Ultramarines Project Log

[Biohazard]

I like your technique for working the highlights. I use a similar technique. this thread is looking like its going to be one to watch. What do you have planned for the Vanguard ie how much conversion work are you planning?

[Dan Sly]

Thanks biohazard, I'm planning a fair amount of work, removing all ba bits of course, sculpting some parchment/purity seals, and thinking of mixing in some heresy era armour helmets and maybe the odd segmented shoulder pad.

 

My bits box is virtually non existstant right now as I've just got back into things which doesn't help things much at all.

 

- Dan -

[Biohazard]

Have a look for Hoard o Bits on eBay. I get a lot of stuff from him. His prices are usually excellent and it usually only takes a week at most to get here even though he's based in the US. Hope this helps and I like the idea for the older mks of helm on them. :P

[Dan Sly]

Brilliant! Cheers mate I shall have a look for him. Yeah I figured they would be almost treated like relics and given to the veterans for battle...plus I think the mk 5 just looks mean haha

 

- Dan -

[Dan Sly]

So it's been a while, I've been off work sick so progress ground to a halt, but I (finally) charged my proper camera, so no more phone pics!

Should show the proper shade of blue for the armour, and I'm really pleased with how 'rich' the red robes look.

Front:

Back:

And here we have the command squad and captain getting ready for paint, hopefully going to add some green stuff ornamentation to the shoulders, or greaves.

Cheers for looking, and hope you're all still interested! ;)

- Dan -

[Dan Sly]

Oh Dear, down to fourth page! Haha

Progress has been pretty slow, but managed to get some time to do some work on the librarian

Mainly, he now has a face!

Skin is my weakness, what do you think?

And here at table top size:

Got a delivery from ebay a few days ago, which has meant I can convert my sterguard, so here is the test model for them.

Front:

Back:

What do you think? I reckon some more purity seals, and possibly some greenstuff bits here and there. (Plus remove all the mold lines haha)

My Vanguard converted from Sanguinary guard will also have the same shoulders, hopefully differentiate them even more and make them look more greek/roman.

Cheers for looking, and please comment :huh:

- Dan -

[Megapope]

Looking real good! One suggestion that immediately came to mind was adding scopes if at all possible to all the sternguard's bolters so it's more obvious they're carrying fancy guns.

[ephrael]

I think that the Librarian's face looks very well done. I would like to know the recipe for the skin so I can try it myself. The sternguard looks pretty good with those shoulder pads. They look suitably ornate for veteran marines. I would recommend you to make some leather looking strips coming out from under the pads themselves. I think it would add a little more detail to the marines and give them a slightly more Roman look.

[Grizzly_bear]

I think this is a great start to your army, really liking the libbi and I'm 50/50with them shoulder pads on power armoured marines, so very sorry I can't give a full answer on them.

 

Rob

[Dan Sly]

Megapope: Thanks! Yeah, the bolter isn't glued yet, just in position to make sure the arms lined up, I have some scopes, or I was thinking of running some cables up the arm from the bolter into the backpack/or under the shoulderguard, like their linked directly to it for sighting etc. What do you think?

 

Mikhail: The skin was a lot of experimenting, roughly, it was a base of tallarn flesh, ogryn flesh wash, tallarn flesh light, add some elf flesh lights, then i just went back and forward between washign dark areas and lights, to tie all together, I did use a mix of Baal, ogryn and leviathan purple in the end to give a nice warm red-brown to increase contrast, might go back do a few more washes to the lower side of his cheeks, paint his teeth and tongue.

 

Dorns_fist: Cheers mate, I took a gamble on the pads and I must say im really pleased, these aren't the large terminator ones, they'd be too small for that, they're about the same size as a normal pad they just go out, rather than down. Plus, I got 20 for £7.00, nice and cheap and beautifully cast, got them from Anvil Industry on ebay. The pictures don't do them justice.

 

I think I'm going to add some gold/metal edging to the greaves with greenstuff, and pick up the steam knight heads from Maxmini, or maybe forgeworld pre heresy heads.

 

Cheers for looking, and if anyone has any ideas/comments feel free :lol:

 

- Dan -

[Subtle Discord]

I really like the 'building up' of the paint. I paint in the same manner, I think. Put down the base colour/s, wash and blend back-and-forth on all the large messy areas. Then clean up, and wash and blend all of the smaller places. Keep going until everything is done.

 

Don't doubt your flesh technique, it's very good. I was actually thinking it looked really good just before reading that you're not sure about it.'Healthy' looking skin is very tricky, and to make it look its best you need to blend chalky colours, which is a pain.

 

The fact that you show a 'table top size' photo says it all; that is what it's going to look like during normal use, and it looks stellar. I'm always amazed how a drop-dead-amazing-looking miniature is actually not as perfect as it might seem up close. That doesn't change that it's drop-dead-amazing-looking, but it shows that it actually doesn't need to be flawless from 6cm away with a macro lense.

[Dan Sly]

Yeah, I find in the end it leads to a better look, a bit more natural as you can keep playing with things until it hits that eureka moment when it all comes together, sometimes i find the base, shade, highlight, a bit too ...mechanical? If that makes sense?

 

Thanks, the more I look at it, the more I'm pleased with it.

 

I know what you mean, and I'm planning (fingers crossed) to get an entire force painted up to the same standard as the librarian, and once they're all on the tabletop, any problems will disappear, plus, I really hope it will look like an impressive army with a lot of effort put into it.

 

 

I really love your BL rhino, would you mind if I used it as inspiration for an ornate Ultra's rhino?

 

 

- Dan -

[Biohazard]

Skin on the Libby looks great buddy, do not doubt yourself there.

I quite like where the Veteran is going I agree with doing something to the bolters to make them look a little more special but Im not sure what.

[Dan Sly]

Thanks mate,

 

I did have the plan of mating a bolter with the rifle grip of the shotguns from the scouts, to create a kind of ornate, rifle bolter. But it didn't turn out too well, so it's back to square one with that!

 

Or I could buy some of the nice forgeworld pre heresy bolters, might work nicely?

 

- Dan -

[Subtle Discord]

Yeah, I find in the end it leads to a better look, a bit more natural as you can keep playing with things until it hits that eureka moment when it all comes together, sometimes i find the base, shade, highlight, a bit too ...mechanical? If that makes sense?

 

Thanks, the more I look at it, the more I'm pleased with it.

 

I know what you mean, and I'm planning (fingers crossed) to get an entire force painted up to the same standard as the librarian, and once they're all on the tabletop, any problems will disappear, plus, I really hope it will look like an impressive army with a lot of effort put into it.

 

 

I really love your BL rhino, would you mind if I used it as inspiration for an ornate Ultra's rhino?

 

 

- Dan -

 

I know exactly what you mean. Personally, I need to break things up into small pieces. Take a section to 90% done, then work to the next, and the next, and the next, cleaning and refining as I go. (Many would call it done at this point) Then I go back and give it all one last touch-up. It's just actually reaching that final touch up phase. I always get distracted by something else along the way.

 

Get just one squad done and you'll erase all doubt. If you're like me, you're your own worse critic because you can see all the minor little things that could be 'just a bit better'. They usually really are just minor, and nobody notices. Once you have even 10 miniatures side-by-side, the tiny flaws get lost in the awesomeness.

 

Please, feel free to pilfer any inspiration from my work that you can. I'd like to see a take on what I do done for loyalists, and Ultra Marines would be an excellent chapter, with their taste for the ornate.

[Dan Sly]

Yep! exactly the same for me, including the distraction part! haha

 

I've got some time off work next week so I'm hoping between them and the christmas holidays I'll get some squads sorted. I've also convinced myself to get a contemptor, but can't decide between relic or normal one, hmmm

 

Thanks! And that's what I thought, they do love their gold shiny bits! Do you have any plans or templates for the shapes at all?

 

- Dan -

[Dan Sly]

Haven't done any painting, but have been working out my ideas for my scratch built drop ship as a 3d model.

The idea behind it is much like the Huey in vietnam, get in fast, drop off, provide fire support, then leave to pick up more troops. Less hard hitting than the Caestus from FW, probably should only be able to transport smaller squads as it is a smaller size, or carry 10 and have a mainly anti-infantry weapons.

Based around the top-right concept in this sketch form GW

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/12/5/301993_sm-.jpeg

Any ideas are really appreciated at this stage, whether rules ideas, or bits sources, or changes.

Can't wait to hear what people think!

Cheers

- Dan -

[UltraRich]

The one you are copying in the top right could be based on a storm raven.

If you take the tailfin off the back and elongate the front and then use the nose as a drop ramp that would be a dead ringer for this.

I think where your 3d model differs is by the uese of square thruster instead of round

[Dan Sly]

UltraRich: Yeah thats what I was thinking, I was looking at getting hold of the wings, engine sections and landing gear, and then scratch building the rest with styrene + bits. I'll have a look around and see what's the best way forward.

 

The other idea I had thought of, was doing away with the front assault ramp, having forward firing weapons in it's place, and having hatches on the underside for disembarking, I imagine it flying in and giving cover with heavy bolters/hurricane bolters/whatever fits, then hovering and the marines dropping the few metres to the ground, saving time and adding surprise. Or assault marines just dropping out over a drop zone is a cool image haha.

 

- Dan -

[Subtle Discord]

I'm liking it... a lot. Considering my current army theme is loosely based on Vietnam air cavalry, as soon as you described it as a Vietnam era Hugy, my mind started to wander on how this could evolve. I've been considering how I could add proper VTL 'helicopters' to my force, and this defiantly planted a seed.

 

Consider the following few things that popped in to my head right away - but I'm sure there's more;

 

Wider side doors in place of, or along with, the front door. All the better to get off/on faster.

Belly-mounted and/or side-mounted 'Gatling gun/s'. A side-mount could even 'split' or be inside side doors.

Widen the hull slightly to justify however many troops you want it to carry.

Extend the cockpit forward, and with the right wrap-around canopy the pilot and/or gunner could have line-of-sight of the troops getting off/on.

 

My brain is thinking how it could be done completely from scratch, but yes, the Storm Raven kit would take a lot of 'heavy lifting' out of making something like this real.

 

Aw damn... you just had to go and put such a great idea in my head, didn't you?

[Dan Sly]

haha thanks mate! I really like the idea too, I think it fits nicely with the strike fast, strike hard, space marine style.

 

Thanks for the ideas, assault cannons should definately feature, maybe on remote mounts just under the wings, or in the wing roots.

Yeah side doors are a nice idea, although I think I may work on the bottom door idea a little bit, see how that looks, would also mean that the enemy doesn't have a clear shot through the front of the vehicle (one small problem I've always had with land raiders) but then again, doors on the front look cool.

On the cockpit side, It did start with more of a fighter-style canopy further forward, but it started looking like a viper from BSG haha plus I like the armoured canopy look, I will add camera/sensors eyes all around though, just to make it more realistic (im a stickler for liking realism)

 

I'm going so do some more 3d versions tonight, maybe a more support gunship one with a nice chin/nose mounted twin assault cannon turret...hmmm too many ideas....

 

I'm booking things on ebay which could help, and I had an idea... now this will sound off, but I was lookign at the whirlwind missile pods, they have pretty much the right shape for the engine pods.. and as an orbital lander, jet engines don't work in space (no air, im looking at you caestus!) so a combine missile/engine pod, missiles up front for clearing, engines out the back powered by an internal reactor. Plus marines seem to love missile pods on flying things.

 

Looking at it, I think the storm raven wings may be too big, but as they are stubby and thick, I'm probably going to layer up some 2mm plasticard to get it nice and thick, then a thin layer to create the raised surfaces.

 

I'm sorry Subtle Discord :lol: hopefully you'll be on hand to keep feeding ideas and critique as I build the beast over christmas.

 

The other option, although expensive, is 3d printing from the computer model haha

 

- Dan -

[Subtle Discord]

I'll be more than happy to add all sorts of musings and ramblings to the process. I've promised myself that I will finish the ground-based core to my army first, before building any flyers. That said, I might just 'need' to do some side work and take this idea in a direction that would suit my Chaos force.

 

It will be at least a few months before I can put the effort I'll want towards it, so I'll very much enjoy seeing how you go forward with it first.

 

Also, I agree. I always want anything I build to feel... plausible. I know many times they're not even close to realistic, but hopefully plausible.

[Dan Sly]

Awesome! thanks mate, haha I promised myself that too...but flying things are fun :( I think a chaos huey style flyer would look great, especially with the work you've put into your vehicles.

 

I've been trying to think of a name, but haven't had much luck, I like to start with a name, I don't know why exactly though.

 

Yeah, plausible is best, if something doesn't stand out as wrong immediately it's probably ok.

[Dan Sly]

So, I've mananged to make some progress, almost all the marines I have are built, only vanguard, assault marines, a rhino and the lovely chapter masters and terminator chaplain I got from eBay in the post today (£13 for chapter masters and £5 for termi chaplain, result!)

I spent a bit of time tonight on my sternguard, here's the sergeant:

I'm pretty pleased with him, the ammo drum is from zinge industries, they are designed for bolters so it makes sternguard bolters nice and easy to make. Added extra armour plates with plasticard (he has one on each thigh, I added the second after taking the pic)

I'm trying to go for less of a 'spec ops' feel for the vets, and more of a unmoving, decorated knight. No sneaking around, wade right in and blast everything out of their path. Still got purity seals/parchments to add, and other shiny bits, might bulk his lower legs with some decoration to his greaves.

I look forward to hearing everyones thoughts.

Cheers

- Dan -

[d Karma b]

This guy... THIS GUY ^

 

He's frakking awesome. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. The idea he embodies works; you really captured that 'slog in there and dakka them to pieces' look. In particular, I LOVE the plasticard armor work, its simple and effective. Cant wait to see some more paint. : P

Would you mind providing a link to those magazines for us?