XVII Legion: Dark Apostle, 109th host

[jumai]

So, apparently when I moved last fall, I packed away the in-progress conversion which was to become my host's Apostle so snug and safe... that it never quite resurfaced and slipped from memory.

Until I decided to take a break from studies and went to go fish out my unpainted Chosen, that is. They had become seperated from each other and reuniting them necessitated an expedition to the bottom of that drawer's many compartment-boxes. Luckily, whilst so engaged, on top of accounting for each errant Chosen I encountered a handful of bitz that I (even more luckily) recognized.

A couple of days later, there are wisps plastic filings in every dark corner of my floor, various fiddly bits have combined to form other, bigger fiddly bits according to an iterative process by which I have successfully assembled my Apostle. I've just given him a coat of primer. I want to start painting, but... I don't know, I'm just not sure if he feels quite "done."

He isn't supposed to be a major conversion, but I still want him to feel unique, and part of me feels like he hasn't quite broken out of his base figure's silhouette. I'd love if he could look more... chaplain-y somehow. Currently there isn't all that much that emphasizes the zealous charisma implicit in one who can command a fanatical cult of warrior-monks in battle as well as in faith.

Besides, my First Acolyte is converted from the jump pack chaplian, and it just wouldn't do if he were wearing more scripture on his person than his Apostle was. That sort of thing could get you killed.

So... any thoughts from the experts on what sort of details I could add to help stress the theme? I have some purity seals saved and I tried them in a few spots with just stickytac, but I'm not sure if the way they hang is ok. I tried to use the staring-down-from-above type pose and wind-whipped tabard to imply there's an updraft. I think this gives him a sense of being elevated and isolated, which is just the right feel (and cashes in on lots of epic moment/menacing villain tropes). I don't want to spoil that by demonstrating his updraft can hardly flutter a strip of paper.

I suppose at this point I should show you the model. Sorry it's so hard to see properly, he's awfully white at the moment.

Any suggestions? Would a seal or to up near his armpit where it'd be more sheltered work ok? Would he benefit more from a weapon redesign? (I kind of hate that brilliantly positioned skull where the sight should be, and the combat blade's a bit large, I just wasn't sure it was worth trying to modify it). See a spot begging for an eight-pointed star?

Thanks, folks.

Oh. Just in case I get (un?)sidetracked and start blogging those instead, here are those Chosen I was going on about.

-jumai

[Bewlay]

I say some purity seals in areas that look a little bare.

 

But i'm surprised that you've sprayed them white!

[Chaos Lord Shamrockius]

I love all 6 models... where did you get the helmets for the two chosen on the right?

[Firepower]

Hmm well, in terms of making him look more important, there isn't much space on the model which isn't already somewhat elaborate. The biggest blank canvas I can spot would be the sides of his chest and perhaps his shoulders.

 

If you feel comfortable with some minor greenstuff work, I would try adding a vestment like sash thing running down either side of his chest.

 

I'm not sure of the vocabulary, but google can lend me a hand here: http://www.communityofhopeinc.org/vestment5.gif

 

That sort of 'holy scarf' (as I like to call it) is pretty iconic as ceremonial decoration, and could easily be made with a thin strip or two of greenstuff. I wouldn't bother crossing the sash though, just two lengths running parallel up and down either side of his chest. Sort of like that one Black Templar Tabard chest piece.

 

If you feel even more ambitious, those big spiky racks on his back could be littered with a few similar strands (suitably ragged and short to avoid headache) of parchment flapping in the wind. Impaling and tugging a few thin flaps of greenstuff along his shoulder spikes would really add to the effect. Think Necron Flayed Ones and switch skin for parchment...or don't, Chaos isn't above that sort of behavior :D

 

Other than that, I would maybe try elevating his base a tiny bit. Like you said, he has that 'sermon on the mount' thing going on right now, but emphasizing his position of looking down on his flock a bit more couldn't hurt.

 

Anyway, cool looking guy, and cool Chosen. Just be sure to drill those barrels ;)

[Sgt. Blank]

Great models, I really like the fantasy chaos warrior heads on the robed bodies. I don't think I'd every have thought of that and it looks great and is perfect for word bearers.

 

As far as ways to make him stand out, I've got a couple suggestions.

 

First, what Wordbearer is complete without a copy of the Word of Lorgar? You could add a big (scale-wise of course) somewhere. Depending on how crazy you want to get with it, you could put it on his hip, or even open on his chest, held in place with some fine chain (like the loyalist terminator librarian model has on his banner)

 

Second, you could add some candles or braziers to his armor to give him more of an occult, ritualistic vibe.

 

Lastly. you could do it with paint and add script directly to the armor, maybe throw in the occasional symbol of the Dark Gods or an eight pointed star. Depending on your color scheme you could do this in white or gold, whichever would be more striking.

[Khestra the Unbeheld]

If you're feeling really adventurous with your Dark Apostle, take the short length of chain from the Chaos vehicle sprue and make a bridge between the trophy racks, then suspend the book from the Chaos Terminator Sorcerer sprue from that chain, so that the open pages face outward towards the enemy, and verily will the last thing their mortal eyes behold before their enlightenment will be the holy writ of the Book of Lorgar, his Word bearing witness to the heathen on his knees before the Truth.

[jumai]

I say some purity seals in areas that look a little bare.

But i'm surprised that you've sprayed them white!

I like white primer... I paint with many layers of very thinned down paint and try to take advantage of the transparency, almost never will I lay down a coat that "covers" the way people seem to use the term in mini painting. Besides much smoother surfaces and better detail retention, I like the control you get when you build up your colour tone by adding tints rather than setting a solid colour down. Both for getting the shade right, and for getting the depth/complexity/surface-look of things like skin; ie, skin itself isn't really the colour you see when you look at people... check out your cuticle, the bit of skin around the base of your fingernails, that's just skin but it you couldn't paint a face that colour. A lot of the red in flesh tone is coming through from blood underneath, and other tones are contributed by blueish/gristley muscle and tendon, etc. I find skin looks a lot better when you can start with a bruise-coloured purple, then move through dark red into yellow and yellow/gray.

Can't do that with foundation paints, and can't do that with a black basecoat either. You'd paint for hours, and accomplish a muddy, murky looking thing somewhere between black and crap. Instead, to avoid white patches in recesses, I start with one or two deep colour guiding washes. Usually I mix up a dark brown that emphasizes the part of the colour wheel that's complimentary to the colour I'm planning to paint there... this darkens the area and the complimentary colours on top of each other will make the spot also look very dark (nothing really getting reflected back), but it doesn't give the drawn-on-with-a-pen look that actual black tends to cause. Shadows are dark areas because light isn't going in (thus, not reflecting out), actual black coloured objects are pretty damn rare in nature and stick out like anything. So I don't like black for simulating dark.

Sorry I guess that looks like a bit of a tirade. I'm not preaching I'm just rambling.

I love all 6 models... where did you get the helmets for the two chosen on the right?

Thanks. The helmets are from the plastic Chaos Knights box. So is the head of the apostle's crozius staff, and his shoulder armour is made from 2 pairs of shoulder plates from that kit (trimmed down and one fit upside down into the other, was going for a hinged look). I bought the box primarily for conversion materials and its pieces are sprinkled throughout my Host (though I did make some knights with marine torsos and plasma guns to use as bikes, and am still saving a horse in case I ever want a character with a daemonic steed).

I haven't run with it but I also made a test model for marines with knight torsos... you need to trim off the flared skirt of the breastplate and file in a place for the legs to mesh with, but if you miss the old-school look from the 2e plastics, he came out something like that (at the new larger scale though). Here I'll just show you.

Project for another time maybe...

First, what Wordbearer is complete without a copy of the Word of Lorgar? You could add a big (scale-wise of course) somewhere. Depending on how crazy you want to get with it, you could put it on his hip, or even open on his chest, held in place with some fine chain (like the loyalist terminator librarian model has on his banner)

Second, you could add some candles or braziers to his armor to give him more of an occult, ritualistic vibe.

Lastly. you could do it with paint and add script directly to the armor, maybe throw in the occasional symbol of the Dark Gods or an eight pointed star. Depending on your color scheme you could do this in white or gold, whichever would be more striking.

I forgot, I actually had a good spot for the book off the back of his right thigh. Thanks. I also have some censers from the DA kit that I'll see if I can't find a good spot for. He'll definitely have script on the cloth parts... some of my models have parchment-coloured armour sections that I keep forgetting to fill in with script but I didn't see a spot on him for that. Doing it in silver over the red I hadn't thought of, if I can get fine enough lines I think I'll try it.

If you feel even more ambitious, those big spiky racks on his back could be littered with a few similar strands (suitably ragged and short to avoid headache) of parchment flapping in the wind. Impaling and tugging a few thin flaps of greenstuff along his shoulder spikes would really add to the effect. Think Necron Flayed Ones and switch skin for parchment...or don't, Chaos isn't above that sort of behavior tongue.gif

I love this idea. Dunno if my putty skills are up to the challenge but I'll have a go. And I'm fairly certain that the Book of Lorgar is written onto parchment made from *clears throat for doom voice* skin flayed from the backs of unbelievers *reverbrating echoes* when a copy is transcribed for a new (acolyte? or battle brother? guy who gets one anyway).

[Bewlay]

I like white primer... I paint with many layers of very thinned down paint and try to take advantage of the transparency, almost never will I lay down a coat that "covers" the way people seem to use the term in mini painting. Besides much smoother surfaces and better detail retention, I like the control you get when you build up your colour tone by adding tints rather than setting a solid colour down. Both for getting the shade right, and for getting the depth/complexity/surface-look of things like skin; ie, skin itself isn't really the colour you see when you look at people... check out your cuticle, the bit of skin around the base of your fingernails, that's just skin but it you couldn't paint a face that colour. A lot of the red in flesh tone is coming through from blood underneath, and other tones are contributed by blueish/gristley muscle and tendon, etc. I find skin looks a lot better when you can start with a bruise-coloured purple, then move through dark red into yellow and yellow/gray.

 

Can't do that with foundation paints, and can't do that with a black basecoat either. You'd paint for hours, and accomplish a muddy, murky looking thing somewhere between black and crap. Instead, to avoid white patches in recesses, I start with one or two deep colour guiding washes. Usually I mix up a dark brown that emphasizes the part of the colour wheel that's complimentary to the colour I'm planning to paint there... this darkens the area and the complimentary colours on top of each other will make the spot also look very dark (nothing really getting reflected back), but it doesn't give the drawn-on-with-a-pen look that actual black tends to cause. Shadows are dark areas because light isn't going in (thus, not reflecting out), actual black coloured objects are pretty damn rare in nature and stick out like anything. So I don't like black for simulating dark.

 

Wow, I look forward to the result :confused: