Blood Angels Redux - WIP

[Cardanis]

Alright, so this basically deserves an explanation. I started playing 40k back in 4th edition, and have loved Blood Angels from the start. I was young at the time, so my army made little to no tactical sense, and my painting . . . wasn't the best. But I still loved it! Since I loved playing more than anything, I'd rush through the painting just so I could get things on the table, resulting in models like this: (Disclaimer, my camera isn't any good, and I've never really tried to take pictures before, so there's a chance these will be horrible).

 

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0977.jpg

 

I started getting into more 'special' models, such as this:

 

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0978.jpg

 

And I was happy with my color scheme for a while, the standard, solid, Blood Angels Red. Eventually however, as I started painting a big Assault Squad (yes, I was Blood Angels without an Assault Squad . . .), I discovered I really liked a much darker tone of red:

 

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0979.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0981.jpg

 

And from there, I started applying that to more of what I painted, like this scratch-built Librarian who was the pride of my army back in the days:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0982.jpg

 

And then I stopped playing. For a looong time. It's been six or seven years, and I finally decided I wanted to pull my models back out, if only just to paint (though I'm slowly feeling the call back to the war-room . . . ) Looking at my models, I found myself thinking ". . . really? I could do SO much better than this." So I've spent a while floating through these forums, looking at all the work you've all done, and getting a ridiculous amount of inspiration. With that, I've decided to repaint/re-do my entire army. Behold the stripping pit! (Simple Green works wonders)

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0983.jpg

 

Once a few of my models were as clean as I could get, I bought a bunch of the nice, new Citadel paints, and sat down to figure out my new color scheme. This is what I ended up with:

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0984.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0985.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0986.jpg

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/cardanis/100_0987.jpg

 

It's got the darker red, which I like. I primed black, and layered up with: 1/1 black/khorne red, 1/2 black/khorne red, solid khorne red, 1/1 Wazdakka Red/Khorne Red, and Wazdakka red. I've decided I want this to be a successor chapter to the Blood Angels, and wanted to keep SOME blood red in there, so that's why the shoulder pad rims are a brighter red. With that, I've decided to do 'squad types' not with helmet colors, but shoulder pad rim colors. Knee pads and elbow pads will be black, and I've kept the eys red as well, though a bright blood red with bloodletter glaze over top. The guns are Abaddon Black, with drybrushed "Runelor Brass" highlights, same with the aquilla on their chests. I hadn't yet decided what my successor chapter would be, until I saw Midnight Runner's incredible Flesh Eaters. They were a big inspiration, and when I saw the white war-paint stripes on his helmets I was like ;) I want white stripes . . . B) From there, the chapter's whole back-story came into my mind (something I'll elaborate on later, once I've thought of an actual name for them), and decided they each needed a white paint-scar over their eyes. On top of this, because of their shame of the weakness in their Gene-seed, they would bare the traditional Blood Angel symbol, however with the same white 'scar' scratched over it.

 

So basically, as I start moving on to painting more of my army, I was hoping to get insight/advice on a few things. Basically, I'd like to know what you'd do with the color scheme, any ideas you have, or even "what I would do if I were you" would help a lot, since I find a lot of inspiration in other peoples ideas. On top of your thoughts, I have a few questions/concerns I'd love help with.

 

1) I'm worried about the the lack of traditional BA red in the color scheme. I prefer the darker red, but want to still pay homage to my old army. I was thinking of either doing the heigher groove of the backpack in BA red, or do part of the casing of the Bolters with it, since:

2) I'm not sure if the Bolters are too plain. I like the simple burnished look, but was wondering what I could do to accent it more. Thoughts on having the outer casing be traditional red, but still try burnishing it with brass?

3) Do the eyes get lost in all the red? The reason I put a brighter/glossier red was because that's what I did on my old Assault Marines, and it gave them a very demonic/crazed look that I like. However, this color scheme has a lot more red, and I'm afraid the eyes are getting lost in it

4) I would like to increase the use-age of white, but it seems to be a bit off on the normal marines. Can anyone think of a good way to work it in? If not, I'm fine with keeping it to special characters, and more likely than anything else, my sanguinary priests.

5) The OSL on the plasma-gun marine was my first attempt at it ever. I'm aware it doesn't look that . . . real. Any advice?

6) Likewise, the battle damage on the normal marine was my first attempt, and was hoping for advice with that as well.

7) The Chapter Symbols on the left shoulder pads, freehanded, were once again my first attempt. I'm proud of them, and intend to continue the same idea throughout the rest of my army, but I was wondering if anyone had advice for freehanding? Along the same train of thought, I've seen people paint as small as pupils on eyes, and wonder what brushes/techniques used for that, since I've never found brushes small enough to do that.

8) I'm not too sure how pleased I am with the purity seal, I found it hard to layer something that small (and once again, the writing was difficult with my brushes/lack of steady hands), and I was wondering if anyone had good paint color choices/techniques for these?

 

I think . . . that might actually be it, lol. I hope I'm not asking for too much! I don't have ridiculous amounts of time to paint these days, but it's a real goal of mine to not only repaint everything, but do a lot of modeling/converting, in order to 'bling out' my army. As such, I'm going to try to make sure to keep this thread updated with any progress I make. On that note, I'm off to go check out some photography tutorials . .

 

Thanks everyone!