New space wolves army. Unadulterated feedback required.

[greysquigg]

Here is my new space wolves army.

 

I'm a new painter, so please give me all the feedback on the paint jobs, things I'm doing/done wrong, and any thoughts on improvements.

 

I will gladly accept any and all feedback responses.

 

Not all are completely finished, anything blaring and obvious (such as rhino tracks *sideways glance*) just ignore for the time being.

 

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/4bca6e4e.jpg

 

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/5eee8d4d.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/0e7384c6.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/a713d421.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/67aae1dd.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/8f4ce29d.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/d8e86307.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/4980a207.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/5af0e290.jpg

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/a24b8342.jpg

[TheSniperMonkey]

Looking pretty good brother! Only thing I would say is more brighter spot colours to add some contrast to some of them but the most important thing I've learnt about painting is to do something you like and you are happy with as it's your force on the table!

 

Keep up the good work! *passes a tankard of mjod*

[styygens]

For a beginner painter, these are pretty good for tabletop. You've got room to improve in using splashes of color to help keep your figures from appearing too flat, and you need to learn how to add a little more interest to your bases. But it's looking really good for a start!

[Beef]

Looking good my only advice would be to try movinig away from drybrushing on the tanks as it looks to chalky unless you could use a wash afterwards to tone it down. Good work other wise, the pic need to be clearer for a better view, ultimatly as long as you are happy thats all that matters, (i have had some garish paintjobs on my SW at times)

[greysquigg]

Thanks for the reply's guys.

 

So what I got from that was:

 

More bright colours, so perhaps make the yellow and red brighter and maybe add a bit of white into the mix for a brighter highlight in places?

 

@thesnipermonkey by spot colours do you mean the colours of the spot lights? so some varnish might work?

 

Dry Brushing on vehicles looks wrong. So do you think its more a case of a lighter shade on the vehicles?

 

 

Cheers! GS

[Cate]

If I get what thesnipermonekey mean by spot colours, he means that there should be a couple of spots on the mini that breaks of from the rest, like making gems brighter and clashing with the rest of the mini. There are several way to do this. Here is an example.

I have circled in spot colours with green on the first picture so you see what I mean.

The blue on the top knot is a spot colour as your eyes draws to just that spot, the red on the shoulders and the kneepad is also spot colours, but are a little more sublime than the blue top knot. But the red is painte on three spots on the mini, which is an optimal number of spots that should have a different colour as it also tricks the mind a little, if it had more red, the mini would be red and grey instead of grey with red parts, if you see what I mean.

Hope you got something out from my rambling and hopefully also what thesnipermonkey meant.

/C

[greysquigg]

Excellent insight, thankyou very much!

 

Here is what I ended up with:

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/a82ba51b.jpg

 

So, the red on the shoulder and knee was brightened up, and the yellow on the shoulder was brightened up. And the blue on the plasma gun is brighter now.

 

Playing with the idea of a red top knot what do you think? too much?

[Wulfebane]

Topknot works.

 

Paint those wolf tails contrasting colors from the armor. If you intended for them to be black (which may be the case if I'm looking at that closer one right) then you either need to make the blacks darker or use a different mix of grey than what you use for your armor before washing it.

 

Another way to add spot colors is by painting the base a different color from the armor.

 

...basically all the intent of "spot color" is to insert some contrasting color so it doesn't all look like the same drab tones and/or same palette as the armor. Your dark grey model won't show up as well on a dark grey base. For instance, your model on a snow base stands out more solely due to the base.

[Warbringer]

I like it and if you do go for it, might be cool way of distinguishing squads ;)

[greysquigg]

So this is what I'm calling a nearly finished mini. Just the metal on the tails and legs to do now.

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/c88c3cc3.jpg

 

 

Thanks for all of the help! Have me on my way to a great looking army.

 

Next up will be the Contemptor, I've made a start on the spot colours already.

 

More to come!

[Lord Ragnarok]

If I get what thesnipermonekey mean by spot colours, he means that there should be a couple of spots on the mini that breaks of from the rest, like making gems brighter and clashing with the rest of the mini. There are several way to do this. Here is an example.

I have circled in spot colours with green on the first picture so you see what I mean.

The blue on the top knot is a spot colour as your eyes draws to just that spot, the red on the shoulders and the kneepad is also spot colours, but are a little more sublime than the blue top knot. But the red is painte on three spots on the mini, which is an optimal number of spots that should have a different colour as it also tricks the mind a little, if it had more red, the mini would be red and grey instead of grey with red parts, if you see what I mean.

Hope you got something out from my rambling and hopefully also what thesnipermonkey meant.

/C

Thanks for this quick education!

[Cate]

I like a lot, now it pops out more and the details are easier to see.

I think your army will be looking smashing when it is all done.

Suggestions for the rhino and the raider, is to paint them both in an even grey colour (grey) and then wash the deeper parts with nuln oil, making them pop, and the the parts the rises up in a brighter grey. I use Dawnstone grey as main colour and then administratum grey as highlightning, just paint the edges, if you want the highlights pop up even more mix in some white in the lighter of the greys.

Suggestion two for the tanks are paint parts of them red or yellow, depending on what squad it will be attached to. Triangles or stripes can be applied later.

I'll show you what I mean.

The areas circled green can get the squad markings i.e. red or yellow, making it pop more. The red circles is where I suggest you wash down with black or a darker colour, and the blue circles are some of the places where you could apply highlights.

As you can see I have not applied any highlights, but that is because it is my Chaos LR which is pure white, still have not been able to find a brighter colour of white. ;)

There are probably others who can give you better suggestions then I can. I have only been painting wolves for 2 months or so.

/C

[greysquigg]

I like that idea a lot, unfortunately the raider is a bit too far gone now to change up it completely.

 

So here is what I'm going to do.

 

Take your advise on the inking, highlighting and squad markings.

 

But instead of re-base coating the whole model, I'm going to stipple the raised areas in space wolves grey. This would give the effect your talking about.

 

 

GS

[Cate]

That will work too. :o

 

Good luck.

 

/C

[Grimtooth]

Great work for a new gamer/modeller. Drill out your bolter barrels is all I can add.

[greysquigg]

Hi all,

 

Had a rather hectic week this week. Not much time for hobby stuff!

 

Here is where I am with the raider

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/c3e0c02f.jpg

 

Started to brighten up the contemptor a bit by bringing out it's purity seals.

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/e18e6de9.jpg

 

Also stuck some transfer markings onto his legs.

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/300b5de4.jpg

 

Here is what I plan to do with the rest of the rhino's (still haven't done those tracks *other sideways glance*)

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/e7ac15c4.jpg

 

Cheers, GS

[Cate]

That is a good start with the vehicles, you might want to wolf them up a bit like putting shields or pelts on them, but that will probably be done later. When it comes to the contemptor dread I would suggest to put some colour on one or both knees, giving him some sort of alignment to a great company or even Logans company, if you check out Bjorn on the GW site you will see what I mean, plus you get some more colour on it. Also bling him up a bit more with wolf stuff, like squirrel tails, pelts and such as he is one of the mightiest old warriors in the chapter and should look like it, brighten up the chest eagle even more.

 

I really like the contemptor leg and the transfer, just enough grit and dirt to make him look like he have been in a campaign for a longer time. The transfer looks really good.

 

/C

[Wulfebane]

Nothing says "mighty warrior" like a collection of squirrel tails. :lol:

[Cate]

Squirrels are related to rabbits and we all know that rabbits are dangerous killers. :)

[greysquigg]

nasty, big, pointy teeth! *soils self*

 

Ok cool, I'm thinking for the contemptor going for a single red knee pad. Idea behind this is there is the red eyes, and the purity seals. That gives me the ideal amount of red to make the spot colour technique work. Do I need to put some more red on him? I was considering an icon, in particular the wolf head with the knife to be glued to the top.

Had played with the idea of making the shoulders yellow, but decided something thats been around since pre heresy days wouldn't have the yellow shoulders from Ragnars claw.

 

So fluff wise, are we thinking the contemptor to be part of the great wolf's company? Like the priest HQ choices. Would kind of make sense seeing as there would only be a hand full of these bad boys left. If this is the case, it would make sense to put the wolf that walks the sky mark somewhere on it?

I'm basically making a wolf lord Ragnar type army gone wrong with help from Logan..

 

Maybe even black shoulders with the white wolf?

 

Really stuck on this model, it looks bad ass if you look at it IRL.

 

 

 

Cheers, GS

 

 

P.S, I hate golden yellow... it takes ages to cover with...

[-Volsung-]

You're leaving hella brush marks on your rhino from drybrushing.

 

Where the flat surfaces are, consider going over them with some of the original color, but thinned down, or maybe a glaze of some sort.

 

The colors are looking good, but make sure you're drybrush is dry-er, or those marks are gonna pop up.

 

Dread looks good :rolleyes:

[greysquigg]

Hello all.

 

Been really busy with work recently to have time to write about progress on here.

 

I've made allot of progress, managed to brighten/sex up the army. The whole things looks allot brighter and generally less dull.

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/08e11488.jpg

 

The contemptor has been slightly wolfed up a bit. Still needs some pelting I think. Maybe it's time I learned to use green stuff.

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/550a5851.jpg

 

The rhino is 80% done, I'll be sexing up the second once this one is suitably sexed. Glueing of "extra bits" still needs to be done

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/a00c85e1.jpg

 

Been having another stab at my rune priests, making the axes blue. I decided to play with a bit of a glow effect on the shaft of the axe. Not sure about my results however...

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/c5c5cdf5.jpg

 

 

Anyone know of a better way to get this effect? I basically stippled it on.

 

 

 

Cheers! GS

[dadieau]

They do look good! A couple of more things that will help give them a more 3D look on the table are black lining and opposed colors. I am a slow painter and after deciding on a paint scheme I put a time limit on how long I will continue to fuss with a model before I say "Enought".

 

I don't like black lining every little detail but for bigger chuncks where there isn't alot of natural speration or opposed colors I think it works well. An example on your work would be around the hatchs on the Rhino and the leg to hips on the Contemptor.

 

By opposed colors I mean two colors that don't need to contrast but do give the impression that the things panited are not the same thing. If you painted the back of the hands black or a shoulder pad color or other detail color it will give the boltgun/plasmagun and body of the model a lot of visual seperation.

 

You're doing a great job. Just keep in mind that what looks great in your hand as you paint it won't look the same on the table a few feet away.

[greysquigg]

So! I've been painting in fits and spurts over the past few months.

 

I put up a topic entitled "long fangs in 6th" to consider the idea of a full squad of long fangs with Plasma Cannons..

 

Turned out, IT WAS A RUBBISH IDEA!

 

The very next day after I put up the topic, these guys appeared on ebay and I won them for a tenner..

So I thought.... be damned with it I'm going to try this squad out..

 

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg482/greysquigg/989_0526_zpsb693f83b.jpg

 

 

After a few playtests I quickly came to the conclusion that, actually, 4 PC rocks.

 

Not only does it draw allot of fire, but they wiped out a full 10 man squad of termies the other night in one turn...

 

Usually, dice gods permitting I'll get a single direct hit, and scatter the other 3 within 3 inches getting those valuable kills.

 

It's actually a nightmare for my friend to deal with. Which puts a great big smile on my face!

 

 

 

As far as the modelling goes, these guys look awful, mostly tactical squad bits some kid mashed together.

 

I want to cover them in pelts of greenstuff and hang wolfy bits from them.

 

 

My only concern is, I have never done anything with green stuff in my life..

 

Can anyone give me any pointers as to how to make a nice looking pelt to go over the ammo packs and shoulders?

 

 

 

Much appreciated.

 

GS

[Wulfebane]

This and this.

 

There's plenty of tutorials out there on sculpting fur cloaks, but if your sculpting ability isn't average or above, don't kid yourself and do it anyway.It'll bring the whole model aesthetic down. I see tons of people making their own GS work by hand when there are so many tools/molds/bits at their disposal and it detracts from the model, yet no one ever tells them. It's always a pat on the back with a "good effort!" admonishment. In the long run, that sort of white lying won't benefit them.

 

If your sculpting ability is above average, have at it! But tools like what I linked don't have to be excuses. Even if you can sculpt exactly like the linked molds, using them anyway simply saves time, so it's not like you're cheating. You know you have the skills, but honestly, with as much time spent on the 40k hobby, do you really need to implement them every time?

 

Since you're just starting out, practice makes perfect to determine if sculpting is for you. Scrap models or even just sculpting on a flat piece of plastic/cardstock is a way better means of measuring your skills than coating your favorite model(s) in subpar putty jobs.