Eagle Eyes ongoing army log -- Libby's face, & some base

[Cpt. Tiberious]

Dude, seriously? These guys look KILLER!! I'm really diggin that color scheme man. The scouts havin face paint is cool too. The tribal patterns really sells em, well done. Also really like the chapter symbol. Those custom transfers are really great lookin when you get em set and blended. Could you PM me that face recipe if you don't mind? They look great.

 

I'm prolly gunna do some sort of camo paint on my scout sniper faces, kinda like weathered grease paint. Basically just thin paint to regular application thickness, then thin it a bit more. Dip in a detail brush and just take a little off. Then just drag it across the face, trying to create the look that it was applied by the scout using his fingers. I've tested it on a couple models and it looks just transparent enough to see the skin tone just a bit under the paint. It fouls be useful if you wanna make some stealthy lookin sniper.

 

Keep it up bro, they look amazing.

[thamier]

yeah looks good, just had time to glance, but will have to go back for a cloer look

[deathspectersgt7]

The face paint looks good ,would like to see up close.

[Iron Hands Fanatic]

I was waiting for you to see it, IHF. Thanks for the mockups! I chose the band partially because the old scouts had it, but also in large part because almost all the South American natives seemed to use it. Same with the chin bar. I do like the idea of working in tac/assault/dev markings, though. I'm not 100 sold, but I will think on it. If I do that, the vets would have to have a skull… Maybe that's where the sugar skull designs could come in. I think that might look a bit much, though.

Also, my sergeant does indeed have a red head stripe, as that's what the helmets would bear. Stands to reason that veteran serg would have white stripes as well. I will need to really think about how to extend this. I really like the way the skin tone turned out on the Sternguard, though, and I don't know how much I want to cover up. I love the idea that veterancy is denoted by white, and so it is with the sons of Corax as their skin lightens. Maybe the lightness of the skin is mark of veterancy enough. I know it's a codex marking, but I don't mind the double-meaning. It works out.

Oh, my bad - I saw red and assumed he had a badass scar :P - it does look good & stand out pretty well now I've had a proper look

Yeah, I can see how doing skulls on the vets might be slightly tricky - the simplest way you could do it would probably be this: ,just with paler skin

Then again, it would be a shame to cover the sweet paintjob you've done on the vets faces - and they are packed with detail after all

You could always do the opposite to different facepaint for each unit by having the gradual progression through the chapter's ranks act as an 'ascension' from their homeworld's culture:

* the scouts have the most warpaint becuase their the most in touch with their planet's culture

* maybe the tacticals, assault & devastators would just keep the chin stripe ( & possibly a narrower line from the temples' edge to the outer eye, depending on the marine) as they begin to distance themselves from their homeworld's culture

* then you have the vets, who are so far removed from their roots, they completely shun the use of warpaint

Along with the gradual change from darker to lighter skin tones, it could be another way to show the progression of a marine

Also, in between all the horrible cabley/machiney details of the 30k IH lineart I've been working on, I've been trying out the basic composition of the Eagle Eye / Persecutor peice, and I was wondering if you were cool with your guy being an assault marine - being descendants of Corax, I figured it would suit their disposition?

Also, would this guy's haircut (minus the ponytail) be appropriate?

http://www.bitzbox.co.uk/images/marauder_horsemen_head_6_large.jpg

[JeffTibbetts]

I was waiting for you to see it, IHF. Thanks for the mockups! I chose the band partially because the old scouts had it, but also in large part because almost all the South American natives seemed to use it. Same with the chin bar. I do like the idea of working in tac/assault/dev markings, though. I'm not 100 sold, but I will think on it. If I do that, the vets would have to have a skull… Maybe that's where the sugar skull designs could come in. I think that might look a bit much, though.

Also, my sergeant does indeed have a red head stripe, as that's what the helmets would bear. Stands to reason that veteran serg would have white stripes as well. I will need to really think about how to extend this. I really like the way the skin tone turned out on the Sternguard, though, and I don't know how much I want to cover up. I love the idea that veterancy is denoted by white, and so it is with the sons of Corax as their skin lightens. Maybe the lightness of the skin is mark of veterancy enough. I know it's a codex marking, but I don't mind the double-meaning. It works out.

Oh, my bad - I saw red and assumed he had a badass scar - it does look good & stand out pretty well now I've had a proper look

Yeah, I can see how doing skulls on the vets might be slightly tricky - the simplest way you could do it would probably be this: ,just with paler skin

Then again, it would be a shame to cover the sweet paintjob you've done on the vets faces - and they are packed with detail after all

You could always do the opposite to different facepaint for each unit by having the gradual progression through the chapter's ranks act as an 'ascension' from their homeworld's culture:

* the scouts have the most warpaint becuase their the most in touch with their planet's culture

* maybe the tacticals, assault & devastators would just keep the chin stripe ( & possibly a narrower line from the temples' edge to the outer eye, depending on the marine) as they begin to distance themselves from their homeworld's culture

* then you have the vets, who are so far removed from their roots, they completely shun the use of warpaint

Along with the gradual change from darker to lighter skin tones, it could be another way to show the progression of a marine

Also, in between all the horrible cabley/machiney details of the 30k IH lineart I've been working on, I've been trying out the basic composition of the Eagle Eye / Persecutor peice, and I was wondering if you were cool with your guy being an assault marine - being descendants of Corax, I figured it would suit their disposition?

Also, would this guy's haircut (minus the ponytail) be appropriate?

http://www.bitzbox.co.uk/images/marauder_horsemen_head_6_large.jpg

I like the ideas from a couple of you to just use black bits to make the vet faces look like skull paint. I think the white skin and black patches will look cool.

I'll post the skin recipe as closely as I can when I get home. From memory I know I used an old Bronzed Flesh base on them, the really old dark brown ink wash (which is very nearly black), another layer of Bronzed, and then from there I can't remember what I mixed in for the first highlight. I know I ended with a very small edge highlight of Dheneb Stone, thinned with Lahmian Medium.

So, I like the idea of maybe using less face paint as they get older, but I also kind of like the idea of it enough to keep it going. You just don't see it often enough on marines anymore, and I like that. Plus, fluff wise, they sort of honor the culture in a patronizing way, as opposed to being truly connected to it. I think of it like people who say they like Native American Indians in the US, but the way they "honor" them is by putting up dreamcatchers (which were originally used for a child's dart game) and wearing t-shirts of wolves howling at the moon. No offense intended, but that's not 'real' native culture. That's how I see my marines. They may have come from that culture, but by the end of training they are so far removed that they have become outsiders, and with their obsessive observation they cease seeing the people as real people at all. It's like they're watching a movie and they see what they want to. If you've seen movies like "The Lives of Others" that's the other component here. Sociologists breaking a culture down with academic efficiency can have a hard time relating to the people. So, that's my long-winded way of seeing how they interact with their own people.

As for the hair? I'm down, if it's a young one. I like the use of mohawks, but that might be a little too punk. I think some spikiness is totally fine, but maybe not quite as chunky. I fully endorse the use of face paint on him as well, if you are going helmetless.

[GhostMalone]

I'm thinking that these bad Boy Scouts need to be done now!

[JeffTibbetts]

I'm thinking that these bad Boy Scouts need to be done now!

 

Thanks, Jasp. I'm still waiting on some decals (dude is taking like 3 weeks now to print them…) and do a few little highlights maybe. Anything else you can see that would add that finishing touch? 

[GhostMalone]

Stretchers and piercings

[JeffTibbetts]

Stretchers and piercings

 

Thought about that, pretty hard. I decided not to because I'd seen some really great full-on Aztec Rainbow Warriors and I thought they did it better already, and also I didn't want them to be Space Wolves ethnic. You know? That's why in the fluff I make a point to talk about how their adoption of these cultural practices are somehow not genuine or authentic. They basically don't go full native, they just dress up like them.

 

But, when I've seen it done, it does look pretty cool. It's been pointed out that part of the fun of this army is that they look so clean and streamlined on the outside, but they keep a lot of their flavor inside the armor. I don't want to go too over-the-top. It's like pouring on a little hot sauce on your plate, as opposed to cooking your meat with a habanero in the skillet. :D 

[JeffTibbetts]

Okay, here's what's coming up (can you tell I have too many projects at once?) next.

A couple of these bad boys. I've had the typhoon (magnetized) done for ages, but only recently put the rest of my second one together. I tried to make them as different as I could. Things like flipping the pilot's shield down, different antenna bits (the one on the left is a Ravenwing bit), either the pilot or gunner is looking away in either, etc. Also, I took one of the vehicle scrolls and cut it down to mount to the one on the left. I need to fix up the seam on that and also fill the gaps, but then they're ready for paint. Anyone have an awesome idea to make the flyer stands more stable without making them out of something not clear? I kinda like the clear.

And also, in response to Geek(thetease)tom, there's this:

Should be pretty easy to guess… Come on now.

[GhostMalone]

A grey out of focus blob!

 

Do I win?

[JeffTibbetts]

Jackpot! That's exactly what that picture is… But wait. Is it gray, or is that some other color? ;) 

[Disruptor_fe404]

Librarian?

[JeffTibbetts]

You'll just have to wait and see, man. ;) 

[Iron Hands Fanatic]

I like the ideas from a couple of you to just use black bits to make the vet faces look like skull paint. I think the white skin and black patches will look cool.

I'll post the skin recipe as closely as I can when I get home. From memory I know I used an old Bronzed Flesh base on them, the really old dark brown ink wash (which is very nearly black), another layer of Bronzed, and then from there I can't remember what I mixed in for the first highlight. I know I ended with a very small edge highlight of Dheneb Stone, thinned with Lahmian Medium.

So, I like the idea of maybe using less face paint as they get older, but I also kind of like the idea of it enough to keep it going. You just don't see it often enough on marines anymore, and I like that. Plus, fluff wise, they sort of honor the culture in a patronizing way, as opposed to being truly connected to it. I think of it like people who say they like Native American Indians in the US, but the way they "honor" them is by putting up dreamcatchers (which were originally used for a child's dart game) and wearing t-shirts of wolves howling at the moon. No offense intended, but that's not 'real' native culture. That's how I see my marines. They may have come from that culture, but by the end of training they are so far removed that they have become outsiders, and with their obsessive observation they cease seeing the people as real people at all. It's like they're watching a movie and they see what they want to. If you've seen movies like "The Lives of Others" that's the other component here. Sociologists breaking a culture down with academic efficiency can have a hard time relating to the people. So, that's my long-winded way of seeing how they interact with their own people.

As for the hair? I'm down, if it's a young one. I like the use of mohawks, but that might be a little too punk. I think some spikiness is totally fine, but maybe not quite as chunky. I fully endorse the use of face paint on him as well, if you are going helmetless.

Oh yeah, the mohawk I had in mind was far less spiky, if anything its a bit shorter, more uniform & 'softer' - just couldn't get the image of that mini out of my head :P

I'll have to post a scan of the mock-up I just finished - by the way, are they particularly dour in terms of attitude to warfare? Becuase I was thinking of giving your young, hot-headed assault marine a slight smirk, just to emphasise the differences between the two chapters.

Oh and those landspeeders are gonna look epic in your ultra clean style (as will that libby ) - oh and btw, dont worry on the warpaint on the scouts looking slightly messy, not only does it look more realistic, but it also adds a nice contrast to all those crisp, sharp lines, and helps draw the eye to the face.

Also, if you wanted to add a little variety, you could always add kill markings to weapons / vehicles - with a slightly rough look (perhaps using natural imagery - e.g claws, wings, or even rough slashes), they again could provide a little contrast to your very clean power armour.

Keep up the good work

[JeffTibbetts]

Smirk away, man. I like to think of marines as individuals with personalities. I just don't see how gene seed would make everyone just like each other. Sure, tendencies of demeanor is a part of chapter culture, but people are people.

 

And thanks again for the kind words. I may or may not have WIP pics of Crooked Book coming up soon.

[JeffTibbetts]

Okay. So I worked on the libby a bit. Here he is, sans head, in various forms of completeness.

Here's some background if you feel like reading:

Epistolary Yaluk, Amoxtli Chueco, or "Crooked Book."
Yaluk is a powerful telepath and often uses his power to extend the 'eyes' of the Eagles beyond flesh and even technology. He usually travels with the 3rd company and has two Codiciers under his tutelage. He is not trusted by the natives who serve the chapter because he has a reputation for entering their minds with little provocation and fewer apologies. It was the Lost who first gave him his nickname but now most of his brothers refer to him as Chueco (crooked) as well. Despite his nickname, he is actually well-liked by the astartes themselves and has proven to be a good commander. He often accompanies small forces and scouting parties. One could argue that, while Chaplain Yayauhqui is the heart of the company, Yaluk is the brain. When Temoc is holed up in his aerie looking over high level strategy, it's Yaluk who performs many of the minor command duties when they travel.

Here's the front angle. Green has been base coated with Caliban Green, then layered with a few thin coats of Warpstone Glow. I shaded that with a mix of Coelia Greenshade, a touch of Nuln Oil, a tiny bit of dish soap (which I think was a mistake, more on that later) and lots of water. The blue is Necron Abyss, shaded with the old blue ink mixed with a touch of Nuln oil and then based again with Necron. Haven't done any highlighting. Red was the old red foundation paint, whatever it's called. with a light Seraphim Sepia wash and then base color again. Bronze is just Warplock Bronze over black so far. I haven't gotten any Boltgun on him yet.

And here's the back

So, the green… I had a weird thing happen. Not sure why. The wash mix I mentioned went on really oddly. It dried with too hard of lines, and looked way too splotchy. I've really never had a problem with that before. It was weird. And then, when I went to add the green base again, the wash started mixing into the new paint I was applying. Now, when I mixed up the wash, the portion of my table where I mixed it had a black paint underneath it (I often mix on top of dried paint) that must have been black ink, not wash. The old inks were like that. If you got them wet again they would wake up. I'm chalking the weirdness up to that. It was pretty frustrating, but I worked with it enough that I blended out most of the weirdness. I'm cool with it now.

C&C? What do you think of that blue with my green?

[Disruptor_fe404]

When you hit the blue with some highlighting, it'll be an awesome complement to the green.

 

The bronze ties it all together pretty darn well too!

[JeffTibbetts]

Yeah, I was concerned that the bronze would look funny with the blue, but I'll be if it doesn't look just as good. I agree that it bridges the gap well.

[JeffTibbetts]

Here's some mo. I've been working on the libby a bit more, and I finally got my basing ash.

Blue's pretty much done now. I added two levels of highlights, mixing Abyss with the base White, thinned way down with Lahmian Medium and water. I then glazed the whole thing with the old Blue Glaze to rein it in. It looks super vibrant IRL and, to be honest, I really enjoyed painting it. Blue is a very fun color to paint, and I've never done anything else in blue at all.

Here's the back, showing more of the blue but not much else.

And here's old Crooked Book himself. I was going to go with a full gray beard, but you know what? He's only got one service stud. That puts him around the range of 100-200, and the way I figure that's middle-aged… ;) So, after Googling for some pics, I patterned his gray after Daniel Day Lewis. It's a bit hard to see in this pic, but it's gray up by his sideburns as well. I actually really like the level of character this adds to him. He looks like a cranky but smart dude to me, which is just how I imagine him in my fluff. The sculpt on his left eye was very subtly wonky and I had a hard time getting it even this way. His right eye (on our left, looking at him) turned out well. He not only has really pale skin, like the veterans, but I also added some so-subtle-nobody-will-ever-notice-them purple/red blends in the form of a glaze around his mouth, and on the top of his skull to give the impression that you can see the coloration of his blood beneath the skin. Probably a waste of time, and you really can't see it in this pic, but it did make it look more like real skin compared to what it was. This is also highlighted to pure white on the tips, but the color looks a bit off to me. Once I drop his head into the model, I'll snap some more shots of course. Most of the left side of his head will be obscured on the model when all is said and done.

And here are the finished bases now.

Basically all I added were some patches of the Gale Force 9 Ash Wastes flock. It's lighter, but not so light that it looks like snow, which is exactly what I wanted. I think it looks pretty good.

And here's some on a scout, just so you can see how that looks. I quite like the effect, as it adds some more contrast and visual interest, while reinforcing the ash theme.

[Brother Pheidias]

Can see that I missed out on a lot of updates, they're really turning out great, especially the faces!

[DaBoiKyknos]

Somehow I never noticed this thread.

How exactly is beyond my understanding...

That might contain some nice inspiration. :)

Go, Eagle Eyes!

(to be quite honest I alsoleave this comment because subscribing never really

worked for me. I think I never really got notifications fro that... I might check this out,

whem it isn´t time for bed on my side of the planet.)

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job on the Librarian.