 

 

I was tempted to wait for contrast paints for his robe, but figured this guy would be the last standard base/shade/highlight cape.

 

Three down, two to go!

 

 

Next up.... 40k Guilliman. Wish me luck!

[hushrong]

Looking very grand! The minis and the paintjobs you've done to them are excellent!

 

And looking at these Sagittarum guard, their helms really look like the warriors in the classic artwork of the emperor about the vengeful spirit, with sanguinius at Horus' feet. I never noticed that till I saw yours painted black.

[Inquisitor Engel]

Looking very grand! The minis and the paintjobs you've done to them are excellent!

 

And looking at these Sagittarum guard, their helms really look like the warriors in the classic artwork of the emperor about the vengeful spirit, with sanguinius at Horus' feet. I never noticed that till I saw yours painted black.

 

Thanks! Big part of the choice of scheme. 

 

Though I will say, Sagittarum Guard are TOTALLY based off that "old" (like 2005?) artwork, but who am I to complain? :) 

 

I've been experimenting with Contrast paints lately while doing Guilliman (before doing Dorn, for obvious reasons) and man... I'm loving them. The gold I've got for Guilliman is just... I'm so stoked to do more. 

 

 

 

1. Base with Stormhost Silver
2. Layer Contrast Snakebite Leather (babysit it for a couple of minutes to make sure it doesn’t pool)
3. Highlight with Liberator Gold
4. Pin wash of Seraphim Sepia in the thinnest recesses.

Try it. You'll be blown away!

[Reyner]

That gold looks really good I'll have to try get some of that snakebite leather (damn that paint name takes me back!)

[oldschoolsavant]

Ahem.

 

http://i.imgur.com/bUd4sov.jpg

 

(consistency isn't great, but it still lives !)

 

Nice to see the dark Sagittarum too.

[Inquisitor Engel]

Because I accidentally posted this in my Night Lords thread...

 

Not quite done, but I’m super stoked with how Guilliman has turned out. The Horus Heresy head looks so much more hopeful and forward-looking than the dour plastic 40K one. I had worried the sizing would be off, but it worked out pretty well. Need to shade underneath it once the glue dries, but I'm so, so happy with the current product. 

 

Also, all that gold? Contrast is the secret! Can't wait to work on Dorn. 

 

[Inquisitor Engel]

Done. 

 

 

Roboute Guilliman, Imperial Regent, Primarch of the XIII Legion "Ultramarines," Lord of Ultramar, Lord Commander of the Imperium, Lord of Ultramar, the Battle King, the Blade of Unity, the Ruler of Hosts, The Victorious, The Avenging Son. 

 

A full combo of every technique I've ever learned. Airbrushing, edge highlights, contrast paints, dry brushing, shading, low-lighting, pin-washes, wet blending, two thin coats, one thick coat, and above all... patience. 

[SickSix]

He looks great. Never thought you could use contrast in such a way. Great job.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the Lord Regent.

[Inquisitor Engel]

Thanks guys! Very pleased with him indeed. Thinking of entering him in the Rusty Nurgling at the Citadel this weekend. Stiff competition, but you never know!

 

Another painting break between Eldar, Night Lords, Knights, and Imperial Fists... Here comes another Hetaeron Guard.

 

 

Almost done with the squad, just the leader to do! I'm bereft of my DSLR at the moment, so the phone camera will have to do, which has the downside of pics not being quite as well-lit, even in the lightbox.

 

 

Painted over the Titaticus T transfer in the middle of this Aquila to add a splash of colour to the Solarite Power Gauntlet. Also loving Constrast Guilliman Flesh over Liberator Gold, with a drybrush of Liberator Gold and a VERY light highlight of Stormhost Silver for that perfect worn gold.

 

 

I have no idea how many points this, but I'm closing in on the need to do that dreadnought...

 

 

Sidenote: I'm really missing Apple's support for Aperture. I have yet to find a photo editing tool that gets quite the same results with as much ease.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The Custodes is well done.

[Inquisitor Engel]

Thanks!

I'm actually sparingly working on a Cerastus Knight Lancer and have decided his back carapace would be all black and the red would be on the shoulders. Thing is, that kinda messes up the heraldry (in which red is the outside colour) so I've got something to put to a vote.

 

For reference, this is how the heraldry worked on the Knight Errant. 

 

 

So...

 

Option 1:

 

Option 2:

 

Leaning toward option 1, but you never know. 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The colors you chose remind me of those of king and coral snakes. King snakes are constrictors that kill and eat other snakes- including venomous ones, forcing them to evolve an immunity to certain snake venoms- coral snakes are venomous. A folk rhyme to distinguish them is "Red and yellow [stripes touching], kill a fellow. Red and black, venom lack," though it isn't applicable to all species.

[noigrim]

Option 1 looka good he yellow blends too much with yhe red

[Inquisitor Engel]

Interesting point about the Coral Snakes! 

 

I wonder if the "Red and Yellow" touching on the black armour surfaces (legs mostly) will be sufficient, and maybe having red and black juxtaposed on the shoulder will convey some kinship with imperial citizenry! BEHOLD THE BIG FRIENDLY KNIGHT!

 

Option 1 definitely looks the smoothest. Red field with yellow cogs look a little too mustard/ketchup having stared at it.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Red field with yellow cogs look a little too mustard/ketchup having stared at it.

Or Germanic.

[Inquisitor Engel]

 

Red field with yellow cogs look a little too mustard/ketchup having stared at it.

Or Germanic.

 

 

Nothing goes better with some Bavarian wiener than mustard...

[Inquisitor Engel]

Finally got my DSLR back and a Canon Ultrasonic 100mm fixed 2.8f Macro lens and...

 

On the left is the picture I took with my phone, and had to tweak to hell to get it to look half decent. On the right is an unediting (except for size) picture taken with the "proper equipment" so to speak:

 

 

The best camera may be the one you have with you, but that doesn't make it THE BEST CAMERA. :P

[Inquisitor Engel]

Now that I got the one shoulder pad done... I started moving onto the other...

 

I've stripped and repainted this particular Knight Lancer shoulder pads like... five times trying to find a pattern I like for House Hyperion (house device is on the other side). Finally landed on a paint and decal combo I'm happy with.

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

That pauldron is beautifully painted. I commend your skills.

[Inquisitor Engel]

That pauldron is beautifully painted. I commend your skills.

 

Thanks! It's mostly decals though! Just strategically combined, along with some excellent Tamiya masking tape and sprays. Gotta have those smooth colours!

 

I ended up making the starburst on the left pad yellow to balance out the yellow stripes on the Hyperion house device on the right pad. Just applied a couple of thin layers of Contrast Iyanden Yellow on top and BAM! Turned out great. Yesterday I finished both shoulders for my Knight Lancer and man this guy is looking great.

 

 

I'm hoping that by doing all the armour plates first, I won't get bogged down on the structure, which I found rather... tedious on my last knight.

[Inquisitor Engel]

First model of 2020! 

 

Amelia Novena! I'm VERY proud of the face, though the detail on her waist started to get ... iffy after a couple of layers of primer, contrast, wash, etc. The detail on these SoB minis is bizarrely insane. You can tell they were designed to match artwork, versus designed in CAD first, then having the artwork cool. 

 

 

I had planned on starting a small force of Sisters, but this experience has probably put me off. These are beautiful models, but I can't see myself doing an entire army of them. They're just too much work. I need more straightforward models for EVERY model. Massive respect for anyone who dives in with a whole army!

[Kolgrim DeathHowl]

Excellent painting!!

[MegaVolt87]

I love those black custodes. I think I will do my vexillia in that style, its quite a striking scheme. 

[Inquisitor Engel]

Thanks guys! I need a third Vexillia that's unique and still clearly 40K... Suggestions on that welcome! ;) 

 

Anyway, Second model of 2020! Finally finished the leader for my first Squad of Custodian Guard which gives me my FIRST FULL SQUAD! I've been bouncing around different units, but it's nice to have everyone together. The shoulder pauldrons are from Ixion Hale (who was turned into the squad leader for the Saturnine Guard).

 

 

I just like this views of him, and am very happy I was able to combine metalics and Contrast to achieve colours that used to take me ages of slow buildup with an Airbrush.

 

 

Cape feels meh, especially compared to my red capes I've been doing across my other armies. The top portion feels okay, but the lower portion and larger "waves" feel very sloppy to me. Needs more work before I go for the Shield Captain. Any tips on Citadel Colours for purple capes?

 

 

FULL SQUAD. The first one was done two years ago! Using Custodes to break up the monotony between other armies was slow, but I feel like each one is much better than they would be if I were to have batch painted them.